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Old Alresford, Hampshire

Tuesday 25 October 2011
I just want to give a shout out to my favorite cousin, Ping who's like the older sister that I never have. I used to trail behind her like a shadow, generally being the pesky little cousin but she never minded. We used to sneak into her room and chat all day. She would come up with crazy ideas and got us into trouble with her mom. She was obsessed with hairstyles and unfortunately, I was the only available "model" to experiment on. Thirty years on, I found out that she has now taken to plaiting her students' hair if they'd done particularly well during their piano lessons! I guess some things will never change. When I was 12,  my aunt decided I was to be a flower girl at her wedding. Ping appointed herself to be my personal make up artist. All I remembered was the cute hairstyle and plenty of white shimmer powder on my nose to highlight my already rather pointed nose. She is wise, has a heart of gold and is one of the most generous person I've ever had the privilege to know. I love her to bits. Happy belated birthday, Ping!

It's every mother's nightmare  - the half term break. Or any holidays for that matter. I've promised Lil L that I'd take her to Old Alresford, a quaint and picturesque Georgian village in Hampshire. It is also the home of the Watercress Railway line which runs Thomas trains twice a year. In fact Alresford is also UK's capital of Watercress farming. The town centre has many upmarket and unique shops. There's the millennium trail that takes you down a country trail along the Itchen and into the reservoir. The colorful Georgian terraced houses were built after the great fires in the 17th century. You've got the Pink House, Donkey House, Old Post Office House etc etc. Old Alresford is not to be confused with New Alresford despite its proximity. The latter is a rather dull place with residential estates and nothing else of interest.

A2

old post office house

carriage house
Houses were built to accommodate horse carriages with stables built behind the entrance.


A4


inn


market inn


butcher game
They have a town butcher that supplies the usual as well as game meat such as mallard duck, venison, pheasant and rabbit.

old alresford



blue house


pub
These days cafes are all the rage but no English town is complete without its very own pub.


soap1


books

witches broom
Broomsticks. In preparation for Halloween.

giftshop

I've been to Caracoli cafe previously. It's a cafe cum deli. It's also a great place to rest your weary legs and have a cup of coffee to go with a slice of cake. 

cafe caracoli

For those of you who aren't familiar with the effects of sugar on children. Let me show you a few photos to prove it. This is what happens when you give a precocious little girl a massive cup of hot chocolate with gazillions of marshmallows along with a piece gingerbread pumpkin. 

cafe1


By the time Lil L had finished all the marshmallows as well as half her cookie, she started displaying rather strange behavior - Miming.



L1

Deranged  (think Jack Nicholson's Joker)


L2
crestfallen



L3
ecstatic otherwise disguised as a Colgate commercial


L4
A failed attempt to look mournful





L5
Since having Lil L, I have developed skin thicker than the buffalo hide. One has to. Let's just say we got plenty of odd stares thanks to Lil L who'd insisted that she needed to protect her hair from a slight drizzle.



L6
And this one's for the grandparents.

23 comments:

  1. these are great photos. and how cute is that kiddo!

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  2. Your daughter is adorable!
    What a lovely little village, I wish more places held onto their individuality, I'm so tired of encroaching shopping malls and every high st looking exactly the same.

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  3. Great photos of L, she is hillarious!

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  4. So cute, I can't stand it. I must go to that town. In fact, I really wish I could beam myself there in an instant and stroll along those streets!

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  5. That is one of the the cutest little girls I have ever seen! Looks like you two had a really lovely day, sugar high and all :)
    www.saysskippy.blogspot.com

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  6. I love these photos - one of my favorite places to visit is the Cotswalds and this little town is so charming! Love the fact about the stables. And L looks adorable as always - clearly benefiting from a sugar high! :)

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  7. Oh goodness, little L is so sweet and fun when coked up on sugar! :) I think it's marvelous that you let her do her silly things. My mother didn't, and it really had an effect. Meanwhile, the ability to laugh and be her crazy self will certainly lead to a healthy, fun-loving personality that will keep her happy throughout life. What a wonderful mother you are!

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  8. The pictures make me want to get on a plane and your little angel is gorgeous...God Bless!

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  9. Ahh...the charm of quaint small town. Just lovely..
    The daughter is cute *wink*

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  10. OH my goodness...how adorable is Lil L??? She is just too cute, I love her little dress and her jacket and I didn't know that you are Asian! Not that it matters, and I know you were born in Borneo but I don't know why I thought otherwise!

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  11. There is SO MUCH to LOVE about this post. Love your tribute to your cousin. I think that's awesome! I so want to go here! The buildings are so colorful and beautiful. Love the cobbled walkways and entrances for carriages. It has so much charm. I want a broomstick! LOL Your daughter is ADORABLE. I couldn't help but laugh at all of her funny expressions. I love hot chocolate. Thanks for sharing! I appreciate it.
    http://sassyuptownchic.blogspot.com/

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  12. Your daughter is simply adorable!

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  13. I want to visit and buy old books, I so envy you...
    Little L is so precious, and what a talent for faces, we could be best friends and play faces for days... *making mischievous face with wiggling eyebrows for her*

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  14. Such a delight , sweet L as always !!! xiexie love and kisses :O

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  15. LOL, oh my goodness she is just so adorable!
    I love those pictures & the expressions that you were able to capture in them!! :)


    <3,
    Dana

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  16. I read all your comments to Lil L who was so thrilled. She wanted me to say thank you to all of you.

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  17. WalrusWithTooMuchCakeInTummy26 October 2011 at 19:29

    Hey M, Little L is simply ADORABLE!!! You must get sick of hearing people say that. Well, get used to it! I especially LOVE the "deranged" look! Oh, and am loving her dark blue jacket! :)

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  18. Walrus!! How odd is that! You've been on my mind all day! You free on Sat?? LOL. Oh and that dark blue jacket? It's the mini version of Barbour Liddesdale coat. I got the same one for QY's son. LOL. She's of course delighted that everyone thinks she's adorable but trust me, I had to lecture her today. Temporary loss of hearing is NOT cool.

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  19. LOL -- your daughter is adorable =)

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  20. OK! Those mime pics were HILARIOUS!!! I was laughing out loud!

    And I was just trying to talk my cousin into doing a guest post for my blog! Your story about your cousin sounds the same as mine! I would follow her around... I LOVED her style...She experimented on my hair!! So funny!

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  21. Kids do the darnest things, I tell you! What a wonderful coincidence. I guess as children, we always look up to the older cousins or siblings.

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  22. What an adorable little town! ALMOST as adorable as Little L!

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  23. Mary Lane (the Blonde), aww...so sweet of you to say so. Music to a mom's ears!

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