Like seriously loves it!
lots and lots!
Sunday, 29 January 2012
Getting nostalgic at nightjar
On Friday evening the boy whisked me off to what I would say is now one of, if not the best, bar that I have visited in London.. .
Hidden behind a heavy wooden door on City Road, just by Old Street tube, Nightjar is a drinking establishment oozing with old school glamour.
sitting in the dimly lit basement surrounded by shelves of old leather books and crystal punch bowls we sipped cocktails from a vast list ranging from pre-prohibition (dating from 1600-1918 wow!), prohibition (1918-1932) and post war (1940-2000) as well as a selection of night jar signatures.
I acquired a taste for the 'scoff law' cocktail-
quite possibly one of the best I have ever had!
In recent years the speak easy prohibition themed bars have been trending all over London but this one feels different, more authentic,like actually stepping back in time.
The music was a real treat too.
A live band, The Shirt Tail Stompers, played vintage jazz and swing influenced by the great American band leaders of the 20's, 30's and 40's and they rocked!
Not a single person could sit still, feet were tapping all over the place.
Check them out in action below . . .
On Saturday morning I woke with a hangover head and reached into my bag for my iphone- then I found this . .
a little keepsake from the night before which I had completely forgotten we had purchased after the gig.
Haven't stopped playing it since!
Bookings for Nightjar are highly recommended to avoid disappointment.
call 0207 253 4101 from 4.30-6pm every day except Monday or email table@barnightjar.com
Wednesday, 25 January 2012
Paradise in Petersham
What better way to while away a few hours of a grey afternoon than taking refuge from the cold with tea and cake in a fairy lit glasshouse in the middle of the Surrey countryside?
I have blogged previously about this secret oasis but thought it deserved another mention!
Past river,meadow,mud,puddles and countless dog walkers in wellies is Petersham Nurseries.
You couldn't feel further from the city!
not forgetting the shop full of gorgeous antiques, candles, plants and flowers
Modern Vintage Style
a book by Emily Chalmers
This little beauty focuses on ways to bring pieces from the past back to life by using them in a new and original way.
Tons of vintage inspiration for every room in your home is shown in the captivating pictures shot by photographer Debi Treloar
Stylist Emily also runs her shop Caravan selling all kinds of weird and wonderful objects and gifts, I bought a pretty brass business card stand when I was last there, the shop which was in Shoreditch is currently in the process of relocating and the new address is yet to be announced however the website does hint that it will be somewhere close by to the original site.
Monday, 23 January 2012
Somebody that I used to Know
The latest offering from Australian-Belgian musician and singer-songwriter Gotye.
Listen to the chorus, I actually though it was Sting the first time that I heard it!
Saturday, 21 January 2012
Friday, 20 January 2012
Everlasting Beauty
These are my birthday flowers. . . my birthday was 4 months ago
but somehow I think they get more and more beautiful as they die and dry
just call me Miss Havisham!
Eating meat & drinking liquor
After weeks of waiting and rescheduling dates in the diary, yesterday evening I finally made it across the threshold of the much anticipated burger extravaganza that is Meat Liquor.
O.M.G!
Following on from the success of 'The Meat Wagon' where founder Yianni Papoutsis started off selling burgers to the masses from a van on an industrial estate in Peckham before touring various festivals, the van getting nicked and then hosting a pop up restaurant 'Meateasy' in his friend Scott Collins' pub in New Cross, Meat Liquor, his first permanent fixture opened in Novemeber 2011 on Welbeck Street in London's West end.
The queue was a meagre 15 or so deep, nothing like the horror stories that I had been hearing about and after about a 10 minute wait we were in!
Take note that the queueing policy is super strict with a tougher door whore than The Box!
We watched a late arrival for a birthday gathering be turned away and asked to queue as he frantically waved to his chums who were already seated and a guy who had popped out for a ciggy was asked to rejoin the line to get back in-harsh.
Stepping into the dark and dingy interior was like stepping into a Tarantino movie.
Crazy black and red graffiti and illustrations splattered the walls surrounding a sunken circus ring centre piece, a domed ceiling suspended above.
Glowing red neon lighting, fake blood stained abattoir curtains, super loud music, very grungy, the kind of place you would expect to find in down town New York.
Not a place to take Granny.
As we scoured the menu we were delighted to see that the cocktail list was even longer than the burger list and got straight to work sampling
(the St Thomas, St Lawrence, Wagon Girl, Meatjito and Mai Thai were all hits with us!)
I especially liked the literature which accompanied the wine list too, with one offering being described as "easy to neck and good at giving you red wine teeth" aha classy.
We ordered 'dead hippie' burgers (a double beef patty burger with lettuce, amazing pickles and burger sauce) with a side of fries and were soon in burger heaven.
imagine how good a Maccy D's tastes at the end of the night when you have had far too much to drink and can't even see straight, times that pleasure by like - a million and you get some sort of idea of how good it was.
Believe the hype!
Closed Sundays & Mondays
No Reservations
Saturday, 7 January 2012
Travel Notes - Edinburgh under ground
Just got back from a couple of very cold & windy days in the Scottish capital visiting my sister.
As she is fairly new to the city we did a bit of exploring yesterday eve and hit on 2 great little finds which I thought I would share:
Hidden in a basement on a street you would never happen to 'just pass by' is a rather lovely restaurant/bar called Under The Stairs
A secret from most visitors but a known gem amongst locals, on entering it feels like you have stepped into a stranger's living room- an intimate space with glowing lamps, comfy chairs, bare stone walls and a fish tank built into the wall by an open fireplace.
We headed through to the restaurant and tucked into amazing home made burgers with sweet potato wedges and mustard mayo- delish!
A mention must also go to the staff who were super duper friendly!!
A set of unmanned decks hinted that this could be the kind of place you could settle in for the entire night once you start sampling the cocktail list and the tunes start spinning!
Great date venue ;)
For our next stop we headed off to Monteiths restaurant and bar.
This one is hidden away down an alley under the most magical wicker covered tunnel, strewn with fairy lights
Great cocktails and interesting design features, this place situated just off the Royal mile, also won the title of Scotland's best restaurant 2011!
Thursday, 5 January 2012
The sweetest invention for long distance lovers!
This is, granted, a bit of a random topic for a blog post however I just had to share it as I think it sooo unbelievably lovely!
Whilst sat in an Edinburgh coffee shop today reading a copy of 'the skinny' (the free, local culture and whats on mag) I came across an article about an enterprise training programme that supports up and coming entrepreneurs from the creative industries across Scotland.
One such rising star is Joanna Montgomery, who as part of her degree project created 'Pillow Talk' an interaction design project aimed to connect long distance lovers.
'' Each person has a ring sensor they wear to bed at night, and a flat fabric panel which slots inside their pillowcase.
The ring wirelessly communicates with the other person’s pillow;
when one person goes to bed, their lover’s pillow begins to glow softly to indicate their presence.
Placing your head on the pillow allows you to hear the real-time heartbeat of your loved one.
The result is an intimate interaction between two lovers, regardless of the distance between them.''
Is this not the sweetest invention ever?!
Due to hit the market next year.
This particular project lead to the formation of Little Riot- a new kind of interaction design company.
Little Riot's mission is to support digital interactivity by exploring new and exciting ways to get people involved other than just screen based button pushing or mouse clicking.
They want to change the way people communicate with each other and with technology to make it a more personal and emotionally driven experience.
awwww
Tuesday, 3 January 2012
finding treasure in the unlikeliest of places
So I found this little beauty today in John Lewis of all places. . . and I LOVE it!
On returning home I checked out the company Made and discovered a whole lot more loveliness on their website.
Made - by the people for the people, is a fair trade accessories brand founded in 2005, producing jewellery and leather goods from a workshop in Nairobi, Kenya.
The company's philosophy 'trade not aid' is all about giving people in Africa the independance to make a better life for themselves by creating employment and promoting sustainable, ethical trade using their skills and craftsmanship.
There have been collaborations with an array of luxury brands and celebrities including Laura Bailey, Peaches Geldof and Alexa Chung have all turned their hand to guest designing for the brand.
I am definitely going to be keeping an eye out for future treasures from this company!
Sunday, 1 January 2012
Travel Notes - New Years Day in Newcastle
Along the lovely quayside. . . the view that tells me I am home.
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