Hello from the English countryside! | The Burnout Queens

Hello from Brighton & London 29 August 2015

August 29, 2015

September is here already…really?! How did that happen. September is always a great time to get back to school, work, or university; or to simply start something new and intriguing in our lives (well that’s the hope anyway).

We’ve spent time exploring more of our seaside city with it’s quirky districts, architecture, and beaches. Taking it all in while our pet sitter is away on holidays and London tube strikes disrupt our London daytrips!

August is festival, festival, festival time here, so we took some of it in (if you read our blog ‘The parade, the evacuation and poached eggs’ you’ll get it came with an unexpected scare).

End of summer is always time when the little projects get done. The pups viewing stand was assembled on the roof terrace (they feel ever so ‘big’ thrusting their heads through the slats) and Dr B’s veggie garden is ripening (don’t laugh there are loads more on-the-vine waiting to munch) And Dr T finally got a chance to finish her art project, but not before buying cake for evening dessert (the best millefeuille)!

We’re looking forward to more unexpected adventures while daytripping in London in September. We’ll be sure to snap a few pics to share.

Till next month, Embrace Life!

The parade, the evacuation and poached eggs

August 1, 2015

It’s the first of August and where we live it’s the biggest Pride Parade in the UK (160,000 people) and we’ve never seen a pride parade before, so off we went to snap a few shots, watch the fun and samba. But…

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED WHILE WAITING FOR THE PARADE…

There we were on the corner, across from the seafront. Camera in hand we were perfectly positioned to enjoy the parade and snap away. Here’s the all important shot that we didn’t realise would change our morning really fast! You see (and I mean look for yourself) across the street there are 2 crowd stewards behind a street post. As they were there, a police motorcyclist arrived to help with the parade advancing. We saw the steward cross and say something to the officer and he went over and looked up at the sign as well. (strange we thought…these highly sensitive minds were attentive)

The policeman came back to his bike, radioed the ‘sergeant that they’d found something (this is NOT good news). Dr T turned to me and said, we should move, something’s not right. Off we went down the road, after noticing a small wireless transmitter strapped to the signpost!

So a few hundred yards down the road, we stood as more motorcycle police arrived…we moved even further down and across the road so that we could make a hasty exit up the street if need be. Then everyone was being told to move back from the area and the parade was halted in it’s tracks. We just looked at one another…

…you know living in this beautiful country has made our North American it’s-too-far-away brains become more aware of the nearness of danger on the streets. We decided it wasn’t worth the risk (who would look after The Burnout Pups) and if we were far enough away from a possible blast, neither of us wanted to experience the horror of seeing injuries and rescues.

So, we decided (and this is where I love that we are decisive) off to enjoy a poached eggs on toast breakfast. If nothing came of this then we would be wimpish, but alive. If something happened, we were safely wimpish! Our first attempt at a large crowd event in the UK and we ‘almost’ experienced it…but wait

After breakfast we walked back down to the beach and saw the parade still waiting to begin. A few questions later and we found out a package had been found and the army bomb squad had come and blown it up. The significance of this is, we were standing in the crowd a few feet in front of this package when we noticed the device on the post across the street!

We don’t know what to think, or how to react. But…

As we walked home, along came the police closing the street because the parade has now been re-routed to come our way. All is not lost. We had front row position while the bands blasted fantastic club music.

We have snapshots, we had fun and best of all, we arrived home safe and sound. We can’t thank that parade steward enough for her outstanding call for help…and the poached eggs were delish as well.

The very things we have stayed away from (large crowd gatherings) for the exact reason (bomb threats) is now part of our reality. When we moved for adventure, this is not what we had envisioned, but there you have it. One morning in the life of The Burnout Queens! xx

Hello from Brighton & London: 4 July 2015

July 2, 2015

Celebratory greetings to our North American readers in Canada for July 1st and the U.S. for July 4th. And…congrats to us for our own 6 year celebration of living in the UK, that’s July 3rd!

We thought it would be fun to give you a glimpse of where our daily neighbourhood walk takes us, so with camera in hand, let’s go walking…

It’s a Burnout Queen rule, indulge first then walk! Here’s Dr T at the Caribou Cafe contemplating the blueberry pancakes on the menu (oh my dears, they were delish). Fully satisfied we’re off around the corner to the garden at the Old Market.

Heading down to the seafront we come across a crowd looking up… of course you have to don’t you? LOL So, we did just in time to witness this brave soul absailing down the side of the hotel for the blind war veterans charity. These guys and girls rock! What do we always say? You got it… “expect the unexpected”!

Ah, the seaside promenade and time to take in the gorgeous expanse of greeny-blue water across the channel to France.

It’s just so cute along the waterfront. People own these colourful little beach huts and apparently at Christmas they are all a-twinkle (definitely on the December to-do list). Time to head back home through Brunswick Square, an elegant regency square flanked by stylish seaside living from the 1800s.

Finally, back up high street and home to screams of delight from the Burnout Pups who had been left moping on their blankets while listening to classical music! Life’s tough! Oh did we mention the flat is on the top floor? Bonus walking points for those 5 flights of stairs!

There you have it, our snapshot of living by the sea. Cool isn’t it!

Thanks for taking our lunchtime walk with us.

Till next month, Embrace Life!

Hello from Brighton & London: 6 June 2015

June 6, 2015

Happy June! It’s not long until summer arrives darling, so get your sunblock, sandals and sunhat ready for the seaside.

The Burnout Queens are on a quest to live a rich and thoughtful life. So each month we build in opportunities to feed our souls. Whether physical, emotional or spiritual in nature, these opportunities keep us on track so we don’t get all lopsided with all work and no ease.

The burnout pups are always a priority. First stop show them the sea (short dachie legs means lots of bench time)! Second step find a new vet (shhhhh! they get their checkups & jabs Monday). You just never know what you will find here, on one of our pups outings we came across the most bizarre garden centre ever (we think you’ll agree)!

London is just a short train ride away. When we arrived at the station close to VE (Victory Europe) day we were met with this lovely salute to all the soldiers. Beautiful isn’t it? Then off to shop and ‘coffee’ in Chelsea, our favourite neighbourhood.

What do you do when you have lots of ‘things’ to display and can’t be creative enough to make it look stylish? Call in Paulie, our local, brilliant florist whose shop windows & flowers we love to admire. She came and spent several hours transforming our mess into a masterpiece! (Florian the Florist)

Can’t forget to take Dr T to a birthday tea celebration. Off we went to Royal Brighton Pavilion for a tour and tea in their tea room. What a place to sip tea and have cake. Fit for a queen!

Brighton Fringe Festival took place all of May and that included Art Open Houses (over 200 of them). Each Open House (studios, galleries, and private homes & gardens) was bursting with sculptures, paintings, jewelry & crafts. We just walked and enjoyed each weekend and it was a great way to get to know all the city districts (not to mention peeking inside homes).

No festival is complete without food and we weren’t disappointed. Baking, vegetables, herbs & ‘camp’ cooks made for a fun Sunday morning. Even Dr B got into the spirit of planting! (at this rate perhaps we’ll eat our bounty next year!).

Don’t let anyone tell you work isn’t fun when you have a photoshoot booked with Caroline True (http://www.carolinetruephotography.com). We spent the day enjoying Brighton, The Lanes and just being silly on Brighton Pier! A day of laughing, posing, singing to 70’s music & just hanging around the city. Too fab, too fun to call it work!

What will June bring? We’ve already started!

Till next month, Embrace Life!

Hello from London & Brighton: 2 May 2015

May 2, 2015

Spring has definitely arrived seaside.

Just before leaving London, we stalked up on our favourite teas from Fortnum & Mason. With Easter just around the corner we couldn’t resist these luxe chocolate easter eggs. How exquisite darling!

We’ve finally settled in; pictures on the walls and flowers on the table. Now we’re keen to find the buzz in Brighton (no disappointments so far). Great day meandering through the quirky shopping streets of The Laines and then a quiet sunny outdoor lunch in the beautiful Brighton Pavillion garden listening to classical piano music live from on the lawns. Heaven on both counts!

Neither of us are runners (these feet don’t ‘do’ running) but we had to cheer on the 15,000 runners in the Brighton Marathon which passed by just around the corner (yes we live that close to the beach). We stood in the middle of the boulevard while one side was full of runners puffing and struggling at the halfway mark, 2 hours into their race, turned around and the top 3 elite athletes on the opposite side of the road were making their final turn towards the finish! Whoosh, no sweat… just pure muscular motion! Impressive…even the bike escort had to peddle hard to keep up. In fact Dr T couldn’t click the camera fast enough to catch first or second, so you’ll have to settle for third!

We do have to work periodically, but it has to be our way! Dr B may look like she’s working but that pens a’tapping as she grooves to 60’s oldies during our Tuesday morning ‘ideas meeting’ over caffeine at the local!

Till next month, Embrace Life!