As anyone who has followed my journey over on Instagram the past few years, I can be prone to over share at times and lately just disappear on socials while I have other things going on. So I wanted to make a positive post on the one year anniversary of moving to Somerset.

This time last year was I think probably fresh off the back of the most stressed and sad I have ever been, my husband had suddenly lost his job (a job of 16 years where he was a director and part owner of a company he loved) so not expected and in the most hostile and sudden way. We knew his business partner was a cheating (in all aspects of life) A-hole, but still this was so calculated and cruel and based in greed, it was cut throat. We were over night left unable to pay our mortgage, for the kids school and half way through renovating what we had believed would be our "forever home", we had workmen to pay and a house like a building site that we suddenly some how had to get to a point of "done" to be able to sell it. This was the home we had imagined our children growing up in and coming back to with there children one day and obviously up until then we had made decisions on kitchens and our children's bedrooms based on us living there not to flip it, so the mint green crittal doors we had agonised over as they were so much money but we had decided this house was forever and they would last a life time, those doors arrived and were fitted long after we knew we had to sell.

So you can imagine I think my heart was in my mouth much of that time, my business suddenly had to make enough money to keep us all in food and pay the plumber and get the house finished and we spent all of our spare time trying to get the house ready to go on the market, it was a very sudden gear change, one minute I am over the moon picking out my dream kitchen worktops and over night that all changed. On top of this all going on we had lawyers fighting with the A-hole to trying get a fair redundancy and price for my husbands shares, trying to manage my children who were also losing there home and leaving there school friends and emotions were running high.

BUT.... we decided for a fresh start, we would move to Somerset, a total change, life in the countryside and we almost picked at random on a map (well almost) we do have old friends living in the area, our family are Devon and Gloucester way so we would be closer to them and we started driving the 3 hours to looking at houses. Friends pleaded with is not to be so rash, just downsize in Bedford but we both felt going past the home we had poured so much into would be a painful reminder. It felt such a gamble, out of the frying pan and into the fire and I nearly got cold feet more than once as it got closer, leaving everything behind and starting fresh. 

One year on and Somerset is Dreamy, we picked a house so different to the one we were leaving behind, its a Somerset Long House, still old, but its like a chocolate box cottage, complete with low ceilings and Aga and yellow roses round the door. We have a vegetable patch and a field (that we have no idea what to do with) and a ride on mower and chickens and ducks and by moving in February last year we arrived in winter on a rainy day, with tear stained children having said goodbye to their friends and nervous to be starting at a new school mid year and we saw Spring arrive, it felt surreal for a while, like being in a holiday home and playing house.

But its beautiful here, watching the garden come to life, the kids have settled in and made new friends and my husband and I needed that time just to come down from the heightened stress of the year of hell. We got invited to the village Cider Barn for the quiz night soon after we moved, there is the annual village Harvest event at the cricket pitch at the end of Summer we have made new friends and see more of old ones and our siblings now. Driving to the supermarket does take a bit longer now we don't live in a town but its so beautiful I don't mind at all, rolling hills and wild flowers as far as the eye can see.

I have rambled far of course from where this blog post was meant to go, an upbeat piece about the best things about living in Somerset (nothing changes, over sharing and garbled words) so here it is:

Somerset and what I have found to be brilliant living here so far:

1. A HUB OF CREATIVITY and new Friends I have quickly found a community of Creative people right here in my village, the first people that popped in were the lovely Pip and James, Pip is the editor of https://www.livingetc.com/ and James founder of Agency Electric Comms. We have the people behind the Dog Lead brand https://www.oscarandhooch.com/ and one of my oldest friends https://www.louisemurphyjewellery.com/  another new friend is the fabulous Polly Penrose a photographer and Artist https://www.artspace.com/artists/polly-penrose and Extra plus points is EVERYONE mentioned has dogs so I have a whole new gang of dog walking pals something I was sad to have left behind.

2. Having BRISTOL as my nearest City I have discovered Spike Studio https://spikeprintstudio.org/ a hub for Printers and Artists with workshops and an open studio for Artists to use. I have attended coffee and cake based workshops at Studio Cotton https://studiocotton.co.uk/ which be been SO helpful (in fact it was them that recommended writing blog posts on my website, although I am sure she would critique the length of this one) Discovering UPFEST a cool Gallery and festival for street artists https://www.upfest.co.uk/ and visiting Bristol Hippodrome for the first time last month http://bristolhippodrome.net/ Bristol is a city with so much going on, it feels creative and buzzy and only a year on we are still excited to explore and discover all it has to offer.

Special mention for the YEO Valley HQ, I get mocked by my family for how excited I am to have the Yeo Head office so close, but you can go visit there staff canteen for delicious Cake and Coffee and Lunch and buy all the Yeo valley yogurts and cheeses and kefir (at reduced prices) what a wholesome morning out! They do also open up the gardens and farm in the Summer to visitors something I hope to do this year https://www.yeovalley.co.uk/come-and-visit-us 

3. Vintage Furniture Shopping  Anyone that knows me knows my love of vintage furniture and general Tat/Treasure, renovating and decorating my homes over the years is a key passion for me and I have lost hours to trawling Facebook market place (current obsession Rusty Galvanised Farm Feeding troughs to re purpose as planters full of red Geraniums, I have a vision) but Somerset really has a fantastic selection of Reclamation Yards, Flea markets and Cheddar Car-boot is worth a mention too. Listed below if you too love old and beautiful treasures.

Wells Reclamation Yard https://www.wellsreclamation.com/

Glasto Reclamation Yard http://www.glastonburyreclamation.co.uk/

Shepton GIANT Flea Market https://www.sheptonflea.com/

Frome Flea Market https://www.fromefleaandcraft.com/

Cheddar Car Boot http://www.cheddarcarboot.co.uk/

3. Beaches and Seaside Towns - Somerset not only is gorgeous and green and full of hills and wildlife, but it also has the coast. Our closest town for a supermarket shop is also our closest beach at Burnham on Sea, a bit further on for Weston Super Mare, beach walks and my kids love the arcades, 2p pushers and candyfloss and come summer Weston has donkey rides on the beach. It feels old fashioned but in the loveliest way. Burnham on Sea has the cutest little independent cinema The Ritz, its only £4 a ticket and they bring ice cream to your seat like you are in the theatre https://ritz-burnham.co.uk/burnham-somerset/now/

We are now only an hour and a bits drive to Devon too where both my brothers live and more gorgeous beaches and holiday vibes.

4. Clean Living and a different Pace of Life - I guess this one is more personal to me, but slowing life down while got to grips with all that had gone on has been needed. Breathing fresh air and hearing lambs and birds in the morning intsead of cars and sirens that we were so used to from town living has been a tonic. I have a vegetable garden and fruit trees, I have cooked more, been outside more and been more present with my family. 

I have got a teeny bit obsessed by the amazing chef 5 O'Clock Apron since living here, she's Bristol based and posts delicious recipes on instagram most days, lots which I have gone on to make, feeling extra smug in Summer when using ingredients I have grown in my own garden. https://5oclockapron.com/

5. PETS - It was always going to happen, I had rather a lot of creatures in my pet collection when living in town, but moving the Country the temptation to add animals to the family is high. We welcomed Pickle a new but TEENY dog, we have got chickens, ducks and a goose that we hatched from an egg. There is forever chat about pigmy goats adopting donkeys and we did have sheep in our field for a few months (thank fully not ours). 

I can't imaging anyone has got to the end of this :) but if you have then I want to say a heart felt thanks to you my customers that have followed along on instagram and bought my screen prints and supported my Sample Sales, I really appreciate being able to do what I do. Screen Printing is something that brings me huge joy and this being my job is a dream, but also that year you helped my pay the bills and keep my family together when we were having a very tough time. I'll forever be grateful to you all for that, THANK YOU x