by Mollie Millington | Aug 7, 2020 | outdoors, product review, travel
Travelling is one of my passions. Living in the UK, I have been very lucky to explore much of Europe and even further afield due to my husband being a lecturer. Covid has ruined all the travel plans we had for this year, and possibly next year too. The walls of our flat were starting to become very tiresome during UK lockdown when we couldn’t even think of leaving our home, let alone London. Luckily, things have improved slightly and we have been able to explore the numerous options for a staycation in the UK.
The Field Studies Council (FSC) was founded in 1943 as a place to allow school children to study living plants and animals in their natural environment. Today, they aim to “create a world where everyone feels connected to the environment so they can enjoy the benefits it gives and make choices that help protect it.” As someone who loves spending time outdoors and is very interested in saving the planet, I was excited to learn about them this year. They have 29 centres all over the United Kingdom, at which visitors can take courses on natural history, art, leisure, and secondary school courses. Eleven of their sites, covering England, Wales and Scotland, are now open for the public to stay at at least through mid-October (depending on local government advice) for time away with friends or family. To help share the news about their accommodation being available to everyone (normally it is school groups that stay, but Covid has prevented these from going ahead), FSC invited myself and my husband for a complimentary two night stay to experience some of what their centres have to offer. The only centre to allow dogs is in Scotland, so we had to leave Maple at home (which ended up being fine as I had the best night sleep ever there).
James loves maps and is the driver in this duo so I let him choose which site we went to. He chose Flatford Mill in Suffolk. Only one hour by train from Stratford station in East London, Flatford Mill is between Colchester and Ipswich. Initially, we were going to drive as we wanted to bring my SUP and James’s bike but car hires were expensive. The train was very easy apart from booking a taxi from the train station to Flatford Mill centre. The visitors information we received when booking did say to arrange transport ahead of time. However, I waited until we were on the train and had to call several taxi companies. (Be warned, there are no Ubers in the area!) The centre is a 2 mile walk or run from station for those who are up for it and travelling light. James cycled and I took our luggage and SUP in a taxi (which was about £10).
FSC Flatford Mill is comprised of several buildings, one of which is Willy Lott’s cottage as made famous by Constable’s Hay Wain (spoiler alert: we stayed in this cottage). The buildings are old and rooms designed for school groups, so I would describe the rooms as hostel-style. Because of Covid, all available FSC rooms offer either en suite bathrooms or you will have a bathroom assigned to your room, which is really nice. Our room had five single beds, a separate (very small) shower stall, a sink in the room itself, and then a bathroom with sink too which meant if there were more than the two of us, we could all be getting ready at the same time. Each bed had a lamp above it too but I would always recommend packing a head torch to be considerate to your roommates. Our room also had a large set of dresser drawers and tea/coffee making equipment. Luckily, we are not very tall, as the room had very low ceiling because it was built in the 1600s. Most of the lower bits were padded as a precaution. Overall, the room was basic (no TV or radio) but also clean and warm. All bedding and one towel per person is provided. Paper towels and hand soap are available in the toilet but you need to bring shampoo, conditioner, soap for the shower, etc.
All bookings can be made on Booking.com and the price includes a takeaway breakfast. Pricing for Flatford Mill starts at £27/night/person or £72/family of four/night. For breakfast, you could chose either a sausage and egg sandwich with hash brown (vegan sausage available) or continental (yogurt, cereal, croissant). Each breakfast comes with tea or coffee (even though you have kettle and coffee machine in your room). Other locations might have their canteens open, depending on local government advice. We found it a bit awkward to eat on our beds but if the weather was better, we would have eaten outside. FSC aims to be as sustainable and local as possible. Packaging is recyclable or compostable. There are recycling bins everywhere and food is locally sourced. For those looking to stay in touch with social media, there is excellent WiFi available throughout the site. We never had a problem logging on or with the reception.
Flatford Mill has many paths and fields for walking or running. The Stour River is right next to the site, so I brought my inflatable stand up paddleboard and was able to explore the river while James went on a long bike ride. The river was very busy by Dedham, with lots of families in hired row boats, inflatable kayaks, more SUP boards and people swimming in the river. I even saw a few people fishing, although I am not sure if they caught anything with all the people going by. Everyone on the water was very friendly and was great at sharing the river. At the Dedham lock, I took my board to the other side of the lock and continued on for another 30 minutes. There was much less traffic and it was still beautiful. I would have gone out SUP’ing again on the second day but it looked like it was going to rain, so James and I went for a 5K walk instead.
The Flatford Mill centre is 1.8 miles away from the local town, East Bergholt. Depending on how fast you walk, it can take 30-40 minutes to get into town through fields (some uphill) and then a small neighbourhood. Going out for dinner was the only time I wish we had a car but we had gorgeous weather on Friday and Saturday night so we didn’t mind walking. There are two pubs and we ate dinner at them both (this was just as restaurants were allowed to open up, so it was our first experience eating out). The menus were quite similar, with jacket potatoes, sandwiches, chilli, lasagne, and nightly specials. Everyone, both staff and locals, were friendly. There is also a Co-Op in town should you need anything during your stay. We brought lots of snacks because I really like snacks and we weren’t sure where we would get lunch from. It turns out there is a National Trust cafe right next to the FSC Flatford Mill centre, which offers sandwiches, scones, desserts, and cream teas. Again, due to Covid, their operations were a bit different with take away only but there was lots of outdoor seating along the river as well as grass if you wanted a picnic. We were told it is normally one of the busiest National Trust cafes in the UK. There was always a steady flow of people taking photos at the pond and people coming in and out of the cafe but it never felt overwhelmingly crowded.
I really enjoyed our weekend there. It was close enough to London to head out after work on Friday and still arrive with sunlight and time to explore the local fields. The landscape is completely different to urban London too- green and quiet with a few cows and sheep dotted in. Even if I couldn’t SUP, I would still go to decompress and get back to nature. A few things I would suggest packing (depending on what outside activities you enjoy are) are:
- mask and hand sanitiser (hopefully this is automatic now!)
- walking shoes/boots/trail shoes in case it is muddy
- swim suit for water sports or wild swimming
- sunscreen
- reusable water bottle and snacks as there are limited shops
- bike lock if you bring your bike in case you cannot store in your building
- head torch for walking home from pub
- rain jacket or umbrella (This is England, after all)
- a good book or deck of cards in case it rains
We are going camping in Slapton Sands in a few week’s time and will visit their Slapton Key site. Unfortunately, we will have Maple so won’t be able to stay overnight. If you have any other questions about FSC or Flatford Mill in particular, leave a comment below and I will do my best to answer. Or if you have ever been to a FSC site, let me know which one you visited and what you learned while you were there (there are even a few in London).
Thanks to Field Studies Council for the complimentary weekend. All opinions are honest and our own (as James weighed in on some). Check out my Instagram to see more photos from the weekend.
by Mollie Millington | Jul 12, 2020 | exercise, fitness, outdoors
This workout is best to do outdoors as you will need room to run and a park bench. Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me. As always, please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime.
Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
Warm up – Walk 1 min, jog 1 min, sprint 1 min, skip 1 min
Walking lunge- 1 min
Sprint- 30 sec
Alternating side squats- 1 min
Sprint- 30 sec
10 burpees
Sprint- 30 sec
Jumping jacks/ star jumps- 1 min
Sprint- 30 sec
Jog- 1 min
Tricep dips on park bench- 30 sec
Forearm plank- 1 min
Pilates boat pose– Hold for1 min
Toe touches– 1 min
Enjoy the sunshine!
by Mollie Millington | Dec 2, 2019 | fitness, gift guide, outdoors, product review
This year, I have put together four gift guides to help you sort out what to give others and what to ask for yourself. Today’s list is for anyone who enjoys keeping fit and/or being outdoors. My other guides include self care and well-being, active and adventure travel and fun sweatshirts. Please keep in mind, any product with a * I was given to review and feel it is an excellent product to recommend. Others were suggested to me but sound like something I would find useful. Hopefully this gives you a little inspiration on what you might want to ask Santa for this year.
Chrome Industries merino cobra hoodie 2.0– You know I love merino. Put it in hoodie form and you have a winner. Run, walk, hike, ski anything is possible with this warm layer from Chrome Industries that will help regulate your body temperature and is resistant to becoming stinky. It is straight cut to allow for freedom of movement no matter what activity you are doing, along with a high collar and zipper back pocket.
KEEN Innate x Sherpa hiking boot– Tackle the outdoors in these limited edition hiking boots. With both brands sharing an affinity to take action, give back and create a better future for communities in a meaningful and immediate way, values are woven into the soul of this unique collaboration, with €15 being donated from the sale of every shoe to charity Room to Read®. Room to Read seeks to transform the lives of millions of children in developing countries by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education. These boot have some pretty cool design features, such as a distinctive endless knot embossed into the upper and subtle signature Nepalese flag detail to the heel loop, which pays homage to the Sherpa climbers and unsung heroes of the Himalayas. Constructed in premium, environmentally preferred Better Leather from a Leather Working Group (LWG) tannery, a PFC free Durable Water Repellent system and featuring Eco Odor Control, the KEEN Innate x Sherpa Adventure Gear looks good, feels good and does good. A PU midsole provides lightweight durability whilst KEEN’s trusted S3 technology and stability shank deliver reliable suspension and support when negotiating varied terrains. A KEEN.DRY waterproof, breathable membrane gives all seasons protection, with an EVA footbed providing step in comfort and superb arch support. Ready to explore any destination, a KEEN.ALL-TERRAIN outsole offers rugged traction, with KEEN’s secure fit lace system with robust aluminium eyelets ensuring a precise and supportive feel. Think of all the hills and mountains you can explore in these!
On Cloud hoodie*– I got this hoodie in the spring and have been living in it ever since. The cut is boxy and therefore offers loads of room when I want to snuggle in front of a campfire or am cooling down after a long run. A cowl neck with asymmetrical zipper is a unique design choice which I use to keep me warm or to release some heat. There are also other design details, such as thumb holes, zippered pockets, rear vents, and a very unique color called beluga (the marine biologist in me loves this!). This hoodie is a must for rest days.
Zone 3 Aspire wetsuit– I wanted to get into open water swimming this winter but seem to have chickened out so far. A good wetsuit can make all the difference when you are swimming outside. The Aspire is one of the highest rated wetsuits of the last decade. With a new integrated one-piece shoulder and chest panel design, flexibility is increased as is distance per stroke. The Aspire features new aerodrome buoyancy panels on the legs and hips to allow for 30% more buoyancy than standard neoprene. It is designed for a fast, smooth and natural feel swim with different areas ranging from 4-5mm.
Canyon Pathlite fitness bike (I tried this bike but was not given one to keep)- Don’t let the name confuse you. Canyon calls their hybrid bikes a fitness range. In June, I was able to try this bike out in Richmond Park and and enjoyable the relaxes posturing and ease of riding on varied terrain. These bike have an adjustable air suspension, Shimano gears, comfortable hand grips and disc brakes. Cycling is one of the best cardio and endurance workouts you can get, and Canyon’s fitness bikes (there is a road bike version too) offer a great workout wherever you are, whether that’s on the road or off the beaten track. With Canyon, you can leave the ordinary behind and ride your workout.
Darn Tough socks* – See above (and many previous blog posts) about how I love merino wool. These socks have been added to my winter rotation, as I was given thicker hiking socks rather than something from their fitness range. James received a few pairs for cycling and he is enjoying them on his chilly morning commutes. The bonus is that this is an American company based in New England. They have 100’s of different styles and colors, all of which will keep you warm in winter and cool in the summer.
Mammut Broad Peak light jacket– What can I say? I want everyone to stay warm this Christmas! This jacket offers perfect insulation. The Broad Peak Light Jacket features an extremely soft, lightweight, wind- and water-repellent Pertex® Quantum material, which is complemented by a down and feather filling. This makes the jacket not only weather-resistant but also warm. It packs down small (into a side pocket) so you can store it away if you need to when on the mountain. It also means it won’t take up more room in your flat.
Ultimate Performance reflective gloves and hat- “Safety first” is one of my motto’s. It is incredibly frustrating when I see runners and cyclists out in the dark, dressed in black and with headphones on. Come on people! Ask for these matching reflective hat and gloves and stay safe while you train this winter. The back of the gloves are covered with an ultra-reflective and multi-colour print that reflects light, keeping you visible to others so you won’t be missed. The breathable fabric is abrasion resistant and doesn’t bobble, with high moisture diffusion and drying ability to keep you dry and comfortable during wear. The gloves even have touch pad index fingers, allowing you to keep your gloves on when using your phone and the silicon grip pattern on the palms and fingers provide a non-slip surface so that you can hold your devices with confidence.
SmellWell odor eliminator pouches– These i found on the Vibram website. Living in England, my shoes are often wet. Add some bacteria in there and you can smell my shoes a mile away! These pouches claim to remove the odor so I would love to see these in my stocking. Plus, the available patterns are a hoot.
SOS ear buds– These wireless ear buds are rechargeable and much more affordable that AirPods. Running without wires can be freeing so why not give these a try? They offer a super deep bass sound experience; single multi-function button to answer/end/reject a call, music play/pause/skip and last number redial; can support 3D Game Mode, low latency to 60ms; have a microphone. In addition, they are compatible with Bluetooth, are waterproof, and noise cancelling. Small and light-weight, you can keep these handy no matter where you are.
Smith Optics Ruckus sunglasses*- Smith Optics knows what they are doing when it comes to eye wear (hence the name). I have had a few pairs of Smiths and love what they offer. The Chroma Pop makes my view of the world more vibrant. Larger lenses provide excellent eye protection, not just from the sun, but from sand, wind, and dirt too. Each set comes with two set of lenses so you are prepared for the changing conditions. The raised brow design increases peripheral vision in the riding position, and top bar venting and two-position nose pads provide proper fit to help minimize fogging and maximize comfort. If having a clear view of what is in front of you while out exploring, ask Santa for a pair of these.
Two Bare Feet bamboo skateboard- Did you know that Two Bare Feet not only make SUP boards, but they also make skateboards and scooters? What not bring back your childhood memories of skating down the street by treating yourself to this bamboo longboard “The Deacon”? Forty inches long with clear spray on grip tape, you will certainly turn heads as you glide by. It comes with orange wheels but Two Bare Feet offers a range of colors if you dare to be different.
Those are just a few ideas from me. What is on your Christmas list this year? Were you naughty or nice?
by Mollie Millington | Sep 23, 2019 | outdoors, ski, travel
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| View of the valley |
Skiing is one of my favourite ways to enjoy the winter. Unfortunately, London doesn’t get much snow but mainland Europe does. If you plan ahead, cheap flights can be obtained for a quick weekend getaway on Easy Jet or Ryan Air. Of course, you need to factor in the equipment you are taking in terms of luggage but their are ways to make it affordable. I don’t have much time or knowledge of the European resorts aside from Vernier, so when I saw No Boundaries (NB) was planning a short ski weekend in Italy with yoga in February 2019, I booked in right away (#ipaidforit). I knew it would be an intense weekend with long days and late night dinners with wine but I thought I could make it for three days. Just. With some energy drinks.
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| Hotel lobby |
The NB team can book flights for you with hopefully a discount if there are enough people booked in. I opted for this with a payment of £125 but there were not enough people to get a discount. NB kindly paid the difference for the ticket though. The cost of the weekend included accommodation, airport transfer, hotel breakfast, and lift tickets plus several yoga classes (in the morning and afternoon on full days). NB likes to work with local businesses and guides where possible and booked us at a family-owned hotel that was about 10-20 minute drive from the mountain. The hotel was a bit dated in its decor but very clean and had a state of the art spa and room for yoga in the disco. Unfortunately, I was too tired to spend a lot of time in the spa or take photos. It had a small pool, steam room, cold shower and place to relax. The annex of the hotel had a boot drying rack with a place to leave skis and snowboards overnight. This meant everything was dry for the next day and didn’t clutter up your room.
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| Yoga in the former disco in the basement |
Yoga was at 7am and about 5pm (depending on when the skiers and ice climbers returned) on the full days. We also had a session the evening we arrived and the morning we left. It was beautiful spring spring weather in the Brenta Dolomites (Pinzolo – Madonna di Campiglio -Folgarida/Marilleva Ski Area). It is a small mountain, perfect for families and beginner to novice skiers. There was a van that the hotel lent No Boundaries to drive us to the mountain. We left between 8-8:30am depending on the day and then headed back about 3-4pm. Some people who lived in Italy had driven to the resort, rather than fly, and drove to the mountain on their own. I was a little disappointed the first morning as we didn’t get on the mountain until after 11am. This was because we had to wait for people to get fitted for their rental gear and the company rep to obtain the lift passes in a long line.
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| Small bags and good snacks |
With a limited amount of time to ski, I prefer carrying snacks and eating on the chair lift. This also saved me some money too. The sunshine was amazing though and many people enjoyed a drinks and some french fries. The food prices were extremely reasonable for a ski resort but the lines were also long. We didn’t have time to stop at the grocery store for sandwiches either.
There are a few small shops within walking distance of the hotel and a large supermarket on the way to the mountain. The hotel has a three course dinner available for 15 Euros. Most of the group met about 7-7:30pm to have dinner together. We all shared common interests in travel, being outdoors and keeping fit. It was lovely to meet several other women who were also travelling alone. Although booking solo holidays isn’t always fun, I don’t want to wait around for someone else to join me. It is too hard to find dates off work, a destination, activity, and budget that matches up. Of course, there was plenty of delicious wine along with dinner to fuel the conversation (you have to pay for it but again, the prices were very affordable). Our last night, there was a grappa tasting at the hotel put on by a local distillery. Not sure how often this happens but it was a nice treat.
All in all, I had an awesome time. The only problem was the traffic on the way back to the airport (which should have been a three hour drive) meant I missed my flight. As I had to check in my skis, the airline counter had closed by the time I got there (30 minutes before departure). My tour guide who didn’t have any luggage was able to make the flight and was very helpful getting me in touch with the NB main office who paid for my hotel and new flight hoe the following morning. I am sure NB took this hiccup on board, as well as my feedback to obtain the lift passes ahead of time so that people who have their own equipment can do so asap.
I once again have extreme travel insurance which covers winter sports, so I am thinking about booking another weekend with NB. It will have to be after the Tokyo Marathon though so I don’t know if there will still be snow on the mountains. If you want to get away and ski or snowboard for an affordable weekend this winter, check out the ski/snow board page on No Boundaries website and let me know when you are going in case I can join you.
As I said earlier, I paid for 100% of this trip. No Boundaries is not compensating me in any way for sharing my experience or their links. I enjoy supporting small businesses that promote leading an active lifestyle and spending time outdoors.
by Mollie Millington | Jul 19, 2019 | environment, outdoors, shoes
Caring for the environment is something I have always felt strongly about. There wasn’t any recycling on campus when I went to university so my first trip home (a six hour drive) I brought a laundry basket full of recycling (and another full of dirty clothes). Living in London, I am amazed at how many people litter and how much rubbish ends up all over the place. Some of it may be due to lack of public rubbish bins (there are reduced numbers available due to security), but I think it is primarily down to laziness and lack of respect. When I used to go on dog walks, I would pick up crisp packets and empty bottles to help keep the local parks clean.
A brand I am quite fond of,
Keen Europe, has started up their own initiative to keep our water ways clean. Their new campaign, #bettertakesaction, had a
boat tour all over Europe to encourage people to get outside, explore, and protect the planet (which is a big part of my own brand’s ethos). Did you know that 60% of the European population is not active enough and do not spend enough time outdoors to keep healthy? Along with that 18 billion pounds of plastic ends up in the ocean every year. 80% of this waste comes from land. People- we can do better on both accounts.
Sadly the tour is over now, but Cal Majors, of Paddle Against Plastic, is continuing her own campaign. She stand up paddle-boarded (SUPed) from Land’s End to John O’Groats over two months. Plastic Whale came over from The Netherlands to help us collect the plastic we found in the canal around Hackney Wick. This company takes plastic bottles (like water and soft drink bottles) to make their boats as this type of plastic can be made into the correct material. The other waste we collected was sorted into “other plastic” and “garbage” for various recycling efforts or the landfill.
Between the kayaks and the Keen boat, we found all sorts of stuff- shoes, noise makers, bottles, watering cans, a pregnancy test, candy wrappers and a ceramic vase. You can see that some stuff gets blown in if the bins are full. There were also a lot of small pieces of plastic that went right through the nets which we were unable to remove. The bigger stuff eventually gets broken down, which makes it harder to remove and easier for animals in ingest.
Personally, I think there are two simple things you can do to greatly reduce your impact on the environment. First, carry a reusable water bottle (I love my Hydroflasks) or just drink tap water. If you can’t find a water bottle that is convenient to carry, dust off your flask and simply fill it with water. It will fit easily into your pocket or a small bag. Second, don’t buy takeaway coffee or if you must, use a reusable cup. My husband has several of these collapsible silicone cups and leaves them around so he always has one handy. There are lots of other things you can do to help too, but from what I see in London, these two would have a significant impact. Keen was kind enough to give us a reusable water bottle, metal straws, and canvas bags to us to get started.
I am hoping to continue #bettertakesaction in the local London waterways on a SUP board ramping up to the London Regatta. There are a few bits to put into place before I can announce anything formally.
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| My Keen Ethos with the bottle cap boat floor |
If you are a long-time reader of my blog, you may remember I reviewed the Keen Ethos last summer. Their range of shoes are versatile for adventures on land and water. While already a big name in the USA, they are steadily finding their way into the European adventurer’s closets. A lot of my outdoorsy friends have their kids kitted out in Keens as the sandals have reinforced toes and the soles are thick plastic and very durable. For those who prefer hiking, you can also read my review of the Terradora boots.
As a consumer, it is important to me to support brands that align with my values. Keen is one of those. Since the company was founded in 2003, Keen has donated more than $17 million to chariites and non-profits that work for people, animals, and the environment. I hope you spend some time getting to know them too. If you enjoy being outdoors and active (whether in the mountains or on the water), you will also love their shoes.
Before you go, here is a minute-long time lapse of our group going through the lock on the canal. I can’t remember the last time I was in a lock. It was so cool!
Thanks to Keen and Plastic Whale for inviting me along to this event. All opinions are honest and my own. This post contains affiliate links which cost the buyer nothing additional but help contribute to the costs for running this site.
by Mollie Millington | Jun 19, 2019 | outdoors, travel, water sports, yoga
After the dance floor, being on the water is my favorite place to be. It is hard living in London, though, to find bodies of water that are not crowded, polluted and/or freezing cold. A few weekends ago, we headed to a wedding in Cornwall during which time we spent a lot of time on coastal trails (and dancing on the dance floor). Even though it was slightly overcast, and stormy seas meant we couldn’t SUP or go on a boat tour, we still manged to get sand in our shoes and take in amazing views.
Two weeks later, I found myself back in Cornwall. Freewave Surf Academy invited me to their site in Bude for their three day surf and yoga retreat (#gifted). The weekend was jam packed but I will try to fill you in on the key bits of info. If you have any questions though, leave a comment below and I will do my best to answer. The weekend kicked off at 4pm on a Friday night with welcome drinks, a yoga lesson and an introduction to surfing lesson on the beach. To finish the evening, a two course vegetarian dinner was served at the house. Unfortunately, I was unable to arrive until 10pm as I was on a course in London until 5pm. I had to take a train to Exeter and was collected my another attendee (who had a car) from Exeter Central Station for the two hour drive to Bude. They did put some food aside for us to enjoy when we arrived. Everyone waited up but quickly went to bed as they already had a yoga class and surf lesson that evening.
The accommodation was a beautiful five bedroom house with large garden, decks, outdoor BBQ, air hockey table, games, and two sitting rooms. We spent most of our time around the kitchen table for breakfast and snacks for lunch. There were two double bedrooms (one with en suite), three bedrooms with two single beds (one with en suite) and then another full bathroom and a half under the stairs. Elle from Keep it Simpelle and I shared a twin room. Loads of windows and sliding glass doors meant the sunlight (when available) illuminated the rooms. There was parking for about five cars and an outdoor shower to rinse out wet suits and feet of sand. We had to move some furniture for yoga when it was raining outside which made all of the spaces very versatile. Plus the beach was close enough to walk to.
Saturday and Sunday are structured differently, depending on the tides. A typical schedule may look like this (although we had 6:00am start on Saturday). The key points are one surf lesson each morning and two yoga classes per day.
7am yoga
8:30am surf lesson
10:30am brunch and video feedback
free time until…
1pm cake and tea
3pm yoga
5pm surf film and chill time on Saturday
7pm dinner on your own on Saturday (we went to a great restaurant, The Beach House, down the road) / BBQ at the house on Sunday
The surf lessons started with basics of how to line up on your board, how to keep it stable as you push up and several options on how to stand up. I was fairly confident that I would not be able to stand up as I cannot do a squat thrust or burpee well. Although I didn’t manager to stand up at my first lesson, I did on my second and third. Robin (Freewave Surf Academy owner) and Charlie (instructor) were there to keep an eye on the six of us, offering tips, providing real-time feedback and keeping our boards stable when a big wave was approaching. In addition to watching us in the water, Robin and Charlie took turns videotaping us from the beach and with a GoPro in the water. After our lessons (which lasted about an hour), we had time to shower and get dressed before Robin put together the clips and reviewed points each of us needed to work on. The primary observation for me was that I needed to keep my head up (looking at where I wanted to go rather than the board) when I tried to stand up.
As I mentioned earlier, we had yoga indoors on the first two days. On Sunday, there was enough sunshine to have one practice in the garden and the second on a clifftop overlooking the sea. There are too many amazing photos (taken by Tommy Hatwell, Plymouth-based commercial and portrait photographer) of both sessions to share here but I have included a few of my favorites. Yoga was taught by the talented Anna Young who is also one of the Freewave Surf Academy instructors. She has a real calming presence and fantastic choice of music. She also helped with breakfast in the mornings and tidied up after us (thank you Anna!).
A fun surprise was taking part in a beach clean up with Ado, who works for the local task force. He explained how much plastic washed up on the beach but also how much the local community works to keep the beach tidy. There were litter pickers and bags at the beach entrance for a #2minutebeachclean movement. We were out there for an hour and filled up one bucket worth of items. Another group had been through earlier, and they collected a lot more than we did. Her told me about how Legos from an old sunken container are washing up on the shore (ironically a sea-themed design) and how his Jack Russel can sniff out stranded seals in the dark.
Most of the guests left Sunday afternoon and evening to get home before work on Monday. With only three people left on Monday, we had an early yoga class and a quick surf session before brunch at 10:00am. There weren’t many waves but I did catch a few small ones before heading back to the house. Robin was kind enough to cook up eggs and bacon at our request. It was a family meal as Charlie and Anna joined us before Elle gave me a lift back to London and Amanda headed back to Staffordshire.
Similar to my ski weekend in Italy with No Boundaries, it was a jam-packed weekend with little time for sleep. My goal for the weekend was to be outside as much as possible. I packed my snorkel, running shoes and trail shoes for hiking. I also had my iPad for reading e-books, and my laptop for doing work (which I only used on the train). The stormy seas were too cloudy for snorkeling and I was too exhausted to run (aside from a few shots with Tommy in the dunes on Sunday night). The weather wasn’t great either so I was happy to stay inside and chat to the other ladies staying that weekend.
The biggest challenge of the weekend was transportation to Bude. It isn’t easy to get to if you don’t have a driving licence or car. The house we stayed at is about 15 minute drive from town, but a short walk from the beach where there is a small snack hut. The fridge and cupboards were stocked with a variety of foods (including dietary requests such as vegan and dairy-free) and drinks (including wine, beer, and gin) but you might want to bring your favorite snacks. For example, I should have packed Diet Coke. The seven of us went to town on Saturday afternoon for grocery shopping (as a few people choose to cook their own meal on Saturday night) and the chemist. We also discovered Temple, a very Instagramable coffee shop and bar that Charlie also works at.
Would I do it again? Heck, yes! I suggested before we left that we schedule a reunion retreat and I hope we do in the autumn before it gets too cold. Robin was open to feedback from us as it was the very first time he held the retreat and he had another group coming in right after us. He was a fantastic host with lots of laughter from everyone over the weekend. I think it would be an active alternative to a birthday party or hen do. You could also make it a couples weekend or travel on your own to meet new people who are interested in the same sports as you. Freewave Surf Academy is happy to arrange any extras that you need (within reason, of course).
Is surfing something you have been meaning to try but haven’t yet? Don’t be shy but instead book in to this intensive weekend and let me know how you get on.
Thanks to Freewave Surf Academy for this complimentary weekend experience. All views and opinions are honest and my own.
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