Southern Yacht

My little take on plus size fashion, life, travel and smurfs

Friday 26 November 2021

The Attic in Southampton - Craft Cocktails (PR Event)

 

The Attic Southampton - Found Sole Mocktail

[AD – Press Event] Did you know the really interesting stuff is up in the Attic….?

Southampton’s newest cocktail bar The Attic has recently opened above Mettricks Guildhall – already a well established gem within the city. Southampton Bloggers were invited for an evening of craft cocktails and nibbles. After heading upstairs and ringing a bell for entry you’re met with a beautiful, tiled bar, subdued cosy lighting and luxurious deep sofas. The first impression is warm, cosy and comfortable and the feeling that you’re heading into somewhere pretty special.

The Attic Southampton

The Attic Southampton

And that’s exactly what owner Spencer set out to achieve. Modelled on his grandmother’s room with cosy furniture, personal photographs, and family heirlooms, this is a cocktail bar with a difference. The atmosphere is relaxed and unhurried with a real sense of shutting out the outside world and just snuggling down.

The Attic Southampton

Personally, I don’t drink and neither did my plus one. Which means that whenever I go to a new bar or restaurant, I’m always interested in their alcohol-free versions. The Attic didn’t disappoint. With a choice of 5 mocktails and an extensive selection of soft drinks, we were well catered for. After taking our time looking through the menu (beautifully presented in vintage books) we started the evening with a PG13 PB&J (smooth peanut butter, strawberry jam apple juice and vanilla syrup) and a Cranberry Cooler (cranberry juice, lemon and lime, topped with lemonade).

The Attic Southampton - mocktail menu

The Attic Southampton - the menu

Now I love peanut butter with a passion and wow! This PB&J mocktail was very peanutty (is that even a word….?). The Cranberry Cooler was also a big hit and one to order again.

The Attic Southampton - Earl Grey Faketini

Next up, we tried a Found Sole (apple juice, fresh strawberries, balsamic vinegar and topped with strawberry tonic) and Earl Grey Faketini (apple juice, lemon juice, sugar syrup and earl grey tea). These two were very much the more visually attractive of the drinks with the Found Sole being served in a Plymouth Gin fish glass and the Earl Grey Faketini in a china teapot. 

The Attic Southampton - mocktail menu

My personal favourites of the evening? The Earl Grey Faketini – wonderfully sharp and refreshing. Closely followed by the Found Sole which gave us both another ‘wow’ moment.

The Attic Southampton

The Attic Southampton

The Attic Southampton

If you’re looking for a little oasis of calm and peace in somewhere a bit different, then The Attic is the place to try. Eclectic and charming with a home away from home feeling – it’s a perfect way to spend an evening with a difference. The Attic is currently open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 7pm to midnight and you can book a table here.

The Attic Southampton

Thanks for reading

Cathy
x

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Tuesday 19 October 2021

Christmas at the Body Shop - PR Event

Christmas 2021 at The Body Shop

So....my first blogging event in 20 months! What better way to get back into the swing of things than by exploring the Christmas range of one of my absolute favourites - The Body Shop with The Southampton Bloggers

Christmas 2021 at The Body Shop


With new ranges such as Kindness & Pears, Love & Plums and Joy & Jasmine it was hard to pick a favourite... but overall, Kindness & Pears wins I think. Its a beautiful fresh scent that would work perfectly for spring as well. With the return of the fan favourite plum scent there's a scent for all tastes. There was also gifts for all pockets, ranging from stocking fillers up to the biggest advent calendar I have ever seen! Only 10 stores were selected to stock this calendar and Southampton was one. For £320 you get £495 of products.


Christmas 2021 at The Body Shop

Christmas 2021 at The Body Shop

By 2023 the entire Body Shop is aiming to make their entire range vegan. As part of the changes and responsible sourcing, the body butter range has changed consistency.  Some of the heavier oils have been removed and the butters now offer up to 96 hours of moisture. The yoghurts (my absolute favourite Body Shop product of all time) are still going strong with all three of the Christmas scents available (I may just have picked up a Kindness & Pears yoghurt...) 

We also learnt about the various recycling initiatives The Body Shop has in place. The Southampton store has been refitted with new fittings and tables which on closer inspection....were made of recycled bottles and plastic!

Christmas 2021 at The Body Shop

Christmas 2021 at The Body Shop

And I finally got hands on with the refill station.  Such a good idea to be able to buy a reusable aluminum bottle and fill it with the product of your choice. I chose Almond Milk and Honey (although soon to be just Almond Milk after the range goes vegan). I was impressed to learn that the Southampton store has sold the most refillable bottles in the UK with 1700 sold so far - go Southampton!! I even had a go at filling the bottle myself - not as easy as it looks! You need some muscle.

Christmas 2021 at The Body Shop

The Body Shop has been running the
initiative Declarations of Self Love. The aim was to have 1 million declarations by the end of the year - currently there are 2.4 million. Reading some of the declarations in the Southampton store was both uplifting and sad. I would have loved to have been able to read these when I was younger.

Christmas 2021 at The Body Shop

Christmas 2021 at The Body Shop

Christmas 2021 at The Body Shop

Christmas 2021 at The Body Shop

Every year, The Body Shop supports a charity, the chosen one this year is Honeypot - which supports young carers, some as young as 5, by offering support and respite breaks. £150,000 is donated by Body Shop and the rest is from donations from customers. 

It was so lovely to have a taste of normality and to catch up with people. A big thank you to The Body Shop Southampton and Southampton Bloggers for the invite.

Christmas 2021 at The Body Shop

Thanks for reading

Cathy
xx
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Friday 30 October 2020

Days out in Hampshire: Hinton Ampner

Hinton Ampner House

It feels like Autumn is well and truly here now in the UK. The clocks have gone back and the rain and grey clouds seem here to stay. It doesn't seem possible that only a few weeks ago we were enjoying the sunshine and blue skies at Hinton Ampner.

Hinton Ampner is a National Trust property in Hampshire. Originally the site of a Tudor manor built in the 1540's the building has had many incarnations over the years. The renovation of 1936 uncovered the original Georgian style and the subsequent rebuilding after a major fire in 1960 leaves us the house we see today. The house was left to the National Trust in 1985 by Ralph Dutton, the 8th and last Lord Sherborne.

Despite only being a 40 minute or so drive from Southampton, it was a place I had driven past many times but never actually visited (fun fact - I used to drive past regularly during my time when I was a Meals on Wheels delivery driver - maybe that's a story for another day?).

After seeing a story on the local news about the grounds being open for visitors we decided now was the time to finally visit and enjoy the last bit of summer. Although the house itself wasn't open, tickets were available for a timed entry to the rest of the estate.

Hinton Ampner walled garden

Hinton Ampner walled garden

Even so, it still felt busier than expected. Maybe we've become over sensitive to crowds now? We arrived at the exact time our visiting slot opened thinking we'd avoid too many people and instead went straight into a bottleneck. Probably due to first part of the grounds being the walled garden, so space inevitably was limited. We scooted off to one side to allow the crowds through and just pottered round at our own pace. Once out of the walled garden, there was a lot more space to be socially distant and enjoy the grounds.

Hinton Ampner Estate

Hinton Ampner Estate

Hinton Ampner Estate

Hinton Ampner Estate

There are plenty of self-led walks to choose from. Ranging from a gentle stroll suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs up to a 4 mile Dutton Estate Walk that takes you through ancient woodland including a view over the Battle of Cheriton in 1644. Another highlight in the grounds is the Ancient Tree Walk which incudes trees of historical importance. The massive oak by the entrance is between 500-600 years old, dating back to Tudor times. It's amazing to think it survived the Civil War and is considered the most iconic tree on the Estate.

Hinton Ampner Estate

Hinton Ampner Estate
View over the site of the Battle of Cheriton

It was also the perfect opportunity to try and take some photos with my new phone. I think though the other half's patience was tested at this point. Luckily, I'd bought a picnic blanket with me, so lunch from the cafe soon placated him. Although seating wasn't available, picnics were encouraged, so come prepared for alfresco dining!

Hinton Ampner Estate

Hinton Ampner Estate


Hinton Ampner Estate

Picnics and photos at Hinton Ampner

Although life is far from being back to normal - this felt like a near normal day in amongst all the confusion and disruption going on at the moment. It's left us wanting to explore more local National Trust properties and grounds. And lets's face it - a day out in the fresh air walking is always a good idea!

Cathy
X


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Monday 7 September 2020

Something I never thought I'd wear...

Spotted Dungarees from TU at Sainsbury, size 20

Has there ever been something you fancied wearing but thought 'nope, not for me' or 'wouldn't suit me' or even 'how comfortable would that be really....'.

Well, for me, it was dungarees. I think they look great, I used to live in them as a kid! But as an adult, definitely not. I'm bigger on the bottom half than the top, so finding something that fits top and bottom is about as easy as finding hen's teeth.

So when I was in the TU clothing section of Sainsburys earlier this year and saw a pair of spotted dungarees, I wasn't optimistic about the chances of them fitting.

Well, I was right, they didn't fit - because I needed to size down! Unheard of in TU clothing to be honest. I normally find their sizing very much on the small side. Sizing down is not something I've ever had to do before. So that was a good start.

And you know what? I didn't hate them. They weren't too long in the leg, they fitted my thighs and didn't gap at the waist and they were adjustable enough on the top to fit. 

Spotted Dungarees from TU at Sainsbury, size 20

So they came home with me - and I love them. I try to ignore the other half making Andy Pandy comments and doing a speedy trip to the toilet is yet to be mastered. But I think dungarees are back in my life now - and that makes me happy!

Thanks for reading

Cathy
xx

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