Monday, November 28, 2016

Friday 25 November — Hurry up hen do!





Current location: Balham, London
11.11am, At the hairdressers, getting my hair done. After was I debuted it at afternoon tea with Ruth, which was a pressie from my friend Emma, and then Pippa arrived and she and Kate and I went for a cocktail. It really feels like hen weekend is here now! 

Thursday 24 November — Meeting the boys


Current location: At Sara's house in Kent. Sarah and I, and Sarah's super son Jack (pictured) had come to visit Sara for the first time since she moved to a little village in Kent. It's so gorgeous and her house is amazing, but the best bit is her son Ethan, who I hadn't met yet. Ah I love all my friends having these beautiful babies! 
I got back in time to pick Ella and Jake up and we had a nice afternoon, then, as I was still feeling a bit rubbish, we (Kate, Jim, Aandy and I) stayed on the couch for the evening and watched The Lego Movie. Everything is awesome! 

Wednesday 23 November — The laziest day


Current location: Stoke Newington, ish
11.11am, On my way to Stoke Newington. The above photo was taken at exactly 11.11, so I was wherever this photo is of. I had met my friend Siobhan for a tea, and was on my way to Ruth's. I wasn't feeling great so when I got there, we spent the whole day on the couch watching TV, napping, eating chocolate and vegging out. In the evening, I went to Finsbury Park so see my uni girls Sarah, Cat and Emily, for a yummy dinner. It's honestly like we've never been apart! 

Tuesday 22 November - Day of food and fun




Current location: London
11.11am, Meandering around Angel with Ruth. We met for a coffee/pain au chocolat this morning, then had a wander and a shop in Angel before a fancy lunch at Frederick's. We can always justify a nice lunch! In the afternoon we headed into central and carried on the shopping, stopping for a hot chocolate break with Rianne and admiring the Carnaby Street lights. 
In the evening, Kate and I went to a pun quiz where we managed to come fourth and I won a free haircut in the raffle. Win! 



Monday 21 November — To London, to London



Current location: A motorway
11.11am, Driving to London. It took hardly any time to get to Heathrow, where we were dropping the hire car off, but then aaaaages to get across London. And then Andy stood on the left-hand side of the escalator. Rookie. 
We went straight to Kate and Jim's and played with Ella and Jake and had a delish dinner with them. Just like the old days when we used to live in London! 

Sunday 20 November — Wriggles and walks






Current location: Nailsworth
11.11am, Playing at Claire's house. We had a chilled morning and then headed out for a delicious roast in a proper country pub. Afterwards we went for a stroll to walk it off, and then Andy made spag bol and we drank red wine and it was all very cosy and lovely! 

Saturday 19 November — Gloucestershire giggles



Current location: Nailsworth
11.11pm, Chatting in Claire and Matt's living room. We drive up today to see them and met them in a pub in Nailsworth, where Louis and Anna kept us entertained. 
We played and read stories in the evening and then had a good catch-up with Claire and Matt and a yummy stir-fry. 



Friday 18 November — Getting it done


Current location: Penzance
11.11am, Sitting at the computer, doing some wedding stuff. So much to organise! After a little while, we went over to Hayle and saw Kate Laity and her gorgeous boy Joshua, then met my sister and Bea for a coffee. The evening brought dinner with Mum and Dad, wine tasting and watching Children in Need. 

Thursday 17 November — Mermaid mates


Current location: Penzance
11.11am, Meeting our priest. After we talked over a few bits with this, I went to meet Lily for my birthday lunch. We went to Mermaid something (I can't remember the full name but it's a really cute new place in town) and had a long and amazing lunch. Afterwards, we went through town and Lil helped me with lots of wedding bits, then Andy and I went to the Stagestruck play in the evening. It was St Trinians, and Vinny was a main part (and Zac was in it too) and, other than a small issue with remembering his lines, he smashed it (they both did). We watched it all from behind the tuck shop, where we were helping out. Random but fun! 

Wednesday 16 November — Boxed in



Current location: Penzance
11.11am... I can't really remember. Oops! Shouldn't leave it so long before blogging. 
In the afternoon, I hung out with Bea and I'm pretty sure I popped into town but that was about it. In the evening I headed to the gym then Pip came over and we went to Sukothai for dinner. Afterwards, Andy and I went up to Pip and Jo's and saw the kids (and got in a box with them, of course). 

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Tuesday 15 November — Breaking the journey


Current location: Cardinham Woods
11.11am, Walking, talking, trekking, laughing. After Em dropped me at the station this morning, I caught a train to Bodmin Parkway, where my friend Timmy picked me up and drove me to the woods for a walk. Timmy and I haven't seen each other for almost 10 years, which seems ridiculous, but I guess time flies! We had so much to catch up on, and it was so ace to go over the past decade while surrounded by amazing colours and leaves and trees. We went for lunch after an hour or two of wandering, then it was time for me to get back othe rain and continue my journey southwards. My next stop was Truro, where I went shopping for a couple of hours, and then it was home time, for the gym, sausage and mash (my fave)... and catching up on blogging! 

Monday 14 November — Exploring the English Riviera






Current location: Brixham
11.11am, Exploring! Emma went off to work this morning and Brodie was busy working on the house so I had the day free to explore a part of the world I didn't know. I had brekky with Brodie and watched a Louis Theroux doco, then off I went! I had a wander through the town (and a good dig around the many charity shops) and then had a tea at Liberty and caught up with some emails etc. It brightened up a bit, and I decided to go for a walk. I walked for about an hour along the coastline, stopping for lunch at the Guardhouse Cafe at Berry Head. It was one of those really lovely long lunches, where I ate, then had a coffee, then had a cake, and read my book, and really made the most of such a languishing afternoon. When it started to get a bit cool, I headed back to Em's house, watched another LT doco (about death, jolly!) and then Em got home. We tried on some bridesmaids dresses (as I'm one of her bridesmaids in July next year!) and made some fajitas for dinner and kept up our mile-a-minute conversations. We'd full intended on going out for a drink but it was 9pm before we managed to make it out the house. We went to a really cosy pub called the Blue Anchor, which had a fire, a pub dog, and a corner for us to hole up in and carry on the conversations. 

Sunday 13 November — Sisters United



Current location: Somewhere in Devon 
11.11am, On a train. I was with Pip and Mum, on my our way to meet my sisters for a bridesmaidy/shopping day. We managed to pick up some cute bits for the flower girls and boys, and we also managed to make time for a delicious lunch and rosé at Bill's. It was such a nice day, ending up with an orange hot chocolate, and then I caught the train to Emma and Brodie's new house in Brixham (well, I caught the train to Paignton and then she picked me up, but y'know). It was soooo good to see her, the last time we were together was in Sydney about a year and a half ago. We had a yummy risotto dinner, drank white wine, talked a million miles an hour and felt like we'd never been apart! 

Saturday 12 November — New baby beauty!




Current location: Falmouth
11.11am, Eating brekky at a yummy cafe called Good Vibes, with Andy and Nicky. We had a mosey around Falmouth (and ate the world's biggest brownie) then headed back to Penzance to go to Becky and Willy's house to meet their beautiful new baby girl, Indigo. She a gorgeous one! We had some lovely cuddles, and then Andy, Nicky and I had to rush off to a talk we were going to. It was by John Yorke, an amazing screenwriter, on the structure and power of narrative, and was super interesting. Not that I'm planning on writing any screenplays any time soon, but you never know! 

Friday 11 November — Girls' spa day





Current location: Angarrack, Cornwall
11.11am, At Kate's house, having a spa morning. She'd set up a foot spa and tea and cakes and a nail bar, it was so fun! Gorgeous girls. I think we were doing the same kind of thing when we were 16, but maybe a bit less fancy (although we are still using Rimmel varnish these days!). 
In the evening, we headed up to Falmouth to have dinner with Nicky. She made us a feast and even though we half-intended to go out, we ended up just hanging on the couch, catching up on life. 

Thursday 10 November — Languishing in Levy






Current location: Penzance
11.11am, Getting a few bits sorted before our appointment with the registrar. Wedding stuff's getting real! After we'd done that, we went to Porthleven for a walk and a yummy lunch of mussels and chips and Cornish ale, in one of the cosiest pubs I've ever seen. 
In the evening, Andy and I met Pip and Jo in the new cinema bar in Newlyn, which is really nicely done, for dinner and some drinks. Love being in the same town as them! 

Wednesday 9 November — Walking and talking




Current location: Penzance
11.11am, Having a walk along the prom with Andy. I'd gone to the gym in the morning, and then grabbed a coffee and had a walk because the rain has finally stopped and the sky was blue. We walked along to the Jubilee Pool, which has reopened after being badly storm-damaged. 
In the afternoon, I picked Bea up and we had a fun afternoon of baking and playing at home, then in the evening Andy and I started to plan our honeymoon, fun! 

Tuesday 8 November — To the moors




Current location: Gurnard's Head, Cornwall
11.11am, At the Gurnard's Head pub. We'd met the lovely Pippa from Zennor Wild, who is doing our wedding flowers for us, to discuss what flowers we were having etc. It was a grey old morning but there's something about that area of Penwith that is just enchanting, in my eyes. We went to the Gurnard's Head pub afterwards for a cheeky half of Cornish ale and then I went into town to meet me sister for lunch. Andy and I had a mosey around town in the afternoon, then went to the Tolcarne Inn with Dad in the evening. 

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Monday 7 November - Cornish coffee






Current location: Penzance
11.11am, Drinking coffee on the prom. I'd been to the gym and bumped into an old friend, and decided to get a coffee for the walk home. Sadly, Cornish coffee is not as amazing as other Cornish things (pasties, beaches, people), but the walk was nice!
We went to pick Bea up from nursery in the middle of the day, then she and I had a fun afternoon of dominoes, football and meeting Lily for coffee in town. 
Feeling pretty lazy and after lots of walking today, I came home and flopped on the couch and read for an hour or two, then Andy and I went to meet the priest to discuss wedding stuff. 

Sunday 6 November — You're Nicked!




Current location: Penzance
11.11am, Waiting for Nicky. She arrived late morning and we sat around and drank coffee while Andy went to watch the football, and then we joined him in the pub. It was q cold, grey day, so we decided to go for a hearty lunch and ended up at the Cornish Barn, a new place that's popped up since we were last here, with delist food and red wine to keep us warm. After our Sunday roasts, we went home again and curled up and watched a scary movie with hot chocolate, then Andy and I powered up for another Sunday roast. Two in one day, winning! 

Saturday, November 5, 2016

Saturday 5 November - Bristol in a day









Current location: On the road
11.11am, Driving. We're on our way to see my beautiful niece Anna, who turned one yesterday, and nephew Louis and sister Claire and brother-in-law Matt. I am so glad I'm home for her birthday this year! She's such a beauty. We had a lovely lunch in Bristol and then had a boat ride along the river and warmed up with a hot chocolate. Then we all bundled our cold bodies into cars and went to Tim and Em's cosy warm house complete with roaring fire and sausages, and ate birthday cake (for Anna and their son Ben whose second birthday is today). Andy and I had to be back in Cornwall tonight (part of our legal registrar commitments, it's like we're on a curfew) so we drove home with the sounds and crackles of fireworks exploding all around us!