5 Things Friday - The London One
5 Things Friday - The London One
What I crammed into my two nights away, including my Whistles try-on, what I wore, a theatre trip and a spot of nostalgia.
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Hello and it’s lovely to be back after a little break from tapping away at my keyboard. For those who missed it, I mentioned in my last newsletter that I would be having a week off as I was heading up to London for what felt like a very quick visit (part work and part fun), celebrating my 54th birthday. It ended up being a really busy two-night stay, but I wanted to make the most of my time and do a few press events as I don’t get to accept many invites - London is a bit of a hike and I’m not keen on a 6am train.
First was the usual dilemma of what to pack? I don’t know if it’s an age thing or a woman thing, but please tell me it’s not just me who spends a ridiculous amount of time thinking about every eventuality when deciding what to pack for a few days away. Add into that the anxiety of going to press events surrounded by amazingly dressed women, plus the unseasonably warm weather, and my packing expertise was really being tested! In general, especially when I know I’ll be spending most of my time in overheated shops and on the sweat-inducing tube train, I tend to pack layers, aim not to overpack and keep my luggage light. The weather app, which I incessantly checked right up to departure time, said 17 degrees, so I went with it, and had no regrets. The weather was incredible!
I kept to my autumn colour palette of burgundy, creams and browns, with a little black thrown in. I don’t usually wear much print, but I took my Albaray leopard print cords* from last year to add interest. I did a reel if you want to see some of the looks in motion.
We were catching a late afternoon train, and by the time we set off it was pretty chilly in Yorkshire. I was rushing around dealing with last-minute issues (of course!), so I ended up throwing my Sezane trench coat* over what I’d be wearing that day. The H&M barrel jeans with a tee and sweatshirt have been my ‘at home’ favourite comfy outfit recently, so I wore it for the train journey too.
Thankfully the journey was uneventful. Last time our 2 1/2 hour journey took 8 hours and a massive detour thanks to a power cable coming down on the line, but this time we were eating at Dishoom King’s Cross by 8pm and tucked up in bed by 10pm. Thank goodness!
The last few times we’ve stayed in London we’ve booked The Leonardo London City hotel. It’s very close to my husband’s office, so convenient if he’s working, but it’s also just a few minutes walk from Tower Hill tube and, if you’re sightseeing, Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, Petticoat Lane Market, The O2 and St Katharine Docks are all close by.
Wednesday morning started with a press invite from Whistles to their new flagship store at Covent Garden. The sun was out, so just a light jacket was needed (which I ended up discarding pretty soon).
Whistles is a brand I’ve shopped on and off over the years. The Bibi bag was a favourite of mine, especially for travelling, and I’ve always rated their leather pieces. More recently, my love for their bonded leather jacket, leather skirt, and barrel jeans has brought them firmly back on my radar. I was interested to see what the new season had to offer—and it did not disappoint.
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