My Week in Pictures The final days of August…

So it seems as though Summer may have packed its bags and is probably sitting in Heathrow departures reading Hello magazine.
I am not in any way despairing – I have loved the warm spell of hazy days but am actually rather enjoying the cooler temperatures at night and of course, the rain.. I’m sitting in Carluccio’s in Islington as I type this and the rain is pouring down outside… like a solid sheet. Soggy people keep stumbling in and shaking their heads like dogs on the beach. I’m feeling dry and smug. It also feels a bit like Christmas but I can’t quite put my finger on why.

Mind you, it always feels like Christmas in Carluccios. Something about the endless piles of cakes, patisseries and Ella Fitzgerald…
Here is my week in pictures, all pulled over from my beloved Instagram account, which I am constantly adding to.
The first picture above is of my breakfast at The Wildflower Cafe, on Chepstow Road in Notting Hill last weekend. I and LM went for a swim at The Porchester in the morning and were ravenous when we emerged from the pool. This is where we landed and it was spectacular; perfect poached eggs, avocado on sourdough, tarragon mushrooms, spinach, asparagus and roast tomatoes.. topped with the prettiest edible flowers…

I went bowling at Queens Ice and Bowl with my dad and my brother and I was terrible. But I had enormous fun. I’ll be writing more about this over the next couple of days..

I have NEVER seen inside a post box on the street. Never ever. Until now. I was a bit fascinated by this. Rest assured there was a postman emptying it as I took my snap. He was very jolly but he wasn’t called Pat. You can’t have everything.

On Tuesday, Poppy Loves Book Club met up. There is a lovely group of us online now, (170 and counting!) and several Poppy Loves Book Clubs popping up around the UK and the rest of the globe. This is my local Poppy Loves Book Club at Book and Kitchen in Notting Hill, and we enjoyed chatting away to all of you online.. especially those of you who joined us from Queenstown NZ! You can find out all details about Poppy Loves Book Club here and the next book we’re reading is Vulgar Things by Lee Rourke.
 

I was very proud of myself last week for baking my first ever tart. This is a Plum Frangipane Tart, whose recipe came to me via the very lovely Natalie James. There were a few hitches along the way, (I couldn’t roll the pastry so had to kind of cement it into the tin?!) but I have since received some very helpful and supportive tips from you all, for ways I can avoid this in the future… so watch this space. I’ll be popping the recipe up for your to see this week…

These are vintage Miu Miu sandals. Spotted in my local Oxfam on Westbourne Grove, for £69. Love these little extraordinary finds…

Exeter Street Bakery popped up in Finsbury Park a couple of months ago and seems to be going from strength to strength… here’s a snap of some mini pizzas that looked pretty inviting to me. I didn’t have time to eat one – it was snapped en route… but I shall be back…

A new little courtyard has arrived at the back of Bluebelles of Portobello on Portobello Road. It’s two weeks old so not many people know about this new arrival yet… so do pop in and test it out. It’s a slice of Santorini in the heart of West London…

Yes I know it’s food again, but I couldn’t resist showing you my scrumptious roast beef and pickle sandwich from Ottolenghi on Ledbury Road. Anything from Ottolenghi is a treat as it is NOT cheap… but it was worth it. Fresh, juicy and delicious.

And finally, my trusted Macbook Pro finally gave up the ghost last week, so I hopped on down to the Apple Store on Regent street, dug deep into my pocket (ouch) and forked out for this brand new baby. Which I am tapping on now. I need to name him. Any ideas? I’m thinking Barnaby.
So that, my friends, is a brief round up of my little week.
I hope you’ve all had a wonderful bank holiday and are keeping out of the rain…oh, and has anyone else seen Two Days One Night? I saw it last night at the Art House in Crouch End.. would love to know what you thought if you have…