20/20 Cricket

Okay, so this is a little late but since I have been back in London it has been a bit of a whirlwind of competitions and training. Forgive me?

What about if I hold my hands up and say I'm sorry?

¡Adios Lanzarote!

The final day of our trip was a relaxing one, especially after all of the running and walking we did on Ironman day!

Instead, it was time to relax and top up our tans before getting our flight back to London this morning.

Ironman Lanzarote

It's 5:30am, and outside it is as silent as can be, but behind the apartment doors are 2200 participants all getting ready for one of the most challenging days of their lives.

We are all about to meet by the swimming pool.

Casa Roja

We are back at the airport this morning with his and hers sombreros and maracas, and la Isla bonita playing from our small speaker. 

Steak and Sparklers

After those beach sprints and topping up the tan all day, it was time for another dinner.

A lot of restaurants along the sea front in any holiday resort have people outside begging you to come in with a 'ThisIsWhatWeHaveTonightAndIWillTalkAsFastAsICanIn10Seconds' monologue, and some of them are really nice places to eat too.

A few years ago, Mum and Dad found this local spanish restaurant one evening when wandering towards the old port. There wasn't a a huge open front with tables showing, just a door with a name above it. 

They took the plunge and went in to see what it had to offer.

Beach Sprints

Being away means one thing... holiday indulgent of anything that isn't healthy!

I am a sucker for ice cream, frozen yogurt and three-course dinners when I am on holiday, and this trip is no exception (as much as I am trying to stay healthy!)

With track competitions lined up for when I get back to London, I have to train whilst I am away to maintain form. This is something that anyone can do whilst they are away though, and fancy working off last night's dinner.

Beach Sprints.

¡Hola España!

Buenos dias mi amigos! 

Cotton Jelly

I am in the middle of a packing nightmare.

On one side of the room is all my belongings in boxes, ready for me to move house. On the other, a pile of clothes that I want to keep out to wear to clubs, pubs, and to pack for next week's trip.

You know exactly what happens too, the majority of it stays out 'just in case.' Though I have found three tops that I am keeping out and took a break to show them off.

Like this one...

Honky Tonk

There is a wardrobe in Clapham where you can head off to London's version of Narnia.

My dinner date got a little excited about this with an ohmygawd face, and approached with no caution expecting lions and witches on the other side.

The Rum Kitchen

I am going to let you in on a little secret of mine, whilst also hanging my head in shame.
Ready?
I am a little fussy with food.

Okay, little is probably the wrong word to use, and let's just say fussy. I'm not one of those people who won't try new foods, but at the same time a plate of salad is something I will not go near. Although ever since I have been in London, I have been purposely trying new foods as much as I can as there are so many places to go!

I love food (a little too much sometimes) although with my training I have to be careful about what I eat, but I can have the occasional cheat days, like eating this bad boy...

Sport Relief

Sport Relief has taken over the UK for the week.

From running events, to TV specials (Did you see the Davina programme - incredible!), thousands of people have been finding ways to raise money for people in the UK and overseas.

I was invited along on the final day of fundraising, so was up at the crack of dawn and headed over to the Olympic Park for the Sainsburys Sport Relief Games.

Chicken Or Steak

Ever since I got back from Skiing in Switzerland, I have been constantly training for the upcoming track season.

Constant training brings constant eating with it, and the urge to eat everything that is around me! Plus, it is easy to fall into the mindset of 'I can eat anything because I burn so much' when you head out to dinner, when really your erasing the good work you did earlier on!

I am always wishing that every food is good for you.

Though this menu at Tramshed looks pretty good, doesn't it?

Pizza East

It's wet January, payday seems so far away, and everyone in London seems to be taking part in Dry January after inhaling too much alcohol in the lead-up to Christmas and on New Year's Eve.

Myself included.

I spent a little bit more than I should have on presents and Christmas drinking this year, so much so that like everyone else, I am hoping payday would be tomorrow, not a couple of weeks away.

To wash away the grey and gloomy January (seriously, when will the rain stop?), me and Frankie thought a post-Christmas catch up hiding from the rain would be a good way to cheer ourselves up!

Anyone for pizza?

Played In Chelsea

It's always the same dilemma. 
You're sat watching your weekly TV show when some background music comes on and you wonder who the artist is, and by the time you have opened Shazam the song has faded. 

Fortunately, if you watch Made In Chelsea, then the artists are playing at a weekly gig in West London, which means you can find out who sang that song and see them play live.

Each week, 'Played In Chelsea' is held at Under The Bridge, featuring three live acts from the shows soundtrack. I was invited down to one of the gigs, so set off the other evening to see what it had to offer.

It literally was 'under the bridge'. 
Chelsea Football clubs stadium, Stamford Bridge, in fact.
I met up with Ryan outside, strolled down the courtyard past the photos of past and current players, and headed on in to grab a drink. 

 Ryan wore his Barbour Coat, Topman Trousers and a satchel from a small shop in Winchester.

I went for my Winter Coat, Taxonomy tee, Black Jeans, shoes by Hudson and my Mulberry manbag.

As it was going to be streamed live on E4 online, we grabbed our spot and watched as the floor manager came on to warm up the crowd into a small frenzy.
Before being quickly followed on by Jamie Laing and Proudlock from the series.

Who laughed and joked about the night and show, before introducing us to the first act.
A new up and coming indie band called Outside Central.

Their songs would act as the perfect backdrop to a day at the beach, cider in hand with your friends. Listen to 'Tell Me That You're Mine' here - I have just added it to my Spotify Playlist!.

In-between the bands, the guys came back on to film some scenes to introduce the next artist to the stage for everyone who was watching at home.
If you follow me on Twitter, you would have seen that we did send a couple of cheeky tweets using the #PlayedInChelsea hashtag to see if they got read out.

Next up was Pylo.
My and Ryan clearly did not know who this band was, or even heard of their music. 
Our vacant faces gave it away whilst everyone else cheered as they walked on stage.

It's all about discovering new music though, right?

By the end of their set, we were tapping our feet and bopping our heads along in enjoyment!
More of a chilled set than a jump-around-going-crazy set. 
It went down well with a pint and they had a few more fans by the end of it too, ourselves included! Take a listen here.

The final band of the night was Deaf Havana, a band we both knew about this time!

The crowd went absolutely wild for these guys, and there was no question they brought the house down.

Think guitars, drums, and a good voice mixed together with a good pace! They are one of those acts that makes you want to put your hand up in the air and sing along!

Three songs later, the band left the stage and the lights came up. 
Gig over, a little tipsy, we grabbed our coats and went back out into the ground of Stamford Bridge.


Being at Chelsea FC, we couldn't resist a little football cheer for the team.

Clapped, foot tapped, and all cheered out, we headed off back home after what turned out to be a great night of new music! 
Played In Chelsea was a great opportunity to discover new bands, and there is one more show left as the TV series comes to an end.
Unfortunately, it is sold out of tickets (which is good though, as the proceeds go to charity!), but you can watch it online and discover who those bands were playing on the latest episode!

I'm off to download some new albums from iTunes, and start foot tapping again under the desk!

Winter Scarf's

I absolutely love winter. It's a time to whip out the extra layers, grab a glass of mulled wine or four whilst Christmas shopping, and see London all lit-up under the early night sky!
It's also an excuse to go shopping for accessories, especially a new scarf. A new shield from the wind, cold and snowfall that is on it's way.

It has to make a statement, stand out, and above all, keep you warm whilst the snow falls and you can see your breath with every exhale.

Something that you can add to the Winter Wardrobe I told you about!

For me, I wanted one that I could wear time and time again, and for a few more winters too - more like a 'timeless piece' than a one season wonder. 
I found it hiding in the corner of a store, looking right at me, and I fell in love right away.

Hello 100% lambswool, made exclusively by Jack Wills with Johnstons of Elgin. It had to be mine, and you can find it here if you want one too!

Within a few minutes I had paid, whipped of the tag, and headed off to a reunion lunch with it round my neck.

With so many out there to chose from though (believe me, I was looking everywhere), I have narrowed some of them down for you here to help with your search. 
From Ted Baker to Reiss, to Topman and Acne, look no further in your search for that ultimate winter shield statement piece.

All you need to do is click on the link below the image to be taken to the store! 

Zara Chunky Knit Scarf. Found here.

Glen Lossie Lambswool Scarf. Found here.

Ted Baker 'Goldwon' Scarf. Found here. Also in Blue here.

Paul Smith Signature Stripe Scarf. Found here.

Reiss Soft Oatmeal Scarf. Found Here

Hugo Boss Lambswool Scarf. Found Here.

Johnstons Vintage Tweed Cashmere Scarf. Found Here.

River Island Green Tartan Scarf. Found Here.

J Crew Stripped Scarf. Found Here

Barbour Tattersall Scarf. Found Here.

Acne Oversized Grey Scarf. Found Here.

Now, time to wrap up and head to the Christmas Markets for some mulled wine!

Come on winter, we are ready for you!

Imli Street Soho

So after a night of being an Italian in London at The House of Peroni, it was time for a bit of a change.

This time by adding a bit of spice in our lives in the heart of Soho.

Sham has been telling me for ages about Imli Street on Wardour St., and how amazing their Indian food is. At one point it was open and then it was closed down (You could sense the sadness in his voice when he told me that!). 
Then it re-opened, Sham was over the moon, and now we were about to have a curry catch up.

We got there early, grabbed a spot and ordered some cocktails to kick off our evening.
I went for the 'Rustic Ruby' which was a mix of grappa, violette, apple juice, wild berries and Prosecco...

Which went down perfect whilst we launched into an overdue catch up.
Sham went for the Bombay to Soho cocktail, which was full of Bombay gin, pomegranate, lime, and ginger ale. 

We ordered a few tapas-style dishes to pick at whilst we chatted and drank our way through the night, before we ordered our mains.

Now, I am a tikka masala addict. So with Sham telling me how amazing this place was for their food, I thought I should try it to see how it compared!

It was pretty decent! Not too spicy, not too bland, and the chicken was so tender it fell apart when I went near it with my knife!
All in all, pretty impressive!

It came with the standard rice, which was light and airy, and almost not enough for the masala. 
The crispy onion bhaji's made up for that though!

Sham went for the Naanwich.
Yes, a sandwich made with Naan bread, with dipping sauce on the side, and looked absolutely amazing!
It was a simple idea, and I don't know why I have never thought of it before. Inside, it was filled with scrambled paneer, peppers and rocket, and then toasted slightly to give the naan some warmth and crisp on the edges.
I am going to try to make these at home sometime. You can put whatever you want inside, though I think I might stick to Indian influences.

Apparently it was tasty! It was gone quicker than you can say 'samosa.'

The restaurant usually doesn't have any queues, which is refreshing for London! We got in there early and by the time we were finishing the last drop of our drinks before we moved on, the place was full of hungry visitors!

So my advice would be to get there early to avoid waiting, stock up on the cocktails and nibble your way through the evening - they serve food till 11pm!

London is so hard to find a decent Indian, but Imli Street was great! It tasted great, the food was authentic, and the service was good too! 

The menu can be found here, and their location is right here for you.

Enjoy!