A few weeks ago, on a packed commuter train into London, my beloved purple raincoat disappeared. Well, it didn’t quite disappear. I’d stuffed it on to the overhead parcel shelf in a bid to try and make more space for other travellers, keeping my bags between my feet on the floor. As the train arrived into London Bridge, I shuffled off in a crowd and about two hours later realised that my raincoat was long gone.
Thankfully there wasn’t anything in it but it was pretty much my default outdoor wear from May to September every year. With a dog-walking week in Cornwall looming on the horizon, not something I could do without. Wasting time on Twitter one day, I came across a review from another blogger of Lighthouse, a company specialising in outdoor wear. She was wearing a beautiful green raincoat so it seemed like the perfect online destination for me to find a replacement.
As much as I’m an adopted city girl now and have been for the past 14 years, I was very much a country mouse growing up. We spent years in Norfolk where my Dad was a nature reserve warden on Holkham Beach before we relocated to Berkshire when I went to secondary school. Weekends were wet, bleak and very, very outdoorsy. Yet now as an adult there’s something I crave about needing to be away from London every once in a while, to find the remoteness and beauty of this island of ours. Lighthouse have that same ethos:
Lovingly crafted especially for enjoying beloved places or exploring new ones, Lighthouse clothing is about being in tune with your surroundings whatever the weather.
I felt like a change of colour from the typical purple which everyone is used to seeing me in and opted for the Beachcomber Waterproof Coat in yellow. A vibrant colour for dusky and dank autumn days and perfectly coordinated with my red wellies.
The coat is remarkably versatile for something so light. It’s waterproof, windproof and has a cotton-lined adjustable integral hood (which is lined in navy blue and contrasts so well with the yellow). It was extremely comfortable to wear and I opted for a size 12, one size up from what I normally wear. I’m a classic multi-layerer who’s always freezing so a coat is normally worn over at least 2 tops and then a jumper. I’d definitely recommend sizing up regardless of layering because the coat is quite snug but all the better for keeping toasty and warm.
It came out more or less every day in Cornwall so has definitely been put through its paces, especially during epic thunderstorms whilst the rest of the country was bathing in tropical heatwaves. It’s been for sunrise on the beach, drifting through National Trust woodlands in the rain and keeping out gusts of wind on coastal walks. It’s now home with me in London and is the ideal outerware for these still-warm days before my winter coat comes out again.
Whatever Mother Nature may throw at you, feed your wanderlust, enjoy the simple moments in life and discover the beauty in your surroundings.
My coat cost £49.95 but they’re currently on offer for £39.95 which is a steal, take a peep and see if there’s something you fancy.
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Okay, wow, that is a great price. May have to invest!
Know what you mean about being a country mouse…I grew up on a farm in the West Country and even in 12 years of London life, I never got over the need to escape to green fields and woodlands regularly. In fact I could actually feel myself getting crankier and moodier the longer I went without some wide open space (and even though London parks are the best, they never quite cut it). After a few years living on the outskirts of Florence with daily dig walks among the olive groves I realised city living really wasn’t for me and moved to Berkshire and commuted to London. My god that train line is awful but the weekends and evenings were glorious! And now I’m in the middle of nowhere in Yorkshire, and it suits me perfectly, because I’m in London once a fortnight for work so I get the best of both worlds! Sounds like you do too but in reverse! But like in all things – balance is what you need. And maybe a yellow raincoat xx
It’s so refreshing just being able to get away when you need to isn’t it? I adored living centrally when I was younger even though I had a horrible studio flat in Earls Court. Now, when we drive back through there on the odd occasion, I’d never go back. It’s so nice having more space and being just a little further away from things Xx