January 2021 Archives

At the end of December, I visited the National Trust property Scotney Castle in East Sussex. I was lucky to have a bright day which rewarded me with reflections on the water in front of the old castle. This is the most picturesque place in the property. I originally visited Scotney Castle in 2013, and you can read about my summer visit then and see photographs here: A Day Spent at Scotney Castle in Kent. My visit was prior to even tighter restrictions, and I've not been able to visit any National Trust places since then as, despite having many within a thirty-minute drive from me, they are all more than five miles from my home. I am just waiting for restrictions to be eased so that I am able to have proper walks again.

The old castle at Scotney dates from the 1100s, and it is located on the edge of a small lake. The new castle was built in the 1800s. I was able to visit the interior of both castles on my summer 2013 visit, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, both of the buildings were closed.

At the end of December, the new house was still decorated. Visitors could look into a couple of the windows in order to see a couple of Christmas trees inside the house.

I just had a quick walk around the lake to get some exercise. It is a nice walk here with beautiful views.

After walking around the lake, I walked back up the hill and passed the old ice house.

I cannot wait for attractions, museums, galleries, theatres, and cinemas to reopen again. I have really missed visiting National Trust buildings, and it's been over a year since I have been in one. They are normally shut over the winter months, and the last time I would have been inside one was sometime in December in 2019. It's nearly been a year now that we have been in lockdown, and I have been experiencing some serious lockdown fatigue this month. 

January is never my favourite month, and I am glad to see the back of it soon.

Last February, Leciester Square became the site of its own sculpture trail, "Scenes in the Square". The statues feature iconic film characters as a tribute to the square's film connections. Until approximately ten years ago, the square itself looked different and contained a series of hand prints from notable people in the film industry. These were removed when the square was renovated. To bring back some iconic film-related symbols to the area, these sculptures have been placed around. Each represents an era of film and represent a diverse range of film: cartoons, super hero, comedy, musicals, action, and children's. I originally visited the trail at the end of February, and I posted about it here: Leicester Square's Iconic Film Characters Sculpture Trail: "Scenes in the Square". However, since my posting, a new statue has been launched. The new statue is of Harry Potter, flying on a broom.

Harry Potter joins the original sculptures for the trail, which was popular with tourists to post with to the area when I last visited. 

The sculptures were originally going to be placed in the square until the end of this summer. Due to the pandemic, they will be in place at least until the summer of 2023.

On Sunday, a lot of England had a dumping of snow. I had to get up before sunrise in order to collect my grocery home delivery; there wasn't any snow then, but the temperatures were below freezing with the pavements and the windows of parked vehicles frosted over with ice. I unpacked and put away my groceries and proceeded to clean my oven and microwave, tasks that were on my agenda for some time. It was about 9:00 when I had finished that task, and I started my second task to create a series of scavenger hunt / bingo cards for the community to do during lockdown. There still wasn't any snow. While doing the task on the computer, I kept a watch out the window. The snow started to fall at about 9:40. It was a thick snow, covering the ground quickly. Not long afterwards, I heard the joyous shrieks of children in the road as they rushed outside to play.

Lockdown. This is the third lockdown. We have been locked down in the UK for nearly a year. This sounds like the start to a science fiction novel, but it's sadly not science fiction. Although we have not been in total lockdown during this time, we have been unable to do the things we all enjoy: socialising, going out for food or drinks, visiting a museum or gallery, enjoying a play or film, and travelling abroad.

Museums and galleries have been shut for a year in March. Those restaurants and pubs that could reopen because they were large enough to do so were only open for a couple of months before being forced to close. In this lockdown, more places are open offering takeaway. Theatres have been closed for nearly a year; the cinema was open for a little over a month before it closed again because of the films being postponed. Travel abroad has been possible sometimes, depending on the destination, but restrictions on both sides are enforced.

This total lockdown is called "lockdown 3", and it started in the middle of December for a lot of us, but it started on January 3rd for most of the country. The first lockdown took place between mid-March and the beginning of July last year. The second lockdown happened for a little over a month in November to early December. When mid-March rolls around, we will have been living with restrictions for a year. I am already finding the days and year blending in together.

That's why the arrival of the snow made some people happy. I actually loathe snow. I grew up with cold and snowy winters, and I have always found snow to be bothersome. Yes, you do get a "snow day" sometimes, if it's particularly bad, so you do not have to go to school, but you still have to go to work. Snow also wets your clothes and feet. It turns to slush on the roads and looks dirty. It can turn to ice. It is slippery, especially when it's compacted on the pavements. Some people do not know how to drive in the snow. I know a lot of people like snow, especially in a country where it is uncommon. The snow made people happy. It gave people a break to have some fun and get outdoors. It got everyone remembering how to have fun. There's been too few chances to enjoy life in the past year.

I would have gone into central London, but I did not want to chance it with the pandemic. I am sure that there will be other days where we will get a lof of snow, and hopefully it will fall on a weekend when I can get out and take some photographs along the Thames. Since I could not go into central London, I walked around my area in Ruislip.

I watched a white van driving too fast slide off the road on a gentle turn. Luckily, there weren't any parked cars parked where he went off. I did see quite a few people out making snowmen or throwing snowballs at each other. I saw several people pulling children along in sleds. I saw children pulling sleds behind them. There aren't any hills near where I live, so I am not sure what the point in a sled is. 

Ruislip station was looking snow-covered.

The High Street in Ruislip was slippery. Some cars struggled to get up the little hill over the rail tracks. It was still snowing heavily.

Duck Pond at the old barn and Ruislip Manor House at the top of Ruislip High Street looks attractive in the winter. This pond was used by the horses to drink from. The stables and barn are located here.

Ruislip Manor House is always an attractive view in Ruislip. It is situated at the site of the motte and bailey castle, and I have visited it a number of times. Here's a post about it: Ruislip Manor Farm and Ruislip Castle.

There is a small slope here, and some people were taking advantage of it. At the bottom of the hill, people had built snowmen. There was a whole snow family on the side. 

At the bottom of the hill is flat land. The river Pinn runs here, and these are the meadows. This park had a couple large snow boulders.

At the top of Ruislip High Street is the war memorial and some attractive buildings, including St. Martin's Church. I got some photographs of some of the old buildings here.

The below scene shows everyone waking up to falling snow. 

By about noon, the snow had stopped falling. It had also started to melt, first dripping off the trees and melting along the concrete ground where the cars had already turned it to black slush. By the evening, the snow does remain covering most of the ground, but it is melting.

I arrived home and finished cleaning the oven, which was soaking in the solutuion. After that, I took down the tree that I had up still from the holidays. It was a real one, but it was not in the best shape. Still, I got two months out of it, and it brightened my time. I will miss it. I alway find sadness when the tree gets taken down and put out for the disposal. I enjoyed sitting next to it with a drink and a book. The room looks so empty now.

I do not know how long the snow will last or if there will be anymore snow this season. I do hope there is not because it would have delayed vaccines.

For those who do not know, dirty ice cream is ice cream that is sold as street food; most notably, this ice cream is sold on the streets of Manila in the Philippines. It is produced the old-fashioned way using ice, salt, a steel pot, and stirred by hand. Now you do not need to go to the Philippines to enjoy this dirty ice cream. You can visit one of the branches of Mamasons in London: Kentish Town (near Camden) or Chinatown.

I visited the Chinatown branch, which is located on a narrow alleyway behind Leicester Square Station. There are a couple of other ice cream shops here and a few coffee shops. It is a cut-through from Charing Cross Road to Chinatown. I ordered the ube flavour, which is a purple yam from the Philippines, and the black coconut (known as black buko) flavours. I really enjoyed the black coconut flavour. The ube flavour is sweet and tastes a little bit like a sweet potato, but I found it to be a more subtle flavour. Perhaps that is because the coconut and the cone are both stronger flavours. The ice cream was creamy and a very good quality.

Now that we are in autumn and the colder months are approaching quickly, ube hot chocolate is also available as an option. The hot chocolate is made using white hot chocolate, and it has a hint of the ube flavouring and topped with whipped cream. It is a good hot chocolate, but those readers who love white chocolate will appreciate it even more that I did. (I'm not a fan of white chocolate, but I did enjoy this.)

Mamasons Dirty Ice Cream also offer a small range of milkshakes, lattes, and ice cream drinks. They also offer the bilog, which is a Filipino toasted ice cream sandwich. These look a little bit like a doughnut and are filled with ice cream.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, this year's annual Canary Wharf "Winter Lights" has been replaced by a three-month-long annual light event that has been branded "Connected By Light". The event started at the beginning of December last year and is expected to finish on 27th February. There are some light installations to brighten our days in the winter months, especially with restrictions and lockdowns that will no doubt be continuing. The reason for hosting the event over three months this time was to prevent the installations from being over-crowded. The past two years have seen numbers greatly increase over the two weeks that the normal "Winter Lights" festival is on.

Overall, the event was smaller this year and did not include any installations that were interactive, which was expected. Disappointingly, most takeaway venues were closed with only a hamburger place and coffee shop opened, and these were incredibly busy and crowded, which was not safe. More places would have benefited out of being open for takeaways. Generally, I did feel pretty safe except for a couple of places where people were not keeping their distance.

Office Party by Parker Heyl

These colour-changing lights in the corner of an office block at Canary Wharf shift colour and pattern and reflect on the water below. The pandemic has meant that many Londoners are working from home, so "Office Party" comes from an idea that the work spaces have come to life. For me, the artwork meant that hopefully we will have office parties again and our workplaces will come to life again, particularly at this festive time of the year.

Neon Tree by Hawthorn

A favourite from last year, the neon tree has remained in Canada Square Park for another year. This tree has been decorated with bright neon ropes, and these transform the branches. The tree has a subtle glow during the daylight and is more vibrant at dark.

Lightbenches by LBO Lichtbank

Ten permanent lit-up benches were installed at Canada Square Park for the 2017 Winter Lights at Canary Wharf. The benches change colour gradually and are always a popular attraction with visitors who wish to sit on them and have their photographs taken on them. When I visited them this year, they were popular with families; a lot of children were out with their families.

Curious Fluorious by Baker & Borowski

Crossrail Place Roof Garden has been transformed into the world inspired by 'Alice in Wonderland' with plastic neon flamingos, cards, grinning faces, giant chess pieces, teapots, clocks, mushrooms, potion bottles, and more. The artists created the magical flourescent installation with the subtle glow onto the trees in the roof garden. Winding down the different paths in the roof garden brings you to explore the world. A couple additional pieces have also been set up to encourage visitors to use them in photographs.

Do be cautious and respectful of others here to keep your distance; the pathways are quite narrow, and there is not a one-way system. Unfortunately, some people were not always adhering to the distancing, and I do not feel safe to be too close to anyone at present.

We Could Meet by Martin Richman

This artwork is another permanent piece located at Canary Wharf, and it has been here 2015. It is located in the ditch on the side of Crossrail Place and is created using over 500 rods of light. The lights change in colour and frequency throughout the evening. The rods are designed to mimic reeds, so it is fitting for them to be in the ditch here and alongside of real reeds that are now growing here.

Captivated by Colour Camille Walala

Adams Plaza Bridge has become a permanent installation by renowned artist Camille Walala, who has painted many London buildings in the street art scene. The bridge is the latest piece, and it was painted in the autumn for London Mural Festival. The bridge is transformed with geometric patterns and colours, and the colours change throughout the day depending on how much light is let through the bridge structure. Many visitors will pass through this bridge, and their mood or perception will change depending on the installation.

bit.fall Julius Popp

This is another permanent installation at Canary Wharf. During my visit this year, the installation was not running, and there was one other year where it was also not running. The installation isuses light and water to create words that drop into the harbour below. The words are what the sculpture finds through various online news sources and what is being repeated in these news sources. 

Time & Tide by Paul & Pute

'Time & Tide' is another permanent installation that has been in Columbus Courtyard for the couple of few years. The hourglass-shaped installation appears to be made of plastic, but it is actually biodegradable and glows. The purpose is to remind people that we are running out of time to protect the oceans from plastic pollution.

Colour Cubed by Mandylights

A single light source inside the cube reflects on the facets of the cube and enables a colour transformation in the shape of the cube and the colours of light that reflect off of it, creating patterns on the ground. It is a simple but beautiful piece that explores light and colour and how it interacts with the surroundings.

Do be cautious and respectful of others here to keep your distance; the space around the cube and the stairs up are pinch points in pedestrian flow and selfie opportunities. Unfortunately, some people were not always adhering to the distancing, primarily when larger groups happen to turn up at once. Many of us do not feel safe to be in close proximinity of people, so respect distances please.

Tetra Park by Mandylights

Westferry Circus has been taken over by several large star-shaped structures made with LED strips. The lights change colour continuously with the different strips of light shifting colour. 

The Clew by Ottotto

This large red circular covering is installed on the bridge at Cubit Steps. The installation is created using one hundred circles of red light. It is inspired by the sunset's glow and architecture of the bridge. This is a permanent installation and has been located here for the past couple of years.

Newfoundland Reflections by Hawthorn

Newfoundland is a new residential building at Canary Wharf. The building is set aglow with different colours, and these colours reflect on the waters in the harbour below. 

Ghost Trees by Tom Wilkinson

This installation was difficult to photograph, but it depicts a series of lights that seem to be placed under the water, shooting ripples of light to the surface. The artwork is inspired by this area. When the East India docks were constructed at the end of the 1700s, evidence was discovered of a subterranean forest that was preserved; the tops of the trees had been snapped off by some unknown force that came from the north. The ripples of light represent the trees. 

The Stories Under Our Feet by Elisa Artesero

Jubilee Park contains a poetry trail of short poems created using light and shadow and set underneath benches. There are ten clusters of benches with poetry scattered around the park, and each cluster makes up a larger poem. I found two of these, but I did not want to linger in the search for the other ones due to the narrow pathways through the park with people mingling around. The two short poems that I saw read: "Dreaming together in the dances of time" and "You looked at me like a sky full of stars".

Murmuration by Squidsoup

Montgomery Square has been transformed into a light and sound show with hundreds of networked orbs in the sky. The installation simulates networked data moving through space, and the work was inspired by flocks of starlings. Accompanied by sound, the orbs switch colour and blink on and off.

I have been visiting Canary Wharf for their annual light trail for the past six years, and 2021 is its seventh year, although it has been rebranded and a three-month event due to the coronavirus pandemic. The 'Connected by Light' installation took place at the beginning of December and completes at the end of February. Previous visits to the Winter Lights at Canary Wharf can be seen below:

Canary Wharf Winter Lights 2020
Canary Wharf Winter Lights 2019
Winter Lights @ Canary Wharf 2018
Canary Wharf Winter Lights (2017)
Winter Lights @ Canary Wharf (2016)

Although I have lived in Ruislip for the past few years, I have never been to the Ruislip Woods or to visit the remains of the famous Battle of Britain House, which features often on community social media platforms. The history of this house is fascinating on a global scale, and I finally made a visit on one chilly and dreary afternoon in mid-January. I thought that I would get my daily exercise by exploring Ruislip Woods, and after a circle around, I realised that I had made a mistake because it was unbelievably muddy. I had not prepared for just how muddy and wet the ground would be, so I did not stick around long after getting fed up. But, I did want to show the remains of this one-beautiful house. I think I'll return to Ruislip Woods in the spring and once it's dry weather.

So, what is the history of the house? The Battle of Britain House history starts in 1904 when a Danish or German farmer named Josef Conn bought the lease for "Ducks Hill Plantation" from King's College Cambridge, who owned all or most of the land in Ruislip. (The majority of the housing estates in Ruislip, Ruislip Manor, and Ruislip Gardens were built in the 1930s after Kings College Cambridge sold the land for development.) Mrs. Josef Conn used their first residence here (Horsens) for a sort of wellness retreat that became popular at the time. World War I meant that the family left the house to Howard Stransom Button, who was famous for creating what is now known as Budgens supermarkets.

In 1920, a new resident moves in; the new resident is a travel writer from Tennessee and known as Meyer Franklin Kline. He made a fortune via a Japanese Steamer company and renovated the mansion and named it Kokyo after being inspired by the Japanese Palace in Tokyo. It was also decorated with luxury items gathered from his travels, including bronze lion statues that were placed in the garden. The house eventually was renamed to Franklin House, which was possibly to honour the American president as well as his own name. However, World War II meant that his business with Japan took a hit, and he could no longer afford it.

Around 1940, Mrs. Hertog whose family had fortune in the margarine industry in the Netherlands, resided at Franklin House. This family were the founders of Unilever, one of the largest companies for fast-moving consumer goods in the world today. This was only short-lived because the house became under ownership of the War Office during World War II. It was used to train U.S. Office of Strategic Services for missions in Europe. Agents were trained here to report on intelligence in Nazi-occupied Europe. Many never returned, and some of these were not honoured because they helped fuel the Communism in German forces at the time, and the Cold War and anti-Communism followed after World War II.

After World War II, the Royal Air Force converted Franklin House to a residential college. This also doubled as a memorial to the RAF squadrons that participated in the Battle of Britain, hence the name "Battle of Britain House" from 1947. Liberal arts courses were taught at the house as a memorial to those who perished.

Many members in the community today remember when they visited the house to attend various workshops in painting, pottery, literature, and other liberal arts courses. 

The Battle of Britain House met its end on a hot August day in 1984. During renovations, the house caught on fire and was completely destroyed. The council had no choice but to demolish the standing walls and let it be reclaimed by nature. It is now a part of Ruislip Woods. Below are a couple of images of the house in its heyday.

1) Image from Owen, Sid. "The Battle of Britain House : Exploring the ruins of a secret agent training facility", https://explorabilia.co.uk/2019/01/18/the-battle-of-britain-house/ [17 Jan, 2021]

2) Image from Bowlt, Colin. "FROM WOODS TO WOODS - the saving of the Battle of Britain House site", http://btckstorage.blob.core.windows.net/site8867/Journals/2011/J11Pg%2032-35.pdf [17 Jan, 2021]

Now, onto my visit of the Battle of Britain house in January of 2021, which is just under fourty years after the house was burned to the ground. Okay, it was not too muddy at the beginning of my visit. I had no idea what I was in for when I descended toward the house and then when I decided to walk further into the woods. 

Okay, it got a little wetter...but it got much worse!

I used the map and educated knowledge of visiting abandoned properties to discover where the house remains were located. Apparently it's difficult to locate the house, but once I followed the map to the appropriate location, a couple decorative pine trees on the edge of what looked like younger trees stuck out as once being a part of a garden...it's the sort of tree you find next to houses. (Daffodils are another item to look for if looking for remains of old/abandoned houses or ruins, and I did see some spring flowers of some sort poking through next to where the house's foundations were.) 

So, when I discovered the towering decorative pines in the distance in what looked like a bit of a clearing, I headed toward them. I discovered the remains of some structure with three cylindrical cement items in the middle. I am not sure what this building could have been, but they were in the middle of a clump of pines. This was just one building, and it was located almost to the front of the house.

From this little clump of trees, the mound of the remains of the former Battle of Britain House can be seen with a structure in the front. The structure is the staircase up the bank on which the house was built. In the below photograph, I am standing and looking at the former garden that you can see in one of the vintage photographs. I'm just to the right of the staircase, just off-centre.

From the top of the staircase, I can see the little pines where the concrete cylinders in the ground were located. The staircases were decorated with the bronze Chinese (Japanese?) lions at one point. I have no idea if they survived the fire or where they are now.

The ground here shows evidence of a fire as you can see the black ash. The ground feels dry. The house foundations itself were not located immediately in front of the staircase but were set back. It's not possible to see exactly where they were. I did follow a pathway to the back, which led to some concrete corner foundation and a mass of concrete, which was probably one of the boundaries. It was fenced off here.

After descending back down the staircase, I turned to the left and came across another set of foundations. This was probably an outbuilding of some sort.

It was wired up with electrics, and what I think was a drain is just outside it.

After exploring it, I felt a little creeped out. Abandoned places as this are often creepy to visit, so I did not linger. I decided to go for a quick walk around Ruislip Woods.

However, I did not get very far. The footpaths became muddier the further I walked, but I think it was just unlucky that the paths I took to get further into the woods were less muddy than where I ended up and the path that I choose to walk back. 

I'd already turned up and given up at this point. I discovered this massive puddle on my way back, but the whole footpath was like this in places. I wasn't expecting a muddy mess through the woods. I was expecting the footpaths to not be that muddy. Ops.

I found my visit to the Battle of Britain House to be fascinating, even if it eas eerie. It is a shame that the house has been destroyed. It had so much important history, and it would have been a real treasure to the community. Now, it's all forgotten. I think a memorial of some sort would have been good here, especially for the importance that the building served during the war years and its life after that. Many lived here and had memories of their time here. It is sad to see the forest reclaim it.

I researched about the Battle of Britain House online, so my writing is based on the different sources about it's history. More information and photographs about the Battle of Britain House can be read here: https://battleofbritainhouse.org/

London Mural Fest saw many new murals and walls being used as canvas throughout London. One artist, MadC, returned to London to repaint her wall on Chance Street. The wall had been repainted or touched up a couple of times with her artwork, and one of the original murals on the building can be seen here: Street Art: Murals by Reka and MadC on Chance Street. This time, she had some help from Rosie Woods, who left her own mural opposite. 

MadC was born in Germany and has always had an interest in art, grafitti and graphic design. She has exhibited in many shows worldwide and also painted many walls. Her work uses bright colours and patterns, and her wall on Chance Street has been used for the backdrop of many photographs, selfies, and videos because of its colourful pattern.

Rosie Woods is an artist that I have not come across before, but I do recognise the shapes and patterns and have definitely seen some of her work on London's walls in the past. She is based in London and has painted walls worldwide. Her wall is located on Chance Street, opposite MadC.  

Previous posts with MadC's work on this blog are located below:

Street Art: Murals by Reka and MadC on Chance Street
Open Day at the Street Art House, Dulwich Arts Festival: Part 2
Baroque the Streets: Dulwich Street Art

More Than a Cookie is a company that makes and ships over-stuffed desserts, such as chocolate and cookies. I ordered their festive box of cookies at the beginning of the month, and it just arrived this week. The box came with four different flavours of cookies and two candy canes. Keep reading below to see the flavours that I received.

From top left to right, I received a Kinder flavour with Kinder white chocolate inside and topped with a Kinder snack-sized bar and hippo bar. Next up is a festive milk chocolate flavour with a delicious milk chocolate filling and topped with festive sprinkles. The third cookie is the red velvet, Nutella, Snickers, and Ferrero. It was topped with part of a Snickers bar and a Ferrero chocolate. The fourth flavour is the Galaxy Caramel and Galaxy Cookie Crumble cookie.

The cookies were good and tasted even better slightly heated. My favourite one was the festive milk chocolate. 

Last summer, I visited Nymans Gardens for the first time. Nymans Gardens is a National Trust property that consists of gardens and a house, and it is located in West Sussex. Readers can see my summer visit here: A Visit to Nymans (National Trust, West Sussex): Lockdown Edition. I visited the gardens again in October in order to get out of the house. Unfortunately, the weekends throughout October were grey and rainy, and my visit to Nymans was especially grey and windy, but I caught the last bit of colour between heavy winds blew all the leaves off the trees.

The walk around Nymans Gardens does not take too long, and there is some park land before visitors arrive at the gardens and house. The views through the parkland had lovely views over the forests and hills. This would have looked nicer in sunshine.

I have still not been able to visit the house because they have been closed all year, at least since March. I am hoping that the houses can open soon. Additional posts about Nymans can be seen below:

A Visit to Nymans (National Trust, West Sussex): Lockdown Edition

Street artist Airbourne Mark has been painting a series "Origami Riots" for the past few years, and this recent edition to the series of an origami horse is located in Camden at the Stables Market. The origami horse painting was inspired by a fan who sent the artist an origami horse from Cape Town, which was used as the model for the artwork.

For those interested in seeing more form the artist, I previously covered some of Airborne Mark's work, in with a round-up of other artwork in early 2014 here, a round-up in 2015 here and here, in early 2016. In addition, see the below:

Camden Street Art Self-Guided Trail
Airborne Mark Paints "Greek Mask" - Origami Riots
Airborne Mark Paints 'African Mask' - Origami Riots
Airborne Mark Paints "Paper Sprite" - Origami Riots

I received this selection of Yankee Candle Christmas fragrances (known as "Christmas Memories") as a gift in 2018. The collection contains twelve different candle fragrances, and eight of these are fragrances only available in the United States. Over the Christmas holidays, I used these candles. I do have some favourites, so keep reading to find out what I thought.

Cherries In The Snow (USA Exclusive):
This was one of my two favourites of the fragrances. It is a strong-smelling fragrance, and it filled the room with a pleasant cherry smell. The scent is described as having a fruity cherry scent with almonds and an icy freshness. 

Red Berry & Cedar (USA Exclusive):
Provided as a bright red candle, this is a festive scent with warming cedar and red currant berry, which I found to be a warming and festive scent that I enjoyed.

Christmas Thyme (USA Exclusive):
Thyme, lemongrass, and sandalwood provide an earthy festive scent. I loved the scent of this candle, but it did not burn at all for me. The candle kept putting itself out. I didn't have the problem with the other candles, so I imagine it was a faulty candle or the wick was not thick enough.

Candy Cane Lane (USA Exclusive):
Peppermint, cookies, and vanilla icing are combined to create this fresh and sweet scent. This was a little too sweet for my enjoyment.

White Christmas (USA Exclusive):
Evergreens and a woody and frosty smell help bring the outdoors inside when this candle is lit. I enjoyed the fragrance, but it did not have a long throw.

Balsam Cedar (USA Exclusive):
Another pleasant and earthy smell, this was my second favourite scents in the collection, next to the cherry scent. The scent reminded me of a fresh pine tree and has a natural scent with juniper berry and cedar.

Bubbly Pomegranate (USA Exclusive):
A fresh and fruity scent, this candle smells delicious as fruit punch. It is a citrus blend, and I enjoyed the scent, but the throw of the candle was not as strong as I would have liked.

Christmas Eve:
This is another sugary and sweet scent with festive candied fruits and sugar plums in a warm house. The scent has a good throw, but it is not one of the scents that I enjoyed. I found it too sweet.

Red Apple Wreath:
Sweet apples, cinnamon, and maple are some of the fragrances that create this blend. I enjoyed the scent, but it did not have a strong throw at all.

Christmas Cookie:
The sweet and sugary fragrance of 'Christmas Cookie' is a buttery and vanilla scent. I am not keen on this scent at all and do not like the sweet or vanilla scents. This one did have a good throw, but it just was not the scent for me.

Christmas Memories:
Spices and sweets and blended together to create a vintage festive "homely" smell, and this one brought me back to my childhood and reminded me of what I think Mrs. Claus' kitchen would smell like! The scent was okay, but it's too sweet.

Holiday Lights (USA Exclusive):
A fragrance inspired by sparkling Christmas lights, this is a fresh/cold scent with jasmine and praline. It's another one of the sweet scents that I do not care for.

Throughout December, we were given Friday afternoons off from work. I tried to make the most of them by planning visits to London. On one of the Fridays between the lockdowns and increased restrictions took place, I visited The Ivy Chelsea Garden for lunch. I have been wanting to visit this restaurant for awhile, and they do book up well in advance, and I booked in advance and managed to get a table for lunch.

The restaurant was decorated for Christmas, and they always do a nice display at the front. The interior of the restaurant is spacious with trendy decor.

To start, I ordered a glass of one of their festive cocktails - a Poinsettia. I also ordered a soup to start from the festive menu.

I ordered the roast chicken and a side of the truffle mash for the main. 

To finish, I had the creme brulee. 

So, what did I think of my experience at The Ivy Chelsea Garden? The restaurant gets a bit busy, and with the coronavirus pandemic, the service did not seem to be as attentive. I also wanted to minimise my time, so had to ask for the bill and extra drinks. I thought that the food was alright, but it was not the best meal that I ever had; I feel that the food is a bit over-hyped. Would I return? I would not go out of my way to return as there are other better restaurants in London.

In time for London Mural Festival late last summer, street artist Zabou completed a large-scale mural on Brick Lane of film icon and actress Audrey Hepburn. The mural is located near the section of Brick Lane that crosses with Hanbury Street, a popular place for street art. Zabou, who currently lives in London but was from Paris, paints photo-realistic murals primarily of portraits. I love seeing her work across London, and she continues to keep producing many new murals to add colour to London's streets.

Previous Zabou murals that have appeared on this blog include:

Zabou: "Jack the Ripper" Street Art
Zabou: 'Racism is a Virus' Street Art
New Murals by Zabou in East London (Clockwork Orange, Sherlock, David Bowie)
Zabou "The Shining" and Refresh of Salvador Dali in Spitalfields
Villana and Zabou Collaborate on Amy Winehouse Street Art
Zabou paints Sid Vicious from 'The Sex Pistols'
Zabou Paints Freda #2 at Broadway Market
Zabou Paints Salvador Dali on Commercial Road
Koeone and Zabou Collaborate
"Keep Out!" Street Art by Zabou
Zabou's 'Cabinet of Curiosity' Street Art
Leake Street Tunnels Street Art, Spring 2016
Recent Street Art by Zabou
Street Art: Zabou

In December, I made a visit to Floozie's Stuffed Cookies. I discovered them in Covent Garden on my last visit and was happy to discover a bakery selling cookies. Floozie's was launched at the beginning of December by Kimberly Lin, a former Claridge's pastry chef who also worked at The Savoy and Dominique Ansel. The cafe is a three-month pop-up serving large stuffed cookies, all of which are vegan. Hot chocolates and other vegan drinks are also available. There is a selection of different flavours of cookie to try, and a different seasonal cookie is changed each month.

Cinnamon Crunch, Chocolate Chunk, Peanut Butter Jelly, Pecan, and Celebration Cookie are the different flavours that I saw when I visited. I love cinnamon, so I went for the Cinnamon Crunch cookie. It is a large and flat cookie with a cinnamon-crunch filling. The texture and flavour of the cookie was spot on. It was delicious, and I would love to try a different flavour, but we went into different stages of lockdown, which made it impossible for me to get into London at the moment.

The cafe started due to the pandemic, and Lin wanted to focus on cookies because they are over-rated. Cookies seem to be the "in" thing for the past couple of years, so this is right on trend. Also, cookies are my own personal weakness. I can leave other sweets - chocolate, cake, tarts, pie, etc - but I cannot resist a cookie. 

When I visited Floozie's Stuffed Cookies, you could order inside the cafe, but you could not eat inside. There are several seats around a large table and another smaller table or two. The windows are decorated with pink and pastel spring colours, which is perfect for photographs. 

In addition to the Cinnamon Crunch cookie, I enjoyed the peppermint hot chocolate, which was topped with marshmallow and rimmed with peppermint chips. It really hit the spot. I hope that the cafe will remain open, and I recommend a visit as one of the cafes to visit once the lockdown ends and if they are still open.

I placed a cookie order from The Cookie Dealer, a bakery that bakes stuffed cookies and ships them throughout the UK. The cookies are inspired from New York, and the creators of the cookies from The Cookie Dealer decided to recreate them when they returned to Leicestershire. I ordered a selection with five cookies.

The Smart One is a creation with Smarties sugar-coated candies. The Cookie Dealer is their signature chocolate chip. Chocolate Threesome is a triple-chocolate cookie with chocolate dough with milk chocolate and white chocolate pieces. ChocChip is a traditional stuffed chocolate chip cookie. The final flavour that I ordered was What's Up, Doc? It is a carrot cake cookie with cream cheese stuffing.

The cookies are all generous sizes and will definitely leave you full. 

Over the course of the past several months, I have read a lot of books. I will not list every book I read (I've read too many, and I could not get in to some of them), but I decided to list here some of the best historical fiction books that I've read and have not yet reviewed in 2020. Now that we all have more time on our hands because we are not allowed to leave the house, a book is a good escape. I've included some books for the review from different time periods.

"The Smallest Man" by Frances Quinn
Simon & Schuster, released 7 January, 2021
This novel follows the story of a short-statured man born into dwarfism in the early 1600s. He is sold by his father and becomes a gift to the queen, who he forms a bond with after they come to realise that they are going through some of the same struggles. Most of the action in the book takes place in the backdrop of the English Civil War. The book has several interesting characters and keep me engaged. I loved it.
My review: 10/10

"Megge of Bury Down" by Rebecca Knightlinger
Rowan Moon, released 1 February, 2020
Medieval Cornwall is the setting of this book featuring a cast of lead female characters. The book mainly focuses on the young girl Megge and her sister, mother, and aunt. The family have magical powers of healing and protection of an ancient book, which Megge is frightened of. An evil neighbour disguised as a friar attempts to steal the book and harm the family, and Megge has to make life choices.
My review: 8/10

"Those Who Are Loved" by Victoria Hislop
Headline Review, released 20 August, 2020
Set in the early 1940s with the Nazi occupation of Greece and switching between modern day Greece, the story follows young Themis and her two brothers; the story focuses more on Themis and the political era between the right and left views during this chaotic time in Greece's history. Themis' family are divided by the conflict, and she joins the Communist army and must fight against her fellow citizens. In this time, she is imprisoned and meets another prisoner with a twist to her tale. The book focuses a lot on the political ideals, which were a bit dry for my taste, and I would have enjoyed a faster pace for the story.
My review: 6/10

"The Secrets of Saffron Hall" by Clare Marchant
Avon Books, released 6 August, 2020
The bulk of the book takes place in the mid-1500s in England, but some of the characters are based in the modern day. The story focuses on the young Eleanor who has to leave her beloved home after her father dies and leaves their manor/hall to the male cousin; she is forced to wed an older merchant who has made his reputation at Henry VIII's court. Eleanor is young but settles in and grows the saffron that she used to tend when she was at her old home. She earns much wealth, but her life at her new home has to come to an abrupt and tragic end, as discovered in the book she left behind that modern day occupants of the hall have discovered.
My review: 8/10

"The Dublin Girls" by Cathy Mansell
Headline, released 23 July, 2020
Nell, who is studying to become a nurse, must put her dreams on hold when her mother suddenly dies. She must take care of her two younger sisters and find a job. It is 1950s Dublin, and finding a job is difficult. Along with the difficulty she faces with work and caring for the sisters in a run-down estate, the middle sister runs away from home and the younger one gets very ill. The story is about the struggles of the three girls and Nell putting everything, including a relationship, on hold.
My review: 7/10

"The Cursed City" by Laurence O'Bryan
BooksGoSocial, released 2 June, 2020
This book takes place twenty years after Constantine became emperor of Rome, and it focuses on him moving the power of Rome to New Rome (Constantinople) in the wake of Christianity and the problems he is facing with his family and friends. Although it is a third book in a series, it feels like its own story. The book is well-written and a breeze to read, and it is full of interesting characters. 
My review: 9/10

"The Missing Pieces of Nancy Moon" by Sarah Steele
Headline, released 6 August, 2020
I would consider this a blend of mystery and historical fiction. Set in the 1960s and in the modern day, the book focuses on a great mystery when a box of dress patterns is discovered in the modern day and after the owner of the box has passed away. Florence sets upon discovering this lady, Nancy Moon, through travels to Europe in order to understand how she was good friends with her grandmother and to learn her story. Florence soon unravels the mystery and connections between her family and Nancy Moon. The book focuses on different patterns of dresses that will appeal to those who are interested in fashion and know how to sew (unlike me).
My review: 6/10

"With Love from Ma Maguire" by Ruth Hamilton
Random House, released 30 September, 2011
Set at the start of 1900 in northern England, the lead character is a headstrong female who is working in a wealthy man's mill. The story is of the two families throughout the span of their lives as young adults and continuing into old age and beyond with their families. It is the story of two families who are vastly different but connected.
My review: 9/10

I recently visited Bodiam Castle; this was my second ever visit to the castle after visiting a few years ago with my parents in the spring. I saw Bodiam in the winter months this time, and the castle has a different mood depending on the season. Bodiam Castle, located in East Sussex, is a moated castle built in 1385 by Edward Dalyngrigge, a former knight of Edward III. The castle was built to defend against the French. Since 1925, the National Trust has owned and maintained the castle. 

On the morning that I visited Bodiam Castle, it was a little chilly with some ice in the fields. There is a short walk up from the parking to the castle.

Near the castle is a pill box. It was built during World War II in case Britain had enemies inland. Canadian troops were stationed here.

Visiting the castle in the winter provides views of the castle all around the castle from the moat with beautiful reflections and without too much interference of the views from foilage.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, not all of the grounds were accessible. Visitors could not enter any castle rooms, but they could walk around the castle grounds and around the interior ruins of the castle. Any tower or anything that involved climbing stairs was off limits to visitors.

This block of the tower was the servant's area.

The stoves and kitchen had a couple of very large ovens at one corner of the castle.

Near to the kitchen is a tower and well.

The castle was decorated for Christmas as I visited it in the period between Christmas and the New Year.

I had a hot chocolate and enjoyed it with views of the castle in front of me.

Afterwards, I had a wander around the castle and walked around the moat, capturing some amazing views and reflections with my camera. It was partially sunny when I visited.

I previously visited Bodiam Castle a few years ago. For more photographs, see: 

Days Out: Bodiam Castle

"Tis the Season" is a Christmas store located in the Amish Country in Ohio. The store is open all year around and has over 22,000 square feet of Christmas on display. Visitors can browse the different Christmas displays and buy from any number of ranges and styles of Christmas decorations. The shop started in 1996 and is located in Berlin, Ohio.

The Christmas store makes a nice visit if you are in the area, and it's basically a Christmas overload. For more information abour the shop and the opening times, see: https://www.tistheseasonchristmas.com

Last year's Pantone® "colour of the year" was "Classic Blue" (PANTONE 19-4052), which promised stability, comfort, and dependability. How wrong that was for 2020, although we did not realise at the time what would unfold. For 2021, there are a combination of two colours: a medium gray shade and a pale yellow shade (17-5104 Ultimate Gray and 13-0647 Illuminating). These are two colours used frequently at the moment, but they may be behind the curve slightly as they have been a common pallete for a few years now. The gray is a solid colour, and the pale yellow is a positive and uplifting colour.

The combination hopes to bring about happiness and positivity as well as to provide a sense of hope. These shades offer a colour combination that Pantone® believe will be used throughout the year in fashion, the arts, and design.

Pantone® helps to set the colour trends. Expect to see this colour used in the world of fashion, interior design, home furnishings, and graphic design over the next year. The past few years of Pantone® 'colours of the year' are listed below.

2020: Classic Blue
2019: Living Coral
2018: Ultra-Violet
2017: Greenery
2016: Serenity & Rose Quartz
2015: Marsala
2014: Radiant Orchid
2013: Emerald
2012: Tangerine Tango
2011: Honeysuckle

1) Pantone®. https://www.pantone.com/uk/en/color-of-the-year-2021 [25 December, 2020].

Eastcote House Gardens are a few buildings, parkland, and gardens that make up the remains of Eastcote House, which was demolished in 1964. There are nine acres of grounds here to enjoy here and a couple of nice pubs nearby, and Eastcote High Street, which has some nice shops and cafes, is under a ten-minute walk away. The dovecote and outbuildings were not demolished due to public interest, and volunteers maintain them and the grounds.

Eastcote House was one of three large houses in Eastcote; the other two (Highgrove House and Haydon Hall) were located close by; Highgrove House still remains.

Eastcote House was first recorded in 1507, and it was known as "Hopkyttes". It was lived in by a family until the late 1800s when they moved and let the house to tenants and sold off part of the estate for housing. In the 1930s, the house was used by Scouts, Guides, and as a welfare clinic. Under the council's use, the house deteriorated and was demolished by the council in 1964.

In 1974, the walled gardens were awarded Grade II status, and the herb garden was planted for the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II.

There are plans for the coach house to be converted into a tea room.

The trees outside the coach house were decorated with Christmas decorations.

This was my first visit to Eastcote House, despite it being local to me although a bit of a trek away. I have seen photographs of it from the spring and summer, and it is well-maintained and does look very nice here. It is a popular local park and grounds.