[Ad- gifted experience] Earlier in the year, we got invited along to mezcal event as apart of London Cocktail Week. Mezcal have very different processes when they are made, meaning that unlike tequila, they have a wider variety of aspects that comes when making them. They are made with many different agave, meaning there is more age, soil density, growing conditions, etc that are all taken into account to make different mezcals.
Glass blowing is something that I have always found beautiful in a lot of ways. Dann says it’s because we see nature in glass as it almost shows movement and shaping in a way that we, as humans, compare to the world around us. When I was younger, my parents use to take us to a glass blowing studio, where a family friend would blow glass into bubbles and shape them or make stained glass windows. It was always so interesting to watch. When I saw that Kew Gardens was having a Chihuly collection, full of beautiful glass work which mimics nature, I just had to go along.
With Dann and my brother in tow, we went to their last night session, exploring the gardens completely light up, showcasing the glass work on a cool autumn evening. Arriving at Kew Gardens, which we’d never been to before, was a simple task. There was a short queue into the exhibition, which is nearly entirely outside. Once our tickets were checked, we were face to face with the first piece; a giant blue, spiky glass orb-type thing, that we had seen on all the advertisement, especially the images on the London underground.
My brother really likes going to plays. This was something I did not know until he came to visit me in England – he’s become so cultured. Who knew. So, when searching through The Stage Stortford’s booklet that comes through our door every month, he picked out a few plays that caught his eye, the first one being Shackleton’s Carpenter. I didn’t know much about the play, but grabbed some tickets and set out with him and Dann to attend.
I’ve not actually been to a local play or a larger London based play since coming to England. In school, we use to take big trips to bigger cities, in order to see large plays around Christmas. These always had tons of actors, loads of scenes, different backgrounds, etc. Going to a local play, I had no idea what to expect. Shackleton’s Carpenter is a play done entirely by a single actor – which is already an amazing feat. Talking to ghosts and random members of the audience, Harry McNish tells his tale of being the only man who challenged the boss who manned their ship on the Antarctic ice floes.
[Ad- gifted experience] If you’ve got smaller children in your family, I am sure you know that they really love music. There is just something about music that children gravitate towards, especially as they are younger. Megson, a British folk duo, have just released a new album and is currently is touring around England. We were lucky enough to see their live show, which is a wonderful family tour, as well as get their album and coloring book.
Going to see their live show, I had not been to a children’s concert since I was a child myself and I was pretty excited. Megson play a mix of original songs and classical favorites, providing some stuff I did know and plenty I didn’t. At their Colchester concert, the music was a great pitch and the stage was set well. There is a big area at the front full of pillows and soft cushions for children to sit at, with chairs more towards the back for those who wanted them. Children were encouraged to dance and sing along, as well as taught about various instruments and even a little sign language.
[Ad- gifted experience] Described as a ‘Subversive adult cabaret musical theater burlesque show’ Zeus on the Loose is a somewhat distant take on Greek mythology, containing all of your favorite gods; Zeus – who only really has one thing on his mind, Hades – played by the hilarious Vicky Vox, who is really just looking out for herself, Hera – who is really just quite jealous of everyone Zeus sleeps with, and a bunch of smaller characters and nymphs. Dean McCullough plays a stage master, much like in children’s pantomime, talking between segments of the show and interacting with the audience.
