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| Long time, no see |
What I've done in October
In terms of social life, October's been the liveliest month I've had since lockdown, with (socially distanced) meet-ups with three separate friends, plus a real-life reunion with some of my colleagues.
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| Spotted on my wander through Hildenborough |
The changing of the seasons has meant that my summer walking habits have waned slightly - though I did manage to get out and do Walk Tonbridge's The Sloe Road route (an excellent website if you're in the area), and discovered oast houses, corn fields and a Christmas tree farm that I never knew existed.
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| This new home gift has now been delivered to its new owner. |
Beyond that, my time has turned back to indoor pursuits, and crafting in particular. One of the things which I'm grateful for this year is the way I've started to enjoy crafting again. The early days of lockdown gave me the time to reorganise my craft corner back into some semblance of tidiness, and since then, I've had the time to actually get stuck into some projects. My pièce de résistance is still my hot air balloon jacket, but this month's creations have included the above Winnie the Pooh plant pot new home gift, and I've got a head start on a couple of Christmas presents (which I won't show you yet, in case their recipients are reading this...).
Where I've been in October
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| London - still beautiful, but eerily empty |
London! I went to London! No surprise for someone whose job is not only based in London, but is
about London - but it was my first time in the capital (or on a train) since 6 March. I was nervous about social distancing on the train, but thankfully had plenty of space on both journeys. It was wonderful to be back in London, but really, really sad to see the City of London completely deserted at lunchtime on a Tuesday, with 'To Let' signs on many formerly-thriving office blocks.
Mum's birthday was in mid-October, so we ventured out to Chiddingstone Castle, just a few miles from where we live. We'd never been before - in fact, we'd never heard of it until a few years ago, despite the fact that it's very definitely been here for longer than we have. Unfortunately for you, the castle closed its doors at the end of October for the season, but the grounds remain open all year for walkers (just make sure you pay for parking in the honesty box).
It's very handily located for exploring the charming and historic Chiddingstone Village too - we treated ourselves to lunch in the Tulip Tree Tea Rooms.
What I've eaten in October
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Hello old friend
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My trip to London gave me a chance to refuel on some much-missed favourites for the first time in a few months. I swung by Hummingbird Bakery's Spitalfields branch to fill up on a slice on the rainbow cake which I've been craving since March, and picked up my favourite buffalo chicken burger from Meat Mission in Hoxton.
Closer to home, I whipped up a phenomenal (if I may say so myself...) carrot and parsnip soup
soup, which I plan to make several more times this winter. I also created a home-made afternoon tea for my mum's birthday (served up in my bedroom because we had builders in at the time).
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| Yes, that's a tube map on my wall and yes, my plant pot obsession is out of control. |
Just this week, I met a friend at
The Withies Inn, just south of Guildford to celebrate her 30th birthday. It's roughly halfway between our houses, and was the first time we'd seen each other since February. The inn was beautiful, a true olde worlde destination with wooden beams and a roaring fire, though we didn't see much of it as we couldn't wander around due to current restrictions (which staff were doing an excellent job at enforcing). I scarfed my food down before I took a photo, so you'll have to make do with a shot of the exterior on a grey, rainy day.
What I've been watching in October
Emily In Paris is the show everyone's been talking about, and I have to say... I loved it. Yes, it's cheesy, full of cliches, and completely unrealistic, but it's a lighthearted, easy watch, with some gorgeous outfits. It's basically a rom-com film stretched into 10 episodes, and while it's not everyone's cup of tea, the level of debate it sparked really surprised it - no-one's forcing you to watch it. If you don't like it, move on to something else.
Beyond that, most of my October viewing time has been occupied with a Gilmore Girls rewatch. I only discovered the show for the first time while in lockdown, and it fast became one of my favourites. As autumn tightens its grip, kicking back with Gilmore Girls, a hot chocolate and my current crafting project has become one of my favourite ways to spend an afternoon.
What I've been reading in October
To my eternal shame, I'm still not reading anywhere near as much as I used to, despite my hopes that the colder weather would equal more reading time. The one book I did read was
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides. It's exactly the sort of psychological mystery thriller I enjoy, and the twist at the end is excellent.
What I've written in October
Nothing new on the blog this month, as you can see. My occasional days when I've been taken off furlough in my day job have given me the opportunity to start creating festive content, something which I usually begin in about July. So if it's London-based ice rinks, light festivals, carol concerts, or Santa's grottos you're after, I've got you covered, with plenty more to come.
What's next?
November's a big month, as I'm officially off furlough, and back to work. That's not to say things are back to normal - I'll be working 2.5 days a week instead of my previous 5 days, and I'll be working from home for the foreseeable. I'm grateful that I still have a job. I've also managed to pick up a few hours of work elsewhere, doing cleaning and waitressing. Mainly, I'm looking forward to having some sort of routine back, even though it's nothing like my old, pre-Covid routine.
I'm gutted that I won't make it to Christmas at Kew this year, but my light festival craving still needs satiating so I've booked tickets to Christmas at Hever Castle for the end of the month instead - cross your fingers that we're not back in lockdown before then!
EDIT 1 November: Since publishing this post yesterday, Boris Johnson announced a new lockdown for England, and my return to work has been delayed by a month due to the extended furlough scheme. My waitressing hours have also been scrapped completely due to the venue closing for lockdown.
See also - what I got up to in:
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