Newquay

When you're at a weekender in Cornwall, the music doesn't start again until the evening and everyone's feeling a little fragile...what do you do? Drop down into Newquay and hope the bracing sea air brings you back to life...

Photos courtesy of Alice

Pleasure Principle

Three days. Eight people. One caravan. Pleasure Principle.

Saturday Sun

Day

As the sun shone and the temperature climbed, we cut through ever-busy Broadway Market (which is on our doorstep), ambled/cycled/skated down the canal path and spent the day in Victoria Park. Lunch was sausage rolls as big as your fist from infamous The Ginger Pig and generous fish and chips from the Fish House (the specials looked super tasty and affordable) in Victoria Park Village. A pocket of bars, restaurants and shops, the Village is a little E9 haven - if you're ever in the area, grab a bottle from Bottle Apostle and take it across the road to The Empress, where my friend's the chef-de-partie and the food is divine.

Night

The boys decided to head to Vogue Fabrics in Dalston and after a lot of deliberation, a minor breakdown about my appearance, some predrinks and a 'photoshoot', we headed out. I departed from my usual look of messy hair and nude lips to a radical (for me) hair up and berry pout style...accompanying my whiter-than-white complexion. We went to 'Pop', a predictably saccharine night, which was all very much fun and games...until my phone was stolen. Cue a rather instantaneous reduction in nightly enjoyment, a walk home (no buses or taxis), calls to the police (and later insurance and O2).

 

Cliched (and horrendous) as it may be, I've been without my phone for about 36 hours and I'm starting to feel a little lost. It's a rather shameful admission that most of my 'life' is on it, and how much I rely on it - from checking my Instagram to checking my calendar, for example. My boss has lent me his old iPhone (the office spare) and so I'm not going to be incommunicado for too much longer, but I do have to wait over a week for my replacement - not a happy bunny. 

But can I really be sad when I have a four day week and next weekend is being spent in Newquay at Pleasure Principle? I think not.

Sunday links #9

1 Thigh Deep
I found Caroline Mackintosh through It's Nice That, where they showcased some of her (skinny dipping) Thigh Deep set. Clicking through and onto her website, I've fallen in love with every set - from Baby In The Burbs and its aching summer vibe, to Brash Upholstery with its 60s nod.

2 Making something out of nothing
Thomas Lamadieu has been looking at things in a different way - rather than working with what he's got, he works with what he hasn't - space. His Sky Art project puts deciphering clouds to shame by illustrating the empty spaces between buildings. Is that a man riding a dog? How about a chicken sporting an Elvis quiff and double denim playing the ukulele? What do you see when you look up?

3 The Curious Explorer
I'm a little jealous; these gorgeous illustrations are taken from Marc Martin's new childrens' book The Curious Explorer's Illustrated Guide to Exotic Animals A-Z. Coupling colourful interpretations with Latin names, this is more than just your average picture pop-up.

4 Get Lucky
After a long hiatus, Daft Punk are about to release their new album ..., a collaboration with Chic's Nile Rodgers (a legend in his own right). After a lot of teasing on SNL and at Coachella, Daft Punk's first release is Get Lucky featuring the smooooth vocals of Pharrell, and the irresistible disco vibe from Nile. There's been rumours that disco is going to be the next big thing (again) with finger-on-the-pulse-DJs shifting away from dubstep and house to get a little bit funky - here's Skream getting in on the act... I, for one, am definitely not complaining...

5 Wine-oh!
Having grown up in a house where wine at dinner was never out-of-bounds, and then working in restaurants for almost 10 years, I've had a lot of exposure to not just the gluggable contents but also the bottles and packaging. Paul Belford's just branded the packaging of two of France's most famous wines, on behalf of their UK importer, Waddesdon Wine. The effortlessly simple and suave boxes, logos and books scream decadence and the bottles themselves come wrapped in bible paper marked with old maps of the vineyards (Chateaux Lafite and Mouton Rothschild, to be precise).

I couldn't help but include this amazing Biblioburro (Donkey Library) below. Who needs those big yellow buses when you've got these cuties?

BRGR CO

Everyone knows that Thursdays are the new Fridays and there's definitely no exception when in the heart of work-hard play-hard Soho. Last night, we caught up with a colleague who had moved to pastures new back in November, and after a few drinks at the local, The Lyric, where we sampled Patron for the first time, we struck out in search of some food.

Trying to find a place to eat in Soho can be a bit of a monopoly - on my road alone, we've got Busaba, Wahaca, Banana Tree, Satsuma, Pho, Imli, Hummus Bros, Floridita, Princi and Inamo, to name but a few. And not to mention any of the incredible other places that are just around the corner and a stone's throw away. Spoilt for choice but still have to queue...

After some quick deliberation, we decided to venture to the new burger joint on our street, BRGR CO. Now, London's no stranger to burgers; with pop-ups and posh street food on the scene, there's a lot of competition and a lot to live up to. We were there around half nine and the place was buzzing - we were seated at the bar in the window to wait for our table, given a drink each and the opportunity to watch the chefs at work in the open kitchen.

We were sat in about ten minutes...and then abandoned. None of the (admittedly quite busy) staff noticed that we hadn't even seen menus, let alone ordered. The menu itself is relatively basic - starters and sides draw the eye first and then the burgers follow on the right. I was tempted by the Old Fashioned Mac'n'Cheese (seemingly a popular choice on the London circuit) but dived straight into building my own burger. Served as either 4, 6 or 8 oz cuts, we were a little unimpressed with the descriptions but each went for the 6oz Tender Blend. I added cheese, caramelised onions and bacon (before realising that the last two were a bit over-the-top) from the chargeable extras, a horseradish mustard dip (non-chargeable) and we shared a portion of fries and cheese fries. Watching your waistline? This place is not for you.

The burgers arrived shortly, which was impressive. With accompaniments served separately, you can choose to stack it yourself - take out that gherkin or ditch the lettuce, if you prefer. I loaded up, threw in some Tabasco and some mustard and dived straight in. Admittedly, the burger patty looked slightly anaemic but when you're used to some bigger beauties from the markets or Burger & Lobster, can you really be one to judge? We polished ours off double-time and got the bill which came to about £15 each (including the beer and a tip) - not bad.

No photos as no phone battery, but the couple next to me definitely made up for it even though their starter salad of lettuce (and just lettuce) did seem a bit of a bizarre one for Instagram...

Would I go back? I'm not sure. It was good but I've heard a lot about rival Patty & Bun, and as mentioned above, there's a plethora of burger joints (and not-so burger joints) to sink your teeth into. A three out of five, I'd say.

You Could Move

Last night I went to see 'You Could Move' at the Arcola Tent in Dalston. It was a housemate's-boyfriend's-friend-is-the-writer affair and other than a vague suggestion that the play was based on LGB (lesbian, gay and bi) experiences, I didn't know what to expect.

We bought drinks at the bar in the main theatre - just across the road from last night's venue - where two other productions, Gibraltar and Moby Dick, were on stage. Then we settled ourselves on the seating that spanned two sides of the Tent (so-called because of the dark red drape above us) before the production began.

It was an immersive experience in the sense that the cast changed everything up frequently - from the props (lit panels, a table here and there, some chairs and sometimes bedlinen) and their characters, to the nature of the performance and how they interacted with the audience. Well-observed dialogues were intersected with spoken lyrics (think Robyn and Kylie) and monologues taken from experiences of all walks of LGB life. I went with my housemates (a collection of gay guys and a straight girl) and it was interesting to see how much we all related (from our own perspectives) to the content of the production when we emerged, blinking, an hour and a half or so later. It was insightful, entertaining, amusing and interesting all in the one, and it was so good to get a dose of such great culture (and pour the last of my wine right at the quietest part of the production - oops!)

Funded by The National Lottery, You Could Move is the latest production from Outbox, 'a company of all gay performers, focusing on the forgotten and unheard stories of the LGB community. You Could Move mixes up verbatim with physical storytelling, evocative soundscape, glamour, grit and gay abandon to portray contemporary scenes of LGB.' Showing at the Arcola Theatre until 20 April, then Contact in Manchester on the 27 April, tickets are £10 and well-worth every penny.

Take the good with the bad, the rough with the smooth

I've been a little off the radar over the last couple of weeks. It's a result of my melodramatic Friday night last week (think a little too much wine and emotion) so I've taken a step back and tried to throw myself into things a little more. Rather than being explicit about the ins-and-outs, Lily's post and vlog puts how I've been feeling recently into words.

The weekend, before and after my outburst but not including it, was good. Fridays in media-land are always relatively quiet. Whilst we often set ourselves those Friday afternoon deadlines, a lot of our clients and other agencies have already started the weekend. When you work across all sorts of stakeholders, it's pretty likely that most of them will have some prior engagement on a Friday meaning that response times are slower. It's useful, though, as it means us busybodies can catch up, tweak things here and there...and even (gasp) take the sacred hour for lunch. Which is what my boss and I did. We started with tasty salt and pepper squid, then followed with rich and moreish roasted butternut squash and sage butter ravioli. After work, I caught up with my housemate and another friend to take advantage of happy hour cocktails-and-champagne. From there I flitted to a friend in East London, before heading home...and making the melodramatic mess of myself.

Sunday, whilst we took advantage of the fleetingly sunny weather and spent the afternoon at our local, Pub On The Park, commandeering several tables, several Bloody Marys and watching the world go by, my cousin's boyfriend happened to win The Grand National. At the age of 23, riding his first National having only recently returned to racing, and with odds of 66-1 (that, super frustratingly, I was too scared to bet on) Ryan beat all the favourites to be first over the finish line. (The next day, he fell at Hexham and was rushed to hospital but he's recovering and back at home - talk about the rough with the smooth.)

The week itself's been relatively quiet, including a lack of motivation to work out, finally watching The Help and recuperating after (my) explosiveness. But, as always, no rest for the wicked at work - I've been to Brighton and Yorkshire this week (trains are obviously becoming my second home, delays and all) - and I'm going to Cardiff next week. I'm also going to a pitch with some of my colleagues on Monday, meaning that I have to dress corporate (a rarity, working in a design office). This morning I hobbled through Soho with a handbag, weekend bag, suit bag (above)...and an umbrella. I'm heading home to house- and cat-sit which means a weekend in Sussex, and fingers crossed for perfect weather.

And as a treat to myself, I may have accidentally just bought the much-coveted polka dot smock dress...  Cute, right?

Sunday links #8

Some seemingly less cultural links this week...

1 This chick's got style
A recent blogging discovery, Yara's 'online fashion diary' is right up my street and perfect for inspiration.

2 What Ali Wore
It seems that 'What I Wore Today' posts are everywhere (and admittedly, I'm no stranger to them) but this sweet little blog features outfits of retired doctor Ali, snapped by photographer Zoe, in Berlin. A dapper character with a great repertoire of poses, this is enough to melt any fashionista's heart.

3 Frank Ocean
On Friday, I managed to grab two tickets to the hottest show in town - Frank Ocean at the Brixton Academy, in July. The first date sold out within minutes so I managed to nab mine for the second date on the walk to work, crossing my fingers that my 3G would hold out. If you don't know much about Frank, he's part of the crazy Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (OFWGKTA) rap/hip hop collective, who, to be honest, aren't really my cup of tea. But Frank, with his mix of soulful hip hop, is out of this world. Last year, he came out as gay with this incredible open letter - worth every second of reading.

4 100 calorie chocolate brownies
Yep, you heard me right. Rosie, of The Londoner, posted this insatiable recipe that I'm definitely going to make this weekend. Gooey brownies that're only 100 calories? Yes please.

5 Bastille
Everyone's being going mad for them recently, and rightly so. Britband Bastille have captured that irresistible combination of addictive vocals and soaring guitars. Their new album, Bad Blood, is the perfect soundtrack for the ever elusive summer.

Nice to see you, to see you Nice

It's booked! My mum and I are going to be spending a week in Nice, in an apartment that overlooks the port, Le Bassin Lympia. In fact, its one of those warm ochre buildings nestled at the foot of the hill, right in the lower middle of the photograph above!

We wanted to go somewhere late summer but still warm, picturesque and not too heavy on the travelling (or the pocket!) We've both been dreaming of heady Mediterranean evenings coupled with great food and fine wine, and so with my degree to hand, centred our sights on France.

We quickly started drafting our list of requirements: rural gite or urban hotel? countryside or citywide?  bus, train or a plane ride away? sea more or see more? We started to whittle it down and found that Nice had everything we wanted - coastal with a gorgeous beach, great architecture and history and mere bus rides from Grasse, St Tropez, Cannes and Monaco (we're aiming big). Hotels are a bit of a premium and so we turned to airbnb and began combing potential places to be our home away from home.

Airbnb's a simple premise and something akin to a social network where people rent out their rooms, apartments or even treehouses all over the world. You can browse through all sorts of places, locations, durations and liaise with the hosts directly; everything's kept safe and secure by airbnb taking care of the money side so you can relax in the knowledge that you're not about to get swindled and left high and dry.

We booked our apartment this week; a gorgeously bright flat at the foot of the castle, we have a terrace that overlooks the old port and is a stone's throw away from everything that Nice has to offer. From the markets to the beach, the castle to the opera house, there's a lot to get excited about. With all this inclement weather we've been having, the thought of a glass of wine on the sunkissed balcony is, well, Nice...

Dr Everything'll Be Alright

I think it's been well-documented that I'm a massive Prince fan. Ever since my parents introduced me to him through the well-worn Purple Rain LP, he's been my go-to guy. I saw him perform during his epic 21 date residency at the O2 back in 2007 and lost my voice for a week from singing (read: shouting) along.

Prince (no longer 'The Artist Formerly Known As') has been quietly making some moves on the scene and has released some new material ahead of his 3rd Eye Girl tour (which is only in the US/Canada, boo!)

This is Prince's 'retake' of Let's Go Crazy - the opening track from both the Purple Rain LP and film (which you totally need to watch). It's been given a 'stoner-rock' vibe and sounds as if Wolfmother have got their hands on it - that solo in the middle? It kills me.

Imagery #3

 Invitation from Jo Malone | Can't get enough of these | Snow last weekend | Flowers & family 

Last week's (exhausting) travel | Favourite new lipstick | Tickets to The Globe! | Four frames

Easter work drinks at Barrio | Before the Soho Hotel | Molly's dad's work in the Telegraph

Jo Malone | Irresistible cheesecake at Waterloo's Farmers' Market