Month: June 2018

Royal Academy Summer Exhibition

The Royal Academy on London’s Piccadilly has held a Summer Exhibition since 1769 making this the 250th event. It is an open submission exhibition which means that anyone, professional artist or amateur, may enter work for consideration. In the end 1,347 pieces were eventually selected, by a committee led by artist Grayson Perry, from over 14,000 submitted.

The exhibition lasts until 19th August 2018 and most of the pieces are available for purchase.

Symphony for my Beloved Daughter by Anish Kapoor in the courtyard
Royal Valkyrie by Joana Vasconcelo dominates the entrance to the exhibition

I have always like the architectural models and this year they were exceptionally good.

The exhibition is always interesting and is great way to spend  a few hours. It is always advisable to buy tickets in advance, you can do so here

London’s Marylebone

Whenever I travel to London I am always struck by two things. It’s always much busier than I ever expected and, compared with North West England, its always much warmer! On some days the hustle and bustle becomes too much and I head for Marylebone, an oasis of calm  and only a short walk from the crowds of Oxford Street.

Marylebone feels like a village in the heart of the city. It is full of small independent retailers, cafés, bars and restaurants. I return time after time and am never disappointed. Here are a few of my personal favourites.

La Fromargerie, Moxon Street.

This shop has everything you could want; the freshest seasonal produce, a great deli, wines and the most amazing cheese room.

There is even a café serving food from the shop. Great for breakfast, even better for a light lunch stop. Visit the website here

The Ginger Pig, Moxon Street. 

With meat mainly farmed in Yorkshire this is an absolute wonder of a butchers shop. About as far removed from a supermarket as you can get.

Daunt Books, 83 Marylebone High Street

Fist opened in 1912, and originally selling travel books, this is a wonderful place to spend half and hour or so browsing. Its old school and makes no bones about it, it is exactly how you imagine a bookshop should be. Old wooden shells bathed in glorious sunlight from the skylight, it’s  national treasure. I urge you to visit. Daunt Books

The Providores, 109 Marylebone High Street.

The Providores gives you three options in one. Upstairs is a very good restaurant offering contemporary fusion food. Downstairs is a café, offering some rather good tapas style small plates and a wine bar. The wine list is devoted to the wines of New Zealand and that to me is reason enough for going. Wines are available by the glass,caraffe and bottle. Visit the website here

The Nordic Bakery, 48 Dorset Street

Tucked away on Dorset Street, just off the busy Baker Street, The Nordic Bakery is a piece of Scandinavia in the capital. As you might expect the ambience is peaceful and relaxed and the coffee is very good. The cinnamon buns are pretty good too. Visit their website

Chiltern Street.

Just round the corner from the Nordic bakery is Chiltern Street, probably the prettiest shopping street in London if not the whole of the UK. Superb Victorian gothic architecture and a wonderful collection of shops, including a woodwind specialist!, make this a must on any visit to Marylebone. At Christmas the street becomes truly magical. The Moncole Café (18 Chiltern St) is a small but worthy place to stop off for a quick caffeine fix. At the southern end of the street just by the intersection with Blandford Street is The Chiltern Firehouse.

Purl, 50/54 Blandford Street.

You could easily miss the entrance to Purl and that would be a shame because its a fabulous place to stop for cocktails. It is very popular and always best to book ahead.

The sign leads to some stairs to the main entrance because Purl is all below ground. Its such an atmospheric place and no matter how often I’ve tried my photos never seem to do it justice. The cocktails are wonderful, theatrical and playful. Designed to give you a multi sensory experience they are not to be missed. they also serve wine and craft beers for those so desiring.

Trishna, 15/17 Blandford Street.

Trishna is a one Michelin star Indian restaurant that serves excellent food. Informal and relaxed you can choose from specially selected tasting menus or go à la carte. The wine list here is also very good and the advice on pairing wine with Indian dishes is excellent. Trishna

The Wallace Collection, Manchester Square

Located in a fine townhouse on Manchester Square, The Wallace Collection is an art collection that was left to the nation by the widow of Sir Richard Wallace. It is a rather fine collection that has something for everyone and the entrance is free. Whats not to like? The website is here

Beer Round Up

Just a few short notes about some of the beers tasted over the last few weeks.

Chapter Brewing Company. A small, independent brewery based at Sutton Weaver near Runcorn in the North West. You can visit their website here

Chapter 5. Tired Eyes. Wheat. 5.3% – Yellow/gold with a slight haze and a light white head. Aromas of herbs, vanilla, honey and a light spice. Palate is medium bodied, low bitterness, nice sweetness with the most gentle, subtle hint of cinnamon spice. A nice finish.

Chapter 8. Parabola. American Pale 4.7% – Amber and clear with a good head and nice carbonation. Aromas of malt, yeast/bread, hints of citrus and pine. Palate is medium with a nice malt and hop character. low bitterness but there is a very nice lingering tang on the finish.

Chapter 9. Temos Tanta. marmalade Pale 4.4% – light amber in appearance with a slight haze and a small head. Nose is malty with an ever so slight orange citrus. palate is medium, dry, low bitterness and hoppy. The finish has a touch of bitter orange.

Cloudwater. Based in Manchester and the link to their website is here

IPL Cashmere 6% – Light gold with the slightest haze. Lots going on here with aromas of lemon citrus, mango, malt and some floral character. Palate is creamy, low bitterness, caramel, herby, melon flavours abound. Medium bodied. This can was at the very end of its FBD (freshest before date) and it showed a little. very drinkable non the less with a lovely lingering fruity finish.

Verdant Brewing Company. Based in Falmouth, Cornwall. website

Headband. Pale Ale 5.5% – Deep yellow/orange, cloudy with a good light tan head. Dominant aromas of grapefruit and orange. palate is medium minus bitterness, smooth with a prickly bitterness that lingers on the finish.

Even Sharks Need water. IPA 6.5% – Pours yellow, cloudy, small nice persistent head  and some nice lacing. Aromas of pineapple, mango and grapefruit. Palate has rich tropical fruits, some sweetness, creamy texture. Nice bitterness on the finish.

Northern Monk Brew Company. Making handcrafted beers in the hear of Leeds in West Yorkshire. Their website is here

Hop City DIPA 8.4%. A collaboration with Verdant, Deya and YCH Hops. Yellow gold, hazy with a good head. There are tropical fruits aplenty here; pineapple, mango, banana. The palate is full, rich and tropical  with a nice hint of citrus. It is complex with a touch of sweetness. Excellent.

Northern Rising. Raising the Faith. Triple Dry Hopped Pale Ale 5.5% – Pours yellow, cloudy with a good head. Aromas of orange, grapefruit and tropical fruits here while the palate is peaches, mango and lemon, rich and creamy with medium minus bitterness. There is a nice touch of bitterness on the finish. A well balanced beer.

Patrons Project 9.04. Light Adjunct Lager. Citrus/Exuanet. 5.2% – Yellow, hazy and pours with a good white head that persists. Crisp and clean with low bitterness and drinks very well. There are very subtle aromas of lemon and pineapple while the palate has a nice malty character with touch of sweetness.

Loka Polly. Only began brewing commercially earlier this year the company is based in Mold, North Wales. Their website can be visited here

Chinook Ekuanet Pale Ale 5.1% – pours yellow, hazy with a small frothy head. Aromas of grapefruit, lemon and tropical fruits. Very fresh, low bitterness, nice mouthfeel. Finish has a hint of bitter lemon.

Citra Simcoe IPA 6.1% – pours deep yellow, cloudy with a good head. Aroma is complex, serious with citrus, pineapple and passion fruit. Palate is full with flavour of lemon, tropical fruits and a slight maltiness, medium bitterness, nice mouthfeel.