Essex Boot Camp

I am in the mood for getting fit at the moment, instead of feeling fat and I am really intrigued about this Essex Boot Camp. 

image found from:  morethanmediocrity.wordpress.com

It looks really interesting and a bit different, and you can do it all over Essex. What really attracts me is that it is outdoor exercise, as I really do have a phobia of the gym, this phobia could stem from my sheer laziness, but I like to think it’s the fact that I hate getting sweaty inside a room with a bunch of people I don’t know (or worse, potentially could know!!).

So it’s a new type of training, using ‘the experience of ex-military or specialist fitness instructors’ and they offer over 45 hours of sessions throughout Essex per week so there is no real excuse about not being able to attend.  There are few different options of paying, you can buy 10 – 1hour sessions for £65 which is a very fair rate! There is a range of other price packages on the website.

new serious sports top to make me a pro

What is really great about these guys is that they offer you a free trial to give you a taster.  I am certainly going to give it a go and report back.  I even bought a new exercise top at the weekend from JJB Sports to inspire me, because even if you can't act the part you can at least look the part right? 

Have any of you been to any sessions?  Any opinions? 

Find your nearest location here so you can give it a try!






<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3849428/?claim=687cbd6vqbk">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

CAMRA Chelmsford Beer Fest

So Wednesday night, my friends, my sister and I went to the CAMRA Chelmsford Beer Festival, as I mentioned in one of my previous posts this was a Chelsmfordienne debut on the Beer Fest Scene – so I was eager to try it.

I was a little worried about the weather, and made sure I had some boots and my ‘poncho in a pocket’ in preparation for any oncoming rain, frankly we were very lucky and even when it did rain, we got under the big marquees, and there was a great atmosphere inside them.  We saw some people we knew, it wasn’t too too busy, and as it was the beginning of the Festival, none of the better beers had run out.

We were off and ready with glass and programmes in hand with a guide to all the beers on offer, there was a lot to choose from and I was not sure where to start. My boyfriend advised that my sister and I should start off with the Cider, we had half a pint of Springfield Red Cider. It is always best to get a half pint, that way if you don’t like it, you don’t have a whole pint to drink – not that such situation happened to me!

After our cider we moved onto Belgian Beer, I have been known to dabble with a couple of Belgian beers before, and these are a lot more palatable for those who aren’t hardened beer/real ale drinkers!  We had, chocolate flavour, Kriek cherry flavour, coconut (my favourite as it was almost a pina-colada-esque beer) and Babar (with a honey kick). The Belgian beers were my favs.

There was a little quiz that you could take part in, which was run by CAMRA, live music and food.  I was especially tempted by the Pie Emporium - you can check their website out here for their delicious delights!

The more I drank, the more I liked it, we probably had around 5 half pints each in total.  It made such a change, plus it was mid-week drinking, something I do not make enough time for clearly!

The ambiance was great, people were on top form, the fact it was raining outside made no difference, it wasn’t muddy at all.

Can I please remind you to sign the petition to ‘save the British Pint’ for all you pub punters and beer guzzlers, it’s important to stop this beer escalation tax. Just think of poor Pip in your local pub (I am sure you all have one), soon he won’t be able to afford all those beers he necks, and there will certainly be no chance for you by the time you reach his age!

For all those Beer Festival regulars, you will not be disappointed and for those who are First Timers like me, then get yourself down there for a Big Beautiful Beer experience – trust me, even if you think you are not keen on beer, like myself, there is certainly something for everyone!

Please do make a comment if you do have the time to make it down there!

Dance and Beer

Happy Thursday to you all,

As anticipated, Jairo Barull was as stunningly fast as you could ever imagine! He and his Spanish Flamenco Dance Company wowed the crowd with his amazing footwork on his UK Debut in Chelmsford last Friday night.  It was elegant and dramatic, and really captured his gypsy flamenco upbringing.  The musicians that were with him were also fantastic, telling the story of their heritage through song and dance it was a truly memorable night, and I hope that his UK success takes off from here.

~ ~ ~ ~

Something else to look forward to next week, starting Tuesday 10^th – Saturday 14^th July is the CAMRA’s (Campaign for Real Ale) Chelmsford Beer Festival at Admiral’s Park with over 300 Real Ales, over 100 Real Cider and Perries, a wide selection of Belgian Beer, local wine and food served all day – what more could you want!  You can check out the website here.  I will be making my Chelmsford Beer Festival Debut – which is very exciting – as everyone is always talking about it, so I shall most certainly be reporting back with pictures and some stories after next week.

You can also sign the petition to ‘Save the British Pint’ here to stop the beer duty escalator to support our Great British Pubs! Please go on and sign if you want to continue enjoying your fresh pint in your local pub!! BRITISH PUBS NEED YOU!!

The Secret Garden

Here is another great find for those of you who haven't discovered it yet -  The Secret Garden Tea Room which is hidden away nicely in Writtle Road Nursery.  I have been coming here for many years with my friends, for afternoon tea and cake.  I have also been known to pop down for breakfast as they do a great English Breakfast on a weekend.

As you will see from the pictures, the Secret Garden tearoom on Writtle Road, Chelmsford,  is quirky and has a great warmth and the gardens are perfect for a sunny day (or a rainy day - they have a rather large umbrella, which I sat under at the weekend!).  

It is truly a hidden gem and you don't even realise that you are ten minutes walk from the City centre.  They have an events programme for families, hold workshops during the week and they also have a function room with a bar that you can hire for parties.

On a cold day you can expect open fires, and a traditional tearoom atmosphere.  It is 100% country chic, with many cushions, flowers, ornaments, mirrors and soft lighting.

What I love most is however, is my nice teapot of tea, with a cute homemade tea cosy, a cake or a warm scone, my friends, and a good gossip - the perfect place to have a natter a catch-up, in your own Secret Garden.

There is also a nursery/garden centre next door, so if you fancy a wander around, they have some cute little tit-bits in the shop itself, and a great selection of outdoor plants.

So go on, check out this cosy hide-out - you won't be disappointed!

Strawberry Treats!

Well Saturday was a gorgeous day, so my friends and I decided to kick off the summer season with some PYO at Lathcoats Farm on Beehive Lane, Chelmsford.  You can find their website here.  What's great about this farm is that it is a walkable distance from our houses, so I took a few snaps along the way.  There is also a large car park for those who are travelling a bit further (well worth the drive!).   CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE

On arrival, we could see that they have a new look farm shop - more pics to follow at the end of the blog about this super find.

Off we trotted to the stall where we could pick up a basket - you can bring your own basket if you wish.  I, however, really like to get an authentic basket, and Lathcoats' ones are cute, you have two sizes to choose from, and you can reuse it as many times as you like - so you can keep it for next time!

What's really great about this PYO site, is that the strawberries are grown off the floor, so no bending down, reaching around in mud, but in fact a height suitable for adults and kids alike!

The mission was on, filling up our baskets, whilst taking some great photos of the juicy fruits.  It brought back so many memories of being a little girl, it's such a great feeling to pick your own fruit, rather than buy it at the supermarket - plus you know they are going to taste great!

We collected a great load of strawberries, and for the first weekend of strawberry picking, there were a lot of people down there enjoying the fun.  We went back to weigh our goods, and at a very reasonable price, we were happy and off we trotted to the 'new look' farm shop - and wow - I was impressed!

In the shop there were fresh fruits, frozen fruits, frozen pastries (which I was very excited about, as I do love a pain au chocolat!) Essex honey, real local ales, home made meringues - I just couldn't help myself, they go so well with strawberries and cream - and it wouldn't be June without them!  I was walking around snapping away, and the staff were friendly and welcoming.

Now I am off to enjoy my strawberries, meringue and cream - whilst checking out a bit of Wimbledon. I am definitely going to go back soon, I want to attempt an Eton Mess with all the fresh home grown fruits and berries - a perfect summery treat!

Make sure you 'like' Lathcoats Farm on Facebook, they have updates all year round as to what they get up to, and more importantly, make sure that you get down there to experience the PYO season and sample some of the great local products they have on offer!