FAMILY, FOOD and TENNIS ..........

Have been staying with my sister .....

 ..... while our husbands gallivanted around France in the Morgan !! 

They did bring home some globe artichokes ..... yum ..... and, while they were away, stuffing themselves with all things deliciously French, we stuffed ourselves with lobster tails, brown shrimps and asparagus !!!! Anything they can do, we can do better !!!!

Am now stuck to the sofa watching Wimbledon ..... strawberries and cream anyone ?!!

........................

It's a hard life !!!!!

XXXX

images 1 & 2: via me. image 3: via smashing online

WHILE THE CAT'S AWAY !! ..........

Well, there they go.......... the husband's were off to the Le Mans Classic in my brother-in-law's Morgan .......... A kiss and a wave and then it was off to Horsham town for us vintage car widows, for a bite to eat ..........

This is Tristan's, a wonderful restaurant, situated in one of the oldest buildings in Horsham ..........

Isn't it gorgeous ? Just right for lunch ..........well, the boy's were off to France, so us girls couldn't and shouldn't be left behind !!!!! ..........


A little ' amuse bouche ' to start off with ..........

Then we chose lamb with cockles .......... de-lic-ious .......... then a summer fruit sorbet and coffee, all of which was washed down with a nice Sauvignon Blanc and then, a little retail therapy was in order !! ..........

This is a delightful shop that I am devoting the rest of this post to .......... Oh, my week away has provided me with material for quite a few posts !!!! As you walk in, you just know that it is going to be a wonderful shopping experience. First of all, there are clothes !! A quick peruse and a try-on of a few garments, resulted in my first purchase !! A little something for my upcoming holiday in Italy. I'm sorry .......... it had to be done !! Trouble was, this was the first shop that we had been in and I had already made a purchase !! Note to self .......... try to go shopping before lunch and before drinking a couple of glasses of wine !!

We then climbed the first set of stairs ..........

At the turn of the stairs was this gorgeous, beautifully worn leather chair .....no, have a little restraint, it won't go in my car !!!! ..........

This was what greeted us on the first floor.......... silver votives, a distressed silver mirror and an angle-poised lamp ..... NICE ..........

A fabulous full length old mirror, vintage accessories, and a wonderful chair ..........

Fantastic whitewashed floorboards, vintage plates on the floor, a '40's dress and a beautiful piece of lace, casually thrown over another old mirror .......... oh, and I HAD to buy that piece of lace, I just HAD to !!!! ..........

Doesn't that bowl look brilliant with the hair clips in it ? It's the little things, isn't it ? ..........

Amongst the vintage dresses on the rail, was the most wonderful wedding dress. I forgot to take a photograph of it but, take my word for it, it was exquisite.

Up another flight of stairs to the attic, passing a great chest of drawers along the way, and into another fantastic room. It was like exploring someone's house, with precious items strewn all over the place. I just loved the way that they had displayed everything. The shop is owned by three sisters and they had all brought their artistic talents to the layout of the shop ............ and, nothing was particularly expensive ..........

Another old, distressed leather chair and an old screen. If I could have got them home, I would have bought them.

There were even rose petals strewn across the floor !

Well, there we are .......... our first half day on our own ! .......... and this was just day one !! See the carrier bag ? Well, that's mine, Suprise, suprise !! I was hoping that Mr. Home and Mr. Brother-in-Law were experiencing their own delightful pursuits ( within reason !!) Well, they were in France, after all. My sister and I were just trying to keep up.

To be continued ..........

THE SUN INN....Lunch at the Pub..........

I thought that another trip to an English pub was called for, so we are all going for a drink and a bite to eat at The Sun Inn......... a 16th Century pub in a village , 10 minutes from where I live.
A gloriously restored traditional white brick building, The Sun Inn is set on a picturesque village green, overlooking the magnificent Victorian Church of St. Thomas a Becket.

The Sun Inn, oozes charm and character, serving high quality regional British food and drink.
My husband and I used to go to this pub when we were in our 20's, many years ago !!!! It didn't look like this then !! It was one small bar and the only food were crisps (chips) and a dried up sandwich !!!!


The detail throughout is evident , from the vintage water jugs to the Sheffield steel cutlery and crates of fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables.

There is an assortment of fresh breads on the vintage sideboard.

A magnificent bay tree and antique pub mirror.

There are always fresh flowers, everywhere, throughout the pub and a lovely view of the church and village green from many of the windows.

More fresh flowers and original features to make your experience enjoyable.

This was my lobster I had on one of my visits to the pub and the fries are cooked in beef dripping and, I have to say, are the best chips (fries) I've ever had....on a par with French chips, cooked in goose/duck fat. See the old water jug ?

An original fireplace on which there are always fresh flowers in old jugs, books on local history, guide books and cookery books propped up everywhere for anyone to browse through while sipping a glass of wine or beer.

This is the table that we sat at last night. See the crate of apples. I think that the crates of fruit and vegetables are a unique touch that I haven't seen before.

Here's a lovely view through to the front of the pub.

Another crate, this time full of beetroot, parsnips, broccoli and potatoes. The chef comes out regularly to take the vegetables to cook with.

A view of the church from one of the dining tables.

The village green.

Another view in the main bar.

This was my main course on another visit....I do go to this pub VERY often !!!!

This was Cromer crab with pea shoots...it was divine and isn't it pretty ?!!

More veggies !!!.......
On the back of each menu, there is a food map, showing the local farms and producers where the food has been sourced.From rare breed pigs to duck and geese. the ever evolving menu is governed by the seasons.

Diners have a choice of two superbly renovated dining rooms, both with antique mismatched wooden tables and chairs set on solid stone and bare wood floors, all amid dark and light green hues and exposed brickwork.

Carrots !!!!......don't they look great ?

I thought that this arrangement of raspberries, freesias and mint, was beautiful.

........... another old jug of flowers.........

The church....my friends daughter got married here and, inside, it is one of the most beautiful churches and very atmospheric...... a beautiful church to be married in.

.......... please allow me to introduce you to Smudge, the pub owners dog........he is the sweetest dog and everyone wants to take him home....... the trouble is, this pub is always packed to the rafters and nearly everyone has a meal and Smudge gets so many tidbits given to him that he is getting dangerously fat, so the owner is forever telling her customers not to feed him !!!! I don't think that Smudge is very happy about this !! See how sad he looks.......

...... another part of one of the dining rooms .....

...... a lovely Victorian jug and bowl, one of my weaknesses when I'm at flea markets .....

........ a nice bit if 16th century exposed brickwork, books and a lovely '20's mirror.....

Well, that concludes your tour of The Sun Inn....I hope that you enjoyed a little look at a typical old British pub. They all have their own character and, I think that pubs are one of our really lovely traditions.

Jackie