LOVE LOCAL WITH KIRSTY JONES

Local mum, Kirsty Jones launched ‘Segunda Mano‘ Boutique from her home in Seer Green earlier in the year. It’s the ultimate in in local recycling, socialising and affordable fashion. Kirsty shares with us some of her favourite local haunts.

 

Seer Green’s Green Spaces

SeergreenI love living in Seer Green, not only for it’s fantastic village and community spirit, but also for it’s proximity to wonderful countryside.
We were fortunate enough to buy our forever home last year, which sits on the edge of a field of horses, with panoramic windows to enjoy spectacular views of Red Kites, foxes, badgers and birds.

We also acquired our indomitable cocker puppy, ‘Indiana Jones’. The 2 of us love nothing more than a lead-free jaunt to the Rec (recreation ground) on Park Pace, at the end of our road. It’s a brilliant place to let puppies of-leash, you can catch them before reaching any roads, and it’s the best socializing venue around. My Seer Green Top Secret Tip to share, is the doggy-drinking-fountain hidden on the cricket / football pitch. Stand with your back to the pavillion, and walk about 30 paces in an 11 o’clock sort of direction, til you come to a manhole. Lift, turn tap whilst holding bowl underneath, and enjoy, cool, fresh water. Seer Green should have been a spa town.

Fill yer boots

threehorseshoesSeerGreenAfter a muddy yomp through the woods, there’s nothing better on an Autumn Sunday afternoon, than someone some one else cooking the roast, and you can’t knock the fabulous one at The Three Horseshoes. We all know and love the world-renowned Jolly Cricketers, but I know it’s been written about before, so I’m casting my vote for The 3 Handbags, (as it’s affectionately known). It may not carry quite so many accolades, but they serve a cracking roast for a tenner, (£5 for kids).

With space to dine or play on the extensive outdoor terrace, and a warm welcome extended to kids and dogs, The 3HS serves food to pacify even the fussiest of eaters, as well as the more adventurous. They also know how to throw a great party!

That said, it’s also the blokes choice for the big screen sports, and the mum’s choice for class gatherings and staggerings. I have fond, blurry memories of weaving home, past the horses in a head torch.

My kinda work-out

JazzerciseBucksPicture the scene:
Your hearts pounding together in unison, sweat beading on your brows, as you move rhythmically, as one, to the pulsating beat of the music, til you come together and explode into whoops and cheers, bathed in the incredible freedom of wild abandonment…..

Steady! I’m talking about Jazzercise! I love it, and so do hundreds of devotees around Buckinghamshire and the world. Marthese Attard of Jazz Bucks and her talented team of instructors, put you through your paces to a fantastically varied soundtrack. We’re all ages and sizes, but there’s a tremendous sense of camaraderie and common good which I love. That and the otherwise lack of opportunities for wild abandonment for 40 somethings in Seer Green.

Cafe Ole’

segundamanoHaving worked from home in various guises for many years, I’ve all but given up drinking overpriced lattes around town. The odd freebie from Waitrose nothwithstanding. I was also, until recently, a complete techno-boob. I would watch people on their devices, diligently working in the buzz of coffee shops, whilst I sat, WiFi connectivity eluding me, feeling guilty about wasting-time, which should be spent multitasking.

However, I recently opened my own Vintage, New and Nearly-New Clothing and Accessories boutique, called Segunda Mano, from the log cabin in our garden. Now, with the able assistance of my Nespresso machine, I serve complimentary cinnamon lattes by the fire, or a cheeky Prosecco overlooking the horses. As Paul Newman once observed, with no underlying hidden reference to the horses:
‘Why go out for a hamburger, when you can have steak at home?’