Simple pleasures

Half term holidays are all about the simple pleasures. Like having a second cup of tea in the morning, just because there's time. Or spending a little extra time in bed and reading when you've just woken up instead of when you're falling asleep. This one's been no exception and as always, I've kept myself busy with lots of little things. As such, it has absolutely whizzed by! From Friday night to tonight, it's been jam packed with friends and exploration. Highlights have included romance, food (lots of it), Deadpool, museums, a hotel, sunshine, catch ups, cat cuddles, more mews, a trip on the River Thames, vintage shopping, a gig and lots of sofa time.

The holiday began with Valentines weekend and it was another lovely one. This time we opted for a staycation and ultimate romance when on the Saturday night we watched Deadpool at my favourite cinema, Genesis in Mile End. The day itself saw a visit to the even more romantic Crime Museum. Exhausted by the in-take of information at the Crime Museum (all incredibly fascinating though; a must-see), a 'roomy' room at Hoxton Holborn was incredibly welcome respite. 

A 12 o'clock check-out and a breakfast bag delivered to the door made for a leisurely start to the day then it was home to welcome a friend visiting from Bath. Faced with far too many options but at the same time feeling unsure about the state of the weather, at least two cups of tea were consumed before we eventually made a decision and headed out and about.

The initial plan was to pop into the Natural History Museum where rumour has it the dinosaur skeleton has been replaced by a lage whale? Turns out we'll have to wait a while to find out because there were enormous queues at both doors (am I allowed to hate half terms yet obviously love them at the same time?) so we promptly turned around and instead headed for the V&A.

Now usually my visits to the V&A are made only for the gift shop or use of the toilets but this time, further exploration led us to the stained glass and silver collection. Like a magpie blinded by all things shiny, here I ogled at Art Deco tea and coffee services and we mourned the redundancy of over-sized, over-extravagant golden wine coolers and punch bowls. Coming to the end of this area, we were then led down the ceramic staircase, another gem I'd never encountered before, then out into the garden where we paused for just a moment before unruly children threatening to push each other into the central pool compelled us to move on.

Already pretty late in the day, it was nearing dinner time and as we'd chosen Dishoom as our restaurant of choice for the evening meal, we figured there could be no such thing as too early. Even upon arriving at 5 o'clock, we were faced with a wait but fortunately everything was pretty fast moving and before we knew it, we were settled in the bar armed with mocktails and I with lamb samosas to wet the appetite. Glorious food, a waiter with far too much enthusiasm, laughs a-plenty and lots more mocktails later, we were homeward bound and found ourselves squashed onto the sofa hunting for holidays (watch this space).

Another lazy start to the following day and the need for four females to be using the same bathroom meant that by the time we were out and about, it was basically lunchtime. We had decided to search for Beyond Bread, a gluten free bakery in Fitzrovia. Not my choice, I confess I'm usually pretty averse to free-from anything (even as a lactose intolerant) so I was feeling sceptical. Nevertheless, I ordered 'The Cure', a smoked salmon toastie followed by a brownie which was not only gluten free but dairy free as well. I'm so good. To say I was pleasantly surprised would actually be an understatement. I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch and certainly wouldn't refuse to go back if the invite arose.

From Beyond Bread, we made our way to Paddington so as to be in a suitable vicinity for train departure. A gentle stroll along to Little Venice in the sunshine was a sweet end to a lovely couple of days which brings us to Tuesday evening when I almost forgot to go to choir what with being all out of routine and what not.

Wednesday came and another visit, this time from a Cardiff-based friend (still working on her to move a little (a lot) closer) which took us here, there and really and truly everywhere. I was greeted by her in the form of an assault outside of Victoria Coach Station which taught me that I'd actually be horrendously awful if genuinely attacked. As much as I may like to think that I'd be able to handle myself in such a situation, turns out I just freeze and scream, even when the arm around me is adorned in recognisable fur and leather gloves.

So we wandered in pursuit of tea which I thought would be all too easy to find along one or another of the many pretty streets in the area. Many new mews' were discovered, but no tea (at least none that we felt we could afford) and before we knew it we were on Knightsbridge. Seeking the cheaper alternative, we found two seats in an incredibly busy Starbucks where we had lone businessmen to the left of us and a meeting that involved a large amount of make-up and serious talk to the right. Not wanting to out-stay our welcome, we eventually moved on to we weren't sure where. As we passed the counter again on our way out though, we did realise it was probably lunchtime so we decided somewhere new with food should be our next stop. 

I think a need of the toilet was what led us into Harrods. I don't usually like going in but probably only because I've made the fatal mistake of entering the building at Christmas time when it is heaving and horrible. The lack of windows and the fact that it's so easy to get lost always makes me a little claustrophobic as it is. Add in the crush of angry shoppers and I'm done. Nevertheless, we figured Harrods toilets would be worth the visit.

It was only once we were walking through the food-hall that I realised I have never been in there! Fortnum & Mason is probably still my favourite simply for pretty packaging and all the tea but I have to admit that this one did give the others a run for their money if only because of its absolutely stunning beauty. It is so extravagant it is unreal. Before we knew it, we were buying lunch; I had a hot dog croissant (yep, that's a thing), some ricotta and spinach pastry that made me look anything but elegant (all the spinach in all the teeth) and a stick of olive bread. Lunch heaven. Extravagance continued when the server at the checkout kept calling me madam and we were then escorted out of the building by the friendliest doorman who, having shown us the way to benches where we could eat, then came along to see what we were actually having for our lunch. There we sat, surrounded by pigeons and Spanish tourists with Burger King, watching various fancy looking cars roll up to drop off fancy looking people. A great place for a spot of people watching!

Now this next item is going to sound a bit sad but basically, I am an old man transport geek stuck inside a young woman's body and when I recently discovered that you can now use your Oyster on the River Bus, I had to try it! With a willing friend, we were on our way. We embarked at Embankment and weren't really sure where we'd get off but ended up disembarking at Greenwich after a seriously hair-raising journey. It was really fascinating to see so many sights that can really only be seen from the river and to imagine that some people genuinely use the clippers for their commute as there were some slightly abstract request stops at points! 

Once on dry land again in Greenwich, we made what turned out to be a rather bold move and headed for the Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College. Turns out that a slightly turbulent journey on water followed by looking up to dizzying heights to admire a painted ceiling is not the best combination. It was beautiful but it wasn't too comfortable to look up for too long. 

Retreating from the Painted Hall then, we found ourselves wandering along again in search of tea. This time, we discovered a lovely cosy pub where we were lured in by cans of Cawston Press behind the bar. We sat ourselves in the conservatory where we felt very cosy while it began to rain outside. Time was pressing on and we suddenly realised how far we'd actually strayed so we headed back into the city via the DLR which was incredibly novel even without claiming the 'driving' seat. Dinner was had at The Diner in Carnaby Street and it was here that we had a mad panic when we realised we were only placing an order at 8 and a train needed to be caught at 9. Somehow, we managed to eat in about 15 minutes before basically running to the station and sharing a fleeting farewell. Miracles do happen.

Thursday and I was all alone. After lots of cat cuddles, I decided to be totally productive and headed to the bank (oh the joys of half term) and then, seeing as I was out, I happened to have a splurge at Beyond Retro. While in the area, I decided to venture on to Brick Lane; not actually for more vintage but instead to admire the buildings would you believe? I was heading specifically for Fournier Street which, as usual, has recently come to my attention via Instagram. Once there, I felt transported back in time and it was only after wandering a little further that I realised I'd actually admired similar buildings in neighbouring streets before. It's a pretty unique little part of London that's for sure.

Another day to myself on Friday, I decided to find another unusual street and also to make a visit to the Fashion and Textile Museum where I remembered the 'Liberty in Fashion' exhibition was still on. Sadly, the sunshine had disappeared by the time I headed outdoors so I decided to boycott Roupell Street but it's still on my radar for a sunny day. Instead, I did a little more vintage browsing along Lower Marsh before making my way to the museum. Once inside, the first thing that struck me was how it almost felt like a completely different building from the one I visited back in the summer for the Riviera Style exhibition. Elegant cloths were draped all around, acting as a partition between the decades. Full of beautiful fabrics and shapes, I lost myself in colour and the peace and quiet which was a huge contrast to most places across the course of the week. Again, time passed all too quickly and I realised I needed to head home and out again to Oslo Hackney (not Norway unfortunately) where LNZNDRF (a fusion of members from The National and Beirut) gave a very ambient performance. Definitely a venue I'm returning to, it was so small and friendly!

Last night, we ate at 100 Hoxton for a Norwich friend's birthday. Tasty tapas and tasty mocktails more than distracted me from the fact that I was expecting a child's face pressed up against the window at any moment or the simple fact that I was literally within view of school. In some ways I suppose it eased me back to reality. Perhaps.

Today I have mainly been binge watching Harry Potter and pretending that either a) tomorrow isn't really happening or b) if it is then it's just like Hogwarts and it's the dream. Only 5 weeks til the next holiday though, I'm sure this half term will fly by as quickly as the holiday has done (I hope). 

Jagaara, IYES & Tei Shi

One of my favourite half term indulgences is losing myself in music and so that is exactly what I have been doing this week. Actually, even the thought of half term gave me a little surge in the final week before the holiday as I looked ahead to festival season to get me through grey days. I wanted to share these three artists in particular as they have provided my repeat tracks to get me through planning, marking, cleaning and tidying but also travelling (of course) this half term. I hope you'll like them too!

Jagaara - Faultline

The modern day Corrs (not at all really, in fact that's probably actually a little offensive), Jagaara are three sisters from my neck of the woods. They are playing Field Day this year, so I discovered them through my 'line-up research'. Currently they only have two tracks, and I adore them both. Faultline is my favourite though, with an eerie yet epic instrumental, gorgeous vocals and a sound that generally gives me butterflies. Must listen!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuFjq0LB47s (turns out the video's quite good too; some nice train-track shots and good colours)

IYES - Simmer

Last Thursday I went to see these guys at a most intimate venue in Hoxton, Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen. I'd never actually heard their music before, but a friend invited me along because she knew they'd be my kind of thing! 

I loved the duo's raw sound, their chemistry and the fact that you could really tell they were having lots of fun! Male vocals were really present live, which is something that is missing in their recorded materials, and I did get the giggles over tambourine 'playing' (it is not a real instrument!!) but it was still the sort of gig that made me miss singing SO much and despite having not previously listened to their tracks, instilled a sense of nostalgia in me. They performed a song called 'Lessons' towards the end of the set which was absolutely beautiful, but unfortunately has not yet made an appearance on the Internet. One to watch out for though I reckon!
https://soundcloud.com/weareiyes/simmer-live

Tei Shi - Nevermind The End

In contrast to the innocent and straight-up nature of IYES' music, another artist brought to my attention by the lineup for Field Day 2015 was Tei Shi. Her sound again stirs nostalgia within me, with a simple instrumental that has an almost Spring-like feel. On the other hand, her lyrics bring to light a darker side (irony not intended), nevertheless a dark side that makes me feel all empowered every time it comes on as I'm walking along anywhere. In my opinion, the contrast just works! The EP this track comes from, Saudade, is on SoundCloud - enjoy!
https://soundcloud.com/tei-shi/nevermind-the-end

A Chap Olympiad, Agnes Obel, and air hockey

Before beginning to write about last weekend, I have first made a page-and-a-half-long list of everything I did... and I wonder why my posts become so long and rambly! Maybe, just maybe, if I want to write about what I do, I need to start doing less.

I am sitting in the airport (in the quiet area with loungers!? Score.) waiting for my flight to Cyprus for the wedding, and realised that as I will no doubt have lots to write about that, I'd better get this one written before it catches up on me! And as I have the perfect opportunity...

Saturday was really quite surreal. The afternoon was spent at the eagerly anticipated Chap Olympiad, a celebration of the sporting ineptitude of English gentlemen. Sporting events included cucumber sandwich discuss and some sort of briefcase relay, and prizes were awarded to those who maintained the perfect trouser crease or an immaculately well-tamed moustache as opposed to those who actually got at all competitive!

The day began at my flat, where I got over-excited and provided china plates, elegant glasses and cucumber sandwiches (to eat) accompanied by Pimms served in a teapot to get us in the mood! A little carried away with food consumption (sandwiches on tiger bread, Sensations popcorn, baked camembert, grilled sweet chilli haloumi and plum tomatoes - YUM), we did not actually manage to start getting ourselves ready until early afternoon (bearing in mind the event began at noon)...

All hair, makeup and hats at the ready (until the moment we stepped outside when all three attempted a Great Escape), we headed off! A great reaction followed us down the street and onto the Tube, where we sat feeling hot, but pretty (hats come in awfully handy for fanning) as we made our way to where the games had already begun.

Slightly unsure of where to go from the Underground, we were soon given a rather large hint in the form of the not so dulcet tones of jazz music as to where we should be. Hidden in private gardens in Bedford Square, we were welcomed by waist-coats, hats of all varieties, old uniform (ooft), petticoats, canes, fans, white gloves and furs galore, many accompanied by proper Fortnum and Mason picnic hampers, and most sitting on traditional picnic blankets or under gazebos, sipping cups of tea and cocktails with a slice of cake; the most surreal but wonderful sight! Of course we made a bee-line for the bar where (still fanning away with our headgear) we ordered more Pimms to keep us going and some more adventurous/lethal cocktails.

Whilst stood in the queue for the bar (in front of a man in a yellow tweed suit? Amazing.) we were treated to the sights of what can only be described as a 'hench man with an unbelievably gruff voice bending metal on (or maybe with?) his crotch'... fortunately the rest of the afternoon took a more civilised turn for the most part! It was spent sipping our cocktails, observing strange goings on in the arena, basking in British weather at its best, engaging in conversation that was probably as far removed from ladylike as it gets (also apparently at an inappropriate volume, as hats do cover ones ears... oops), and admiring (or, quite often, making scathing comments about) the 'general splendour'.

Once the games were over and winners announced, we noticed the construction of the dancefloor taking place and got very excited! As soon as drinks were finished, we took to the stage for a lot of hip swinging, foot flicking, arm flailing and jazz handing, much to the admiration of two ex-naval officers (amongst others, I'm sure), who decided we'd be the ideal candidates to show them how it's done. Oh dear.

With perfect timing (and not before a highly romantic/anti-climatic marriage proposal was made), the rain came. So we took our cue to leave, waved goodbye to the Chap Olympiad until next year and set off for Somerset House.

I've wanted to go to a gig at the venue for a long time, and I think Agnes Obel in such stonking (yep, I just used the word stonking) weather made it a pretty perfect experience!

Having gone straight from an event with strict 30's dresscode to an open-air, standing gig, to say I felt a little over-dressed would be a huge understatement. As we joined the queue, I wished for a big sign explaining my situation, as there was an awful lot of staring going on (made even worse by a near-miss with a familiar face from home territory which is always something I strive to avoid having made my break for freedom in London). Had I not been wearing the hat all day, I might have chosen to tone down the outfit with its removal, but feared that the hat-hair would cause even more stares, and for all the wrong reasons!

Assured that I would blend right in once we were lost amongst the crowd, we ventured in. Having found a good spot and then stood in it for all of 5 minutes, we were suddenly accosted by an overly enthusiastic pair of American Express representatives (not that we realised this for the majority of our encounter). 'Have you taken your selfie yet'? There we stood thinking to ourselves 'do we really look like the sort of people who take selfies'? Knowing looks of disapproval were passed between us as we shared this thought. 'You don't have to take it yourselves', came the response when we gave a simultaneous 'no'! Next thing you know, the guy's taking our photo with my phone, I've uploaded it to Twitter with some hashtag I don't know the meaning of, we've got VIP access to an indoor bar with free champagne and a £20 ticketmaster giftcard, and said photo then appears on the big screens either side of the stage so everyone can see what a fantastic time we're having (or how awkward we look when sprung upon to have our photo taken)... I think it was worth it?

Turns out the indoor bar, at least, served dual purpose, as we did not think much to the support act, Laura Doggett, whose singing voice left us rather dumbfounded given her stature and the sound of her speaking, which I will describe as 'contrasting', so as not to sound too highly critical. To be fair, I do still intend to give her the benefit of the doubt and give her recorded stuff a listen, as maybe it was the whole live 'experience' that was too much for me... so we hid inside with champagne and olives until the storm had passed, then emerged once again in anticipation for Agnes Obel.

A far cry from the vocals that preceded her, Agnes Obel makes me melt a little. I found myself announcing 'this one's my favourite' at almost every song, before resigning myself to the fact that I really just like them all!

She had two cellists and one violinist on stage with her and her piano. All three providing haunting vocal harmonies, and unusual effects drifted from their instruments, each one more powerful and spine-tingling as they worked their way through the set. Agnes spoke sweetly to the audience between each song, offering the small stories behind her music, and expressing her enamour at the venue and us, the audience.

Following a truly magical performance, we were carried out from Somerset House in the tide of the crowd and across Waterloo Bridge to the Southbank, still hypnotised in some way, and not really wanting to just go home where it would all be over. So we had a wander, with the desired effect being almost like wanting food to settle, only in a musical sense instead (or, you know, some more romantic simile; I'm excellent with words)...

The craving for pork scratchings took over for the third time that day, and with Wahaca in sight serving not only pork scratchings, but also Magaritas, our feet knew where to take us. Catastrophically, upon our arrival we were informed they were no longer serving, so we found ourselves on a mission doomed to fail which took us beyond the London Eye. Here, we did not locate pork scratchings, but instead happened upon a well-hidden, enormous amusement arcade and AIR HOCKEY... which we played, of course.

NB please bear in mind that this whole time we were still donning Chap Olympiad costume. I have no doubt it was quite the sight to behold!

Saturday was just the most surreal day! Nevertheless, if Saturdays were frequently spent in such a way, I would be more than happy. Sunday took a more real turn, with salt beef sandwiches (ENORMOUS and incredibly tasty) from Borough Market, drinks in The Shard, a visit to Barbican for the Digital Revolution, Polo Bar for tea to relieve chronic indigestion/the hangover and Liverpool St station for Burger King. Real as it may have been, it was still equally as pleasant, and probably requires a post all of its own. However, as at this point, I am perched in a low-growing tree on a beach in Cyrprus, frantically finishing this post off in order to begin writing about my adventure here, I just leave you with that succint list and safe in the knowledge that Sunday was the perfect way to round off a fun-filled, frivolous weekend!