I haven't written anything about food so far, but I hope to have some recipes up on my blog soon, and some reviews of good restaurants that I come across on my travels. I really like visiting the traditional British pubs as they tend to be very homely indeed. I was searching for an Exeter Restaurant online as I was visiting a friend in Devon and wanted to treat her. I was pleased to find a pub that served traditonal food, and it is such an adorable old place with original features set in a massive garden. The name of the restaurant was the Cowick Barton Inn. We had such a delicious steak there!

Apparently this is also Exeter's Most Haunted Pub!
You can read about it here
http://www.second-devon.co.uk/historic-attractions-devon/join-a-ghost-hunt-at-cowick-barton-inn-in-exeter/


 
After learning about fixing my own car, I've had a think about my driving skills. I'm trying to fine tunes these a little, as I have got a bit sloppy!

Surveys suggest that over half of drivers in the UK exceed the 30mph speed limit in urban areas at some point when they are driving. This statistic (courtesy of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) shows just how easy it is to fall into the speeding trap and be hounded with penalty points and speeding fines.


What happens if I have been caught speeding?
If you are stopped by police for speeding, you may be given a fixed penalty speeding ticket. However, in cases where you were travelling well above the speed limit, you will have to attend a Magistrates court hearing and will be issued with a court summons at a later date.

Alternatively, you could be caught for a speeding offence by a speed camera where you will not be stopped and notified. Instead, the registered keeper of the car will be sent a notice of intended prosecution form within 14 days. The form will specify what date, time and location the car was caught speeding. You will be required to confirm who the driver was at that time.

Once you have confirmed this, you will either be offered a fixed penalty or a court summons will be issued if you were travelling well above the speed limit.

In all cases you can appeal against the decision and argue your case in the Magistrates Court.

What can be done?  Solicitors can look at the evidence of the device used and give you a breakdown of all the required steps which are required to be able to prosecute you successfully. They can look at simple steps such as whether a valid calibration certificate is in place and more complex procedures such as distance and alignment checks, so you can be confident in the defence of your matter.

What are the punishments for speeding?
Driving offence cases involving low speeds will usually result in three to six penalty points and a speeding fine of up to £2,500.

If you have been convicted of driving well over the speed limit, it is possible for you to be disqualified from driving.

Take care!



 
A winter wedding
My big sister is getting married in December, of all months. I think it is a nice idea to get married in the winter, as this time of year is very inspirational for a lot of different colour schemes and decoration themes. I'm not sure about the decor that she's having at her wedding, as she is keeping it a secret from everyone! Because the weddings is in the UK and it is likely to be cold, maybe even snow, (that would be nice) my sister decided that we should have her hen weekend abroad and go for somewhere hot.

Tenerife here we come
So last week we all packed our bags and set off to Tenerife. The weather there is lovely all year round so it was the perfect choice to get a bit of sunshine, but is also known as a place that can be good for partying so is perfect for a hen party. We did have to fly a little longer to get some winter sun; the flight time to Tenerife is around 4 and a half hours, compared to the usual trip to Spain which is around 1 and a half hours.

The Day time hen party activity
We wanted to make the most of our time in Tenerife as we were only there for 3 nights, so we allowed 1 day for sunbathing, 1 day for being adventurous and 1 day for being hungover after the hen party night. Our adventurous day was a catamaran cruise, with food and drinks included. It was a fantastic trip in the gorgeous sunshune, sipping sparkling wine on the deck and looking out for dolphins. We sadly didn't see any dolphins, but we did see some flying fish, which until now I was convinced were a real thing!

The night time hen party activity
After we got back from our 3 hour catamaran cruise, we head off to a bar where we had managed to get a late night VIP package with a banner and balloons to help us celebrate and embarrass my sister! We enjoyed the bar, and then head off t a night club, where we had a VIP table booked. Thank goodness we had the table as somewhere to sit down, because after a few shots and a good hour of dancing some of us were feeling a little worse for wear! Thank goodness also that we had saved one of our days for being hungover too, as one or two of the girls were a little bit unwell......

And now for the stag party
We had a really great time at my sister's hen party, although she did miss her fiance quite a lot while we were away. Unfortunately he is about to head off to Las Vegas for his stag party so she'll have to miss him all over again, but after that they will be married and get to spend the rest of their lives together so I am sure she will manage a few days.