Twenty Thirteen

Hello darlings! Happy new year to you all. It’s been a while – as is tradition, let us not dwell on my neglect, but speed through a general catch up! Let’s bullet point shall we?

Over October, November and December, other than the proper updates below, I done the following:

• Watched The Sound of Music on a big screen sitting on the monument in Newcastle, hurling abuse at men in a cherry-picker who decided to take down the Paralympics flags in front of the screen during the balcony scene.
• Watched my brother, his girlfriend and a variety of other friends do the Great North Run. Psychos.
• Saw my pal Matt from work and his band, the brilliant Klak Tik (@KlakTik), perform at Cargo in Shoreditch. (No official review because I think it’d be weird to review someone I work with but basically – they are great. Listen to them).
• Oooohed and aaaahed at the Brockwell Park fireworks. Some excellent music co-ordination this year, not least the One Direction inspired finale – who could ask for more.
• Saw Mamma Mia at the Novello Theatre as a birthday treat from my two pals. In summary: good, but not as good as the film.
• Mini-breaked to Sheffield, where we ventured to Hardwick Hall and picnicked in the freezing cold, bought cushion making material, created Jamie Oliver risotto (nice, lemony), watched The 5 Year Engagement (shit) and The Debt (Helen Mirren, Nazis, gore – amazing), and Sunday lunched in a delicious pub whose name I cannot remember, but which had excellent barmen and a pleasing selection of ales. Delightful.
• Saw Jumpy again with my flatmate, and found it as hilarious as the first time. Tamsin Greig is a legend.
• Did my traditional trip to the Harrogate Christmas Craft Fair, which was exactly the same as ever and saw me dragging an enormous sack of cheese home on the train.
• Headed over to the Scandinavian Christmas market at the Norwegian and Finnish churches in Canada Water – Moomin merchandise, husky photo opportunities (the dogs, not just Swedes with sore throats), glogg and waffles. Festive.
• Hit the Southbank winter festival and had a go at lighting up the Christmas tree by cycling like a loon on the energy bike things.
• Hopped over to Tallinn (in Estonia) for a festive mini-break with a pal, where I wore more layers than ever before (-12° people), inhaled excessive amounts of glogi then used the cold to cure my hangovers (every morning), had a medieval banquet finished off with rose pudding and a mead, experienced an Estonian Indian dinner (moose korma all the way), visited the Toompea (best name ever), witnessed Estonian karaoke in an Irish bar, failed at Estonian nightlife, and minced along the city walls terrified of falling off. Epic.
• Saw Florence and the Machine again at the O2 who were epically beautiful as usual. Was my friend’s first ever gig and I think she enjoyed it, apart from the surprisingly large number of fights that broke out in the crowd and afterwards… Lots of lady rage going on. Unexpected.

Now we’re back up the present day and what a RELIEF. Resolution – update more swiftly. It’ll never happen.

Coming up!

- Beach House at Shepherd’s Bush Empire in March

- Lana del Rey at Hammersmith Apollo in May

Brixpig x

Vauxhall Roller Disco

When: Saturday 8th September

Where: Vauxhall, under a bridge

Why: What better way to celebrate turning 26 than on wheels?

I heard about the roller disco from an old work friend, who spent her birthday there last year, and it seems that everyone has heard of it but not many people have actually been. You should go. You get to dress up, get involved with a glow stick or two, and they play amazing 70s and retro music as well as more modern stuff (and as we discovered, brilliant mash-ups). So I gathered my favourite people for a birthday extravaganza: a dinner of amazing burgers and the best rum and chocolate milkshakes around at Bukowski (@BukowskiGrill) in Market Row, a quick spot of neon face painting and a whole lot of skating.

I had cockily assumed I’d be alright at rolling around as I can ice-skate a bit, but boy was I wrong. Totes different technique. I was almost instantly seized on by an “instructor” who got my evening off to a terrible start by bossing the crap out of me and refusing to leave me alone (or help me up when she basically made me fall over). I have an irrational aversion to being told what to do and so I got into a strop and had to sit down with a beer for a while before braving the floor again (and staying away from her). After that things massively improved, we all got into our stride and headed for the speedier rink at the back (there are two, one for beginners and one for the reckless) and had a zoom around in the dry ice. We ended up skating for over three hours (with pauses for a bottle of Ginger Joe in between, obv) which I was fairly impressed with, and no serious injuries were sustained. I fell over four times, and woke up the next day literally crippled. I had to drag myself to the loo in the morning bent double and unable to flex any limb. It was worth it though, and the evening was super fun. The atmosphere was lovely (apart from some grumpy staff) and it wasn’t too full which was great, lots of space to hurtle into people. The music was absolutely brilliant and exactly my taste (this was a Saturday night – I think it varies on different nights). The toilets were hilariously difficult to navigate on wheels, but it was all part of the entertainment. I would definitely recommend it and will be straight back there once my limbs have recovered.

The rest of my birthday weekend passed in similarly dignified fashion, as we travelled in style on the Brockwell Park little train (@BrockwellTrain) for the second year running. This is a new yearly tradition I’m coercing my friends into, but I think they secretly love it. Or they love me enough to pretend they do, which is the main thing. We were recognised from last year and the train’s owners have said that if I let them know when we’re coming next year, they’ll get me a card! Love the little train. I also got to sit at the front with the driver and toot the horn, which was a blast. The kids were so jealous. I just think the train is the cutest thing ever and advise anyone, kidlet or grownup, to go for a ride if you’re in the area (quick, before it closes for winter!).

Brixpig x