Established way back in 1707, this store has seen so much history and change over it's time, but from almost the beginning it was a place that served royalty. Today, you can find plenty of things with the Royal patent, and several tea blends like the Queens Blend (her favourite), Wedding Breakfast (created for the …
Continue reading An Afternoon at London’s Fortnum & Mason Department Store.
Every now and then people will wrinkle an eye brow at me and ask about my accent. They usually guess Canadian, but I'm Australian. It's almost always followed up with questions about why I'm crazy enough to have moved from paradise to London... A week or two ago I wrote a bit about how I …
Continue reading My life as a writer and blogger…and why I hate the phrase “you’re so lucky”.
There's nothing quite like the afternoon quiet time, when you can reward yourself for the mornings work with a delicious cup of herbal tea, or curling up with a book and a pot of fragrant brew while the rain beats on your window pane. I'm a huge tea fan, and like to try new varieties, …
I'm kind of surprised that I'd never heard of this place before! I came across it one Saturday night in East London, after leaving a rather disappointing event early, and wandering along at a bit of a loose end on the way to get some sushi. The place has a calm, slightly academic atmosphere and …
Continue reading Coffee, Screenings and DVD Library at the Close Up Film Centre, London.
Ever since I was a little girl I've loved when the post came in. Back home, I used to run to the gate when the postman or postwoman came past with her red bag. I was a lucky kid because my Dad, who lived about 12 hours away, would pretty regularly send my brother and …
Continue reading This Weeks Mood and The Lost Art Of Letter Writing
This is one of the stories about London that I love. Years ago, back in 1914, a young Canadian had joined the military and was on his way to join the Veterinary Corps. His name was Lt Harry Colebourn, and he is said to have been a kind hearted man. On his way through Ontario, …
Continue reading Winnie the Bear: the Bear Behind the Books.
Although it's well written, capturing the mood and language of it's era, this book failed to really grab me. It follows the lives of a brother and sister, James and Charlotte, who have no one in the world except each other, until time and social circumstances pull them apart. But when something supernatural happens that …
For those of us from the new world, the age of cities like London can be a little mind blowing. London, especially in the square mile, is full of little alleyways, court yards and tiny churches with cobblestones and beautiful old buildings. If you leave the broader streets, you'll come across little restaurants, odd bars …
Continue reading Ghosts Of London: a walking tour through the alleys and by ways.
Ackroyd is one of those writers who is passionate and knowledgable without ever being dull. Having read his biography of London years ago, I was a fan, and after completing the last few books by Dickens last year that I hadn't already read, I thought it was time to read a biography, and was delighted …
I grew up on the books of Charles Dickens. I cried when Dora Spenlow died, and was shocked by Miss Havisham in her crumbling wedding dress and her ward Estella. Dickens created such memorable characters and his plots have always kept me on the edge of my seat or glued to the fireside. I guess …
Continue reading 48 Doughty Street, the house where Charles Dickens wrote Oliver Twist.
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