A Girls trip to Oakley Court

A Girls trip to Oakley Court

Friday, 14 August 2026

I've spent my last few years in London, creating and cultivating female friendships and last week, one of my new friends and I decided to go for a little weekend away.

I seem to have accidentally documented the transition (here, on the blog) from meeting Alexandra at one of her creative events, to becoming friends, so she's a familiar part of my world at the moment. I made such a big effort at the start of the year to fill my life with fun, new activates and love that in doing so, I made a new friend!

It was another warm Friday so I took the afternoon off and I headed out to Windsor early to make the most of the booking. 

Oakley Court is a Victorian mansion, set on the banks of the river, in Windsor. It took less than an hour to get there from London, via a little stroll around the town. 

The room wasn't ready when I arrived so after a wander around the grounds, I went straight to the wellness centre. I had visited the Soho house pop up there last summer, but didn't realise the hotel itself was so gothic and majestic. Very cool! 

I went for a quick swim, which was wonderfully refreshing given the heatwave and then enjoyed an array of Cowshed products in the shower afterwards. 

If you know anything about me, you'll know that the river is my happy place so I was very pleased to follow it further outside of London and see it surrounded by the English countryside, rather than, erm, Fulham haha. 

I spent the next few hours on a comfy garden chair, under a tree watching the boats and the ducks go by. All very whimsy. All very content.

Alexandra arrived at about 4, which was perfect timing for a cocktail or two. I couldn't quite decide what I wanted so I tasked the barman with making me some kind of strawberry spritz and he did an excellent job. Sweet, fruity, and most importantly, cold. 

When it was time to check in, we excitedly explored the room and all the freebies (plate of cookies, more Cowshed products and a picnic basket full of snacks) before dumping our bags and heading back out to the restaurant for dinner. 

We both ordered crisp glass of white wine and the miso black cod, which happens to be my favourite dish ever - I always get excited when I see it on a menu! Our lazy afternoon, turned into a lazy evening as the sun slowly, set over the riverside. 

Back in the room, we grabbed the hotel robes, raided the box of snacks and put on a film before I fell asleep at 9pm, which is pretty on brand for me. As far as I'm aware, Alexandra stayed up and had a bath.

The speckled rays of sun, shining through the leaves and into the room was a very gentle start the next morning. We woke up to the sound of nothing, which is an absolute treat when you live in Central London.

After a few hours of faffing around in the room it was breakfast time! A little buffet, set up in the back room, opening out into the courtyard. The staff were very attentive, I seem to make a habit of ordering annoying drinks, but they were happy to oblige and got it right first time when I ordered my go to - an iced, coconut milk, hot chocolate. 

In typical Alexandra style, she had brought some arts and crafts supplies so after breakfast we took a few steps down to the river and got painting. It was so nice to really switch off for a few hours.

I had plans back in London that evening, so I dipped off for another swim and then caught the train home refreshed, and relaxed!

Read more »

Joyful June

Joyful June

Thursday, 2 July 2026

June was awesome, and not just because it was full of exciting things. It was also really balanced, which is something I’ve struggled with in the past. There were rooftop cocktails, late nights and making the most of every warm evening, but also a few slow days, resting, listening to my body and embracing the quiet in between. That being said, looking back at everything I got up to, I'm not sure how I managed to squeeze any rest days in.

Gaucho Summer Terrace Launch

I love steak, and clearly I go to Gaucho often enough to be on their invite list for cute events like this. To celebrate the arrival of summer, Gaucho Richmond have created 4 new summer serves, which tasted even better enjoyed in the sunshine on their terrace. The Pink Hugo - with a hint of pomegranate molasses - was a clear favourite for me. As the mingling and live music died down, we grabbed one last cocktail, a table by the river & a couple of blankets and stayed until the sun went down. 

The World Cup Begins
Apparently the World Cup started this month. Whilst I don't usually enjoy football, when England are doing well it completely changes the atmosphere in London and I am here for the vibes. I also got to try a new South West London spot, The Leather Bottle, which has a huge beer garden and was the perfect place to watch the match on a sunny Wednesday evening. The girls and I somehow found four chairs in front of the screen, grabbed a few jugs of Pimm's, and settled in for the evening. I may *or may not* have stayed for the whole game.

Tennis at Queens

Paige lives in West Kensington and since her road got shut down for the tournament, she got free tickets to the events. I know less about tennis than I do football, so again, I was just there for the vibes, but we had a great time eating ice cream and watching the early afternoon women's game. 

A Battersea Staycation

In an impeccable turn of events, I ended up staying at a hotel with a rooftop swimming pool on one of the hottest days of the heatwave. And as a completely unrelated coincidence, I had booked the afternoon off, which meant come midday, I was laid on a sunbed in 34 degrees next to a rooftop pool in central London. I couldn't have timed it any better!

Having spent the afternoon solo, switching between swimming lengths and hiding under a towel in the blissful heat, when Alexandra finished work, she came to join me for a cocktail. Once the sun went down, it was a luxurious night's sleep in the air-conditioned room before doing the same again on Saturday. 

Bucket List Tick

I have all sorts of things on my bucket list, but a disproportionate amount of them involve getting to experience certain types of transportation. A hot air balloon, a helicopter, a private jet, and this month, I was able to tick one off: a red ferrari, AKA super car. Tick.

A few other highlights

Drinks at Sonny's

- A rooftop, riverside (two of my favourite things) bar in Kingston with an amazing view of the river.

Sea Containers

- Dinner and drinks, followed by a stroll along the (eastern stretch, oo) of the river. 

Terrarium Workshop

 - Another creative class with Well Crafted 

M&S picky bits

- Two M&S picky bits picnics! Both times opting for a house over the park because it was so hot that I was worried about access to toilets and drinking water hahaha. 

 

Taste of London 

- Regent's Park food festival! We didn't last too long because it was very hot. 

Little house Balham

- Al Fresco dinner  

Lilibets

And finally I also managed to tick off the newest addition to my restaurant list, Lilibet's. It's been ages since I've had a big night out (eating, not partying) in Mayfair, and considering it's one of my favourite things to do, I very much enjoyed  it.

Starting the eve with a glass of champagne, the waitress seemingly underestimated us as is she was a bit unsure as we started reeling off dishes, as well as an emergency last minute order of oysters because we forgot, but alas, she was wrong. We got thought it all. 

Lilibet's was standard Mayfair vibes. Very cool, very fancy and a very enjoyable evening! I didn't take any pictures whilst I was there, but what I do have is a picture of my outfit, and it would be a shame not to share that because I wore my favourite pair of shoes! 

Read more »

April. Yay

April. Yay

Monday, 11 May 2026

April was a lovely time. There were multiple days of  20+ degree sunshine and with that, I felt the life come back into me. I had fun with my friends, met some cool new people and took every opportunity to be outside enjoying the sunshine. That meant warm afternoons at the park, dining by the river and touring SW London's many beer gardens, Yay!

Big Bank Holiday Weekend

This feels like a lifetime ago now but my early bank holiday weekend was totally packed. The Ned, the boat race, steak, family.. read all about it here

Soho Farmhouse

Early on Saturday morning, we packed up the car and headed out of London for some R&R. After lunch at Berenjak, (and a Jamie Laing sighting) we headed to the spa for a swim and sauna before finding the perfect spot in the courtyard for an afternoon of drinks and people watching.

 

Skating Lessons

Remembering how happy roller skating has made me over the years, I decided to invest in a course to learn some new skills. I had my first few group lessons this month with Roll Happy and learnt some cool new drills.

Spring Wreath Making

This was my second event with Well Crafted and I love how loosely guided they are. Rather than a controlled masterclass with instructions and processes, Alex's classes are pretty much self guided social events. Left to your own devices with all the props and crafts you need, I switch off from the world for a couple of hours and enjoyed some interesting conversations with the people around me. 

Luke visited London

I've been friends with Luke for verging on ten years now (he's been featured here many times) and whilst he was back in London, we went for lunch at Fallow. I haven't seen him in six months so it was great to catch up over oysters and fish heads. (iykyk)

New jeans 

This was an unexpectedly huge part of my month. After a lifetime of black, skinny jeans, I ordered a pair of loose fit, low rise, blue jeans and fear I may now have to rethink my entire identity.

Read more »

Easter Bank Holiday Weekend 2026

Easter Bank Holiday Weekend 2026

Friday, 10 April 2026

Aren't Bank holidays just one of life’s joys? And to add more excitement to the mix, this one just gone lined up with 5 days of sunshine. What a win.

My long weekend started after work on Thursday. I made the most of being in East London (from the office) by heading straight to The Ned at 3:30pm. The sun appeared out of nowhere and we spent a lazy afternoon by the pool with a passionfruit lemonade in hand and the warmth from the sun on our faces.

Another benefit of being in East London is that it's already halfway back to my parents, so I took the opportunity from there, to go home for a couple of nights. Friday consisted of a fresh gel manicure, a countryside dog walk, and an afternoon coffee and catchup with my mum - and dinner at the local Chinese once my dad got home from work. Very wholesome.

Saturday, I was back in Shoreditch to attend an Easter egg decoration class with LOTI & Well Crafted. It was set up a beautiful light, and airy space and just a great way to relax, unwind and be creative.

After a very zen start, I rushed across town to drop my egg back home and then went straight back out to watch the Oxford Cambridge boat race in Hammersmith, arriving just in time to see them speed past. We stayed for a jug of Pimm’s and then walked along the river, back home for a quite night in since Paige had a roller blading lesson in the morning.

I have been looking for friends to skate with since I started so it was the perfect opportunity to head to Hyde park and skate with her afterwards. A two hour lesson was pretty intense, so we first wandered into the cute back streets of Gloucester road, grabbed lunch and a coffee and then went back to the park to skate along the Serpentine in the sun. Bliss.

Monday, I didn’t have much planned so decided to go for my 2nd 5k run and somehow managed to shave 4 minutes from the first time. That came with a huge sense of satisfaction, and I enjoyed it very much.

The afternoon started with a couple of Huge spritz’s back by the water in Putney before heading further upstream to Richmond to continue our riverside afternoon at Gaucho. An extra large steak, a couple more cocktails and a very chocolaty dessert later, we were in an uber back home having enjoyed a wonderfully full bank holiday weekend.

Read more »

Four SW London Spas for a rainy day

Four SW London Spas for a rainy day

Wednesday, 20 August 2025

For a long time, I could never justify going to a spa in London. Possibly for a special occasion; a birthday, an anniversary, but it’s expensive and somehow it made more sense to wait for my twice yearly trips to Bali.

More recently though, things have changed. Or maybe I’ve changed. I've started to understand the importance of self care; not just in terms of the act of a massage, but more the fact of me, being 'worth it.' Worth the time, worth the money, worth the effort to make my life easier, happier, whatever it is. 

If I pay for a gym for my body, and therapy for my mind, then why shouldn’t I invest in something that soothes the soul every now and then too?

We’ve had a good run of sunshine lately, but when a rainy Saturday rolled around, I found myself heading to a spa. It was the perfect way to spend the day and the rain makes it all the more Bali reminiscent! 

So I thought I’d share a few places I’ve discovered recently. Here are four spas in South West London that are perfect for a rainy day, a tough week, or a much-needed moment of peace.

Spa and Massage - Various Locations

If you're looking for a consistently good massages in London, then Spa & Massage have spots all over - I've been to a couple now.

They all seem to be just another store on the high street, somewhere you'd walk past a hundred times but as soon as stepped foot inside, even just the reception area, I was transported away from the hustle and bustle on the street and into the serenity that was to follow with incense sticks, calming music and warm tea from the get go. 

I've been to both Chiswick and Bayswater now and you are able to book by therapist which is great if you have a favourite; although each new person I've encountered have all been very good. My most recent session, was a deep tissue massage with Roxy at the Bayswater branch, which I booked in as a per birthday treat (guilty) and it was the perfect start to my relaxing weekend. 

They always have amazing deals, so I'd recommend signing up for their newsletter and keeping an eye out for promotions.

Silver Moon - Various Locations

I am hugely into reflexology and spend a lot of time having my feet rubbed, cracked and pressure pointed when I am in Bali. I find you don't quite get the same intensity from reflexology in the UK and often it's just a foot massage by another name - but I've actually found two very good places recently.

The first one is called Silver Moon Therapies. 

Louise works out of Clapham & Chelsea and I visited her at Reflexions on the Kings Road. I arrived mid breakdown (other people have public meltdowns sometimes too right?) and the staff there were so lovely. They took me into a private room, which I had not booked or paid for, and calmed me down before my very relaxing treatment started. I felt at ease right away and got the deep reflexology session I was after. What I also really enjoyed about this was the explanation afterwards, Louise talked about what she could tell from the way my feet interacted with her. Fascinating.

Chanle - Nine Elms

This is the second reflexology place I mentioned. It's just opened on the ground floor of one of the high rises in Nine Elms and the facilities are spotless. 

They sat me down in a big armchair with a built-in foot bath which was filled with petals and Chinese medicinal herbs. 

It's not often I get a male therapist but I am always so impressed when I do. This guy in particular had such a firm hand. I wanted deep pressure points and stronger thumbs - and he did not disappoint. 

Yue Float - Wandsworth

Sensory depreciation pods. They sound terrifying but actually it's one of the most peaceful and serene experiences I've ever had. 

Just off of Wandsworth roundabout you'll find Yue float, and independent wellness centre that does saunas, massages and the pods. 

They have two pods, each in a private room with a shower, complete with products and waterproof earplugs. You lock the door, turn off the lights and lower yourself into the salty, body temperature water, closing the lid if you're brave enough. Once you're settled, the lights go off, the music goes off and you spend the next 50 minutes, floating in silence. 

As someone who spends a lot of time scrolling and often fills every moment with activity, I really enjoyed this time to think, properly, and totally undisturbed for an hour. Leaving afterwards, I felt at ease, slow and peaceful. And my hair was super soft from the salt. If you're looking for something different to try, it's definitely worth a go.

Read more »

Moving Out, Moving On

Moving Out, Moving On

Tuesday, 5 November 2024

My last post mentioned I've been living in Chiswick for a few weeks but until this weekend, that wasn't the full story. 

On Sunday, I gave my notice and picked up the last of my stuff from my room in Wandsworth. 

It's a happy story, I'm moving in with my boyfriend and that, I'm very excited about, but closing the front door for the last time caused some totally unexpected emotions.

Leaving the house, I cried. I know I was unbelievably sad when I was living there, but that room was my safe space, away from the world and everyone else.

I moved in with my mum's help; and Charlie, my plant. Mum agreed to take the tube, but as soon as we reached the station, she decided one flight of stairs was one flight too many and insisted we get an Uber across London. I remember driving past the Shard with Charlie by my feet.

Within ten minutes of arriving, we almost smashed the window. The room was so small that moving my single bed meant pushing it halfway through the old, wooden frame. We unpacked my suitcase, went for lunch, and then she left. That evening, I built up the strength to end a relationship I had been trying to escape for six months, that is why I moved in the first place after all.

After that, I didn't know what to do with myself. For the first three nights, I ordered Too Good to Go bags because I didn’t know how to put a meal together.

I never really got the hang of that. Instead, I built a life so busy that I was never home for dinner anyway.

For the first six months or so, I had the most magical summer. I’d work from a little desk with the window wide open and the sunlight streaming from the south-facing garden. It was boiling that year. Even isolating with COVID wasn’t too bad, I’d spend hours on my single bed with my legs hanging out of the window enjoying the sun.

I experienced real friendship for the first time that summer and with the whatsapp chat going 24/7, my room is where we built it. I loved getting ready for a night out in the tiny space I had, in front of the cheapest mirror I could find, with my music playing as loud as I wanted. 

Being so close to the nightlife meant I was able to afford an uber home. I felt like a joy like no other ubering home, drunk and content, waiting for Deliveroo to bring KFC after a night of chaos at Northcote Records with the girls. Excitedly dragging myself out of bed the next morning for brunch.

In those three years on Haldon Road, I grew up. I learned to look after myself and to figure things out. I now know how to use a washing machine.

But after a wild, single, summer with the girls, I was cold, we all were, and I was lonely, worried that it was going to be like this forever. I felt like I was just waiting for life to begin.

Trying to run away from the sadness, I started going out every single night, finding any excuse I could do not have to shower at home because it was too cold. 

I went from very happy, to very sad but I was always relieved to come back; it just meant I needed to exercise for 20 minutes before got into bed in the winter.

After exhausting myself all week, I’d seek refuge on Sundays, going to bed at 4pm. During the week, I’d sit there and cry my heart out, day after day, at precisely 10:15 am, just after I'd taken my work break to write in my diary. I learned a lot about myself in that time, but I think I healed huge parts of myself too.

I recovered from the breakup, received life - changing medical news, booked holidays on a whim and heard that my granddad had two weeks to live - all on that bed in my little room in Wandsworth.

The winters were brutal, especially the first one. I had to pull out my summer duvet because even my winter one wasn’t warm enough on its own. I wrapped myself in two dressing gowns at a time and wore the boots I’d taken to a snowy wedding in Norway around the house just to keep warm whilst I worked.

My mum suggested a hot water bottle, but I didn’t even understand the concept. How blessed I was to have never been that cold. She bought me one for Christmas, and it changed my life.

And candles. When it was cold, those little flames kept me company on miserable, dark days working from my room. But they remind me of happy times too - the nights when I finally started feeling content with staying in on my own. Getting into bed, lighting a candle, and watching the sun go down through the open window. And every time I blew one out, I made a wish.

The dressing gowns, blankets, and snow boots that kept me warm when I couldn’t afford to turn the heating on, I don’t need anymore, because those candles made my wish come true. And now I’m in a place where everything just feels right. My life is different now. I’m happy again.

Looking back, that time in my life was so unbelievably miserable, yet it was such an important phase. 

I moved in with one suitcase and left with two cars full. 

I moved in scared, but I moved out confident that no matter what, I can look after myself. 

I moved in single, and out in a relationship with someone I'm excited to spend the rest of my life with.

I built my life there. I built myself there. I’m a much more well-rounded, confident, and capable person than the girl who moved in three years ago.

So, an ode to my little room in Wandsworth. Thank you for everything.

Read more »