Monday, January 30, 2012

Thursday 26 January - The Do, they did!

Current location: Shepherd's Bush
11.11pm, Leaving Bush Hall. If you haven't been to a gig (or wedding, which they also do) there, try and find some excuse. It is one of the most beautiful venues I have been in, with big crystal chandeliers and red velvet decor. Such a fitting venue for one of the most wonderful bands of all time ever: The Do. They are a French-Finnish duo, and sing the loveliest, liveliest, sweetest, most fun songs I have heard in a long time. I'd bought Andy tickets for Christmas and as we headed there after work on Thursday, we were joined by Ruth and Jack, who thought they'd try and get in too. So the four of us danced, cheered, fell in love a little bit and then went to a Wetherspoons that smelt of sick to talk about how amazing the gig was.
(Picture taken from Clash Music)

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Sunday 22 January - A nana-style Sunday



Current location: Lewisham
11.11pm, In bed, trying to knit. Today I attempted to teach myself to knit (and failed pretty miserably), and then Petros, Katy and I caught the bus to bingo! We didn't win anything (proof that three very competitive people aren't always lucky) but loved the cheap wine, burgers and dobbing pens you get with bingo!

Saturday 21 January - Emily's birthday; curry number 3




Current location: Mango Landing, Brixton
11.11pm, Having a drink with Emily and lots of her/our friends. It was her birthday yesterday, and a big group came out for a curry (my third in three days!) to celebrate her special day and her awesomeness. It was a fun group of people, and a lovely way to spend a Saturday night. Happy birthday Boxy!

Friday 20 January - Goodbye, lovely girl




Current location: Brick Lane
11.11pm, Looking at the time and deciding not to go home. Tonight we were out for Sarah's leaving meal, and I just didn't want the night to end. Since her and Willy moved to London, they have become really good friends, and I honestly don't know a more genuine, sweet lady. Plus she's very stylish, lots and lots of fun and she's hot stuff. What's not to love? We've had so many fun times, including sunny park picnics, Hanson nights out, Mexican nights in, Christmas japeries... I am going to miss her loads! It was fun to have a curry and few last cocktails before she heads back to Australia, and I hope it's not too long before we meet again. x

Thursday 19 January - Incisive Media Awards!







Current location: Limehouse, London
11.11pm, Dancing! It was our work awards night and a blinking good one it was too. It had a 70s' theme and, although we didn't dress up, we all got on the dancefloor and boogied to the 70s' music for quite a while (managing to spill red wine down my white dress and stand on glass!). I work with such lovely people and I was very proud when some of them won awards (I was shortlisted for best newcomer), most notably for the BJP iPad app. Excellent, fun, funny, wonderful people.

Saturday 14 January - Welsh family!



Current location: Port Talbot, Wales
11.11pm, Squished in between my auntie and uncle on the sofa, with a glass of wine in hand and a belly full of Chinese takeaway. Mum, Dad, Kate, Ella and I decided to come to where most of my relatives live in South Wales, to visit my grandma and my aunties, uncles, cousins and second cousins. We've done a lot of sitting on sofas and drinking tea and being entertained by Ella, and it's been absolutely fab; my aunties and uncles are very Welsh and absolutely hilarious, and my grandma is just lovely.

We used to come to Wales a lot when I was a child... almost every half term, Easter, summer and Christmas holidays, we would all pile into the car and go and stay with our Welsh family, whether it was for a few days or a few weeks. We'd often stay at my nana's house and spend our days playing and being fussed over, and I have so many good memories of that time. My nana, Lucy, who i am named after, died when I was 18, and it was nice to go and visit her grave (and those of my grandfathers too) and see the sun shining on the flowers. Happy memories!

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Thursday 12 January - Out and about in the East end






Current location: Shoreditch
11.11pm, In a Vietnamese in Shoredicth with some of my bessies. We ate duck, seafood, curry and other deliciousness and headed to a bar for shots, candles and silliness. One of my favourite, silliest nights in a long time.

Sunday 8 January - A new housemate

Current location: The Ravensbourne Arms
11.11pm, Playing Taboo in the pub with Andy and Petros, and our new housemate, Katy. I met her a few months ago through another friend and we play netball together. Then, when a room came up in our house in the new year, Katy moved in! We went to Nando's to celebrate, then skipped to the pub and sealed our housemate-friendships. Wooiiee.

Friday 6 January - Curry, Catdog and Channel Cairo




Current location: Brick Lane
11.11pm, Having a reunion. Cat and I went along to Brick Lane to have a Friday-night curry and then went to see our friends' band play, Channel Cairo. A few of our much-loved friends from uni came too, and it's been a while since we'd seen them, so we had some pretty good chats, laughs and catch-ups. I had the best three years ever while at uni, and so much of that was due to these amazing people.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Sunday 1 January - Start as we mean to go on



Current location: Cliffs, Cornwall
11.11am, On our way to a pub. After a slow wake-up and some sore heads (luckily, I felt great!) we headed to the Logan Rock Inn, a pub near some cliffs in Treen for a New Year's Day pub lunch. Next up was a cliff walk to blow away the cobwebs, and it was so much fun trudging through the mud and chasing the dogs. It was a fab way to start the new year – lots of fresh air, sea views and good friends.

Saturday 31 December - A happy new year at the beach!









Current location: Porthgwarra, Cornwall
11.11pm, Eating, drinking and being merry. This year, we decided to do something a bit different for New Year's Eve. Most years, we have opted for a Cornish night out, which involves going to The Ritz and drinking gin from plastic cups. It's fun, but I've done it for the last few years now, so was up for something else. So Jack, Ruth, Laura, Dave, Andy and I headed over in the rain to Ruth's mum's house in Porthgwarra. It is one of the most beautiful houses I have ever been in and, being right on the cliffs, it is about a 12-second walk down to the cove.

So, with a storm brewing outside, we huddled in by the fire and dined on scallops and steak, enjoying a murder mystery and generally being silly as the clock got closer to midnight. With the murder solved, the rain magically stopped just in time, and we all scrambled down to the beach to see in the new year with bottles of champagne and a midnight dip in the freezing cold sea!

After some singing, paddling and photo-taking, we ran back up to the house to get warm again (everyone) and put on our pyjamas (just me)...and crack out the most extravagant cheese board.

Songs, drinks, games and new-years-resolution decisions later, an impromptu game of Sardines broke out, which went on for quite a long time, thanks to the numerous tiny hidey-holes in the house. A few hours later, and we all went to bed, with high hopes for what the new year would bring.

Friday 30 December - Kate and Jim


Current location: Penzance
11.11pm, Watching a snowboarding film with Kate (my sister) and Jim (my brother-in-law). I love hanging out with the two of them and it's been ace having them in London; our time here has definitely been more fun and lovely because of being near them and their beautiful daughter Ella.

Thursday 29 December - In the crown


Current location: Penzance
11.11pm, In the Crown Inn pub in Penzance. The Crown Inn is a lovely pub in Penzance that Andy used to work at and that we often go to when we're home. Tonight we went out with Pip and Jo for one of their friend's birthdays, and we had the most fab time with lots of laughing. I love coming home to Penzance and hope there will be some way I could move back here one day!

Wednesday 28 December - Zac-attack is three!


Current location: Penzance
11.11am, At Pippa's house, preparing for Zac's birthday. He is three years old today!! And he is the sweetest, funniest three-year-old. Kate, Jim and Ella had arrived in Penzance just in time for Zac's party and we were all very excited! At 2pm the party started at a football club across the road from Pip's house, and the next three hours passed in a blur of kids, running around, eating party tea (my fave), musical bumps, dancing competitions, party bags, Batman, balloons and all the things that make kids' parties fun. Ah happy birthday my gorgeous nephew, and good work at getting us all together for the first time in ages!

Monday 26 December - A very refined Boxing Day


Current location: Relubbus, Cornwall
11.11pm, At Jack's house, playing Articulate (and winning, obv). It was our annual Boxing Day party at the Johns household, and we were behaving ourselves after last year's party got a little bit silly. It was a beautiful night of delicious food, board games, sloe gin and (even more!) presents. A really happy night being surrounded by some of the people I love the most in the world, so good for the soul!

Sunday 25 December - Christmas!



Current location: Sennen Beach
11.11am, Swimming in the sea! What an unusual Christmas! We had the loveliest morning, having breakfast, opening a couple of presents and then we headed over to Sennen for a quick wintery walk. I packed my swimming costume on the offchance I might fancy a quick dip but, when we got to the beach, we arrived just in time for the annual Christmas Day swim!



Joining in with my friend Rozanne and her family, we all ran and splashed around in the freeeeezing-cold sea, and then ended up being the last out (you can't feel the cold when your whole body is completely numb!).

We rugged up and went home for a big cup of tea and a lot of present opening. Pip, Jo, Vinny and Zac turned up a bit later, and even more presents were opened, before an extravaganza of a Christmas dinner. Eat, open presents, drink, eat, open presents, drink. This carried on until the night-time, when the 'kids' played games (and carried on eating and drinking, and Mum and Dad sought respite in Downton Abbey. A perfect Christmas.

Saturday 24 December - In the honey pot


Current location: Penzance
11.11am, Having coffee with my school friends. It was wonderful to have a catch up and then we all went for a bit of last-minute shopping... I thought I'd been pretty organised but I realised I actually had to buy quite a lot of Christmas presents! There was a great atmosphere in town though, and then Andy came to meet me and we went home to read books, wrap presents and eat pasties.

(Picture taken from Emma's wedding!)

Friday 23 December - Tom Bawcock's Eve, again!





Current location: Penzance
11.11pm, In the Dock Inn, as is tradition. This year we didn't quite manage to drink the pub dry of all its shrub, but we did stay there singing until the pub closed. I had such a lovely time, cosied up the fire with such ace people, and it was made special for a couple of extra reasons too: Our Aussie friends, Willy and Sarah, were down this year, and Tom Bawcock's Eve also marks mine and Andy's anniversary (three years and counting!). I feel very festive now!

Thursday 22 December - Driving home for Christmas (kind of)


Current location: Somewhere in Cornwall
11.11pm, On a train, heading for Penzance...for Christmas! Today was the most hectic day I have ever had at work, as something went wrong and I didn't know if we'd be able to send the magazine to press, but thankfully we pulled it out of the bag just in time. And I found out I got shortlisted for Newcomer of the Year award at work, so that was a nice Christmas bit of excitement!

Saturday 17 December - Happy Soulwaxmas!





Current location: Brixton Academy
11.11pm, Dancing to Soulwax or 2ManyDJs (not sure exactly who at 11.11pm). Four of the uni girls went and we'd had a lovely dinner and drinks first. Despite a minimal ticket fiasco, it was ace to be out dancing with the girls...and it's only a week until Christmas, yippee!