Monthly Archives: September 2014

Things to do in St.Ives

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While my friends jetted off in the school holidays to exciting international destinations my family drove to Cornwall, it seemed like an unfair substitution. Now, years later, I can truly appreciate this amazing county, and particularly take advantage of its close proximity to London. Serene sunny beaches, stunning sights, charming pubs, long countryside walks and a carefree lifestyle, Cornwall is a blissful destination for a refreshing minibreak. A few weeks ago I visited the coastal town of Penzance to see family and took a day trip to St Ives. This idyllic seaside town offers unspoilt beaches, a thriving art scene, quaint cafes and craft shops, here is an insight into my favourite things to do in this charming Cornish destination.

Porthgwidden Beach – the number one attraction in St Ives, this lovely small beach is a sheltered stretch of land with crystal clear sea and the occasional seal sighting in the bay.

Cream tea at Olive’s – Tucked away in the backstreets of St Ives this tiny neighbourhood café is often named the best cream tea in St Ives. For less than £5 you can indulge in a huge fresh crumbly scone with a generous helping of homemade strawberry jam and Cornish clotted cream and a pot of tea.

Burger from Blas Burgerworks – these gourmet burgers are made from fresh local ingredients and are addictively tasty. The naturally reared, free range meat are cooked to perfection on the charcoal grill and are accompanied with toppings of your choice. Definitely the best burger I’ve ever tasted in Cornwall.

Tate St Ives for art – An architecturally spectacular modern gallery with sea views and local and international artworks. Located nearby to Porthmeor Beach.

Pasty at Pasty Presto – we couldn’t resist trying the World’s best Cornish pasty. This bakery was recently awarded the highest accolade for its traditional beef and vegetable pasty, flaky rich pastry filled with a tender delicious seasoned filling.

Little Jems Jewellery for vintage jewels – this small shop stocks beautiful one-off antique pieces of jewellery at reasonable prices.

Ice-cream at Moomaid – At the end of a day in St Ives nothing is better than a luxury Cornish Ice Cream from Moomaid. This creamy rich ice-cream made on the Farm at Tremedda Zennor and comes in a variety of indulgent flavours.

More information on St Ives here.

***My new travel book, CORNWALL by Weekend Journals is available to order here. Use the code TMM10 to get 10% off.***

BOOK PREVIEW: A Fridge For A Picasso by John Jesse

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A Fridge for a Picasso is a highly entertaining autobiography which begins during the Blitz in London where John Jesse grew up under the same roof as Francis Bacon. He later attended experimental schools, joined the army, and subsequently studied Fine Art.

Swapping his Picasso for a fridge turns out to be the catalyst that inspires him to be a dealer and, in the early sixties, he sets up a stall in Portobello Market. Through a series of coincidences he becomes the first member of the trade to specialise in the then misunderstood and neglected style of Art Nouveau, inciting a passerby to hiss ‘How dare you lower the tone of Portobello Road!’ Undaunted, John Jesse soon moves on to an even more outrageous period: the 1920s which, at his suggestion, is given the name Art Deco. After two years he opens his gallery John Jesse on Kensington Church Street, which becomes a fashionable destination for pop idols, film stars and artists: Sir Paul McCartney, Luchino Visconti, Rudolf Nureyev, Elizabeth Taylor, Charles Handley-Read, Andy Warhol, Lucian Freud, Brad Pitt and even on one occasion Dame Edna Everage.

Often gaffe prone, he owns up to some hilarious amorous disasters, including provoking an unusual response from Germaine Greer when he attempts to play footsie with her under the table.

John Jesse treats life as an adventure; addicted to hunting for merchandise, buying at auctions, searching flea markets… always in the pursuit of style.

With dedication, hard work and his unerring eye for the obscure and unique, he establishes himself as a leading dealer of Twentieth Century Decorative Arts, becoming well known to collectors and museums worldwide.

The book is full of racy anecdotes and is richly illustrated with Jesse’s drawings and photographs of the wonderful pieces he unearthed and exhibited in his Notting Hill Gate gallery.

Pre-order A Fridge For A Picasso on Amazon here.

Author: John Jesse

ISBN: 978-0-9575568-8-1 Publication Date: 30th Sept 2014 Pages: 255
Type: Hardback
Size: 210x140mm
RPP: £15.00
Distributor: Central Books Muswell Press Ltd www.muswell-press.co.uk

Pink Peony, Barcelona

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My city breaks tend to be busy and tiring, dashing about to try to see and do it all. Barcelona was no exception and by the time we got to Sunday afternoon, we were exhausted.  Pink Peony gave us a chance to relax and recuperate – for a blissful two hours we let the attentive staff pamper our feet and hands.

Located very centrally on the famous shopping street Passeig de Gracia, this small salon opened in 2008; it is the perfect place for shoppers to stop for a beauty break. Hidden away up some stairs, the venue is compact but nicely decorated in clean white with accents of pink. A huge range of OPI and Essie nail varnishes are organised by the door, waiting to be picked for application. The main room is grand and stylish with an ornate high ceiling and intricate tiled flooring.

Pink Peony describes itself as an NYC-style manicure and pedicure salon, offering a range of luxurious nail treatments for men and women. We sat back in the comfortable seats while the therapist massaged, trimmed, cut, filed, buffed, shined, moisturised and (in the case of my male companion) threaded our nails, toes and feet! It was very thorough and efficient. Our battered feet were reformed, ready for more sightseeing.

Whilst our toes dried, we moved to the other side of the room to the manicure stations. A similar procedure was used on our hands and fingernails. This charming neighbourhood salon offers exceptional service, using only the highest quality products. I felt so relaxed after two hours at Pink Peony that I began to fall asleep.

We left light-footed and feeling wonderful ready to show off our primed and prepped extremities at the beach.

More information here: www.thepinkpeony.com

Many thanks to the Barcelona Tourist Board for their help with this trip, more information here.