June 2013 Instagramy-y Part 2

Years ago there was outrage and demonstrations when the 

Notting Hill Post office closed down.  Yes, the UK has gone through such hard times that it had to close down a basic utility in what is probably one of the "wealthiest areas" in England. 

They still haven't found a proper use of it but lately it is being used as an art gallery.

At least it's free.  ( To look at.)

The Law Society seems to be upping its game. 

You're tired and cranky and you are going home to..?

It's illegal to drink alcohol in the tube now so there was some illegal activity and I was at the scene of the crime.

So glamorous no? 

This is what Kronenbourg beer doesn't want you to see.

I am a Gemini.  

The second most reacted to astrological sign after Scorpios.  

I would prefer to be feared like them.

As I am moving house for an upcoming renovation, I didn't have time for a party so just had a few people around for cake and bubbly.

I channeled Martha Stewart and McGuyver when I saw some strawberries and chocolate bars reserved for off grid living and made these for the first time.

I was feeling so smug until one of my guests couldn't lift it because the chocolate was stuck to the plate. Smooth...

A neighbour brought me these cookies with ribbons tied to them!

Love the ribbons and cookies combo.  

Even though it was in the middle of June, the weather has been so atrocious in England that I wore a wool sweater with a scarf.

The scarf is Les Tresors Retrouves by Annie Faivre who is one of my favourite Hermes scarf designers. 

I know my limits so I ordered little Laduree macaroon towers.

They make more of an impact than cake and seems more festive.

Sorry about the lighting...

I like my birthdays like Asian weddings, I celebrate for days.

The actual day I had breakfast at my fave brunch place, Wolseley.

One of my friends joined Mr CSW and I.

  

Due to the Ascot races, it was hard to get reservations and only got a table a few days after my actual birthday.  We chose Waterside Inn as a tribute to the Roux brothers and is a short drive.

Mr CSW and I fought on the way as he put the directions on the GPS on his phone but then his battery went dead.

We depend on electronics too much.

Don't worry, he was just looking at some boat - we made up.

We sat and had a quick aperitivo and canapes in front of the river.

This is just to the right of the restaurant.

The river had a lot of traffic with barges, rowers, and the restaurant had its own boat.

The boat was heading back and a waiter was restocking it with canapes and drinks for a couple to have a quick spin.

If I had known about it, I would have gone but it was booked.

But no matter, we had a lovely view anyway.

I always find that I love canapes much more than the actual food.

We then went inside for the rest of the meal.

The plates were amazing, I wrote the name of it but have now forgotten completely but they had a nice clink to them.

Now I shall be polite and say that it is nice.  But in a way that you meet someone nice at a party, you wouldn't necessarily go out and make the effort to find their number and ask to see them again but you would always say hi if you bumped into them.

Dessert 1

We ordered a certain dessert but they made a mistake and brought us another one so they insisted we try the dessert while we waited for the one we ordered.

Dessert 2

Mr CSW informed them it was my birthday so 

then we got this as well...

Dessert 3

Then of course there were also the petits fours.

Dessert 4

I felt like we were filming a Man v Food episode!

We needed to take a walk around the town called Bray 

which is a very sweet hamlet.

It is a very manicured commuter/retirement village in the "shires".

They have amazing parks and little streams surrounding the town.

The local church.

This is the house that borders the secular part of town.

There were chocolate box cottages everywhere.

Do you see the grey building on the right in the right picture?

That was the Fat Duck by Heston Blumenthal.

I had a serious case of rose envy while walking in the 'hood.  Each stem had about 6 roses on it!!

On the way to meet a fellow Gemini friend for a catch up dinner I walked past Charlotte Olympia's store in Mayfair.

These new shoes called Girls on Film are so witty.

Although for that price, you could go on a proper holiday because those shoes won't get you very far at all.

We had dinner at Wild Honey.

We had dinner there last month but we had a very assertive waiter who took away from the pleasant evening.

My friend wrote a firm but polite letter and we were invited back

so that they could rectify the issue.

I really think it was great of them to make an effort and I must say that this place serves great quality food without fuss.

Via

I had to use their photo as mine was terrible as you can see!

Their custard tart is amazing!!!

Culture wise I went to a really pretentious play in the Print Room in Notting Hill instead of the West End on one of the few sunny days this year to watch Tutto Bene, Mamma?

The laundry set the stage for a typical Italian family house.

There was a lovely garden just at the back and everyone got a free glass of beer!

Now I say it was pretentious because the play was in the pitch black! We had to hold the shoulders to get to our seats.  We were okay until a few pensioners were led to their seats.  

They were old so they found it difficult but they were also a bit deaf so they couldn't hear the instructions.  The guy next to me luckily only touched my shoulder thinking I was his chair...

All this and the show hadn't started yet!

It was a gruesome play based on a true story and 

personally the best bit was getting to the seats.

But this was the theater after it was over, 

they finally let some light in!

Well I heard someone thinks all I do is eat and faff about which isn't entirely untrue but I also did some penance.

I never pretend to be a great homekeeper;  

my neighbours can attest to that.

But when I do clean, I go whole hog.

The last two weeks have been interspersed with packing and boxing all my goods.

Don't quote me on this but I will spring clean every year now.

Packing has uncovered so many things and basically more things that I don't think I will ever buy another thing again...

Still not totally finished.

Give me strength!

Hope you had a great month and here is to a fun July! x