Wreaths + my flowers...
Originally uploaded by Megan Shields.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
A hint of summer
Bit of a red letter day today - was wearing a short sleeved top around the office, and even sat outside after work for a glass of wine.
Summer may be coming after all!
Summer may be coming after all!
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Fantastic Peter Doig
So on Sunday I toddled off to see the Peter Doig exhibition with Mhairi and Nicola - as usual just squeaking in before it closes...
Absolutely loved it! Very supernatural quality to a lot of his paintings - I found them really eerie and quite scary some of them. Was sorely tempted to buy the catalogue (which is unusual for me), but I'll wait until I've been paid and go back and get it when I can afford it!
But just stunning paintings - and obviously appealed to the horror fan in me :-).
Absolutely loved it! Very supernatural quality to a lot of his paintings - I found them really eerie and quite scary some of them. Was sorely tempted to buy the catalogue (which is unusual for me), but I'll wait until I've been paid and go back and get it when I can afford it!
But just stunning paintings - and obviously appealed to the horror fan in me :-).
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Portishead - so NOT a disappointment!
On Thursday it was off to Brixton Academy to see Portishead - who have finally released their third album, 12 years after their last one!
We were upstairs (which meant we got to sit down) which was great (especially for my pregnant friend!). And they were really really good. The lead singer is apparently really shy - I had thought she was being a cool rock chick by standing with her back to the crowd for a long time when they first came on, but that wasn't the reason. She also has an amazing voice, but unlike Hollie Smith, the band didn't drown it out and it was just fantastic. Their new stuff worked well too I thought. This review is from their Manchester gig, but it could equally have been the one we saw.
It made sitting through the torturous support band worthwhile - some truly awful band playing what sounded like Eastern European gypsy music. And we were there for almost all of it - it was enough to drive a severely hung over person to drink!!
We were upstairs (which meant we got to sit down) which was great (especially for my pregnant friend!). And they were really really good. The lead singer is apparently really shy - I had thought she was being a cool rock chick by standing with her back to the crowd for a long time when they first came on, but that wasn't the reason. She also has an amazing voice, but unlike Hollie Smith, the band didn't drown it out and it was just fantastic. Their new stuff worked well too I thought. This review is from their Manchester gig, but it could equally have been the one we saw.
It made sitting through the torturous support band worthwhile - some truly awful band playing what sounded like Eastern European gypsy music. And we were there for almost all of it - it was enough to drive a severely hung over person to drink!!
Monday, April 14, 2008
Hollie Smith and camels...
Mhairi, me and her friend KT went off to see Hollie Smith at a club in West London. We met at the Grand Union pub for dinner beforehand. As we approached it, Mhairi told me they were famous for their pies... given that I have a bit of a pie fetish at the moment that was very exciting!
So I had to have the mini-pie platter - a mini-fish pie, a mini-vege pie, a mini chicken pie (very nice - I don't normally like chicken pies) and a MINI-CAMEL pie!! Oh - and chips. Just to top off the healthy meal... And in case you're wondering the camel pie was rather nice. Although very rich - I'm not sure I could have done a whole one...
Hollie Smith herself was somewhat disappointing - she has such an amazing voice, but her band was too loud. The drummer especially was very annoying and overpowering. So it wasn't as good as we had been hoping.
Although I did notice that Kiwi boys seem to have finally updated their style - there was a real dearth of rugby shirts with turned up collars which was good to see!
So I had to have the mini-pie platter - a mini-fish pie, a mini-vege pie, a mini chicken pie (very nice - I don't normally like chicken pies) and a MINI-CAMEL pie!! Oh - and chips. Just to top off the healthy meal... And in case you're wondering the camel pie was rather nice. Although very rich - I'm not sure I could have done a whole one...
Hollie Smith herself was somewhat disappointing - she has such an amazing voice, but her band was too loud. The drummer especially was very annoying and overpowering. So it wasn't as good as we had been hoping.
Although I did notice that Kiwi boys seem to have finally updated their style - there was a real dearth of rugby shirts with turned up collars which was good to see!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Marathon running in the cold...
So on Sunday 13th Julia and I headed into town to watch the London Marathon again. Bit different from last year - where we'd been sweltering in temps of 24 deg, this time it was about 9 or 10. Freezing!
We found a spot by mile 18, but rather annoyingly missed our fastest friend Sam (who finished just under 3.5 hours), and I saw the back of another friend, Julia spotted a friend she hadn't realised was doing it, and the other two people I wanted to see I missed completely!
But it was still good fun, although we didn't stay out too long - too cold for us! We retired to a pub to have lunch and proceeded to sit through more heavy showers and hailstorms! Rather the runners than me...
We found a spot by mile 18, but rather annoyingly missed our fastest friend Sam (who finished just under 3.5 hours), and I saw the back of another friend, Julia spotted a friend she hadn't realised was doing it, and the other two people I wanted to see I missed completely!
But it was still good fun, although we didn't stay out too long - too cold for us! We retired to a pub to have lunch and proceeded to sit through more heavy showers and hailstorms! Rather the runners than me...
Sunday, April 06, 2008
And its snowing!!
Woke up this morning to the following views from my flat window... Crazy climate - no snow all winter, then a few flakes a couple of weeks ago and now this. And given that we had temps in London of around 14-16 deg during the week...
But I love it! It is sooooo pretty :-)
But I love it! It is sooooo pretty :-)
Sunday, March 30, 2008
A few snaps...
Yesterday Nicola and I went to see the Vanity Fair exhibition on at the National Portrait Gallery - which was great. I quite often buy the mag so it was interesting to see some of the photos 'in the flesh' as it were.
After that we lunched then wandered around many shops - and Nicola showed me some really rather cool streets off the beaten track which I'd never found before. But it was rainy and cold and busy so our enthusiasm for shopping diminished as the day went on...
After that we lunched then wandered around many shops - and Nicola showed me some really rather cool streets off the beaten track which I'd never found before. But it was rainy and cold and busy so our enthusiasm for shopping diminished as the day went on...
Henry Moore at Kew Gardens
Last Monday Julia and I went to Kew to see the Henry Moore sculptures which have been on display at Kew since September but which finished yesterday.
It was a freezing day, and in between the snow and sleet showers we wandered around and looked at the sculptures which I thought were fantastic. I did wish I had managed to go on a sunny day as I think they would have looked even better in brilliant sunshine.
But they still took my breath away - a couple of snaps here, and more in my Flickr account...
It was a freezing day, and in between the snow and sleet showers we wandered around and looked at the sculptures which I thought were fantastic. I did wish I had managed to go on a sunny day as I think they would have looked even better in brilliant sunshine.
But they still took my breath away - a couple of snaps here, and more in my Flickr account...
Double Oval
Double Oval
Originally uploaded by Megan Shields.
These were also very cool - hard to get a photo of them without someone's body parts in it though :-(
Glory of Snow
Glory of Snow
Originally uploaded by Megan Shields.
Fantastic alpine flowers which made the grass look blue (as you can see!).
Saturday, March 22, 2008
From South to North to South again...
via many transport means...
Shanks' pony
Train to Vauxhall, tube to Highbury & Islington, train from H&I to Homerton to collect a very swollen faced Maya from the hospital, back on the train to H&I, then tube to Vauxhall, then train to Wimbledon, then taxi to Maya's flat, then bus back to Wimbledon to get the train back to Surbs. Leaving poor old Maya to crawl into bed and feel very sorry for herself...
Oh - and its about 4 deg outside and I managed to be caught outside in two hail storms and one snow shower...
Gotta love this country - we have a really mild winter with no snow, when it gets to Easter and a 4 day weekend the temperature plummets and now we might get snow!
Shanks' pony
Train to Vauxhall, tube to Highbury & Islington, train from H&I to Homerton to collect a very swollen faced Maya from the hospital, back on the train to H&I, then tube to Vauxhall, then train to Wimbledon, then taxi to Maya's flat, then bus back to Wimbledon to get the train back to Surbs. Leaving poor old Maya to crawl into bed and feel very sorry for herself...
Oh - and its about 4 deg outside and I managed to be caught outside in two hail storms and one snow shower...
Gotta love this country - we have a really mild winter with no snow, when it gets to Easter and a 4 day weekend the temperature plummets and now we might get snow!
Friday, March 21, 2008
Birthdays!
Its been a week dominated by birthdays - Wednesday I was out to help Jackie celebrate her birthday at Lowlander. I'd never been before but it was a great wee cafe - definitely one I'll be going back to. We all had a lovely evening and I had a lovely bowl of Moules with Frites. Very nice!
Thursday it was off out to Rasa to help Julia celebrate her birthday. Another lovely evening - although I felt a bit sorry for the table sat behind ours... And the meal was absolutely delicious as well!
And still 3 days left of Easter - I love long weekends!
Thursday it was off out to Rasa to help Julia celebrate her birthday. Another lovely evening - although I felt a bit sorry for the table sat behind ours... And the meal was absolutely delicious as well!
And still 3 days left of Easter - I love long weekends!
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Firsts...
So in the last month I went to a podiatrist for the first time - where I learnt that I walk funny, and should be using innersoles... I'd been having 'toe issues' so thought I should get them checked out.
And today, after doing something horrendous to my neck on Saturday morning I paid my first visit to an Osteopath! Who did lots of moving my head and neck around, and it does seem to be a bit better. I think it was getting there anyhow, but it was nice to have it checked out - and I could really feel the bit that was unhappy when he zeroed in on it!
Oh - and he did acupuncture on it as well so that was another first as well!
And today, after doing something horrendous to my neck on Saturday morning I paid my first visit to an Osteopath! Who did lots of moving my head and neck around, and it does seem to be a bit better. I think it was getting there anyhow, but it was nice to have it checked out - and I could really feel the bit that was unhappy when he zeroed in on it!
Oh - and he did acupuncture on it as well so that was another first as well!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)