Indian summer in London...

The sun has got his hat on, hip hip hip hooray, the sun has got his hat on and he's coming out to play!


Well, what an amazing week of hot hot heat we've had here in London Town! Sure, we are used to having Indian summers in early to mid September, but to have 30c heat in late September into October is nothing short of awesome.














Apparently the last time temperatures soared to such high temperatures at this time of year was back in 1895. So, it's been a long time coming, but I'm really glad that London has witnessed sweltering short-shorts weather in October 2011!


Of course, being a fan of warmer climates, I relished the opportunity to spend as much time outdoors as possible. This included picnics, reading in the garden, eating ice lollies, venturing to various parks and cruising on the Thames. This blonde even had her roots done (*ahem*, I mean, I'm a natural blonde) whilst sitting out in the garden.












I'm glad to have had the opportunity for some summer lovin' with my sweetheart here in London, although being so spoilt with sunshine is making me dread the winter months and having to wrap up warm whilst sliding all over the pavements in the snow...so for now, I will keep on clinging to those last days of summer and eat another ice lollie...

I love it when we're cruisin' together....

I took advantage of the fantastic weather and a bargaintastic 2-for-1 river cruise voucher yesterday, grabbed my sweetheart and set sail aboard the Millennium of Peace...




Taking a trip on the City Cruises fleet of Thames excursion vessels is a great (and relaxing) way to see much of London's architecture, whilst being regaled with all sorts of interesting facts and anecdotes by the shipmates.














Along the course of the river, I discovered, amongst other things, that the Waterloo Bridge was built by women, that Charles Dickens lived in the attic above The Grapes pub, that a bottle of Perrier water in the restaurant on the top floor of the OXO Tower will set you back 7 squids, that the architect of The Shard (which will open in 2012) will receive the penthouse of the building as payment, and that Cleopatra's Needle (awarded to Nelson for beating Napoleon) is the oldest thing in London.




We took the boat from Westminster Pier, and it travels to Tower Bridge and then Greenwich. We hopped off at Greenwich to look around for a couple of hours...and by 'look around', I mean, hunt for ice cream!




Our ice cream mission was easy to complete, so we also had time to walk up to the Observatory and check out the Greenwich Mean Time line, look around some vintage shops in the town centre, and generally wander about in the sunshine.










Our trip on the way back was super romantic as the sun was setting, and it felt peaceful and serene traveling along the water. As well as feeling loved up with my sweetheart, I also had one of those I love London moments, which, when you live in one of the best cities in the world, is unavoidable and quite frequent.

Wild West Hampstead Honky Tonk

It was an absolute treat to see Lynette Morgan & the Blackwater Valley Boys play The Alliance pub in West Hampstead last Saturday night. Not only was this gig free and within walking distance from my house (which is a result in itself) but the band were awesome and put on a super fun and lively show!




This country rockabilly band oozed authentic Americana...and then spoke with English accents! In fact, my sweetheart Aaron was the only American at the honky tonk that night, which was amusing to me....






Lynette Morgan is a true delight, with killer dress-sense (I had outfit envy) and a real enthusiasm for performing, which shone through in their music.




They played two sets featuring a selection of their own original songs, as well as some classics by artists such as Billy Haley, Wanda Jackson and Patsy Cline. Everyone in the band had a turn at singing, with some of them also switching instruments and places, which was cool as it mixed things up a bit, adding variety to the night.






In fitting tribute, they included a couple of Hank Williams songs, as September 17th would have been his 88th birthday. In fact after listening to their rendition of Long Gone Lonesome Blues, I have had the song stuck in my head for the past few days...and poor Aaron is the one who has had to listen to my incessant attempts at yodeling....








I only found out about the show 2 days before it took place, and I'm so glad I did! This gig proved to be an intimate affair attended by locals, rockabilly enthusiasts and a few of my close friends. The atmosphere was great, and for anyone hankering for a honky tonkin' good time, I would highly recommend going to see this band.

A Summer Scoop of Dirty Dancing

Two things I really enjoy: warm summer evenings and watching my all time favourite movie, Dirty Dancing. So when the two combined last Friday night, the Brown Swayze and I went along for some 80s-does-50s dancing and romancing.






The setting for the movie was by the Thames at The Scoop amphitheatre, which is located in front of City Hall by Tower Bridge. Various movies are being screened throughout the month of September, every Thursday and Friday, for free. This outdoor cinema seats up to 800 people, and it was already pretty full when we got there around 45 minutes before the movie started, so it is advisable to arrive early, find a good spot and have a picnic whilst you wait for the film to begin.






We took along a nice selection of picnic snacks, as well as a blanket and cushions, so we were quite comfortable, especially as the weather was lovely and it stayed warm into the night, no jackets required.










It was very romantic watching the movie under the stars with my sweetheart, and the crowd was great, singing along to all the songs and cheering at all the right moments - clearly, I am not the only die-hard Dirty Dancing fan out there...




Aaron and I got up and had a dance as the credits rolled at the end of the movie, and although there were no watermelons in sight, we had the time of our lives...