Riviera Style & Hidden gems in the City

Today has been a busy day! BBC Weather informed me that it would be rainy so I figured it was the right time for a museum trip. So far this summer, I've been avoiding them like the plague, secure in the knowledge that they will be heaving with tourists and - heaven forbid - children! I figured the Fashion & Textile Museum would be less popular with those categories though, so I braved it.

So keen to beat the crowds, I arrived before the museum even opened. I waited in Southerden (still not entirely sure how it should be pronounced), a quirky patisserie & café opposite. My Earl Grey tea was served in the most unusual pot, more akin to a cafetiere than a teapot and although this amused me, I must say I wasn't impressed by the taste of 'Joe's Tea Co.'; I think coffee must be their thing (it was Bermondsey Street after all).

By the time I'd drunk my tea, it was almost 10 past 11 so at least I didn't look like an eager puppy at the door ready for opening! There were already a few people milling about but not so many that I was put off going in. I paid my £8.80 (I think. The lady made a mistake with the card machine, thought it went through twice so gave me a refund. It's quite possible that I made an inadvertently free visit to the museum today) and received the sweetest ticket (it's the little things) for my entry. 

The exhibition was of Riviera style, right through from the 1920's to the modern day. I'm rubbish at voicing an educated opinion on these things, but there was plenty for the eye to behold. I particularly admired the way the ground floor had been laid out to look like a Lido and I always really love old rail posters which in this instance were of course advertising various seaside resorts both at home and abroad. 

A well curated, incredibly aesthetic exhibition, I really enjoyed my morning's pootle. I was, I admit, a little disappointed at the size of the collection but the gift shop at the end kept me plenty entertained for another quarter of an hour. And hey, if I got free entry then who am I to complain? 

Having expected my museum visit to fill a little more of my day, I wasn't quite sure what to do next. So I took to my To Do list and Google Maps to ascertain how far away I was from various locations. I discovered that the Red Cross Gardens were only a 13 minute walk away (oh yes, I love to be precise) so that's where I went next seeing as BBC Weather seemed to have been mistaken thus far... 

En route to the Red Cross Gardens, I passed another garden which I initially thought was the one I was looking for but was then grateful that it was not. Crossbones Garden looked a little creepy to me. When I eventually reached the gardens I was in search of, I was much happier to find beautiful beds full of colour, a pond teeming with lily pads and plenty of benches to rest on, one near a fountain which is where I decided I'd park myself. 

Major proud moment - I finished my book! Wahooey! Turns out a little rain (ok, BBC Weather was right) doesn't put my British self off sitting in a quiet outdoor space and reading, even when raindrops start to appear on the pages. I'm not scared. I was slightly scared though of the 'community gardener' who was having some issues with a water source for his hose. By some form of a miracle he sprayed it literally either side of me but I came out unscathed. Unlike him, who had clearly used his entire body to block the path of the uncontrollable water as when he emerged from the bushes, he was drenched. One debacle over, he then proceeded to prune low growing plants and when I looked up again I was faced with an entire bottom. I think maybe my finishing my book might have had something to do with my want to look anywhere but up!

When an over-friendly homeless man started inviting unsuspecting office workers to share a drink with him while they ate their lunch, I decided it was probably time to move on. An eventful half an hour to say the least!

Another destination on the To Do list that I knew wasn't far was St Dunstan in the East, a Wren church tower and its ruins by Monument. I can't remember where I first read about the church but it's been on my radar for a while. I walked via a Pret a Manger for my favourite chicken & avocado sandwich and an iced peach green tea as I figured this was going to be the kind of spot one lunches at.

I was right. It was like I'd walked into an outdoor office cafeteria. I was met with the surreal but beautiful sight of suited and booted types sharing benches to enjoy their lunch, the newspaper, a 'book' on their Kindle (or a real one to be fair to some) or just some space away from work. It was busy but quiet as most people were there without a companion. Again, it tried to rain, but in true British form we all continued to sit there regardless. I loved it and I decided I shall return on a Sunday, or better still, a cold, rainy day. It was incredibly photogenic!

With the tube strike this evening looming over me, I knew I wanted to be home before TfL had advised the trains would be getting busy, but it was still only around 2 o'clock when I left St Dunstan in the East so I wasn't done with the day.  

Where do I go when I'm 'in the area'? Well, Barbican of course. I'm not even entirely sure why. I'm just drawn to it. It's definitely one of my favourite places in London, if not my actual favourite! So I walked the distance to Barbican for another cup of tea (loose peppermint this time), a nosey in the gift shop and to pay a visit to the music shop nearby which is almost always closed whenever I go past.

My tea was still hot while I was in there and I felt awfully guilty carrying it in one hand, my other occupied by my handbag and purchases from the Fashion & Textile Museum, so I asked a shop assistant if there was somewhere I could put it (noticing on the side their own cafetiere and coffee cups) while I browsed. He willingly took it from me... then just held it!? I tried to take it back from him, feeling rather too important, but he refused and said he wasn't doing much else. I then continued to feel guilty (probably worse at this point), especially when I didn't end up buying anything. 

Tea retrieved, I wandered on until I came to Lamb's Passage. I couldn't remember what was down there, but I knew it was somewhere I'd read about in my Quiet London book so I thought I'd investigate on my way to the station and home. I was slightly unnerved when the road suddenly started to feel like a dead end but then I rounded a corner and realised that it did go on. A little way ahead I spotted greenery protruding through a fence and knew I must have happened upon a place of interest. 

It was a tiny garden in memory of Basil Hume (a monk who became the Archbishop of Wesminster in the 70's. I had no idea until I got home and looked him up). So I sat with my tea on a bench sheltered by vines, admiring the mix of what can only be described as very 'Zen' plants and feeling a bit sneaky in the knowledge that there were plenty of people dashing past who had no idea of my existence but who I could see and hear all too clearly. Another incredibly surreal spot.

So turns out I managed to cover a lot of ground today and the list is being gradually worked through. Still holding out for actual sunshine so my poor legs can stop looking so out of place but I'm grateful for now to be finding so much to do whatever the weather!

Soft drinking in London

In 23 days, my dry spell ends and the heavens will open (actually they probably won't because I've realised that I absolutely do not miss hangovers, and have also happened upon some pretty tasty mocktails so I imagine my drinking may continue in a less dramatic way than I've just made it sound...)

Anyway, the reason I write is two-fold. As I say, I have discovered some great alcohol alternatives since this January, but I have also noticed a distinct lack of my type of bars in London.

When I say 'my type of bars', I refer to favourite Norwich haunts such as The Workshop, House Café, Franks Bar and The Bicycle Shop, where hot drinks machines are not turned off after a certain time and only alcohol is on offer. These café-bars not only have a huge variety of tea on offer all through the day and night but they also provide games to play and the music in the background keeps the mood alive no matter whether one is intoxicated or not!

The most amazing breakfast at House Café over Valentines weekend

Now I'm not saying nowhere like this exists in London, but sadly it's certainly not the norm, and reaching these 'unique' places involves travelling far and wide! So, I write to sing the praises of those establishments that have kept me very happy over the course of the past two months, but also expect that I may continue searching in this final stretch, so continue writing too!

I take you back to January now, when it all began for the second time. I've honestly hardly noticed I've not been drinking this time. I do remember struggling last year, so in comparison this year (so far) has been a breeze! One downside however has been the fact that not drinking definitely has not saved me money. I seem to have replaced going out for drinks with going out for food; good job I noticed so this month I should finally be able to save some money!

Anyway, in early January I found myself at the BFI bar on the Southbank. I've actually frequented the bar on several occasions, but most often for alcoholic beverages. However on this occasion I discovered that they have a very interesting tea selection. Feeling a little under the weather (as seems to be a running theme), I went for an Elderflower & ginger or something similar (quite honestly it was a while ago now, but I know it was tasty and good for a cold)! The BFI boasts a good selection of drinks, great cake (I had lemon & lavender to be precise) and incredibly comfy sofas!

Lately I seem to have found myself wandering along The Kings Road quite often since being delighted to discover that it is actually not ever so far away from home! One particular day began at the Chelsea Physic Garden where we admired snowdrops (I particularly adored those hanging in moss balls)! Left with freezing cold toes, we of course had to take shelter in a pub, so we found ourselves in the The Trafalgar which I loved because it was so quirky and we happened to be there for an evening of jazz too! On this occasion I can't actually remember what I drank but Sunday roast was very tasty and I loved the decor so we'll definitely be going back!

A cosy greenhouse at Chelsea Physic Garden

One of my favourite places to eat and drink lies just outside Liverpool St Station. First discovered between night buses on a very cold night, the Polo Bar is open 24 hours! Serving the most yummy breakfast items and tasty pastries it's the perfect stop-off at any time of day, whether you are in search of tea to begin winding down or something a little stronger to keep you going. All really reasonably priced as well which is a big plus in Central London!

Throwing caution to the wind, I have recently discovered my passion for milkshakes. Love Shack on Kingsland Road is one of my favourite places to go, but when told upon my arrival there one evening that they had run out of milk (!?), they directed us further along to The Diner, where we were more than satisfied by their incredible selection of both hard and soft shakes! We are definitely returning for a day of food; breakfast, lunch and tea!

During the Half Term, I was lucky enough to meet up with friends from my PGCE. We spent the afternoon around London Bridge and ventured down Bermondsey Street, a street that I have only ended up along if lost, in which case I have usually turned around and gone back the way I came. However, we happened upon a very intriguing pub (Tanner & Co) serving pancakes (as it was Shrove Tuesday, a pancake menu was priority for me) so we decided to stop for lunch. Service was incredibly slow and we waited almost an hour for food (I think judging by the tables scattered with empties and crumbs, we had just missed a very busy lunch hour and the waiting staff had decided to go on an exhaustion strike), but once it arrived we had no complaints, and as a result of the poor service we received our post-food hot drinks free. The tea selection was great and the old PE equipment reminscent of our childhood that provided the decor was, as I say, intriguing. I'll definitely go back again, but perhaps not on an empty stomach!

(Photo credit: Crazy Cow events)

I wrote recently about a gig I went to where Iyes performed in a really intimate venue. The venue was Hoxton Bar & Kitchen, and the pre-gig food and drink was a great way to start the evening! I arrived a good half an hour before my friend was due, so ordered an Earl Grey at the bar while I waited. When she arrived we ordered chicken burgers which were ideal to tide us over as we waited a couple of hours for the headliners to perform. Despite having visited less than a week earlier, we actually ended up at The Diner for milkshakes on this occasion too as we had not realised just how late the gig was starting! When it did eventually begin, we watched with the most satisfied tummies!

I have frequented House of Vans quite a bit since it opened last year, and in doing so always stop to admire the graffiti below the arches on Leake Street. Nevertheless, I did not know it was Leake Street I was admiring until a friend invited me to go there for a look around. Of course I agreed (I'm always keen to venture to unfamiliar pastures), so we spent an afternoon around Waterloo; first wandering along Leake Street, then having a nosy in The Vaults before zig-zagging along Lower Marsh as we went in and out of shops luring us in with their vintage, food and general eccentricity. Having enjoyed myself so much, I then invited another friend to come with me the following weekend. This time we stopped for a while inside The Vaults which played host to the best selection of tea I have seen in a long time. Sitting in low deckchairs listening to the most eclectic playlist whilst sipping honey & herb tea; pure bliss.

So the search continues for tea (and/or alcohol for those that way inclined) and games. I'm pretty happy to have found so many places to suit my needs in the meantime though, and worst comes to worst, I'll just stay at home and half tea-for-one from my oversized teapot!

Smoky Russian Caravan from Wilkinsons of Norwich

Can't beat a good mug of Lavender Earl Grey. Wins every time!