February 2022 Archives

Craft Gin Club is a gin subscription box that sends members a full-sized bottle of gin, mixers, and snacks each month. In the box is the monthly "Ginned!" magazine, which contains gin-related information and gin cocktail recipes. This month, the full-sized bottle of gin is a special edition created for the Craft Gin Club box by Hawkridge Distillers, the Hawkridge London Dry Victorian Aphrodisiac Blend. The distillery is located in Berkshire and is inspired by Victorian flowers. The box is very pink this month, including the bottle of gin, to celebrate Valentine's Day.

Hawkridge London Dry Victorian Aphrodisiac Blend contains lavender, rose, and jasmine blend. It has a bit of a sweet flavour and is easier-to-drink than other dry gins. The tonic to pair with the gin, which is the grapefruit tonic mentioned below, is to be paired with lime and juniper berries garnish. 

Also in the box are the following mixers: Fitch and Leedes Grapefruit Tonic, Magners rose cider, Flawsome! Apple and Strawberry Sparkling Juice, and Sekforde's soda. The Fitch and Leedes Grapefruit tonic was a nice addition with a delicious grapefruit flavour, and I love the pink heart on the can. The rose cider from Magners is to be used as a mixer, and this blush cider comes in a pink can. The apples used to make it are from Ireland, and it's best served with a lot of ice. The Flawsome! brand was provided in other boxes, and they are refreshing drinks made with fruit that doesn't look great but tastes great. The flavour in the box was Apple and Strawberry Lightly Sparkling Juice, and it is to be paired with gin to create a cocktail. Lastly, we have the Sekford Raspberry, Rose, and Sage soda. The soda is a nice mixture of floral and herb to be paired with gin, and it's low in calories.

The last mixer was created by Craft Gin Club to create the monthly cocktail. It is known as "Gin Crush" and comes in a pink colour.

The snacks received this month include: Savoursmith's, Charbonnel et Walker, Urban Fruit, and Manomasa. Savoursmith's Truffle and Rosemary Potato Chips were not to my taste as they had a sweet taste and did not taste of rosemary and truffle to me, so I was not a fan of them. Charbonnel et Walker is the perfect Valentine's Day treat; these chocolates are the Pink Marc de Champagne Truffles and have a hint of strawberry. Urban Fruit are a healthy snack alternative, and I received the Strawberries snack in my box. The last snack received is the Manomasa Mexican-style tortilla chips; it came in the Manchego and Green Olive flavour to pair with gin.

Anglesey Abbey is located in Cambridgeshire, and the National Trust property is comprised of a working mill named Lode Mill and a country house that dates from the mid-1500s and was placed on the spot of the ruins of a monastary that dated from the 1100s. The grounds contain a mixture of forest, parkland, and landscaped grounds with formal gardens and a winter garden. It is one of the best places to see snowdrops, the first signs that spring is approaching. The snowdrops emerge from the ground and bloom in early February, and they are also known as Candlemas Bells since they emerge at the same time. There are over 270 different variety of snowdrops at Anglesey Abbey. 

I visited Anglesey Abbey last weekend between the storms, and the visit ended up to be a very wet one. This was my first visit out to the countryside to enjoy nature and my first National Trust visit of the year. There are a couple of different places to see the snowdrops at Anglesey Abbey: the Winter Garden and the woodland path. Unfortunately, the woodland path was closed because of the strong wind storms that brought down some trees, so I was only able to walk through the Winter Garden. Visitors can also book special tours to see a collection that is normally off-limits to the public. Maybe I will do this one year.

On this dreary Saturday, I wandered through the Winter Garden. It is a windy well-paved pathway with trees, grasses, and flowers planted along. It was actually a fairly long trek by the time I got to Lode Mill, and I really enjoyed seeing the signs of spring and different varieties of snowdrops. 

This is a Daphne Shrub with bright pink horn-shaped flowers in a cluster. It's so nice to see some bright colour.

I was happy to see some blossom and the first signs of the purple crocus flowers emerging. There were also some small pale purple flowers that look like iris, and I guess there is a winter variety of this spring bloom. Upon some further research, I discovered that this is a hybrid iris called 'Katharine Hodgkin' AGM.

Another beautiful area of the winter garden contained a large cluster of different-coloures hellebores: purples, whites, yellows, burgundies, and everything in between.

There were some flowering shrubs on the side of the walkway. I don't know what type of plant it is.

The pockets of snowdrops were beautiful to see.

After a large pocket of snowdrops, the pathway continued around a bend where Lode Mill and the river is located. I had a brief look inside, but it was very cold. 

The walkway followed the river and a few more bends with some snowdrop clusters before coming upon the house. It is currently shut for the winter, but I had a wander around it and went into the bookshop.

I got absolutely soaked above the above photograph as it started to rain, and the rain increased when I was walking through and open clearing of parkland. This led me back near the woodland path, which was closed and blocked off, but further around was the main path to the exit. I'll come back on another day and explore when the house is open, and I hope it's a dry visit next time.

I am not sure where to begin on this one. To put it bluntly, the year has not started out the best. You may remember my last update when I mentioned about the job that I enjoyed pulling redundancies, and they did not treat me well at all at the end. The job that I started toward the end of last year has been extremely busy and less than enjoyable, and I've got another few months of the very long probation period to get through. I'd hardly left the house, and I could feel my mental health suffering on some days. Additionally, I had some other bad news today. My grandmother passed away today; she was my last living grandparent, and she would have been 98 in April. 

I had hoped to get over to "home" before anything like this happened. I was too late. Pre-2020, I was over-worked and did not take breaks for a few years. Then 2019 was a year I had a rolling monthly contract, and they extended me for six weeks just before Thanksgiving. (I had planned to go "home" for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but they needed me and I wasn't sure when my next job would be, so I cancelled those plans.) In mid-December, I'd just secured a permanent job that I interviewed for in the autumn of 2019, so I decided to hold off my travel plans until 2020. I wanted to start the new role as soon as possible to work my three-month probation then plan my travel and make up for the lost time. Unfortumately, the pandemic happened six weeks after I started. Then, of course, there were travel restrictions and mess. Then, of course, it was my role being made redundant and having to start a new role with a 6-month probation. I am still working that probation.

In short, I feel that past employers and the pandemic has cheated me. 

It is not a good feeling. All of these things have happened beyond my control. It is not good for mental health.

Grandma was very opinionated, set in old ways, and that caused some clashing. I always worked very hard. I would help her at the family market and farmer's market from a very young age. I was always a hard-worker, and many times I'd set up everything myself while she talked to other people and caught up on the news. She loved to talk. Then there was favouritism shown toward my cousins when they were born after I was around eleven years of age. Just stupid stuff. I'd been put to work every time I went to her house or to the market. The new cousins were allowed to do anything; they were allowed to make a mess and not clean up, and then I had to clean up after them. With me and my brothers, we were told "children are to be seen and not heard", but with the cousins, they were out doing the things we were forbidden from. Then there was the Christmas times. My brothers and I were given clothes and spelling and math books. We never got toys, but the cousins were being swamped with all types of toys. Then there were the comments. I'd had my cat Bells from the day he was born on March 13, 1988. I was nine years of age. My cousin, who was born in 1989, liked to go over to my house and see Bells, so she named her cat after mine. My grandmother tried to say my cousin had the name first; she knew it wasn't true but she was making a stupid comment which annoyed me (and my parents). Then there was the birthday gift she gave me for "contact lenses", which I didn't wear and did not want to start; I wore glasses. I told her I did not want them because I have a phobia of things near my eyes. I never did get a birthday gift; they actually stopped with the coming of the cousins. Generally, there was a bit of snobbery about religion, alcohol, and other cultures too, which I think is a factor of that generation. While I feel that having a glass of wine or cocktails is acceptable from time to time, she was against it completely.

Perhaps the reasoning for my (and my brothers') different treatment was down to my father, the third-born child, not being the favourite. I really do not know. It's always been a bit strange, but then I think everyone's family can be a bit fracked up sometimes.

I worked with her quite a lot at the farmer's market and market, but she never treated me as a child. When I was in middle school and high school, I would often get a ride back with her. We had a strange bus route. We had to get up extra early in the morning and were the first people on the school bus; but, we were then the last ones off in the evening because the bus started the route on the opposite direction. So, I would walk to the elementary school where she was a teacher. I would stop at a little cafe that sold candy and would buy a couple of items to have on my walk to the school. I would then help my grandmother. Sometimes, she would have me take one of the children and go over flash cards of spelling and reading. Sometimes, I would read to them or have them read to me from a book. These were children that needed some extra time spent with reading, writing, and spelling. There was probably an hour to an hour and a half of this each day. 

She (and the two aunts on that side of the family) wanted me to become a teacher. I would never have been happy doing that, and I am glad that I did not get pressured by them into doing that. I think teachers do not get enough credit and are often considered child care by some some bad parents. One of my best friends got into teaching, and she really regrets it.

Originally, this post was a re-cap with some unblogged activities and storms. We had high winds for a few days and then two separate storms only days apart. Storm Eunice was the worst one, and it took down a tree on the road and a tile off the roof. Storm Franklin took place days later. 

In terms of unblogged stuff, I had drinks a few times with neighbours. We had drinks a couple of times at a local bar/restaurant that makes amazing cocktails. We also had drinks around each other's houses. I ordered Tapped! cocktails, and we had a bunch of those and a bottle of Prosecco. The neighbour and I went to Shoreditch to watch "There's Something About Mary" playing at a hotel cinema at Shoreditch Courthouse. We had some drinks before and afterwards. I took her to one of my favourite's - Monty's Bar.

The bloke and I had a couple of Sunday roasts out. We tried The Pomeroy at Amersham, and the roast was delicious.

I also had to go to a funeral in late January. It was the funeral of the oldest resident on the street, who lived in the house from when he was only seven years old! He passed away in his mid-90s in mid-December, and his only living relative is an older lady in Leicestershire, and she was unable to get to the funeral. Luckily, we do have a social street, so he had a large amount of people at the service. A photograph of the flower arrangement is below.

Today had also brought more bad news in the form of war with Russia attacking the Ukraine. So, I hope that it gets better in 2022. It just has not started out very well. Overall, the past several months have been unkind now. I hope it does not get worse. Please get better.

Also known as the Abbey of Saint Mary de Pratis, Leicester Abbey only exists as a ruin today. It dates from the 12th century and accumulated a lot of land and assets, but the abbots were corrupt, and the abbey ended up in debt. The abbey was home to "black cannons", known this from their style of clothing. The abbey is notable for being the location where Cardinal Wolsey died while on his way charged of treason by Henry VIII for failure to agree the annulment of the king's first marriage in 1530. The abbey's location was lost until the 1920s, and it is used today by archeology students. The wider grounds, known as Abbey Park, were donated to the public. After the dissolution, the stone from the abbey was used for building other buildings in Leicester.

One of buildings constructed out of the ruins of the abbey was Cavendish House, photographed above. It is the most intact ruin at the location. It was looted during the Civil War, burned, and never repaired. It was demolished in the 1920s when the council acquired it, and they established Abbey Park.

The walls around the abbey can still be seen, and the parkland extends outside and around the abbey and over the river.

The abbey remains are marked with the stonework foundations and signage. 

The skeleton of Wolsey was never discovered, but a memorial marks the spot where his body was thought to have lain.

Around the permiter of the abbey ruins are beautiful flowers.

One part of the abbey contains Abbey Park restaurant or cafe with landscaped gardens. A statue of Cardinal Wolsey is located in the front of the building.

Across the bridge is a larger park area with a small lake, miniature railway, gardens, and plenty of areas to sit or play - catering to all ages. The gardens are beautiful here. 

Festivals and other events are held at Abbey Park in Leicester, and something was taking place in part of the park when I visited at the end of July.

Love Light Norwich took place on Thursday the 17th and Saturday the 19th of February; it was also scheduled for the Friday night, but Storm Eunice put a stop to that. I visited the event on the Saturday evening. Love Light Norwich first took place in 2020, so this was its return to the streets of Norwich and coincides with Valentine's Day week. The event ran from 5:30 in the evening until 10:00 with projections, performances, and a parade. Local shops, restaurants, bars, and cafes are also in on the fun with limited edition menu items, discounts, shop window displays, and more.

There were close to twenty different installations and performances to see, although not all of them took place on the same night. After having spent the majority of the past three months indoors, I was excited to get out to check it out. Storm Eunice's devestation the day before meant that some of the installations were moved, and some of the events were cancelled. 

"Marsh Ponies" by Sarah Cannell, Rachel Lond and Andy Jarrett

These two pony sculptures are inspired by the nature of the fens and the mystery of East Anglia. The two sculptures were meant to be lit on fire, but the weather was rainy. (Another one of the installations featured a video of the fiery ponies.)

"Mobile Light Grafitti" by Nikola Dicke

This installation featured and ever-changing artwork with live drawing being projected onto the walls and ceiling of a 14th-century church. The artist invites viewers to contribute to the piece by telling her what to draw. The artwork increases in size as the evening goes on.

"One Star Awake" by Laura Cannell and Kate Ellis

This installation was located inside the crypt in a church, and it featured the looping image of the burning "Marsh Ponies" installation mentioned earlier. This was set to music.

"Warm Heart" by Hamilton Art Sculptures

This was one of my favourite pieces as it was so different. It featured roses encased in clear ice blocks. The centrepiece was an ice block in the shape of a heart with a garland of pink and red hearts also in a heart shape. 

"Deafplur" by VJ Outlaw and Shaun Prickimage

A series of rotating images and words were projected onto the side of a building with the words repeated "Peace, love, unity, and respect". Each word cycled through an image relating to the word; sometimes this was the word spelled out. Other times, it was in sign language or an image representing the word. The installation is inspired by 1990s rave and neon. The installation allowed people to send in recordings in advance to have their words or imagery included in the show. 

"Macroscopic I" by Chris Plant

Inspired by the natural world, different images of flowers, leaves, seeds, feathers, and seeds are projected onto the side of a building. This project began during the first lockdown and was created using 1950s slide projectors.

"The Ghosts" by Studio Vertigo

Originally meant to be placed outdoors, the storm meant that they had to be put indoors. The installation features origami-styled cranes, which are a symbol of hope. The installation was inspired by the lockdown when animals roamed urban areas.

"Cupid's Castle" by Illuminos

The previous three photographs feature Norwich Castle and its installation projected onto the side, making the castle into a large artwork for the event. The projection features an animated Cupid flying around Norwich to find different objects to pair together, wuch as a pair of socks, flowers and bees. The projection is all about making connections and finding a perfect match and love.

"Our Beating Heart" by Studio Vertigo

This disco ball is in the shape of a heart. It adds light and colour, which is reflected into the surroundings. It slowly rotates.

"Wall of Love"

This block of plastic shimmered pink, blue, and green with light shining through it in the Forum.

"Into the Light" by Guildhall

The Forum ceiling has come to life with a projection of different photographs on the theme of new beginnings.

A few of the buildings in Norwich were illuminated as an unofficial part of the trail.

"The Celestial Sound Cloud" by Pif-Paf

This installtion suspended above encourages interaction of viewers who move and dance beneath it. It creates music when triggered by these movements. However, a few of us were trying to get it to react, but it seemed to be a bit broken as it was not responding much. Also, the ground beneath it was a muddy mess.

"Macroscopic II" by Chris Plant

This was the second installation of the same theme as described above and was projected onto the gazebo in the park. It is inspired by the natural world with images of nature projected onto screens. 

"Luminescence" by Kate Munro

Projected onto the Norwich Theatre Royal are a couple digital screens showcasing some work inspired by residents from Norwich care homes. 

"Make a Wish" by FSG

This projection on the wall of the department store is of a dandelion that has gone to seed. Its seeds move by lighting up.

"Luminous Pareidolia" by Nick Azidis

Norwich Cathedral has become a canvas for a large-scale projection. This same projection was shown in 2020, and different colours are projected onto the cathedral.

"River of Love" parade

In addition to the installations located across Norwich, a parade winded its way though the city and stopped at The Forum. The parade featured a large lobster, several hearts, fish, drummers, blowing bubbles, and a blue sheet. The theme was the sea and sea. The procession ended at the Forum where there was a small display of illuminated umbrellas and drummers. It was several people deep, so we were unable to watch what was going on.

That wraps it up for Norwich Love Light. Overall, I was a little bit disappointed in it as I'd been to better light shows before. The cathedral and castle had good projections on them, and the roses frozen in ice looked good. The rest of the installations were on the small scale, were not working properly, or were projected onto walls where you could not really see them too well. It was also disappointing with the weather that meant that some of the projections were not set up. However, I saw a lot of families and friends out enjoying the projections, so that counts for something.

Sometimes I come upon a piece of street art that I had not seen before, and it's always a surprise and a joy when I discover one off "the beaten track". Over two years ago, I happened to stumble upon a mural dating from 2015 that was painted by Dale Grimshaw, and I was even more surprised that it was not tagged over. Dale Grimshaw's works at the time in 2015 (and since) mainly consisted of tribal portaits featuring Papua New Guinea people. The mural in Camden features a medieval Scottish warrior with facepaint and a lion, and he is holding a sword and dressed in chainmail. 

For more murals by Dale Grimshaw on this blog, see the posts below:

Dale Grimshaw Paints Hanbury Street for Homeless Charity 
Dale Grimshaw Paints Hanbury Street for Well Hung Gallery Exhibition
Dale Grimshaw Paints For Manchester's "Cities of Hope Festival"
Dale Grimshaw Paints the Village Underground Wall, Part 2
Dale Grimshaw Paints Hanbury Street Ahead of "Pride and Prejudice" Exhibit
Dale Grimshaw Paints the Village Underground Wall
Dale Grimshaw Mural in Support of Papua New Guinea
Street Art: Dale Grimshaw, Icon, Code FC, Low Bros, El Mac and others

Glen Lyn Gorge is a tourist attraction in Lynmouth in Devon. I visited it in the middle of September. The attraction contains a museum showcasing information about the big flood of 1952, whale bones, environmental sciences information, and additional oddities. Visitors can also see working water pumps, play with water jets, and walk along the gorge to see the cascades. The powerful waters here at Glen Lyn Gorge power the village. Visitors must pay 7.00 at the time of writing to visit the attraction, which I thought was a bit expensive for what you can see when comparing it to other attractions. 

Inside the museum is a Bible that was discovered in the sea near Ilfracombe from Lynmouth Chapel, which was destroyed during the 1952 flood. There was so much to see in this little museum and so much to read.

After the museum, I played with the water jets before setting off to walk along the gorge.

There was not a lot of water when I visited. There were certain areas where you could see the pin-points for the heights of the flood water during the 1952 flood.

I passed by a tree with coins stuck in it.

Climbing the hill meant more views of the cascades down the gorge.

And finally, to the top where I could see some vehicles in the distance that I believe were looking after the pumps that power the village today. A little shelter is located on the walk down, and then it was back out the entrance.

The gorge itself flows into the river and then out to the sea, and there are footbridges to cross this. The Glen Lyn Gorge house is located to the left of the bridge in the below photograph.

Overall, Glen Lyn Gorge is a decent attraction where you can spend some time reading the different panels in the museum and discovering different items. The walk up the gorge was pleasant enough, and the water cannons were a good minute spent although they were not working during the visit and only were working after we left and came back through, and they let me pop in to play. I thought the cost was a little too high for what it was.

The Cocoabean Company in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, hosts chocolate making classes for all ages and has many attractions catering particularly to families and small children. Indoor and outdoor play areas featuring mazes, giant dinosaurs, pirate ships, climbing frames, slides, gold-panning, and soft play areas will be popular for children. The attraction also has a cafe, space for weddings and other events, and a space for different chocolate classes that cater to adults and children of all ages and abilities.

The company started in 2005 by Claire Beck who had a passion for melting and making chocolates and a vision to create the company. At the time, chocolate workshops were popular, and she started to conduct them from her family home. In 2010, the company moved into its current purpose-built site with a cafe and play areas. It also makes the chocolate that it sells in its shop at a factory at the location. The chocolate is sold to retailers in the UK, and the quality is more important than producing quantity.

The adult chocolate-making workshop lasts 45 minutes, and adults will create three chocolate items using different types and colours of chocolate, flavours, and toppings for decoration.

The first was to use the type of chocolate (milk or white) for the main flavour in a mould, and visitors could choose one of the following items: car, wrapped candy piece, bunny, or pig. Using the other type of chocolate, the detail was drawn on using piping sticks. I selected the car, but then traded it for the candy piece as the bloke wanted the car. 

The second chocolate piece was a slab with half of it white chocolate and the other half of it milk chocolate. We were asked what colours we wanted, and I selected green and orange. Green was created using yellow and blue, and it had to be mixed in the chocolate, which was quickly beginning to dry. The bloke chose red. We were then asked for the flavours from a selection, and I selected rose. It was dropped on top of the chocolate in certain areas but had already started to dry, and the colours got more messy. The bloke choose a lime flavour. We could then decorate with other colours and pieces of sweets and toppings provided. The main issue was that the chocolate dried so quickly, but I managed to create a slab that looked a little bit like a garden, and I think the bloke was inspired to create something similar with candy pieces.

The last chocolate was a lollipop. I selected milk chocolate, and the bloke selected white chocolate. You started by pouring out a cup of chocolate and then sticking and covering the stick in the chocolate. Mine started to overlap the paper. We were then given different colours to decorate with and could use the toppings.

Our creations looked nice when they were completed, though a couple of them did not survive the journey home. The car had a small crack in it. The chocolate was still tasty, though.

The mascot for the chocolate factory hangs out at the entrance, overlooking the hills in Dumfriens and Galloway.

I also purchased a few chocolates at the shop. They sell individual chocolates, slabs, hot chocolate, gift sets, and chocolate numbers decorated with colourful toppings.

I had a lot of fun making these chocolates, and judging by how noisy it was here, the families and children were having a great time too.

Leicester's castle was constructed toward the end of the 1000s incorporating the old town's Roman walls, and it was a royal residence for Henry IV, Henry V, Henry VI, and Edward IV. Its use then changed to a courthouse with sessions held in the Great Hall. Today, the Great Hall still remains with a new fascade. Part of the moat and hillside remain as well as part of a medieval wall, which joins next to The Newarke Houses Museum. The Great Hall portion of the castle is currently used as an administrative function by Leicester, so it cannot be toured.

The castle is located next to the River Soar and gardens with small ponds and flower beds, and the ponds have panels of information about the unique diversity of wildlife and plantlife in them.

One of the notable items in the park is the traditional Maypole, which dates from Celtic traditions held in early May for May Day. The pole signified festivals and plays featuring the start of spring. The Green Man symbol also played a part in the traditions of spring (and the other seasons) and may date to the history of the story of "Robin Hood". This practice was later banned but then reintroduced again at the end of the 1800s with ribbons and dancing around the Maypole.

There is a church near the existing Great Hall, and there are the remains of a gatehouse and part of the old wall.

Overall, there is not too much to see of the existing castle, but this space has had so much history over the centuries.

Etal Castle is a medieval castle (built in the mid-1300s) at an important strategic point between Scotland and England. It was owned by the Manners family and their home until the mid-1500s. The tower house and gatehouse is all that survives of the castle today. In 1603, the castle lost its defensive purposes after England and Scotland united, so it was abandoned. The first structure that can be seen upon exiting the small museum, which was a converted Presbyterian chapel, is the castle tower.

The castle was not built for large-scale battles, so it was taken by the Scottish but soon reclaimed after they lost the Battle of Flodden Fields near the castle.

The gatehouse was the castle entrance. There may have been a chapel on the first floor. The only remaining wall of the castle is located here.

The tower house was a four-storey building and contained living quarters. It was attached to the wall and the staircase that was joined to access the upper floors can be seen on the exterior wall. The first floor held the great hall. The floor above this was for the owners, and the guards occupied the top floor.

Masons' Marks from the stonemasons who cut the stones can be seen in the stonework of the castle. Each one had a different design as they would be paid by work completed.

The castle at Etal was in an area where there was a lot of battles, so this was an important strategic point and near the site of one of the most prominent battlefields.

Happy Valentine's Day to my readers! As I mentioned in my last post, I have been so busy during the week that I'm left exhausted in the evenings and on weekends. It also gets dark early still. The days are getting a bit longer, though, and spring is on its way. I can see that a few blossoms are out, and my Maine Coons are starting to shed their excess fur. (As soon as I get rid of the tumbleweed of fur, another replaces it within moments.) Removing the stray fur it's a never-ending game at the moment. I hope that things get more manageable with work. I've been taken advantage of in the past, so I am trying to be careful. Life is for living, after all. I've spent too much of my time sacrificing myself only to be treated poorly or just generally taken advantage of. It's time for that to stop now. It has been tough because I enjoy what I do, and I want to please people. I have high functioning anxiety.

So, what have I been up to today? I bought some colourful flowers last week, and I've been enjoying looking at them. They are so colourful. 

I started early and put in a hard stop in my day to head out to London before it got too dark. I wanted to visit some street art yesterday, but I just felt too exhausted. So, I made an effort to do it today, and getting out did feel good, and this is the only exercise I have been getting. I headed to Humble Crumble before I left to have their Valentine's Day special - cherry bakewell crumble with custard and marshmallow flowers. It was delicious; I love sour cherry.  

I'm not sure where the year has gone, but it's mid-February and almost Valentine's Day already. I've hardly left my house this year due to my work situation, so I've not really been exploring London for the best Valentine's Day treats. I've been super busy, and I've been exhausted by the time the day finishes and by the weekend, and the last thing I went to do is go out. It's not healthy, I know...keep your fingers crossed for me. But anyway, I did manage a fleeting visit to Peggy Porschen's cafe on Elizabeth Street ahead of the big day. They launched their Valentine's Day specials early. I had the champagne and strawberry cupcake and one of their special iced biscuits.

Their theme this year was pink flowers and a pink and white striped hot air balloon. The biscuit was themed for this with a "love is in the air" slogan. 

Happy early Valentine's Day!

More posts about Peggy Porschen:

• London's Christmas Lights, Decorations, and Treats (2021)
• Happy Halloween, 2021
• Valentine's Day Treats in London 2021
• Where to Buy Christmas-Themed Treats in London (2020)
• Autumn 2020 at Peggy Porschen's Cafe
• "Happy Valentine's Day" London Displays and Treats
• Peggy Porschen Winter 2019
• Summer at Peggy Porschen Cafe King's Road
• Easter at the New Peggy Porschen Cafe, King's Road
• A Christmas Visit to Peggy Porschen Bakery

Thomas Carlyle was an influential writer and philospher in the 1800s, and he had a lot of connections in the arts, science, and writing communities of the time. A couple of years ago, I visited the house that he and his wife rented in west London (An Afternoon at Carlyle's House (National Trust)), and in early August this year, I visited his birthplace in southern Scotland and managed by National Trust for Scotland.

Carlyle was born in this house in Ecclefechan in 1795, but he did not live in the house for too long. It was built by his father and uncle. When Carlyle was 13, he walked from Ecclefechan to Edinburgh to attend university. The house has not been updated since 1881. When Carlyle passed away, a huge crowd gathered due to his popularity, and people kept visiting and wished to see inside the house. 

Carlyle was fascinated with Germany, and he wrote several history books. 

The rooms to visit in the house include the parlour room. It contains items that would have been found in the house during Carlyle's time.

Upstairs are two small rooms to see. The bedroom contains the cradle that Carlyle was born in.

The other room was more of a museum with cabinets filled with personal information and items hung on the wall.

The guides at Thomas Carlyle's birthplace were very enthusiastic and knowledgeable, and they really helped the house come to life.

Street artists Nush Poke and ThisOne have been collaborating on various murals across London recently. ThisOne is a London-based street artist that has been painting on London's walls since 2016 with collaborations or on their own. The style of mural is usually black and white illustrations of floral arrangements or animals. Nush Poke is an artist from France who has only recently started to paint in London, and their work mainly features birds in bright colours with an illustrative style. Both street artists have recently collaborated on a few walls around London.

I have never posted about Nush Poke on this blog before as this artist has only recently started to paint in London. Previous posts on this blog featuring ThisOne can be read below:

Street Art: HNRX and This One
ThisOne and Koctel Collaborate on Street Art in Shoreditch
Street Art: This One
Street Art Round-Up January, 2018
Manchester Street Art Update 2019
Street Art Murals in east London by ThisOne
Street Art from HNRX, Frankie Strand, ThisOne

Immersive theatre has been very popular for the past decade now, and it shows no signs of slowing down this year with several new immsersive theatre experiences in London taking place. The "Doctor Who Time Fracture" immersive experience was on the list in 2019 when it was booked by the bloke as we both enjoy the BBC series, and I grew up watching re-runs of the older episodes. Anyway, we re-booked the experience four times before we were able to go due to lockdowns and flooding throughout 2020. The location of the expeirence is near Bond Street station, and we were ushered into the waiting area, which was designed to look like a secret army operation called U.N.I.T. We were led into a central area with a lot of other "volunteers", and there was another group to arrive and a much smaller group already inside and being briefed on the "experience" task. Basically, we had to locate an item to help us repair the time fracture, and we meet a lot of different characters along the way. Meanwhile, some strange things are happening to London, so time is important.

Ours was one of the larger groups there. It was a bit difficult to hear with such large groups and all of the other sounds and chatter from other groups shouting over each other. Similar to the newer episodes of "Doctor Who", it was action-packed and a little bit chaotic. We could choose the path we wanted to go into, and I found my way to the Elizabethan courts. Unfortunately, this took a long time of tasks messing around with the actors and actresses here, and we did not get to explore any other areas and then were told to rush through some doors. I was feeling a bit bored by the different tasks but it would have been rude to walk away. So, we missed some of the story right off the bat. Then, we found ourselves into a different room where there was a bar and a pig-faced character, robot, and others. There was an altercation, but we really lost track of what was going on by then as we were stuck in the Elizabethan court for so long. We were all then led into a spaceship where there was a bar and some live music, and then there were the stone angels and the final room to the time lord planet. We saw a Dalek in the main room at the start, but we did not see them nor any Cybermen, but visitors are encouraged to return time and time again because there are many places to explore. We only saw five areas. 

Afterwards, we had a couple of cocktails. The main room was transformed into a party room, but we were the only guests to stay behind to have a cocktail, which was really cool with dry ice stirrers.

We could also look around one of the other rooms where we could see some props and information about the companions.

And of course, there was a TARDIS and one of my favourite companions, K-9 the robot dog.

Overall, it was a little bit chaotics for us, but we missed the first part of the story and were then rushed through and did not know what was going on since we missed all of that information being stuck in one place for so long. So, neither of us really enjoyed it much, which was a pity because I think it could have been a lot more. Overall, I would give this a two out of five stars as I did not feel I really got to enjoy it and was unable to get into the story, and it was a bit expensive considering. The price of a standard theatre ticket is roughly the same cost, but I felt I got less out of this experience than I would a traditional performance.

Street artist Conor Harrington, who is from Ireland but lives in London, has recently painted his first mural in London for awhile. The artist had previously painted in different areas of London many times over the past several years but nothing recently until this new mural. The new mural is located on a gate on Buxton Street, off Brick Lane, that the artist has painted on a few times before. The mural depicts a man dressing himself in bunting, and it is a political and social piece reflecting on monument patriarchy culture. The artist has used his typical style of classical painting with characters in traditional costume. The piece has been created with spray paint and is in monotone grayscale.

More work by Conor Harrington on this blog can be seen here:

Street Art: Conor Harrington
Baroque the Streets: Dulwich Street Art
Dublin Street Art
Street Art on Whitecross Street
New Street Art by Conor Harrington
Belfast Street Art
Street Art Round-up in Early Spring 2014
Street Art Tour of Walthamstow

Barnwell Priory is located in the centre of Cambridge, and it was once inhabited by Augustine monks between the 12th and 16th centuries. The only remains of it today are this building, the Cellarer's Chequer, and the Church of St. Andrew-the-Less. The priory was originally founded in 1092 near to the castle in Cambridge but moved to this present location in 1112. Barnwell Priory had links with Midsummer Fair, a fair that was held annually and raised money for the monastary. After the dissolution of monastaries, the stones were taken from Barnwell to build other buildings in Cambridge.

This building, the Chequer, was where the person under the abbot (the Cellarer - who was responsible for organisation and daily running of the monastary functions) conducted the business and lived. The building was not open to visit, but it contains a fireplace and stone vaulted ceiling with a column in the middle. The building is Grade II listed.

The success of Barnwell Priory and its Midsummer Fair was probably what had helped the University of Cambridge to become established. 

The Battersea Power Station tube station opened in the autumn last year, and I posted about A Commute to the Northern Line Extension at Nine Elms when I first rode on the new Northern Line extension; I was finally able to disembark at Battersea Power Station in order to see one of the newest regenerated parts of London and to experience a brand new light festival: Battersea Power Station Light Festival. The light festival began in mid-January and continues until the 27th of February, so you still have some time to check out the five light installations.

The light festival has been put together after the rise of similar popular light festivals in London, and it aims to get people to this area of London and to enjoy the cafes, bars, restaurants, and other attractions.

Antenna Sud by Michela Bonzi

Antennae were very popular until underground cabling, but they are still prominent in Italy. Italian designer Michela Bonzi has developed the installation with lit-up antennae, an ordinary part of the surroundings in Italy. 

Greenhouse by Victor Engbers

This light installation of a greenhouse is made from cast uranium glass, which glows a flourescent green colour under ultraviolet light. The greenhouse lights change a subtle colour with a greenish glow with additional purple or blue colours. The result appears like an impressionist painting of light.

Picto Sender Machine by Felipe Prado

This interactive installation produces a very low resolution image from 1957 from the times when television and photographs were not in high definition like they are today. The machine contains the enlarged pixels that record a video message based on movements in front of the sensor, which then project into blocks of light. Visitors to this installation were having fun posing and dancing around.

Eternal Sundown by Mads Vegas

The Coaling Jetty at the Battersea Power Station has been decorated with beautiful lights by Danish designer Mads Vegas. There are 140 different fluorescent tubes of light. The lights fade into different colours of the rainbow.

Digital Origami Tigers by LAVA

These two red tigers travelled around the world in 2010 to celebrate the Chinese New Year in time for the Year of the Tiger, which took place on the first of February. They are made from recycled materials and placed in front of the Battersea Power Station. The artwork is used by charity to bring attention to endangered tigers. Unfortunately, one of the tigers was not working when I visited.

Run Beyond by Angelo Bonello

Italian artist Angelo Bonello has created an animated light installation featuring different figures in a running and jumping leap. The figures animate into a running and jumping person, and this is in front of Battersea Power Station. The leap symbolises a "jump to freedom".

The ruins of Lochmaben Castle are located at Castle Loch near the village of Lochmaben in Galloway, Scotland. The earthworks constructed under Edward I were built with a timber castle in 1300. The castle was rebuilt with stone in the 14th century. Some items have been discovered in the outer bailey which were thought to have been used during the build: an axe and a skillet.

The Brus family (ancestors of Robert the Bruce) were the lords in this area of Scotland in the 12th century, and they lived at another castle nearby in Lochmaben. The area occupied by the original castle contains only some earthworks today, and it is sited at the modern day Lochmaben Golf Club, but it is not accessible to the public. The current ruins of the new site of Lochmaben castle was constructed later. A timber pele tower was built in the location by Robert the Bruce, and the castle was burned and repaired, captured and recaptured until the 1400s. 

By the beginning of the 1600s, the castle is abandoned. The stones were removed and used in other buildings nearby. Red sandstone was used for the exterior of the castle. Today, the castle is in a bad state of disrepair and the taller areas of stonework have been fenced off to protect visitors.

The location became romantic ruins in Victorian times and was a popular spot for visitors and artists.

Twenty-five sculptures of lions are currently in residence at Waterloo in London in the park opposite the Old Vic theatre. The sculptures can be seen here until March, but they will also be visiting other cities and locations throughout the year, although the schedule is yet to be announced. The sculptures have been placed by Born Free, a charity that helps protect lions. The "Year of the Lion" is a separate event to celebrate the founder's 100th birthday. The sculptures have been created by artists Gillie and Marc, and you may recognise similar sculptures of elephants that appeared last year at Spitalfields, which were also designed by them ("Herd of Hope" in Spitalfields). 

The numbers of lions is declining. Born Free is hoping to protect the lions and provide a safer world for them. The exhibition lists out a few of the actual lions helped over the years and their stories. The main sculpture depicts a lion on top of a 4x4 vehicle, and the lion depicted is Elsa, a lion that Born Free has helped. The other stories of lions were located on plaques at the base on some of the sculptures, but many of the sculptures did not have one. You can read these stories below.

Black: This lion was the last to ever perform in a circus in Bulgaria, and he now lives in South Africa and is cared for by Born Free.

Nelson: This lion was rescued from a zoo in France that went bankrupt; he now lives in South Africa at the Born Free sanctuary.

Hilts: This lion was saved from being hunted and is being cared for by Born Free.

Cora: She was rescued from a Spanish zoo in 2017 and is being cared for in South Africa by Born Free.

Louga: This lion performed at circuses in France until his rescue and placement at the Born Free sanctuary in South Africa.

Cecil: Cecil was a wild lion who lived in Zimbabwe until he was shot and killed by trophy hunters.

Christian: This was a male lion who was captured and sold by Harrods before being released back into the wild in 1971.

King: This lion was born in 2017 and kept as a pet in an apartment in Paris; he was rescued in the same year.

Iman: This female lion was raised destined for the pet trade, but she was fortunately rescued in 2019 and lives her days at the sanctuary in Ethiopia.

The sculptures are located at Waterloo Green, opposite the Old Vic theatre with the Jubilee line exit and entrance of the underground at Waterloo being the closest exit. The sculptures can be seen until March.

My monthly Craft Gin Club subscription arrived in January. The subscription box sends members a full-sized bottle of gin with a range of mixers and snacks along with the "Ginned!" magazine, which contains gin-related information and cocktail recipes for the gin. The monthly gin for January is Sông Cái Việt Nam Dry Gin, which is distilled in Vietnam and contains citrus and spice flavours. The items in January's box are largely inspired by Indonesia and southeastern Asia in flavour, and this is perfect for the upcoming New Year. New Year is celebrated at the start of February this year.

Artisan Drinks Company have provided three tonics or mixers in the Janury box. The Yuzu Tokyo Tonic has been made in collaboration with Craft Gin Club for this gin of the month. The flavours of this tonic include black pepper and coriander, and it is a limited edition flavour. There is also the Artisan's Fiery Ginger Beer provided to make the gin cocktail of the month.

The next mixer that we received is the Aqua Libra Infused Sparkling Water. Subscribers will receive one of three different flavours: raspberry and blackcurrant, pineapple and grapefruit, or cucumber with mint and lime. I received the cucumber, mint, and lime. These are unsweetened drinks made with natural ingredients.

Crodino is another brand of mixer from Italy that appeared in this month's box. This is a non-alcoholic aperitivo that can be enjoyed with gin as a spritz over ice. 

The last mixer received is the cocktail syrup for the special monthly gin cocktail, and it is created by Craft Gin Club. This month, the flavour is called "New Moon", and it is described as sweet and fragrant. The garnishes of the monthly box are slices of kumquat, which will be an interesting flavour with this gin this month. These garnishes are perfect for the classic gin and tonics.

Four snacks were received in the January box and are from Coconut Collaborative, Olly's, Woolf's Kitchen, and Native Snacks. Dairy-free brand Coconut Collaborative little snack can be paired with the gin or to have on its own; these Chocolate Little Pots are delicious and creamy, and I've eaten them before. Olly's Pretzel Thins in Sweet Chili are low in calories and fats and are great for pairing with gin. Peanuts are used in Indonesian cooking, and Woolf's Kitchen have provided Woolf Bites Crafty Cacao Peanuts; these are a balance of sweet and salty flavours with chocolate and salted carmelised peanuts. Native Snacks have also included a sample of vegan sweet chili-flavourted prawn crackers, which are a snack in Southeastern Asia. (I know these are vegan, but I have gifted these as I just can't get my head around vegan prawn crackers or sweet chili as the taste just isn't enjoyable to me.)