I Want My Yoga

Since moving jobs in London, I haven't been able to get to the yoga class I've been attending religiously (in a non-religious way, you understand) for over four years. I want my yoga class and I want it now, or at least before stress starts building up and I start chewing my toes. Again. Someone help me find a new yoga class soon in central London that's not in a gym which costs a flexible arm and a bendy leg to join.

Decisions, decisions...

While on holiday, I made two major decisions. These are, in no particular order, as follows:

1. Grow my hair long.
2. Start writing a novel.

Updates on both will be given on the blog if and when anything happens.

The train to Spain

Back from a wonderful holiday to Spain. Went by train from Waterloo to Paris on Eurostar then on the trenhotel overnight from Paris to Madrid. Quite an experience but not one I think we'd want to do again due to lack of sleep (it was too exciting for sleep!) which lead to us feeling like zombies the next day. We did get train-chocolates on the pillow left at night by the lovely men who turned down our bunk beds - pictured - while we were having dinner and free drinks.

From Madrid's beautiful and stunning Atocha railway station, complete with its own rain forest, we took the AVE train and spent a few days in Seville before hiring a car and spending a week on the beach on the Costa de la Luz and no, I'm not telling you where we went because it's unspoilt without hardly any other Brits. Ooh, I'm such a holiday snob.

Anyway, here are the books I read while on my jollies this year:

Kate Atkinson - One Good Turn (fabulous).

Julie Burchill autobiography - I Knew I Was Right (ditto).

Patrick Hamilton - The Gorse Trilogy (three books in one, took almost a week to read, great stuff)

Tried to read Monica Ali's Alentjo Blue but got nowhere with it. Mind you, I'm probably the only person in the world who wasn't keen on her Brick Lane.

All About My Mother

To The Old Vic last night to see the stage version of Pedro Almodóvar’s film All About My Mother. A truly fantastic performance from the sparkling cast which included Diana Rigg, Lesley Manville, Joanne Froggatt and Mark Gattis (from The League of Gentleman), pictured here from the play as the transvestite whore. A truly wonderful night.

I might just have to watch the movie now to see if it's as good as this other Almodóvar film, which I adored.

Holiday Haircut

Bought new socks - tick. Got toothpaste - tick. Packed suitcase - tick.
So that just leaves one thing to do today and that's have a holiday haircut. I'm going to go in there and ask for a nice bob, hoping I'll come out looking something like this:

But I rather think it'll end up looking something like this:

Strange Fascination

I've never blogged about work before and I won't do it again after this post either. However, there’s some big ch-ch-changes going on in my working life and when I return from my jollies I’m starting a new job. This means leaving the Bloomsbury part of London I’ve worked in for over five years and there is plenty I’ll miss about the area, not least the following:

1. Walking through Russell Square park on my way to and from work.
2. My yoga class at ULU.
3. The huge Waterstone’s bookshop on Malet Street.
4. Grabbing a great big, decaff Fairtrade coffee on my way to work, from the University of London (ULU) student’s union.
5. Students, academics and university buildings.
6. Watching film crews set up as they use this beautiful area for features and TV. I once saw Batman filmed outside the University of London’s Senate House (pictured), a building made famous by George Orwell in 1984 as The Ministry of Truth.

And so it’s on to pastures new - and I have to admit that I’m very excited about the new job. It's the reason I've had to give up doing this although I can still do this. I'll let you draw your own Corrie conclusions.

The train to Spain

I'm more excited than a grown-up should be about going on holiday soon. We're travelling between European countries on an overnight train and do you know what? I can't wait. I've got a vision in my head that it'll be all very Brief Encounter, black and white and romantic. I'll let you know when we come back if it turns out to be a) just like the deluded vision in my head or b) nothing like that at all.

I like trains, me and the funniest book on the subject I've ever read is Ian Marchant's Parallel Lines (aka Every Girls' Big Book of Trains).

We need to talk about Kevin

This is possibly the most harrowing, fantastic, awful, amazing book I've ever read. However, it comes second to Stephen King's The Shining for scariness, a book I could only read in daylight.

Summer jollies

See that sunset? My lovely man and I will be sitting in a beachfront bar watching that sun set over that sea in just a few days time. Think I'm going to tell you where we're going? Think again! All I'll say is that it's a well kept secret, a wonderful seaside resort and it's somewhere in Europe.

Spotting Moxey

Spotted the actor who played Moxey in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, walking in central London today. When my brain did the required 'Where do I know that bloke from?' and came up with the right answer, a smile automatically filled my face as I'd been such a huge fan of the show. And Moxey (aka actor Christopher Fairbank) smiled right back at me and gave me a really friendly "Hiya!". What a nice bloke.