The Blog...

I'm going to make a mention of one of our favourite bands of Angela and me. She plays it most days and must drive our hotel guests to distraction, but actually they love it as well.

The little trio is call the FB Pocket Orchestra and they play 1920's ragtime, swing jazz, or however you want to define it.

We first saw them play up in the Library of Liquor on Angela's birthday night at the Larder House and now keep catching them at Chaplins Bar (in Boscombe) where they play at the end of the month, and back at the Larder House every now and again. It's nice that they take time to chat to us when they see us, and don't think we are weirdo stalkers!

You can get their music on iTunes as well as on CD from the band themselves when you go along...

Some videos on YouTube of the band: At The Vyne 2013, at Chaplins Bar 2015.

Website: FB Pocket Orchestra

Twitter: FBPocketOrch

I had a great time over the weekend of June 20/21 and really cemented why we love living in Southbourne so much.

Besides the fact that it is so close to the road links and rail links to get out of Bournemouth, it is also a great location where prices still represent good value albeit in the right places, but I get the feeling that it is going to shoot up and have its own boom time very soon. The TV programme Location, Location, Location" may have something to do with it but we knew all along...

It all started off on the Friday night at my fave place, The Larder House, as it usually does. A couple of drinks in the courtyard to begin, now that the weather is being nice to us, and then into the main restaurant for dinner.

Aside from the recent Wheels festival, there has been a new micro pub opened by a great couple called David and Nicola Holland called the Wight Bear. If you stand on the cliff tops near us and look out towards the Isle of Wight you should be able to work out where the name comes from.

This is a micro pub, not a micro brewery, so don't keep asking them what they brew on site!

We wish them all the best as they are a really fun couple and deserve.

Having been to both Monaco and Geneva this last month on short trips, I can tell you that both are eye wateringly expensive, even compared to London.

Do we live in rip-off Britain? It's probably a relative term but I think we are pretty lucky and have choices. Our friends in Geneva have to drive into France to get their weekly shopping.

Europe does have warm weather tough.