Bye Bye Blues!

'Blue Monday' earlier this week was a typically grey January day. But the following morning was magical and pink - see below! And with the days ever longer and our energy levels building, it's time to say bye to those blues and get planning some fun. So this week we take our first cue from New Forest Activities, which offers a plethora of active outdoor things to do and has also just published a new article about its Favourite 15. Kayaking and canoeing deserve special mention because provided you're well wrapped up, getting out on the water on a fine winter's day can be a glorious experience. A stable canoe is also a great way for the whole family to explore the water and a guided canoe tour the perfect way to start, so book now for Mother’s Day Paddle to the Pub on 30 March, Canoe Easter Egg Hunt during the Easter Holidays or if warmer weather appeals, Papa’s Paddle for Father's Day on 15 June!

(New Forest Activities also offers some brilliant outdoor adventure activities: Battlefield LIVE, Clay Pigeon Shooting, Ropes Course and Archery - including the Archery Tournament running throughout the Easter holidays.)

Whilst 'on the water' and living where we do with so much of it on our doorstep, let's also have a shout out for refreshing sea air, and for sailing and boating which are almost guaranteed to make you feel fantastic!

If you fancy just being able to 'be' on the sea, book now for a really wonderful half day cruise including lunch or dinner with Escape Yachting this summer. Or, if that sounds too far off or the Solent too close to home, the company also offers fabulous cruising holidays in the Channel Islands, Croatia, Canada and the Caribbean, with Sardinia recently added to the list too. Click here!

Or if this is the year you've decided to learn to sail, make contact with Royal Lymington Yacht Club (RLymYC) and Lymington Town Sailing Club (LTSC). Both clubs offer a wide range of opportunities to get proficient, in yachts and dinghies according to your preference. Look out for their Open Days, which we'll list here too when they're published. Also the Royal Southampton Yacht Club (RSYC) clubhouse is at Gins Farm on beautiful Beaulieu River, another fabulous place to sail, and indeed just to 'be'! 

Meanwhile if you prefer to reach more speedily your on the water destinations - and let's face it, motor boating is on the whole a lot simpler than sailing - a reminder of the current Jeanneau sale at BHG Marine, as featured in this newsletter a fortnight ago.  

So now back on this week's main theme a mention for next Friday (31st) evening's blues- banishing Fundraising Quiz Night which includes a delicious curry supper. It's being organised by my friend Frankie to take place at the Royal Motor Yacht Club in Poole and the funds are for charity Poole Africa Link, which takes doctors and nurses to Uganda to train nurses, doctors and midwives. Something - and somewhere - a little different.

Speaking of which, Experience Hampshire specialises in orchestrating opportunities to try new activities and learn about fascinating subjects. These all take place as the name suggests in Hampshire, and some not far from home at all. A guided walking tour 'Titanic Tales of Southampton' on 22 March will most certainly prove worth the trip, as will for her book lovers 'Treading in the footsteps of Jane Austen' on 22 February in Overton. Whilst the Easter holiday Fishing Club for youngsters takes place at Bashley Lakes, near New Milton. Click here to find out more about Experience Hampshire, and scroll down to view the full list of upcoming experiences on offer.

Meanwhile at the last count there were still tickets for sale for tomorrow's live screening from the Metropolitan Opera of that wonderful opera AIDA - at the Malt Cinema in Lymington. And a final reminder for Sunday's Wellness Festival at Careys Manor 

And finally, a reminder too of the New Forest Volunteer Fair on Sunday and a chance to meet a wide range of organisations and charities currently seeking volunteers, for an equally wide range of roles. As before it's the perfect opportunity to find one to suit your experience, skills and positive intentions! 

Wishing you all a blues-free weekend,

Best wishes Jane
Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

PS Say hello though, to the Thursday Night Blues on 6 February, with Blues@theturfs>;​ and the extremely accomplished Ben Gunn Blues Duo! 

Read the rest of this week's newsletter here

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