Yume, Bristol

We have now officially moved! Yay! I am pretty sad about leaving the boat and even sadder about moving away from the South in general (I’ll miss you, North Street) but we are settling into Cotham life pretty well, and things in the flat are starting to come together nicely. We lived round these parts a couple of years ago, but it’s amazing how much somewhere can change in so little time.

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One thing which has certainly changed for the better is the amount of amazing restaurants along the stretch of Cotham Hill. One in particular caught my eye, Yume Kitchen, mainly for it’s adorable blue and pink exterior, tucked between the equally tasty-looking Bravas, and the hardware shop.

I have to admit that even though I am a huge noodle fan, until the other day I had never eaten at a Japanese restaurant. Shock horror! I most certainly was not disappointed by my first venture into Japanese food; Yume offer a selection of the usual dishes such as noodles, fantastic looking sushi (really wish I liked fish!) and katsu curries, in their clean and bright little restaurant.

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I started off by trying a milky-looking Japanese soft drink, calpico, which tasted a lot like love hearts, fizzy from the addition of soda. It was lush. Tom opted for a safe option of a Japanese beer, which was also very agreeable. I have to admit, I hadn’t eaten much during the day, and so decided to go for the biggest dish on the menu – a whole bento box full of goodies! Don’t judge me.

There was sticky rice, some kind of fancy Japanese breaded chicken, chicken gyoza, and what I believe was a little salad of seaweed and edamame beans, with a big bowl of miso soup on the side. The food was delicious – the gyoza was particularly amazing – made even better was the price. My bento was a tidy £10, and Tom opted for the beef teriyaki noodles which were a mere £7.50, which I think is pretty darn reasonable.

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We finished our lovely little meal with a dorakayi, which turned out to be pancakes sandwiched together with a creamy raspberry filling with a raspberry dipping sauce, which was pretty flipping tasty. I’m also safe in the knowledge that this kind of food is better for you than the standard takeaway fodder (though probably not in the vast quantities I was consuming).

All in all I would say that Yume is likely to be our go-to restaurant of choice from now on, it’s delicious, healthy, and you get a lot for your money. If you are ever in the Cotham Hill area please do go and say hello.

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Posted in food / Tagged bento, , Japanese, noodles, Yume / 5 Comments

Best Pubs In And Around Bristol

I’m no stranger to enjoying a drink; in my humble opinion there is nothing better after a hard day’s work than whiling away an hour in your local boozer with a pint in your hand. I’m an ale drinker, not your uptight-CAMRA-scrutnising-every-drop ale drinker, but someone who simply appreciates local pubs and small independent breweries and the morsels they have to offer.

Bristol, fortunately for me, as well as being the best city in the South West (probably the best city in the UK, soz London and Manchester), has a wealth of fantastic pubs in the vicinity offering up a warm welcome and a tasty pint. I’ve been collecting the names of these pubs along with my workmate Lee, and collating them onto one beautiful Pinterest map of alcoholic wonderment.

And so it is without further ado that I present (in no particular order) some of my favourite pubs in the Bristol area, where in my experience the beer always tastes good and you can happily while away an hour or two.

1. The Seven Stars

I’ve started with the best. The Seven Stars is located next to the Fleece, just off Victoria Street, not far from Temple Meads. If you are waiting for a train, I suggest walking here – I challenge you not to miss your train! There is simply nowhere else better for a fantastic range of beautifully kept real ales. There is at least 6 (if not 8) on at any given time, and the landlord and bar staff really know their thing, offering genuine advice on which beer will suit your tastes and preferences. It’s not fancy by any means – it looks like it was last decorated in the 80s, but what does that matter when they are serving the nectar of the gods?

2. The Looking Glass

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This, unfortunately, has just closed. I’ve included it, nonetheless, to serve a purpose, and demonstrate how something wonderful and organic can grow from an empty building and someone with the balls to take on the challenge. The Looking Glass began life as a derelict pub just off Wine Street in the centre, which had been empty for years. It was taken over by some brilliant soul about a year ago, and blossomed into the most amazing pub and arts venue, serving a fantastic range of bottled beers, well kept real ales, and even had Wiper and True (the most delicious thing you will ever taste) on draught for a very modest price, unlike some establishments in the city! Unfortunately it has now gone, having been bought out by the Rummer, which it backs on to. Let’s hope it doesn’t change too much!

3. The Spotted Cow

The tidiest place to drink in Bedminster! The Spotted Cow is located at the far end (Dean Lane end) of North Street, a short stroll from the equally excellent Old Bookshop, Cocktails at No 63 and The Hare. What the Spotted Cow offers which the others don’t however, and the reason it made this list, is the vast beer garden which serves as a giant sun trap and the most perfect summer cider-drinking environment. When I’m here I’m usually drinking Gem, as it is the best of their small-but-perfectly-formed beer selection.

4. Bag O’Nails 

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What doesn’t this pub have to offer? The owner and landlord, Luke, is one of the loveliest men you could chat to, and he is also the proud owner of two equally lovely cats, Malcolm and Beresford (and kittens, apparently!). Everything he serves is by traditional hand pump, meaning if you are a lager-lout, you will simply not enjoy what this pub has to offer. His attempt to go as far off the beaten track means that this pub is sitting in the beery wilderness, and boy is it fun out here. Don’t expect anything ordinary at this pub, and I assure you, you will most certainly not be disappointed.

5. The Hare on the Hill 

This is in the tried-and-tested camp as one of a ever-growing chain of Bath Ales branded pubs. I have a fondness for Bath Ales; Gem is probably one of my favourite beers, and way way back in first year of uni we were lucky enough to go on a brewery tour which was one of the funnest things I have ever done (it made for a pretty interesting bus journey home!). The Hare on the Hill sits on top of Nine Tree Hill, just off Stokes Croft. It is small but cosy and offers a range of interesting ales alongside the Bath Ales classics. It also does ‘dude food’ (burgers, hot dogs) on the weekend, if that’s not a winning combo, I don’t know what is.

6. Hope and Anchor

Yet another pub on my list which earned its place by the merit of its beer garden. Who knew?! This place is hiding a little (re: massive) gem outside in a beatiful and sun-trapped beer garden, and just off the Triangle, no less. We’ve had a bad pint here before, but the last time we went we stuck to old favourites (Butcombe, Gem) and they were great. Apparently the cheesy chips are good too.

7. The Old Duke

This beaten up little boozer is a Bristolian institution, being on the radar as the best jazz pub in the west for generations. They have live music on every single day of the week, and a brilliantly fun open mic night on a Tuesday. The beer is kept well, and you can always guarantee a friendly chat with a local. For non-Bristolians, or those not in the know, it is located a short stroll from the Bristol Old Vic, just off Queens Square – just follow the sound of the music!

8. The Lansdown

This is up there as one of the best places to drink in Clifton (it sits tucked away just up from Bristol Uni student union), again on the merit of its garden. It’s a pretty spectacular thing to behold – not a lot of greenery but what it does have is a giant marquee covering the entire area, and heaters so powerful you have to remove your jacket in the middle of winter. The beers good too, and they sell fancy spirits and mixers should the evening turn in that direction.

9. The Green Man

This adorable tiny little pub was one of our locals when we used to live in Kingsdown; it’s tucked away at the back of the ‘rabbit warren’ (High Kingsdown estate) and not too far from the BRI. It really is small – think someone’s living room size – but is beautifully decorated, and the tiny bar houses an interesting range of very local beers, all really well kept. They also have a very tasty-looking menu; we haven’t eaten here but it’s on my list to do pretty soon!

10. The Farm

I cannot tell you how much I love this pub. We used to live up the top of Gloucester Road, and this place was about a 20 mins walk away in St Werburghs, right next to the city farm. You can’t miss it – the whole exterior has been painted with the most cheerful and vibrant farmyard scene, with a little picket fence surrounding the massive beer garden at the front. This is positively idyllic in the summer months; there really is nothing better than making a pilgrimage up to the Farm and sipping cider in the sun all day. There is something really peaceful about it, you would never guess you were in the city – being next to the farm you’re more likely to hear a sheep than a siren!

11. The Victoria

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This is another fab pub in the Clifton area, and also has the benefit (as does the Green Man) of being owned by Dawkins, which are always synonymous with quality pubs, IMO. It is tucked away on a back street just of Whiteladies Road, right next door to the very fancy-looking Lido. Again, it isn’t the largest of pubs – we have had the misfortune of walking down for a cheeky pint on quiz night, it was packed! – but it sure is cosy. They have always known their stuff and are quick to recommend beer whenever we have visited. Plus, they have a range of bar snacks to rival none.

Yes I know there isn’t a nice neat-and-tidy 10, but that’s not how I roll. Plus, I culled a lot of good pubs from that list to whittle it down to my absolute minimum.

We have a strong drinking tradition in this country, and long may it continue. I would probably say drinking is one of my favourite past times, if we are allowed to admit such a thing. Unfortunately, because of the effects of the recession and other social factors, people just aren’t drinking out anymore, and these local pubs are suffering. There are other factors too, such as the rise in trendy ‘craft-ale’ brewhouses, but that’s another story which I will waffle on about at another time.

So go forth, AND DRINK (responsibly).

Teacup Cupcakes and Unexpected Valentine’s Gifts

Part of starting the blog was to document everyday goings-on in my life, ordinary or otherwise, and so it is with minimal guilt (ok maybe a bit) that I begin writing this post. It seems like a bit of a cheat to write these posts because they don’t really contain anything useful. Although after all, my favourite posts to read of others are the little glimpses they offer into people’s lives – it’s a natural human instinct to be slightly nosey.

And so it is without further adieu that I offer a few snapshots into what I’ve been getting up to the past few days. It was Valentines, of course, but it was also Tom’s birthday, and today it seems we have been blessed with potentially the only sunny day of the entire year (which we spent indoors!).

cath kidston dog lamp

Every single Valentine’s day I go on at length about how much I am just not bothered about it, and don’t expect any gifts of any type from Tom. This is a complete lie, of course. However, I was still completely unprepared for this absolutely amazing present in the form of a dog-shaped old-lady lamp which was sitting up waiting for me when I got home! It’s literally the the most perfect present I have ever received, and I still can’t get over how thoughtful it is; I only mentioned it to Tom once, he must have been paying attention!

If you want your own dog lamp, you can get this very one from Cath Kidston.

rosewater cupcakes in teacups on the side of a boat

As previously mentioned, it was Tom’s birthday on Saturday, and we took a long walk up to Kitchens on Whiteladies Road where I rather selfishly bought myself these pretty sweet teacup cupcake moulds. I celebrated the amazing weather today by doing the only bit of baking I’ve done in what seems like years and made these plain old vanilla cupcakes, jazzed up by a jammy surprise centre and rosewater icing. We ate all four and felt pretty sick.

lamb and cous cous

That still didn’t stop us from making a completely epic Sunday night dinner, in the form of this one-pot lamb and cous cous recipe. Tom’s quite the little chef. Plus, Baftas tonight!

I hope you all had similarly lovely weekends; in other news we have finally found somewhere to live, so expect an update on that very soon!

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Posted in life / Tagged cath kidston, cous cous recipe, cupcakes, dog lamp, stanley lamp, teacup cupcakes / 3 Comments

February Birchbox Review

One thing guaranteed to cheer me up in the midst of this horrific weather and the stressful prospect of moving house is the promise of luxurious beauty samples, courtesy of my monthly Birchbox box of joy!

february uk birchbox #bbxlovestyle

february uk birchbox #bbxlovestyle

I have to admit I was a little worried when I went to pick up the box from the parcels cage, as it was housed in a bright pink outer, and I anticipated a Valentines themed box. Not that I have anything against Valentines in particular, but it frustrates me a little when everything seems to be themed around it at this time of year. But fear not! This month the theme was #BBxLoveStyle – in honour of London Fashion Week, of course!

#BBxLoveStyle birchbox february 2014 #BBxLoveStyle birchbox february 2014

In my box this month was:

Beauty Protector Protect & Oil Hair Oil – full price £16, unsure of sample size

Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner – full price £21, from what I can see this is a full size product

Urbanveda Radiance Exfoliating Facial Polish – full price £8.99, sample price £1.45 (20ml)

Gilchrist & Soames The London Collection Shower Gel – full price £13.75, sample price £2.35

Leighton Denny Nail Colour ‘Maneater’ – full price £11, full sized product

Green & Black’s Dark Chocolate

I’ve talked at length in previous posts about the ‘bang-for-your-buck’ you get with Birchbox – if you haven’t already signed up, then you should certainly consider it – you really do get your money’s worth. I feel that with recent boxes there has been a tendency to receive similar products, and I have to admit I was a little disheartened when I saw there was another facial skincare product in this month’s box – I just can’t seem to get through them quickly enough! However, this was quickly overshadowed by TWO full sized products in the box, and it’s months like this which make the whole Birchbox experience worth it.

#BBxLoveStyle February 2014 Birchbox UK #BBxLoveStyle February 2014 Birchbox UK

 

You easily pick your favourites from every box, and these two products stood out instantly. I love receiving hair products, purely because of the sorry state my hair is in at the moment, and so was delighted when in receipt of this mini Beauty Protector Hair Oil. The smell is amazing – a coconutty white chocolate smell, but not overpowering at all. I wacked some straight on my dry hair and it seemed to do a pretty good moisturising job of my frizzy ends. Top tip I heard – put a few drops of hair oil on straight after showering, then wrap in a towel and the heat and moisture will help the product penetrate the hair. Silky princess locks in no time at all.

The nail varnish is some fancy-pants brand which I had never heard of, but my nail-buddy Lisa ensured me that it was posh and famous. I’m not sure how I feel about black nails – not since I was a wannabe emo goth teenage child have I had such dark nails. This is a wet-look black, which sounds pretty exciting, I might try and replicate Lisa’s we had a couple of weeks ago using a matte top coat. I stuck one coat on top of my current red nails and the coverage is pretty darn good, plus it’s not chipping after 2 days.

#BBxLoveStyle UK Birchbox February 2014

 

However, the absolute stand out product for me this month has to be the Eyeko Skinny Mini Eyeliner. Birchbox have an uncanny knack of knowing when I am about to run out of something, and provide accordingly. I’ve been using a Chanel cake eyeliner, but have been forgoing it’s tricky fiddly brushes recently in favour of another 10 minutes in bed in the morning. This handy little pen makes scary eyeliner free days a thing of the past! It’s so easy to put on – I love pen eyeliners, I think it’s the inherently lazy part of me which is satisfied with a job well done in a couple of minutes. I have to admit it took me a while to get used to, it’s a lot dryer than most pen eyeliners I have previously used, and especially so compared to my cake liner.  However, it’s so heavily pigmented and provides the most amazing long-lasting colour, plus the little tip is perfect for getting right into the lash line, and of course making flawless cat-flicks.

So there you go, another month, another fabulous round-up of products! Merci beaucoup Birchbox, you have done it again.

Hope you all have a fabulous Valentines, last year we celebrated the occasion with £20 worth of cheese, I think a repeat is most definitely in order!

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Posted in beauty / Tagged #bbxlovestyle, beauty protector hair oil, birchbox, eyeko, february birchbox, green & black's, leighton denny, urbanveda / 10 Comments

Briswool

Jeez Louise, the busy week continues! Hence the radio silence on the blog – we’re leaving the boat and it’s proving very difficult to find a new flat. The search continues.

Any who, I managed to find time a couple of weeks ago to attend a knitting workshop at the M Shed, to participate in a new community craft project called Briswool.

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This genius project is the brainchild of Vicky Harrison, who runs the fabulous Paper Village shop on North Street. The idea is to create a completely crafted model of Bristol – complete with true Bristolian landmarks like Ashton Court and the Thekla – all made by creative members of the community.

The model will be entirely made of textiles, either knitted, crocheted or needle felted. If you want to get involved you have until the end of March to crochet or felt or knit your Bristol creations – the final piece will be exhibited at M Shed amongst other places; there’s even talk of a documentary in the pipeline!

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We were knitting little multicoloured Totterdown houses at our workshop, and whilst working away we got a delivery of pale coloured houses all knitted by one lady, which will be making up the Cliftonwood area. I’ve included a pattern at the end of this post for shops – same as the houses but with a taller space for the shop name, of course!

It’s not just shops and houses that are needed, there’s room for boats, trees, even balloons! If you want more information then you can contact Vicky – – or pop into her shop Paper Village, just up from the Hen and Chicken on North Street.

So what are you waiting for Bristolians? Get involved!

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Bristol shop – Knitting Pattern

Materials
1 pair of 3.50 needles (if you use smaller or larger keep an eye on your tension and gauge)
1 50 gram ball of DK yarn for (house colour)
1 small ball of white for shop sign
1 small ball of DK yarn (roof colour)
darning/wool needle

Variety of threads/wool for decorating shop with windows, doors and drain pipes

Tension
10 stitches by 16 rows
5 by 5 cm square
2 by 2 inch
Stocking stitch

Size of shop
6 by 12 by 19 cm when stuffed

Abbreviations:
Sts – Stitches
K – Knit
P – Purl
CO – Cast off

Pattern:
Cast on 28 Sts, preferably cable cast on.

Row 1: K row
Row 2: P row. This sets stocking stitch.
Continue in stocking stitch for 30 rows or until it measures 10 cm, end wrong side facing. Change to white yarn from shop sign continue for 7 rows or when measures 2cm whole shop front should measure 12cm.

Add in new colour for the roof P 1 row and then K 1 row this sets stocking Stitch continue for 3 rows. Every 4th row P 1 row. (P1 row, Knit 1 row, P1 row and Purl 1 row) Continue for a total of 28 rows or until the roof measures 8 ½ cm ending on a P row on right side facing. Break off roof colour.

Bring in main colour for the back of the shop.
K 1 row and then P 1 row.
Continue in stocking stitch for 37 rows or until it measures 12 cm, end wrong side facing. (purl row)

You are now going to knit the bottom of the house
Change the front to purl side facing by purling a knit row and then continue in Stocking stitch with wrong side front facing. Continue for a total of 26 rows or until the bottom measures 8 ½ cm. CO all sts.

Sides of the shop. Repeat 2 times.

Cast on 22 Sts in cable cast on.
1st row: k1, p1, k18, p1, k1
2nd row: p1, k1, p18, k1, p1 this sets the pattern for the rest of the piece.
Continue for 30 rows or until it measures 10 cm. The purl side is the side that should be right side facing when sewing up the house.
CO all Sts.

Sew up the shop using mattress stitch leaving a gap for the house to be stuffed. Stuff, sew up last little bit and then decorate. Yay you’ve got a sweet little house! Don’t forget the sides are purl side facing out.
This a a basic pattern for a shop please feel free to adapt. I’d love to see your shops. If you have any suggestions for how the pattern could improve please let me know.
For questions or help email Elise:

This pattern is for use of Briswool and is copyright Elise Hurcombe

Posted in craft / Tagged , briswool, Craft, knitting, m shed / 10 Comments

How To Give Up On Your Dream (Sort Of)

narrowboat

Well, have I had the busiest week in the universe. This is a bit of a tricky one for me to write – as much as I love being a bit curious and having a nose at other blogger’s more personal posts, it takes a lot for me to write stuff like this down. Part of my absence for the last week is that I have being trying to get my head straight and get my act together, and so this is quite a therapeutic brain dump. Apologies in advance!

Me and Tom are moving out of the boat-house. Oh noooo! It has taken a lot for me to admit it to other people, but it just wasn’t working out. Obviously it’s hard living on a boat; it’s not a house, it’s bound to be cold and wet and you have to expect to be living without some home comforts, but the weather has not been kind recently, and it’s really been getting to me. Coupled with the fact that my daily commute (the bane of my life) is roughly an hour each way, and I’ve not been in the best head-space recently.

That’s not to say that we are giving up on the boat-dream entirely, far from it. Hence the title of this post. It’s just that we are putting our boat life on hold while we sort out enough finances to buy a boat of our own. I think that’s a sensible enough plan for the time being. One thing we didn’t realise before moving in is that Dutch-barge-life is very different to narrowboat life, and I’m glad to say that I have experienced it.

One thing I won’t miss is being a tourist exhibit – if you are ever walking along the Harbourside in Bristol and peep into a houseboat kitchen to be met with the gaze of the person living aboard, for the love of God, don’t stare back. It’s rude. As is pointing out to your children that “there’s a lady on that boat! Look! Wave at the lady!” while I’m in my PJ’s trying to do my washing up. That is rude too. I am quite looking forward to being in my living room on a sunny day and being able to have my curtains open without the fear of someone spotting me and pointing.

This sounds like a very negative post, and I assure you it is not intended to be. I’ve loved being a boat lady – for all the tourists and the bad weather and the damp and the cold and the spillage of tea when the boat rocks suddenly, waking up to glorious sunshine flickering off the water or a blanket of fog engulfing the entire harbour is pretty special. I’ve also got a pretty nice walk home!

I’m looking forward to the day when I can have my own little tiny house which we can pootle up and down the canal and go exploring on, but for now I am going to have to be a landlubber once again. Sigh.

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Posted in life / 12 Comments