Lurgashall Winery

A small winery in West Sussex called Lurgashall is well worth a visit. Not for unbelievably good wine, not for beautiful views out over the vineyards, but rather for something completely different. The owners make wine, liquers, port and mead using the local fruits, vegetables and honey, and nothing artificial is added. Mead for those of you who don't know, is fermented honey, and is one of the oldest alcoholic drinks around.

An old lady in the shop greated us on our arrival, and it initially seemed as if we were keeping her from her crossword puzzle. This didn't last long however, and before we knew it we were tasting everything the farm produced, with an elaborate description of the produce and surrounding area. From apple wine to elderberry port, from walnut liquer to whisky mead, they truly had a vast selection, and some really interesting and original flavours. The fruit wines were incredibly sweet and would go really well with some strong cheese, after a meal. The port was superb, and the mead was something completely different, with a distinctive honey flavour.

We left with a bottle of the English Mead, some fudge, and a smile on a faces. Not only because we'd had a couple of drinks, but also that we had been drawn into a place seemingly lost in time, with a totally unique take on wine and the honest and natural production thereof.

Lisa and Fabrice's wedding - 13 May 2006

The highlight (and reason) of our recent return home was to share in the wedding of my little sister to Fabrice Ruscoe. The venue was Providence, in the Natal Midlands, and most of the wedding guests stayed in chalets, guest houses and hotels in the surrounding area. We stayed at Springholm, which is where the friday night pre-wedding celebrations took place, which consisted of good lasagne, a couple of beers and some wine, and a great bonfire to fend off the winter chill.

The weather could not have been better, and some of the boys spent the saturday morning on the golf course. The wedding started at 3, and it was my job to make sure that Lisa arrived at the chapel on time. Lisa (and Fabrice) looked fantastic, and everything went according to plan. All of the speeches were excellent, and Granny Goose stole the show with her heart felt and hilarious words. The party and food was superb, and Lisa and Fabrice left just before 1.

Lisa and Fabrice are currently honeymooning in the Maldives on an Island called Filitheyo. Well done guys on a great wedding, and all the best for a wonderful marriage and life together.

Isle of Wight - 29/30 April

Jacks and I were invited to join a group of kiwi mates on a trip to the Isle of Wight. We caught a train down to Portsmouth Harbour, and then hopped on a ferry to the island. The plan was to explore as much as we could, and that's just what we did. Our base was Shanklin, on the east coast, and from there we cruised around in our 2 hired cars.

The island was much bigger, and more developed than I had expected. We took in all the sights and sounds, with highlights being the needles, a walk around Yarmouth and a game of putt-putt on the coast. Not much happens on the Isle of Wight, and when it does, it happens at its own pace.

The main weekend activity was eating and drinking, so I was fairly happy. The restaurant's however were a mix of good and bad. A truly amazing experience was dinner at Ferret's in Shanklin. Advertised as a South African restaurant, but most definately nothing of the sort. The owner and his crew were all nicely intoxicated, and although there was plenty of entertainment, the service was non-existant. The food crept out of the kitchen about 2 hours after we ordered, and at this stage we were fetching our own drinks. My ribs tasted more charred than grilled, and Jackie had what can only be described as a veggie mush.

I definately recommend the Isle of Wight as a chilled place to spend a day or 2. Go for the peace and quiet, and the abundance of country and coastal walks. Go for the fresh seafood, and be sure to visit Ferret's, for a good laugh.