The Ardent Exile

Enjoyed reading @nlbaines sake piece in @ginanditmag Vol 2....

Sun, 19 May 2013 19:26:37 +0100

Enjoyed reading @nlbaines sake piece in @ginanditmag Vol 2. http://bit.ly/112g2fw

Wells Street, Fitzrovia. http://bit.ly/14B7J8Q

Sat, 18 May 2013 15:05:37 +0100

Wells Street, Fitzrovia. http://bit.ly/14B7J8Q

Hop shoot picking, reppin’ Team @FivePointsBrew at...

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:26:31 +0100

Hop shoot picking, reppin’ Team @FivePointsBrew at @LondonHop. http://bit.ly/YOpTTU

Pickled egg at @TheCockTavernE8. Yep, I went there....

Thu, 16 May 2013 13:59:42 +0100

Pickled egg at @TheCockTavernE8. Yep, I went there. http://bit.ly/106N10D

http://bit.ly/13oqzxj

Thu, 16 May 2013 13:26:22 +0100

http://bit.ly/13oqzxj

They tell everyone to sit down. Oh, I might see the stage. But...

Wed, 15 May 2013 22:17:39 +0100

They tell everyone to sit down. Oh, I might see the stage. But no. http://instagram.com/p/ZWN4EMKFnN/

A brief parting of the seas!! http://bit.ly/12c0MJs

Wed, 15 May 2013 21:49:17 +0100

A brief parting of the seas!! http://bit.ly/12c0MJs

I am at a gig, and this is my view. Shorties, do ya feel me?...

Wed, 15 May 2013 21:49:15 +0100

I am at a gig, and this is my view. Shorties, do ya feel me? http://bit.ly/YK3VBt

Beach Fossils. The lead singer reminds me of @cleverrebel. Miss...

Tue, 14 May 2013 22:45:43 +0100

Beach Fossils. The lead singer reminds me of @cleverrebel. Miss ya, bud. http://bit.ly/180f2ZJ

Dalston Lane, Amhurst Road. Hackney. http://bit.ly/18HtWVT

Tue, 14 May 2013 08:26:17 +0100

Dalston Lane, Amhurst Road. Hackney. http://bit.ly/18HtWVT

Mare Street invader. #streetart http://bit.ly/12tFMye

Mon, 13 May 2013 12:26:27 +0100

Mare Street invader. #streetart http://bit.ly/12tFMye

Making kitty friends on my way into work. He was chatty....

Mon, 13 May 2013 08:58:42 +0100

Making kitty friends on my way into work. He was chatty. http://bit.ly/13T34iN

This guy. :::swoon::: http://bit.ly/10GfefZ

Sun, 12 May 2013 21:41:10 +0100

This guy. :::swoon::: http://bit.ly/10GfefZ

Scenes from the Swifty. @DeanSwiftSE1 http://bit.ly/17hFQqn

Sun, 12 May 2013 16:32:12 +0100

Scenes from the Swifty. @DeanSwiftSE1 http://bit.ly/17hFQqn

Brand new kitchen courtesy of @wtfstokey. http://bit.ly/16lQmwx

Fri, 10 May 2013 13:26:38 +0100

Brand new kitchen courtesy of @wtfstokey. http://bit.ly/16lQmwx

These promising blooms

Fri, 10 May 2013 13:08:10 +0100

Although I have heard the word “summer” bandied around, as someone borne and mostly bred in subtropical climates, my perspective on the season that currently surrounds London resembles nothing to me but a long-awaited spring.

Even when I was still wearing my black peacoat in to one of my jobs a month ago, days after an early April snowfall, stubborn signs of the season to come were showing in the form of hardy (perhaps confused) daffodils and intrepid cherry blossoms–early arrivals in an urban environment sluggishly shaking off the long, cold winter.

Petals from the cherry trees replace the snow on the sidewalks and streets of Stoke Newington, creating little pink and white piles resembling small snowbanks as the winds shake the branches and the young, green leaves begin to emerge.

After the sight of black, barren branches and layers of white and grey snow, the colours that have appeared are a welcome change, even if the temperatures are still flirting with scarf weather at times.

It’s easy to go about one’s day ignoring the wonder of natural, seasonal phenomena. Although the bright promise of spring won’t vanish the usual day-to-day woes of financial issues, personal problems, busy schedules and strained contacts, it does seem to underscore the idea of possibility–that whatever hardships and struggles one may be going through will eventually be resolved.

Even if you’ve got to put your back into now and again.

In other news, I’ve been busy dabbling in a bunch of stuff. I’ve got an article in the programme of an upcoming food festival in Walthamstow. You can read it here. It’s an article on Sarah Hardy, possibly the most inspiring person in cake and confectionary right now. Thanks to Kerrie of Edible Feasts for setting that interview up, who is another inspiring woman in the East London food world.

I have a new job, had an old job, and have another new-old job. It’s a long story. Let’s hope I remember which one to go to on what day.

I’ve been reading a lot. In fact, I read my first novel in years recently, Swamplandia!

It was very good, but it left me feeling quite sad at the end, so I’m back to raiding my stash of non-fiction books, currently alternating between the interesting essays of London: From Punk to Blair and the beer nerd’s world of Brewed Awakening, which I’ve been enjoying, but sometimes, I feel like I need a day off from the beer world every now and again.

If you see me in a bookshop, please gently guide me out of it, as I tend to spend my money disproportionately on books and beer. In fact, I shouldn’t even spend money on beer, as I’ve got the odd bottle or three kicking around in my cupboards and room, either from a short stint at a beer importer or from previous wild beer-buying sprees. I have bottles of porters and stouts I’ll probably have to wind up using in a cake, because there’s no way I can drink them all without my belly feeling weighed down. Oh yeah, and the whole inebriation thing.

Oh, cake! Theoretically I can make such things now, as the kitchen in the house I’m in has been upgraded by the handy Papa Stokey. There’s even a full-sized oven that works. Well, I haven’t tried using it yet, but it’s supposed to work, anyway. Hopefully I can get back into baking again soon. I used to be fairly handy at baking, but we’ll see.

via WordPress http://bit.ly/16lQnRn

Bruce at Bodega 50 says hello. http://bit.ly/148YMmM

Fri, 10 May 2013 08:26:31 +0100

Bruce at Bodega 50 says hello. http://bit.ly/148YMmM

Nevill Road, Stoke Newington. http://bit.ly/YvTX6A

Thu, 09 May 2013 08:26:33 +0100

Nevill Road, Stoke Newington. http://bit.ly/YvTX6A

Steampunk £2 coin!! http://bit.ly/12eFa0K

Wed, 08 May 2013 20:26:28 +0100

Steampunk £2 coin!! http://bit.ly/12eFa0K

Aha, this’ll do. http://bit.ly/16hAQ4R

Wed, 08 May 2013 19:26:37 +0100

Aha, this’ll do. http://bit.ly/16hAQ4R