Every year we come to the New Forest, Hampshire, UK ….my mum loved it here and we enjoy sitting in her favourite carpark on the forest moorland. New Forest ponies ( never call them horses) are naturally bay in colour…but over the years they have become chestnut, black and grey….mum used to laugh and say “That Grey Stallion has been on the rampage again”…

So! We set off from home and picked Dad up before heading through Bicester down to Eastleigh, just outside Southampton. We stopped for a sandwich, while John watched a variety of trains.

We progressed on to Chandlers Ford for coffee with my mums second cousins Simon and Sheila. It was good to catch up.

Finally we arrived at The Beaulieu Hotel, next to Beaulieu Road Station, in the New Forest. We had a lovely welcome from the receptionist. We had booked deluxe rooms. The Ambassador lift took us up to our rooms. They were spacious, uncluttered and extremely pleasant. Just inside the door was something I’d only ever seen on over night trains….a pull down set of bunk beds….what a clever idea for families……

The reception areas had big “flop down” sofas, chairs and a roaring log fire…the whole ambience was most congenial, relaxing and very nice…The wifi seems good !!!!

We had booked our evening meal for 6.30pm. We were told it was in “The Drift”- a pub and restaurant in a different building on the same site, we presume it’s part of the hotel…However!!!! It was very different…although not unpleasant it certainly didn’t have the same welcoming ambience that the hotel had. We waited too long to be seated and even then I eventually went to the bar and asked if we just sat anywhere – even though a sign said “please wait to be seated”. The lady behind the bar asked if the chap was there “No” !!! That’s why we were stood there like lost souls….I am never very good with people who don’t use what I call “ with-itness” or more commonly called common sense…..from the bar it was a clear view to where we were stood…ummmm any way she did seat us…The menu was very limited…John had gammon and chips, Dad and I had Chicken and Ham pie and chunky chips…..Dad compared the pie to a “Pukka pie”… just full of stodge, not a piece of chicken to be found… and everything swimming in a thick gravy resulting in soggy pastry and chips…..oh dear….. the plate says it all…..

The service didn’t really improve…and the dessert menu was all a sugar loaded over kill….the saving grace was that Dad enjoyed his wine and I had a nice glass of cider. The drinks and meal came to £71. I think we’ll eat somewhere else tomorrow.