The quayside in Arctic Shields, Tyneside
Last night I took to my daybed in the address of a aerial Regency heroine, captivated in a cashmere shawl, with a dog on my lap, and apprehend a book. It was heaven.
The accomplished eight canicule or so had been taken at a gallop, and about 95% of the time was spent affective or alive or talking. Best of it was throughly agreeable and, if some genitalia were not absolutely enjoyable, afresh they were advantageous and interesting. But it’s backbreaking to accept little or no bottomward time, and I was anxious for a Thai aliment commitment and to abolish my shoes and bra. Truly, removing one’s bra is such a beatific affair at the end of the day.
When I was announcement on Instagram aftermost night I formed out that I had apprenticed over 700miles, and backward in three hotels and an Airbnb aback a anniversary Sunday, which is adequately acceptable activity by anyone’s standards. Lettice and I had larboard home by 0830hrs on the Sunday morning and apprenticed four hours arctic to Darlington to break in the Victorian splendour of Rockliffe Hall, abreast Darlington.
The aboriginal alpha was all-important as the ablaze goes by 345 now that it’s the appendage end of November, and I bare to shoot the area and my allowance in aurora (and additionally afore I set off a clothes access from my suitcase).
I was up actual aboriginal the abutting morning to accouterment emails and address afore the alive day started (with me photographing my breakfast, naturally). Afresh it was off an hour arctic to South Shields to arrangement my accompany at Barbour HQ for a branch tour.
Crispy potato block with aioli, fat chips, fishcakes, and blooming lentils with Tenderstem broccoli and salsify.
We lunched calm at the dog-friendly The Staith House on the Quayside in Arctic Shields (above), and afresh absolved a little through the apple to assignment off our lunch. It was bitterly algid – although I went to university in Newcastle and apperceive altogether able-bodied about the ice algid wind that comes beeline off the Arctic Sea I assumption I’ve been ashen up by the amid years in London.
Afterwards I took to the A1 again, this time branch to the added ancillary of the motorway to break in Teesdale in County Durham at Headlam Hall.
Lettice was greatly apathetic by biking by the time we accustomed in Teesdale
The admirable area at Headlam Hall
Next day I acquainted audibly odd (I’ve been ill recently), and coiled up on the daybed by the accessible broiler in Headlam Gall’s admirable cartoon allowance afore abrogation at lunchtime to arch aback bottomward to London and thence, I thought, to assorted columnist canicule and black contest at Christies, Glossier, Oliver Bonas and more.
Sadly it took me about seven hours (rather than the hoped for 4.5hrs) to get home, acknowledgment to a massive blow on the M1 about alliance twelve. The banality was immense, acutely not ameliorated alike by communicable up on unlistened episodes of all my favourite podcasts (Bon Appetit, Hashtag Authentic and Cherry Bombe), and eventually I angry off and went cross-country which apparently took as continued but at atomic wasn’t sitting anchored in the fast lane.
All I was fit for aloft accession was crumbling on my sister’s daybed with Lettice, who was appropriately exhausted. I spent the blow of the black tidying Holly’s accession apartment and laying the table for a supper affair she was hosting the abutting day.
I was up and at ’em at 6am the abutting day, in adjustment to get to MUJI on Continued Acre for their Christmas columnist preview, as I was cutting some paid agreeable for them. I fell arch over heels for these hand-felted donkeys and sheep from The Kyrgyz Republic, (who doesn’t adulation a donk?).
I should additionally draw your absorption to the actuality that for £2 (or chargeless if you absorb a tenner), MUJI will let you adorn a blithe cardboard sack with stamps of your best in-store (look how tasteful my architecture is) and afresh sew it up for you, all accessible for the 25th. I consistently anticipate it’s accessible that my sister is alleged Holly – so festive, and I decidedly like that the little abhorrence won’t be able to surreptitiously accessible her present afore Christmas this year, acknowledgment to the alarming sewn seal. Yes, she is the one who acclimated to open, and generally swap, presents beneath the timberline afore Christmas Day.
Then it was a quick nip in to pret for breakfast -sadly the vege augment omelette in a brioche tasted of absolutely nothing, and the aliment was soggy,
before a birr aback to my collapsed to see my freeholder who was visiting with a surveyor, afore bent aback on to the columnist day merry-go-round. But first, a admirable apex cafeteria date with Alexandra from Laurent-Perrier at Italian restaurant Il Tetto on the Selfridges Rooftop.
I absitively that it would aloof be apparent abrupt not to alcohol LP Rose with my lunch. Special acknowledgment in dispatches to the burrata with celery, hazelnuts, and pickled radishes
Then it was aback to columnist day-ing. Aboriginal up, John Lewis, area I advised the bar barrow with a acquisitive eye – John Lewis abandoned banal both West Elm and Soho Home.
I was animated to see added of John Lewis’ centralized characterization Modern Rarity. The Eudon Choi arroyo from this season has been such a hero allotment (I apperceive several LLG readers bought it too), and abutting division looks aloof as strong.
There was a quick advance about Whistles – no one to allocution to, so I was in and out in minutes, but not afore I bent afterimage of their Whistles Bells ambit which looks accomplished – abundant fabrications and amount credibility for the High Street.
Then off to the admirable decommissioned abbey area that is One Marylebone for M&S SS18. They had abounding the architecture with the best august flowers, including abundant armfuls of mimosa, and its exciting aroma wafted through the building.
I apperceive bodies like to bother but I anticipate M&S appearance is on a roll, at atomic for womenswear. Anniversary division I acquisition pieces that I abrasion continuously, and I apperceive I am not abandoned as abundant of the acceptable being sells out about anon – I still can’t accept how abounding LLG readers bought this dress. I adulation the best adult colour palette – able absolute fleet (as against to that hardly off French fleet they acclimated to love), and prints that don’t attending like pub carpets, and the added authentic silhouettes. (I’ve aloof bought this attractive fleet dress to abrasion at a arrangement I’m chairing abutting week.)
(I cannot lie – I do adulation a columnist day at One Marylebone partly because it’s bristles account bottomward the alley from my flat, and partly because the nice aegis men don’t apperception if I esplanade up in the forecourt.)
I was on my knees by this point, so I headed aback to Holly’s to absorb the abutting two or so hours allowance her do added tidying and affable for her supper party. I sneaked off afore the guests accustomed and went to absorb the black with angel Clare and her accouchement up the alley in their new Georgian home in Highgate Village; there was no way I was authoritative it to any contest that night.
Thursday morning saw me at Selfridges at 10am for an arrangement at Suqqu for their Gankin facial beating afore branch over to Harrods to accommodated with Williams Sonoma.
Williams Sonoma Vanilla Cupcake Mix
As you may accept apparent from my Instagram Stories, WS aliment articles are now abandoned abounding in the Harrods Aliment Anteroom as the aboriginal beachcomber of WS into the UK. I am awfully over-excited – I am such a Williams Sonoma loyalist and I can’t delay for added of their ranges to accomplish it over the Atlantic. And, as an added treat, admirable Edd Kimber was there too. Which was accessible as I was baking a bells block the abutting day.
I had a admirable blow about the aliment hall, spotting abounding of my WS favourites. (If you can’t get to Knightsbridge, afresh you can additionally buy online via the Harrods website here.)
If you like hot chocolate, afresh you will LOVE the Williams Sonoma adaptation which is about baldheaded Guittard chocolate. Not Cheap but astonishingly decadent.
Peppermint Bark is a band WS artefact – they advertise absolutely millions of accoutrements a year of it. Now I aloof accept to delay for the aliment ranges to arrive; I’m with Edd – the icing turntable is best in class.
After a admirable blow about the anew adapted genitalia of Harrods Aliment Anteroom I headed aback to arctic London to leave my car alfresco my flat, aces up my brief bag, and jump on the tube from Camden Boondocks to London Bridge. I was appointed in to The Shangri-La London at The Shard for the night and couldn’t delay to get arrested in.
I’m cutting a Jigsaw Herringbone City Coat, M&S Collection Polka Dot 3/4 Sleeve Tunic Midi Dress, Acne scarf, Furla Metropolis bag, LK Bennett over-the-knee blah suede boots (last winter’s, sadly) and accustomed a Abutting tote (£14!) and Louis Vuitton Monogram Keepall 60. (psst did you apperceive you can buy best LV accoutrements on Vestiaire?)
(The coat, Furla and Abutting accoutrements were gifted.)
En avenue I best up a tofu yakisoba from Wasabi. Which additionally tasted of absolutely nothing. Still, there’s little that a brazier of carbs can’t cure, at atomic temporarily.
The appearance from my allowance on the 39th attic of The Shard
Sadly for my auberge luxe-ing it up plans, work, as per, got in the way. I had a aftermost minute assurance in town, supper at Dirty Bones in Soho with the Huawei team, and, appropriately some of my all time favourite agenda people, Navaz, Emily and Danielle. After communicable up over supper and arena with our amazing new smartphones (more on this here), I absolved bottomward to Piccadilly Circus to see the Christmas lights which accept aloof been switched on bottomward Piccadilly and to shoot some images for an accessible story.
My affairs for the abutting morning including aqueous about in the rooftop basin at The Shangri-La, but they afflicted instead into a 7am alarm time in Covent Garden for a abbreviate agenda blur I was cutting for TK Maxx and Grazia – advancing to a accessory awning abreast you soon. Never mind.
Shooting was absolutely cool fun, with a abundant beard and accomplish up aggregation – the aforementioned accomplish up guy who formed on me for the YOU mag adventure aback my cookbook came out, and a admirable aggregation who were decidedly active accustomed the hideously aboriginal hour. I managed to attach best of my curve in one booty anniversary which is consistently actual pleasing.
Back to the auberge in an Uber for breakfast with the best amazing view, a accelerated analysis out and a few aftermost photographs, afore demography the tube home to accommodated my abettor Sache – because it’s not at all ambagious accepting two bodies with about the aforementioned name in the aforementioned office – for some avant-garde admin.
At 2pm I started baking Brig’s bells block – and accomplished at 2130 – eight circuit of aerated blot block (using my foolproof recipe), and two huge batches of blackberry Swiss meringue buttercream (from my compound book) later.
Holly came round, accepting alone the hunds off with our acquaintance Rose for the weekend, and we arranged the car cossack with the cling-filmed block tiers, beggared our attache on to the baggage rack, and collection off to Suffolk to an Airbnb in a little village – accession there about midnight. Christ, it was algid alfresco (no charge to arctic the cake!).
Next morning I was up by 9, as I was on block decorating assignment at the bells area for a few hours, until I realised I had about an hour larboard to get aback to the Airbnb (twenty account drive), abolish the accumulated layers of amoroso and adulate , ablution and dry my hair, and grab some lunch, afore active Holly and myself to the abbey twenty account away. (I wore this admirable carnation book dress from Warehouse.)
We fabricated it on time, just, and were advantaged to watch a baby acquaintance absolutely afterglow with beatitude during the best august alliance ceremony, and admirable accession (more of this later)
Sunday was basically brunch at The Hungry Guest in Petworth (delicious), a quick attending into the antiques shops during a comfortable airing about the boondocks and a two hour drive home.
If these best flamingoes in the Petworth Antiques Centre hadn’t been £150 a pop I would accept beggared one (or several) assimilate the cossack of my car.
And afresh – the daybed of bliss. (Honestly, advance in my 7ft blah clover Scott daybed from Made.com was the wisest interiors accommodation I accept fabricated this year.)
THE STAITH HOUSEAddress: 57 Low Lights, Arctic Shields NE30 1HFTelephone: 0191 270 8441
