Out and About

Welcome to Christchurch, Dorset, England, a charming town with a rich history that's just waiting to be explored. We're taking a walking tour of Christchurch in 4K resolution. There are many local attractions, activities and the Quayside including the 11th Century Christchurch Priory, Red House Museum and Gardens, and the Christchurch Castle ruins and Place Mill. Christchurch has a lovely welcoming high street with local shops, boutiques, restaurants, cafes, pubs and bars and a Monday outdoor market. The town of Christchurch, sits in between two rivers on the South Coast of England, United Kingdom, with an idyllic harbourside on the edge of Dorset and Hampshire. Christchurch is steeped in history and heritage and is Sandwiched between the New Forest National Park on one side and the bustling resort of Bournemouth on the other (with the rest of beautiful Dorset beyond), Christchurch is perfectly located for your next coastal break away holiday.

We are starting the walk at War Memorial in the Central Gardens and then we through the Lower Gardens all the way down to the Beach. The Lower, Central and Upper Gardens provide a range of settings and activities. All three gardens have been Green Flag winners since 1999. They run for around 3 kilometres from Bournemouth pier to the boundary with Poole. The gardens are part of the Bourne Valley Greenway and are Grade II listed in the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens. The Lower Gardens in Bournemouth are only a five-minute walk from the main shopping centre, the beach and the pier. They are Grade II Listed Gardens and have the TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice Award for 2021. Visitors who walk through the gardens will be amazed by the beautiful floral displays that combine a range of colours, textures and scents. The Gardens also have plenty of activities to keep visitors busy including music at the Pine Walk bandstand, an aviary, mini golf course and an art exhibition during the summer. It's a beautiful setting to just sit and watch the world go by. Events take place throughout the year, including the incredible Christmas Tree Wonderland, which features a stunning trail of Christmas trees and festive activities, attracting thousands of visitors.

Today we are visiting Za Za Bazaar, based in the thriving Harbourside of Bristol. Advertised as the biggest restaurant in the UK, catering for up to 1000 diners in one sitting! in a place inspired by the night markets of Asia. Current prices for a Saturday lunchtime are 14 pounds a head, the evening being 21 pounds, and that gives access to enjoy all dishes available. You have the table for 1 hour 45 minutes for pre bookings. Bristol Harbour is the harbour in the city of Bristol, England, United Kingdom. Bristol harbour is now a tourist attraction with museums, galleries, exhibitions, bars and nightclubs. Former workshops and warehouses have now largely been converted.

A visit to Bournemouth Airport in Dorset, England on a bright but quite windy day. Aircraft landing and taking off on Runway 08. Bournemouth Airport (IATA code: BOH, ICAO code: EGHH) (previously known as Hurn Airport and Bournemouth International Airport) is one of the fastest growing airports in the UK and a key national and international gateway to Southern England. It is located 3.5 NM (6.5 km; 4.0 mi) north-northeast of Bournemouth, in southern England. Returning to more serious plane spotting after a break of many years although I never lost my interest in aviation. I started plane spotting over 40 years ago at Manchester Airport and occasionally at London Heathrow.

A stormy London Heathrow landing runway 27L, Monday 13th March 2023. Several go arounds today, with more than 100 flights cancelled or diverted today. See the go around of the Emirates A380 flight en-route from Dubai to London Heathrow this afternoon (March 13) which was forced to divert and land at Birmingham Airport.

A visit to Bournemouth Airport in Dorset, England, went to see an A340 arrival and was lucky to catch quite a busy hour. Aircraft landing and taking off on Runway 08. Bournemouth Airport (IATA code: BOH, ICAO code: EGHH) (previously known as Hurn Airport and Bournemouth International Airport) is one of the fastest growing airports in the UK and a key national and international gateway to Southern England. It is located 3.5 NM (6.5 km; 4.0 mi) north-northeast of Bournemouth, in southern England. Returning to more serious plane spotting after a break of many years although I never lost my interest in aviation. I started plane spotting over 40 years ago at Manchester Airport and occasionally at London Heathrow.

Lyndhurst, Hampshire, England, is known as the capital of the New Forest since William the Conqueror established it as a royal hunting ground in 1079. Lyndhurst has been visited by kings and queens staying at the Royal Manor throughout the centuries. Today, Lyndhurst remains the administrative heart of the New Forest. Situated at the top of the High Street, sits the impressive gothic parish church of St Michael and All Angels. In the graveyard of St Michael and All Angels’ Church can be found the grave of one of the New Forest’s famous residents, Alice Pleasance Liddell. Alice was the little girl who inspired Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ and ‘Through the Looking Glass’. Alice’s connection with the New Forest began in 1880 after she married wealthy Reginald Hargreaves, who had inherited the Cuffnells country estate, near the village.

The New Forest is one of the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in Southern England, covering southwest Hampshire and southeast Wiltshire. It is the home of the New Forest Commoners, whose ancient rights of common pasture are still recognised and exercised, enforced by official verderers and agisters. Many thousands of ponies roam free across the Forest and you will come face to face with these famous Forest residents as you journey across the area. Escape to a world a million miles from your everyday life where ponies, cattle, donkeys and deer roam free and all just 90 minutes by train from London. The New Forest has been a top destination for breaks and getaways here in the UK throughout the ages, with so much to see and do, and places to stay, it’s the perfect place to visit and create unforgettable memories. The New Forest's major towns and villages: Beaulieu, Lymington, Brockenhurst, Lyndhurst, Burley and Ashurst.