Dentistry Hell

When a new dentist tells you that you need a tooth taken out by surgery, 5 teeth re-filled, and a crown, totalling £1,000, what do you do?  a) Believe them and cough up the dosh, or b) Get a second opinion?

A kindly work colleague gave me a Quality Street Easter Egg the other day.  The said egg had a toffee in it which took half my filling out when I noshed upon it.  Having already given my old kindly dentist in Brighton the heave ho when I moved, what was I to do?  Google told me about some so called NHS dentists in my vicinity so off I went, only to be told I needed all the above work doing.  Now as I only thought I needed a bit of a filling sorted out, this came as a huge, expensive shock to me.  I'd only been for a check up six months ago so where did all this necessary work come from?  I won't name the dentist concerned as I'm not sure of libel laws but I felt they were trying to rip me off and it seems they were.  Someone call Watchdog and now!  I went back to my old dentist, grovelling of course, and was told that infact none of the said work needed doing at all....except my filling.  The motto of this story kids is if you feel you're being conned, get second opinion.  My treatment ended up costing £65, not the £1,000 quoted. 

After the pain and expense of having 3 titanium pins drilled into my jaw to keep my tooth in, I needed to have an easy weekend.  I don't think I did too bad however....still no staying in eating prawn balls....not really.  Saturday consisted of a Pop Up Vintage Shop in the Railway Tavern, which I've mentioned before.  There were a fair few nice pieces there but as always, were either too big or too small.  As my new rule is never to buy anything that doesn't fit exactly, I didn't buy a thing.  Lunch this time round was at Hot Pepper Jelly.  I'd read about this little place on Twitter and it lives up to it's recommendations - a good, cheap menu.  I'd recommend the Mexican Breakfast Enchiladas with Grilled Halloumi.  We headed off to a so called "Vintage Tea Party" at The Boogaloo in Highgate next.  I don't think a few cupcakes on a stand constitute a tea party but there were a few nice vintage things outside.  Always worth a look I think.  We finished off in Highgate Village for a couple of well-needed glasses of Pimms & Lemonade & a cake stop.  What was with the weather yesterday?  Hideously hot and sticky.  Maybe it wasn't the weather, maybe it was me.

Back to my new favourite place, Primrose Hill, today....for lunch once again at Trojka and a bit of celebrity spotting over a large glass of Rose'.  Paps were everywhere today.  They missed us of course.  They also missed a very pregnant Kate Hudson whilst spending too much time concentrating on Gwen Stefani.  I feel sorry for these people who can't even leave their house for a cup of coffee without being smothered by fat, sweaty paparazzi.  Their poor little kids must be absolutely terrified by the attention and not have a clue what's going on.  Rather them than me.

Another weekend done.  Ciao darlings.

Royals and me

Dear nation.  We put on a good party on Friday, don't you think?

On Friday 29 April 2011, the world watched as two royal folk got wed.  I've never seen a wedding invoke such feeling - both good & bad - on Facebook.  As this is my blog and these are my views, that's what you're getting.  Don't rain on my parade - I had a great day!

We'd hoped to go to the Leonard St Street Party in Shoreditch but arriving to the sight of probably a few hundred people queuing several times round the block, we went for Plan B instead and ended up in the Old Blue Last where we watched the wedding vows on a plasma tv and downed a bottle of Prosecco.

The sun shone on Friday and it was so lovely to see the whole of London smiling.  At the end of the day, everyone loves a bit of romance don't they?  I loved the fact the married couple left in an old Aston Martin with "Just Wed" on the number-plate and I loved the smile on the bride's face.  How anyone could get angry about the day is beyond me.  I'm glad I was in London for the wedding.  It might not not have felt the same anywhere else.

After Prosecco - lunch in Fika, the swedish cafe' in Brick Lane, lots of trying on of shoes that didn't fit me, the buying of beigals, and a quick look round the East End Photography Exhibition at Spitalfields.  I know it's good for the tourist industry and all that but I really don't like what they've done to Spitalfields.  The atmosphere seems to have gone and to be honest, I'd rather have a rummage through a pile of junk in the street in Brick Lane.  You can keep your candles and your joss sticks.

On Saturday, we did a stall at the Can't Buy Me Love vintage market which I've possibly mentioned a few times in this blog and on Facebook.  The little market is held on the last Saturday in the month, at the Boogaloo on Archway Road, Highgate.  We did our stall indoors and were luckily situated opposite my favourite cake ladies...which was handy...obviously.  I deliberately didn't buy anything as the aim of the day was to make money rather then spend it but next time, if it's there.....this hat will be mine!

Last night I went dancing....well not much dancing...but some drinking of rose' and chatting.....at Boom Shaka Lacka in Soho.  Following this, I will give you all a bit of advice readers - 2 large glasses of rose' are fine - 3 are not!

And with the smell of freshly baked Quiche wafting out my kitchen, I will be off x

A weekend of good food, good drink & sunshine galore

If I'm to reach my target weight of 25 stone by July (she says sarcastically), I have to make it my mission to eat my way round North London....correction...round London.  The first Bank Holiday weekend of the year was bathed in ridiculous amounts of sunshine and it would have been rude not to venture out on at least 3 out of 4 days.

Today's blog will be concentrating on some of my favourite eating & drinking establishments - some of which you may know, some of which you may not!  I cannot for the life of me understand why anyone feels the need to eat in Pizza Hut when there is a wealth of yumminess to experience out there.

So we'll begin on Easter Friday with a lunch in the Mediterranean Cafe' in Berwick Street.  Whereas all the "cool kids" go to Flat White next door, I prefer this for cheap, cheerful greek & turkish style food.  I havn't had a bad meal in there yet and I would always recommend it to anyone.  A 3-course meal for £8.95 is a bit of a winner in my book.  I had Grilled Halloumi (king of all cheeses) to start, followed by Feta pancakes, and then Banoffee Pie.  http://www.mediterraneancafe.co.uk/Home.aspx.  Off to my new 2nd home, Bar Italia next....one word...Martini.  'Nuff said.

Another sunny day on Saturday.  Whilst a lot of you night owls were sleeping off Le Beat Bespoke, I was up at the crack of dawn, heading for Muswell Hill, on a mission to check out an orange 60s coat/dress combo that had been spotted in a closed charity shop the day before.  A big fail on the clothes front but a big win as regards a new cafe'.  Swings & roundabouts and all that.  I'd heard about Nyborgs danish cafe' on Twitter and it's all that was promised.  As someone who has spent a lot of time in Scandinavia, Nyborgs is as authentic as you can get, due to the fact it's run by (I think) a dane.  We chose the danish bacon roll off the small but scrummy menu.  A lovely place for breakfast no doubt...which I will do one day.  http://www.nyborgs.co.uk/

More Bar Italia, more Martini & to end the afternoon, a trip to Zen Sai in Inverness Street, Camden.  Don't let any photos or music on the website put you off folks, this is one of my favourite places to hang out these days.  Happy Hour cocktails are a total winner - £3.50 each - the Mango Daiquiris are definitely recommended for a start.  Happy Hour tends to start whenever the management feel like starting it, and finish when they feel like finishing it....suits me!  Although I think late at night, this place generally turns into a bit of a house music bar, earlier in the evening, it's full of the most stylish 50s types, listening to great R n' B, Northern Soul etc.  I'm very much looking to next Sunday night where I shall partake in a Daiquiri or 3 myself .http://www.zensaibar.com/

Sick of reading about food & drink yet folks?  Worry ye not, nearly done!  Sunday was chores & baking day and neither of those things are interesting enough to write about on here.  The sun carried on shining today so we took a little trip to Primrose Hill, via Camden Market.  The market these days is beyond recognition and I had to get directions to a friend's vintage clothes stall, A Dandy in Aspic.  Get yourselves down there.  Today there were some particularly lovely shoes for ladies with tiny feet and some gorgeous dresses.  Unfortunately for me, my boobs didn't allow me to buy any of the said gorgeous dresses but I live in hope for my next visit!

Lunch in another favourite of mine - Trojka, the russian tearooms/cafe'.  On the menu for me today, Russian dumplings filled with mushrooms & sauerkraut, accompanied with smetana, and followed by baked cheesecake.  I love Trojka - it's particularly lovely first thing in the morning and the breakfast menu is lush! http://www.trojka.co.uk/.  A walk up Primrose Hill after lunch and then finally, as we'd promised ourselves as a treat before we go back to work tomorrow, a little trip to Marine Ices for a Knickerbocker Glory.  http://www.marineices.co.uk/

With all that talk of food & drink, I'm feeling positively STUFFED so I will love you & leave you.  I hope that some of you check out my recommendations & like them as much as I do. 

My previous life as a sex worker.....

I may have mentioned this before but I'm positive I was either a gay man or a sex worker in a previous life (or maybe both!).  I have a fascination with Soho & more specifically, sleazy Soho.  I feel more comfortable there than anywhere else in London and as I'm neither gay nor a sex worker in this life, I can only think I was once before!  I'm hoping that with the onset of lighter, warmer evenings, I'll be spending more time there - not perusing the adult shops but watching the world go by outside various drinking establishments.

I've joined the Society Film Club and I'm looking forward to many a night at the Sanctum Hotel.  Organised by Robert Pereno (once married to the so called wild child Emma Ridley), it's advertised as
the first independent members only film Club in Soho.  Films in the past few weeks have included Jubilee, Beat Girl and tonight, The Lost Weekend.  I was sorry to have missed out on what sounds like an amazing night watching Jubilee but was happy to have seen Beat Girl last week.  The films are shown in a room not too much bigger than my lounge and there's a feeling of being part of something quite underground.  Beat Girl completely sold out and the place was full of people who I imagine had amazing stories to tell - authors, actors etc, and Adam Ant!  Cathi Unsworth introduced the film and she reminded me how great "Sounds" was and how I met some of my oldest & best friends through it.  We got given a copy of her book "Bad Penny Blues" and I will report back on that at some point in the future. 

Lovely Bar Italia - a place that has such a lovely feel about it that it played a small part in my decision to move back to London.  It's amazing to think it's been open for around 70 years and is probably more popular now than it's ever been.  I love sitting outside in Frith Street watching the world go by and keeping one eye on Ronnie Scotts just incase I get an A list celebrity spot!  It's the perfect location really - over the road from The French House, round the corner from Pollo and a few steps away from that funny little coffee shop and AMAZING alcohol shop that fascinate me so much!  Bar Italia, I will be back sooner than you can say tiramisu.

Have had quite a civilised week really & am hoping for more of those.  The weekend finished off nicely with a little stroll round Primrose Hill and a glass of rose'.  When I win the lottery, expect to see me sitting on my balcony up there - after I've sorted out the properties in Stockholm & Brighton of course. 

Now...get out of here, you jiving scum x

A VERY sunny Saturday

It's been a freakishly warm weekend - a weekend warm enough to leave the house without sleeves!  I won't go on about the weather however (ooh that rhymes) incase I tempt fate!

Yesterday was Tweed Run, something I'd been looking forward to for what seems like forever! This was the third Tweed Run held in London and it's basically an excuse to ride vintage bicycles around the tourist spots, dressed in tweed (obviously - hence the name!). As much as I would have loved to join in the dressing up and riding of bikes, I wouldn't fancy my chances on London's streets, having not ridden a bike since I was 12!

Everyone had obviously made a huge effort to look the part and if riders don't usually dress in the styles of the day, they did well searching out authentic items in readiness.  After seeing all the lovely photos that are floating around today, it seems Ewan McGregor took part too and he looked amazing.

It proved quite difficult finding out where Tweed Run started from but the organisers suggested good viewing spots along the way.  We headed to Trafalgar Square and just caught the riders going by.  I was hoping that they'd be stopping off there for photo opportunities but no joy on that front.  The photos I'll include here were about the best I could manage.

I finished off a sunny afternoon with a glass of rose' outside The French House.  Definitely one of my favourite little pubs - no idiots, no mobile phone conversations, and the aroma of gorgeous food coming from the restaurant upstairs.  Who wants to come and sample the menu with me?  http://www.frenchhousesoho.com/index.html

Last night I resurrected Lipgloss.  I will say no more other than Lipgloss R.I.P!

Have a spiffing rest of the weekend x

I've got a brand new combine harvester....

I obviously don't but I was trying to think of a suitable title for today's blog!

I was in the deepest, darkest depths of Wiltshire for the weekend, in the village I lived in from the age of 2 until early 20s - Rushall.  My Gran still lives there so I venture back about 3 times a year. 

If you google Rushall, it takes you to a probably much bigger village 'up North.  My Rushall is really just a hamlet where there are no shops and you're very lucky if you see a bus once a month!  My school consisted of 32 children at most.  This made for a great education with lots of fun, nature walks, playing outside etc.  I smile when I tell the story of how when you are 7, you walk through the screen from the little kids classroom and are then a big kid!  I think I enjoyed my school years but it was a huge culture shock going from 32 children up to 600 or so at the age of 10 when I went to secondary school.  (I don't know if I was lucky or not but due to my birthday falling at a funny time and obviously because I was incredibly intelligent (!!!!!), I went to secondary school a year early).

A lot has changed in Rushall since I was small.  Our beautiful haunted house, located in a wood, with trout lakes, a river running through the bottom of the garden, and a hammock, got completely knocked down and rebuilt.  I wondered about the ghosts and worried for the tenants!  That house was so haunted, I could write a book on it.  The sound of babies crying coming from tvs that were turned off, lights turning on & off, my Katie Copycat flying across the room, and the little girl's voice saying "I'm 4" over Roger Daltrey's "I'm Free" track!  My second house in the village isn't recognisable these days either but there is so much more space for my two scooters that I owned back then!

Rushall is very, very pretty but a tough place to live when you're a teenager with no money and no transport.  My Lambretta gave me a lot of independence and I no longer had to rely on my poor Grandad to take me places and come out in the middle of the night to pick me up from Mod Nights in the back of beyond.  Rushall is still a tough place to live if you don't have transport & I can't see that changing unfortunately. 

If you happen to be heading between Swindon & Salisbury (or vice versa), take a detour through Rushall, have a look round the pretty little church, have a photo taken in the stocks, and...say hi to my Gran.

http://www.rushall.org.uk/

Lazing on a sunny afternoon....

As time goes on, I'm realising that perhaps the title of my blog is misleading as I don't think I've mentioned a single frock in weeks!

This weekend the clocks went forward which means lots of shenanigans in the evenings hopefully.  I will report back!

Saturday saw one of my regular trips back to my old homestead, Brighton.  Strangely, I still don't have any pangs or sadness that I've left....but it's still nice to go back every few weeks.  I visited a nice little craft fayre in Fabrica called Brighton Craftaganza.  I was expecting the same old tosh if I'm honest - jars of stuff no-one wants, candles that look like they've seen better days, that sort of thing, but it proved to be a pleasant surprise.  I put it down to the fact that younger people are now knitting, sewing, patchworking etc.  No longer Nannas that knit!  Lots of lovely things I wanted but couldn't afford at this time in the month, so close yet so far from payday.  I really wanted this, but it wasn't for sale.  Such a sad face.

And for Kinks fans, last night saw the launch of Peter Quaife's book, Veritas.  The launch took place in The Clissold Arms in East Finchley & where better place?  It was the first time I'd ever been to the pub, although obviously I knew all about it.  Although now a gastro pub it seems, there's still fantastic Kinks memorabilia everywhere.  I'm sure Peter would have been chuffed that so many of his friends, relatives & fans turned out for the launch.  His brother Dave's speech brought a tear to my eye but the night was definitely one of celebration rather than any sadness.  The best part of the night was the Kinks singalong around a Bontempi organ.  The sound in the pub was amazing and I actually thought the Crouch End Choir had turned up before I saw what was actually going on!  I raise a glass to you Mr Quaife!