The Georgian town of Lymington has plenty of vibrant activities and attractions: the home port of Olympic yachtsmen, ferries to the Isle of Wight, a thriving Saturday street market, a seawater open air swimming bath, a train service connecting with the main line to London, plenty of good restaurants and lots of individual privately owned shops. For the unusual, try:

• Elliotts Lymingotn's own department store
• Osbornes gentlemen's outfitters
• Quba Sails who make clothes out of old sailcloth
• Pod regarding themselves as the designer place to go
• Wick Antiques for works of art or furniture