Bonfire Cozy..

Its been some years since I did anything on around Bonfire night, it seems over the years that Halloween is eclipsing this old british favourite and it gets forgotten in the build to Christmas. I have so many lovely memories of Bonfire Nights of old I was determined to bring this back into my autumn plans.


This year M and I spent the evening with the 'big kids' having a Bonfire picnic in the garden.

With comfy chairs, blankets and a very cozy fire pit it was a lovely way to relax, chat and enjoy the evening.
Without getting too stressed we opted for easy food which once prepared didn't need much work:
Hot Dogs, Baked Potatoes, Beans & Cheese for mains
With the camping stove keeping the saucepan warm, the hot chocolate station proved to be a big hit as well.

Some of the evenings entertainment was made with the simplicity of Smore's and Sparklers around the fire.
It was a lovely chilled evening, with lots of laughter, and something I think will become a fall favourite.
I hope that your Bonfire plans are full of sparkle. x

Birthday Treats @ 42nd Street

During the summer I became another year older and part of the celebrations see me spend a lovely evening with M being wined and entertained in the West End.
I am notoriously difficult to buy for so along with a couple of gifts M booked to take me to see the biggest musical in the West End at the moment.
42nd street opened a couple of months ago and we were lucky to see it on one of the nights that my friends husband is tap-dancing his way across the stage.

Prior to the theatre we dined at The Savoy Grill . The restaurant is associated to Gordon Ramsey but sits within the beautiful Savoy Hotel. In stunning art deco splendour the restaurant is just beautiful.

With a 6pm booking we dined on the pre-theatre menu which offered a great selection of courses and variety of dishes at a very good price.
We both started with the Tomato Gazpacho, followed by the Chicken Liver parfait (T) and Ham Hock terrine (M). Beef Cottage pie with sauteed spinach and heritage carrots was the main and for dessert M chose Dark chocolate mouse with polenta shortbread and I had the Pineapple carpaccio with chilli, lime & mango.

This was accompanied by a glass of prosecco and coffee and chocolates. The service was fantastic and the food was delicious.
The ambience and the decor of the restaurant is real old school art deco British / Hollywood glamour. It was lovely to get dressed up on a Monday night instead of rushing home from work.

After dinner we made the short trip across the road to Drury Lane where we had tickets to see 42nd street.
This show is a spectacle from the point that the curtain rises to the finish. The show set in the post Wall street crash of  1930's New York it features a young wanabee actress who has just stepped off a train from Hicksville, she arrives late for her audition for the chorus line of the newest show on Broadway. With the Director having lost all of his money in the crash he is being funded by an tycoon who wants his ageing actress girlfriend (Sheena Easton) to take the lead. As rehearsals continue tensions grow which results in an accident the night before opening night which sees the novice step into the lead and take Broadway.

The song and dance scenes in the show are fantastic and anyone who has dreams or aspirations to tap dance in their childhood this is a must see show.... I loved it and now cant wait to take M to Broadway and 42nd Street later in the year.

East London Life...

Last Sunday was spent exploring the markets and lanes of East London - Columbia and Brick Lane are a favourite of mine, especially on a Sunday and having worked around that area 12 years ago I always like to go back occasionally and see what has changed. Having been in Notting Hill the previous week we loved comparing the contrasts between the markets and avenues of West London to the lanes and streets of East.

The side street to Spitalfields and Brick Lane transport you back to an era and age of bygone years and I love the houses with shutters, feels like you are stepping back into an old Victorian jack the ripper novel. Its no surprise that this area is constantly being used for film sets and model shoots.

Columbia Road can be a bit of a squeeze and it always amazes me the number of people that bring buggies and pushchairs into the environment, fortunately even thou it was busy it wasn't horrendous.
There was so many of my favourite flowers there it was hard to choose what to come home with: tulips, peonies, hyacinths, sweet williams or ranunculus. It was a glorious treat of colours and smells and I loved ambling along the market.

A trip to the market and Brick lane is not complete without a stop for cake and a bagel - the legendary Brick lane bagel shop is my favourite; selling hot salt beef bagel's 24hrs a day.
We also sopped at Cake-hole which is a cute cafe selling cake and Monmouth coffee in the back of a vintage china shop which is heaven for me. Blueberry and Apple was my choice and Coffee & Walnut was M's.

We had a fabulous morning walking around Bethnal Green before walking down to Tower Hill and St Katherines dock to cheer on the marathon runners and enjoy a beer in the sunshine.
As you can see I came home with two of my favourite flowers Sweet Peas and Roses, both evoking so many wonderful memories of my Gramps's garden 💜

From Notting Hill with love....

Notting Hill is one of my favourite places, whether is the eccentricity of the Portebello Road and all its characters to the side streets and squares festooned with pretty colourful houses. The fact that it has featured in some of my favourite books and movies also makes it a huge draw for me and I try to visit every season to explore the side streets and market.
With a day off for both of us last week M and I made an impromptu decision to go to Portebello Road, where I showed him some of my movie favourites.

We spent a couple of hours shopping, drinking coffee and loving the colourful houses.
Instagram is awash with wisteria at the moment and we stumbled on some absolute beauties whilst we were out and about and ended up on a very impromptu wisteria walk between Notting Hill and Holland Park which was an unexpected treat.
By the end of the morning M was beginning to 'get' my obsession and was even pointing out doorways that I might like to photograph.😂

How glorious is all this wisteria?......The pink door & house was my favourite.

After a couple of hours walking and a very patient M I decided to take him to my favourite pub in Kensington road - The Churchill Arms, which is a real old British pub,famed for its love of war memorabilia which festoons the ceiling, rugby and housing one of the best Thai restaurants in London.
We had a mixture of Pad Thai and curry which was delicious and finished off a pretty good day in Notting Hill.

Date Night at the Opera

Catching up on blog posts from Easter and April before May arrives and I disappear for 16 days on an epic adventure (more to follow on that!) - I have over the last few months alluded to being back out on the 'dating' scene and although not quite ready to tempt fate and completely spill the beans, I am happy to report that I have met someone and it looks promising!

One such date night on Maundy Thursday involved a lovely pre-theatre dinner at Balthazar in Covent Garden followed by an evening at The Royal Opera House watching Madame Butterfly.

M & I have known each other a little while now and have shared Bucket Lists's of things we would like to do, see and travel. We started working through the lists as friends and things have kind of evolved - the opera was on M's list and I was thrilled that I managed to book tickets for Madame Butterfly at its sell out performance at the ROH - we were in the nose bleed seats but still able to see and hear everything which was lovely. 

I wanted to go somewhere nice for dinner, we had already been to The Ivy Grill at Christmas when we went to the Ballet and as much as we loved it, I wanted to take him somewhere else, with Balthazar in close proximity this was perfect for a dinner. We both opted for the Pea and mint Risotto, followed by the Pork which was delicious. The pork was served with new potatoes, spinach and a medley of mushrooms.With the restaurant offering a pre-theatre 2/3 course menu this is a great way to eat in a nice restaurant without paying huge prices. The service, food and ambience was fantastic with no pressure to hurry you up.

Going straight out after work is always a balance and I am lucky to work somewhere that I can get my hair blow-dried, my nails paited and my make-up done. As you can imagine I took full advantage of this and felt fabulous i my gorgeous winter white DKNY trousers and black top. 

Not a huge Selfie fan but it was a must in the fabulous New York feel bathroom in Balthazar.💖

Date night continued at The Opera which was delightful. I loved that the 'words' were highlighted overhead to your seating areas so it was like watching a real live film with subtitles. On previous opera visits I haven't had this and have had to struggle along a little.

The performances were heartrendingly beautiful by the lead Butterfly and the Captain was a complete Cad. We loved it and started our Easter off perfectly.

A treat of an evening.....

Wow January has passed in a flash, but before we fall into February I am sharing one more post from my activities over the festive season. An annual tradition for me for many years is to see The Nutcracker Ballet, whether in New York of London, I always try to get to see a performance. This year I managed to get tickets for the English National Ballets performance at the London Coliseum, where I booked to take a friend for their 50^th birthday. (they had never been to the ballet and I was able to put a big tick against a wish on their bucket list)

To make the evening even more special I surprised them with starting the evening in The Savoy for drinks before moving onto The Ivy Grill Marketplace in Covent Garden for dinner. This was my first time at this restaurant and I loved it, ambience is gorgeous and the food was delicious. It was the perfect prequel to a delightful evening at the ballet.

The Savoy this year was a decorated opulently in pinks and silver and was just beautiful. The tree in the foyer was sponsored by the jewellers Boodles and was very pink but oh so pretty.💗

The interior of The Savoy was as equally as beautiful in greens and silver with a real art deco style and just quite magical.






The Ivy Marketplace was equally as gorgeous in a colourful cacophony of baubles, wreaths and a stunning tree outside in the courtyard which complemented the large baubles and mistletoe decor of Covent Garden.
This did nothing to distract how delicious the food was, a perfect venue for pre-theatre or a special dinner.

After a very lovely supper it was a short stroll to The Coliseum, where we were swept up in the magic and sparkle of a Christmas Ballet.
No matter how many times I have seen The Nutcracker I never grow old of it and it is a delightful treat to watch and see the delight on my friends face. 
The Nutcracker featured lots in my Christmas 2016 - from the fabulous Nutcracker Soldiers outside Liberty's that I walked past most days, to Candles burning on the fireside and tags on the tree I have lots of lovely memories to add to 2016's Christmas album and look back on in future years.

A Golden day at the Seaside

A couple of Sunday's ago I spent a gorgeous afternoon at the Essex seaside town of Leigh on Sea and an evening of entertainment at the Cliffs pavilion in Southend. We were blessed with the most glorious weather which made for a perfect stroll along the seafront and promenade.
The afternoon started with lunch at Leigh on Seas The Boatyard. Nestled amongst the cockle sheds in Old Leigh The Boatyard is a stunning restaurant butting onto gorgeous views of the Essex coastline.

Offering a fantastic menu and sunday roast this restaurant is perfect for small and large parties. We were seated on the mezzanine floor which gave us views of both the restaurant and the sea. With a relatively late lunch booking it allowed us to watch the sun start to set over dessert and coffee.
This was my first visit to The Boatyard and will definitely be adding it to my "re-visit" list, service, ambience and the food were gorgeous and look forward to going again.
The Golden sunset set us up perfectly for an evening at The Cliffs Pavillion where we were entertained in True 80's style with Tony Hadley.
I was with a friend that hadn't seen Tony before and he was really impressed with the show. Accompanied by a full symphony orchestra, Tony's set was a mixture of Spandau Ballet classics, own songs and some great rock & crooning tunes.
A Truly Golden day with great company in gorgeous Essex style.

TCakes SW adventures ....

A couple of months ago I shared my journey with SlimmingWorld over the last year. Since that post I am happy to share that I have lost another stone and  my total weight loss over the last 13 months has now reached 5 stone in total, 4 of which have been with SW.

I am thrilled and feel like a completely new person. I have one and a half stone to go until I hit my target, which will mean a loss of 5 1/2 stone with SW and 6 1/2 stone in total, which I hope to hit before Christmas.

I can honestly say that although it hasn’t been easy, it equally hasn’t been hard; it just requires planning and making the right choices. The hardest part of the journey has been stepping up the fitness as for me it was as much about feeling fitter as it was feeling fitter.

I have a great friend, who has been on this journey as well who has been the most amazing support and has encouraged me daily, as well as got me running around the park. ( the only thing on this journey that I hate!) I have discovered that I love the walking and even after I have completed my 10,000 steps challenge in September I  hope to continue through the winter (weather permitting) with my London walks. I have also discovered the fun that Zumba can bring and are now attending a class each week. I have never sweated so hard on 60 minutes in my life but can really see a difference since I have been going.

As we head into autumn I now need to buy a new wardrobe of clothes as I have now dropped 4 sizes and have no winter clothes!
Shopping trip planned and an update to come on progress ....

TCakes SW adventure ...

12 months ago I started on a journey to a better me, my plan was to include lifestyle, health and general well-being. I was at a point where I was genuinely unhappy about lots of my life, but feeling constantly tired, listless and low was something I wanted to change.

My first goal on my plan was diet, I didn’t tell anyone that I was doing it as there is nothing worse than telling people that you are on a diet and then them pointing out all the calories, fats, and things that you eat that are wrong. I managed to loose 14lb (1 stone) on my own before I realised that I probably couldn’t do this solo and would need some motivation and support to assist. I had tried many 'diets' before and failed after the first couple of months due to the restrictiveness of them. I had until then followed a couple of people on instagram that had been following slimming world and had lost lots of weight, they instagrammed their daily meals and I was amazed by the volume & variety of food that they could eat.  SW looked like a food lifestyle plan that I could follow and not feel like I was on a 'diet'.

I joined SW last August and have over the last 11 months slowly lost lb.'s and inches, and this week I crossed the 3 stone goal, which means that in 12 months I have now lost 4 stone. I am thrilled with my progress. I have had slow weeks and a couple of low weeks, small gains but overall a steady loss which has culminated in 3 stone gone.

Things that I have loved about SW over the last year:

•          I have fallen back in love with cooking – ready meals are a thing of the past.
•          My weekly shop is more planned and I no longer run into M&S on the way home because the fridge is empty
•          Its flexible, I have still gone for my weekly Indian with the golden girls on a Saturday.
•          Virtually and Socially I have met some lovely people who are also on this lifestyle change.
•          I have a sense of pride and worth that I lost.
•          The shy social butterfly is becoming more confident.
•          Become more active!
•          I've eaten more food daily that what I ate before!

So what does SW look like for me! –

Breakfast
·         Breakfast is usually at my desk – weekdays are usually Weetabix / oats, fruit & yoghurt. Weekends are cooked breakfast / poached eggs. – as you can see I have lots of fun with my breakfast styling!

Lunch

      Lunch is as creative and colourful, often using leftovers from the previous night dinner or opting for salad / jacket potato.

Dinner

·         Dinner is predominately chicken, fish, or a recipe from the slimming world books, favourites include; curry, lasagne, chilli, and pulled pork. I try to cook a roast on a Sunday, using fry light instead of oil (still makes great roasties)

Eating out

I try to save my syns for treats and eating out as you have less control over the hidden dangers of fats / sugars but as you can see I still have a varied menu and genuinely enjoying this food lifestyle change. Whether I am out eating breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner.

Each month I set myself mini goals which keeps me focused, which make the monumental lb.'s that I want to lose more achievable. Along with loosing lb.'s I have lost inches and have dropped 3 trouser / top sizes, and I'm the smallest clothes size & weight that I have been in 12 years. I feel better, people have noticed the weight loss, although it is something I am only beginning to see for myself in recent weeks.  think it's going to take a long time before I look in the mirror and not see the fat girl but I am loving the wider variety of clothes shopping. I now feel better, more active and have more energy. The only thing that hasn’t got any better is my terrible insomnia, I'm hoping this improves with a job change in the coming weeks. -

So what's next – ideally I would like to lose another 2 stone and drop another dress / trouser size but would be happy with a stone and a half. My next goals will include a wider fitness programme. Pop back later this week when I share my Walking myself happy roadmap. If you would like to follow my SW adventure on instagram you can fine me here.

Breakfast at The Connaught

Over the last year I have shared some of my favourite breakfast stops within London and last Friday I stopped for breakfast in a venue that has been on my "Breakfast & Brunches" list. Fridays breakfast stop was at The Connaught - sister hotel to Claridges and The Berkeley and part of the Maybourne hotel group.

The Connaught sits in St Carlos place a short walk from Bond Street in the heart of Mayfair. Its a beautiful hotel steeped in old school classic glamour. Breakfast is served in the ESpelette which overlooks Tadao Ando's Silent water feature which is a calm tranquil pool offering haven to a family of ducks in the corner of the Mayfair village.
The revolving doors that you enter via lead you into a dark wood lobby, complete with sweeping staircase and a fireplace. The Maybourne group are renowned for their stunning floral displays within their hotel (here's a recent trip to The Berkeley) This weeks floral displays were glorious puffs of hydrangeas and peonies, perfect for the start of June...
Even the bathroom had its own hydrangea display along with a vanity units filled with delicious Dior treats.

I was seated alongside the window which offered a view of the square and I watched the world wake-up.
I opted for the full English which is a healthy option for me on Slimming world and thoroughly enjoyed it all.
The food was delicious and the service and ambience was impeccable. I loved my Friday fry-up treat in lovely surroundings.
The Connaught is a gorgeous hotel and I will definitely go back for another visit.... thank-you Connaught for making me feel welcome and special.

an evening at Koffmans....

Not sure where May is whizzing to but I'm still playing catch-up with blog posts from April!... at the end of April my friend and I spent a gorgeous evening being dined in a beautiful restaurant with a menu by one of my hero chefs; the fabulous Pierre Koffman.

As we had an evening planned at the Royal Albert Hall, I had booked the pre-theatre menu which allowed us to dine early. Koffman's is situated at The Berkeley in Knightsbridge and is quite beautiful.

As an avid fan of The Berkeley's instagram account, we entered the restaurant via the hotel so that I could peak at the stunning floral displays dotted throughout the hotel. The week that we visited the hotel and restaurant where filled with glorious pink blooms of roses, peonies and lisianthus complimented with candles and storm lanterns.

The stunning floral displays continued into the restaurant and complimented the beautiful décor.

With a Prix Fixe menu to choose from I opted for Blue Cheese Flan with walnuts for Hors-D'oeuvres, Pan Fried Skate wing with capers for Plats Principaux and Lemon tart with Lemon Sorbet for Dessert all accompanied by a glass of champagne. Everything was delicious, beautifully presented and the service amazing. Koffman's was a first for both my friend and I and we both said that we would definitely return again as we had enjoyed it so much.

I have visited the Berkeley for afternoon tea a couple of times and will now ass Koffman's to my list of London musts!... thank you to all for such fabulous, food, service and ambience. 

Fitness & Well-being...

I don't blog lots about work but today the home of Mr Selfridge expanded its retail space by an additional 37,000 sq ft. The Body Studio opened today embracing fitness, well-being, lingerie, lounge-wear and hosiery all under one roof and what an impressive roof it is. Flooded with natural light from skylights and courtyard windows, the body studio is stunning.
With fitness and healthy eating part of my new lifestyle, this space is the perfect motivation to keep me focused on my SW journey.
The activewear space is full of fabulous fit wear, tech and equipment perfect for any activity. I love the boxing bags hanging from the steel beams, creating theatre and great visuals.
Its hard to visualise as I walk around this space that 15 months ago this was my old office and desk area. The Body Studio also houses the biggest collection of lingerie along with the most gorgeous fitting room spaces.
Aside from the gorgeous apparel, Body Studio also houses a Daniel Galvin studio, perfect for every hair. Adjacent to the hair salon is the cutest healthy cafe that you will see. The Hemsley sisters in partnership with Selfridges have opened a bistro cafe with a menu straight out of their healthy lifestyle cook books.

Yesterday I was lucky to sample lunch and also get to talk to the girls who were present. Both are trilled to be part of this new space and the opening of their first cafe. All this and the launch of their new TV series in a couple of weeks. All ingredients are sourced from amazing suppliers who absolutely compliment the sisters ethos of eating and lifestyle.
Lunch yesterday was a Bacon and Spinach quiche with almond flour, dressed side salad of rocket, coriander & cucumber and home-made tomato sauce. The flavours were amazing and the quiche just melted in the mouth. Accompanied by the most perfect little pot of mint tea.

 Dessert was a flour-less, beetroot & chocolate cupcake with yoghurt frosting. Dense chocolate flavour, the cupcake was moist and delicious.
The cafe is bijou, and tables can't be booked, but don't panic the queuing system is great and allows you to browse the store whilst waiting for your table They message your phone when the table is available.(so much better than waiting about in a Q!)
I know that this visit wont be last to Hemsley + Hemsley and look forward to trying the breakfast menu over the next few weeks.
Thanks to Jasmine & Melissa for stopping to chat, good luck with the new venture and a big well done to all the team involved in the Body Studio... it really is a gorgeous space.

Plates, Mates & Automobiles ....

Monday saw me (and 2,300 others) spend the evening in the company of James Martin at the iconic Hammersmith Apollo.
James has been on the road for the last few weeks touring the UK with his Plates, Mates & Auto-mobiles tour.
He seemed to be completely in awe of being on stage at a venue that he cycled past daily when he was starting out as an 18 year old chef.

It seems that the Apollo has had a bit of a lighting make-over both inside and outside within its Art Deco listed building.
The tour stage was very stylish with some great props, 2 kitchen workspaces, ovens and a huge video screen.
James's show was filled with what he loves,cooking, chat, laughter and cars.Sharing top billing in the mate stakes was his right hand man and sous chef Chris Start. Between them it was a great double act. James spoke warmly of their friendship and as mates go it was clear that it was a good mate. As cooking demos it was well orchestrated between the two chefs and the pair maintained an upbeat routine with plenty of rousing cheers from the audience, which had some of James colleagues from Saturday kitchen, Laverstocke dairy and chef friends. Nine recipes cooked up in 2 hours with humour, tales oh his childhood on a pig farm and life as a young chef. Favourite recipes from many of his back catalogue including; rhubarb soufflé, fish & chips, the best bacon sandwich ever (3,000+ calories!) finished off with a glorious cream filled swiss roll. Banter and rants were directed at the food and hygiene police, bane of his life from the frequent complaints on Saturday Kitchen for hand washing etc, and the healthy eating brigade who lament his over use of butter and cream! 

A witty, unhygenic on stage rebellion got the thumbs up from the audience along with a butter mountain that was dug into frequently for cooking! As the show drew to an end, James who had been learning to play the guitar during the tour was joined on stage by Brian Turner (triangle) and F1's Mark Webber (percussion) along with others to sing and play us out of what was a fabulously funny and entertaining evening.
It was during this tour that James announced that he was leaving Saturday Kitchen, a show that he has been at the helm of for the last 10 years. One of the things that has made James so popular is his genuine love of food and the ability to cook, chat and present all together, something even more remarkable considering he is severely dyslexic. James talked about this during his show and is extremely proud of it and hats off to him for holding down an autocue, ear mic and present a live show. James's last show aired Saturday morning and it was emotional! the outpouring on twitter was huge and both he and the programme trended for much of the day. James did a fab job of holding it all together until the last few moments...

Saturday mornings will no longer be the same for me and James Martin will be a much missed fixture in my weekend....