72 hours

After a sedate start to half term spent doing odd jobs, seeing my God Daughters and taking Satinders children, Himmat and Anmol out to the cinema Friday arrived and launched me into a weekend of fun.
What started out as a keep it simple surprise girls night in for Satinders 40th with a Sophisticated Wine Tasting with Pieroth ended up with cocktails, cowboy hats and naked butlers! Finished off with lovely homemade Indian food from Laddi and a fabulous cake made by Chang. So much fun though. I left at 2am and it was still in full swing. 

So it was a somewhat paler than usual( yes it is possible, remarkably) and jaded Emma that met Jo and Glen at Marylebone to catch the 12.40 to Birmingham Snow Hill on Saturday morning. Still, armed with coffee from Valerie's and an M&S sandwich we boarded the train where we proceeded to open a very nice bottle of Champagne. The kill or cure method of hangover remedies......it picked me up somewhat and I didn't even get a snooze on the train. We had a short walk on arrival to our Air B&B 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom flat right above the restaurant.
We took a bit of a wander to see the library and came back to have a rest and get ready for our evening out. 

As I've mentioned before my very generous sister takes Glen and I out for a fine dining meal every year and this year we were dining at (Glynn)  Purnell's, 1 Michelin*
We were greeted and seated in the living room, choosing to sit and have a drink before going to our table. We were booked to have the Brummie Tapas tasting menu and while we were having our drinks we were given the menu to peruse and asked if we had any questions. Trust me to ask the question that sent them into a spin and highlighted that one of the dishes had been slightly changed, off they went to re print the menu. I never did find out what an Albufeira sauce was, I'd only asked as we used to holiday there as children but it turned out with its change to sauce, to be my favourite course of the evening!!!
We started with Lime spiced potatoes with mayonnaise. OMG who knew lime and potatoes would go so well together?  Little balls of heaven. I was still dreaming about them as I went to sleep.
Followed by Bread and butter.....not any old bread and butter, it was baked with a black treacle and it was floaty light. In fact we were given 2 loaves to take home with us.
Next was a Beetroot mousse with horseradish crumble - salted beetroot. Lovely, but my least favourite course.
Next up was the much awaited Monkfish Masala from The Great British menu which was Jos favourite dish of the evening. It was outstanding.
Then my favourite, Loin of (Rose) Veal with Bordelaise, pomme dauphinois and black truffle. Despite the fact I am not overly keen on truffle this was heaven on a plate for me. Rich sauce made with stock and bone marrow and the meat was divine.
Then the deserts......Burnt English custard egg surprise, another GBM dish which scored Glynn 10,10,10 with a winter Rhubarb Trifle. The egg was everything you could wish for in a desert, the trifle was so tart that you couldn't make out most of the other flavours except for a hint of ginger but both gorgeous.
Then the table showstopper Mint choccy chip which was frozen at the table in front of us with liquid nitrogen. Impressive and tasted just like a frozen mint aero!
With the dining experience we had chosen each dish was brought to the table by the chef that had prepared it and they explained the dish to us which was a really nice touch. All the staff were fab.
The pastry chef then brought out a special Birthday dessert ( I wish I was 20yrs old! ) which was beautiful. We never did work out what the pink filling was but the pastry was the thinnest, crispiest, almondy perfection!
The space itself was beautiful, quirky and retro. The walk to the bathrooms was a bit rainforest cafe with jungle wallpaper and piped birdsong and you had to walk down a corridor watching yourself in a huge mirror accompanied by the harshest lighting. I looked like I'd gained a stone which possibly I had by the end of the evening! There was also a floor to ceiling window into the kitchen which was a bit......daunting? You wanted to have a peek but felt a bit naughty school girlish ( not completely foreign territory for me ) what do you do if they look up and catch your eye??? Smile and wave or blush and dash off? I did spy Glynn himself in there but thankfully it was Jo who tested the theory when Sonal and the pastry chef looked up and pointed at her! It was a shame Glynn didn't come out and say hello to his guests though. 
Sonal Clare (local boy done good from Ealing) the restaurant manager was exceptional. Attentive and friendly striking just the right balance. The sommelier didn't seem to work the living room just the main restaurant but Sonal asked us what we liked and came up with some new wines for us to try which were all perfect. All in all one of the nicest dining experiences we have had by far.
The next morning turned out not to be quite as leisurely as planned when pur train was cancelled and we had to find an alternative and longer route home. We had lunch planned at The Ivy cafe in Marylebone with a table booked for 2pm but we stepped off the train, into a black cab and arrived on the nose!
I am feeling a bit weary now though......my liver is screaming GO BACK TO WORK AND EAT A F***ING SALAD WOMAN!!
I am getting to old for this.....oh no wait....I'm only 20!

http://www.purnellsrestaurant.com/michelin-star-birmingham

Happy New Year 2016

I just opened my Memory Jar. The idea being that you write down the lovely things that happen throughout the year and then open it up on New Years Eve.

My......haven't I been a busy girl!

Where to start. Been a good year for sport. Saracens V Harlequins, Saracens V Osprey, 2 Rugby World Cup games, Italy V France and Ireland V Romania and The Hurlingham club for Polo. Went to my first Cricket match at Lords and my first Grand Prix Quali at Silverstone. 

Met up with some good friends Geoff, Claire, Russ and Michelle in Birmingham for Scootstock which was a hoot. Met up with Claire, Karen and Michael at Silverstone and Claire again at Christmas for The Ice bar and Winter Wonderland. Had the worlds worst pub crawl round Harrow on the Hill only making it to 2 pubs with the Leahy's. Shared lots of very funny Facebook moments with my #CrazyGang and pub quiz fun with Mum, Anne and the Gilfrins.

I joined a Salsa class which I love and has brought me new friends. 

I also lost a few along the way, my beautiful friend Danni, Satinders Dad and my Grandad Alec.

Had a Eurovision/ MacMillan party, a lovely day at Kew for Mother's Day with Mum and Betty Boo. 

Lots of silly, giggly family lunches at Mums. Beth's Graduation at The Royal Festival Hall. 

I discovered a beautiful Greek Island which feels like home and I will return next year.

Lots of lovely food and drinks in lots of lovely restaurants with lots of lovely people. Texture, 28-50, Poppies, The Lockhart, Hutong at The Shard, Elgin, Hixter, The Jones Family Project and Iberico and Chutney Mary to name a few.

Went to Columbia Road flower market and a church service at St Pauls. Rich Hall with Jo, Glen and Luke and Coppelia with Diane and the cinema a few times with various friends, a picnic in Hyde Park.

I went to the Tate and V&A, The Jam exhibition at Somerset house, World Photography awards. Duran Duran at the 02.

Jo and I were Stewards for the 1st time at London Pride and Katie and I went to the Notting Hill Carnival for the first time. I spent many happy hours with Kerry and my God Daughters and got kissed for the first time in a long time! Yep I was as surprised by that one as you are....close your mouths lol

Oh, and I started a blog!!!!

2015 you've been a blast. I shall be stood opposite the London Eye tonight with friends watching the fireworks take us out of the year with a bang.

Thank you to all my wonderful, caring, nutty family and friends. I love you all and you have made this year very special. I am truly blessed to have you all in my life.

I hope 2016 brings much of the same and more. 

Happy New Year. Xxx

Reliving our youth - Duran Duran @ O2

They say you should never go back but we did and it was a blast !

I loved Duran Duran back in their heyday but they kind of dropped off my radar a bit and out of the spotlight for a good few years. As comebacks go this is one I'm willing to step behind.

They kicked the set off with Paper Gods the title track from their new Album and then threw themselves straight into Wild Boys and Hungry like the wolf which got everyone to their feet where they remained for the majority of the next 2 hours.

They balanced a good mix of new tracks, Last night in the city, What are the chances (which I loved) Pressure off and Dancephobia with Lindsay Lohan unexpected but true with 90s hits such as A view to a kill, Planet Earth and Ordinary World finishing up back at the start with Girls on Film.

One of the highlights for me early on in the show was a cover of White Lines - don't do it which was just brilliant.

Simon Le Bon remains in my opinion the only man who can and should squeeze himself into a pair of white jeans not that it stopped a few others trying to emulate their idol. There were a few men of a certain age in the whites with flock of seagulls hairdos and leather jackets not quite pulling it off.

While Jo and Mandy went out to the bar and left me with more room to dance to Planet Earth a fight broke out in the bar between two men old enough to know better and was broken up by the girl behind the bar. Apparently it was a real Bridget Jones fight scene, ear pulling and sitting on top of each other, kicks and punches that didn't quite connect.

The encore was everything we could have hoped for and then some with a very emotional version of Save a Prayer. Before they began they told us about a recent collaboration of the song they did with The Eagles of Death Metal who have done their own version which they performed together on TFI just a week before the Paris attack at the Bataclan, attacks that as we know left 130 people dead.

In an act he described them wanting to do something useful, peaceful and uniting all profits from the EODM and Duran Duran versions will be put into a Memorial Fund and there is a campaign to try to get it to no 1, something I shall get behind by downloading the tracks. 

It was the lighters in the air moment, now replaced by electronic devices in the air but it was beautiful, poignant and touching none the less. 

The last track of the night and hugely anticipated by me was the song that made me a fan to begin with, the title track of the album I bought and played over and over as a teenager, the iconic and groundbreaking video on a yacht.......yes, you've got it Rio ...... proving that just sometimes it is ok to go back and be 12 yrs old again.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10207072984856827&l=8836521133299917617

Friday 13th

I've never been overly superstitious. Friday the 13th is one of the few things that has never scared me but tonight's events shake me to the core....and they are still unfolding.

Paris is under attack.....by who no one is saying. No conspiracy theories at all on any of the coverage I've seen so far on tv or online. 2 suicide attacks and  explosions at the Stade de France, shootings at a restaurant in the 11th arrendisement amongst others, 100 + hostages taken at the Bataclan in the 12rh. State of emergency across the country and borders being closed as I speak.

I spent a lot of time in Paris as a child, my Aunt lived in the 16th and close family friends in the 12th, I love Paris with all my heart, it is my home away from home, a piece of my heart will always live there so I am so saddened and sickened by these attacks. It's right up there with 9-11, The London bombings, Charlie Hebdo.

It's so utterly senseless, my heart and prayers go out to those involved, it Just brings it home yet again that you don't know what tomorrow will bring...or today even, be it terrorism, cancer or any sudden circumstances that can rock your world. 

 Be real. Tell those you love how you feel. Take a chance, even if you fail. 

There literally may not be a tomorrow.

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A long time ago, back in my 'yoof' my sister Jo and I were sent to Latin and Ballroom lessons above the British Legion in South Harrow from about 1980-1983 with Fred and Pauline which I loved. We learned basic Cha Cha, Rhumba and Waltz amongst others and took our exams up to Gold. Then we stopped going, I can't remember why. I would have been about 13yrs old.
My sister says of my reminiscing that the older I get, the better I was, but I did have an aptitude for it and I remember it fondly.
So this year in March, aged 45yrs I finally got the courage to get a few girlfriends together to try out a local Cuban Salsa class.
I was very nervous on our first lesson and my brain was in overload so I made a fair few mistakes. The class consists of an hour beginners, an hour intermediate/advanced and an hour of freestyle club dancing. I threw myself in at the deep end with my usual gusto and I fell in love.....quite literally ;)
It has been the absolute highlight of my year so far.

I long for Monday. The rest of the week is just marking time until I can dance again, unfortunately I can only afford to do one class a week.
It is so addictive and empowering to learn a new skill and the basics I learnt as a child held me in  good stead. I am a fast learner and I hope a fairly competent dancer.
Diane said last night how confident I looked on the dance floor and I took that as a huge compliment. She remarked how my confidence has grown and much of that is not down to the lessons but to the generosity of some of the male dance partners who have taken time to teach me.

When I dance I feel completely liberated, I forget everything, I am consumed with joy and all my troubles and stress melt away. We laugh so much every week, it's a great class and it's good for my soul.
There occasions where left and right bamboozle me and my balance fails me. 50% clutz and 50% cancer meds but luckily most of my partners know this and are quite adept at catching me and not letting me spin right off the dance floor.
Some nights are more eventful than others, last night during the advance lesson my partner managed to grab my boob instead of my shoulder during a turn which caused a lot of laughter and teasing.
He was so embarrassed but you just have to laugh it off. These things happen......it was my real one as well......he's the first man to get that close to my boobs apart from my plastic surgeon in 5 yrs!!!!
Then dancing with another partner throwing in a complicated move I wasn't expecting resulted to an elbow in the face, BAM right under my eye on my cheekbone. I barely missed a step but boy it hurt, I was convinced I'd have a shiner today but I was ok.
 There have been various clothing malfunctions men getting caught up in my sleeves etc and I often come home with a bruise or two. I've even been known to stand on my own feet and sometimes my poor knees hurt so much the next day but it is all worth it.
You have to get used to dancing with all sorts including some you'd rather not. Sometimes it is just hard to follow their lead, on rare occasions there has been inappropriate behaviour, yes we are talking salsa boners and they needed putting in their place, that person has now left thank goodness.
You have to get used to getting up close and personal which involves sweat and personal hygiene can sometimes be an issue but you have to take the rough with the smooth. I have my favourite partners
of course, I'm sure we all do, ones where it just flows naturally. Any one who knows little miss OCD will know what a challenge that can all be but it's totally worth it.
Thank God for antibacterial gel!
 The class dynamic is a bit like being at High School again. You have the clique, the second tier, the loners.
It sounds a bit princessy but I have never had any trouble making new friends despite more often than not feeling quite shy, insecure and out of my depth but I blag it well because I am sarcastic and gobby. I already have a new nickname 'trouble' but I am an introverted extrovert.
I have made lots of lovely friends, the kind that you just click with and know are here to stay and others that are harder work and you just have to accept that they smile to your face but their actions speak louder than their words.  At the end of the day that is their problem and I am learning not to take it on board. If you have to try that hard then it is not meant to be.

All in all I love my life and love to dance and I dance from my heart.

And a Hey Nonny Nonny

G

I am a frequent visitor to Southbank, it's one of my favourite places in London but I have never visited the Globe Theatre until this week.

Beth had a placement there this summer as a wardrobe assistant during rehearsals for 'Much Ado about Nothing' ( or Much Ado about something as she called it as a child ) and they gave her 2 tickets as a thank you.

I had taken her a few years ago to see the David Tennant / Catherine Tate version which was a modern version set in the 80s and we enjoyed it but this was to be a whole different experience.

The original Globe was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company and it was destroyed by fire in 1613. The theatre as it stands now was built 750ft from the original site in 1997 and is magnificent. Nestled between modern buildings and dwarfed by the Tate sitting on the bank of the mighty Thames opposite St Paul's Cathederal.

There are 3 tiers of seating or you can stand in the Yard. Originally those too poor to pay for seats could stand in the Yard for a penny giving them the nickname 'penny stinkers' or 'groundlings' inflation has raised the price to £5 now days but that's still pretty good value and to be honest now I've been there, hard as it is to stand for 2 hrs 40 mins after a day's work on my feet, it is in my opinion the best experience. 

The actors interact with the standing crowd in a way that just doesn't happen in any other theatre setting. They threw oranges at us and a tub of water down the steps. They could catch your eye, lean in and touch you and respond to heckling or a sneeze from the audience. It is very interactive and you feel part of a very unique experience.

Much ado being a comedy ( and one of my very favourites ) lends itself very well to this. It might be a more arduous task to stand for 3 hrs of Richard III or Macbeth!!

The cast was just 8 actors with them doubling up on parts. Men played women and women men.

Beatrice and Benedick were a delight, sparring with zest at each other and Christopher Harper gave an impressive performance. The best Benedick by far that I've seen. 

Alex Mugnaioni also gave a stellar performance as Dogberry a role that Michael Keaton in the Kenneth Branagh film proved can be very difficult to get right!

I would recommend everyone to visit and take in a performance if they can. For £5 there is no reason not to give it a go......only let me know because I'd like to come too!

Agistri

I have never considered myself much of a beach holiday girl. I don't like sand and the sun doesn't like me. I'm not a strong swimmer and I find it hard to relax and do nothing but this year has been a revelation to me. I have surprised myself!

It has been 9 yrs since my last beach holiday. Luca would have been 10yrs and Beth 13yrs.
I always dreaded holidays when I was married they made me feel anxious. My ex was never good company and I would walk a tightrope waiting for him to drink too much and loose his temper a bit like at home but amplified x10. That or he'd just sod off and leave me for days/ nights with 2 small children and go off clubbing with the local barman! Our ideas for a holiday were vastly different and there was also the inevitable accident or illness and a trip to the local hospital to look forward to.

I never got to read a book as I was constantly doing the Meercat Mummy thing searching to keep my babies in my sight whilst reading the same lines over and over.

Now they are 19yrs and 22yrs and paid their own way and did their own thing and for the first time I was able to really relax and not worry about anything. It was totally chilled and lovely to spend time with them and the rest of my family who I love to bits.

We were in a big family group. Mum and her husband Eddie who have been calling this island home for 15 + years, my sister Jo and her husband Glen, Brian ( Eddies cousin) and his wife Seema and there 2 boys who have been coming out for 11yrs,  my cousin Carrie and her daughter, me and mine.

Agistri is beautiful. A tiny lush and green island in the Saronic Sea. It is an idyllic Isle.

The journey is a pain. 3 hr flight, 40 min taxi to the port and then an hour and a half on a Ferry which aren't very frequent so lots of hanging around but it is well worth the hassle. 

Despite relying on tourists for its economy it doesn't feel touristy. No English/ Irish sports bars with all day English breakfasts and football on a widescreen thank God! It is quite unspoilt although every restaurant did have good wifi so you could keep in touch with the outside world if you so chose. There is one nightclub out of the main hub if you want it but it's hardly Aiya Napa! 

Our hotel was right on the beach. It was family run and they were so accommodating, nothing was too much trouble and because we were there with people who knew the owners of our hotel and most of the others and restaurants we were welcomed in like family.

I swam in the beautiful Saronic sea multiple times a day, the bay is calm and blue and shallow enough for even me to feel confident. My sister described me as being like a cat around water and she's not wrong. I have been known to not even get in the pool on holiday!

I read my book - Tolstoys Anna Karenina. I like a challenge and love Russian classics. 

I had a Thai massage on the beach on my sunbed and just relaxed.

We ate in some lovely restaurants, we didn't have a bad meal anywhere although a few dishes got lost in translation. The salad with 'red beans' turned out not to be kidney beans as I thought but baked beans! Quite bizzare, my face was quite a picture.

We had late night drinks on the beach with the waves lapping the shore a foot away and late night drinks around the pool with Michail ( the owner of our hotel ) and Yanni ( a policeman from Athens ) discussing the Greek male opinion, philosophy and world politics till 3 am.

I don't know what took me so long to get to Agistri as Mum has been nagging us to come for years but it is one of those places that I know I will return to again. Perhaps not for 15 yrs straight as there are so many other places to see in the world but it really was quite magical. 

A week was too short. Mum and Eddie are out there for 7 weeks which sounds quite heavenly.

I left a piece of my heart there which I shall have to go back to find.