Hastings

There are a lot of misconceptions about Hastings, namely that it's run-down and boring - 'a dirty old town'. I used to be of that opinion until I walked down George Street recently. What a transformation! A whole cobbled, winding snake peppered with little boutiques, tea-rooms, art-shops and pubs. We went for a wonderful lunch at Hunushka's Coffee House and then wandered on to the beach to brave the winds. Hastings, you did good.

The Downs

It's impossible to feel claustrophobic on the Downs. You can get lost by simply starring too hard at the horizon. The expanse is constantly changing colour with the light and the seasons; I have no favourite. It even has it's own little community: runners wearing the grass to mud with their head-torches and various assorts of lycra, mums and dads with dogs and prams watching Saturday football matches, commuters framing the rosy light from the sunrise in their long lines of cars, students hurrying with heavy backpacks and students lolling home, couples falling in and out of love, friends on weekend walks and the lone rangers stomping out their inner monologues. Every morning I feel part of it's routine as I scurry across the frosty fields to school and every morning it lifts my spirits and reminds me of bigger pictures. Even on the weekends I cannot resist its charm as it consolidates new friendships and helps to settle a frantic mind. Last week I walked into the settling dusk and began to acknowledge how important this space has been since moving back here. It is part of the Bristol continuum and yet it is impossible not to experience its beauty anew again and again. 

Muddy Beaches

Three generations of women meander along the muddy beach, commenting on the new arty houses that contain the pebbles and sea. It's a place to mark time and the passing of dreams. Many a muddy memory flashes before our eyes, but it is mostly the sunshine that dominates and the wind hinting at the new season to come. It's warm but it's not still. We feel ever so slightly outrageous but instead of eating ice-cream, we're dreaming of futures in scandinavian builds, peeping in at the windows and commenting on the floorboards. Clearly, that big hearted dreamer spirit is as hereditary as our little legs. 

Cliveden, National Trust

My parents are now at that age when owning a National Trust Membership is essential. I used to to tease them about it but when it means you can pop over to a very large and beautiful house for the afternoon, I'm not complaining. Cliveden is a 20 minute drive away from Bracknell, but it feels like you're stepping into another world. A world of high-tea and aristocracy and dressing for dinner and croquet on the lawn. On Saturday afternoon the sky kept changing from sunny to moody, which gave the place a lot of atmosphere. The house itself is a very upmarket hotel these days, but the grounds and the orangery are still free to roam. We didn't even make it around half of the property, but our cups of Earl Grey were calling. Thankfully, we can pop in again some other time so I can explore the rest. There's a lot of history to the place that I'd quite like to investigate.

Chips on the Beach

There's nothing quite like a trip to the seaside, particularly when it's a spontaneous one. You cannot beat that salty air, pebbles under your feet (although I do prefer sand if I have the choice!) and slightly chilly waves lapping at your knees. I woke up one rather sunny morning to find out that my Dad was taking his team to Hayling Island for fish and chips on the beach. They were kind enough to let me join them and before I knew it I was packed into the mini-bus bound for the sea. I was born very near to the island and some of my earliest childhood memories are of crossing the bridge in my Mum's Renault 5 to visit my godparents and go paddling. My first rollercoaster ride was at the funfair on the seafront and I distinctly remember a rather chilly and miserable loggers leap with my Pa. It felt good to put my feet in the sea and eat fluffy, vinegar chips out of a brown paper cone and spend some time chatting to people that I don't see everyday. At the time, I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to get away at all this summer, so it felt good to finally get out of the house. I've been as intentional as possible about having a 'stay-cation' and exploring home a little bit more. Summer day-trips are the best! 

However, I have found the funds for a few days in Berlin, so be prepared for another barrage of disposables and coffee shots. I cannot wait to be back in the city!!!

What are your favourite summer day-trips? 

Nostalgia

I am guilty of indulging in nostalgia before the season warrants it. There's something so dreamy and precious about these last few days; throw in a bit of a sunshine and its almost unbearable. I have that familiar itch to throw my arms around the city and its inhabitants. I oscillate between loving and loathing my work, finding moments of inspiration in sterile computer rooms before rushing out to the park so I can lie in the sun and pretend that it's all over already. Everyone is responding differently: some are munching through packets of digestives, huddled in a study-cave, papering their walls with flash-cards and diagrams, others have lost the will to live, the phrase 'I think I did more work for my GCSEs than I'll be doing for my finals' thrown around, some are finished and are scampering around the country on numerous mini-adventures, people like myself are trying to maintain a balance, our simmering spontaneity breaking through at just the right moments. Work hard, play hard, that's the motto. Either way, I cannot help but notice, that despite all the stress, uncertainty and flatness, these are some of the happiest moments of my time here. 

COFFEE DIARY: Fernandez and Wells

As you turn off Regentstr. into Beakstr. a delicious tranquility breezes along the bricks and catches its breath right outside this understated cafe. So understated in fact, that I almost missed it completely. I'd asked a few friends to recommend me their favourite London coffee haunts and the Fernandez and Wells chain was definitely the winner. In terms of style it reminded me a lot of Monmouth Coffee sans communal seating. It was also very peaceful when I arrived and I was able to get a prime-people-watching spot by the window. I was served by possible the friendliest Barista in London, it was his first day on the job and his enthusiasm was infectious. If you're reading this Barista-man, THANK YOU FOR HAVING SUCH A SUNNY DISPOSITION. Anyway, I wasn't sure what to have, I said I was huge Flat White fan and was told to try the Stumpy. Little did I know that this little coffee beverage actually originates from the cafe on Beakstr. so I definitely made the right choice. It is essentially a small Flat White and slightly stronger than a Cortado. The coffee was exquisite. As for the cafe itself, it's the perfect place for a quiet catch-up with a friend or a chance to catch up on your reading/notetaking. I really enjoyed it and will definitely be returning, as well as checking out the other stores around the city. 

London Perspectives

“Go where we may, rest where we will,

Eternal London haunts us still.” 

― Thomas Moore

When I look at photographs of London on pinterest they all seem rather shiny and there never seems to be anyone out and about. I took these on a quick stop-over during the Easter holidays and I'm really pleased with how they turned out. They reflect what I see. My London is busy and hectic, grainy and dirty. I love that one quick turn into a side-street can shift the pace from chaotic-commuter to bumbling-bruncher. It has the reputation of being unfriendly, yet London contains some of my favourite strangers; from the Cafe Nero barista at Waterloo station, to moleskine man in Foyles on the Southbank, to the ticket lady at Charing Cross, to the eccentric playwright in the Royal Court Bookshop and the barista on Beakstr. whose first-day-on-the-job enthusiasm made the sun shine brighter and the coffee taste sweeter. The city has always been a constant in my life and though I have never called it my home, I have lived many a significant moment within it's geography. Not all these moments have been positive; some of the darkest seasons in my life have been very much synchronised with the South West train service up to Waterloo. But it has also spurred most of my childhood dreams from prima ballerina, to painter, to writer and now actress; all of which have been explored among the plethora of London theatres, galleries and bookshops. More recently the city has become a place to catch-up with special friends, the ones that help you put the world right, whose sofa-bed soaks up the tears of lonely lostness and dinner time conversation reminds you that a belly-laugh is one of your five a day. Whatever the next few months and years hold for me, I know that London will be a part of it. I may never call it home, but it will always be a city of unrelenting significance. 

When the View's THIS GOOD...

you cannot help but fall in love with the city all over again; falling back into step with it's rhythm, resonating with the beat. Bristol you've got my heart. 

Sugar Junction

If you're in Manchester and looking for somewhere fancy and fun look no further than the Sugar Junction tearooms in the Northern Quarter. Our occasion was a hen-party, but the place would suit even the most casual of afternoon tea-goers. We had the high-tea: champagne cocktails, pots of house-blend loose leaf tea and trays and trays of baked goods. I was particularly impressed with the gluten-free option (two slices of yummy cake plus finger sandwiches!) The atmosphere was cosy and vintage without being stuffy. It felt like we were sitting in a parlour from the 1940s. The staff were friendly and helpful too. I'd recommend putting on your best frock, grabbing your best girlfriends and popping over for a spot of lady-like loveliness. 

Photos courtesy of Hannah Trott Photography

I'm back (sort-of)

It's been a while folks. The break was partly intentional, mainly unintentional but alas  I think I'm ready to start back up again. I've been reading a lot of posts about people wanting a 'fresh-start' and a 'new-look' to their blogs and I kinda feel like I'm joining them. Things shouldn't be too different around here though. Obviously I'm not travelling anymore and I won't be able to write as frequently because final year has commenced in all its stressful, late-night, early-morning, I-need-more-hours glory. Nevertheless, this place will hopefully remain a creative outlet as well as a choice to focus on the positive. The last couple of weeks have been overwhelmingly full and disorientating - I genuinely can't comprehend the fact that my year abroad is over, it feels like a dream! I feel as though I've lost a little bit of joy, because I'm focussing on all these huge mountains I have to climb rather than noticing all the beautiful little things along the path. So it's time to get back to that, as well as sharing some of my favourite coffee-houses and sporadic film-photography moments with you. Hope you like the new look and I'll be back soon!

An Evening at the Proms

It's become a bit of an annual tradition to go 'promming' during the Summer Holidays. The BBC Proms is a season of around 70 concerts that are held at The Royal Albert Hall during the Summer. For £5 on the day you can obtain a standing ticket for the arena, which is known as 'promming'. This is because the concerts used to be held outside and were called Promenade Concerts as the audience could stroll around the area whilst the music was playing. Nowadays there's less strolling and more sit-down-stand-upping, as people start to lose the feeling in their legs. Even if you're not a classical music enthusiast or expert (I am certainly neither) it is still an wonderful experience. There's something about listening to a live orchestra that makes me feel infinite. Plus, watching the soloists is completely mindblowing! My two favourite pieces were Debussy's- La Mer and Ravel's Daphnis e Chloe - Suite No. 2 - I found them so uplifting!

It's also a great place to people watch, because the mix of people standing in the arena is completely random. You'll find yourself standing shoulder to shoulder with students, businessmen and businesswomen, families with small children, families with big children, old men, reviewers with notepads and tourists. The Proms also exude a real edifying britishness that makes me feel proud of my heritage. Also, strolling around South Kensington in the Summer evening glow is pretty magic too.

One year, I'd like to buy a season ticket and stand in the arena every night, but that will have to wait until I'm slightly richer and actually live in London. Have you ever been to the Proms? What do you like about it?

Fiona/Ellie-Cam

For my 21st Birthday my dear friend Fiona sent me a disposable camera. She had already used up half of the film and I was instructed to use the other half. The result was a collaboration of moments, carefully selected to remind of how wonderful and varied our lives are. I love how photographs remind us of things we've done, because it's so easy to forget what things really looked like and how they really were. These shots make me miss the people in them a lot. I'm so fortunate to have met such an incredible bunch of individuals this year - I only hope it continues. I've deliberately mixed the photos around, some are obviously mine, some are not, but I hope you enjoy these little snapshots of our lives on this Thursday afternoon.