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It’s been almost four months now since I made the leap across the Irish Sea, and let me tell you it’s been eventful. From accommodation and flatmate issues, to figuring out “uni” assignments and deadlines (a word which will never feel right coming out of my mouth, it will always be college to me) and seeing what Brighton has to offer by way of a social life, there really hasn’t been a dull moment – working on the sitcom as we speak.

Things got crazy pretty quickly. Two days in the flat alone, waiting for flatmates quickly contrasted with a flatmates room flooding from a burst pipe in her bathroom – cue five of us mopping her bedroom up at midnight. On top of this there was a case of extreme but unidentified illness, a disappearing roommate (we only discovered that she moved out when we saw another person in the hall and wondered how he got in), and a brand new kitchen that only just about functioned. And this was all only week one!

 

Since then things have calmed down – thankfully – but some other good, bad or unnecessarily dramatic things that have happened include:

• Navigating the world of Brighton coffee shops while on a supposed coffee ban (which isn’t going well, but that’s for another post.) I’ve developed a need to be surrounded by people, cradling a warm oat milk flat white in order to get any work or writing done which doesn’t bode well for my bank account. Some coffee shops here are aggressively anti-laptop too, with signs on every table, but I’ve found a few that also serve sugar free, raw cakes so that’s usually where I can be found.
• Exploring all of the vintage and second hand shops on the Lanes and trying not to spend all of my money there.
• Attending my first comedy show in the Komedia comedy club where not one, but two groups got in fights and got kicked out – even the comedians onstage wanted in on the gossip and stopped the show to observe and comment on what was happening.
• Going to The Breakfast Club and being the worst customer ever by ordering the most off menu combination of foods possible. This wasn’t a good idea since it resulted in dry pancakes with nothing to really make them a bit more moist.
• Mystery milk – This one doesn’t really need much of an explanation other than it’s still in the fridge, the use by date was October 30th, and no one seems to think it was theirs.
• Going to look at a house for a filming location, not expecting that it was owned by a divorced couple still living together and that the husband, who was the one there, wasn’t told by the wife that we had permission and would be coming. Cue awkwardness.
• Leaving my coat and my phone at Sussex Yacht Club on separate occasions (to be fair, the coat wasn’t my fault, the phone was a little bit more my fault.) I’m not usually the person who looses their things on nights out, but apparently there I am! This called for unnecessary but not unpleasant trips back to Shoreham-by-Sea the next day to collect them.
• Visiting London at Christmas – it’s so pretty with everything lit up, and made me feel so Christmassy. Él&n cafe is definitely a spot to check out at Christmas too – standing for two hours on the train home on a 1.5 hour journey, however, was not. By the end I was curled up under the luggage, and not the only one.
• Becoming a regular at the picture house cinema across the road from where I live.
• Halloween on the pier – pro tip, if you actually want to make it on rides, go earlier than 9:30. We made it on the rollercoaster and then proceeded to queue for 40 minutes for the haunted house which was definitely not worth the queue. Nonetheless enjoyable and spooky though!
• Discovering my new favourite place to eat out, Las Iguanas – Mexican food, student prices and a lively vibe, what more could you ask for?

This is but a few of the more dramatic things that have happened since the big move. I’m yet to make it to any shows in London, which I’m dying to get to since I do love the West End, but all in good time – one day the lotteries will call my name and I’ll be ready. I’m looking forward to seeing what the next term in Brighton brings, but for now my brain is mentally dancing to Christmas music.

 

That’s all for now,

Zoë x.

So. It’s been a while – I wasn’t planning this return, but stranger things have happened under the pressure of a looming deadline. Fully aware that this form of blogging died circa 2014-2015, I have decided to single handedly bring it back. Just kidding, this is more prompted by my need to send certain thoughts, rants and opinions into the void on the off chance that someone reads.

This return has been inspired by certain things that have happened in my life – for one moving to Brighton, which has been an adventure in itself. Living in Brighton has been a completely new experience, and it has occurred to me that I’m definitely missing out by not documenting some of the exciting, and bizarre, things that have happened since moving here. Between starting college, moving into a flat that doesn’t have a fully functioning kitchen and exploring the Lanes and Brighton’s abundance of coffee shops, let’s just say it’s been fairly eventful.

But let’s get serious for a moment – some of you may know that after going to Malta this Summer I ended up getting quite sick with a chronic dietary condition, suspected to be Low Stomach Acid. I was very sick in August, and I am still dealing with the repercussions. Moving out at the same time has been incredibly testing both mentally and physically, which I definitely wasn’t prepared for. Although I was never a complete beginner at cooking, I have become much more of an expert on what I can do with the few ingredients I am limited to and I’m here to pass my newfound wisdom to anyone dealing with the same type of thing and looking for motivation – or the rest of you who are just nosy.

Student living is infamously synonymous with many things – instant meals and takeaways, going out, drinking among some. These are all things that are definitely not compatible with recovery, so it’s quite the challenge to find a happy medium so I can keep recovering. It’s a common phrase that “your gut is your second brain”, but I never fully felt the effects of that until very recently, as chronic illness provides a set of mental issues to deal with as well as physically rejecting and not digesting a very large amount of foods.

I don’t want to be too hasty in saying this but it seems I’m nearly beginning to see the light, months later – at least enough that I can begin to document where I was a few months ago. I’m doing this in the hopes that someone who is where I was in August – scrolling through Pinterest every night looking for divine inspiration, people who had been through this and just hope in general – can find another friendly voice.

I can’t wait to begin the process of writing about this, but also general happenings in my life. Working on one project for the entire year has also left me with a desire to write something, anything, else before I get driven insane by characters of my own creation. Here’s to a steady stream of musings from a caffeine addicted, broke, film student.

I’ll be sticking around this time!

Zoë x

Disclaimer: I’m not a medical professional, and I won’t be giving any medical advice – I’ll be sharing recipes, tips & ideas, as well as general insight into my experience but if you do suspect you have a chronic dietary illness please make sure you go to a professional qualified to give you the help you need!

 

WHERE TO: GO OUT

This is by no means a definitive guide – London has so many places to go out. Almost so much that it’s overwhelming trying to decide where to go, especially in comparison to the minimal choice we have in Cork. The main two areas I’ve been out in in London are Soho and Shoreditch, which both offer very different but equally enjoyable nights out. The average price of cocktails in London is £10-£12 pounds in most of the places I’ve been out, which is definitely steep and most of these places also have entry fees so beware of this when planning your budget/nights out!

Soho:

Soho is the perfect area to go out if you’ve just been to a show and aren’t ready to let the night end. My favourite place to go out in Soho is Mahiki (actually in Mayfair but about a 10 minute walk from Leicester Square) – if you’re looking for cocktails so insta worthy you’ll be taking pictures of the ones on the neighbouring table, and maybe some C-list celeb spotting, this is the place for you. The music is pure pop, perfect for when you’re in the mood for a dance.

Another place I’d recommend in Soho is Be At One – its location is very central, just around the corner from the Prince Edward Theatre, and less than five minutes from Piccadilly Circus. If you’re looking to save money on drinks, download their app from the App Store and you can use the “Appi Hour” for an hour any day from Sunday – Thursday before 10PM and they have a very exotic choice of drinks. I’ve also been recommended Zoo Bar on Leicester Square – but I’m yet to make it there so I can’t give my two cents yet!

Shoreditch:

If anywhere in London has a lively nightlife, it’s Shoreditch. It has an abundance of themed bars like you’ve never seen before. The first place I must mention is Ballie Ballerson – multiple ball pits in a bar, what more could you want? As well as that it has good music (any bar that plays Amy Winehouse has me won over), a neon mural on all the walls for the perfect insta background, and, once again a very exotic cocktail menu. If you are going here make sure you book online first as some of their sessions do book out!

Also in Shoreditch is Dinerama, which is sort of an outdoor but covered over foodcourt combined with a bar. It has a very lively atmosphere and good music, but that is definitely secondary to the amazing street food. I had a halloumi kebab here and it was some of the nicest halloumi I’ve had in my life. I’d definitely recommend Dinerama as a good place to start the night!

 

Last but not least in Shoreditch is Nikki‘s, which is a Quentin Tarantino inspired bar. It has a very 80s inspired vibe which is incorporated in the music, decor, and colour schemes. Although it wasn’t packed, it was a very enjoyable place to explore – and to have an impromptu photo shoot on the Tarantino inspired bed which has definitely appeared in many insta posts!

WHERE TO: EAT

 

Obviously, you’ll never be at a loss for food in London. I mentioned Dinerama under going out, but their street food really needs to be emphasised here – it was honestly so good. The best idea to save money on food is find somewhere cheap for breakfast – and maybe lunch too depending on where you are – and stick with that for your whole trip unless you have brunch out instead of dinner that day. Or, you could even go one further and stock up on the likes of rice cakes and not buy breakfast out at all. Prêt à Manger was very useful for cheap enough breakfast, surprisingly good porridge and very dependable coffee. My one gripe with there was that everything comes in single use plastic, even cutlery had only a plastic option – however if you bring a reusable cup you get 50p off your coffee!

Another place I would recommend eating is Yo Sushi – although it is a chain, it’s one we don’t have in Cork and the sushi so good. The advantage of Yo Sushi is also that not only are the prices reasonable, but there are many across London so you usually won’t be far from one.

One place I wouldn’t really recommend is Rum Kitchen – we were so excited to try it out as everyone gives it rave reviews and recommendations, but our whole experience was a little bit disappointing. Don’t get me wrong, there was nothing specifically bad about it, but the service was a bit slow, the food was a little expensive for what we got, and we felt a little bit like we weren’t sitting in a restaurant bit in an outdoor foodcourt style area (which I guess we were) but being served restaurant food.

Café Rouge and Côté Brasserie are two more restaurants I’d definitely recommend in the Tower Bridge everywhere, perfect for brunch or lunch. (Just don’t get extra hollandaise sauce in Café Rouge – they tried to charge us £2.50 extra!) London really has an abundance of places to eat so you won’t be stuck – just have an idea of where you want to go before you start looking around or you will end up hangry on the streets of Soho after an hour walking around.

WHERE TO: COFFEE

 

This is probably one of my favourite things of any trip I go on – discovering the best coffee. London really has some gems in this area, walk down any street and you’re guaranteed to find a coffee shop. Some of my favourites include Bar Italia, Shoreditch/ Soho Grind, and Joe & The Juice. If you’re looking for quality coffee definitely try Soho Grind. London is also full of coffee chains if you’re just looking for something familiar – every area has at least one Starbucks, or Café Nero which in my opinion is a step up from Starbucks. All that said however, some of my favourite coffee I’ve tried in London has been random cafés I’ve just wandered into that I couldn’t even tell you the name of – don’t be afraid to try the random, small, hipster coffee shop – I haven’t been disappointed yet. Camden is also such a nice spot to do this, as there are some really nice spots which also often have events such as poetry readings.

That’s it for my London recommendations for now – feel free to DM me any questions!

 

Recently I was lucky enough to grab a few days free and fit in a quick trip to London. Since London has almost become a tradition of mine at this time of year, I thought I’d share some of my favourite spots to go – be it for shopping, coffee, going out at night or just a spot of brunch. London can also be quite an expensive city, (a lesson I learned specifically after leaving my purse on a National Express Bus only hours after arriving) so I’m also going to share some of my favourite ways of saving money in all aspects of your trip you’ll want to plan. Also, as London is such a big city, and I’m much more familiar with certain areas than others, I’ll be focusing on the Soho, Shoreditch and Camden areas primarily but may mention some others.

This post was getting far too long so I’ve decided to divide it into two parts – part one: where to sightsee, shop and stay, and part two: where to go out, eat and go for coffee. I’m also coming from a point of view of advice I’d give someone who’s never been to London, so if you have I hope you find something here you haven’t experienced before.

WHERE TO: SIGHTSEE

This will by no means be a comprehensive guide, as London is so big that I could write a book and it wouldn’t even cover it, it’ll be more of a look at some of my favourite things I’ve experienced there. Some of my trips to London have involved Work Experience and London Fashion Week and have therefore involved being a tourist at night instead of during the day – seeing shows at the West End and exploring Soho at night offered the perfect tourist experience in these instances. Other trips I’ve been a pure tourist the whole time and have had more time to explore museums and areas such as Camden during the day.

Shows:

 

By far my favourite thing to do in London is to see a show – the most recent show I saw was The Phantom of the Opera in Her Majesty’s Theatre and it certainly didn’t disappoint. The music gave me goosebumps in almost every song, the actors were amazing and the set and stage were breathtaking. We got our tickets at the TKTS stand in Leicester Square, which allowed us to pay £35 for tickets that had a value of £45. If you don’t mind what you see and want to save money this is the way to go, you can get tickets for as little as £5. However if you want to see a show with a lot of hype that isn’t a permanent West End fixture, buy them online from the show’s own website for the best value.

Shows I’ve seen include Dreamgirls, Aladdin, and Kinky Boots as well as The Lion King in Dublin, but with the West End cast and none of them have disappointed at all. The buildings themselves also add to the experience – they’re all beautiful! If you’re looking to see a show that’s sold out and you didn’t get tickets, such as Hamilton, many of their websites have daily ticket lotteries that you can enter or you can use the Today Tix app to enter front row lotteries for certain shows – still not over winning front row to Dreamgirls but only seeing the email after my time to claim them ran out! Don’t plan your evening around a lottery though because so many people enter these so there are no guarantees.

I’m yet to get to get to the National Theatre – however I’ve heard rave reviews about Cate Blanchett’s current play there, When We Have Sufficiently Tortured Each Other. It is fully sold out, but a certain amount of cheap day tickets go on sale at the box office every day. This one does contain adult themes and violence though, so if you’re with your kids stick with Aladdin!

Museums

All of the museums I’ve been to in London have been free, which is such a bonus when it’s such an expensive city. My favourite is definitely the V&A museum, which honestly has exhibitions to suit whatever your interests are. I always love the photography and musical theatre exhibitions, and the fact that they’re always being changed and updated means there’s always something new to see. It’s so big that you won’t be able to see all of it, so when you enter get a map and plan the sections to see so you don’t get overwhelmed! I also love the fashion exhibitions, and seeing how style has changed over the last few hundred years. Other museums to spend an afternoon are the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum, both also in the Knightsbridge area, and the British Museum in the Soho area – I’d recommend seeing the mummies in the Egyptian exhibition here.

Soho

This one speaks for itself really – its such a nice area to wander around, from Piccadilly Circus, to Leicester Square, to the West End, to China Town. If it’s your first time in London, have a walk around here and just admire the buildings, visit M&M world, the Lego Store, just explore the tourist spots in general – this area has an abundance of them!

Camden

Camden is the perfect place to spend an entire afternoon. Whether you’re looking for quirky shops with cool slogan tees, or old school record stores, coffee, food, or just an afternoon out, Camden offers all of this. The street food here is so good – the further into the markets you go, the better the finds in my opinion. Check out the Dr. Marten Store – there’s a really cool hall with Docs signed by members of My Chemical Romance, No Doubt and loads of other musicians and bands. Around the corner is Cyberdog which is like shopping combined with a rave. When you’ve had enough, there’s a really cosy coffee shop across the road here that you can relax in. Honestly, once you reach the markets in Camden you don’t need much guidance – just explore!

Tower Bridge Area

This is also such a nice area to explore, especially if you get a nice day. As well as having Tower Bridge itself to offer, there are really cute market stands, a hidden little marina which makes for a lovely brunch spot at Café Rouge or Côté Brasserie.

Warner Bros. Studio Tour

This one isn’t free, but is very much worth the money. Tickets are around the £40 mark, and if you are or ever have been a Harry Potter fan, you won’t regret it. It’s amazing to see what’s behind the magic and really experience how it all happened. If you are planning to go to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour, the one thing I will say is book in advance – when, or even before, you book your flights. It’s currently booked out until April so you really need to book around 3 or 4 months in advance. They also always change the exhibitions so check online what they have on – since I went they introduced the Hogwarts Express, and they have displays relating to the season too. Gringotts is opening in April so that should definitely be worth checking out.

WHERE TO: SHOP

This is something I haven’t been as focused on when I’ve been to London, as I’ve either been working or broke when I’ve been over there. However I have managed to find a few gems, depending on what you’re looking for. If you want a full afternoon hitting the shops hard Oxford Street is the place for you. This is where you have you Topshop, H & M, Gap Store, Miss Selfridge and all of the similar high street fashion stores as well as my personal favourite Kiko Milano for €3.99.

Alternatively if you’d prefer more of a bargain one off shopping experience, Camden Market Stalls are my absolute favourite for this. I’ve found some absolute gems here, such as vinyl records for €5, slogan tees, hoodies and wall prints of iconic art. This is just a tiny sample of what you can find here.

For the ultimate tourist shopping experience, Harrods and Hamleys are what you’re looking for. Both worth a visit, Harrods is a 6 floor luxury department store with halls for everything you can think of, from food, to homeware, to kids toys, to a book store. Especially if it’s raining, it’s the perfect place to pass a few hours and within walking distance from all of the museums in Knightsbridge. Alternatively, Hamleys is the childhood dream of toy stores. Also 6 floors, with displays of different toys, games and magic tricks everywhere from the moment you walk in. You won’t leave without being sold a magic bubbles set or the likes that you didn’t even know you needed in your life, but its definitely something to experience whether you have kids or are a big kid at heart.

 

WHERE TO: STAY

The final thing I’m going to discuss in this post is what your options are to find accommodation. If you’re trying to save money, a hostel is probably the way to go. I stayed in Wombats which is somewhat near to Shoreditch, and it was definitely good value for money, however the only fault I’d have of it is it was a bit out of the way to get to. It was such a lively hostel though, particularly the bar which had the likes of jenga, beer pong, darts and pool to play. The music played by the bar staff was equally lively, and at one point we were even given a fully choreographed rendition of a song from Sister Act by the girl behind the bar and her friends. Definitely somewhere you could spend a good portion of your night. Hostelworld is a really helpful website if you’re going for this option.

I’ve also stayed in Soho, which was more expensive but much more central and so handy to walk home after a night out. We paid about €300 for a three person apartment for two nights, which wasn’t a bad deal at all for the location. We found this apartment through Airbnb, which is your best bet if you want to stay in a central location – you won’t easily find a hostel around here. You can also find options for apartment rentals on Booking.com.

That’s it for my recommendations of where to sightsee, shop and stay – stay tuned for part two!

Zoë x