It’s June and that means we have been settling into our new town for a month.  We strongly believe that as life evolves it can take us to places we had never thought of before.  That is definitely how we ended up coming to Lewes.  We made a valiant attempt to consider other places but they just never felt right.  We kept saying, “If we were moving to Lewes it would be a slam-dunk decision!”  We finally listened and here we are.

This little town, nestled in the South Downs National Park, offers so many things.  We are still on a direct train into London (think shopping and art!) and we have history, oh do we have history.  Look out our kitchen window and you will see the Castle (yes, a bona fide castle circa 1069 AD).  At night it is lit up and it is stunning. We could never get blasé about that view.

In between unpacking and decorating, and work of course, we have been exploring this little gem of a town.  There are some delightful surprises like this round house (once owned by Virginia Woolf) with the most adorable garden (I admit I want to live here).  The town is small, most things are within a 15 minute walk.  When you live close to everything it’s easy to ‘pack it’ home by foot!  Alright, go ahead and laugh at our new form of furniture delivery!

You know us, we are always on the lookout for a good tea room and interesting boutique and it’s not hard to find both.

We have made ourselves a promise to discover tiny new streets and lanes that will take us who knows where!  Behind every gate and door there is always a little bit more history and beauty to delight.

So we’re off to explore and fall more in love with our charming new town each time we uncover something new.

Until next month, stay curious and keep discovering!

Love,

It’s May, it’s May…the merry month of May!  The Burnout Queens and Pups have completed the move to the town of Lewes.  We have been overwhelmed with boxes and ‘things’ to unwrap in our new digs but it has been a happy two weeks, not least because we have had help from our niece who came from Canada to help us settle in, bless her heart!

After spending many diligent days up to our elbows in bubble wrap we deserved a reward so we planned a day of magic (it was Dr T’s birthday after all)!  Dr T recently discovered that her great (niece’s great, great) grandmother was born and raised a mere 15 minutes by train from our new town.

Dr T and I believe the sense of connection, whether current or legacy, is a vital part of how we know ourselves.  As therapists we often helped clients embrace their past in order to move forward in life.  Well, on this day we were creating a new adventure taking us into our past in a wildly exciting way.

Got our map, boarded the train, stopped for lunch to sustain us on our hike (yes you read that right…the Burnout Queens were going hiking) then began our trek to the Cuckmere Haven Coastguard Cottages.  Walking the foot path along the estuary through farm fields we were all in awe of the silence, beauty, and peace that surrounded us.

We were walking into history.  During World War II Canadian troops were attacked by air and killed by German planes in these fields.  In the mid-1800’s the coastguard station was a lifelines to many boats that ran ashore, not to mention the smugglers!

We knew the cottages were perched on cliffs overlooking the English Channel and Seven Sister (white chalk cliffs), but nothing prepared us for this magnitude of beauty.  It is awe inspiring, breath-taking and historic.  As we walked we could ‘feel’ where Great (and great, great) Grandmother had walked, played and lived until the age of seven while Great Great Grandfather served with the coastguard here for many years.  A harsh, rugged life at the tip of land that was and still is beyond beautiful.

The feeling of connecting to someone and some place in your past can be so spiritual and uplifting.  This truly was a day we will all remember (plans afoot to bring more family to see it).  We all hoped that the actual ancestoral cottage was this one, but we weren’t sure.

For Dr B it was really heart-warming to witness the sense of belonging both Dr T and her niece felt.  It was infectious.  Our past is sometimes the very place we need to visit in order to embrace who we are.  Magic.

Next month, we’ll share more of the new Town we now call home.  It’s stunning.

Love,

Well Spring is here in the northern hemisphere and the flowers are putting on the best show ever.  For The Burnout Queens spring is the perfect time to put down new (and historic) roots.

The Burnout Pup thanks all of you for sending hugs as he continues on bedrest for his back.  He is showing signs of improvement so we may dodge the ‘surgery bullet’ for the time being.  His spiffy and sturdy little back brace makes him so confident that he’s back in high spirits, albeit without the ball play.  And yes, that means Dr T has been released from the pen (aka ‘the camper’ as we lovingly refer to it).

Last month we searched Chichester for a new home. This month while Dr T did pup-duty, Dr B took a 13 minute train ride to Lewes to view properties. Voila we are moving!  You can’t deny the magnificence of this view from the kitchen window!!

Enjoy a browse of our new village, while we pack, complete the paperwork and take a breather…yes of course with tea and cake!

See you later in May from Lewes!

Love,

February was quite a month of highs and lows for The Burnout Queens, but it’s all in the attitude that keeps us sane (for now at least)!

It all kicked off with another roof leak, rendering one bedroom uninhabitable!  The Burnout Pup thought the futon on the floor was fabulously fun (we’re calling it their first attempt at camping). Youngest pup turned a big 7 years this February but unfortunately the month ended with the eldest pup developing serious back problems.  Vet declared 2 weeks of bedrest meaning some serious puppy sitting.  (It seems The B-Queen is also following the vet’s advice!)

Seriously behind in biz promises because of puppy-outages AND power-outages during 2 different named (yes named) windstorms from North America leaving us without emails and internet access.  We wish to thank our North American friends yet again this year for sharing the awful winter weather.

Now the leak, well we’ve decided to avoid living in a demolition zone while they fix this thing so a move is on the horizon.   This means we have been hopping trains to favourite neighbouring villages looking at flats, historic cottages, and wee houses close to beauty and history.  Think tea shops, theatre, nature and artists, then throw in a splash of racing (horses or cars) and you have Chichester as the destination (we know, it’s a hard life when you love adventures)!   Imagine Roman walls (yes Roman) surround the inner town with a market cross in the centre.

Around every little corner of this Town is a little garden or a little lane.

And then there’s the combined beauty of nature in The Bishops Garden (seat of the Bishop of Chichester) with the grandeur of the Cathedral (can you imagine Christmas).

Not bad pickings for a possible new town eh what?!

In March we’ll be exploring another option if the little fella is back on his feet again.  In the meantime, we are taking the days one at a time and taking care to work, rest and nourish ourselves during a very unsettling time.

Until next month, Grab Life by the Crown!

Love,

Hello from the North Laines in ‘not so sunny’ Brighton.

This month we are sharing the creative, quirky, freaky and always fun sights and delights of this little district.  It’s a regular spot for us; hairdresser, massage, favourite Friday doughnut shop, and Sunday pancakes!  We pass on the tattoos, piercings, and fettish footwear!

There is always something new to discover wherever you live and that’s the point of sharing our everyday lifestyle with you.  We all have places we frequent but so often we forget to take the time to actually ‘see’ what’s around us.  Join us on our ramble around…

The North Laines is a mix of original seaside cottages which are now being made shabby chic and painted in every colour you can imagine.  Wish we were renting one of these, they are so adorable.

Surrounding the cottages are little passage ways (The Laines) filled with shops, cafes, bookstores and all sorts of arts and crafts stalls.

It’s fun to see the ever changing window displays and the many artists displaying their work.  When refreshment is needed, along with some culture there is always an al fresco cafe alongside an alley with some of the best graffiti (this is my favourite).

We challenge you to ‘see’ your usual haunts in a new, quirky and conscious way.  Keep your eyes open to something new, a new route to take, a new window display and who knows what else.  Go have fun.  Happy exploring.

Love,