Canterbury

I recently went to Canterbury in Kent for a short day out. I wasn’t able to see everything that makes Canterbury famous but I did see lots that make it a go to for literary fans.

The streams were picturesque with the long grasses growing on the beds, swaying along with the gentle movements of the water. They reminded me of paint strokes made on a canvas, using varying shades of green and yellow.

I also came across Westgate Gardens which is close to Westgate, a medieval gate (now a museum). This too had a beautiful stream which I enjoyed walking alongside to, whilst others enjoyed a gentle, relaxing boat ride on. There were lots of flowers to admire on the way on what was a nice, sunny afternoon.

I hope to go back one day and visit the famous cathedral and maybe have a boat ride but for now these pictures serve as a nice memory of a summer’s day out in a pretty town that really does have an ‘old English’ feel to it.

London Muslim Lifestyle Show 2016

This weekend my sister and I went to the London Muslim Lifestyle show in West London, which was an event bringing together different products and services that are available for Muslims. I wasn’t too sure what to expect but I was looking forward to finding out.

There was a wide variety of things on offer; from different kind of foods, to jewellery and books.

My favourite things were the beautiful pieces of Arabic art, the stunning bottles of attar/perfume and tasty food on offer. I learnt lots of new things and was genuinely impressed by all innovative ideas that were presented from new phone apps to products that filled gaps in the market.

It was tempting to buy everything I liked, which was too much, but I managed to hold back and stick mainly to window shopping and tasters, treating myself to a few lovely things.

As you can tell I got a bit carried away with my photos, but there was just so much to see. As well as stalls there were fashion shows, singers and workshops that you could attend. My sister and I also had a lot of fun having our photos taken in photo booths wearing silly props. I thought it was an interesting event and meeting a diverse range of smiley people people, both Muslim and non created a great atmosphere.

Mad Hatter’s tea party

Over the Easter break there are lots of activities and events planned to keep kids and their parents entertained. One such event planned in our local park was an Alice in Wonderland Mad Hatter’s tea party. I met up with my sisters, sister-in-law and their little ones for an afternoon of fun and frivolity.

In keeping with the Mad Hatter’s tea party theme there were colourful props and outdoor games to play such as croquet. I personally really liked the giant tarts and cakes.

There were lots of little details from the famous Lewis Carroll tale, from lemonade and top hats to quaint little signs posted everywhere which I think really made the theme come to life. We were even lucky to have the Queen of Hearts join us as well as the White Rabbit, who made sure everyone followed the Queen’s fun demands, something the kids found really amusing.

We all thought it was an enjoyable afternoon and it was nice that a lot of effort had been made by the organisers. You can see more pictures of the tea party here and here.

Monopoly on the Square

My sister and I headed into London today to Trafalgar Square to see the giant Monopoly board that’s based on the game we used to play as kids. It’s been installed there for the weekend and is part of the London Games Festival that’s being held over the Easter break.

The Monopoly board wasn’t big as we imagined and there weren’t as many game pieces as we’d hoped but it was still a fun idea, and with the weather so warm and sunny we were happy to be out, even if we didn’t get a chance to play a round.

I think we had most fun though climbing up to where the famous bronze lions sit that guard Nelson’s Column. We haven’t done this since we were kids and no one cried this time!

Mother’s Day

It’s Mother’s Day in the UK today, a day for kids to show their love, appreciation and to spoil their mums. My mum got really spoiled today with beautiful flowers and pretty gifts from all her kids and grandkids. Hope all mums out there are enjoying the day and making the most of being pampered.

Farewell 2015; here we go 2016

We’ve come to the last day of 2015 but it will always be frozen in time, captured in our photographs and memories. Here are my favourite photos of the year which I enjoyed taking and sharing with you all.

I hope 2016 is everything you want it to be and more. Happy New Year and enjoy the fireworks.

WPC: Ornate piano

This grand piano really lives up to it’s name. The beautiful, ornate embellishments are by William Morris and Co. and are typical of the designs that were created by him. I personally love the style and detail of Morris’ work and have been a fan since I first discovered it.