Since moving down south, I feel like I’ve lost touch with both the blogging world – and my blogging motivation. Bournemouth is the loveliest place ever and although initially, I wasn’t sure if I’d settle in to University, I feel like I’ve indulged myself in the life of a student to the extreme, neglecting my blog (almost) entirely. So when Cheryl invited me to the Bournemouth Bloggers Christmas event, I couldn’t wait to spend a day being a blogger again – snapping photographs to my hearts content and chatting about the woes and worries of daily blogging life.
Bournemouth, if you’ve ever visited, hosts a picturesque Christmas market each year – complete with an ice skating rink, a ‘moose bar’ kitted out with festive interior (serving mulled wine) and a carousel, so this stood as the perfect venue for the little meet up. After finding the group near the ice skating rink, we soon got stuck in talking about reviews, jobs, degrees and aspirations before being led (some more reluctant than others) towards the ‘skates section’. We were a real mix of fashion, lifestyle, beauty, craft, mummy and YouTube bloggers, so it was lovely to compare and ask opinions – whilst at the same time, feeling a little anxious about potentially falling over on the ice.
Although I have been ice skating before, any technique I had once developed completely went out the window once on the ice (we all decided to have much more sympathy for those appearing on Dancing On Ice), although I managed to make it around the rink three times (slowly) without holding on, which I do feel is an achievement in itself. When you’re meeting new people for the first time, it is nice to have a little activity to participate in and stand as an ice breaker (er, no pun intended) – so although my skills weren’t particularly impressive, it was a great way to get chatting.
After a little rest, we changed out of our boots and into our ‘normal’ shoes, ready for the walk back to the markets. Along the way, we stopped at Santa’s Grotto (mainly for the children in the party) before having a few group shots and then heading over to the ‘Moose Bar’ (complete with a moving life size moose head, yes really) for mulled wine. I hadn’t actually been feeling very Christmassy up until lately, so having a mulled wine felt like an ideal thing to do to get us into the festive spirit!
It was so lovely to once again be among bloggers once again, especially so close to what I now consider as my ‘second home’. Naively, I didn’t even know there were so many bloggers living in close proximity, so I can’t wait to see everyone again at the next meet up. Thank you so much to Cheryl who worked so hard to make the day enjoyable for everyone (and stand as paparazzi for the day). I had a really great time and thoroughly enjoyed it!
And in case you missed out this time, but fancy a little stalk at some of the girls (fantastic) blogs, here you go – Brogan, Hannah, Rhiannon, Georgie, Cheryl, Becca, Katy and Joanne.
If you’re in the area (or are thinking of popping down), the markets are definitely worth a visit. All the info, including opening times and where to find it, can be found here.
