Mrs. B Challenge 40 - 3 Phantom of the Opera

Challenge 16.

3. See Phantom of the Opera on the stage. 

We’re well in the swing of things by now and if I hadn’t said before, my two best friends have lists of their own now!  So we all have differing lists, but we do have a few shared adventures/challenges and this was one of them.

We booked this back in January, and we tried to do it on a budget as much as we can, because London shows are not cheap! We booked seats in the balcony, but the best/most expensive ones for that section and were  right up the front (restricted leg room, but not an issue for us with short legs!) and we managed to book the train well in advance for a super cheap return too.

We packed a picnic for the train and started the day as we meant to go on!

We had a fabulous trip around Harrods, looking at AAALLLLL the shoes and jewellery and those luxury things. We of course had a fab time in the loos!

As I’m considering this the start of birthday celebrations (Katy reaches 40 this year in October, before Kat and I follow suit in May) I booked us a surprise - afternoon tea at Brummus, the Haymarket Hotel, opposite the theatre. Thanks to Mr. B who found this spot! 

We again found some fantastic loos!

Then it was on to the show!

Our seats were fab, the show was epic and none of us managed a dry eye! It was such as amazing performance, such a production and I’d recommend it to anyone!

We meandered back through the hustle and bustle of busy London, dressed for the Jubilee, and made it back to the train station.

And drank our water for the journey home, we are nearly 40 after all 😉 


TTFN, Sammy xx

Mrs. B Challenge 40 - 38 Beltane at Butser

Challenge number 15.

38. Celebrate Beltane at Butser Ancient Farm.

And who better to do this with, than my moon sisters!  We booked this back in January, and I’ve been looking forward to it ever since. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I can tell you I was not disappointed!

The atmosphere, the friendly crowd, the food, the drumming… can we go again please!?

We watched music and dancing on the big stage, we wrote our wishes and placed them in the wickerman to be burnt, we had our faces painted and we drank mead.  I loved every second!

Watching the wickerman burn was exhilarating, and emotional actually. Welcoming in the summer with the festival of fire, the energy of the new moon, new beginnings and the auspicious month of May.

TTFN, Sammy xx

Mrs. B Challenge 40 - 9 - Visit Southsea Model Village

Challenge number 14!

9. Visit Southsea Model Village 

Can you believe I’ve lived this close to Southsea all my life and never been?  Anyway, a lovely sunny Sunday saw this one ticked off. We took my Sunday shadow and had a stroll around the village, and I loved it! We were given a list of things to find/see and off we went. I totally recommend popping in, exploring and having fun.

We finished off with a stroll along the seafront, and chips on the beach!

TTFN, Sammy xx

Mrs. B Challenge 40 - 1 - Take a life drawing lesson

Challenge number 13.

1 - Take a life drawing class

Aaaand another one ticked off!  I’ve been looking for a class for a while, and stumbled across lessons at the 

Ashcroft Art Centre In Fareham. They are stand alone sessions and only £16, which was a lot better than I’d imagined.  So I rounded up my partners in crime, who readily agreed to come along for the creativity and away we went.

The art tutor was lovely and so so welcoming. She gave us tools we may need, including paper and away we went! 

We completed a few warm up exercises, before the big draw at the end.  Our model was a lovely chap called Bryn and not all of it was naked!

The first exercise was to draw bold lines with a permanent marker.

To draw the model without looking at the paper.

To draw the model without taking your charcoal off the paper at all.

And then the final piece was to draw creatively, however you wanted!

These are all my pictures, and I’ve learnt I need more practise! Especially with proportions, the poor model hasn’t got these distorted or short shaped arms and legs and he definitely doesn’t look like Beavis and Butthead!  

All round it was a great evening, it is such fun completing these adventures/challenges, doing something different and my friend Kate said, I feel alive and like I’m truly living my best life. And I truly am.

I’m thankful to my partners in crime, who are with me every step of the way!!

Love you so much, girls! 

On to the next one, I’ll keep you posted.

TTFN, Sammy xx

  

Mrs. B Challenge 40 - 26 - Climb the 02

Challenge number 12.

26. Climb the 02.

So this came about by me and my two best friends getting drunk last year! We were out for Kate’s birthday, a luscious bottomless brunch and we got to talking about our lists.  Yes they both have lists too now!  This was mentioned as a challenge, a few bottles of Prosecco down and we were signed up, booked and paid for…. Gulp…

I hate heights, I absolutely struggle with them the most, so the closer this loomed, the more on edge I got. I was also super worried the harness wouldn’t fit me! Having lost nearly 4 stone I was easily under the weight limit, but what if the harness wouldn’t go round me. I had nightmares for weeks!

Our 4th climber couldn’t make it, so Mr. B stepped into the space and brought up the rear!  We were so so lucky with the weather, but having parked and approaching the 02, it suddenly looked a lot steeper and a lot harder than I’d thought!

The walkway is suspended above the dome itself, so it felt even higher! Anyway off to get the harnesses on and sign our lives away 😅

It fitted, yay! Although that now meant no getting out of it now!

Professional pictures done, and time to climb! 

Now the steepness wasn’t too bad, but the walkway is like a rubber bouncy castle and wow it was hard. The people ahead of us made it wobble and the bounciness made it super scary! The walk way is made up of 3 parts, super steep to start with, moderately steep the second part and a gentle hill on the last part. Once getting past the first part, it did become easier, but it was the unnatural position it put your feet in! The climb itself only took around 30 minutes and we reached the top.

The view from the top was fabulous and to be up there in this perfect weather was a total privilege. I’m so grateful I managed the challenge, with my husband, my best friends and I’m so so proud of myself.

Now of course, what goes up - must come down! I had already seen that the gradient was steeper on the way down and we were warned we might feel like we want to ‘bounce’ and to try not to. Again the walkway was in three parts, with the last of course being the steepest. We were given the option of going down backwards or forwards, but not sideways! And well, we kicked arse of course!

We made it to the bottom and our adventure was over! Almost…. We stopped off for a coffee and a sandwich in costa and went back to the car for champagne! Classy women drinking in a car park, but we blumming deserved it!

Now on to the next one…. I’ll keep you posted.

TTFN, Sammy x