Weekend Activities

Having recently begun working full-time, I have been struck by the novelties of bank holidays. During my gap years before Uni, bank holidays were often times I still had to work, due to my jobs, but now...well now I can be one of those thrilled working people with an extra day off.

As my housemates were all leaving London I decided to join one of them in her visit to her family in Eastbourne. We wandered around the village of Battle, admired the view of the sea from Birling Gap, and rummaged through the most decadent and delightful book shop that I may have ever come across. 

City Dwellers by the Sea

Birling Gap

Camilla's Bookshop

 I love a good adventure, and whilst this one was only about two days worth of excitement, it was great to just jump on a train and get out of the City. I've been to Eastbourne once before, but it was in the pouring rain and I slept on a church floor in an industrial estate for a student weekend. Fun, but not really the kind of adventure I felt like this weekend. We finished our trip by reading the Sunday papers over coffee before heading back to London for church in the afternoon. 

An old friend from home happened to be in London, so I met with him for lunch before going to church, and we battled our way through the crowds of the Southbank, admiring the man playing the tuba with fire, and grabbing food from one of the street vendors that had parked up as part of the mini food festival. The sun was baking, and as we sat on one of the tiny parts of grass left available, I had to marvel at the scores of people you could fit on a riverbank. In the evening a few of us headed up to one of my favourite spots overlooking the City, and watched the sunset. When you get views like this, you can kind of understand why it's one my favourite places to be. 

The Shard at Sunset

The rest of the bank holiday was spent food shopping, and then picnicing in Greenwich. Though south of the river, Greenwich is easy to get to from my house, so we decided that with the sun blazing it was the perfect opportunity to sunbathe and read for the afternoon. With the help of scones and clotted cream. Obviously. 

When you live in a place with around 8 million people, you find that it's not very common to bump into people you know. Granted, near Uni that's a bit different, but generally speaking it just doesn't happen. You can imagine my surprise then to discover two friends from my course sat 10 metres away in Greenwich park! 

Green green Greenwich

Anyhow, the sun has hid itself behind clouds since Monday, and with work and such, I've not had much to blog about. Our student Connect group did pop out for pizza last night, which was a great chance to catch up with all the folk that had finished exams. This weekend there are more picnics planned, and a street party, organised by one of my neighbours! Lots to look forward to I feel. 

Until then...! 

Peace and love xo

Pimms and Peacocks

The past couple of weeks have been a blur of work, and seeing friends. I've been a little dazzled by the sunshine too, hence the lack of blogging. Also, I recently acquired a phone that hasn't come from the Stone Age and so I've been spending less time procrastinating on my laptop.

So yes, LOTS of work. It's been kinda great I've had hours so I'm super thankful about that. Did involve me working 51 hours last week though, and being out every night doing things too. I am tired.

In the past couple of weeks I've enjoyed a lot of good food. Some friends and I cooked pizza from scratch, dough and all, and then layered the very best combo of ingredients on top. This involved prosciutto, goats cheese, olives, and rocket. Om. I also went out to Brownsea Island for one of my favourite evenings of the whole summer. It was a baking day, and we sailed across the harbour, taking the most luxurious picnic I think I have ever experienced. There was wine, and a lot of M&S food, and a wicker hamper and wool picnic rugs. And then we watched Shakespeare in the open air, as the sun set. It was stunningly beautiful.

Friday night I went and had very civilised drinks on the beach with the mother, and were surprised by a rather nice firework display, and then it was back to the beach for a birthday BBQ on Saturday. In fact, I feel like I've been living at the beach recently. Think someone needs to build me a house down there; it'd totally be worth it. 

Yesterday was one of my favourite days. Sundays are always wonderful. I love going to church. The fact I get to see friends after is an added bonus. We went out to one of my favourite picnic spots in the New Forest, and then migrated to the pub when it began to pour with rain. There was a lot of laughter, and a jug of pimms, and it was just beeeautiful.

And then today I got some really good news, and that combined with the promise of adventures in Salisbury tomorrow and shopping on Wednesday, makes me rather cheery. Summer is just superb.

Pizza Extravaganza

Early morning beach walks.

Brownsea Island Peacocks.

BBQ's, Friends and Sunsets.

Quaint Dorset

Pimms and Pubs.

Sisters

My sister and I have a strange relationship. Nearly seven years separate us in age, and we're rather different. She's the tanned, skinny, artistic one. I feel she got all the good genes. Anyhow, when I lived at home we tended to argue. She is the one person that knows exactly how to wind me up in under ten seconds...perhaps that was a consequence of the good genes, who knows! 

Anyway, since I've moved to London, things seem to have improved. Apart from the casual fight when I spend a few too many days back at home. So, with me leaving Uni in a week, we decided it was about time for her to come and pay me a visit. She arrived Friday morn, and left this evening so it was only brief, but we managed to travel all over London.

With a trip to the East End Thrift Store, which I adore, and a few new purchases in hand, we grabbed some lunch and headed to Covent Garden. I may have bought some sort of glass and white metal jewellery display table super cheap is Sass and Belle, and a new top in H&M. Woops. In the evening I cooked up a culinary feast, which essentially means I put pizza in the oven and fed her lots of rocket salad for some greens.

We then headed to Genesis, the local cinema to watch Snow White and the Huntsman, which, though fairly awful, did manage to redeem itself with a few nicely shot things and some good looking men. Also, the dwarves were quite, quite wonderful and there were a few moments that felt LOTRish. Always a good thing.

This morning we got up and went to Borough Market, tried all of the insane food, and then had a picnic in Southwark Cathedral before heading to Portobello Road. The sister has never seen either of those she was like a kid in a candy store, which in Borough market wasn't too far from the truth. 

Jubilee Festivities in Covent Garden

The Most Perfect Picnic

In Southwark Cathedral

Sisterly Love

After taking her to the coach station, I got BACK on the tube AGAIN and went to a friend's new music night. He's launched something called Vine Sessions, a brand new folk night for unsigned artists. It was amazing. It also helped that I knew a couple of people performing and a LOT of the crowd. We drank and chat and danced and clapped and I'm now soooo tired.

In fact, the use of capitals, long rambling sentences that never seem to end and just talk about rubbish, all suggest that it's time for bed.

The new Sigur Ros album, Valtari is playing, I've had a very late dinner of bread and cheese, and I'm going to go dream. Tomorrow I'll be at the Jubilee River Pageant. Might try and have a cuppa with Her Majesty after church in the morn. I'll let you know if she's as civilised as her suits and hats make out.

Much love friends, may you sleep well and enjoy the bank holiday!!

xxx

Primroses and Picnics

The first picnic of the year! Today it was gloriously sunny, and London was lit up with summer glow. So, armed with the works of Shakespeare, several bags of food and a blanket, I headed to Primrose Hill with some friends for a bit of a 'working lunch'.

We've got a deadline looming so we didn't feel we could take the entire day off of work, and yet carrying the entire 4,000 page anthology of Shakespeare to north London was perhaps a little unnecessary as we instead spent our time eating, taking photos and rolling Babybels down the hill as in the advert.. Ba, ba, ba, baaa, babybel!

Another day of enjoying the city, and another reason I am so sad I'm not here through summer. I'm not saying life is perfect in London, but there is something about catching a glimpse of how huge and beautiful the capitol is that just makes me want to run around and enjoy it all. 

For now, I'll make do with photos such as this one, to keep me entertained.

And so it is time for bed for me. One of the bessies and I are shopping tomorrow as she's in London. I desperately need to get hold of a dress for a wedding on Saturday! Oh golly. Anyway, rest calls.

Good night chickens :)

xo