A day in Southwold

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southwold

Hi, everyone.
I've been to Southwold before; in fact, I've had three week long holidays there and it is one of my favourite seaside places but I really don't want another whole week there so when this came up on the Broomfield Trips email, I grabbed at the opportunity.

We set off before the set time - the coach was early and so were we, all fifty odd people.  It was actually Jan's birthday (Jan and Ray organise these trips) which was very nice.
We made good time with absolutely no holdups, even round Colchester, which was unusual for the A12, and it looked like we would get there really early . . . until we came to a dead stop in Yoxford.  The road was totally closed, barriers all the way across.  Our coach wasn't the only vehicle either, there were a fair number of other cars too.  I checked the map on my phone and there was nothing so I am guessing the coach sat nav was the same.  So we had to turn and the driver had to work out another route.  It said there was a diversion in place, but there were no diversion signs.

You may or may not know but the A12 is the main road up to East Anglia and once you go off it, the roads are single lane or less.  Difficult for a big coach!  So working out which roads to take (and missing a turning meaning he had to go round again) meant that instead of arriving early, we arrived late!  And the road closed sign appeared on my phone (so presumably on his sat nav) before we arrived but it was late and that was naughty of whoever has charge of that sort of thing.

After that, no problems.  I had less time than I thought before the gin tour but that was OK.  
I wandered along the beach, taking some photos, had an ice cream and turned up for the tour with ten minutes to spare. 

The tour of the Adnams distillery was excellent, much better than the last time I did it.  There was a family of four (grandma and three grandchildren - one of which might have been a in-law) and me which meant that it didn't take us too long to get to the various stopping points.

We watched a video first and then Ron (our guide) led us all.  He was so good, very knowledgeable, very funny and  vary caring.  The grandma might have been my age or maybe a bit older (it is so hard to tell) but not quite as mobile although the stairs were fine, she just had to be careful.  The other three were very solicitous too (I think that's the right word) in making sure she was ok.

The distillery.  It's not big (doesn't need to be) and makes vodka, gin and whisky.  It's very modern, fully automated and produced in batches rather than continuously - it's a small venture and you tend not to see their spirit products in the supermarkets except for local ones.

The view from one of the upper windows and, below, some of the machinery.

This is the family - they were celebrating their grandma's birthday which was a few months ago and this was their gift, I think.  They were all lovely!

Ron (below) took us into a small bar area and the tasting started.  Again, he was very good, talked about each sample before we tasted and poured pretty generously.

It was great fun.

After that, I headed up the high street and did a bit of shopping.  Fridge magnets, of course, and I bought a half price dress from White Stuff.
I was dismayed not to be able to find the cheese shop but the unit had become a craft area, showcasing members of the Suffolk Craft Society.

There was some lovely stuff, especially in the gallery upstairs and I got talking to the lady there who makes hooked rugs.  Well out of my price range but she also had greeting cards made from photos of her work and I bought a couple of them.  She doesn't have a web site so I can't point you that way.  Shame.

I also very much admired some ceramics and there is a site for that artist.  
Marie Coomber Ceramics
Sadly, the piece I particularly admired isn't shown.  It was too expensive anyway and I didn't fancy lugging it around Southwold foe the rest of the day without breaking something.  I did treat myself to a little jug though and I'll take a photo at some point - not now though.

I had a look around St Edmund's Church but I talked a lot about the church before so here's a link and some photos.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Edmund%27s_Church,_Southwold

I popped into the little museum (it hasn't changed) and into the Adnams shop because I had a 10% vouched from the tour but didn't get anything there.

Over the road from Adnams is a little triangular oasis of calm - a tiny wee garden that I don't remember from before although it must have been there.

I meandered back towards the sea, treated myself to a coffee in The Swan, Southwold's posh hotel . . . 

. . . before heading towards the Little Fish and Chip Shop for a very late lunch which I ate sitting on the sea front.

I say 'ate' but I could only manage half so I rewrapped the rest and when I got home I reheated it and enjoyed it for dinner.

Finally, I did another beach wander, back towards the pier, up and down the pier and then to the coach.

Such a lovely day.  Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and before we left, Jan and Ray had started organising another one for the last third of August.  

It's in my diary!