Kew Gardens at Christmas

For the first time ever Kew Gardens has opened its gates to visitors after dark to take a journey through their illuminated trail. You begin at the Christmas Village, where you can sample festive fare from mulled wine and jacket potatoes to turkey rolls and cookies. Browse the wooden chalets selling their wares (we found the variety fairly limited). If you’re feeling adventurous (we weren’t as it was tipping down with rain) have a go on the traditional fairground rides such as the helter-skelter and the Carousel.

 The trail itself was just over a mile long and wound through the gardens with various parts lit up. It was a spectacular sight however it was extremely crowded and slow to get around. There were lots of interactive parts for children which seemed to be keeping them entertained. When we originally booked we were given an allotted time slot to begin the walk however once we got there we were told to just go whenever we like – this was good for us as we got there early however this is probably what caused all of the overcrowding.

 

The pinnacle of the walk came at the end when you see the iconic Palm House illuminated in all its glory. Music and commentary starts as lights dim and flash and change colour.

While we were unlucky with the weather I would recommend this as a family outing however be prepared and wear your wellies!!

http://www.kew.org/index.htm

The Nutcracker

I couldn’t think of a more appropriate setting to see the traditional Christmas ballet, ‘The Nutcracker’, than sitting under the ornate eaves of the London Coliseum just North of Trafalgar Square, London. When the curtain goes up the impressive domed roof adorned with cherubs and gold leaf friezes transports you into a snow-capped Edwardian England  and then drops you into a world of dancing sugar plum fairies, prancing mice, nutcracker soldiers and magical music.

The little girl Clara and her noble Nutcracker soldier escape the evil Mouse King and take a hot air balloon ride to the sparkling Land of Snow where an adventure of dancing merriment awaits.

With both the striking Tchaikovsky score and the insanely good choreography from the English National Ballet, this is an absolute must see for all the family. The beautiful sets, glistening costumes and effortless ballerinas bring to life this traditional and well loved ballet. It is running until the 5^th January 2014 so there is still time to don your ballet slippers and enjoy some more of the festivities.

Carol Singing in Kensington

First on my festive agenda was the Christmas Carol Sing-along at the Royal Albert Hall. This uplifting explosion of glitter, twinkly lights and Christmas tunes was enough to drag even the most Scrooged of people up onto their feet while singing at the top of their lungs, ‘Fiiiiive Gooold Riiiings!’

Presented by the eccentric and entertaining Jonathan Cohen and featuring music and singing from the London Concert Choir and the London Concert Orchestra the performance was engaging and mesmerising. Soloist Laura Tebbutt was a fantastic leader and lent her voice to an array of different styles, each as effective as the one before. Her rendition of O Holy Night was my personal favourite.

The auditorium was filled with people bedecked in Christmas cheer including flashing Santa hats and tinsel. Fairy lights had been strung up around the boxes and two impressive Christmas trees stood either side of the grand organ.

Singing songs old and new we went from Hark the Herald Angels Sing and O Little Town of Bethlehem to Rockin’ Robin and Frosty the Snowman in the blink of a Reindeer’s eye.

It was fun, fast paced, full of colour and festive. This is an absolute must do event and something that will become a Christmas tradition for me. It may be too late to catch the last performance tomorrow afternoon (Saturday 21^st December) so remember to keep an eye out for it next year. I know I certainly will!

(Apologies for the poor quality photo – it’s tough to capture the lights on a phone!)

The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear…

This year I intend to squeeze every last festive drop of Christmas out of London Town. From miserably struggling at a snail’s pace down Oxford Street, juggling my shopping bags with a Gingerbread Latte, to enjoying the quiet serenity of an illuminated walk through Kew Gardens I am going to bring to you the best bits of celebrating this magical time of year in our capital city.

I’ll be bringing you tips and recommendations on the best things London has to offer you during this festive period.

So, pop on Bing Crosby’s Christmas album, get the mulled wine a simmerin’, munch a few mince pies and get that tree up because it’s that time of year again…

 IT’S CHRIIIISSSSSTMAAAASSSSS!!!!!!

Pictures of Portobello

Portobello Road is a colourful and vibrant street in the heart of the Notting Hill area in West London. Every Saturday Portobello Road Market draws scores of enthusiastic shoppers to its notable street market which is famous for its antiques and vintage clothing.

Wandering around the lively streets in the summer sun is a perfect way to spend an afternoon. Grab a beer and some olives from La Plaza Deli at the North end of the street, they have chairs and tables outside so it is a perfect way to sit and people watch while you rest your aching feet.

Sample some of the market food as there is so much to choose from! Paella, Tapas, Curry, Noodles, Sandwiches, Salads and more. Try some fresh marshmallow – the Raspberry and Champagne one was delicious!‘Portobello Road, Portobello Road, street where the riches of ages are stowed! Anything and everything a chap can unload, is sold off the barrow in Portobello Road. You’ll find what you want in the Portobello Road!’ – Mr. Browne, Bedknobs and Broomsticks.

Up at the O2 – Review

What better way to spend a cold and windy London day than to scale one of the capital’s most iconic landmarks – the O2 arena. This unique experience, reminiscent of the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge climb, opened in June last year and provides an exciting and different way to view parts of London’s famous skyline. Originally opened as The Millennium Dome in January 2000, the North Greenwich based exhibition centre has now become one of the most famous music venues in the world.

Arriving at ‘Base Camp’ (just left of the main O2 arena entrance) 15 minutes before your scheduled climb, you are whisked into the ‘Briefing Room’ to fill in some forms and to watch a cheesy but interesting video providing information about the climb and the building (if you can call it that) itself. Did you know that if you turned the O2 arena upside down it would take Niagara Falls 15 minutes to fill it up?

The mountain climbing expedition theme runs consistently throughout the decor, with maps and climbing ropes hanging from the walls. You are then taken to a changing room where you don some fabulously flattering overalls, harnesses and walking boots. The flexible fabric walkway is suspended above the roof of the dome and reaches 52 metres in height and with an ascent and descent of 30 degrees (which is surprisingly steep when you are there!). Your harness is attached to a central barrier which you also use to help pull yourself up – and hold onto for dear life on the way down. The walkway has a bit of a bounce to it, which I failed to resist on several occasions (but who could? it is like the biggest trampoline in the world!).

The climb itself takes 60 minutes, with an interval of around 15 minutes on the viewing platform at the top. This is where you can feast your eyes on meandering Thames, the Thames Barrier, the Olympic Park, City Airport, Canary Wharf and Greenwich. In the distance you can see the Shard, the Gherkin and even Battersea Power Station on a clear day. It took a while to get our bearings as it is not often that you view London from this angle.

Our guide was informative and interactive. He let us know where everything was and he was extremely helpful and funny.

Tickets for adults range from £25 – £30 depending on the time of your visit. I think this is money well spent on an experience that was fun and is one of a kind in London. I would definitely recommend this as something exciting to do on a trip to the City. More information can be found on the O2 website here:

http://www.theo2.co.uk/upattheo2

 

Bitten by Bubbledogs

Could life get any better than holding a glass of crisp bubbly champagne in one hand and a juicy hotdog dripping in BBQ sauce and bacon in the other? No, I didn’t think so. Welcome to Bubbledogs, a new concept restaurant in Fitzrovia, London. I use the term ‘restaurant’ lightly as it is more like a swanky champagne bar that just happens to serve immense hotdogs. I had heard a few horror stories about the length of the queue and so was pleasantly surprised to find I only had to wait 10 minutes for a table for two. I also use the term ‘table for two’ lightly as we were actually perched on the end of a table for four, where four people were already eating – not so great. But the bare brick walls and bubble-esque light fixtures are funky and atmospheric and although it is a small and crowded space, it is fun and casual and not uncomfortable at all. Our waiter was a very amusing French guy who delighted in recommending us the different glasses of fizz and sausages. He was extremely attentive in refilling our water and his smiley demeanour was infectious.

Now onto the hard stuff – deciding which dawg and drink to go for. The menu consists of page after page of different champagnes, none of which I have heard of because they source their entire champers selection from independent vineyards. Luckily there is only a small selection of champagnes you can buy by the glass so this limited our choice as for once we were not buying in bulk. For those of you who are not partial to bubbles, a variety of cocktails and beers are also available.

There are 13 lip smackingly different yet equally delicious sounding hotdogs on offer – all coming with a sausage filler of your choice – Pork, Beef or Veggie. The toppings are weird and wonderful and certainly not expected. Breakkie Dogs with egg and black pudding, Buffalo Dogs with blue cheese and pickled celery and plain old Naked Dogs with nothin’ but a bun. After much painful deliberation I opted for the Fourth of July Dog, a juicy beef sausage, wrapped in bacon and smothered in a tangy sweet barbecue sauce and topped with some of the creamiest coleslaw I have ever tasted. All nestled together in a plump white bun. My dinner pal chose the José Dog, a Mexican inspired mountain of tomato salsa, avocado, sour cream and jalapenos all camouflaging the hidden sausage beneath. Even the side orders of crunchy tater tots and sweet potato fries were enough to get me salivating like a St. Bernard.

We only had the table for 50 minutes but this proved to be no problem at all as the food and champagne was gone in a flash. It was so delicious and although slightly more expensive than a regular hotdog elsewhere, the surroundings and the quality of the ingredients do not go amiss. I love the pairing of something well-to-do like champagne with something comfortable and basic, like a hotdog. It appears to go really well together, and who on this earth doesn’t love both of these beautiful things? This theme was present throughout the restaurant, with typical greasy-spoon style ketchup and mustard bottles standing in an empty champagne box. Just great.

We left Bubbledogs at around 7pm and the queue was out the door and down the road (this was on a Wednesday!); predictions of at least an hour and a half wait were being passed down the line in Chinese whispers. But I will definitely be returning as I can’t carry on with life until I have sampled the other dogs. However I will always arrive as early as possible as waiting for more than an hour is outrageous, especially seeing as you can guzzle down your meal in less than 10 minutes.

Great job Bubbledogs, I can’t wait to return.

Half Marathon Hell

I have never been massively into exercise. So it was a shock to me when I allowed myself to be talked into joining The British 10k London Run in July last year. I hated every second of training for it. I found running boring, lonely and stressful. Every stride was approached with foreboding. If I had to stop and walk or if I got a stitch, my insides would bubble with guilt and I would feel worse about my fitness than I did when I was oblivious to it. Completing longer runs in quicker times gave me small moments of elation – however it was no compensation for the hours of dread I experienced in the lead up to lacing up my trainers and plugging in my earphones. The day of the race snuck up on me quickly and before I could think about it I was surfing a crowd of 25,000 runners past some of London’s most iconic landmarks. Hoards of cheering spectators lined the streets of the Embankment, Pall Mall, Whitehall, Westminster Bridge and Piccadilly, all providing me with a great distraction to the hell I usually faced when running alone. It was pouring with rain, I was bursting for the loo and I was dying of thirst but there was something else, something strange was happening…I was enjoying myself. I waved at the crowds, I cheered and high-fived my running buddy and as each kilometre marking passed me by I felt like I was achieving something at last.

(Battersea Power Station and Chelsea Bridge during training run)

As the Finish post came into sight down on Whitehall, I found a surprise reserve of energy and sprinted across the line. Adrenaline pumped in my ears as I was handed my medal (the first medal I have received since I was 9 from the local cross-country running club). At this point, as I was basking in my after race glow – my running buddy decided to catch me off-guard and suggest we sign up to a half marathon. I mean, it’s only double the distance we have just run, it’ll be easy peasy. Pumped up by the atmosphere and excited to get to the nearest bar I agreed. In my endorphin fuelled haze, I stupidly agreed.

(Brighton Marina during training run)

So, here we are almost eight months later and the Eastbourne Half Marathon is only four days away. Have I been training like a machine in preparation? Of course not! As usual, I forgot all about it until recently when I had a daydream that rammed me back into reality and back into my trainers. I had a vision that I’d be carted off in an ambulance wrapped in a space blanket towards the finishing line. This simply cannot happen. Despite my lack of love for running I have discovered that I am extremely competitive, especially with myself, and there is no way that I am going to allow myself to walk, crawl or stop at any point during this run.

At the weekend, I did a trial run of 10 miles and it was surprisingly entertaining. It was 8 am on Saturday, it was snowing, and I ran along the Thames from Battersea to St Pauls taking in some great sights on the almost empty Southbank. I recognised places I have visited before and noticed some great looking restaurants and bars that I would like to visit in the future. So it isn’t all bad.

(My 10 mile route)

I’ll keep in mind my post-run refreshments and fingers crossed no-one tries to convince me to enter a full marathon next…but who knows!

(A well deserved beer!)