Summer finally arrived and then it went again just like that. Luckily before it went my friend and I made a trip to London to visit the Tate Modern when it was still sunny. It is my favorite museum in all of London, because to me modern art is the most expressive and interesting. Don't get me wrong, my university professor Kyle Crocker taught me to appreciate all art in all it's forms, but I like art that says something even if I don't agree with what it's saying.
I have been to the Tate Modern many times and there is always something new to see! There are always new exhibitions, but the art that has been there since it's opened is different every time I see it. It's like a book or a movie that speaks to you differently at different points in your life.
However, this time there was actually something new to see! The Switch House has been rebuilt with a 10 story tower and loads of more gallery space. As we were exploring this new space we must have looked a bit lost because a security guard stopped us and asked if she could help. She asked if we had been to the 10th floor yet, we hadn't. She instructed us to go up there right away and to come back and tell her what we thought after we'd seen the view.
Of course it was amazing, London always looks amazing from the sky. Here at the Tate the view is free and you can go whenever you want! The Shard and London Eye charge for the view and where the Sky Garden is gorgeous and free you have to plan the trip in advance and book tickets.
To make our trip even more cost effective we packed our own lunches. Neither of us were interested in playing the game of where to eat. It's a game we both despise. So, to accompany us on our day out I made my favorite brownie recipe and added some chocolate creme Oreos to them, because when you are going for chocolate you might as well go all out right?
They were great and added the sugar boost we needed after an an exhausting day of being cultured!
Chocolate Creme Oreo Brownies
100g dark chocolate, broken up
200g milk chocolate, broken up
250g salted butter
400g light muscovado sugar
4 large eggs
140g plain flour
50g cocoa powder
1 pkg (154g) chocolate creme Oreos
Preheat oven to 180C/gas4 and line a 9in square pan/tin with parchment paper. Line approximately 9 Oreos on the bottom. I didn't want mine touching so spaced them out a bit. But line them up however you want! Crush the remaining Oreos until they are crumbs of varying sizes.
Very gently melt both chocolates with the butter and sugar in a medium saucepan. Just before the chocolate is completely melted, take off the heat and gently stir until it’s completely melted.
Then add the eggs one at a time to the melted chocolate mixture. Sift the flour and cocoa powder into the pan and stir until just combined. Stir in about half of the Oreo crumbs.
Gently pour the mixture over the Oreos and sprinkle the rest of the crumbs over the top before baking in the pre-heated oven for 40-45 minutes.
I suggest baking them until more firm if you are taking them on a picnic, less if you want a gooey brownie.
notes: this post is not sponsored in anyway by either the Tate Modren nor Oreo people for more information please see my contact/policy page! Recipe is adapted from Bakes & Cakes Magazine Summer 2013 (BBC Good Food Mag).
Other brownies I made using variations of this recipe: Snicker Stuffed Brownies, Twix Brownies, and Chocolate Chip Brownies!
Ask and you shall receive. In my book review of Eat Like a Londoner last October I said it would have been better if there were more bakeries and similar places mentioned. Well, this book covers those bakeries and similar places; those places where you can get a good cup of coffee or enjoy a great afternoon tea and even some really off the wall places that you could only find in London!
In 2015 London had a population of 8.674 million people and there are hundreds if not thousands of cafe's in and around London to cater to the caffeine boost everyone needs on a daily basis. Cafe London gives us 100 of the best places to find not only coffee but, a great place to get brunch or lunch! It also tells us the best places to book in for an infamous afternoon tea or where you should go to satisfy a sweet tooth with some of the best bakeries in the city!
Not only are we told about the food, but we are also told of the ambience and decor of the places and if the gorgeous pictures are anything to go by these places are absolutely stunning each in their own way.
The addresses of each cafe is provided along with websites and any other information that might be important. At the end of each chapter we are given "seven more" places to check out! The index is broken down into London districts and it includes maps with the cafe's pinpointed! Our editor thought of everything!
If one lives in London or they are planning a day trip I would consult this book for the best places to grab a quick bite or treat!
Chapter Breakdown:
Brunch - It's a very American thing to have brunch, a sort of meal that is eaten early morning. A meal that isn't quite breakfast but, isn't lunch either. The Counter Cafe, a converted warehouse, is said not only to serve a great brunch, but roasts it's on coffee on site! You can take a bag home with you after enjoying a great cuppa! Sounds like my kind of place!
Lunch - Sometimes lunch can be over looked, by that I mean it's the meal that gets rushed because of time. Instead of grabbing an awful pre-packaged sandwich or salad any of the places listed in this chapter would be a great alternative! The cafe I'd like to visit is the J+A Cafe mainly because the location, tucked away down an alley way run by two sisters who insist on sourcing great ingredients!
Coffee - What can I say I'd visit every place listed here as I love a good cup of coffee! I also like trying new and different types of coffee! Coffee isn't for everyone, but don't rule these places out as the majority of them sell more then coffee! They provide food too!
Cakes & Bakes - I have heard and visited several of these places listed and there are so many more I have never heard of and need to remedy the fact that I haven't visited!! I can recommend Konditor & Cook for their Curly Wurly cake that I tried a few months back for the fist time. I have wanted to visit Violet Cakes and Lily Vanilli for ages now, thinking I am due a trip to London to do just that!
Afternoon Tea - When you think of London and of England you think of afternoon tea and this chapter gives you the best places to visit for a great afternoon tea! Of course the majority of the places need to be pre-booked so make sure you plan a visit to these places! I think I need to book myself into Sketch mainly because it's described as making "you feel like you're dining in a giant fondant fancy."
Culture, Shop, Tea Break - the best cafes found in museums, galleries, and shops! As much as I love a good baked good I also love a good book so my first stop would be the London Review Cake Shop it's connected to the London Review Book Shop.
Unusual & Alfresco - This chapter is split into two, first listing all the unusual places to go like the Cereal Killer Cafe that serves all varieties of cereal and Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium where cats wonder around freely. You're not allowed to cuddle the cats, but you can pet one if and only if it comes up to you. Then there is a short list of places that have outside seating! The Lido Cafe even has a pool and is described as South Beach in south London!
Overall this is a great little book for those who love food, coffee, cake, and most of all London!
notes:Cafe London by Nicky Evans, Pippa Bailey, Andy Hill, and Nicola Tup Edited by Zena Alkayat and Photographs by Km Lightbody (SRP-UK £9.99 US $14.99 Canada $17.99) was given to me to review by the publishers Frances Lincoln - Quatro, no other compensation was given - all opinions are my own, for more information please see my contact/policy page above.
After spending a day in London as a tourist there was a lot of little things I wanted to add into that post, but it was starting to get a bit long. Since I have moved to the UK I have visited London several times for various reasons and there are things I have learned and experienced that I feel like I can write an informed post of tips, tricks, and other things to see/do there.
There isn't any order to these just things I started to type up as I thought of them during the writing of my London tourist post. If you have anything to add please leave a comment below! I'm always looking for little things that make exploring and experiencing a city easier and more efficient!
Enough rambling here is ....
Book tickets a head of time for shows and things you want to see.
Spend one day getting lost. (If you have more then one day.)
See the city from above as well as below (Sky Garden (free) or London Eye (not free) or The Gherkin (not sure))
Bring a waterproof jacket/coat with a hood. No one really wants to be messing around with an umbrella, the wind usually breaks them anyway. Waterproof bags are also useful. One that folds up in your bag is useful now that all plastic bags cost 5p. Summers can be warm, bring sun screen!
Walk - a lot of the famous touristy things to see are within walking distance of each other.
A comfy pair of shoes and
Comfy socks, with an extra pair in your bag in case you step in a puddle.
Keep a water bottle with you.
General tip for eating out - ask for tap water it's free.
There are some great restaurants in London, but if you happen to grab a McDonald's because of time and convenience don't beat yourself up over it.
Bag - roomy without being too big, preferably one that goes across your body for safety and saves you from losing it. Or a backpack that can be secured in front.
Museums are free - donate odd change if you have any to keep them free!
Some (not all) toilets cost 20p so keep some change on you in case of an emergency.
Research - before you leave have a look at what’s going on. Different seasons have different events. e.g. Natural History Museum has an ice skating rink in the winter.
See a show in the West End.
Ride the tube - let it take you where you want to go or where you hadn’t expected!
Check out Big Ben - he’s a bell inside a clock, but he’s cool.
Oyster Card, it’s the cheapest and easiest way to get around London. Don’t be scared of the underground, it’s super easy once you get the hang of it! Like I said let it take you where you need to go!
Tips on Souvenirs - books and guide books will add weight, take down the isbn number and order the book once you get home - from experience you will never look at the guidebook again and no one back home wants to see it. Might sound harsh, but true. Find something small and inexpensive like magnets/postcards/mugs/possible t-shirt or something useful like a rain coat!
If traveling in a group if possible take a day to yourself to do what you want to do!
One of the best things about being an expat (expatriate) is still getting to play the tourist. I have been asked before, from fellow Americans, what there is to do in various cities around the UK. Of course the most popular being London.
Answering that question is hard there are three things that need to be taken into consideration. 1. How much time are you spending in London? 2. Do you have any specific interests? and 3. How many people and age groups?
If someone is not into art then I wouldn’t send them to the art museums, but I would point them in the direction of the science or history museum! If you have children with you I would suggest the same, who doesn’t want to see dinosaurs? London can be tailored to anyone! That’s how much stuff there is to do in London.
Travelex asked me to spend a day in London as a tourist with a budget of $150 (American dollars). On the day of exchange it equalled £114.53. Could I manage a day in London, on my own, with that budget? Let's find out!
Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre is an open theatre and has mostly a summer season aka the Wonder Season which runs from April 30th - October 16th. So, I was unable to see a performance, but the exhibition is open all year long (see dates on the website). It was very informative and entertaining, my tour guide was funny and knew everything there was to know about Shakespeare and the history of the current globe theatre. For more information visit the website linked above! Before I left I picked myself up a couple of magnets with Shakespeare quotes.
Instead of going right next door to the Tate Modern, I took the tube from Blackfriars to Monument, (tube stations are named for a reason - Black Friar Pub and the Monument to the Great Fire of London are both right near the tube stations) in search of the Sky Garden. If you don't book a (free) ticket there are weekday walk-in tickets. They are available from 10am to 11:30am and from 2pm to 4:30pm and are given out on a first come first serve basis, so I wanted to get there before 2! I was early so I stopped to get coffee and cake. Also an excuse to get out of the rain!
This bakery has been on my “to visit” list for ages, because they have a cake called the curly wurly cake (nothing to do with Cadbury) that is suppose to be amazing! It was pretty amazing. Soft and dense dark chocolate cake covered in just enough vanilla frosting. Paired with a latte it was just what I needed after walking through the rain! The above cost also includes a take away fudge brownie that I shared with my partner when I got back.
The Sky Garden is a rival for the London Eye. Having been on the London Eye a few times, I would say that the Sky Garden is by far superior. There is no cost, you’re free to roam around, and there are places to relax, eat, and visit! The gardens are full of pleasant smelling vibrant green plants. Did I mention the view is amazing! You can literally see all of London, it was a cloudy day for me so I bet I could have seen further if it was a clear day! The observation deck was closed due to the rain, but I don’t think I would have wanted to go out there with it all wet and slippery…….
Is my favorite museum in London. There was a time I could walk into the Tate and tell you all about the artists and their time periods, but that time was when I was fresh out of college where I studied art. Also, the current exhibits are a lot more modern artists as in the last couple decades. Which I really enjoyed seeing and experiencing. I would gladly spend a whole day in the Tate! I bought another magnet and a couple of buttons for my girls.
There are many churches and chapels in London, but St. Paul’s is probably the most popular. It does sit on Ludgate Hill, which is the highest point in London. It has a deep rooted history in London having been built in 1708 and it still runs as a functioning church with daily services. Services which are open to the public aka who ever wants to attend. Tours are available, but I find the best way to experience St. Paul’s is through the Evensong. A beautiful choral service that is a great place to sit and relax after a day of sightseeing.
I was really hungry when I walked into Burger and Lobster! I had researched restaurants near St. Paul’s and Burger & Lobster isn’t right next door it’s near by. It’s also something I don’t have in the town I live. For £20 you can have a burger with bacon and cheese, a lobster, or a lobster roll; served with fries and a salad. Drinks and dessert not included. I had the lobster roll in a brioche bun that was delicious, I cleaned my whole plate and then had a lemon cheesecake for dessert. Although I wouldn’t have called it a cheesecake. It was more lemon mousse like with crumbs and a lemon jelly/jello like substance at the bottom. It was good; tart and refreshing after a rich meal is just want you need!
That was the end of my day, if I had been a proper tourist or a Londoner, not someone who had to get back to “reality” I would have seen a show, but I had a train to catch and if I had stayed for a show I would have missed my last train back!
The Verdict: With a jam packed day of mostly free events I still spent £71.11, with £43.42 leftover. The majority of what I spent was on food. As I mentioned before everyone’s priorities or interests are different. I find food, when exploring a city, is a must and something I’d always happily spend a little bit more on. Note that I did not include travel into my total spending. Because I traveled in I bought an all-day off-peak travel card prior to arriving in London. For tube/bus travel I highly recommend getting a hold of an Oyster Card, it’s the cheapest and easiest way to get around London.
Final Thoughts: I went to London with a vague plan and nothing pre-booked. Which is a great way to spend a day in London wondering around, however if there are things you want to do plan ahead. A lot of websites offer discounts if you book online, this may keep you to a time schedule, but will save money. I had a great day out and would love to do it again .... with all new things to see and do!
notes: In association with Travelex UK & Travelex USA - #TravelexTourist and their connecting with your favorite bloggers campaign. All opinions are my own, the only compensation was what was put on the Multi-Currency Cash Passport card on the day. It was super easy to use and a great no stress way to convert and carry money abroad. Please see my contact/policy page for further information.
When I visit London food is always a part of the plan. It’s essential that it’s somewhere good! But no matter how much I troll the internet I feel a bit overwhelmed by the shear volume of places to go and end up winging it with varying results. That or I end up at a chain that I recognise and am comfortable with. Which goes against my adventurous foodie nature! This book fills a need I wasn't aware I had until the day I started reading it. It categorises restaurants into various chapters, I will go into more depth in a second, which allows you to choose the chapter to which suit what you're looking for.
There is of course an address for the restaurant along with locations of branches and sibling restaurants, those owned/run by the same people and therefore worth a look! At the end of the chapters there is a list titled "see also" which means they could have fit in that chapter, but fit better elsewhere. The index is broken down into London districts so if you know you're going to Soho it's got a list of places in Soho. Tania Ballantine even includes lists for vegatarians and last-minute places where you might have to wait, but a reservation isn't necessary. There is even a map in the back! It's a very well thought out and well organised.
Chapter Breakdown:
Cult Classics are the places that were once a hot new restaurant everyone had to try, but after the hype died down they stayed strong!
Small & Buzzy are exactly that small little places that are rarely empty! These are the sort of restaurants you can visit on your own and not have to feel alone.
Perfect Pitstops are for your full day of running around London either working or playing and you just need to grab something to go! Bone Daddies and Dosa N Chutney are two places I have tagged to try next time I'm wondering around London! This chapter also mentions popular market places.
Late Night gives you the tips on the places that serve full meals into all hours of the night. There is always a place for late night meals!
Special Occasions is self explanatory, these are the places you go to celebrate something big or small! This could be anywhere from a group birthday or special date night!
Something for the Weekend suggests places that serve the best breakfast or brunch! Along with places to get a great roast dinner! Everyone loves their Sunday roast, but not everyone wants to cook it!
Sensational Settings are where the ambience is just as important as the food. With it sub-divided into rooms with a view, alfresco, and rooms to remember you won't be short of choice when looking for the wow factor!
You don't need to travel the world to find great tapas or sushi when you live in London, the Around the World chapter gives lots to consider when looking for something different! I have noted all the sushi places because I love sushi and am looking for the "one."
Like dessert served at the end of the meal a short list of Sweet Stuff is listed in the chapter of the same title. This could have had a few more places, in my opinion, but perhaps that's the author's second book: Where Londoner's Go for High Tea or something like that? This is just of course a personal preference and she does list some amazing places like Paul A. Young for chocolates it's a definite must! Short list of restaurants I will plan on visiting next time I am in London, well not all in the next visit, but in the next several visits!
Burger & Lobster
Spuntino
Bone Daddies
Dosa n Chutney
Herman Ze German
Dirty Bones
Sushisamba
Dozo
Phoenix Palace
Konditor & Cook
Ottolenghi
This is a great little book, literally, it's just 15.9 x 1.9 x 16.2 cm and would be perfect for any traveler visiting London as it fits easily into the oversized bags that are popular at the moment. I would even suggest it to Londoner's as they can read it and agree or disagree with the suggestions - everyone loves a bit of debate! That or they might discover somewhere new and exciting!
notes:Eat Like a Londoner by Tania Ballantine (SRP-UK £9.99 US $14.99 Canada $17.99 - not currently available as an ebook) was given to me to review by the publishers Frances Lincoln - Quatro, no other compensation was given - all opinions are my own, for more information please see my contact/policy page above.
Pssst ... it's that time of year I've been avoiding mentioning, but as it will be here sooner then later I might as well say that this would make a great gift for foodies and travel lovers alike! And just a head's up I have some other great foodie books to review and giveaway! Visit again soon to find out more!
There isn’t a definitive moment when I decided to become a food blogger. If there was one I can’t recall it. It’s something that just evolved from being a book blogger and teaching myself to cook and bake. It wasn’t until 2 years in that I started connecting with other food bloggers via the wonderful world of Facebook and Twitter. It took even longer for me to discover that conferences that cater to food bloggers existed!
It was an amazing revelation! I attended Food Blogger Connect last year and found it overwhelming in a good way. I walked away with so much to think about and met some amazing people! This year had a lot to live up too.
Just to start out here is a video I made of a selection of my many photos! It can also be found on my rarely used YouTube channel! If you visit it, please ignore the background photo, I'm working on getting a photo to fit it. If you have any helpful tips please let me know!
It started out great with my first lab: Food and Recipe Writing with Sophie Grigson! She was informative and funny! The best part was the hands on experience. She said a recipe can be written in five minutes and to prove it she told us all to write a recipe for Cheese on Toast. Then a handful of us read out our recipes, they were all different. Which is something I suppose we all knew, but I loved how it proves that recipe writing is a very individual thing.
Then she gave us the standards for recipe writing and told us to rewrite the same recipe using those standards and/or guidelines. Basically how cookbooks are written or should I say edited. Some people confuse long instructions to be difficult, but sometimes it’s just better instructed.
Last she read us a nonsense recipe written by Edward Lear circa 1870. It is a good laugh, basically he was making fun of cookery writers of the time. Following that she told us to throw those standards out of the window and right a ridiculous version of the previous Cheese on Toast recipe. I thought it was a fun learning exercise and so I am thinking of sharing my three versions in another post, we'll see!
The panel I enjoyed listening to the most was with Ben Ebbrell from Sorted Food (You Tube) and David Frenkiel from Green Kitchen Stories (blog). They talked about content, which is why their panel was titled “King of Content.”
Ben and the boys at Sorted tend to give their viewers what they want. They do this by always interacting with said viewers. Their latest video is of the best banana bread ever! They asked their viewers how they made banana bread and took their top tips to then create said banana bread. I love this way of creating content. It’s, as Ben said, how you would describe a friendship.
I related more to how David and his wife create content, basically doing whatever they want. It’s your blog and your space to create and talk about whatever you want. It’s how I tend to write my blog…with my stomach. If I want a peanut butter pie, then I will make a peanut butter pie and sooner or later you’ll hear about it.
I found them to very informative and their discussion/talk gave me a lot to think about. This was just on the first day!! The second day wasn’t as great. I found that the main panel that lasted more then one session was a bit over done. If we were taking shots every time one of the ladies mentioned herself we’d all of been sitting under the table. It just wasn’t as informative or professional as I would have liked or expected. That is my personal opinion.
The day was saved by Monica Shaw’s Awesome Analytics! It wasn’t actually a lab I was signed up for, I just snuck in as there were empty seats. As a blogger you need or should be signed up to Google Analytics, it’s a wealth of information that is invaluable. However, when you sign on it’s very unlikely you’ll even know what you’re looking at! I rarely got on mine as I didn’t! Monica basically took us on a tour of it and showed us how to read and where to find certain information. Which was very useful!
A small group of us escaped to visit Outsider Tart, a must visit if you’re ever in Chiswick!
The highlight of the last day was Content Planning and How to deal with Blogger Burnout run by Urvashi Roe from The Botanical Kitchen. I had met her last year and had a few conversations during the StrEat Parties and knew she had a lot to say about blogging and content, so I was curious to attend her lab this year. I am mentioning it here as it was like the rest of the stuff mentioned one of the highlights of the weekend.
She asked us why we blog, because without a why what’s the point? Then she shared with us a lot of different types of posts, not just a recipe post. The other great part was she had us talking, it was an interactive experience so to speak!
Then it was time to go! Which was sad as I had a great time with all the amazing blogger people I only “see” online. It’s always the people that make these conferences fun! Where you learn from the panels, labs, and the people who talk at you about blogging and/or food stuff we learn the most from each other. I love the foodie blogging community that we have here in England I think it’s great and we all tend to support each other.
There were a few downsides to the weekend, like the venue. I didn’t remember reading that it would be held on the gardens of the Chiswick House and Gardens. If it had been in June like last year I might not have minded so much, but it was the end of September. It was cold and it was dark early. The last StrEat Party of the day was a bit of a bust because of those things. Which was sad because I really enjoyed it last year.
Last year I liked the definitive breaks where we got to talk to brands and drink cold brew coffee or tequila. This was sadly lacking this year. We could have done with better coffee and tequila considering it was a chilly weekend.
Over all it was a good weekend! I stayed at Hotel Ibis in Shepard’s Bush. I was there with a few others attending the conference, which was nice. It was really easy to travel back and forth from the event. Having it right next to the tube was a bonus. The staff were really friendly and helpful! The room was very modern and tidy. The bed was comfortable and with a hot shower what else do you need? I would recommend having the breakfast! There was a lot of variety and it was a great way to get the day started! Thank you Ibis for having me! If you're looking for a hotel in London check them out here!
Want to give a shout out to the awesome StrEat Food stalls I tried this year! Give them some love as I’ve linked to their twitter handles.
StrEat Food Stalls that I really enjoyed! (pictures in the video above!)
I forgot to mention the gift bag….. this post is already so long so I will get to the point! The Microplane (original) was the best thing ever to get and I was really excited about the flour from Merchant. Will probably pop up in future posts! I guess that's it! Until next year......
According to the author, Portobello Road achieved world wide fame from a movie. It’s not the same movie that makes Portobello Road attractive to me. Apparently there is a blue door and a book store that inspired a book store in the movie Notting Hill. Having never seen Notting Hill I have no idea what it’s all about. The movie that made me want to visit Portobello Road and to read this book was Bedknobs and Broomsticks. I do realise that in the movie it was probably a set somewhere in America. However, the idea that there was this magical road where you could get anything you wanted with a catchy song was enough for me to day dream about visiting this road. Portobello Road has changed over the years and Julian Mash author, creative writer, journalist, musician, bookseller, manager and an events manager felt it important that these changes or history should be recorded. This is a book I wish I had written, the amount of people who talked to him and allowed him a glimpse into their lives is amazing. This book is more then facts or statistics on how time has changed a single road in London, it’s life. It shows the stuff beyond the gorgeous architecture and gives us a history; a history of food, fashion, music, and art! Portobello Road: Lives of a Neighborhood by Julian Mash published by Frances Lincoln Limited (2014) RRP: £9.99/$15.99 notes: the book was sent to me to review - all opinions are my own please see my contact/policy page for more information
Earlier today, Jen from Blue Kitchen Bakes, and I attended
the BBC Bakes & Cakes Show!
We were too busy talking on the circle line tube train, that
we didn’t hear that it changed directions.
Stupid tube trains.
If it weren’t for that we would have been in plenty of time
to see Paul Hollywood at 11 in the Bakes & Cakes Theatre. However, we were
not on time.
As we were sneaking in to take seats in the back, Paul
totally called us out. Yes, he paused in the middle of his demonstration and said something about late comers.
At least he caught us up to
where he was in his making of his Devonshire Splits, they did look delicious.
Our faces were a little red, but hey-ho we really hadn’t
missed much!
Also, did you know that Paul Hollywood is funny? I was mildly
surprised by this fact. He really did put on a good show. The Great British
Bake Off really makes him come off as a jerk sometimes. I guess it’s just the
bad cop good cop thing they try to portray.
After that we had a great time running around seeing what
there was to see.
We had a lovely chat with Scott, from Kooky Bakes and we
learned a lot taste and our senses from Flavour Sense Nation. We also learned a
lot about York and chocolate, I think I will be visiting there soon. Apparently
when the wind is blowing the whole town smells like chocolate!
Overall it was a nice day out and the best was that I got to
spend some time catching up with Jen!
notes: I was provided with a press pass for the event,
all opinions are my own. Please see my contact/policy page for more
information. The Bakes & Cakes Show was held at the Business Design Centre
in London.
The Harold Pinter Theatre has seen it’s fair share of big
names since it opened in October of 1881, under the name of “Royal Comedy
Theatre.”
Since no official warrant had been issued the “royal” was removed and
was titled the “Comedy Theatre” until as recent as 2011 when it was renamed
“The Harold Pinter Theatre.” After Harold Pinter a distinguished playwright,
screenwriter, director, political activist, and actor.
A few weeks ago I was given the opportunity to visit the
theatre to see Noel Coward’s comedy Relative Values.
My mother-in-law and her
husband were supposed to attend, but do to unforeseen circumstances she found
herself unable to attend. I got to take her place.
I am sorry she was unable to attend, but I was glad I got to
go!
Noel Coward is a well-known writer, actor, director, film
producer, painter, songwriter, cabaret artist – I don’t know if there was
anything he didn’t do. His close friends called him ‘the Master’ so that says a
lot!
He wrote Relative Values post World War II and it reflects
the social atmosphere at the time. Our fascination with aristocracy and class
is why this play is still a success today. I didn’t actually know anything
about the play going in, but I soon found myself laughing out loud. Having
grown up in America some British culture references were beyond me, but the
over all comedy was brilliant.
As I mentioned above the theatre has seen a lot of big names
and Relative Values was no different with Patricia Hodge, Caroline Quentin, and
Rory Bremner! The whole cast was amazing! I loved the old world of England clashing with the Hollywood lifestyle of the US.
I had a really nice time. Unfortunately upon writing this
play is no longer showing. If you are looking for another Noel Coward play the
English Touring Theatre (ETT) are performing “Tonight at 8:30” until the end of
July see if it’s near you! Or if you are looking to visit the Harold Pinter Theatre they will be showing The Importance of being Earnest from the 27th
of June. That's today!
After the play my father-in-law were hungry and after
something to eat. There are plenty of places to go, but we wanted something
we've never really tried before.
Nem Ga Tom (fried pancakes with chicken and prawns) - these were super yummy and probably my favorite out of all the dishes.
Goi Tom (summer rolls) since we were ordering a lot of sea food and chicken I thought we should try some tofu, it was okay, the crushed peanut sweet soy bean sauce is what made these!
Pho Xao Hai San (fried rice noodles) This was my choice as well and I thought it was very tasty. It was a bit of a small portion, but since we weren't starving it was perfect for us to share.
Tom Yam (soup) this was a nice subtle spicy soup that was refreshing and delicious! Overall the food was good and the play was
entertaining, I couldn't have asked for a better day out! If you like this post and you'd like to see more of days out in and around England please leave a comment below!
.JPG)
.JPG)
