Weekend Review: Keya Modessa

We're always pleased to meet lovely people who are excited about Leicestershire as we are! So this week we are delighted to welcome Kaya from Muddy Stilettos, the urban guide to the Countryside, to talk all things weekending in Leicestershire....

What do you do for work?

I run my own glossy, lifestyle blog called Muddy Stilettos. It's all about the fun, cool, quirky things to see, do, explore and shop in and around Leicestershire and supports local businesses. 

What's your proudest career moment so far?

I guess running my own successful blog and being able to pull off the first ever Muddy Stiletto Awards single handedly! #femaleboss! When someone says "Ohh i've heard about that blog" it's really reassuring and I start to think the risk of leaving London/having a baby/leaving a f/t editor job may have been worth it!

Image by Matt Glover Photography

What's your favourite way to relax and unwind after a busy day?

Unfortunately I don't get a lot of time to unwind because I have a toddler. I also work very late into the night on the blog. I desperately need a pedicure so right now, that is how I'd like to relax - with a long foot soak, foot massage and pedicure a lovely strong back massage would be a bonus! 

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

I have always wanted to be a journalist and have worked on some of the biggest mags out there including Drapers, Eve, Food & Travel and ACHICA Living. 

What are your favourite pastimes outside of work?

I love shopping, sad I know - but i'm quite fussy and the high street doesn't cut it so am always on the hunt for cool fashion brands. I also love yoga, reading, theatre and travelling.

Just like us, you're passionate about the city of Leicester, how do sell our fine city to those who've never visited?

I live 10 minutes away from the city but also very near Bradgate Park and Woodhouse Eaves which is absolutely stunning - so peaceful and picturesque so I have the best of both parts of the city/county.
Leicester is a creative hub of talent, through working on the blog, I've met so many interesting and passionate people and so supportive too. I still miss London (a lot) but am settling in very nicely now. 

Do you ever miss Living in London?

YES - i miss the art, culture and theatre, the after work socialising, the restaurants but not the tube esp in summer!
I'm too busy to miss it too much which is a good thing though.

When is your weekend? 

Sat-Sun. I still work at the weekend - writing/attending events etc: but I work around my family as they are the priority during the weekend. 

What's a typical weekend look like for you?

We revolve everything around my toddler as we want to get him out exploring the world as much as poss. We go to the park Abbey/Bradgate or have brunch/lunch at a local pub. And then I spend the afternoon cooking or writing! 

Your ideal weekend break... 

I don't mind where I go as long as it's warm and sunny, It could be a weekend in Bath or Oxford - mooching around exploring the city or shopping in Bicester. Eating at a delicious cafe for lunch and an amazing pub or Thai restaurant for dinner! If i could go abroad I'd love to check out Seville and see the history and architecture. It's been on our must-visit list for years now!

Your ideal Sunday menu... 

Breakfast:   The Ivy, London with my sister
Lunch:  Somewhere in Toronto, Canada (this is home and where I'm from) and I'd want to be with all my friends who live there. 
Dinner: Thai food in Bangkok with my husband!!

Do you have a signature dish you like to cook?

Not necessarily a dish but I make amazing sun dried tomato and feta falafels, savoury scones with olives.
I do make a delicious mushroom risotto!

What's in your fridge?

Salad, salad and more salad, eggs, Petit Filous yoghurt, chestnut mushrooms, grapes, nectarines, cucumber and some homemade Indian food. 

QUICK FIRE - without too much thought, name your absolute favourite...

Book: The Great Gatsby / Game of Thrones (yes read them all and wayyyy before everyone jumped on the GOT bandwagon) 
Film: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - old school Sarah Jessica P (if you don't know, you better get to know)
TV Series: GOT / The Durrells / SUITS / POWER / Orange Is The New Black...I could go on!
Holiday destination: Anywhere in Italy. 
Museum: Natural History Musuem, London. It ALWAYS reminds me of the classic Disney movie 'One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing' LOVE LOVE LOVE!
Word: Effervescent 

What is your guilty pleasure?

Choc and nut (Lidl's 59p one) 
Chocolate fondant with vanilla ice cream!
Digestive biscuits with tea at 10pm much to my husbands horror!

How can people follow what you do and get in contact?

@muddyleics on Instagram

@muddyleics on Twitter

@muddyleics on Facebook

Also.... My Website is www.leicsmuddystilettos.co.uk and it's a good idea to subscribe to the blog to get all the best things to see/do in Leicestershire sent directly to your inbox!
 

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Weekend Review: Ruth Clowes

We were so happy when we heard that the lovely Ruth Clowes was returning to blogging at Clarendon Spark - a blog devoted to the past and present of one of our favourite parts of Leicester - especially as it gave us an excuse to ask her a few questions about her weekend habits...!

What do you do for work?

I'm a communications manager for a charity. I also do a bit of freelance writing on the side, including writing about Leicestershire and Rutland's restaurants for Food and Drink Guides. This is brilliant because it combines two of my great passions - writing and eating delicious food.

What's your proudest career moment so far?

You won't find this on my CV, but my proudest career moment was in 2001, when I had a summer job at the Jodrell Bank Observatory café. A hero of mine, Sir Patrick Moore, was visiting the observatory (it houses one of the most powerful radio telescopes in the world) and popped into the café for lunch. I had the honour of serving him up a humble portion of sausage, chips and beans. I was seriously star struck (pun intended).

What's your favourite way to relax and unwind after a busy day?

A bit of escapism works wonders. If my day has been particularly stressful I like to spend some time researching wherever I'm going next on holiday and maybe making a few restaurant bookings or practicing ordering a coffee in the local language.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

Along with everyone else in my class at primary school, I wanted to be an astronaut. I think we must have done a class project on space and we all got a bit carried away. We didn't just have vague aspirations to become astronauts - we were genuinely convinced that it was going to happen and that the lot of us were going to join NASA and jet off to Mars together. I don't think anyone in the class realised this ambition, although I did at least get to meet Sir Patrick.

What are your favourite pastimes outside of work?

I'm incredibly faddy. Apart from the obvious things that everyone does in their spare time like drinking gin and watching Lucy Worsley documentaries, my favourite hobbies change frequently. I'll probably be onto something else by the time you publish this, but right now I'm enjoying knitting, origami and the board game Carcassonne. Obviously, I'm hugely geeky as well as incredibly faddy.

What's your favourite thing about living in Clarendon Park?

Clarendon Park has got that whole 'village within the city' vibe going on. I love the number of independent shops and businesses in the area. Along with the high student population and the strong sense of community, it makes for a vibrant and laid-back atmosphere.

When is your weekend? 

My weekend starts at 5pm on Friday afternoon and doesn't end until I arrive at work on Monday morning.  That's 64 hours of solid back-to-back weekend loveliness.

What's a typical weekend look like for you?

My partner and I are both very busy at work right now, so our weekends are precious and we try to keep them as tranquil as possible. Friday evenings invariably involve a trip to Babelas on Queens Road for a few glasses of The Crossings and a cheese board. Saturday mornings are generally given over to chores but the rest of the weekend is a heady mix of tasty food, frequent macchiato breaks, blogging, reading, Yahtzee and general restorative vegetation.

Although I'm a lover of routine, I try to make sure each weekend involves something novel, which is invariably a visit to a new independent café, restaurant or shop somewhere in Leicestershire. Last weekend I spent an evening at the fabulous Delilah deli in St Martins at a 'Four Corners' wine and food tasting event.

Your ideal weekend break... 

A lazy few days somewhere in Europe with a pretty old town. No itinerary or pre-bookings or 'must-dos', just plenty of sitting outside sunny cafes, wandering through cobbled streets, soaking up the atmosphere, taking photos and eating delicious food. 

Your ideal Sunday menu... 

Breakfast: Boiled eggs and soldiers on a sunny balcony overlooking a sleepy town square

Lunch: A picnic in the park with friends - delicious morsels picked up from a local deli on the way

Dinner: Loads of tiny courses and matched wines somewhere fancy. John's House in Mountsorrel will do very nicely.

Do you have a signature dish you like to cook?

I love making frittatas because they're so quick and easy and a really good way of using up tasty leftovers. Just chuck it all in pan, cook everything through and pour some beaten eggs on top. Finish it off with a good thick layer of grilled cheese. It's not very sophisticated but it's always tasty.

What's in your fridge?

There's a Brockleby's Wild Deer Pie that I bought at the Clarendon Park Summer Fair in there right now with my name on it. Also a big pot of posh gravy to go with it.

QUICK FIRE - without too much thought, name your absolute favourite...

Book: An Equal Music by Vikram Seth
Word: Razzmatazz
Film: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, or anything else directed by Wes Anderson
TV Series: The Sky at Night
Holiday destination: Cadiz, Spain
Museum: Musée Rodin, Paris

What is your guilty pleasure?

Raw bacon. Preferably smoked. Straight from the packet.

How can people follow what you do and get in contact?

Website: ruthclowes.co.uk
Clarendon Spark Blog: clarendonspark.co.uk
Twitter: @ruthclowes
LinkedIn: ruthclowes

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Weekend Review: One Man & His Loaf

We LOVE our bread - not the processed long-life stuff, but the real deal.  Baker David Belcham, aka One Man and His Loaf, is Becca's regular supplier - providing a weekly hit of his delicious sesame seed sourdough. So who is the man behind the loaf?

What do you do for work?

I work as an artisan baker under the name 'One Man and His Loaf'. I use traditional techniques and locally milled organic flour to create and sculpt rustic loaves including  sourdough and Scandinavian style rye breads. These are available at The Tiny Bakery in Clarendon Park, Leicester.

What's your proudest career moment so far?

It's not one distinct moment, more the culmination of a number of years of work. I feel a sense of achievement to have learnt a skill from scratch, taking something I was passionate about and turning it into a career. When I see customers return time after time to buy my loaves I feel a sense of pride. This makes the job worthwhile.

What did I want to be growing up?

Just content and fulfilled by my work. I didn't have a clue what that would entail and that worried me. I did however have a clear sense that Monday to Friday, 9-5 was not for me. So I tried a variety of jobs to find something that I was suited to. Once I found that niche, I was motivated to follow that path. I will follow it until that changes. 

What's your favourite way to relax and unwind after work?

Plants are another of my passions and I love gardening and being outside. Alongside baking I have studied horticulture and garden design at Brooksby College (in Melton Mowbray) which has provided me with a really good understanding of plants. I have been inspired by planting designers such as Piet Oudolf and Dan Pearson. 

I also value time to exercise. It renews me in many ways. I enjoy running and I have also just started attending a yoga class.

When is your weekend?

"Monday, Tuesday is my weekend..." 

Saturday is the busiest day at the bakery so luckily I have no problem working on Saturdays... I enjoy the buzz. 

However I also do private work at a handful of local gardens maintaining planting designs I have implemented over the last few years so I often work on those gardens during my days off from baking.

What's a typical weekend look like?

I enjoy looking for bargains in charity shops and catching up with friends for coffee. I enjoy trips to garden centres, country walks or meeting up with my family who all live in Leicester. 

Due to the early starts that baking involves I often crash out by 9pm. Not rock and roll but just reality. 

Ideal weekend break?

I enjoy breaks that are a combination of city and countryside. 

I enjoy trips to Bath, Cambridge, York, places with plenty to see and do without being overly hectic. Often trips away will involve a visit to a garden or two. 

Describe your ideal Sunday  menu...

Breakfast - In bed. Cereals, milk, very strong coffee. Simple. Boring even. That's what I like. 

Lunch - Sitting in the garden, sun shining, floriferous plants doing their thing. Avocado on seeded rye, a liberal sprinkle of sea salt and chilli flakes. Simple, again, but effective. 

Evening meal - Peter's Pizzeria with my whole family. My nieces and nephews love the place. Delicious and darn effective for all. I don't go enough now I come to think of it. The Strokes playing in the background would be a nice little bonus. One day... someday. 

What's your signature dish?

A green risotto. When I bother, I do it the laborious/ traditional way, stirring, ladling stock, all that. I include peas, griddled courgettes and asparagus. I enjoy it served with a big bowl of crispy salad leaves, little gem works a treat as you can use them as a spoon to scoop up the risotto. Crusty loaves of wheat sourdough also make an appearance. 

I also make a pretty tasty Panzanella. It's a great way to use up any stale bread. It's the fresh basil that does it, it's got to be loads. 

What's in your fridge?

Apples. Cold and crisp. Yogurts. A day without yogs isn't on my agenda. Avocado. I am late, very late, to the avo party but I'm hooked. 

Salad leaves. Cherry tomatoes. I like them cold, sorry. Humous. Milk.  Jam. Bonne mamam raspberry. Innocent juice- orange, carrot, ginger thing, darn zingy.

Chicken or salmon... or both!  Stewed Apple.  Dark chocolate. Maybe with hazelnuts. 

Quick fire questions - what is your favourite...

Book - Watership Down... Book and film merge for me, but I adore the visuals in both

Film - Lars and the Real Girl

TV series - Animals of Farthing Wood. Watched as a child, but has had a profound effect on me. Much like Watership Down, it tells us a great deal about humanity. 

Holiday destination - Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour

Museum - I don't really have one, but I enjoyed Cresswell Crags. If you asked me a favourite garden, then you would have a very long list. I have learnt more from gardens than museums so far in my life. 

Word - Contentment

What's your guilty pleasure?

I get carried way with eating cereals straight from the box and handful after handful or raisins. But I'm most guilty, most ashamed by my current ritual of snapping the dark, thin chocolate off the top of Choco Leibniz biscuits, eating that and then putting the biscuit back.

I shouldn't keep doing it but I am not ready to stop...

Where can we follow you?

Twitter:  @OneMan_HisLoaf
Facebook: One Man and His Loaf
Instagram: one_man_and_ his_loaf

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Weekend Review: Nat Hudson

 IndieTracks, a DIY pop music festival takes place every year on a Heritage railway site in Derbyshire. Though Becca has attended many times before, Elle has never been so we've decided to go together this year and are really looking forward to it! We spoke to  Nat Hudson to gain some insight into the life of a festival organiser and find out a little more about what we can expect this year...

What do you do for work?

I work in communications and project management in the NHS, which involves working with hospitals and patients across north London to provide the best possible quality of service and improve ways of doing things for patients. I really enjoy working with both patients and clinicians, and really admire everyone who works in the health sector. 

What's your proudest career moment so far?

My first job was working as a regional newspaper reporter, and it was a great feeling to have my first article printed knowing that thousands of people would be reading it that afternoon. I still have a copy somewhere in my flat! 

What's your favourite way to relax and unwind after a busy day?

I've a six month old son, Luke, so we relax together by reading 'Goodnight Moon' and 'Dear Zoo' and listening to music. And then after he's asleep, I've been watching the second series of Master of None on Netflix which is fantastic. 

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

I wanted to be a journalist ever since I was small, and followed that path for several years after university. I still really enjoy writing and I'm so lucky to be able to be working on spreading the word about our music festival. 

What are your favourite pastimes outside of work?

I play the violin in an orchestra, and we've played shows with some great artists including Darren Hayman, Haiku Salut and Ralegh Long, as well as releasing our own album. I also really enjoy helping to organise the Indietracks festival, and when I'm not doing those things I really like reading, films and catching up with friends. 

When is your weekend? 

Before I started maternity leave, I worked Monday to Friday, so my weekend would start on Friday evening and run until Sunday night. My husband Andy follows the same pattern, which is nice, and I'm sure those days will still feel like the weekend when I return to work part-time in the autumn. 

How do you tend to spend the Indietracks festival weekend?

It's usually incredibly busy, but a lot of fun! I'm often on the gates meeting artists, arranging press interviews or selling t-shirts in the merchandise tent! However, I also try and make sure I see my favourite bands as well, and hang out with my friends. The Sunday often feels a bit more relaxed, especially once we know all the bands have arrived. The venue is a beautiful steam railway in the countryside, but it's a bit off the beaten track and it's a relief when all the bands follow the directions carefully and find the entrance okay! This year will be very different as I'll be bringing Luke, so I'll be mainly spending the weekend in our new indoor children's area, helping to organise activities in there.

Your ideal weekend break... 

Holidays are very different now that I have a baby, so my ideal break would be a nice cottage in a seaside town that's easy to get to, with some nice cafes, galleries, shops, a beach and ideally some music going on somewhere. I've always loved festivals, so somewhere to watch some bands in the daytime with a couple of drinks and some nice food, but with an easy walk back home afterwards! 

Your ideal Sunday menu... 

Breakfast: Ideally brought to me in bed by someone else!
Lunch: My local pub does a fantastic Sunday roast, so I'd probably head there with my husband and Luke
Dinner: I'd love to be sitting out in a lovely Italian square as the sun sets with friends and family

Do you have a signature dish you like to cook?

Looking after a small baby means I don't have much time or energy to cook at the moment, but I do like quick and easy comfort food - so fish pie and apple crumble are probably two of my favourite things to make!

What's the normal soundtrack to your weekend?

At the moment it's BBC6 Music, the Indietracks 2017 Spotify playlist, the latest Wave Pictures album and baby lullabies.

QUICK FIRE - without too much thought, name your absolute favourite...

Book: 1984
TV series: The Wire
Band: Gorky's Zygotic Mynci
Music festival (other than Indietracks!): Green Man
Museum: I don't really have one, but I went to the Museum of Brands recently and really enjoyed it!

What can we expect from Indietracks 2017?

We're a friendly festival that celebrates creative and independent pop music, and we're based at a steam railway in Derbyshire. So visitors can ride the steam trains, and watch bands playing across four different stages. We're so excited with this year's line-up, which has some internationally-known names like The Wedding Present, Cate Le Bon and Frankie Cosmos, alongside some of the most exciting new artists around, including Martha, Joanna Gruesome, The Tuts, Peaness and Shopping. We'll also have art and craft workshops, discos, real ale, fine foods, a family area for babies and toddlers and late night karaoke. 

How can people follow what you do and get in contact?

We're on all the usual social media places, and have a website as below: 

www.indietracks.co.uk
twitter.com/indietracksfest
facebook.com/indietracks
Instagram.com/indietracks

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Weekend Review: Laura Millward

Our favourite thing about blogging is undoubtably the awesome creative and talented people we've meet along the way, when blog friends become real friends its all the more brilliant! So this week we asked fellow Blogger, illustrator, zine creator and matey Laura to take part in our weekend review....

What do you do for work?

I work in marketing for an arts centre called QUAD in Derby.

What's your proudest career moment so far?

I really enjoy working on the promotion for our annual outdoor film festival, Summer Nights. The buzz when we launch the films and getting positive feedback from visitors is a brilliant feeling.

What are your favourite pastimes outside of work?

I really enjoy drawing and making zines and comics in my spare time. Other than that I love watching films, reading graphic novels, finding old photobooths, rummaging in vintage shops and discovering unusual museums which I document on my blog, Make Do & Mend.

We love your watercolour portraits and zines, available from your etsy store, What inspires your illustrations?

I starting experimenting with watercolours again to feature within my latest zine, dedicated to the cult 90s TV show My So Called Life and I really enjoy using this medium, especially as it gets me away from computer screens! I really enjoy drawing people more than anything else so making portraits is really fun. I've made quite a few for friends' wedding presents.

What advice would you give to anyone wanting to have a go at creating their own zine?

Give it a go! The great thing about zines is they don't have to be perfect. Zines were born out of a DIY culture, and they can feature any topic you choose which is why they are so fun to make. Zines are meant to be quite hands-on, and made on a low budget, the best thing is having the freedom to make it however you choose, and the chance to share your passion with others. It's also great collaborating with other people around the world who share your passions.

We hear you're collaborating with Janet on a zine devoted to 90's Nostalgia, how can people get involved in contributing to this? 

We have had some great submissions so far for our Mixtape zine! We are giving a rough deadline of the end of April but this could possibly be extended a bit, so there's still some time to submit an article, just email it to me or Janet 

When is your weekend? 

I have a traditional Saturday/Sunday weekend!

How did you spend this weekend? 

Last weekend was really lovely - the weather was so warm for April. My Saturday began by having brunch with my boyfriend Tom at Small Food Bakery, an amazing bakery situated in a building called Primary, which used to be a school and is now artist studios and cafe. They serve freshly baked bread, pastries and delicious coffee. 

We then met up with a couple of our friends and jumped on the Red Arrow bus to Derby to explore FORMAT International Photography Festival on its closing weekend. The festival takes place every two years and exhibits artwork at various venues in Derby, including derelict buildings, such as the amazing Pearsons building. It's great to explore some of Derby's forgotten buildings during the festival and discover places you didn't even realise were there. 

We ended the day with a stroll through Derby's Darley Park and a pint in the sunshine, from The Abbey inn, and noticed some gorgeous cherry blossom trees on our way back through the park.

On Sunday I met up with my friend Caroline - we had planned to cycle to a new veggie cafe in Bingham but I discovered quite last minute that it was shut on Sundays (booo!) so we made alternate plans and headed to a new cafe called Blend in the newly revamped Sneinton Market in Nottingham. We are planning on starting up a Veggie/Vegan Midlands food blog (the working title of which is 'Ey Up Mock Duck' - got to love a pun!) so this was research for our first post. I couldn't resist ordering a 'Brie-yonce' - a  grilled cheese sandwich with mushrooms, brie and spinach. Two thumbs up!

How typical was it for you?

Many of my weekends seem to be spent here there and everywhere, so it was great to have some 'down time' in Nottingham, and time to soak up the sun!

Your ideal Sunday menu... 

Breakfast: The best breakfast I've had was at Ray's Bucktown B&B in Chicago. It's made to order and you can choose from French toast, pancakes, omelettes or my favourite, a combination of everything with Ray's Roasted Red's (fried potatoes marinated in oil, garlic & rosemary..mmm)
Lunch: A nice (veggie) Sunday roast somewhere in the Peak District.
Dinner: A vegetarian meal at Cafe Roya, a brilliant veggie restaurant in Beeston. Last year it was named the UK's best vegetarian restaurant in the annual Food Awards. I've booked a meal there for my birthday and can't wait to see what's on the menu, which changes every month.

What's in your fridge?

Some leftover Millionaire's Shortbread that Tom made last night. Yum.

QUICK FIRE - without too much thought, name your absolute favourite...

Book: Blankets by Craig Thompson
Film: Hi Fidelity popped into my head first for some reason...
TV Series: My So Called Life. (Honourable mentions: Mad Men, Girls, The Wire, Spaced, Louis Theroux and The Simpsons!)
Holiday destination: New York
Museum: The Pencil Museum in the Lake District!

How can people follow what you do and get in contact?

I blog at Make Do & Mend, or you can follow me on Instagram. My Etsy shop is Make Do Shop. Thanks for having me guys!

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Weekend Review: Janet Brown

You may have noticed we've not been very active bloggers recently - sometimes "real life" gets a little too hectic to reflect online. But now we're back - and what better way to return than with a Weekend Review from one of our favourite bloggers (and now RL friend) Janet...

What do you do for work?

I’m a Book Selections Manager for The Willoughby Book Club, which basically means I pick books for people as a job! I also manage all their digital marketing and social media. The WBC is a Leicestershire business set up in 2012 by husband and wife team Adam & Chloe Pollard and they’ve since grown to be the foremost book subscription company in the UK.

In summer 2015 I was a very stressed secondary English teacher, when I saw an advert for book experts to join their team: I applied, and the rest is history. Now, instead of working 70+ hours a week, I spend my days looking at, talking about, taking photographs of and choosing books.

How do you go about choosing a book for a complete stranger?

99% of our customers give us information when buying a subscription – whether it’s for themselves or as a gift – so I have to hand a list of authors, genres and/or books that each customer loves, and sometimes extra information like a Goodreads page or blog. From there, it’s a mixture of extreme book geek-ness, research, and luck!

For example, if a customer has told us they enjoy reading YA romances, Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novels, and the Tales Of The City series, I might pick one More Than This by Patrick Ness – combing, as it does, elements of LGBT romance and dystopia in a literary YA adventure. It helps that I read – a lot – and that I enjoy immersing myself in researching titles.

What advice do you have to someone considering a change in career?

It’s something I’ve done twice now: first, applying for a PGCE after spending a couple of years as a legal secretary, and then leaving teaching for WBC, and both times I felt instinctively that I was doing the right thing. I’m not a risk-taker by nature, but in both cases I leapt first, looked later.

So my advice would be to trust your gut and your heart, and don’t let fear talk you out of something you know is right. Ultimately, if things don’t work out, you can always go back to the career you left with some new experiences under your belt and on your CV.

What's been your proudest career moment so far?

Even though I left the profession, so many moments in teaching made me proud: it’s a great job in many ways – those lessons when a student finally gets ‘it’, or when a class throw themselves into a text and enjoy it as much as I do. I don’t miss the stress of teaching but I do miss the students themselves.

And your biggest achievement outside of work?

Being accepted onto an MA in Gender Studies at Leeds University, which I’ll begin in September.

When is your weekend? 

I’m very lucky to only work four days a week, so my weekend runs from Thursday evening until Sunday. Friday tends to be my ‘get things done’ day, leaving me with two days to properly relax.

How did you spend this weekend? 

It was a pretty typical weekend for me and my partner; as neither of us have family near (Thomas is from Glasgow and I’m a Yorkshire girl) there weren’t any family meals or gatherings to attend. We started Saturday the usual way: a lie-in punctuated only by our cat, Missy, shouting at us to get up.

Thomas is a huge foodie – he loves to eat and will try anything (provided it’s vegan!) so our weekends often revolve around our meals, both at home and out and about. Saturday was no exception; we started the day with Huey on 6 Music while we made breakfast – vegan croissants with fresh strawberries and strawberry jam – before heading out, first to Market Harborough for a mooch around the charity shops, then into Leicester for a late lunch at Oscar & Rosie’s, which has just opened and serves some of the best pizza in the Midlands.

Sunday was a lazy day at home. I started the day curled up with a cuppa and a stack of magazines, then worked on zines for an hour or two. I had a stack of my previous zines to send out to people, as well as needing to edit some submissions for a zine Laura and I are currently working on. It’s called Mixtape and is all about 90s (i.e. the best decade!) nostalgia: we’re still looking for contributions in whatever form you like, so give me a shout for more information or to submit.

We had vegan ‘fish’ finger sandwiches for lunch, then went for a long walk on Aylestone Meadows. We’re so lucky to live in a city but with nature close by – within minutes of leaving home we’d seen a heron idly watching the river, a robin darting around collecting twigs for a nest, and a rabbit escaping into the hedgerow. Then home, with a cup of tea and a book (current read - The Lauras by Sara Taylor), before I made vegan lasagna for dinner, accompanied by 6 Music on the radio once again.

Which bits of your weekend do you usually edit out of your blog posts?

The inordinate amount of time I spend in my pyjamas! I’m a total homebody and can happily spend a whole weekend just pottering around the house, reading, and hanging out with my cat. All very enjoyable, but it doesn’t make for very interesting blog posts!

Your ideal Sunday menu... 

Breakfast: A large mug of tea and pain au chocolat fresh from the bakery, eaten with Thomas on the balcony of the Paris Airbnb that we stayed in on our first trip together.

Lunch: A salmon cesear salad with a glass of sparkling wine, on the outdoor terrace of Montebello (in the southern suburbs of Cape Town) with my mum, cousins, aunt and uncle.

Dinner: I’d dine solo, with just a book for company, on veggie nachos at Lola Rosa in Montreal accompanied by a pint of local Quebec cider.

What's in your fridge?

My fridge has a split personality; although I tend not to eat or cook meat at home, my shelves usually have at least three kinds of cheese as well as butter and eggs for baking, while Thomas’s are stuffed with an array of vegan staples such as hummus, vegan mayo, and Violife cheese. Plus, of course, stacks of fresh veggies and usually at least three lots of leftovers (currently languishing in Tupperware -  some homemade guacamole and leftover chilli, and a tofu Thai red curry).

QUICK FIRE - without too much thought, name your absolute favourite...

Book: Impossible to name just one! But three off the top of my head are Persuasion by Jane Austen, anything by Poppy Z Brite, and Simon Vs The Homosapien Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Film: Dazed & Confused

Fashion brand: ASOS

Holiday destination: Cape Town

Museum: The National Media Museum in my hometown of Bradford.

How can people follow what you do and get in contact?

I’m @jbistheinitial on Twitter and Instagram and my blog is jbistheinitial.blogspot.co.uk

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