Jazz Café October 31st, 2020. My partner, Richard Spaven, who is an incredible drummer and producer sold out a back to back show as a first gig back after the big lockdown of 2020. On the break between the two sets we got news of yet another lockdown. In three days we would be going back in again for four weeks. After this we’d all be let loose to go do our holiday shenanigans & shopping only to go back into yet another unexpected Christmas Lockdown on the 18th of December. This lasted until April 12th the following year.
This particular night at The Jazz Café was so wonderful for many reasons, but mainly because I got to witness the crowd roar with delight of finally getting to see some of their favourite musicians on stage again doing what they do best. The best feeling!! I felt so happy for Rich and everyone up there. Stuart McCallum, Chris Hargreaves , and Jordan Rakei. What a special show.
October 2019. We didn’t know what was coming in 5 months. I am so glad I decided to go on this mini vacay. My sister was turning 30 years old and had planned a birthday trip to Portugal. I had just moved to London and thought I shouldn’t be spending money I had not yet earned yet. She convinced me to come in the end and I am so glad I did. It’s amazing what 4 days on the ocean and October sun of the Mediterranean can do for your soul. We rented a house right on the beach with Airbnb and it was perfect. Such a beautiful stretch of sand. The crowds had gone and we were greeted only by locals. This was the way to go. Loved every minute. Thanks Kate. XX
You’ve all seen the tiles… How incredible are these??
Lisbon Cathedral.
Alfama.
Best spot for a beer. Alfama.
Laundromat, Alfama.
Lisboa, October 25th, 2019. My first time to Portugal and first European trip I took for the weekend a couple months after moving to London in August. We stayed on the coast (dreamy beach photos next post) but took a taxi into town for my sister’s birthday that day. I loved it. So different from neighbouring Spain, yet so similar. Honestly I could just roam those streets a little longer, soaking in the sea air and smell of grilled fish in the air. Ready for a glass of vinho verde at noon, a pastel de nata and espresso at 3pm, then hit the shops for some specialty tinned fish and wine! There are loads of hip restaurants in this town and hole in the wall banging fish restaurants you won’t want to miss. Really didn’t have the time to fully take it in but if you are going there are plenty of in the know guides like this one here. Can’t wait to go back!
Sometimes you get so caught up in what you’re doing you can forget about where you’ve been and what you’ve already done. This post is a little bit like that. I often refer to a part of my life as “my past life”, meaning the part of my life that I was married for a brief time and travelling often to France for holiday. It feels so long ago. Seriously like another lifetime, hence why I refer to it that way. However, there was a lot of beauty in this time of my life. Having access to this sort of travel and exploration of another culture was by far the best part. I am forever grateful for this. Whilst travelling through the magnificent Loire Valley, Chateau de Chenonceau was certainly my favourite “Chateau” of what we saw. It felt so ethereal to me, like the kings and queens and brothers and sisters of that era were still there, observing us, while we walked around and marvelled at their old quarters. kitchens, gardens, and passed lives. What I loved about this Chateau was its grandeur without being overly ostentatious. We visited Château Chambord shortly thereafter and although impressive, it did not have the same essence. It did not feel alive with stories and romanticism like Chenonceau did. These photos were taken in the fall of 2012, so although I feel they’re not my best photos, the essence still remains. If you are in Loire Valley and deciding on what Chateaus to visit, make sure to include this one. Château de Chenonceau is a love story not to be missed. ❤️
The BoAt Pod is a floating podcast studio in the heart of Little Venice, in West London. Owned and operated by Sophie Callis, a DJ and entrepreneur with deep roots in the London music scene. She is taking her canal boat to the next level with state of the art podcast, radio, and DJ booths available to rent. If you are looking for a unique working environment for your radio show, podcast, or Live stream DJ sets, this is the place! I recently had the chance to experience and capture 📷the BoAt Pod ON AIR 🎙during a session of The Frost Report in collaboration with the BBC for Black History Month with Legendary DJ Jumpin Jack Frost alongside Simon ‘Bassline’ Smith, DJ Brockie, and Tania Maria Lee. You can view the conversation here.
