Tapas, fireworks, mulled wine and books.

“Well, I want to make my own mind up on something before I’m told what to think or feel or believe. Does that make sense? Filmmakers will give you their vision of the story, which whether you agree with it or not, will never be as authentic and real to you if you had read the novel itself.”

This past weekend has been everything an autumn/winter weekend in London should be – full of food, drink, fireworks and of course cosying up with a book (more on that later).

After a very productive week at work, I met up with an old Uni friend (Emma) for tapas and sangria at Iberica right by Farringdon station, for a much needed catch up. 

We hadn’t been in touch since Uni, so reconnecting was a very welcomed surprise! We chatted over plates of bread and oil, chorizo and cheese before delving into the menu and selecting ‘Ham Croquettas’, ‘Chorizo Lollipops’ (we both really like chorizo) and ‘Patatas Bravas’ which in my opinion should be compulsory with any tapas order. Turns out Emma had been travelling as well, and like me had been to Australia and New Zealand so we had A LOT of travel notes to compare. We talked about our jobs and future plans over a desert of churros and cheesecake before having a quick cocktail in Bar Smith then heading home at 10ish (Fridays are reserved for going out, Saturdays are for going out out). Isn’t it lovely when you haven’t seen someone in ages (3 years to be exact!) and you can pick up where you left off? 🙂

Saturday was very much a lazy day. I had a lovely lie in, did a quick Metafit workout in the flat (which my glutes are still paying for) then took my time to get ready for the Battersea Park fireworks. Now, since going back to blonde my hair (as expected) has become pretty dry, especially in this cold weather. So I tried out the Toni and Guy Damage Repair mask I’d bought at Boots earlier in the week and thankfully it worked a treat! For the first time in ages my hair felt healthy (er) and straightened so much better than it has in forever – so yes I’d recommend it!

The fireworks at Battersea Park were A-M-A-Z-I-N-G – I had the best night with Lou from work.We headed straight for a mulled wine as soon as we reached the event area, which we then happily sipped as the bonfire was lit and the flame throwing acrobats started. Grabbing a bite to eat was next on the list before the display started so we headed to a burger van (obviously) and waited for about 45 minutes to be served. Now, perhaps we’ve just been in London too long or we just had a lot to chat about but neither of us batted an eyelid at the length of the wait and before we knew it we had a burger in one hand and some chips in the other. We even managed to sneak in another mulled wine before shuffling forward for a good view of the display.

The music started and off it went…firework after firework lighting up the dark sky with flashes of gold, purple, red, blue and green. And best of all, the explosions coincided with the rhythm and lyrics of the songs. When Bon Jovi’s Living on a Prayer blasted out of the speakers everyone joined in, singing along as the fireworks went off at the exact right moment – it was incredible! 

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The atmosphere made you forget how cold it was and it was so easy to then get out of the park afterwards – well done to the organisers, they really pulled this one-off.  I’d definitely recommend Battersea Park Fireworks if you’re ever planning  a trip to the Big Smoke for Bonfire night. Afterwards, we snuck in a few drinks at a pub in Victoria, aptly named The Victoria, before heading home at 11ish.

I indulged my inner book nerd on Sunday afternoon (after an amazing brunch of bacon and egg sandwiches of course) by exploring the charming bookshops hidden in the streets of Central London. I headed to the London Review Bookshop in Holborn after reading about it on Time Out. On route I stumbled across a cute little stamp shop that lived next door which, as a former Paperchase girl, was my idea of heaven. They had so many cool, quirky stamps and a tonne of other crafting materials I had to fight the urge to buy stuff, knowing very well that I have a load of craft stuff at home that hasn’t been touched in months.

The London Review Bookshop was everything you’d want from a booksellers – cosy, quiet and packed with stories from every corner of the globe, stories from the past, the present and the future, some that told you of heartbreak, some that told you of triumph and somewhere amongst all of them would be the one that would become your new favourite.

As an English Literature graduate I could never fall out of love with books. Even as a little girl, the library was heaven. Spending hours deciding what to read next, what world to enter and which characters to become attached to is probably the reason I studied English Literature and continue to love reading now.
Just watch the film some people say. If I know there is a film version of a book that is set to be released soon, I wouldn’t think about seeing it until I read the book. Why? Well, I want to make my own mind up on something before I’m told what to think or feel or believe. Does that make sense? Filmmakers will give you their vision of the story, which whether you agree with it or not, will never be as authentic and real to you if you had read the novel itself. That’s why, after then spending the next hour in Waterstones weighing up my options I went for The Light Between Oceans by M.L Stedman, a novel that is set to be released as a movie in the next few weeks.

Of course that was my plan anyway. What I hadn’t factored in was the fact that I would get chatting to the lady at the till and as a result leave the book on the till counter. Fast forward two hours and I arrived home, emptied my bag and was utterly heartbroken (I’m not even exaggerating) at the fact that it wasn’t at the bottom, hiding under my food shopping, as I thought it would be. I quickly emailed the Waterstones TCR store, even sending them a tweet, as I was desperate to find out if I’d left it in store or misplaced it in Sainsburys. Thankfully, on Monday afternoon, the lovely staff got in touch to say I had in fact left it at the till and that they’d put it to one side for me to collect. I was absolutely buzzing at work when I read the tweet/email. Unless you are a book nerd like me this whole scenario will seem pretty ridiculous I know, but when you spend hours choosing a story that you think will have some profound effect on your life, you will do anything you can to make sure you read it. So today, after work, I will be heading back to Waterstones TCR to collect said book and will most likely dive straight into it on the tube journey home. Any other Londoner will confirm that, when travelling on the underground, it is 100% necessary to temporarily occupy your mind in an alternate universe, as this is the only thing that will make that half hour journey seem like five minutes.

And finally, to end my perfect winter weekend I saw some more fireworks (it was free entry so why not) at Victoria Park with my flatmates. With a hotdog in one hand, which I’m ashamed to say was £6 and a hot chocolate in the other (only £2 thank goodness) we watched the display. It was equally as wonderful as the Battersea display, although it did feature a strangely scary poem to commemorate the Great Fire of London on its 350 year anniversary.

Now that Bonfire night is over there is only one big event left…yes you guessed it, Christmas! And I have to say, although the build up has only just begun with light switch on’s and the occasional glimpse of mince pies in the Coop, I already know that December in London is going to be one to remember. And I can’t bloody wait!