London Pop-Up: The Magnum Pleasure Store

So, it's been a while hasn't it? I can't really think of just one reason why I haven't been blogging recently, it's more of a combination of things. I'm still working away trying to wrap up my first year of uni while enjoying my last few weeks in London for a little while. I just seem to have been super busy, along with the fact that no ideas I had for my blog felt good enough. I haven't even been reading too many blogs recently either which is so unlike me!

Anyway, today I've decided to just jump right back into it again and what better way to do that than with a food related post, amirite? This is one for any Londoners, visitors of London or ice cream lovers! Magnum are back with their 'Pleasure Store' pop-up this summer, this time located on South Molton Street, close to Bond Street. I moved to London last September, just as Magnum were shutting the doors on their 2015 pop-up in Covent Garden, so I was more than a little bit excited to hear they were opening up again this summer.

Spring 2016 Essential Exhibition Visits

Last year I wrote a post giving the run down of the top UK exhibitions that were on at the time, and it went down really well (it's actually still my post popular post I've ever written). Today I'm going to be doing the same thing for spring 2016! Time to get your diary out again, there's a brand new wave of exciting exhibitions on their way...

The Good And Bad Of Moving To London

As you may know, last September I moved to London, so I've been living in the Big Smoke for about five months now - where on Earth has that time gone?! Moving away from everything and everyone I know has been the biggest change of my life and there's been a lot of settling in to do! I know there's a lot of people out there considering making the same move, be it for university, a job or just a change. Today I thought I'd discuss how I've found the move with a few pros and cons of upping sticks to England's big city.

University Room Tour

Two months ago I up sticks to London for my first year of university and my little room in the big city is starting to feel much more homely now. In fact, I often find myself getting told off by my mum for referring to London as "home" when I go back to visit (even though when I'm down here I always refer to Manchester as home)! Now that I'm settled in I thought it would be nice to share a few pictures of how I've made my room in student halls my own.

7 Things I Learnt In My First 7 Days In London

So, I moved to the Big Smoke. That actually happened. So far it's been a whirlwind, a culture shock and a blast all rolled into one and I've only been here for a few weeks! During my first week I learnt a lot of lessons, some useful and some perhaps not so much. Today I thought I'd record 7 of them here - hopefully in a few years time I'll be able to look back and see how far I've come with fitting in down south! So here they are, the musings of a northerner stuck down south, week 1...

50 Things I Want To Do When I Move To London

A couple of weeks ago, I shared 5 things that I'm going to miss about my home city of Manchester when I make the move to London in September. While it will be strange and quite sad to leave everything I have ever known behind, I didn't want to leave it on quite such a negative note, especially since I am so excited to be going to discover a whole new city. In order to lighten the tone a bit, I've put together a list of 50 things I'm excited to do when I'm living in the big city for the next 3 years. I've been to London a fair few times in the past and so I've already done a lot of the 'touristy' things, however some of them are repeated below if it's something I fancy doing again sometime, while I have left others off completely in favour of new experiences.

5 Things I'll Miss About Manchester

Come this September, I will be upping sticks to London in pursuit of my new student life. Behind me I am leaving the city I grew up in and have lived in all of my life, Manchester. Although I am (incredibly!) bias, I truly believe that Manchester is the best city in the UK. I love this town to bits and not being here will be very strange for a while. Although I'm very excited to be moving to the Big Smoke and discovering all that it has to offer, there are certainly things that I will miss about my home city. Here are 5 things that I'll be sad to leave behind in a couple of months time...

Exhibition Visit: Magna Carta (An Embroidery) by Cornelia Parker @ The British Library

When I first found out about this particular commission, I have to admit I yelped with excitement slightly. If there were a perfect storm in artwork form then this would be it for me. Take the fact that it's done by one of my favourite artists whom I have heard speak in person, as well as it being stitched, involves type and strikes a resemblance to my own final piece for my art foundation (by pure coincidence), and you've got me very excited.

Matisse Cut Outs Exhibition Review

As the blockbuster exhibition of Matisse’s paper cut-outs drew to a close on the 7th September, Tate has since announced that it has become the most popular show in their history, attracting more than half a million visitors. 562,600 people went to the Tate Modern in London to see the groundbreaking exhibition, which also makes it one of the most popular paid-for exhibitions in Britain for decades. I was lucky enough to be one of those 562,600 people who witnessed the beauty of Matisse's last years of work, and I know first hand why this particular showcase has captured the public’s imagination in such a profound way.

Henri Matisse (1869-1954) is one of the most iconic artists of the twentieth century who brought a whole new concept of colour to the art world. For the last 17 years of his life, he developed an entirely new approach by carving directly into colour with a giant pair of scissors.  From small studies that show him using cut-outs as compositional tools for paintings, to his prophetic final works, Matisse’s genius surges, growing room by room as the works themselves become ever more ambitious. 

Every single room in the exhibition from start to finish was a joy to explore and 2 hours went by in a flash. From mermaids to dancers, circus scenes and a famous snail, the exhibition showcases an impressive range of 120 works made between 1936 and 1954. 
I knew the exhibition was going to be something special, but what I wasn't prepared for was the way in which I would be emotionally touched by it. It was such a joyous and fascinating collection and it has stayed close to the forefront of my mind for weeks after visiting the galley - also becoming the only exhibition I've felt inclined to buy the accompanying book from! Matisse wanted “anyone tired, worn down, driven to the limits of endurance, to find calm and repose” in his art. In this he certainly succeeded. I left the exhibition inspired to start practical art again, what more can you ask of an exhibition?

I'm no stranger to exhibitions but there was something about the fact that at a time in his life where Matisse was very unwell, he managed to not only carry on his artistic career, but reach new heights of creative triumph. There can't be many people who left the exhibition this summer that didn't want to replace their home decor with the vibrancy and excitement of Matisse's cut outs.