PHOTOBLOG: Dorset cottages and West Bay frolics

It was my birthday a few weeks ago, and some friends and I headed down to Dorset to stay in a gorgeous little cottage in Bridport. We pretended it was summer and paddled in the sea, played cricket, drank cider and watched Fred somehow manage to get sunburnt.

HOW TO: Have a little garden party

We spent last weekend at a cottage on the Dorset coast enjoying the sunshine, and gorgeous gift website www.dotcomgiftshop.com sent me the loveliest gardeny things to take – some dinky coloured jamjar tealights, fun spotty bunting and a recycled picnic mat – Just add cider and good company.

REVIEW: Sealskinz grey cable knit waterproof beanie hat

This lovely little beanie is the newest addition to my hat collection, thanks to the fab outdoorsy kids over at Sealskinz. I’ve always been a big fan of their brilliant waterproof ski gloves so I was very excited to try out this knitted number from their new season collection in rain, wind and snow to see how it shaped up.

Location guide: Marvellous Marmaris

If you were to pick a holiday location purely based on how idyllic it looks in photos, Marmaris in southwestern Turkey would be a shoe-in. This idyllic little coastal town is surrounded by gorgeous azure water and pine-forested hills and stuffed with lively nightlife, amazing places to eat and traditional Turkish culture.

INTERVIEW: Bee Watson of The Cocktail Caravan

Bee Watson and Kate Norman are my new girl heroes. This awesome entrepreneurial twosome who once ‘dreamed a little dream of buying a caravan and turning it into the most glorious mobile cocktail bar in the world,’ have just made fantasy a reality by launching The Cocktail Caravan, a travelling bundle of boozy joy in the shape of a polka-dot painted caravan by the name of Norman. I caught up with the lovely Bee to talk about tipsy afternoon teas, cocktails in jam jars and hitting the road this summer.

INTERVIEW: Foraging expert Fergus Drennan

We chat to Fergus Drennan, of fantastic foraging blog Wild Man Wild food, about eating frogspawn, living off the fat of the land and life as a hunter/gatherer.

Photoblog: Surfing in St Davids

I went surfing in gorgeous St Davids in Pembrokeshire last weekend. The sea was FREEZING but the weather was beautiful. And we made a new dog friend called Bill.

COMPETITION: Win a gorgeous recycled skateboard necklace

The ultimate in up-cycled, eco-friendly fashion, Thrashion’s gorgeous skateboard pendants are loved by skater girls and eco warriors, and we’ve got one to give away.

Interview: The Guyrope Gourmet on camping cookery

Josh Sutton, aka the Guyrope Gourmet, is not a fan of baked beans. Instead, he likes nothing more than to haul fresh neck fillets of lamb and a bottle of red wine across the Howgills, start up a fire and have a very civilized al fresco feast. With camper van Nan the Van in tow, he’s on a mission to revolutionize camping cookery. He told The Girl Outdoors about buying local, essential gear and his favourite foodie festivals.

RECIPE: The Guyrope Gourmet’s mussels with beer and coriander

We’ve just interviewed Josh Sutton, aka the Guyrope Gourmet, about his love of good food and good camping. He’s very kindly given us this fantastic one-pot wonder recipe to share. Who said outdoor eating has to be all about baked beans?