HTMW Recaps: July 2019
I normally add a quote to the beginning of each post that sums up or enhances my writing. However, I’m going to use my monthly recaps as an opportunity to sum up the month – be it the mood, the weather, my feelings… Anything really. July has been one of those sunny, balmy months with plenty going on, but very little stress. I’ve enjoyed relaxed times with friends and family during July and even work was quieter than normal, so want my quote this month to reflect that.
‘Now I take the summer off, relax, and I know that at the end of July we’re gonna start another season.’ – Jerry Orbach.
In January 2017, I announced I was going to start monthly recaps on my blog. If you missed last month’s recap, you can find it here.
July was reasonably busy, with two weekends spent out of London, in Bath and Essex. Both those trips are delightful in their own ways! The weather also became a bit more summery, so I enjoyed plenty of time outdoors, sitting in London’s parks where possible and heading to a rooftop bar once during the month. It was a good month, with lots going on, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself!
The Highlights
A great work social in Regent’s Park.
Luckily, the day was bright, warm and sunny and we headed to Regent’s Park to enjoy an afternoon of sports and BBQ on July 4th. It was the first summer social we’ve had at work and it was fantastic.
Everyone was in high spirits, there was lots of laughter and it was lovely to be outside, enjoying the sunshine and making the most of summer. A very good reason to enjoy working where I do, with people who I count as friends rather than colleagues.
The best day where everything just seemed to go right!
For E’s 25th birthday on 11th July, I booked us in to go and eat at Mr Bao in Peckham. We met for a coffee before wandering down and taking our seats outside the restaurant. The meal we ate was divine, with excellent service and great drinks too! I can’t recommend Mr Bao highly enough and cannot wait for a return visit.
After our delicious meal, we headed for drinks at Frank’s Cafe, a famous rooftop bar overlooking London. With the Cricket World Cup and Wimbledon both on, we lucked out and got first class seats facing out across London. Afterwards, we strolled along South Bank, took a train home and got back just in time to watch England win the Cricket World Cup!
It was one of those perfect, idyllic days where everything seems to go right. The trains arrived just as we got to the platform. Places that are normally busy were quieter, with sitting room. It was balmy. England won the cricket. Everything ran like clockwork. A day not to be forgotten in a hurry, and Peckham an area to be more thoroughly explored in future!
Going back to Bath after not visiting since 2016.
I was thrilled to show J around my favourite city in the UK and to re-explore some of Bath’s hot spots. We visited the Roman Baths and climbed the Abbey belfry for views across the city. We also spent a pleasant evening eating at Acorn and drinking on a boat floating on the River Avon. The wine pairings with dinner were a particular highlight for me, as was watching the sun set behind Pulteney Bridge.
Bath will always have a special place in my heart, and now I know just how quick it is to get there from London (1.5 hours!) I think I’ll try and head back a bit more frequently. Maybe my next trip will be around Christmas for the markets… I now also have the incentive to update my blog post all about Bath with new images and updated recommendations.
An afternoon volunteering with South London Cares.
It was great to spend some time teaching elderly ‘neighbours’ how to use their phones, iPads and laptops! We ran a tech workshop alongside the charity South London Cares, who bring young and old people together in the community to help combat loneliness.
I met some wonderful people, including a woman who only really spoke Spanish. We communicated with the help of her Google Translate app (thank God for Google!) and enthused about our shared love of horses while I showed her how to use Google Maps more effectively.
I left at the end of the afternoon feeling like I’d done a really good thing, and made a new friend to boot! I can’t recommend volunteering highly enough! It not only helps you feel happier and satisfied, but it undoubtedly brings joy to the elderly people you help and ensures they don’t feel marginalised and left lonely in their later years.
Family time in Essex.
It had been a WHOLE YEAR since the five members of my immediate family had last been together, so time together was long overdue! We all descended on my Granddad’s house and enjoyed two nights together, catching up with our grandparents and each other.
It was lovely to see my grandparents again, and to have my immediate family all together again after so long. We always get on so well, it’s just a shame our busy lives interfere and mean we can’t all get together as often as we would like!
The Lowlights
A shitty day of travel for my horse riding lesson.
I love horse riding, but I hate that it’s so far from home and it takes me a ridiculously long time to get to and from the stables.
On this particular day, the travel was made even more difficult as London’s transport system seemed to be collapsing! The Northern Line was inexplicably not running, which meant I had to get a much slower bus to King’s Cross and join the Victoria Line there. When I finally reached Tottenham Hale, my train to Enfield Lock was delayed and then the route was changed, meaning it didn’t stop at my destination at all! All together, it took me two and a half hours to reach the stables! It’s normally a journey that take an hour and a half at most.
Thing weren’t any easier on the way back. My train was cancelled without warning and the next one wasn’t for thirty minutes. By this time, I was fed up, starving hungry and I was also feeling grotty.
‘Fuck it, I’ll get an Uber.’
It was £24 from Enfield back to my house. The driver took the back roads to avoid traffic and delays at lights. I felt sicker and sicker as hunger gnawed at my stomach. When I eventually reached home, I promptly threw up as I walked through the door. I spent the rest of the evening on the sofa, feeling sorry for myself and eating everything in sight!
Posts This Month
Unfortunately, July was another one of the ever more frequent months where I didn’t post anything new! Not even my June recap post! If I am honest, I am not even apologetic about not posting so much anymore. The guilt has gone and I feel… okay about posting less. I’ve been making some changes in my life recently and they’re doing me good. If they’re impacting my blogging then I’m comfortable with that for the time being.
What I Read This Month – July
Hot Milk by Deborah Levy
I picked this book up in a bookshop in Bath and thought it sounded okay, so bought it on my Kindle and dived in. It was… interesting. I’m not sure I entirely got it and I feel like I almost need to read it again for it to make sense.
In addition, I spent the whole book feeling like I was viewing the story from quite a distance away. I wasn’t really part of the story so much as an observer. I don’t know if anyone else ever experiences this when they’re reading books but I also felt like I viewed this whole book as though it were in sepia. Is that weird? It was reassuring for me to read other reviews of this book after I finished it and find that many others felt the same as me. This is a dreamlike book and others also felt they’d missed some important symbolism or something.
Anyway, the main character Sofia has brought her mother to Spain to visit a famous consultant, Dr Gomez. Her mother suffers from inexplicable limb paralysis and he is their last resort to discovering what the issue is. Although Sofia is frustrated with her mother, she also appears to be pleased to have to put her own life on hold to care for her. The book centres on Sofia’s journey with her mother as they try to work out what is wrong with her mother, and Sofia begins to realise she needs to build a life for herself.
I felt a lot of Sofia’s confusion, anger, concern and guilt in this book. However, she is not a likable main character, and neither was I drawn to any of the supporting characters. I admit, I was glad it was a short book and easily burned through.
Instagram Pictures of the Month
My photos this month are from London, Bath and Essex. I posted very few photos in July. This was not a conscious decision, just one of those things!
I choose these three images based on which got the most likes on Instagram and then tell the story behind the picture. Disclaimer: They are not necessarily my favourite photos!
Sunset over the bridge – Bath, Somerset.
J and I sat drinking gin and tonics as the boat rocked gently on the River Avon’s currents. It felt amazing to catch up properly after not seeing each other for quite a while. The evening was balmy and calm, we were both relaxed and felt smug that we’d found this cool boat bar to hang out on, with its excellent view of Pulteney Bridge. As the sun set, I snapped a few photos and this was the result. An angle of the bridge I’d never seen before, in some really excellent light.
Golden Grass – Primrose Hill, London.
P, E and I wandered to Primrose Hill after downing Honest Burgers in Camden. We bought tins of gin and tonic along the way and sat at the top of the hill, sipping our drinks and chatting idly. It was Sunday, the weather had been good and it felt nice to be relaxing before another busy week ahead.
After E left, P and I strolled home a different way to usual and walked to the back of Primrose Hill before going through Belsize Park and descending towards Gospel Oak. As we hit the top of the hill, the light caught the long grass to the side of the path and I got this shot. Beauty even in the middle of London.
A view down the road – Bath, Somerset
After brunch in Bath, J and I strolled slowly down into the city, stopping at various shops along the way. As J dived into a book shop, I stood at the top of the road here and took this photo looking down towards the city centre.
I was on a bit of a mission while in Bath to get some new photos to update my blog post all about visiting Bath, so be sure to keep an eye out for the updated post coming soon!
My Favourite Image: June 2019.
For 2019, I’ve introduced something new. I’m now adding my personal favourite image of the month in these recap posts. This means that you’ll now get to find out even more about my life in London or my travels!
As I posted so few images this month, my favourite image is already written about above! I love the image of Poultney Bridge at sunset. It had been so long since I was in Bath and I thoroughly enjoyed showing J around. Drinks on a boat floating on the River Avon at sunset was pure bliss!
Coming Up in August
I have quiet weeks during August (at the moment) but busy weekends. I’m away in Bristol for the first weekend of the month. The following weekend, E and I are doing an overnight hike from Folkstone to Dover and then Dover to Deal, which I’m excited about. Towards the end of the month, I’m going back to Wales to spend a week there.
Be sure to follow my Instagram feed and stories for all the latest on my life!
