We didn’t want to waste the sunshine so have been to Lee on Solent and enjoyed a bag of chips and a drink on the beach.

The seagulls enjoyed the few left overs and Ffion had a great time at Pirates Cove play area until we came home.

There is plenty to see there including a selection of plants native to places including California, Australia and Chile in a huge domed greenhouse which is the largest single span greenhouse in the world.

Scattered throughout the site are some very interesting artworks, many of which are for sale at eye watering prices.

I particularly liked the Mount Hood Mascari and will be looking out for some bulbs for the garden next spring.

And it is huge! The decks are immense and as we descended it was hard to avoid the contrast between the feeling of being in the age of sail on the uppermost decks to the industrial bowels of the ship below with its furnaces and engines. This ship really brings home the transition of the time between sailing ships and modern vessels.

We enjoyed a demonstration of small arms from the time showing breech loading rifles, revolvers and explanations of the differences between a cutlass and a sword. We were shown both naval and marine cutlasses plus a midshipman’s dirk. Fascinating, if a bit gruesome.

It was a wonderfully sunny day out enjoyed by the whole family.

I proposed on St Valentines Day on the seafront at Stokes Bay but as Jen had broken her finger, we had to delay getting a ring. Now her finger has near enough healed and she has accepted a ring as a token of our engagement. It feels “official” now!

We’re both very happy and it seems fitting to share it here as we met through the internet.