Chelsea in Bloom 2018

Posted on June 24, 2018 by myeye1

The Chelsea Flower Show is a world famous event that happens each year in London. Lucky for me though an alternative event called Chelsea in Bloom that takes place at the same time. Chelsea in Bloom is a flower competition that boutiques, restaurants and other retailers take part in around Chelsea, each showing off their creative flair. This year my sister and I decided to scout out the displays. The theme this year was ‘Summer of Love’ inspired by the Royal Wedding and the 60’s/70’s cultural revolution. Some of the shop fronts had pretty arches over doorways, others had some truly creative and beautiful pieces.

One that I really liked was the arch of blue and purple flowers, because it was really neat, I love blues and purples and most importantly the flowers smelled amazing. I can’t say the other displays really smelled of much but this one had a very fragrant smell, one that I wish I could have bottled.

The other ones that really stood out for me were the giant colourful skeletons, The pretty swans and the huge floral engagement rings. My other favourite was the hotel front covered entirely in flowers, unfortunately I wasn’t able to get a good photo of that as there was a double decker bus parked right in front of it!

It was quite tiring walking around, especially as the map provided wasn’t very accurate, but we did manage to find most of the flower displays and it was great to see fresh flowers used to create some really interesting, fun and sometimes beautiful displays. I think it was a nice, free, event and one that I can imagine revisiting next year.

Lights, Camera, Action

Posted on March 29, 2017 by myeye1

London is known for being quite an old city with lots of history and culture, and one thing that the streets and buildings are often used for are film sets. A stone’s throw from where I work is lovely area and is being used for just that. The film set when I last passed by had some beautiful vintage vehicles against the elegant Regency era buildings.

I especially liked the classic vibrant blue Rolls Royce

After some digging I think I worked out what title they were filming for. It’ll be interesting to see if it’s right once the finished film makes it to the big screen. In the meantime I’ll keep my eyes peeled for any famous faces.

Iconic use

Posted on February 5, 2017 by myeye1

I saw this iconic route master yesterday in London. They’re not used for public transport anymore but I think it’s great that this one has been hired for a special wedding party.

Along with the bus there was this slick, classic looking car which I’m guessing was waiting to whisk away the bride and groom after the ceremony.

I love seeing iconic, classic artifacts be part of special occasions and still valued, even if they aren’t needed every day.

Let them eat cake

Posted on October 9, 2016 by myeye1

I went to a cake show in London this weekend with my sister and niece. I’m not much of a baker but I wanted to see all the creative designs that would be on show, and eat some delicious cake of course. And I can honestly say that I wasn’t disappointed! There were some amazing cakes, as well as other seriously delicious looking treats that were enough to make my mouth water.

On arrival we were greeted with the huge, happy face of Roald Dahl’s BFG made entirely of sugar, with great colour and detail.

There were cooking classes going on with famous tv chefs as well as general sessions to help create treats from well known brands, We didn’t join any of these sessions, preferring to take a look around the stalls. There was almost everything you could think of related to desserts on offer; from cake embellishments and tools, to edible buys like cupcakes, macaroons, meringues and pastries.

I thought some of the cakes on display were great and you could see a lot of time and effort went into making them. Available were kits and tips on how to make and decorate them as well as demonstrations. The biscuit Eiffel Tower was impressive as was the level of detail that seemed to go into some of the sugar craft pieces.

As we wandered we tried some samples and brought some tasty goodies, trying not to get carried away and buying one of everything. We also boarded a red double decker bus set out for afternoon tea.

There was also a cake and cupcake competition that the public could vote for so we walked the aisles wowed by the entries. The theme was myths, legends and fairy tales and there were some great creations. I think my favourites were the Frog Prince, the pretty peacock cupcakes and Disney cake.

After spending most of the afternoon and too much money we headed home with delicious goods, dead batteries and weary but happy smiles. It was a great show and there was something for everyone, avid bakers or not.

Buses and bears

Posted on November 28, 2014 by myeye1

During my visit to London recently I came across these interesting, small(ish) buses that have been painted in different styles by artists. These and many other painted buses can be found scattered across London to encourage walking around the city.

I really like the waterpainted bus with the hazy outlines of famous London landmarks in bright colours. The second one in the style of pop art I also quite like, depicting the Queen’s guards, in a simple but effective way.

I’d also heard about the ‘Paddington trail’ in London so on my travels I kept an eye out for bears too, and to my excitement I found one!

These statues of Paddington bear, like the buses have been scattered around London, each one painted by a celebrity in a different way. The idea behind this one seems to be to celebrate the new Paddington film just out but also raise money for charity when they will be sold early next year. In addition to the statues the London high street seems to be Paddington crazy at the minute with all things Peruvian bear being displayed in windows and posters.

In the past I have encountered painted bright giant eggs, colourful elephants and artsy phone boxes, all of which I am always pleased to find and to me they make a nice addition to the London streets, especially as its always for a good cause. I look forward to seeing what they decide to paint next.