Post Comment Love 1 - 3 December

December 1, 2023

Hello there, and welcome back to this week’s #PoCoLo - a friendly linky which I co-host with Suzanne, where you can link any blog post published in the last week. Please don’t link up posts which are older as they will be removed from the linky. We know you’ll find some great posts to read, and maybe some new-to-you blogs too, so do pop over and visit some of the posts linked, comment and share some of that love. If you were here last week it was great to have you along, if you’re new here this week we’re pleased you’ve joined us.

We had a action packed few days in London last week, seeing friends and family as well as celebrating our house move and eating and drinking very well. We also walked a lot, some thirty four and a half thousand steps across three days - but we also used the tube to get across town.

We even got to see the Christmas lights on Regent Street, which were as fabulous as ever!

One of the Christmas lights strung across Regent Street in London

Market Halls Loos

November 30, 2023

We’ve been watching MasterChef: The Professionals and luckily were up to date ahead of our trip to London last week, which at least meant we would only have a few episodes to catch up with on our return. But what we didn’t realise was that the episode where the finalists cooked in a pop up kitchen would shape our trip. When the camera showed outside the venue - Market Halls - MOH and I looked at each other and said Oxford Street.

And we weren’t wrong, and while the MasterChef finalists weren’t cooking we guessed there’d be some pretty good food on offer. We weren’t wrong again!

We popped in for lunch last Friday ahead of our train home. The venue is a mix of industrial and glamour, as you’ll see from the pictures below. It had a buzz, which came from the hubbub of small kitchens grouped together, and their customers milling around to choose their food - and from the pager which buzzes when you’re food is ready to collect.

We chose Hotbox, but then struggled to choose from their menu so instead opted for a selection of their smoked meat with some fries. This worked out well for us as we got to try more than we would have done otherwise, and we didn’t have to make that choice!

The dark grey/green bar at Market Halls with large patterned and faded tiles in front of it, and white globe lights hanging above the bar

Looking across the escalators at the entrance to the bar behind, this time with Christmas lights but the same while globe lights filling the space

But you’re right, this is the first loo series post in a while - and so far, there’s no loos.

Thankfully for a large-ish venue, the loos were a decent size. There’s nothing worse than being in a large venue, then discovering there’s four (or less) loos in the Ladies is there?

A row of sinks with mirrors above with a tiled background and small hexi tiled flooring

Opposite the sinks were the loos - at first glance nothing remarkable - but then each cubicle has a slightly different pastel shade painted wall

A row of sinks, mirrors above, tiled walls and flooring - nothing too extravagant, or ground breaking, but looking again and noticing the graduating wall paint colour within each cubicle, now that was smart, subtle but yet impactful.

And that wasn’t all, the vinyls on the mirror were also true to the venue - and definitely made me smile, as did the food we ate - we’ll definitely be going back at some point!

Floor to ceiling mirrors with the left hand panel with a vinyl with 'Hey good looking, have you checked out our cooking?' - oh and you can see me there too in my bright orange jacket — HEY GOOD LOOKING, HAVE YOU CHECKED OUT OUR COOKING?

Post Comment Love 24 - 26 November

November 24, 2023

Hello there, and welcome back to this week’s #PoCoLo - a friendly linky which I co-host with Suzanne, where you can link any blog post published in the last week. Please don’t link up posts which are older as they will be removed from the linky, nor will other linkers be required to comment on them. We know you’ll find some great posts to read, and maybe some new-to-you blogs too, so do pop over and visit some of the posts linked, comment and share some of that love. If you were here last week it was great to have you along, if you’re new here this week we’re pleased you’ve joined us.

I’m writing this post way in advance of its publication as we’ve had a day or two in London this week, and for once we really are travelling light. I’m also not expecting to have too much time online this week, as we’ve plenty on our ‘London list’. This includes seeing friends, socialising as well as some relaxing, pottering around the Big Smoke, and researching some items I’ve had my eye on, and no doubt a few I hadn’t even contemplated yet!

Last weekend I veered from my sourdough break baking ritual for the first time in a fair while, instead making this spelt bread. It turned out pretty well, even if I do say so myself, and it was nice to spend some time kneading the dough. Spelt bread needs a little more kneading to wake up the gluten, and perhaps I could have given it some more, but a little more than ten minutes seemed fine. It was only after I’d baked the bread that MOH asked if I’d noticed how clean the worktop was… oops! I was definitely, yes dear, I thought you’d done that so I could knead some bread. Just as well it tastes as good as it looks, hey?