BNY Mellon

I've been looking forward to this all year. It's one of my favourite events in the Spring calendar and considering I hadn't been back to The Crabtree since last years race, I was looking forward to it.

For those unfamiliar, the BNY Mellon is an annual boat race along the Thames between the rowing teams of Oxford and Cambridge, and this year was the 160th year the rival teams were to race. And with Melissa unable to be involved, it was down to Pippa and I to carry the tradition. Which was just fine with us.

So we began the day with one of our favourite bottles of Rose, animatedly throwing clothes across the room at one another. Sadly our pre picked summer dresses were quickly discarded to the back of our wardrobes once more as mother nature forced us to return to outfits slightly more appropriate for the not so mild temperatures.

Shirt- Zara

Jeans- Jack Wills

Shoes- Topshop, similar here

Finally ready, we headed into W6. While the boatrace website highlights a whole host of bars and restaurants along the river to catch a glimpse of the race, The Crabtree is almost perfectly in the middle, plus it does the meanest jug of Pimms. It also has a large garden overlooking the Thames laden with tables and benches to sit a small army. Which is the perfect description for the hoards of people filling the pub that afternoon. Pippa and I quickly found ourselves a spot right by the hog roast and ordered a jug for two. Amy and Sophia joined us soon after and the afternoon quickly turned into the ideal combination on drinking and gossip while we awaited the race. 

I've never really had an Oxbridge preference, but considering I was team Cambridge last year, I decided I would root for them again this year. So as 6pm drew around, laden with flags, we slowly and not so elegantly made our way to the waters edge. Everyone gathered around to eagerly await the first glimpse of the teams and erupted into elation as the first boat came round the corner ten minutes in. 

Sadly Oxford lead from the beginning and rode to an easy victory, but our spirits were certainly not dampened as we tumbled out of the bar. And we're already looking forward to next year… 

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Old Friends and a Brit Award

I've known my friend Lucy for years. We discovered alcohol and boys together in our teenage years and it's bonded us ever since. She was my partner in crime when it came to a glass or five on a school night and she's always one of my first calls when I'm back visiting home. So I was ridiculously-schoolgirl excited when she cleared a few days in her schedule to come down to London to visit. I've been pestering her about staying since the day I moved and I was so excited for her to be joining me for one of my favourite nights of the year.

I greeted her at Euston with giggly excitement and we caught up on all the news from back home while journeying back to Notting Hill. Our first point of call was a cocktail so we headed round the corner to Beach Blanket Babylon. It's become like a second home to the girls and I since September. Set off a side street on Westbourne Grove and getting the right amounts of peaceful ambience and wonderful cocktails spot on, it's the perfect place for an afternoon catch up. She continued to catch me up on all the gossip from Cheshire while I updated her on all the details for the evening ahead. She'd come into town on the night of the Brit awards, and all talk through London had been of the after parties since the start of the year. So with an invitation to one of them, I was thrilled Lucy could join me.

Afternoon turned into evening far too quickly so we headed home to get ready.

With a bottle in each hand and beyonce blaring, we began getting ready like we were seventeen all over again. 

Armed with a glass of champagne and wearing some of my most trusted separates, we were ready to go. And right on cue, a brand new Mercedes E class arrived to take us to DSTRKT. 

I've blogged about DSTRKT before. It's one of the larger Mayfair hotspots and a great venue for celebrating birthdays. So we sipped on Vodka, and then some champagne, and then back to some more vodka while dancing and laughing away the night. The club quickly packed out and we almost forgot to keep our celeb-eye out. That was until a friend ushered us up the stairs to the back table of the club, insisting we meet someone. Wide-eyed and rather star struck, we turned around to see a smartly suited Tinie Tempah drinking champagne and chatting animatedly to the people surrounding us. We were introduced and like 13 year old schoolgirls, Lucy and I gushed over what fans we are. Playing it cool has never been our strong suit. 

We all continued partying well into the early hours, with the night quickly becoming hazy from then on. 

We woke up with sore heads and fond memories, laughing about our inability to hold our liquor. The rest of the trip continued with equal debauchery… but more on that another time. 

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The Birthday Lowdown

It’s been a whirlwind of a week. I’m finally sitting down for what feels like the first time in a month. And even now I’m travelling.

The week of turning twenty has possibly been my favourite week in my twenty years. I won’t fill you in with every little detail, I’m not sure that would be a good idea for anyone. But I will tell you some of my favourite things.

My big circle of London friends all descended on Chelsea for a night of madness on Monday, complete with chocolate cake, sparklers, semi naked men and several bottles of champagne. Cue lots of 

shrieking, giggling and dancing on tables.

The girls and I then headed to Gilgamesh on Wednesday. It’s a sushi and pan Asian restaurant in the heart of the stables market. We’d seen and heard great things about the restaurant and from the outside, it looked like we were entering a hidden world. We ordered drinks, a diet coke for Melissa who was already feeling the strain from the copious amounts we had drunk a few nights before. I ordered a cucumber and kiwi cocktail from the rather short but totally unique menu, and I have to say it was one of the greatest drinks I have ever had. Sadly that was possibly the highlight. While the food was good once it arrived correctly, we were left disappointed by the poor service and lack of attention to detail. You need to order a vast amount to leave feeling full too.

Thursday was birthday eve and in between running errands and salon appointments I was giddy with excitement. My bestest friends came over and we headed out to Bodos. I’ve blogged about Bodos before when Pippa, Melissa, Jack and I headed for a final hurrah at the end of last year. The south Kensington venue is a popular haunt of everyone from Jamie Laing to Prince Harry and it quickly fills up from Thursday’s- Sundays with partygoers from all over.

And finally at midnight, complete with a rather rowdy rendition of “Happy Birthday” I brought in turning twenty with drinking and dancing late into the night.

Feeling slightly worse for wear, I devoured the birthday girl breakfast scones Melissa had left for me, and headed to the station. I find these days that I’m always travelling on my birthday. I actually rather like it. And some calm TLC from my family was exactly what I required after the weeks madness. I was met by my baby sister (she’s eighteen this year, I’m going to have to let go of the ‘baby’ prefix soon) and we headed home.

Tumbling into the house I was met by the greatest looking tea party and the promise of the impeding arrival of Em Holth from Madrid, and my aunt and uncle who would also be joining us.

We tucked into plates of cheese and pineapple sticks, mini steaks, pork pies, cocktail sausages, marshmallows and traffic light biscuits. I’ll one-day post about these. An invention that transformed my childhood. Washed down with healthy glasses of champagne and wine, we caught up way into the night while I opened the last of my beautiful gifts.

And finally Saturday it was begrudgingly time to say goodbye to my birthday. I was officially twenty and my celebrations had come to a wonderful close, along with another decade of incredible memories.

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Dinner Party Fever

I'm such a birthday person. Ever since I was little, going to a birthday party was my favourite thing to do, and growing up, this really hasn't changed. And then it got even better when I moved to London because my three best London friends and I discovered that all of our birthdays are within five weeks of  each other. So we dubbed it birthday season and look forward to it every year.

It's mine first. And with a week to go, I decided it was time the celebrations began. And having left my Cheshire friends to return to the city a month ago, a dinner party at my family home seemed the perfect excuse to celebrate and catch up on each others news. I'm not much of a cook, so luckily I had mumma on hand to provide advice and culinary expertise. I was also relieved when Laura arrived early afternoon to help prepare and calm my nerves. She had travelled up from Bristol to make it, so I couldn't have been more excited and thankful to see her.

We prepared all the food as much as possible, laid the table in timeless cream and gold, not forgetting the champagne flutes and dashed upstairs to get ready.

With an hour to spare, Tom arrived with endless candles, beautiful flowers and beads to finish off the table, we chatted about our day and our excitement for the evening ahead while dressing our centre pieces.

 So proud of his creations

Everyone filtered in about 8pm and we toasted myself, the other Tom (who celebrates his birthday the day before mine) and Sophie's new job before migrating to the dining room for dinner. I went and put the finishing touches to the goats cheese and caramelised onion tartlets, topped everyone up with a glass of wine and we all tucked in. It's always so nice to catch up on all the news from home. Combine it with great food and wine and I'm in my element. 

 We then moved on to main course, with a hearty home made lasagne on offer, perfectly accompanied with a top up of wine. Last year Tom and I hosted a large soiree at his home to jointly celebrate our birthdays, which quickly escalated with the assistance of cigars, dirty pints and the questionable use of some insect spray. And while that was a total blast, I decided that for turning twenty, something more civilised was required.

Feeling incredibly full, we paused pre-dessert for some light entertainment and a group photo. So many things have changed for me this year, and I am so thankful to every single one of these for being there for me.

Having laughed off enough room to squeeze in dessert, we headed back to the dining room. Mumma had made two of my favourites; banoffe pie and meringues, complete with strawberries and cream. But no eating was to be done until "Happy Birthday" had been sung and sparklers had been lit. (Everyone knows my hatred to birthday candles). We then tucked in, accompanied with dessert wine and animatedly began planning a weekend away at Easter. After the fun of Plas Uchaf (http://lavidalondonista.blogspot.co.uk), a weekend in Abersoch is most definitely going to be welcome.

We spent the rest of the evening making our way through cheese, port and home brewed spirits, drinking our way into the early hours. But not before presents. Both Tom and Sophie had kindly given me wonderful bottles of Lanson and Verve, while I excitedly unwrapped a cigar (from memories of 3am rickshaw rides), a copy of Rush (formula 1 is our favourite) and a bottle of pear grey goose from the other Tom.

We awoke the next morning with fragile heads (some more so than others) to a dreamy hangover breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast before saying our goodbyes. 

First attempt at being a mature twenty-something? Check. 

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Viva Espana

I was so excited about this weekend. Not only for a break from London, or the fact that I have been desperate to head back to Madrid since the day I booked my adventure over two months ago, but also because I got to see this gal.

Ok, so this is an incredibly old snap from the archives, but I had a lifetime to choose from. I've adored spending time with my older sister Emily (or Em, as I will refer to her as from now) for as long as I can remember, and although I was incredibly excited for her to go on her year abroad to Madrid (cheap vacations? Yes please!) I was also really nervous. Firstly I was nervous for her, moving to a big city, teaching english and knowing a handful of people, but I was selfishly nervous for myself. Who would I call crying hysterically at three in the morning, or moan about to when mum suggested we eat goose rather than turkey at Christmas.

I was also worried she wouldn't talk to me as much. I'm incredibly needy when it comes to Em you see. So you can imagine how excited I was when I invited myself out to visit her for a long weekend. Churros and my best pal? Wonderful.

So I packed up my bag on a Sunny friday afternoon and headed for the airport, before a quick flight over to Madrid.

Unsurprisingly Em was late to pick me up, so after a couple of laps of the airport we met up and I couldn't have been more excited to see her. We caught up about her new life while I envied her new tan en route back to her pad. She lives slightly out of the city in the banking district of Charmartin, very much the Notting Hill of Madrid!

We had a quick nap (Siesta darling, it's a siesta.) Before heading out for some food. Em took me to Chueca, the Soho of Madrid, to the very-chic-and-not-at-all-market-like Mercado de San Anton. We went up the hidden staircase to be greeted by soft jazz music and plastic pigs onto La Teraza, and with a cocktail in hand, took in the view and the last couple of months of each others lives.

Then with a grumble in our tummies, it was time for dinner. Em took me to her favourite Madrid discovery, El Tigre. It's traditionally charming and full of tourists and Spaniards alike who've all discovered there secret. You pay six euros for a litre of beer or cocktail, and it comes with a pile of food. Granted it may be carb central, but that was fine by us. 

We finished the evening at a quite wine bar around the corner, and with a vino or three in hand, chatted and joked as if no time at all had passed. Before too long I was most definitely ready for a sleep, with a big day of sightseeing ahead.

 We were up not so early and with slightly fragile heads Em decided we go for Churros. It had been on my to do list and even with a slightly swollen head and alcohol fuelled stomach, I could still squeeze a Churros and chocolate in. Don't ask me what they are, I have no idea. I just know that sugar and cinnamon coated, dipped in chocolate and washed down with an orange juice, they're heaven in a breakfast. And they set us up perfectly for a day of sightseeing.

We went into Sol, the centre of Madrid for a wander around the palace, street art, Christmas decorations, and a tinto de verano. Oh and a snap by a fountain. That was on my list too. Don't be deceived by the sun. It was actually about 5 degrees. 

Then Em took me to another market-that's-too-chic-to-be-a-market, El mercado de San Miguel. Another fabulous saint who saw the need for fabulous cocktails and incredible seafood. I could happily have spent all day here, but there was food to eat and plenty more to see

Met this little cutie while we were there!

We settled down for some tapas, and being the Spanish gals that we secretly are, ordered Octopus, Anchovies and Squid. 

We again headed home for a nap in preparation for a big evening. We met up with a bunch of Em's friends from school, who are also on years abroad and I realised just how different her life is now. She's so blessed to be meeting so many incredible and diverse people and we had the best time hopping from bar to bar around the centre. I didn't take a single picture but can tell you Tupperware is most definitely one to watch. It also gave me my first beer, so it's destined to forever hold a place in my heart!

The following morning we headed to the flea market in Callao, which was laden with stall upon stall, selling everything from fur coats to knives and forks and back again. It's only on on a Sunday, and sees hoards of people come every weekend. Almost the first stall I saw I fell in love with a metallic, floral print silk scarf and nothing after that compared. We went back later and Em bought it for me, it's hanging in front of me now as I type and I couldn't think of a gift I love more. 

We then spent the rest of the afternoon in Retiro park, one of Em's favourites. It also jogged my memory from a trip my whole family took almost ten years ago of an ice cream and wander, and it is just absolutely beautiful. For as much as I adore Hyde Park, it has nothing on this.

We headed home early evening for our Siesta before popping out for a final goodbye dinner. I left early the following morning as Em went to school. As was predictable from such an incredible trip, I was devastated to be leaving and already planning my return. Seeing Em living abroad makes me realise how far we've come together. We are worlds away from the little girls in matching outfits playing schools and kitchens and painting on the garden wall. I couldn't be more proud of her though and knowing that I'll have her back in less than a month will truly keep me going!

Anyone who has siblings, younger or older will appreciate this, but this really is Em and I!

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