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England, Hampshire, Things To Do In Hampshire, UK, Uncategorized

Things To Do In Hampshire This Weekend | 22 JANUARY 2021

January 22, 2021January 18, 2021by Rebecca HendersonLeave a Comment

Welcome to Things to do in Hampshire This Weekend 22 January 2021!

At the beginning of the year I turned my regular Friday Instagram Stories recommendations into a blog post for the new year.

Every Friday I’ll be sharing five things across Hampshire for you to do, eat or visit. And, as you can imagine as the current National Lockdown wages on and we’re confined to our homes, this is increasingly more challenging.

But, I’ll be bringing my own interpretations and everything suggested will of course be compliant to the Government restrictions we are adhering to.

The aim is to provide a little bit of inspiration to brighten these grey winter days and give you a little joy when your spirits might be low.

Take a look at this week’s suggestions…

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England, England Food & Drink, Hampshire, Hampshire Food & Drink, Portsmouth, Portsmouth Food & Drink, UK, UK Food & Drink, Uncategorized

The Steam Room in Southsea

January 20, 2021January 10, 2021by Rebecca HendersonLeave a Comment

The Steam Room in Southsea opened in 2020 mid pandemic and is a welcome addition to Portsmouth’s vibrant coffee scene.

This cosy set up on Elm Grove became an instant hit with speciality coffee and an amazing camp fire hot chocolate. It’s an experience I’m totally smitten with!

Find out why The Steam Room should be on your list of cafes to visit next…

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England, England Food & Drink, Hampshire, Hampshire Food & Drink, Portsmouth, Portsmouth Food & Drink, UK, UK Food & Drink, Uncategorized

Farm Kitchen in Southsea

January 18, 2021January 6, 2021by Rebecca HendersonLeave a Comment

Farm Kitchen in Southsea was a little treat in between lockdown restrictions. This was my very first visit to the restaurant and my first brunch in a very long time, for obvious 2020 reasons!

Like Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food? Well, Farm Kitchen’s twist on breakfast might be for you…

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England, Hampshire, UK, Uncategorized

Things To Do In Hampshire This Weekend | 15 JANUARY 2021

January 15, 2021January 14, 2021by Rebecca Henderson1 Comment

Welcome to the third Things to do in Hampshire This Weekend 15 January 2021 post!

At the beginning of the year I turned my regular Friday Instagram Stories recommendations into a blog post for the new year.

Every Friday I’ll be sharing five things across Hampshire for you to do, eat or visit. Normally my suggestions cover everything from events and places to explore to places to eat and drink at. But, we’re in a National Lockdown so I’m working with what we’ve got and providing inspiration where possible.

Take a look at this week’s suggestions…

Continue reading →

England, England Food & Drink, Hampshire, Hampshire Food & Drink, Portsmouth, Portsmouth Food & Drink, UK, UK Food & Drink, Uncategorized

Southsea Deli in Portsmouth

January 13, 2021January 3, 2021by Rebecca Henderson1 Comment

Southsea Deli is a great spot to pick up essentials, treats and a hot drink from in Portsmouth.

This awesome independent has plenty of products to fill your pantry with. It also hosts food making workshops to teach you new skills and will cater any events you might have.

Don’t forget the Southsea Deli Truck, the mobile arm of the store, that makes its way to popular spots around the city and sea front.

Have you stopped by Southsea Deli yet?

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Alresford, Andover, Basingstoke, Basingstoke Food & Drink, England, England Food & Drink, Gosport, Hampshire, Hampshire Food & Drink, Hampshire Guides, New Forest, New Forest Food & Drink, Portsmouth, Portsmouth Food & Drink, Southampton, Southampton Food & Drink, UK, UK Food & Drink, Uncategorized, Winchester, Winchester Food & Drink

Independent Coffee Roasters in Hampshire

January 11, 2021January 14, 2021by Rebecca Henderson1 Comment

Up your ‘at home’ coffee game with this helpful directory of Independent Coffee Roasters in Hampshire!

We are incredibly lucky to have a thriving coffee roasting scene in the county, offering a fantastic range of single origin and blended coffees.

I’ve listed local roasters by area to help you easily find a new morning brew to try. And, all of them deliver straight to your door!

Let your journey into Hampshire coffee begin…

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England, Hampshire, UK, Uncategorized

Things To Do In Hampshire This Weekend | 8 JANUARY 2021

January 8, 2021January 14, 2021by Rebecca Henderson2 Comments

Welcome to the second Things to do in Hampshire This Weekend 8 January 2021 post!

Last week I turned my regular Friday Instagram Stories recommendations into a blog post for the new year.

Every Friday I’ll be sharing five things across Hampshire for you to do. My suggestions cover everything from events and places to explore to places to eat and drink at normally. But, in a National Lockdown it shares useful places to walk and pick up essentials.

Take a look at this week’s suggestions…

Continue reading →

England, Hampshire, Hampshire Guides, seasonal, UK, Uncategorized, Winter

Five Winter Walks in Hampshire

January 6, 2021January 2, 2021by Rebecca HendersonLeave a Comment

With these Five Winter Walks in Hampshire you can stomp and yomp your way through the county’s stunning scenery.

These walks have brought me a lot of joy over the past year, and I hope they do you too.

Pull on those boots, stretch those legs and dust off those cobwebs to get those happy endorphins pumping!

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England, Hampshire, UK, Uncategorized, Winchester

The Hospital of St Cross in Winchester

January 4, 2021January 4, 2021by Rebecca Henderson1 Comment

The Hospital of St Cross in Winchester is an Almshouse of Noble Poverty. It’s a church, once also a hospital but also a home to two orders of brothers.

It’s such a beautiful place, in a gorgeous setting, it’s no wonder it’s been used by a variety of production companies for filming. One of the most notable and recent was the television show Wolf Hall.

I didn’t know you could visit until one year I went to the Christmas market with my Aunt and discovered it.

Looking for somewhere new to visit? Discover The Hospital of St Cross…

England, Hampshire, UK, Uncategorized

Things To Do In Hampshire This Weekend | 1 January 2021

January 1, 2021January 14, 2021by Rebecca HendersonLeave a Comment

Welcome to the very first Things to do in Hampshire This Weekend post!

Discovering new places to visit or food to try is one of my favourite things to do and I’m so excited to start sharing these spots with you too.

I’ve been making recommendations for the past few months on Instagram Stories every Friday and I’ve decided it’s time to make it a more permanent fixture here on Bright Lights Big City.

Every Friday I’ll be recommending or suggesting five things across Hampshire for you to do. It will cover everything from big events to places to eat and drink at.

Continue reading →

Welcome to Bright Lights Big City!

If day trips and big eats are your thing, you’ve landed in the right place.

I’m Bex, I live in a beautiful county called Hampshire on the South Coast of the UK and I love living by the sea. The county is famous for growing watercress, its maritime history and for being Jane Austen’s home among many other famous literary giants.

I share my travels, great places to eat and as many different and unique experiences as I can with you through this blog.

Take a look around to see what I’ve been up to and for top travel and food recommendations.

Hampshire and Cornwall are by far my biggest sections but new posts are being added all the time, so please sign up to receive notifications of what’s been published lately.

Click on ‘Home’ to see the latest posts. But, if you’re new you might want to head to ‘Start Here’.

Don’t forget, if you’re looking for a specific place, you can also search by location under ‘Destination’.