Farewell May...

May arrived in a bluster of blossom and signs that Spring had sprung and that Summer was around the corner.
London became awash with floral installations as the Summer season launched and the city started to get ready for Chelsea.
Favourites across Mayfair included Claridges, The Connaught, Annabel's in Berkeley Square, Wild Things Flowers and of course the Corner shop on Bond street which is festooned with balloons and flowers. These certainly cheered up my lunch time walks and commute to the station.
Aside from enjoying the floral installations across London, May was busy with walking, cycling and enjoying time with M, family & friends.

Mays highlights include:

*Purchase of a lovely blue bicycle, complete with basket!
*Breakfast at The Ivy Chelsea Garden with M
*Some 'me time' to read, relax & pamper.
*Night out at the Albert Hall with Bruv & Sis & M to listen to Harry Redknapp
*Date Night with M and Michael Buble at The O2
*Bumping into Peggy Porschen in her new parlour on our way to Chelsea Flower Show.
*Ticked another 125 miles off my walk 1,000 miles in 2019

Blog posts to follow of my May adventures. June is a mixed bag of work & fun & fitness. Work will see me spend several days in Newcastle on project work.
Looking forward to getting out with the Makelight Ladies this month to explore the Rose garden at Regents Park and playing with my Olympus Pen.
I am also pulling on my trainers to march 10k for men and raise some funds for prostrate cancer.
Where as May saw us boogie with Buble, June will see us bounce to Bon Jovi before we head off for a few days to Amsterdam.

Hopefully the sun will shine on us all and we can start to enjoy the sunrises and sunsets of summer...

Date with Dumbo

There are very few films that hit the big screen now that entice me to the cinema but once the trailer of Dumbo was released I knew this was something that I would like to see on the big screen. The last movie that M and I saw at the cinema was Mary Poppins which was magical so I had high expectations of the Disney / Tim Burton collaboration for Dumbo. The original Dumbo hit the screens in 1941 and has been a favourite of mine from a small child.

This updated live cinematic see's the original concept of a flying elephant help a struggling circus.
Circus owner Max Medici (played by Danny DeVito) enlists Holt (Colin Farrell) a once acclaimed circus star returning from war with injuries and his 2 young children to take care of Dumbo, a newborn elephant whose oversized ears make him a laughing stock of the struggling circus. Holt's children discover that Dumbo can fly and suddenly Dumbo becomes a big commodity. Vandevere (Michael Keaton) swoops in with his star act trapeze artist Colette (Bond Girl Eva Green) to make the little elephant a star.
As with all Tim Burton films there is a darker side to this movie but the cinematic effects used to create Dumbo are just as magical as the original and I defy anyone that watches not to fall in love with the little cute fellow and not shed a tear at certain moments in the movie. This is a delightful family movie with some great underlying messages environmentally and of greed not being good.

M booked to take me to see this on Mother's Day at the Imax in Waterloo and surprised me with a little white box hidden in my popcorn which held a little Pandora Dumbo charm to add to my bangle that he bought at Christmas.

Podcasts and Plodding

This year I decided to set myself some new goals and improve my fitness and well being.  Most of you know who have followed me over the last 3 years I have changed my food lifestyle and lost a considerable amount of weight through following Slimming World and walking. As with all things its not easy to maintain and I need to move a little more to help it stay off. Since my accident last year some of the fitness things that I did to do this I have been a little restricted with.
With the lighter days I have managed to pull on my trainers and have embarked on a walking challenge in 2019 of walking 1000 miles. To assist me with this I have set some monthly goals on Race at Your Pace which is a fantastic fitness site where you can set your personal challenges across a wide range of activities including walking, cycling, swimming and running.
February and March I set myself a goal to walk 75 miles each month and was thrilled to achieve this with over 100 miles each month.

With this in mind I have set myself a goal of 100 miles for April which I am on target to achieve.
There is something very rewarding to receive a medal in the post (small fee) at the end of each month recognising your achievements and a great motivator to set a bigger challenge for the next month.
I haven't seen a difference on the scales but now that Easter is gone and with a short city break planned at the end of June I have lots of motivation to get back on plan and loose a few llbs
For those of you that aren't familiar with my Slimming World and Walking journey over the last 4 years - here's some highlights.

To assist with the walking I have recently discovered Podcasts, previously when I've been training for the walking marathons I have downloaded audio books or created music playlists, this year I am trying to mix it up a little with listening to some podcasts and trying to de-stress a little (much needed with the dreaded menopause!) Favourites that I have found are:

• Fearne Cotton's - Happy Place - This podcast see's Fearne talk to a range of celebrities, social media influencers and sports personnel who have supported mental illness about where they find their "happy place " - favourite episodes have been Dawn French, Alexandra Shulman (former editor of Vogue) Bryony Gordon and Henry Fraser - its a lovely oasis of calm, happiness and great conversation.
• David Tennant Does a Podcast - this is David interviewing celebrity friends, another great chatty conversation where the genuine affection for their friendship comes across in a very warm style. - favourites so far have been Olivia Colman (partners in crime in Broadchurch) which was quite raucous and very sweary! Jennifer Garner and James Corden.
• Dessert Island Discs - 45 minute condensed podcast of the radio show featuring chat, 8 favourite songs, must have item and book of choice - a game that we have all played around the dining table at some point - love that the Podcast has a back catalogue of favourite guests - my musts so far have been - Dame Judi Dench, Clare Balding, Dawn French, Michael Buble, Alan Carr, Ann Cleeves, and Cressida Dicks - a fascinating insight into their lives.
• Oprah's Super Soul - Oprah doing what she does best and interviewing the big hitters - her 2 part (1 hour each) with Michelle Obama is a joy.
• Wellness with Liz Earle
  
  - Liz not only shares her knowledge and wisdom of health, food and beauty she also interviews some amazing experts within their fields Her 2 episodes with Professor Michael Baum the world class breast cancer surgeon is insightful and informative. I started to listen to this podcast as Liz has written a significant amount about the menopause and she has a number of podcasts talking about the different symptons and is breaking the taboo on discussing something that all women will face at some point but is still not really discussed openly.

As you can see I am really enjoying the podcast library and if anyone has any recommendations please share as they are helping me tick off the miles as I walk.
Pop back next month when I share my April achievements and May challenges.

Winter Retreat....

Last year M and I escaped for an overnight Winter Retreat to the lovely Tuddenham Mill in Suffolk, this year we escaped to the picturesque hamlet of Rye in East Sussex.
Nestled near the South Coast this lovely town really does feel that you are stepping back in time, filled with curiosity and antique shops, old fashion sweet shops, cobbled streets and an old apothecary which is now a coffee and cake stop. Once surrounded by sea, this fortified hilltop town played an important role in the defence of the south coast of England. These days, the river no longer harbours warships and is home to the local fishing fleet.

Meandering for over one and a half miles from Rye to the coast, the river forms part of the picturesque scenery visible from several vantage points in and around the citadel of Rye. 

St Mary's church tower (usually open to the public) offers the best viewpoint to show the terracotta roofs of the many timbered houses. These ancient buildings, cobbled streets and secret passages, once the haunt of smugglers and highwaymen, regularly attract film crews in search of historical settings for period productions. M and I climbed the church tower (not for the feint hearted or larger sizes as the ladders are steep and the spaces small!) 

One of the loveliest finds was this very cute coffee shop that used to be an old chemist. I was filled with great little reading nooks and comfy sofas along with a great range of cakes and delicious coffee. We had the gluten free lemon drizzle and the carrot cake with skinny latte's. The perfect treat after the climb up the tower. For someone who spent the early part of her career dispensing prescriptions this little find was a joy.

Rye was a lovely and the only disappointment was the weather. The day we arrived was a little grey and chilly which we wrapped up for but our second day a very blustery storm blew in from the West bringing lots of rain and wind. Before heading home we did stop at Camber Sands so that I could take the wellies for a walk on the beach!

Farewell Feb, Hello March...

Midway through March and another brief hello on the blog.
February was a mixed bag weather wise with blustery storms and tropical sunshine - both extremes for the season. M and I escaped for a couple of days to the picturesque hamlet of Rye in Sussex which was a delight (if not a little chilly!) - perfect excuse to wear woolly hats and wellies or stay in the pub in front of the log fire.
M & I had a low key Valentines this year, he was on the late shift at work and I had a funeral to attend so it was a breakfast together with cards before we both did our things.
With the inclement weather I have managed to get use of my camera with some lovely winter sunrises and blossom appearing on the trees which has been lovely.
Feb also saw my gorgeous niece turn 16 so a fun filled cupcake treat cake was made for her to enjoy with her friends filled with doughnuts, sprinkles, ferrero rocher and chocolate!

Hello February ....

February has arrived and with it a little more energy, less working hours and hopefully more time catching up with family and friends. There are a few treats penciled into the calendar which is always nice to start the month with things to look forward to. These include a Winter Retreat, a birthday party, and a trip to a museum, alongside some coffee dates, curry nights and down time.

Winter Retreat – M and I are off for an overnight stay to the picturesque town of Rye in Sussex. We are staying in an old pub and hoping to relax, explore and just get some time away from the hustle of work life.

This weekend we have a friends birthday party, it will be a late one, it will get messy and I will be hustling M into the car at some obscene hour of the morning!

Next weekend we are catching up with M’s friends for a curry night and to celebrate another birthday, its ages since we have all got together as a group, at least 6 months so that will be a nice evening.

Later in the month I have tickets booked for my friend C and I to visit the V&A and the new Dior exhibition. I am really looking forward to this as the reviews have been fabulous and if it is staged anywhere as spectacularly as the McQueen exhibition we are in for a treat.
Heres to a fun filled February.... 

Farewell January ...

Well January, you were an extremely long month!.... New Year saw me step into a new role, which resulted in an challenging round of year of stocktakes for financial year end across 9 stores, 4 systems in amongst a huge change programme. Challenging was certainly a word that was banded about a lot!

Thankfully it is over and a 21 day stretch of 15-18hrs is now complete
Rail & Road saw me visit:
Newcastle, Bracknell, Brent Cross, Kingston, Tunbridge Wells, Canterbury and Colchester as well as Bond Street.
I learnt to travel light, survive on Haribo's and Hotel Breakfasts and in amongst the stress savour the small things.
These included catching up with my friend Caroline who was in town for her annual shopping treat with mum.
Catching some epic winter sunrises, & sunsets whilst on my travels.
Enjoying train travel with a podcast, book or netflix download.

Life at home was limited but M and I did manage a fun date night at the beginning of January which was the Snow White pantomime at the London Palladium. Having seen this I am now spoilt for life on local panto's starring Dawn French and Julian Clary it was a riot from start to finish and a fantastic laugh from start to finish.
January finished with a trip to the ballet to see Matthew Bournes production of Swan Lake at Sadlers Wells which is just amazing, breathtaking and sublime. Having seen this previously I am still blown away by just how masterful and heartbreaking this ballet is.
A stray Sunday home saw a little time for relaxing and a afternoon trip to the cinema to see Mary Poppins returns. A delight of a movie, keeping true to the original, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
With January complete and work hopefully calming down I am looking forward to February catching up with friends and enjoying a little more me time.

Best Bits of 2018 - Charity achievements

May saw myself and my oldest friend take on the Moonwalk challenge, 26 miles through the streets of London in aid of Breast Cancer. Having lost friends and loved ones to this disease and seen people close to both of us going through treatment for it is was a cause close to our hearts.
Accident and Surgery nearly put this challenge on hold, but (looking back now, I'm not sure how)we both crossed the finish line after 10 hours. Exhausted, Emotional and so very proud.

Having taken on the Shine walk the previous September I thought I would be ok with this, but with limited training and post accident recovery this was a huge undertaking both physically and mentally. Both of us were extremely glad to see the finish line.
The walk's theme this year was wild West so Cowboy hats were in abundance across the city. along with the infamous decorated bras.
Famous London icons turned pink for the night and were a huge boost when you saw them glowing along the skyline.
I have never been so pleased to see mile 26 sign in the early morning and knowing that I was in touching distance to the finish.

Both of us have been plagued with injuries this year pre and post accident and have struggled to get back into a fitness routine. I hope that 2019 is a little kinder and I find my walking feet again.
However October saw me take on another challenge with my first 5k run.
This one was in aid of the Poppy appeal for the British legion. In and around Victoria park in East London  and accompanied by M,  I pulled on my running shoes and completed my first 5k.
Lets see what 2019 brings ....

Best Bits of 2018 - Winter - Spring

So its mid January and I failed again with blogging much for 2018 so I'm sharing some of my Best Bits from Instagram Stories and aim to blog a little more in 19.  I really enjoy looking back on my blog but sometimes life gets in the way, so im not going to get stressed about it I'm just going to share what I can when I can....
So 2018 M and I celebrated 2 years together and we continued to tick things off of our bucket lists.

January past by in a blur, with both busy with work we banished the January Blues with a winter retreat to a gorgeous Water Mill in Tuddenham Suffolk - it was the perfect place to escape the pressures of year end and work and recharge the batteries. Our room overlooked the water meadow where we relaxed and watched the sunset and sunrise in complete privacy.
Dinner in their award winning restaurant finished off a gorgeous stay.
This hotel was a great find and one that I hope to return to as it was so relaxing

February saw a Valentines Day trip to Paris for the day, it was freezing cold  (Hot Chocolate from Angelina's helped) but we still managed a trip up the Eiffel Tower and Dinner alongside the river Seine overlooking the Notre Dame.
It was a whistle stop trip on Eurostar from St Pancras and one that we will do again as M hadn't been to Paris so only got to sample a small selection of this city. We walked lots taking in the Sacre Coeur, Louvre, Arc di Triomphe, Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower
We had lots of fun, but were both weary on the return home.

February also saw us take in a movie night with a difference - Film & Fizz at One Aldwych Hotel in London was a treat - private cinema with prosecco and popcorn followed by a 3 course dinner in their restaurant . We took in this experience to see the award winning Gary Oldman take on Winston Churchill in The Darkest Hour. - Such a great film and a luxurious way to take in what will become a film great.

March arrived a we started to make plans for the year talking about holidays etc, it felt like Spring had bloomed and the gloom of the winter months was behind us. Unfortunately a very sharp cold snap and horrible car accident on St Patricks day halted our plans temporarily. 
Fractured eye sockets and facial trauma and lots of whiplash injuries resulted from a wreckless driver who smashed us off the road was how we finished off March.

Easter arrived and we spent it quietly with the 'Big Kids' whilst we rested and recuperated before I headed into hospital for Surgery. Restructuring work to my face and eye ran alongside a Restructuring and consultation process at work. 2018 had suddenly become a little stressful and uncertain. Physiotherapy and Consultative meetings filled much of April....
Both of us looked forward to the warmer months and feeling better.....