Out and about with Mrs Humdrum - The Parade Tearooms

We, in the Humdrum household, like to start our days in the best way possible. Good football match? Have a Parade breakfast. Shopping planned later in IKEA? Start with a Parade breakfast. About to set off on our long drive to Cornwall? Start with a Parade breakfast. You get the drift. We have been regulars there since it opened, and I can honestly say, we have never received anything but fantastic service and food there. I won't bang on about how Mark, the owner, always greets you with a smile, even when you're not actually in his eaterie! I won't overenthuse about how it's worth the wait for a table at peak-breakfast time. I won't repeat ad nauseum how polite and good natured all the staff are. What I will promote is the food. I have to admit that 9 times out of 10, we have breakfast, which is (in my opinion) joint best in the world with the Cliff Top Cafe at Whitsands, Cornwall, but all the food looks amazing. The cakes, well they speak for themselves. Shame they almost eat themselves when I buy one to take away after a hefty full English! Good value for money, excellent ingredients and I love the decor in the bathroom! What more could you ask for?

(Mrs Humdrum was not paid to write this, but she would accept cake as a bribe. Anyone?)
The Parade Tearooms, Western Parade, Southsea (opposite the bottom of Castle Road) 02392 431265

A walk from Portchester Castle to Salt Cafe

Well we just had to choose the worst day of the year to walk. The date had been set weeks before - who knew there would be the worst winds of the decade almost on this very day? But we didn't want to be beaten. We will walk to the cafe. At least it wasn't raining! Parking is free next the castle and obviously, it wasn't busy this day! We set off around the outside of this medieval monument. The sea wall affords views across to Portsmouth and Gosport, and Portsdown Hill if you look behind. You can see the Spinnaker Tower in my photos, but you'd have to zoom in. The sea wall leads to a walk along a path, switching between grass (a much more sheltered area) beside a playpark, and the beach. It is an easy, flat walk, made slightly harder in the wind. After 1.75 miles, you reach the Salt Cafe (@saltcafe66). This took us one hour - that wind did slow us down! I've had a breakfast bap there before and remember it being delicious, but slightly expensive. But today, we

Would I Lie To You board family game review

Would I Lie To You? "The game of believable lies and unbelievable lies ", linked into the TV show of the same name. Purchased: December 2017 in Waterstones, for around £20 In a nutshell: These TV show-affiliated games usually show themselves up (Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Top Gear) but this game is fun and easy to play (if a little modified) as a family. You don't really need specialist knowledge to play, just the ability to lie! Every year for Christmas, I like to buy a board game to play, even though no games better either Ludo (in which my dad is the reigning cheater-champion, and argues to high heaven over the rules about doubling up or how to place your counters in "Home") or Rummikub (which we can now play with two packs of cards lest we forget the game). This year, Would I Lie To You caught my eye in Waterstones (other emporiums - emporia? - for book lovers are [locally] unavailable). It's a game, it says, for 2-8 players; however we dec

Ms Humdrum reviews: B Afternoon Tea Bus Tour around London

Family and friends, tasty tea, cute cakes, succulent sarnies, scrumptious scones… what more could you ask for? Some sightseeing around Central London please. Oh, and on a vintage red double decker bus, if you don’t mind. What I’ve described is exactly what you get from the B Afternoon Tea Bus Tour. Priced at around what I paid for the Ritz afternoon tea some five years ago, you rock up at Victoria bus station and check-in to board the bus. The waiting staff guide you on and you find your booth. I manged to get a photo before anyone arrived. The tea is set up for you and is sort of stuck down on the table with a little bit of material! Note the nice touches of the flowers adorning the sides of the bus and the tables with natty bus and shopper images. You settle in and order your first (of many) drinks. I had in my head that I’d be supping loose tea using a strainer out of a bone china cup and saucer. However that just isn’t going to work on a bus, I realise. So you are given

A Humdrum Mum

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