Archive for category: Days out

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The new hand luggage essentials

The new hand luggage essentials

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You know I love to travel. It’s not just about exploring and discovering beautiful new places, although that’s a huge incentive. It’s also about connections, meeting new people, and nurturing existing relationships by sharing these fabulous experiences. In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, I guess all travel will change, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go! The travel industry needs you. And the lovely people who work in travel, both here and abroad (including me), rely on you to pay their bills. So I thought I’d bring you my thoughts on the new hand luggage essentials. Plus after my life-changing trip to Dominica, it became clear that I really need to up my hand luggage game, so there’s a few in there that aren’t new, but are good reminders.

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Great places to visit in London: Samsung KX

Great places to visit in London: Samsung KX

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Have you been to Kings Cross recently? A friend of mine said recently that she nearly bought a flat there years ago, and - many years later - is seriously regretting her decision not to, as it’s now utterly gorgeous there. Walk down the side of Kings Cross St Pancras station and there’s a whole new area of lovely shops, restaurants, cafés, bars and lovely places to sit and watch the world go by. Go a little further and you’ll find Coal Drops Yard - a brand new trendy shopping district where old Victorian brick viaducts have been redeveloped into even more lovely places to shop, dine and hang out (there’s even a gorgeous Tom Dixon showroom - you know how I love a bit of Tom). And now, there’s a dramatic new addition to Coal Drops Yard in the form of a multi-tasking leisure space created by Samsung. And if you’re looking to great places to visit in London - Samsung KX should definitely be on your list.

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The Z Hotel Tottenham Court Road

A mini London break and Z Hotel Tottenham Court Road

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When I was at the Visit USA Ball recently I was lucky enough to win two tickets to School of Rock in the West End. We decided to plan a mini London break, cramming in as much foodie fun as we possibly could without actually booking anything in. Having loved our stay in Covent Garden, we thought we’d try another of the central Z Hotels, this time the Tottenham Court Road property (I guess the Soho one would probably have been nearer, but we really wanted to try a different one), and we weren’t disappointed. The Z Hotel Tottenham Court Road is actually on Poland Street, right in the heart of Soho, surrounded by shops, bars and restaurants, and about a five or six minute walk from the actual station.

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Classic potatoes dauphinoise

Classic potatoes dauphinoise and half price tickets to The France Show

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I adore France. I have so many happy memories, from family holidays in Brittany, my boys scoffing snails and jumping from the pier at Le Val André into the sea, to a gorgeously grown up break at a Chateaux on the Côte d’Azur. Mr E and I are always plotting a redo of our Parisian adventure and, of course, I’ve loved so many wonderful trips to Disneyland Paris. I’m also a huge fan of French cuisine, so when The France Show challenged me to recreate my favourite French recipe, I had a few to choose from. Still, it’s chilly, and comfort food is the order of the day, so what better dish to choose than an indulgent gratin full of cream and butter and heady with garlic: delicious, decadent potatoes dauphinoise. Read more

We might have found the best Sunday roast in London

We might have found the best Sunday roast in London

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On a chilly Sunday in November, there’s nothing quite like sitting down in a cosy pub with friends and family and treating yourself to a delicious roast dinner. I love to cook, but I’m happy to take a back seat and let someone else do all the work for a change, especially when it’s in the delightful setting of London’s St Pancras Station. Mr E and I travelled up to London last weekend to have a look at all the Christmas lights (still not sure about the Tiffany tree in the station - the conversation on Instagram confirmed that I’m not alone) and try out the lunch offering at The Betjeman Arms - the pub actually located inside the station - surely the most perfect location for long overdue meet-ups and romantic reunions. I’m pretty sure we might have found the best Sunday roast in London.

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Take the family to see Christmas films in gorgeous festive settings

Take the family to see Christmas films in gorgeous festive settings

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If you’re a regular here, you might remember that I told you all about how you could see Halloween films at the Natural History museum with The Luna Cinema. They’ve now released some lovely Christmas film screenings in wonderful locations and I just think they’re the most perfect, festive way to spend some family time together. Just imagine snuggling down in a comfy seat with mulled wine and mince pies to watch your favourite Christmas films in gorgeous festive settings on the big screen - heaven!

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Halloween films at the Natural History Museum

See Halloween films at the Natural History Museum!

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I absolutely love pop up cinemas, don’t you? We had the most incredible time back in December at Tom Kerridge’s Gourmet Picture Company pop up in Marlow. We snuggled up on comfy sofas and watched Casablanca and it was just so festive and romantic. I loved it. Jim and I are also huge horror fans, so when I heard that The Luna Cinema, famous for their open air film screenings, have announced a partnership with the Natural History Museum, I had to find out more. So, fancy seeing Halloween films at the Natural History Museum? Here’s how to get involved…

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Spend Halloween at Hogwarts After Dark (Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter)

Want to spend Halloween at Hogwarts? Here’s how!

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If, like me, you’re a massive Potterhead, I think I’ve probably just found the perfect event for you! Fancy spending Halloween at Hogwarts? There’ll be spooky smoking cocktails and dinner in the Great Hall complete with floating pumpkins and roaming Death Eaters. Warner Bros Studio Tour London has just announced that once again, the Great Hall will be receiving visitors for a very limited time - just three evenings - for a spectacular, spooky dinner event. Hogwarts After Dark will allow the lucky guests exclusive after-hours access to the studio tour as well as a host of other incredibly cool once in a lifetime experiences. Are you brave enough to dice with the Death Eaters? Here’s how!

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The Viking Cruises Wellness Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show

The Viking Cruises Wellness Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show

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I’ve never been to the Chelsea Flower Show before - I’ve seen it on TV and always thought it would be a lovely place to visit, so when an invitation arrived to go along and visit the Viking Cruises Wellness Garden, I popped on my most flowery dress (and Converse - you know me) and headed to ridiculously chic Sloane Square (where all the shops and restaurants were bedecked in flowers too) to meet up with the lovely team from Viking Cruises. Read more

Ocean Liners: Speed and Style at the V&A, sponsored by Viking Cruises

Ocean Liners: Speed and Style at the V&A

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Yesterday I went into London to catch up with the lovely folk at Viking Cruises (you might remember me mentioning that I wrote the recipes for their cookery book and also for the gorgeous Nordic Style book they have on board). Viking Cruises are the sponsors of a brand new exhibition at the V&A: Ocean Liners: Speed and Style, which opens this Saturday, and I really do recommend that you give it a visit. Whether your interest is history, engineering or fashion, the whole exhibition is a fascinating insight into the glamour of the golden age of cruising. Known for their cool, Scandi-inspired ships and attention to detail, Viking Cruises really are the perfect match for this exhibition.

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A night out at the Gourmet Picture Company, Marlow

A night out at the Gourmet Picture Company, Marlow

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There’s a standard phrase in our house: ‘I want to move to Marlow!’. It’s uttered every time we see something fabulous happening in this lovely little Buckinghamshire town. We go as much as we can, but it’s an hour from us (though actually, right next to where Mr E works). It’s gorgeous in the summer, and magical in the winter. I’ve even earmarked my perfect house on West Street (you don’t even want to know how much it is). This weekend, we were lucky enough to be invited to the launch evening of The Pop-Up Festival, a unique pop up cinema experience combined with delicious food from the fabulous Tom Kerridge. I’d heard all about the Gourmet Picture Company as my lovely mate Amanda from Online Stylist attended one last summer at Chewton Glen. It looked absolutely gorgeous, so I was so excited to see how the Gourmet Picture Company would keep us all warm and cosy in December!

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Christmas shopping and a bit of pampering with Trainline's new voice app

Shopping and pampering with Trainline’s new voice app

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The run up to Christmas can be stressful. For most of us, it’s a whirlwind of online (and real life) shopping, cooking and planning, and of course my work doesn’t stop either (I’ve already cooked three Christmas dinners and it’s only just December). I decided to take a pre-Christmas pampering trip with a little help from Trainline’s new voice app. Here’s how I got on.

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Mr E at the De Vere Latimer Estate

The De Vere Latimer Estate

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As we had some travel plans cancelled in August, Mr E and I have really been enjoying exploring our lovely local area. The Chilterns are stuffed full of historic stately homes and manor houses: from Waddesdon Manor, designed in the style of a romantic French Renaissance chateau, to Sir Francis Dashwood’s extravagant, Italianate West Wycombe Park, we have a huge diversity of beautiful buildings to visit. One that might have escaped your radar is Latimer House, now the De Vere Latimer Estate, a stunning mansion house estate that has recently undergone a huge (£7m) refurbishment that has transformed the original mansion house, including a beautifully renovated library, a coffee shop, a brand new restaurant: 1838 Restaurant and Bar, and the new Huntley Bar as well as additional luxury bedrooms and an elegant new reception.

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Bottomless brunch at The Botanist, Marlow

Bottomless brunch at The Botanist, Marlow

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There aren’t many prettier towns than Marlow, right next to the River Thames in Buckinghamshire. We spent a sunny morning wandering the shops (Sweaty Betty, Fat Face, a massive Jigsaw, Whistles, Mint Velvet, and loads of stylish independent boutiques and shops) down to the river, and then - all set to walk along the river’s edge for a while - the sky suddenly got really dark and fat blobs of rain started splashing on us. Ah well, instead we headed to West Street, to try the bottomless brunch at The Botanist, a pretty, quirky bar and restaurant on West Street. The front window completely rolls back, so when the sun finally came out again, it was a lovely spot to sit, sip a cocktail and watch the world go by while waiting for our table.

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The Dorsett Shepherds Bush

A lovely London weekend, and the Dorsett Shepherds Bush

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Are we allowed to say ‘staycation’? Well, whatever we’re currently calling it, I had a bit of travel cancelled recently and was getting majorly itchy feet, so I suggested to Mr E that we take a little weekend trip to London. And what a lovely weekend it turned out to be. We stayed at the very lovely Dorsett Shepherds Bush, which is the perfect hotel for a city break: it’s literally a five minute walk from the tube station (and Westfield Shopping Centre), and we spent the whole weekend exploring and hopping on and off the tube.

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Top activities for adrenaline junkies

Top activities for adrenaline junkies

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As the kids get older, the idea of lazing on a beach with an iced drink and a good thriller novel to hand (my idea of heaven) becomes a bit less realistic. I know some teenagers are happy to loll around on holiday, but we like to break it up and have at least a couple of days expanding our comfort zone. I thought it would be a good idea to suggest a few activities to get the heart-rate up and excitement pounding, so here are a few of my top activities for adrenaline junkies. These are also great if you’re not actually heading away anywhere, but want a few tips for great days out to break up the holidays.

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