Southampton Archives - Bright Lights Big City

Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World at MAST Mayflower Studios

November 17, 2021May 9, 2022by Rebecca HendersonLeave a Comment

Ad Kate Pankhurst’s picture book, Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World, has been turned into a brand new musical championing female equality and sharing the history and stories of world changing women.

And, yes you’d be right thinking that Kate Pankhurst is a direct descendent of THE Emmeline Pankhurst, famous campaigner of the women’s right to vote!

Here’s everything you need to know about Fantastically Great Women The Musical that’s at MAST Mayflower Studios now until the 20 November when the show moves on to other theatres around the country…

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

Takeaway Pizza From Arty Stan in Southampton

May 3, 2021May 9, 2022by Rebecca Henderson2 Comments

Arty Stan is an independent that’s flourished from the darkest depths of the pandemic bringing much joy to Southampton’s food scene.

The person behind Arty Stan AKA Jay is slinging ZA’s (pizzas, obviously!) from his Ooni (amazing super hot pizza oven) in the garden of his home, tinkering with all kinds of dough and topping recipes. And, what a breath of fresh air he is.

It took me a while to get a slot with Arty Stan because…EPIC PIZZA ALERT! Yes, sorry to spoil it straight away but, the pizzas are something else so, it’s literally no surprise that Southampton residents, and us a little bit further out, are clamouring at his door selling out his pizza time slots. (Yes I’ve already booked my second sitting in a few weeks time, do I care about the wait? ER, NOPE! It’s nice to have something to look forward to.)

Read more about why Arty Stan’s rocketed to the top of my favourite pizza in Hampshire list…

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England, England Food & Drink, Hampshire, Hampshire Food & Drink, seasonal, Southampton, Southampton Food & Drink, UK, UK Food & Drink, Uncategorized, Winter

Festive Chocolates from Bonham’s Bonbons

December 21, 2020December 22, 2020by Rebecca HendersonLeave a Comment

[AD] Festive Chocolates from Bonham’s Bonbons were just the festive pick me up I needed and a great gift idea!

Charlotte, the chocolatier, sent me a festive box of her hand made chocolates to try recently.

If you want some delicious Southampton artisan home made chocolates to gift or for yourself, shh I won’t tell anyone, you’ll want to take a look at these…

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England, Hampshire, Southampton, UK, Uncategorized

Netley Abbey in Southampton

November 30, 2020May 9, 2022by Rebecca Henderson5 Comments

Netley Abbey in Hampshire is in the heart of the South coast and the surviving ruins of a Cistercian monastery.

The ruins are stunning and is the perfect place for a picnic in the summer or a short winter wander.

The guide will give you a great overview and plenty of suggestions of ways to enjoy this beautiful spot.

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England, Hampshire, New Forest, Southampton, UK, Uncategorized

Pick Your Own Pumpkins at Sunnyfields Farm

October 12, 2020October 12, 2020by Rebecca Henderson1 Comment

Pick your own pumpkins at Sunnyfields Farm is an experience! It has a reputation in Hampshire for throwing an annual pumpkin festival. Every year the team goes the extra mile to put on something special.

It’s nice to see that things haven’t changed in 2020. The team at Sunnyfields has really pulled out all the stops for a socially distanced pumpkin picking experience. Take a look…

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Autumn, England, Hampshire, Hampshire Guides, New Forest, seasonal, Southampton, UK, Uncategorized

5 Spooky Places to Visit in Hampshire

October 5, 2020May 16, 2022by Rebecca Henderson6 Comments

Here’s 5 spooky places to visit in Hampshire, because even the season can influence your travel choices.

And, you don’t have to go that far from home to get your travel fix, take a look…

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

Street Food at Outside-In Portsmouth

February 25, 2020October 4, 2020by Rebecca Henderson2 Comments

ᵃᵈ Portsmouth’s warehouse street food venue has been a total hit since it opened last year. It’s a favourite of mine because of its chilled dining vibes, fantastic food and great entertainment.

Outside-In regularly changes up its independent street food vendors and there’s some new offerings added into the eclectic mix to try.

I was invited to review the food court and it laid on what can only be described as an epic feast!

If you’re in the city and looking for something that’s a little different, you need to head here, take a look why…

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Beauty, Hampshire, Lifestyle, Southampton, Uncategorized

Temple Spa Facials at Southampton Harbour Hotel

February 24, 2020May 17, 2022by Rebecca HendersonLeave a Comment

ᵃᵈ A little bit of self care goes a long way! A well needed time out at the spa is restorative, relaxing and a little bit of luxury that can put you back together when you need it most.

Southampton Harbour Hotel now have luxurious Temple Spa treatments available at its spa and they invited me to a skin therapy workshop, something they call a Spa’rty!

Guided facials were the order of the evening and I left feeling calmer and with a very pampered, clean, glowing face.

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Hampshire, seasonal, Southampton, UK, Uncategorized, Winter

Etsy Made Local Festive Market Southampton 2019

December 17, 2019December 17, 2019by Rebecca HendersonLeave a Comment

How hard is it to find unique gifts for that special someone? You know, that person that’s super difficult to buy for, the one that has everything. I always find that a local Christmas market is usually the place to buy a gift for these people you might get stuck trying to find a gift for.

The third annual Etsy Festive Market in Southampton was the biggest yet!

Local independent Etsy makers showcased some incredible gifts in real life in The Spark Building at Solent University.

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England, Food and Drink, Hampshire, Hampshire Food & Drink, Southampton, Southampton Food & Drink, UK, UK Food & Drink, Uncategorized

Dinner at The Chilworth Arms in Southampton

November 25, 2019October 4, 2020by Rebecca Henderson1 Comment

ad* What’s not to like about drinks with friends, hearty food and cosy fireplaces?

The Chilworth Arms is a real winter warmer, the place you could easily while away a Sunday afternoon after a long walk in the countryside.

With the festivities upon us, the nights drawing in and temperatures dropping – the restaurant and pub is a welcome escape capturing a slice of that seasonal magic.

Recently I was invited to try its new festive menu, take a look at what I dishes I tried and a peek at the interior…

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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’.