The Geffrye Museum

In the hustle and bustle at the very heart of the city, one finds the Geffrye Museum to be a peaceful haven in a world of its own. This magnificent museum focuses on the history of homes and gardens; what’s more it’s completely free! It offers a spectacular journey across the ages, with eleven different rooms that take you through over three hundred years of history. I have always been fascinated by the odd and startling fashion trends which people bring to life by collectively mimicking one another. It is amazing how disparate developments in fashion can slowly come together to form a set of style laws, only for the particular formulation that has arisen to suddenly wane as something utterly different enters the scene from the wings. In this museum we find a lively series of rooms, that together display the sets of style laws, that have arisen, waned, and in the process fashioned London. The attention to detail within each room is remarkable. One can see that painstaking effort has been placed in selecting the items used in each room with all the elements involved combining beautifully.

In January 2018 this museum will close as part of a redevelopment project and won’t open again until early 2020. It really makes for a wonderful day out and thus I would implore you to visit before then.

Writers Tears Red Head

For the last four months I’ve had a serious case of writer’s block, which goes some way towards explaining the sporadic output of this blog of late. Try as I might the words have only been coming out a few at a time. The mad ACME firework factory of my mind has for reasons unknown ground to a halt. It is a most bothersome and weary set of circumstances, which has been exacerbated by a procrastinating frenzy, precipitated by the online availability of a bazillion self-help guides that offer simple steps for beating writer’s block.  I’ve gone for long walks, brainstormed like a boss, and listened to the awesome jazz of Mulatu Astatke. All to no avail! Finally when one article suggested I talk to an imaginary friend I decided to stop reading the articles. It was with a wry smile then that I greeted the bottle of Writers Tears that sat alone upon the top of the drink shelf at my local newsagent. On noticing the extra gimmick that this was the Red Head, I knew it had to be mine. I’d love at this stage dear reader to impart the knowledge that this proved the cure to my ailment, but sadly that would be complete balderdash. What isn’t complete balderdash is that this is an utterly delightful wee dram!!! On to the tasting notes…

Writers Tears Red Head is an Irish whiskey and a fantastically sweet and spicy sherry cask dream. The nose makes for a congenial welcome; there is a considerable oak spiciness present, a glorious nuttiness, some orange marmalade, not to mention the fruity plum. The drink itself, arrives with a creamy hazelnut taste, a great deal of ginger spiciness then builds, with dates, and with a little water some coffee notes following. The finish is a fiery affair combining an orange peel after taste with ginger some cinnamon and clove. This is a whiskey that wonderfully combines bombastic spiciness with fruity intermissions. My imaginary friend particularly enjoyed it.

Verdict: A Fiery Lass

Score: 85/100

Alice’s Adventures Underground

Alice in Wonderland is such an incredibly unusual read, a surreal journey, filled with logic, subtle political commentary, and a great deal of silliness. Along with its sequel it is truly one of those books that defies categorisation and brings ones imagination alive with the incredible possibilities of existence. In reading these books, the assumptions that underlie our day to day operations are constantly challenged by a fictional reality that has rules drastically different to our own. I’m particularly fond of the passage in which Alice pontificates whether she’s really Alice or another girl Alice knows called Mabel. It is completely absurd and so deeply philosophical as to leave my mind utterly discombobulated.  A mental state I’m surprisingly fond of!!! The message you take from wonderland, is truly a matter of interpretation, for me it is a tale that highlights the importance of retaining a childlike perspective in one’s life. I recently found myself re-reading this classic in preparation for attending Alice’s Adventures Underground an immersive theatre experience located at the Vaults, Waterloo. Curiouser and Curiouser…

I think it’s a sure sign that you’re in for a good evening when it begins with a spot of flamingo croquet.  Standing around the bar section of the Waterloo Vaults, I soon happened upon this entertaining and most welcome of distractions. I did not have much time to master this gentle game however as only a little after I started playing I was called forth for an adventure in Wonderland. I was incredibly excited and just a tad apprehensive as to what lay in store for me…

I’m incredibly tempted to recount in painstaking detail every single delightful event that transpired on my journey through Wonderland. However I do not wish to ruin the novelty of the experience for others, so I will keep myself to brief snap shots of what transpired and hope that this does not reveal too much.  In a delightful and somewhat creepy study, I found my way into Wonderland in a most peculiar and frightful manner. Next I beheld a classic optical illusion, in the form of two doors, one where the people approaching grew incredibly large and another where their approach turned them terribly small. After choosing a door, I soon found myself being processed by Wonderland customs and being assigned a suit of cards. As a Diamond I was soon taught to look up to Hearts and mock the lower cards, Spades and Clubs. This political designation would prove the glue that held the disparate elements of the story that followed together. On a side note, it was remarkable how quickly everyone took to their assigned ideologies and I thought it one of the most intriguing parts of the performance.

However it wasn’t all political intrigue in Wonderland. The adventures that followed saw a merry conversation with Humpty Dumpty, a disturbing encounter with the unhinged Tweedledee and Tweedledum, a most excellent tea party, a sombre and touching moment with the Mock Turtle, not to mention a suspense filled trial. All in all, I think it’s safe to say that I had a bloody brilliant time and that this show was truly a spectacle to behold. The references to the books were numerous and beautifully chosen. The puppetry and set design were all first class. Finally the actors that guided us through Wonderland all gave incredible high energy performances, bringing this most impressive show alive. Here’s hoping that this second run of the show isn’t its last.

 

 

Four Roses Small Batch

I’ve been blogging for just over a year now and yet in that time I’ve never got round to reviewing a single bourbon, an unconscionable dereliction of my drinking duties, for which I can only fall upon my knees and beg forgiveness dear reader. It is my hope that this review will make amends for this. So what makes a whiskey bourbon? There are quite a few stipulations but the two main ones in terms of flavour are as follows. Firstly, it must be made from a grain mash containing no less than 51% corn. Secondly, it must be aged in new charred oak barrels. The result generally speaking is a whiskey that is far sweeter than its Scottish cousins, which has only a hint of smoke, and often some delicious spicy notes due to the further addition of some rye in the grain mix.  Or to put it another way, absolutely splendid stuff!!!

For me Four Roses Small Batch is the quintessential bourbon, it is highly affordable and guaranteed to go down real smooth, a whiskey staple if ever one existed. So, let’s get down to some tasting. Small batch has a vibrant floral nose along with subtle hints of rye spiciness, oak, and orange peel.  It is a captivating whiskey siren that entices you into taking a sip. The drink itself arrives with possibly the best vanilla note I’ve ever tasted, then a bitter sweet cherry develops only to quickly fade, next we find a warm ginger emerge with butterscotch and cinnamon soon following. The finish is fairly long; it sees more wondrous vanilla with a dash of black pepper and a most unexpected but highly welcome lapsang souchong tea. In my opinion, at just under £30 a bottle this is the best introduction to Bourbon available in the UK. If you haven’t got a bottle sitting on your shelf right this instant then I would urge you to procure one at your earliest convenience.

Score: 90/100

Verdict: Magnificent

Booze and Retro Gaming!!!

There are now quite a few pubs in London with a video game theme, but my favourite by a considerable margin is The Four Quarters in Peckham. For the simple reason that it is a no frills no nonsense classic arcade. Other pubs I’ve been to let you play games with your friends on flat screen monitors, undeniably fun, but The Four Quarters invites you to play with friends upon the mystical cabinets of awesome that robbed an entire generation of their precious pocket money during the 80s and early 90s.

As a very small child the bright dazzling lights and the odd beeping sounds of these gaming monoliths beckoned me to partake in an otherworldly adventure. As a teenager I eventually got to join the legions of zombified gamers that huddled around these magnificent machines in neon lit rooms. I had an absolute blast wasting my life away in this manner. Unfortunately by this stage in time there were barely any arcades left in London and I only very rarely got to visit the Trocadero (now closed) for some gaming fun. Despite this the Arcade left a lasting impression on me and I always felt it was more exciting than sitting around the house and just playing games on a console. What can I say I’m a sucker for some glitz and glamour! Thus my imagination has continued to hold on to the magic of these retro gaming machines with some reverence.

It came as a fantastic surprise then when I randomly came across a low key pub filled to the brim with classic gaming machines. I was on my way to visit a friend and was a little early when I walked past a rather tatty looking bar with an odd name.  Noticing the video game theme I couldn’t help but have a quick look inside. I instantly beheld so many classic gaming machines, there was Pac Man, Time Crisis 2, Golden Axe, Street Fighter 2, and good lord is that the legendary Simpson’s arcade game. I never stood a chance!!! To make matters worse they had an extensive range of whisky to boot, the owner being a big fan of the amber nectar. Suffice it to say I met my friend a good deal later than intended. As an hour plus of button smashing went by in a minute. A return trip is definitely on the cards this week, as I had a super nostalgia infused whale of a time. If you live in South London and are in the mood for a mellow night of classic gaming The Four Quarters is where it’s at.

Blogiversary!!!!!!!!!!!

Last week this Blog turned one!!! And in typical fashion I’ve only just got round to celebrating this momentous event. Started on a diabolical whim, I certainly would not have predicted that one year on I would still be writing for this fine publication. Let alone that some people would have actually bothered to read it. To all you wonderful people that have read commented and seemingly enjoyed my random musings, I truly cannot thank you enough! It has been an absolute joy to witness this half-baked idea rise to the lofty heights of a fluffy Victoria sponge. Admittedly in the last six months my posts have become rather sporadic but I solemnly swear that in the coming months I’ll pull up my socks and get back to blogging form.  In the meantime I hope you will join me in celebrating this anniversary dear reader and by spontaneously breaking into dance to this awesome tune from Kool and the Gang. Now that I’ve finished getting my groove on around my living room, allow me to present…

My Top 5 Moments of the Blogging Year

I think it’s safe to say that epic feats of daring do have been few and far between this year. Nevertheless I think I made up for this in one fell swoop, by falling out of a plane in the most awkward manner imaginable. Against all odds I loved every second of this experience. Read on here!

The Harry Potter studio tour quite simply set my imagination ablaze this year. From the moment I found myself standing in the great hall of Hogwarts I was off in a world of my own. I left pretending to ride an invisible broomstick, which says it all really. Read on here!

I had a delightful moment of Zen in the Kyoto Garden this year. Located within Holland Park this Japanese garden may be tiny but it is absolutely stunning and I’m very pleased with some of the photographs I got on my trip. Read on here!

I love those random moments in adventures that you could never have predicted beforehand. I was dumbfounded this year, when swimming in ice cold waters on Hampstead Heath I suddenly found myself being lapped by old age pensioners. However my absolute highlight of the year came when some lovely people ensured I had a blooming marvellous time playing crazy golf. Read on here!

A surreal neon dreamscape where you can sip a coffee, I was truly blown away by the spectacle that is God’s Own Junkyard. Located in the back of beyond (Sorry Walthamstow), this is the very definition of a hidden gem. Read on here!

So that in a nutshell marks the end of my first year of Blogging. Here’s to many more years of London, Whisky, and Adventure.

Oh and to talking even more Bollocks!!!

Mayhem Paintball!!!

Mayhem Paintball is a huge site for big kids to play, it provides carnage on a truly epic scale, and you’ll leave with a big grin on your face thoroughly prepared for the coming zombie apocalypse! Located on the edge of London, it is very easy to get to via the central line, with the company taking you the rest of the way with a pick up at Theydon Bois station. There are sixteen arenas here which are wonderfully constructed containing, tanks, crashed helicopters, and the like. The staff are super friendly thus ensuring a good day out. After a week littered with WTF moments, I was just about ready to drive out to a serene waterfall and drown someone in it. Thus as another fraught week loomed I prepared by booking some kick ass paintball action with a group of friends. The days went by like a cool summer’s breeze; people irritated me, annoyed me, and exasperated what little patience I had left for the so called rules of civilization. Yet every time I approached breaking point I found hidden reserves of equanimity, as I simply meditated on the happy go lucky image of blasting random strangers to kingdom come with balls of paint.  If Marcus Aurelius grew up in the 90’s and was around to behold my stoicism, he’d say ‘dude, that guy’s, like, totally chilled dealing with those fart-knockers’.

Then the day finally came, fuelled with pent up rage and randomly giggling like a megalomaniac/teenage girl I boarded the train, destination fun. Only for disaster to then strike! Everyone faces that moment in their life when they suddenly realize their frailty in the face of time. For me, there’s also that time I sat down so rapidly on an improperly cushioned seat that I rendered my bum entirely numb. Sitting on the train I writhed in agony as all happy go lucky images of briefly becoming death incarnate evaporated. I arrived at Mayhem Paintball dilapidated and only able to hobble. The first two games went by in a flash as I was taken out rapidly, a fainting goat among the dogs of war. Yet the rage of several mental weeks could not be tamed and in an adrenalin fuelled frenzy I staged a comeback. Game three saw some mild improvement but the best was yet to come. Game four; I became the terminator, slickly dispatching five enemies in rapid succession all while unintentionally imitating the juddering movements of a chicken. It was glorious! After that I returned to hobbling form for the rest of the games, but having had my moment is the sun, I ended the day as happy go lucky as I went. Quite simply, Mayhem Paintballing is an ace form of stress relief and I thoroughly recommend it to all.

 

The Sherlock Holmes Museum

There’s nothing quite like an attraction with a long winding queue to dampen ones adventurous spirits and make one mildly cranky. The only thing worse in fact is to stand in said queue for twenty minutes and then have a member of staff approach to inform you that you need to leave the queue in order to buy a ticket in the shop. This is precisely what happened to me when I went to visit the Sherlock Holmes Museum in Baker Street. I can tell you that when I finally re-joined the queue from the very start, I was somewhat aggrieved, things went from bad to terrible when I suddenly realized I needed the toilet. I was now well past mildly cranky and into the nightmare realm of Grump Hog Day! So if you go, remember before you join the ginormous queue, go to the gift shop next to the entrance as that’s where you buy your ticket. Having groaned on a fair bit and hopefully elicited some small sympathy; allow me to get on with my review which is only slightly tinged by this considerable trauma.

The Sherlock Holmes museum is a delight. I’m a huge fan of Holmes and have very fond memories of reading the books at school during my formative years.  Like my trip to the Harry Potter studios, I found myself experiencing childlike wonder on entering a place so familiar to my imagination. Each room in this museum is beautifully put together with lots of small references to the books. One cannot help but think that Holmes and Watson did once reside here solving baffling mysteries in Victorian London. My favourite part of the museum is an inconspicuous book on the top floor. It contains letters to Holmes from all around the world that have been sent to 221B Baker Street. One or two were artistic, some had fictional mysteries, and my favourite from Gao Kun in China implored Holmes to give up his cocaine habit for the sake of his health. I have no doubt that a fair few of these letters are the result of teachers and there confounded homework assignments. Nevertheless it is absolutely astounding to see first-hand the joy a fictional creation can exert in the world.

The Sherlock Holmes Museum, is tiny, a little overpriced at £15 a ticket, and comes complete with a deadly queue. However despite all these detractions, as a huge fan I think the decision of whether to go or not is elementary my dear reader.

 

Glenmorangie Bacalta

We’ve had some absolutely resplendent and sweltering weather here in the UK of late. Outside is a stunning day that promises to be a cracker, it’s a pity then that I should be so ill-suited to hot weather. Incidentally I’m equally ill-suited to cold weather, alas many people mistake this condition of double ill-suitedness for a personal disposition to moan. Getting back to the matter in hand, it is hot today in London! This problem is compounded by the fact that where I live, is fitted with some serious insulation that has turned my room into a tinderbox that is slowly baking me alive. I don’t want to crack my head open to find out but I believe that with this incredible heat my brain has turned to maple syrup. It is most amusing then, that today of all day’s I should be reviewing a whisky called Bacalta which is Gaelic for baked. It’s always a bad idea to drink whisky on days like this, but in the interests of my readership I shall persevere, quit my jibber jabber, and get on with the review.

Bacalta is the latest offering from Glenmorangie’s limited edition range. Aged in Madeira and Bourbon casks this is a wonderfully sweet and occasionally lively drink of considerable quality. Unfortunately it’s a tad pricey for a non-age statement whisky (£80), despite this I do think it is well worth seeking out for a tipple. On to the tasting notes! The nose is powerful but not forceful, opting to arrive in a gentle fashion. I get vanilla, honey, plum wine, and a delicious hint of mango. To be honest it’s quite intoxicating all by itself. On hitting the taste buds one suddenly gets all the fruits, there are simply so many different fruit notes here!!!  If I were to list them all you’d think me quite mad for believing so much could dwell within one glass. Predominantly I get peeled orange, dried apricots and a little plum. There’s also a delightful crisp menthol mint that lingers through it all. The finish makes for a most excellent juxtaposition from all these sweet flavours. Out of nowhere dazzling pepper emerges, a dash of cinnamon, some clove, and a moreish tang of bitter oak. A sweet invigorating and varied dram, this is something rather spectacular.

Verdict: I think I’ll have another

Score: 88

Versatile Blogger Award

It has been my good fortune to have been nominated for the versatile blogger award, by the wonderful Shruti, who writes a truly most excellent blog about life in Germany. Thank you so much!!! Please be sure to check out her blog here. I cannot recommend it enough. As for the rules of this award, I’m to share seven little facts about myself and nominate five fellow bloggers to do the same (should they feel inclined). So without further ado…

Little Facts

I enjoy really long walks in the countryside.

I have a crazy laugh and some rather silly sensibilities.

I’m a massive fan of cheesy films and the Prince Charles Cinema may well be my favourite place in London.

I love the discworld books and have read all forty one of them.

I like to embrace the random side of life. I often take tube journeys deciding which stop to get off at by rolling a twenty sided dice. I’ve found all sorts of interesting places this way.

I’ve never had a favourite whisky maker, so many are absolutely brilliant and in very distinct ways. However to those who insist I must choose, I always say Highland Park.

I love a hair brain scheme, just coming up with a plan on the spur of the moment and following through with it is ace. I’ve been like this since I was teenager, sometimes with disastrous consequences. For instance, I once locked my entire school in the assembly room and used the speaker system to serenade them with chicken noises. I haven’t a clue what made me think of doing this.

Nominees

https://bitchwithwifi.wordpress.com/

https://thehumblefabulist.com/

https://dancingtothewords.com/

https://crawcraftsbeasties.com/beastieblog/

https://rediskot.com/blog/

Be sure to check these out!

(As always there’s no pressure to participate)

I do hope you’ve enjoyed this odd little post. I should have another article ready by Monday, with what I think is my favourite whisky photo of the year (so far)!!!