The Victorian factor

My story about this large-scale renovation on a London house is published in the current issue of Renovate Magazine (click here to read).

Lovely London

I once spent almost five years living in the English capital, easily one of the best times of my life. I've returned many times since and although London has chiseled a special place in my heart, I'm not sure I'd want to live there now (different age and stage, mainly).

Plus, we missed the terrorist attack last Wednesday by mere hours; it's a scary world we live in which makes me even more thankful for quiet wee Aotearoa.

But we had fun in London, from a night at the West End show Dreamgirls, and a BritMovie tour of Sherlock and Harry Potter filming locations to a visit to the National Portrait Gallery, the V&A and the brand, spanking new Design Museum. I even managed to squeeze in a bit of shopping and a quick coffee with my old BBC mate, Kurt (no visit to London is complete without seeing him).

It was a jam-packed three night visit but, as always, London delivered the goods.

        

Bristol, Bath and London - here I come!

The media trip has finally been approved - next Wednesday I'll be one of three journos flying Qatar Airways' new Auckland to Doha service, and then onto London for a 10-day media trip to my old stomping ground of Bristol (as well as Bath and London).

It's been a couple of years since I was in the UK so am really looking forward to seeing my old mates (hopefully there will be some free time!)

Woop woop - a great way to start a Friday.

Visuals from the Animator on our last visit to Bath when we were hosted by Bath Tourism for a story a few years back.

  

Martini Masterclass

My story on the martini masterclass we did last November as guests of the stunning Egerton House Hotel in London's Chelsea was published in the NZ Herald  yesterday (click here to read).

It was all kinds of fun and even though I spent most of the evening swaddled in a vodka duvet, I learned such useful life lessons as a martini should never be shaken or stirred (take that, Mr Bond), vodka martinis aren't as dry as their gin counterparts, and the alcohol should be kept at a strict -22C temperature.

Thanks to Red Carnation Hotels and the gorgeous bartender Esley for the fun evening. Pics, of course, by the Animator.

Lovely London

It has been a whirlwind two days.

Sunday night I was fortunate to get  lift from Heathrow into London with a friend of the other Kiwi journo on the media trip. An Aussie lawyer who has lived in London for 30 years, my transport angel had a lovely new Merc and it was so much more civilised than crowding onto the Tube with almost every other human being in this city.

Our luck got even better when the hotel the accommodation the PR put us into, the Egerton House Hotel, upgraded us to one of their two suites. It featured two bathrooms and two sitting rooms, each of which was bigger than the average London flat. Did I mention it was five star? The Animator was beside himself with joy.

The rest of the time has been filled with shopping, eating and drinking, including a calorific afternoon tea at the Egerton which was followed by its famous martini masterclass for a story. I now know the difference between shaken, stirred and dirty martinis (and have the hangover to prove it). The Animator took some amazing snaps which I shall share once he converts them from raw files.

The hotel also threw us a couple of tix to the ever wonderful V&A - I last crossed the threshold to this venerable old museum  years ago for a swanky black-tie function. Today, I didn't spend nearly enough time checking out the wedding dress exhibition, which featured frothy confections from 1775 to the current day, while the Animator revelled in the Constable exhibition.

A highlight of our fleeting stay has been catching up with a couple of the Animator's previous colleagues and my lovely, lovely mate Kurt who I worked with at the BBC about the same time the unicorns were refusing to get on the ark. I missed Kurt when I was here in June, so it was all manner of lovely to catch up.

This morning there was an interview with an amazing Kiwi chef, one half of a leading celebrity foodie couple, and an interesting encounter with a drugged-out wide-boy in an alleyway near her Shoreditch restaurant (which I must incorporate in the story).

Tomorrow we schlep out to Heathrow and hours and hours of flying. Goodbye London, as always, it's been fun...

Apologies for the lack of photos; there has been a slight incident with a leaking water bottle and my handbag; suffice to say I am more than ready for a new iPhone.

   

Enroute to London

We are currently camped out at Schipol Airport, waiting for our flight to the seven circles of hell that is Heathrow.

It was a wrench to leave the SS Antoinette in Basel, Switzerland this morning. I had wondered how long I could remain undetected if I hid in the shower.

I am now 33% food, 33% alcohol and 33% lard. Operation Get Rid of Fat Arse begins as soon as I get home.

Today's visuals are of yesterday's trip to the cutest wee French town, Colmar. I am missing Continental Europe already.

Our last day in London

was filled with sunshine, shopping, a pub lunch and the most divine hand massages at the Jo Malone counter in Selfridges.

Am now in Bristol and it's lovely to be staying with my old mates Frenchie and Martin. Need to start scaling work mountain but once that's done I am off to reacquaint myself with my old stomping ground.

 

Oh Vienna

A less than stellar week (too many deadlines, people flipping out, etc) ended on a fantastically high note - I was offered a media famil on a cruise from Vienna to Budapest in the first week of June! I was last in these parts about four years ago, again on a media trip, and all I can remember about Vienna is a gi-normous Zara (where, of course, I spent up large) and cafe after cafe filled with sachertorte that was like a snog from an angel.

But wait, there's more: when I asked the PR company in Sydney if I could tack on a week in the UK afterwards, they agreed! So although I didn't manage to get to Bristol and London in March, looks like I am going to see my lovely mates in June.

Tonight, I am well and truly on my way to Happy Town.

   (Pics of Vienna: Google Images)

Hong Kong and UK, here I come!

Eight hundred and seventy three emails later (I can, it seems, never pass up an opportunity to exaggerate), and my media trip to HK and Europe seems to be coming together.

Well at least my comped flights with the marvellous Cathay Pacific are sorted, anyway. Baby steps.

Missives are currently flying across the world to set up lunches, dinners and sleep-overs with mates in HK, London and Bristol. I especially CANNOT wait to see my besties Anita, Frenchie and Yoma in Bristol.

In the meantime, there is a stupidly long list of stuff to tick off. But at least I finally have some kind of traction...

     
(Pic credit: Vivienne Westwood)