“Laura was Sarah’s favourite childhood doll. Like all toys she was outgrown, but she was a true favourite so was never given away or lost. After 20+ years of being carefully stored away, in 2016 Laura has come out of the closet! And not only does she has a full and interesting life, she also has interesting thoughts and opinions! This page is all about the life of Laura Steele! Living in her miniature (but very real) world, she shares her everyday experiences and deeper thoughts and views about our world! Follow Laura through this exciting ‘little’ journey in her quest to find the true ‘big’ picture!”
Travel Highlights
Afternoon Tea by Hyde Park at the Mandarin Oriental
Afternoon tea is certainly one our favourite celebratory meal options. Mr Steele and I have already sampled what’s on offer at Brown’s, the Ritz, the Dorchester and locally at the Bingham so this year for my birthday we thought we’d check out the goodies at The Rosebery Lounge in the Manadarin Oriental Hyde Park, London.
Allowing for London traffic we left home well in time, but ended up arriving about half an hour early! You don’t need to worry about parking, as the hotel provides a very reasonably priced valet service. Or you could just go by public transport – it is Central London after all. The table was (understandably) not ready, so we were shown to the bar area to wait. The ambiance was vibrant, and the drinks menu was pretty impressive too. We sampled a couple of their mocktails – basil in a cocktail was a revelation! Lovely!
Basil in a cocktail…Mmmm!
Orange and Chilli
The usual venue was undergoing renovations so instead of The Rosebery we were seated in The Loggia, which was pretty cosy with several tables fitted in for the affair, but the tall windows overlooking Hyde Park stop it feeling from cramped. The service was excellent, albeit slightly slow. I think that was because it was very busy and overrunning, and not in the normal set up. However it didn’t mar the experience, I was probably over scrutinizing every aspect for the sake of this review.
The afternoon tea menu is interesting, the sandwiches keep to the traditional themes but have a modern twist. Gluten free and halal options are also available. There is a selection of decadent pastries and of course the star of the show, warm scones with clotted cream a selection of homemade preserves.
All the food was a feast for the eyes, impeccably presented and the flavours did not disappoint. Endless replenishment was on offer, word of advice though – don’t overdo the savouries lest you don’t have room to really enjoy the scones!! There was a fair variety of teas on the menu, I had the jasmine green tea while my husband had a black then a white tea. The tea was brewed well and the ones we tried were delicately and fragrant, rather nice. Only a couple of minor issues – there is no description of the various teas in the menu, and no attempt was made to suggest any particular blends. Also no strainers were provided or built into the teapots, so on your second hlaf of the pot you end up with some residue in your cup.
Overall it was a very pleasant afternoon – wonderful food, great atmosphere, some nice tea and pretty good service too. I would certainly want to return especially once The Rosebery Lounge is up and running again to experience this treat at its full glory!
Dear Summer, Please Don’t Leave!
Desperately clinging on to summer! Fire up the barbecue, get some friends together, pitcher of Pimms, throw in some balloons, and we’ve got ourselves a garden party!
I love summer! It’s definitely my favourite time of the year, and seeing hints of autumn always stir up a twinge of sadness that it’s going to be over soon. The degree of irritation I feel though when people start talking about Christmas in September is a tad more than a twinge – I have to restrain myself from some serious throttling (figuratively of course!).
So what is it about summer that we love so much? Scientifically speaking the longer daylight hours mean more happy hormones in the brain. But it’s not just that, obviously the serotonin helps, but there is more to it than that. The sheer joy of school holidays, the gleeful little giggles, transports me back to when I was kid, how exciting those few weeks in summer were! Just thinking about it, the sense that these kids are now as happy as we used to be, brings a smile to my face, melts away some of the stress of the work day during my drive in to work. Not to mention, the actual drive in to work is a breeze with the schools closed haha .. I’m sure that reduces the stress even more! And then there are the long evenings. It’s still light when I finish my crazy long day! I still work the same schedule and there are still 24 hours in the day, but the day isn’t over till the sun goes down and so it’s fine to go out for dinner or catch a movie or even just enjoy a leisurely long walk with the dog. Do you know what else makes the day feel longer? Lunch! Who wants to have a cold salad for lunch in the winter, but it’s the best, easiest and quickest lunch that is actually enjoyable in the heat. And the weekends are way more fun too, fairs, festivals, days out and of course barbecues! Let’s not forget the wardrobe factor, I adore my strappy sandals and frufru skirts, the light cotton dresses.
So yes, I want to cling on it for long as I can, stretching it out with all my might! If it were up to me winter would be restricted to December, and maybe January if I was feeling generous!
Lavender Loveliness at Mayfield Farms
Up until last month I’ve associated such sights with the Provence, so imagine my glee at discovering this amethyst sea just round the corner from me.. in Surrey!!
To match the rather glorious summer weather we’ve had this year, it was delightful to get hit in the sinuses with a healthy dose of the heady lavender aroma from the second you roll down the car window to pay the very reasonable £1/adult fee. There is enough comfortable parking available – a word of warning though, it’s a dusty affair so get the car washed AFTER your visit (I learnt the hard way lol)
A primarily outdoorsy type day, try and go on a dry, preferably sunny day to make the most of it. We were incredibly lucky to have a virtually cloudless azure sky overhead making for some pretty amazing photos! Which was great since no picking is allowed so having a stroll and taking pictures is the bulk of what you can do before hitting the cafe and gift shop. There is a tractor ride too, which the kiddies seem to enjoy. In the shop, you can buy bunches of lavender, plus honey and an array of lavender laced goodies & cosmetics, along with little trinkets and knick-knacks. The cafe has a (limited) variety of treats on offer too, I quite enjoyed the lavender lemonade and cupcake but it may be too soapy tasting for some. Not to worry if you’re of the latter category, they have more traditional offerings too. The cafe area is on the smaller side so do be prepared to queue and wait a few minutes to find a seat. Let’s be honest though, it’s not a hard ask since you can still enjoy the sights and smells while you wait. Unless you have a screaming tired toddler, which I don’t, so…
All round makes for a nice relaxed summer afternoon, a little reprieve. And you don’t need to write off the whole day to go. An hour or two (excluding journey time) is plenty to indulge in this leisurely lavender luxury, perfect to fill in a gap in an afternoon with the kids or for a catch up with a friend.. or just to try it out! The only thing to mind is if you have a bee sting allergy, as there obviously quite a few around – minding their own buzzines I should add! But taking your Epi-pen with you if you are allergic can’t be a bad idea.
The farm is open to the public till mid September so we can’t go again this year probably but if we have any spare afternoons next summer will defo make a pit stop again!
Caer Beris Manor – A Wonderful Weekend Getaway – with the pooch!
Ok, I hold my hands up, we forgot to book something for the bank holiday weekend – whoops… But like many Londoners, life is so hectic that it’s easily done. However the more organised of you lot did beat us to it by a mile and a half leaving the most popular of destinations out of the question for us. So there was a fair bit of panic in the Steele household when come Wednesday before the last bank holiday of summer we realised we (read: Mr. Steele, ahem) hadn’t booked us the beach cottage we had planned to go to.
The idea had been to go some secluded location, with Toffee in tow – she has behaviour issues which means we can’t take her to the park often. We are working on her training and behaviour modification training with the help of our brilliant vet behaviourist, and we have come a long way, but the park is still a no-go. So we try every few months to find somewhere that will take dogs – but that isn’t too busy so she’s the only dog… difficult? Us? Nah! lol Hence a very specific Google search landed us at Caer Beris, a three star manor hotel in Powys, Wales.
The hotel is set in 27 acres of parkland, with the charming River Irfon flowing through, providing a musical babbling that can be heard from the open window of your room accompanying the bird song creating the perfect symphony to melt away your stresses.
We stayed in one of their two suites. It was slightly dated, but the bedding and linen was very clean and the rooms were very spacious. The staff were friendly and hospitable, and tried to be accommodating. Dinner at the restaurant was superb – excellent presentation, delightful flavours and good service. It did set quite high expectations for breakfast, which was so-so compared to the standard of the meal the night before, but considering it is a 3* establishment, it was actually pretty decent.
There were quite a few leaflets in the foyer about local activities, but we had gone solely to relax and indulge the dog with luxurious long walks in the hotel grounds and woods so we did not leave the premises till after check out! Knowing there are things to do around the area, that they welcome dogs and as we had a really pleasant stay, Caer Beris Manor has been promoted from a last-minute-find to a must-come-here-again!!
Destination – HAPPY (read: African Bush)
Happiness is certainly a way of travelling, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be the destination too – and I believe it will be the destination if your journey was as pleasurable as ours was!
Loading up on endorphins before boarding the plane went a long way to quell any niggling worries about flying that I had… I was determined to enjoy each part of the journey and I found humour even in silly little things 🙂
Happiness is one of those rare resources that actually increases when shared. We were really lucky to meet some awesome people along the way which enhanced our journey no end! To be honest we were really worried about being stuck with an uptight boring bunch but ended up sharing the experience with a delightful family of fellow guests, warm hosts and a supercool guide who all helped us make memories we will cherish for a lifetime. Thanks guys!!
Though sad when this epic trip came to an end, I left with the resolve that from now on I’m going to make the most of this precious time we have been given – enjoying the little things, travelling and exploring when we can – in every spare moment we’ve had since we came back. Even going Aerosmith on the weekends (waking up early – cuz I literally don’t wanna miss a thing!!) And guess what? I think I’ve reached HAPPY!!
Web of Life
“The Earth does not belong to Man, Man belongs to the Earth”
And yet Man has so ruthlessly plundered this glorious planet. At the risk of sounding like a wannabe-hippie-bush-chick, on my recent trip to the African bush I felt like I had gone back home. Suffering from chronic fatigue and stress, a constant brain fog plaguing my days for what felt like a life time. Cranky, sleep deprived, unhappy. That is how I arrived.
But I got drawn into the magic of the life that surrounded me; fell into rhythm with the Earth. Appreciated once again the miracle of being. What a perfect totality God has created in nature – the sheer variety of organisms and complex integration that makes an ecosystem thrive is mind boggling. Everything and everyone has a purpose, a job. There are uses in the plants. There are uses in predators. There are uses in prey. There are sophisticated defence mechanisms at play, both in the flora and the fauna. The bush fires that consume everything are also what trigger the germination of dormant seeds – new life. There are even ways to clear up the vast amounts of poop produced by this plethora of animals! Rejuvenated, feeling alive, content. That is how I left.
Content. I rediscovered that on my African sojourn. Realised we don’t need so much… stuff. And we certainly don’t need rhino horn and ivory! Hats off to the devotion of the brave people at Marakele National Park and other similar institutions who work tirelessly, sometimes in the face of mortal danger, for the conservation and rehabilitation of our sick planet. It makes me feel like we haven’t reached the point of no return, like there is still hope. Of course if you’re a Northern White Rhino you might beg to differ in light of your recent “officially extinct” status. Let’s all hope and pray that that is not the fate of the tens of other species on the endangered list. Let’s all do something to stop this self destruction – whatever it is we can do in our capacity – recycle, donate to conservation organisations, say no to plastic products, save water, educate, promote peace not war, empower poverty-stricken communities to make a sustainable living by supporting “green” microfinance projects . DO something. Anything. It all adds up in the end; so let’s stack the odds in our planet’s favour – in OUR favour.
“Take nothing but memories. Leave nothing but footprints”
My Marataba Animal Encounters – a photo blog
We were lucky enough to experience this thriving eco-system booming with wildlife from the best vantage point possible: right in the middle of it! Took a few fantastic photos, made hundreds of fantastic memories! Hats off to our guide, Mr. Andre, for showing off his magical home and its enchanting creatures to us in the best light, thank you!
Miniature Size. Big Personality. 