Sunday, January 30, 2011

Monopoly Board Pub Crawl

For my birthday this year I decided it was time that we attempted the Monopoly Board Pub Crawl. Its a bit of mission to cover 26 places and four train stations so I took the easy option and decided to go to a pub on each colour plus one train station which means only 9 pubs. Which is still a bit of a mission but I think we were ready for the challenge.

WHITECHAPEL

First stop was Whitechapel which is also the first stop on the Monopoly board. The worst part about this first one was that it was the furtherest away from where I lived and the two tube lines that went there were both closed for engineering works. So after an hour and a bus, train, tube, different tube and 20 minute walk we finally got there! To the White Hart which was completely empty until all six of us came in with a desperate need for a drink.



KINGS CROSS STATION

After about an hour we finished up our drinks and headed off for our next destination - Kings Cross Station. I had copied off the pubs and the plan from a website I found and it had directed me to a pub on Platform Eight. Turns out that pub had closed a good two years ago - whoops! So we quickly found a pub just outside (so close enough to Kings Cross Station) and started on the next drink. Now this put a little bit of a dint in the plan because this pub was on Euston Road which was the next stop on our pub crawl. To make up for it we spent a little bit longer in this pub eating and having a couple of drinks to wait for the rest of our crew before moving on to the next one.



EUSTON ROAD

Right next door to the previous pub was another pub so we jumped next door so we could cross this one off our list. By this stage all the stragglers had joined us as we were ready to get into a good decent game of Chance. I had printed off some chance cards with drinking games and dares on them and brought a dice along so whoever rolled an even number had to pick one up. At this pub Sean pulled a dare saying he had to pay for the next round with monopoly money. He waltzed up to the bar and I don't know if he sweet talked him or if the bartender just thought it was funny but he actually got a free half pint! I did lose some of my monopoly money but that was a pretty good price to pay haha!

MAYFAIR

There was a slight hitch to my plan in that I had lost all my directions to all these pubs when I broke my laptop. I had emailed myself the directions which was lucky however my phone died after the first three pubs which was a bit unideal. Luckily for me I had emailed them to a couple of our pub crawlers so all hope wasn't lost. It also helped that one of my pub crawlers had bought his London A-Z (now why didn't I think of that?) and led the way to a little pub in Mayfair called 'Ye Grapes'. Two of my pub crawlers had dressed up as some squares on the Monopoly Board one featuring this pub so it was of course a MUST that we went there. While we were there she asked for a free drink thanks to her 'free advertising' and got one! So far everyone had been having heaps of luck.




PICCADILLY

After Mayfair we went for a wander up the road to a pub in Piccadilly where we ran into another Monopoly Pub Crawl group. Weirdly enough (or is it really I dont know) they were dressed up in costume but not in Monopoly Theme. I mean what does a clown (albeit scary) have to do with Monopoly? I felt quite smug a this stage actually as my crew had made a pretty mean effort with thier costumes - we had a 'free parking' square, two prisoners, someone even IN jail, two hotels, two monopoly squares, a car (which Jules had made in 15 mins right before we left the house), a banker, a dog, a few people dressed in monopoly board colours and me as Mr Monopoly. Take that OTHER people. We dominated this dress up pub crawl thank you very much.








PALL MALL

Now... I'm going to admit something here by the time we got this far through the pub crawl things started to get a little blurry. We had being pretty good only having one drink at each pub (well mostly) but by this stage we had been drinking for six hours at least and it was dark so it definitely got a little blurry. All I can say is thank god Ted bought his A-Z and was sober enough for to navigate 15 or so drunken people around the centre of London. The pub in Pall Mall was quite a cute little one but it since it was so quiet and cute we felt a little bad intruding as we were neither cute nor little nor quiet so I would probably think this drink was the quickest one.

REGENT ST

Did I mention it was FREEZING cold on the day? We had had a warm winter with the temperature getting up to 12 degrees (whoa heatwave) but on my birthday it was a chilly high of 3 degrees. The sun had gone down and it was starting to get chill so the ten minute walk between each pub became more and more hurried and frustrating. I distinctly remember saying to Ted at this stage "I dont care if its the one on the list but if it remotely CLOSE to Regent Street - I want to go IN THERE!". Luckily enough for us it was a pretty good pub for a bit of a warm up as we ordered food, grabbed a table and a drink and had a bit of a decent rest.

TRAFALGUR SQUARE

After a quick rush through the cold we went down to a pub on the corner of Trafalgur Square which was the OTHER one of the Monopoly Square the girls had dressed up with but unluckily this pub didn't give out a free drink. Bummer. We also ran into those OTHER pub crawlers in this bar too so we would have probably been about half an hour ahead of them. It was getting almost to the end and we had lost a few members of the pub crawl along the way so the few of us that were left headed off to the final pub.



BOW STREET

The last pub was a bit of a let down as they wouldn't serve us 'in a group' and neither did the other pub on Bow Street so we had to compromise again and head to another pub in Covent Garden as I had no back up plan for this pub. While I was disappointed I couldn't do the whole thing properly by this stage I was well and truly drunk, very cold and very tired. Organising a 9 pub pub crawl is a big effort on any behalf let alone on my birthday! After a drink at the last pub I headed of home in time to get the last tube home and snuggle up in my bed.

Sadly enough I was the last one home out of all my housemates so the night didn't turn into an epic all nighter as I had wanted or planned but in the end we had been drinking for a good twelve hours so I went and truly celebrated my birthday. I managed to make my birthday weekend last even longer with my housemate Matt cooking me a delicious brekky and Siobhan cooking me birthday cookies (she makes us all a sweet treat of our choice for our birthdays - mine was penut butter and choc chip cookies) as well as one of my favourite dinners for tea. I pretty much sat on the couch dwelling on my hangover and watching four movies. I only moved to have a shower and get back into my pj's or make one of my endless cups of teas. Not a bad way to spend a sunday if you ask me!

Overall I had a pretty fantastic first birthday away from Oz. I wish I could have celebrated with all my friends in all parts of the world but one of the things about exploring life overseas is missing out on birthday hugs. I was still spoilt by my friends who sent balloons and a bottle of champagne and I know everyone was thinking of me due to a zillion facebook messages. I had a great couple of phone convo's with family and close friends so I certainly felt loved and missed by those that I love and miss. Thanks to everyone who made my special day special! xo

'Straya Day

For the first time since I have been away Australia Day was the first time I have been truly homesick. To the point where I considered packing my bags and booking a flight. Other important days like Christmas and New Year were never going to be the same because I always had something on but Australia Day is a day that can't be replaced or replicated. To me Australia Day should be spent at a friends bbq or at the beach drinking beer, eating heaps of food, swimming and listening to the triple j's hottest one hundred. When your overseas and its winter there isn't really much you can do about bbq's or swimming but I did my best for the food side of things and made the girls from work some lamingtons. When I say made I mean dipped pre cooked muffins in chocolate and cover with coconut. It did the job and they got the idea!

We heard that an antipoden bar not too far away were having an Australia Day party where there was a free sausage sizzle, 3 pound mojitos and a replay of the hottest 100 which seemed like a pretty good compromise. I rounded up a crew of both Aussies and Kiwis and we all met there after work and got straight into the mojitos. A few months ago my Mum had sent over a packet of stick on Australian tattoos so we grabbed some ice from our drinks and started putting them on. Which wasn't the most hygienic option but it did the job.



The night basically got out of control way to quickly. The mojitos were toxic and the place was chockers full of other antipodens celebrating away from home. The hottest 100 finished and I was pretty chuffed to find that my true love's Angus and Julia Stone took it out. After that was done the DJ took over and started playing the classic's such as 'Land Downunder' and we spent the rest of the night dancing away. The end of the night took a pretty dodgy turn when I realised I had lost my winter coat. I think someone must have picked it up by mistake but was pretty gutted as that was really my only winter coat. The positive side of things was that we had found an oven glove with the Aussie flag on it. So even though I was chilly I had at least one warm arm. On the way home I packed a sad because I lost my jacket so when we got home my housemates made vegemite and cheese on toast with our new oven glove.



The next day I was even more homesick and really gutted that I had lost my jacket. I had also managed to break my laptop somehow so my blogs will probably be few and far between these few posts because I have to wait until my lovely housemates are finished using theirs so I can steal their puter. Fingers crossed it can be fixed! Overall it was a fun night out and it was worth it even with the casulties that followed. But one thing for sure - I still call Australia home and I can't wait for my next bbq with mates on Australia day.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Brighton Up My Day

While I have loved this cold weather - rugging up next to a fire and playing in the snow a little part of me is starting to miss the summer. I know that most people at home have been bombarded with floods and inundated with rain but at least its still a bit warm. Right? The thing I miss the most is going to the beach. The last time I was at the beach in Summer was in July in San Sebastian so when a friend of mine found 5 quid return train tickets down to Brighton I jumped at the chance. So what if I had to rug up in a woollen coat, scarves and gloves - I would be breathing in fresh sea air while eating fish and chips on the beach (even if it just a whole bunch of rocks).

The slight hitch in the plan was the night before the Pulborough Crew set off on a day trip to the beach (Lately sunday has been Pulborough activity day) the rest home were having a party. You probably remember from a few posts ago how crazy these parties can be. We had planned to have a curfew and all leave together at midnight. Well we should have known better because of course we didn't leave at midnight. We left at around 2.30 when the fire alarm went off and we got kicked out. We then had to walk home and of course have some midnight munchies so it wasn't the earliest of nights.

The next morning we were up at 7.30 to head to the train station for a looooong hungover train ride. Once we got there i started to perk up as we grabbed a yummy coffee and got to breathe in the fresh sea air. We headed down to the beach and checked out it out and had a good sit down. As the morning's effort had all just been too hard. We followed that by a muck around on the pier, playing arcade games and Sam, Lance, Hayley and Mikey going on the Crazy Mouse. The rest of us were too hungover to even attempt a roller coaster plus...those rides are old, rickety and on the edge of the water. Its scary enough.









You can't go to the beach and not have fish and chips so we headed back to a place along the water and grabbed some fish and chips. It was fun to be out and about but the fish and chips were pretty yucky. They just don't do them as good as home. I also may have had something to do with the everlasting hangover.


The afternoon was spent wandering the North Lanes which was an area of Brighton I hadn't checked out last time we were there. They are basically cool little funky lanes filled with cute stores, market stalls, vintage shops and basically just a few streets with a cool vibe. We had a bit of a look around before heading to a pub on the corner to warm up and get a drink. It was so nice to be warm but since the pub was lit by candle light we were soon sleepy so headed back out into the cold to chill out by the beach before getting the train back to London town.





It was a great day out with a little bit of everything and another chance to check out Brighton. After discovering the North Lanes I am pretty keen to head out there during the spring/summer months and do a bit of shopping and check out a few of the food places. Apparently Brighton is a good place for a night out on the town so who knows maybe a weekend down at the beach is in order?

Monday, January 17, 2011

Good Wholesome Fun

The past few weeks (and by that I mean months) have been pretty hectic so it was decided that this weekend instead of burning the candle at boths ends (working and socializing non stop from Friday to Sunday) I was going to have a good wholesome weekend doing a whole lot of nothing.

It started off pretty well with me skipping after work drinks to come straight home, have vegetable soup for dinner and watch some tv with my flatties. I even said no to a couple of glasses of wine and apple pie with ice cream. To top it off I was in bed by 9.30 ready for a good nights sleep before work. How is that for a wholesome start to the weekend?

Up bright and early to head to the cafe for work I was still exhausted but at least I wasn't hungover! Work went quickly and soon enough I was home chilling in my lounge room again. BUT... then I got a text message. From Leanne asking if I was keen for dinner and drinks at her house before heading out for Arrons birthday. Sorry to say I wasn't as strong as I was on Friday and I headed over and cracked open the wine. The night soon turned from a few drinks at Leannes house to drinks in a pub out on the high street. Meeting up with other mates and carving up the dance floor. Add in a random detour by a friends house for more drinks followed by three night buses home and me getting in the door at 3.30am. Didn't even get to see the birthday boy but had a really good night!

The next day me and my Pulborough crew headed on a family day out to Kew Gardens which are the Royal Botanic Gardens over at Richmond. We got in half price as a two for one deal and started to have a look around. It probably wasn't the best day to go as it was drizzly and probably not the best time of year as many of the trees had lost their leaves and there weren't lots of flowers out. I imagined it to be similar to our botanic gardens at home which are chockers full of trees and plants and paths but this 'garden' was more like just one big park.








There were a few things around to do such as a massive green house type of thing that had heaps of different plans from all over the world. There was a walkway up the top so you could look down into the trees and the plants which was quite good. They also a marine display underneath so we got to go check out some freaky looking fish.





After that we headed off to the tree top walk which looked good in theory but once we got up we realised it wasn't exactly sturdy. It shook when the wind blew and if you weren't careful some of the metal would buckle under your weight. eeeep!! Too many desserts over Christmas.



After a couple of hours and a LOT of walking we were slightly over the gardens and decided to hit the pub for a yummy pub meal and to warm up a little. It was a pretty good way to spend an afternoon and it was good to get out and about. Some good wholesome fun in the fresh air!

p.s Thanks to Sammy G for some of my photos

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Mexican Madness

Last week I was lucky enough to have a visitor from home - my big sis Ali. She had planned a holiday to Thailand with a couple of mates and figured since she was halfway around the world she might as well keep coming and visit me. The only downside was the visit was only for five days. Which meant we had a lot to pack in!!!

Wednesday
Ali flew in bright and early in the morning so we had a few hours to catch up over tea before I had to run off for a half day at work. That night after a quick introduction to my house mates I introduced her to someone else really important in my life - my local pub. We had a yummy dinner down at the Park Tavern and a few drinks and after a couple of hours we were all caught up and it was like we hadn't been apart for eight months.

Thursday
I had to head off to work for the day so Ali spent the day shopping before meeting me and my cousin Robyn after work for a yummy pub meal and a night at the theatre. We had scored pretty cheap tickets to see Wicked! which I had been wanting to see for aaaaaaaaages so I was really looking forward to it. I always love going to the theatre and with 20 quid tickets its almost the same price as going to the movies. I didn't really know much about the story line except that it was about the witches of oz. It was a little different then what I expected but it was still really good. Not my favourite but still a great night out and worth watching!






Friday
With an early start we were off on a bus to Oxford to check out another part of the UK and catch up for lunch with some family friends. Apparently I had been there when I was younger on a previous visit to the UK but because I had no recollection of the place it was good to see it. Winter probably isn't the best time to see it as it was pretty quiet. I'd love to go back in spring or summer when its a bit sunnier and sit in the gardens and watch all the students ride around on their bikes. The buildings were so old and pretty. We had a brekky in a cute little cafe before heading off for a wander around the city. We got to see the Bodleian Library (the great hall in Harry Potter! whoop!) plus a few other cool places before heading into the city centre for lunch. We had great time catching up over lunch and a pint at the pub before we had to head back into the city.








Once we got back into the city we met my flatties for dinner at our favourite greek restaurant out on the Clapham High Street. The restaurant is the kind of hole in the wall place that if it wasn't recommended to you then you would totally miss it. Its run by a greek family and its absolutely amazing. Its 9.50 pounds and there is no menu. This little old greek man just brings you out food and its all amazingly yummy. There is about 7 courses started with breads and dip and finishing with greek yohgurt with a whole lot of meat and salad in the middle. He just keeps topping up the wine and the food just keeps coming so it was a pretty big night. Its one of my favourite places in London and it was good to show it to my sis.







Saturday
Since Ali was only in town for a few days I thought it would be easier for her to meet everyone if we threw a party. We also have new housemates so it was a pretty good reason to party. We made it a mexican theme to liven up the party so most of Saturday was spent getting supplies, making decorations and making costumes. Once we were ready with our poncho's and sombreros we started drinking Mojitos at around 4pm. The party didn't start til 8 so needless to say I was a bit pissy before everyone else arrived.






Once people started piling in it was quite obvious that having a party with a bunch of sombrero's wasn't the smartest of moves in a tiny house. Especially when my mates made such a massive effort with costumes - one coming as a taco, one as a cactus and others coming as a pinata!







The night was out.of.control. Seriously. Don't mean to brag but it was an epic party!! Everyone was pissed after lots of tequila shots, mojitos and beer and lots of shennanigans enshewed. One example was my amazing housemate who locked the bathroom door, then climbed out the second story bathroom window and spiderman climbed down and left everyone outside the bathroom waiting for 45 minutes. Everyone was a bit cranky but I thought it was HILARIOUS! The rest of the party was a bit of a blur but all I remember was having an awesome time. The next day I woke up to a whole lot of mexi-carnage. Smashed beer bottles in our living room, lemons and limes all over the floor, 10 rubbish bags filled with empties and even writing on the wall.







Not sure if it was really the best way for everyone to meet my sis as we were all pretty pissed and probably didn't make much sense but it was a fun night anyways!

Sunday
Well...needless to say I was slightly hungover the next day and several hours was spent cleaning. After a big clean up effort and cooked breakfast we went to the pub. Yup! pretty proud of myself actually. It wasn't' really a massive drinking session it was more just to get out of my house that smelt like a brewery. The rest of the day was spent feeling sorry for myself and doing the seemingly endless amount of washing. Sorry Ali! for such a boring day but that is how most Sundays are spent in London.


Monday
Today was me and Ali's last day together :( so I was pretty bummed before it even started. As she didn't fly out until quite late we had a whole day to chill out together before she jetted off. We took the train out to Richmond and had a walk along the river before having a long leisurely pub lunch with a few drinks and lots of chatting.







Before too long it was time to head home and Ali had to get ready to leave. It was pretty sad saying goodbye at the tube station and there were a few tears but this time I know that I will be seeing her soon so it was easier then last time. It was so good to have a visitor from home and being able to show her my life over here.

I'm pretty lucky this year as Ali was the start of many many visitors to come and I am so looking forward to seeing everyone and showing them everything over here that makes me love this city so much!