Weekend

I’ve just been to the gym, had an intense session on the rowing machine (well, intense for me) and felt marvellous about myself. Then came home and had a cup of tea and a Moomin cookie and felt even better. Life is all about balance, people.

Speaking of delicious things, my weekend got off to an excellent start thanks to a San Marino croissant and hot chocolate with my pals on Saturday morning. It’s just on the corner by Brixton train station and is the best hot chocolate in the area, hands down. The staff are great and so funny, and it’s mega good value (£2.90 for a massive hot choc and a massive croissant). Plus they now do a loyalty card which I am powering my way through.

The aforementioned Moomin cookies were made this weekend in honour of my mate Charlotte (@thepigeonloft) who came over for a Nurse Jackie series 3 marathon during the day. I’m a huge fan of Nurse Jackie thanks to Charles and our friend Laurie who both basically bullied me into watching it, and I’m glad they did. It’s dark and funny and cool, and returns to (American) TV next week for series 4… Hurry up and get over here please! It also stars the fabulous Eve Best, who basically made up our entire weekend.

On Saturday evening we saw her in the opening night of the Duchess of Malfi at the Old Vic, and sat in the very front row. It was amazing, we had under-25 tickets for £12 and were so lucky to be there. Our view was immense and it was so nice to actually be able to see the actor’s expressions for once (I appreciate a cheap upper circle seat as much as anyone, but after my row W seat at Wicked, it was nice to feel I might actually recognise the actors if I met them in the street…). Charles also got spat on a bit though, so swings and roundabouts. We also spotted Kevin Spacey, the sort of executive producer of the whole thing, in the Pit Bar (I was enjoying a Cointreau and lemonade, my new favourite drink. So retro) and he was surprisingly petite with good glasses. The play itself was very atmospheric, really well acted, and I was totally engrossed by the whole thing despite Webster’s slightly arcane language and never having read it. Eve Best gave a stunning performance as the Duchess and managed to bring the touch of lightness and humour that she always brings, and which makes her roles so much more accessible and just enjoyable. We did have a slightly too close-up view of all the death scenes (sorry to ruin it for anyone but they play is like, a few hundred years old). Essentially everyone dies at the end, and the scene where the Duchess is strangled to death was pretty disturbing and well done, but did make me chuckle a bit. I just couldn’t help it.

Thanks to Charles’s know-how, we also hit a free screening of Hedda Gabler at the V&A on Sunday, as part of their series of National Video Archive performances which are running until the end of April. This was the performance from 2005 at the Almeida theatre, also starring Eve Best and a certain Benedict Cumberbatch (yes, of looking like otters fame). So nice to sit in a beautiful lecture theatre on a surprisingly comfy bench and be treated to such an excellent performance, which I had regretted not being able to see in the theatre. It was a grippingly simple play and I’m going to have to read it now, to try and understand a bit more about the characters – particularly Hedda, who is essentially a bit of a mental. (You can see I totally should have done English at uni…) Anyway, I’m very grateful to the V&A for putting on such a brilliant event and for being so accommodating.

Taken half way through eating... 
couldn't hold myself in.

Sunday also involved a lot of gelato – firstly at an old favourite, Gelupo in Soho, who are giving away free scoops of their wonderful gelato and sorbet if you write your favourite flavour on their Facebook wall. So completely worth it; I already loved them but now my admiration knows no bounds. I had chocolate and blood orange sorbets, an excellent combination. Charles had rhubarb crumble and ‘Buddha’s hand’, which was a sort of green tea flavour. Seriously good things. We also made our way to Gino Gelato near Charing Cross that afternoon, to sample their new Japanese inspired flavours, and I have to say the red miso caramel was seriously good.

Buy this card.

Generally delicious times this weekend, and very lovely to see Charles (who may be starting a new blog herself soon, and rest assured I’ll be recommending it to you if she does). She also has some crocheted friends of hers currently starring on an M&S Easter card (see photo for proof), so if you’re in need of something cute to send this Easter, that’s my recommendation. I bought some myself today and had a little boast to the lady at the till. So proud.

Anyway, that’s more than enough from me. See you on Friday for another weird album and a review of Thursday’s SHINS concert!! Whee.

Brixpig x