Day 245 - Happy New Year!!!

Goodbye 2014 - Hello 2015!!!

Wishing you all a great 2015!!

Day 244 - Only £2.99!!

Spooky things happen at times!! I went into WHSmiths thinking if I am going to succeed at Ballroom, I need to up the anti and buy a book.  Walked in and saw on a sale table the last copy of Anton's Dance Class...and reduced to £2.99!! Perfect:

Watch out Ms Jack, under the tutorage of Keith, Jemima and Anton I could be ready before February for our debut on the ballroom circuit :-)

Another strange event occurred when ma, pa and moi went for coffee at the Coffee Grind where their guest bean was from Palakkad in Kerala!!  Small world....

Tonight was spent at the Golding's - a fantastic dinner party. Fab hosts, lovely company, great kids, delicious food....just a delight!!! And Riley's bow tie was adorable!

Thanks James, Fhei, Chloe & Riley for such an enjoyable night :-) 

Day 243 - Burwash, Billy & Bogs!!

On a brisk frosty morning myself, "Auntie" Norma and Melissa headed to Burwash for a 6 miler wander around the surrounding countryside!!

But as I was putting my walking boots on in the carpark some dopey old bloke parked so close to me and attempted to open his door....I had to shout "don't even think about it", he added "bit tight isn't it"...anyway he reversed and parked equally as bad, but managed to get out without scarring my car!

Off we went and what a stunning walk -we had Batemans:

Norma and her friendly mate Billy:

Stunning scenery, remote cottages, deer and a few obstacles!!

Lots of icy waterlogged fields - but we discovered running like crazy loons through them worked better than strategicly placed footsteps!  Made for interesting viewing!  We also had to make a difficult decision, step over an electric fence or retrace our steps!!? The ladies were tempted to give it a try but there was no way I was going to frazzle my balls!

Oh yeah, and randomly we came across a skeleton...and some amazing moss covered roots!!! 

Got home a tad drained from sliding in mud and sat down with "White Christmas"....no spoilers please as got half hour to go!!

The day ended with a catch up with Lindsey, Savignon Blanc and Tempranillo at the Town House. Lovely end to a fab day!!   

Day 242 - Music Review 2014!!

I was a bit hazy this morning....got slightly Proseccoed AGAIN!!!

Apart from a trip into town for a coffee and catch up with Michelle, purchasing a new toaster (I cant have a burnt bagel again) and getting some salad (healthy attempt!) - my blog content would be limited....so what could I write about today?

With music playing as I was dusting my bedroom I thought to myself what were my musical highlights in 2014, which songs would make my top 10 of the year.....????

So in no particular order here they are:

1.  Doris Day "Secret Love" - In April it was my Nan's funeral and this was one of her favourite songs and it was played during the service.  I had not heard it before but it is such a lovely song.  When she hits those high notes it is quite emotional.

2.  Katy Perry "Dark Horse" - Even though this song was on her 2013 album Prism, and released in December of that year it really has become a song I love this year - helped by a wicked video, fantastic intro and its own body balance routine....."So you wanna play with magic"

3.  A Great Big World ft Christina Aguilera "Say Something" - A stunning understated song where Christina's underplayed vocals shine!  Her solo material isn't capturing the public's attention but her guest vocals are hitting the mark!

4.  Kylie "Kiss Me Once" - The title track from her latest album, I love this Sia penned track! Reminds me of her earlier material, long Rajasthan drives and a fun night with Sezzie P at the O2!!

5.  Beyonce "Drunk In Love" - Like Dark Horse, this track was released in late December 2013 - even though it has quite a bit of rapping, a tad raunchy and not my usual style this song just does something to me and how can you not resist a track that features "surfboards, watermelons and cigars on ice".  Even though the tempo is all wrong I love this track in the gym....

6.  Clare Bowen "Black Roses" (from Nashville) - the whole Nashville soundtrack came as a real surprise during the summer.  Absolutely love it and Clare's voice is just stunning - I chose Black Roses as it is so heartfelt and powerful (the live version is fabulous) but others like This Town, Looking For A Place To Shine and Waitin are also great country tracks.  I do also love the duet called You Ain't Dolly (And You Ain't Porter) - a tongue in cheek country duet:
"You ain't Dolly
And you ain't Porter
She's a little bit fuller
And you're a whole lot shorter"

Bring on season 3 of Nashville and new tracks :-)

7.  Taylor Swift - "Out Of The Woods" - On the USA adventure, Ms Swift played a big part of the trip musically and I know Shake It Off is the main song but we saw her perform Out of the Woods and I really like it!! Below is the actual link to the performance we watched in LA.  Her album 1989 is fantastic - one of the best albums of 2014...listened to it in its entirety for the first time when wandering New York.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVAfR3QjFKo

8.  Ella Henderson "Ghost" - What a debut, song of the summer - Ryan Tedder strikes again.  The best debut from an X-factor contestant since Leona's Bleeding Love.  This also reminds me of America, as we had Ella's album debut on a balcony in Yosemite on a Friday night while drinking wine and eating pizza!! Ahhhh, memories!!

9. Calvin Harris "Blame" - love this dance song, again played all the time on the radio in the States.  Catchy, infectious beat and I loved that on Strictly, Caroline & Pasha did their Tango to it - its great when they take modern tracks and do powerful dances to them!!!  Who remembers Emma Bunton's Tango to Maneater?

10. Nicole Scherzinger "Your Love" - I know this didn't get everyone excited but the beat just gets me....love this in the gym - "Knock me out like Michael Tyson"

So there you are, I have probably missed some gems but its difficult to think of the whole year in a few hours.  What are your favourites, be interested to hear.....???

Day 241 - Pals, Paella & Prosecco

So went to bed at 9:30 last night...was festived right out but then woke up at 2am, wide awake....that will teach me for trying to be good and have an early night. 

This morning met mum and dad in Côte for our usual Saturday morning breakfast...3 lattes, 2 bacon baguettes and a croissant....and that's just me!!!  What a lovely touch - Mr Cote maître de, refused payment and said this is on us and thank you. Isn't that lovely, makes you feel valued. 

This afternoon had a fab catch up with my school besties, Eve & Mads and their lovely family and partners. 

Then it was "Long Island Ice Teas" at the Townhouse before chauffeur Solange picked us up for Paella night in Rusthall.

Above is what greeted us and below is a flashback from two months ago....

And finally....well this always seems to happen when the Prosecco flows!!!  

Solange, hostess with the mostess - you always down play your house, paella etc - but listen up - you always deliver, you are a star, we love the house, the paella was delicious and you are the bollocks!! Thank you for being you :-) 

Day 240 - Wenbans Oast

So I hit the sack last night at 11, and I had to watch Eastenders Christmas Day episode on my iPad.....oh my, what a last 10 minutes "he's your bruther!!"    

So after more kitten time, croissants and an intake of caffeine Norma and I wandered thru Wadhurst to my next festive rendezvous! Lunch at Nat's mums at Wenbans oast!

Glen & Maggie are such great hosts and I very much enjoyed their company and cold meat buffet with a few glasses of vino rouge! Also some trivial pursuits type of game where the Jackwood crew beat the Wenbanian Oasters by 2 points. 

Back at number 5, we opened presents and I got some fab gifts - a DVD player from Nat, "The Great British Bake Off" baking book from Dan and Lindsey gave me a wine glass she brought back all the from the Cakebread Cellar in Napa.  Mine got smashed in transit....what a thoughtful present!!  All of my gifts have been lovely, thanks guys. 

Yep, I had to get Natalie a teddy bear onesie.....had to be done! :-)

Day 239 - Christmas, Cats & Champagne!

The day began with the Xmas playlist and lounging in bed with a cuppa!  No better way to start this festive day than a mixture of Mariah, Bing and of course Destiny's Child!!! 

At 10:30 my taxi arrived in the form of Uncle Pete, off I went to Wadhurst with Yule Log, Cheeses, Champagne and my overnight bag!

Been a really nice Christmas Day with the family. But my belly feels like it's going to explode.....

How cute are Thompson and Minkey, Norma's new kittens?

Norma did a fab lunch which was accompanied by a bottle of my birthday champagne. 

After the fab and huge feast we all slipped into a post-dinner coma.....until it was times for games!!! We played banana-gram, a twist on scrabble - but quicker and better!

Hope everyone has had a fab day. Merry Christmas. 

Day 238 - I went on a bus!

Needs must and I needed a beer and the venue was Southborough! Too busy a day to walk and there was no way I was driving. 

So listening to my country playlist and wearing my Santa hat I boarded the bus to meet SPS for a beer!! Got a few odd looks but hey...it's Xmas eve, past caring!! Ho, ho, ho....

Had such a great day - half day at work, visit to my Nan and time with Ad, Nic and the little one....watch out Ad now I know your misses can Cha Cha Cha....I could be stealing her for some open hip twists :-)

Then it was time for the Southborough two, always fun...and a tad bonkers :-)

This last photo shows how I felt when Sarah was trying to give me directions to the bus stop....she made no sense!!!! That was because she actually had no idea where we were...worrying as the Imperial is her local and we were all home by 8!!!!

Happy Xmas Eve everyone!!!

Day 237 - "Mistletoe & Wine"

In the words of the 1988 monstrosity of a song by Cliff Richard, Friday night was definitely full of both...more wine than mistletoe however!!

We had a get together in the new bar in town called the Townhouse, which is really nice - a venue with a touch of class......until we turned up!!!

What are we like - as soon as the wine flowed and Marcin's mistletoe appeared it all went slightly crazy!!

Looking forward to heading back to the Townhouse again soon, but will they be happy to see us???

Day 236 - A Knights Tale.

So here we are again - Monday Memory!

This absolute cracker is from Adam's stag do in 2010 (I think that's the year, Adam correct me if I am wrong!!).  We had to send Adam off in style didn't we? ......this is Adam "Bagpuss" Piper and it couldn't be anything normal!!!

So we all dressed up as Medieval morons and boarded the number 29 bus from Tunbridge Wells to Brighton....but firstly we had to have a pre-bus tipple in Weatherspoons - surrounded by regulars who at 10am were already ordering bottles of red with whiskey chasers....

Off we ventured through Crowborough, Uckfield, Isfield and Lewes on our crusade, stopping off at each place to have a beer.  I always remember "The Laughing Fish" in Isfield, those poor locals trying to enjoy a peaceful Saturday afternoon lunch when we arrived and occupied their pub.....Laughing Fish, aptly named watering hole for this venture!

When we got to Brighton it consisted of a Thai meal, lots of drinking and I remember some bar/club to end the event....but as you can imagine that towards the end of "Adam's Crusade" details became a tad blurry!! I do proudly remember there was no vomit on my part....but that wasn't the case for some members of the battalion.

I still have my black theatrical tights - still makes me chuckle that Nat took them from the washing thinking they were hers and had a bit of a shock at the gym when they were slightly too large :-)

Day 235 - Charlie 9....

...I made a note of this for the blog title but can't remember why? Meakins, was it about you, work and a walkie talkie? 

But what a fab Sunday, waking up in Hellingly with the Piper clan and having a delicious muffin, bacon and egg gastronomy delight and board games galore!  Gingerbread Man, Dinosaurs and Astronauts.... 

My favourite was the dinosaur game even though I was the Gingerbread King!

Headed home via Sainsburys and a coffee at the delightful Veronica's.....such a lovely lady, an absolute joy. Then a quick run, foam roller and steam at the gym and I was ready for Natalie's Mulled Wine & Mince Pie Soirée...

 

The hostess with the mostess excelled today and what a fab pre-Xmas get together it was. 

We only have a small flat but this afternoon it was filled with warmth, friendship and happiness....and great festive music (Meakins, yes it was!!!)  

Thanks everyone for coming it was great!

Day 234 - Now that's what I call a show dance!

Caroline to win......please!!! 

The Strictly finale show dances are a strange one for me as most of them disappoint, and it happened again this evening with Mark, Frankie and Simon's dances leaving me underwhelmed!! But Caroline and Pasha's was perfection, a true show stopper!

So the Great British public - thank you for getting it right!!!!

I watched the final with the Piper clan, and what a fab evening - birthday Antoine de Clevecy champagne, delicious lasagne and great company as usual....but Mumsie and Mick you were missed.

We did a sweepstake at the beginning of the season, all names pulled out of a hat - Jen got the last three standing...I did it so it really wasn't fixed!  But I made the final with Mark....here is Mrs P bringing class and glamour to the strictly finale. 

She was also wearing a onesie!!!

Do you like my festive look, yeah I know class personified!!

But photo of the day goes to my little mate - how cute is Harry!!

Strictly over for another year, boo hoo! But what a season, what a night and remember.......Keep Dancing!!

Day 233 - who's who!?

Who is your favourite wine drinker and the comparison to the celeb!!!

Day 232 - Kerala Christmas

Today I discovered on my work Facebook page that you can delay posts and have them go onto the page at a certain date and time.  Brilliant - so I can do all my Christmas and New Year posts tomorrow without having to log on during my break.  I suppose this feature on FB has been there for ages but I have only just discovered it!!

My photo today is my Christmas Day post for my "Kerala & India Connections" Facebook page - wishing my followers a Happy Christmas.  A spoiler for anyone who follows my page, sorry!!

This Santa painted palm tree can be found all year long on the cliff top of the beach resort called Varkala, in the Indian state of Kerala.  Varkala is a great laid back resort which I adore, and I would love to get away from this wind and rain and spend Xmas there....staying at the fab Kaiya House with the hostess with the mostess, the brilliant Debra!

Hope I can get back to Kerala next year!!

Day 231 - On track for Christmas.....

.....finally!!

Today Xmas is in full swing in the Tree House!! Tonight I gave spin class a miss to get some Xmas jobs done!  So I popped on Christmas lights, lit a Christmas candle and donned my Christmas hat and tie to get in the mood for writing the cards!

If some of the cards don't make sense or the writing is a bit wonky blame American Horror Story, as that kept making me jump....sorry Solange, yours got affected by the shocking death of the bearded lady!!!

I have never been good at present wrapping so I always send mine to an expert wrapper - yep, you've guessed it Mum!  Don't you sigh, she loves it - she should start a gift wrapping service as they always look so good. 

So I'm almost there, one last shop on Saturday and I'm done!  This time next week it will almost be upon us!! 

Day 230 - Tour Guide Tree!

Before I start with my tale of the capital - just thought I would talk you through my experimental lunch....thanks to M&S yellow stickers I picked up a cheap breast of pigeon!  So this morning it was lightly fried with a hint of pink in the middle, and I chopped it up and added it to my lemon and basil infused couscous.  Verdict:  Pigeon has a really intense/strong flavour but it was delicious!!  Thankfully as I have the same tomorrow for lunch!

Back to Sunday - At 10:00 I was greeted on Goods Station Road by Mr Treloar holding a very welcome takeaway coffee from the greasy spoon on the corner of Camden Road - their coffee is lovely, old school coffee if that makes sense!!!?  Then we walked to Morrisons where he treated me to a bacon sarnie - he is a good lad!!

We met Carl S-R on the platform and boarded the train to London Bridge looking for the fourth member of our troop, the lady with the pink hat - after a few texts we saw Melissa come into the carriage and the group was complete.

The main focus of the day was to see some street art and take in the buzz of Brick Lane.  Even though I was only there a month ago the amount of change in the art is amazing, a constantly evolving art scene. The piece below by Mr Cenzone was striking - my artistic highlight of the day.

As well as the street art we walked through some of the markets - Leadenhall, Spitalfields and one just off Brick Lane where I got carried away and bought three pictures (a vintage pocket watch, sepia tree and a funky elephant...yeah I know, a weird combination!!). I love all three but I don't really have anywhere to hang them!  Oh well.

I was also quite tempted to pop into number 14, but one is enough.....at the moment!!

Just after 2pm we decided it was time for a sit down and we found a nice alternative bar called "The Strongroom" - where we enjoyed a well earned tipple, flapjacks and some weird flavoured crisps!

Then we turned into heathens - popping into a Tesco metro and purchasing miniature bottles of wine and beer for the return train journey!! Carl very kindly bought a tub of Quality Street to accompany the alcohol.  I ooze class, swigging red wine from a bottle whilst eating a toffee penny - so wrong :-)

Then we were back in Tunny, it had been a lovely day with great company.   Then stupidly I thought mulled wine and more red were a good idea while watching the X-factor final - Monday morning I discovered that it really wasn't one of my better decisions!!