Bristol Vintage Fair

Last weekend three of my housemates were away seeing boyfriends and one had an essay tying her down, so the house was left feeling a little empty. Becca and I are a bit like toddlers in that we can rarely sit still for long periods of time and both need regular entertaining, so we were left twiddling our thumbs at what to do with such a lonely Saturday. However, this is Bristol and there is always something interesting happening to alleviate boredom for the likes of Becca and me.

It was a beauty of a day, the sun was shining and the air was clear and cold, so we wrapped up warm and strolled down to the Passenger Shed, smack bang next to Temple Meads station, to hit up the Bristol Vintage Fair. The Vintage Fair comes to Bristol 4 times a year, as well as many other cities, and is a haven for vintage goods, from beautiful fur coats to intricate jewellery, sweet little knick knacks and old vinyls. Big buckets overspilled with silk scarves in front of rails bursting with old shirts, jackets and jewels. There were a maze of stalls sprawled out underneath the beautiful vaulted ceiling, while a live band pumped out tunes from the 50s and 60s. It's hard to know where to begin, but with these kind of things you need to just dive in and see where the rails take you!

With such a huge variety, you are bound to find something that takes your fancy. I found this very sweet delicate silver cross bracelet at a jewellery stand swimming with quirky little pieces. I've been admiring ones similar to this for awhile and, at £5, this one was a fraction of the price of those I've been eyeing up.

Inevitably, Becca and I were drawn to the back wall where Sam's Jams were offering a selection of their finest homemade jams and chutneys, including free samples. Needless to say, we struggled to decide on which one we liked the most, so simply had to try them all until they ran out of dipping croutons. In the end we went for an apple and sage chutney, all wrapped up in its cute little packaging.

It is delish and, at a mere £2, worth every dime. (We may or may not have demolished half the jar in a bout of drunken munchies later that night, but that's beside the point)

As all good vintage fairs should, it promised a mouthwatering array of tea and cakes and so after a good hunt through the vintage maze we turned our sights on the cafe. Crushingly, by the time we got there they had completely sold out of all sweet treats- not a scone or cupcake in sight. Sob. Nevertheless, a good cup of tea will never go amiss with me, especially when it is served in tea cups as pretty as these:

My advice would definitely be to go in the morning. We ambled down at about 2pm and, although there were still masses of beautiful clothes, a lot of the cheaper gems had been snapped up in the morning. A few friends of mine went before lunch and came back with armfuls and armfuls of clothes all for under £50. Whilst the clothes we saw were not expensive, they were not that different price-wise from high street shops (although here you will be getting one of a kind vintage pieces which you can't put a price on for their authenticity). Also the lack of cake was truly upsetting (ever the foodie).

They haven't yet specified when the next fair will be, but when it does come back around make sure you head down. There's a lovely atmosphere aside from anything else and you are most likely to bump into a friendly face.

Fortunately for Becca and I, the German Christmas market was only a short stroll away so we made up for our lack of cake with copious amounts of roast chestnuts and massive German sausages. That is one thing you can always rely on Bristol for: a full stomach by the end of the day.

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Didn't You Do Well

No, I'm not congratulating you on reading my latest post (although while we're here, thank you for upping my page views). Didn't You Do Well is the bizarre but endearing name of my latest coffee house discovery.

While browsing Twitter the other day I stumbled across a recommendation for this little place, and upon further investigation I discovered beaming review after beaming review. I then found this wonderfully filmed Vimeo clip which really shows the artful precision and dedication that the owners, Ally and Will, put into each individual cup and decided I would see/taste it for myself.

Becca, Iona and I used the excuse of a sleepy Friday afternoon to head over and catch up over a decent cup of coffee. Didn't You Do Well is situated on Park Row and was set up earlier this year, meaning I have been walking past it on a fairly regular basis without any knowledge of its existence. The simple and unassuming decor means that it is quite easy to miss, however once inside the clean lines and neutral colour scheme, together with the high ceilings, wooden floors and white walls, create a relaxed and unfussy vibe. The coffee is what really does the wowing here.

I'm not going to pretend that I am one of those seasoned coffee connoisseurs who can tell you the name of each bean, its country of origin, how it was picked and the farmer's family history with one sip. If I'm honest I am really more of a tea girl, however I am partial to a decent coffee now and then. Although good for a quick caffeine fix, I find the coffee creations in places like Costa and Starbucks a little too synthetic and sweet and often am left feeling slightly disappointed, so despite my lack of coffee knowledge I do appreciate a good cup when I come across one.

Nevertheless, you know you've come across a good'un when there are not only a choice of beans, but an espresso machine called 'The Slayer'. Gulp. They even discourage sugar and will only supply it if asked; they have enough faith in the beans to blow you away on their own. The two types of bean on offer during my visit were both from El Salvador: the Finca Santa Petrona and the Finca Noruega. After enquiring what these words actually meant in taste terms, Ally and Will helpfully explained how the Finca Santa Petrona had a deep, fruity taste with hints of blackcurrant and almond, whilst the Finca Noruega offered a sweeter, more chocolatey taste. Anything that has 'hints' of anything sounds impressive in my ignorant coffee books, but in the end I opted for a flat white of the fruity one and Becca went for a cappuccino of the more chocolatey one.

They also had some delicious looking lemon and poppyseed cakes which proved too tempting to resist, particularly for Iona who is wheat free and therefore often deprived of the joys of a good cake. These were glorious and gooey, if not a tad oily, but given their being gluten and dairy free they were seriously good.

After a short wait our coffees arrived at our table, promptly followed by 'ooo's' and 'ahhh's' of approval. They looked so pretty we almost didn't want to drink them and spoil the creamy little swirls, but the gorgeous deep aromas were beckoning us. They did not disappoint. Mine was smooth, rich and comforting, as was Becca's, but both had distinctive tastes- even my untrained palette could really taste the subtle flavours and how they worked together.

They also have a selection of teas and soft drinks if you fancy something other than coffee, but to be honest if you are in a coffee shop with something called 'The Slayer', then you'd be a fool to opt for anything else.

A great little place which deserves more recognition. Didn't they do well indeed.

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The Giggling Squid

Hurrah! Essay numero uno of third year has been submitted and to celebrate/recuperate before the next bout of work I went home for a few days last week. Aside from giving me a chance to catch up on sleep/eat as much as physically possible in preparation for the harsh student winter looming upon us, it also gave me and the mother an excuse to be ladies who lunch.

After doing the mandatory countryside walk/lying on the sofa for hours on end, Mum and I headed into Brighton on Friday to visit my favourite Thai restaurant. The Giggling Squid is an absolute must for anyone who loves Asian food.

They have branches in Brighton, Crawley, Henley, Hove, Maidstone, Marlow, Reigate, Stratford and Tunbridge Wells, although with its higgledy piggledy layout and touches of Asian decor you would never guess this place is a chain. The Brighton branch can be found in the South Lanes, squeezed into the little space opposite Fat Leo and Sweaty Betty and features 4 rooms spread over 3 floors (1 room being pretty much a private table which is pretty sweet). The bay windows let in streams of light making the small space seem a lot bigger, while the wooden tables, woven bamboo place matts and potted orchids subtly nod to its Thai heritage.

The service is fantastic and staff are very attentive, arriving at your table just as you are ready to order and checking half way through to make sure everything is to your satisfaction. Once you order, food will arrive very quickly which is always a plus when all those delicious fragrances are wafting through the air.

The tapas style menu is ideal. Although the individual dishes are divine, there are so many flavours worth trying that the only way to do things properly is to order a whole load and eat everything yourself share it all between you. The 'Tapas Sets' put together a fantastic combination of their finest choices, all with a slightly different twist. For instance, the 'Hungry Squid' will have you squealing with delight, featuring a bowl of chicken green curry, jasmine rice, juicy chicken satay sticks and a mixed vegetable stir fry, while the 'Wealthy Squid' includes lamb massaman curry, shredded duck spring rolls, jasmine rice and prawns on toast. This place is one of Mum and my regular haunts so we've tried most of the tapas sets and both agreed that our latest venture was definitely their most successful yet. The 'Two Giggling Squids' comes with salt and pepper squid, chicken massaman curry, jasmine rice and beef salad. One plate isn't enough for two (and even if it was I would still order a myriad of sides because they're all too delicious to pass up) so we ordered some shredded duck spring rolls and, our all-time favourite, the prawn salad with spicy lime dressing.

Right, let's begin our tasty Thai travels. The chicken massaman curry will beat any takeaway curry you will ever have. The chicken is perfectly tender and swimming in a rich, creamy, coconutty sauce, beautifully spiced and topped with natural yoghurt and toasty cashews. I could literally drink the sauce alone- it's just so good. The jasmine rice gets the balance of fluffy and sticky just right and does a very good job of absorbing the massaman sauce.

We've never tried the beef salad before and this was very, very silly of us. Tender and juicy, the beef sits in a pool of lime, chile, coriander, spring onion, red onion and a whole load of other face-smackingly fresh ingredients. The beef absorbs all these flavours, almost melting in the mouth and may just have edged onto the top spot with the prawn salad as my favourite. This is probably because the sauces are very similar, if not the same. Frankly you really can't have enough of this dressing so I'll let them both sit on the podium together for now. As with the beef, the prawns soak up all those intense Thai flavours and it will take some serious willpower to stop yourself from licking the plate clean.

The salt and pepper squid are encased in the lightest batter, drizzled liberally with sweet chilli sauce and garnished with fresh chiles and spring onions. What I love about this dish is the range of textures, as well as flavours, in each bite. The crunch of the batter adds a bit of drama to the lovely chewy squid, while the sweetness of the sauce and the spiciness from the chile have a little party on your tongue.

Meanwhile, waiting patiently for their time to shine, the shredded duck rolls sat looking pretty. I absolutely love duck and these are liberally stuffed with very flavourful meat, a good layer of spring onion and cucumber, and drizzled with a hefty dollop of hoisin sauce. I don't feel like I have to sell these much; anyone who likes duck pancakes (which is just about everyone) will LOVE these. Another solid favourite.

Who am I kidding, basically everything on the menu is a solid favourite, but each dish really deserves the title. I've tried my fair share of Thai food and The Giggling Squid has stayed safely at the top of my list ever since I discovered it a year or two ago.

They also do a fab Baileys coffee, which was just what I needed to prepare myself for Brighton's answer to the tempest, which was brewing nicely outside.

Unfortunately The Giggling Squid cannot bring the weather of Thailand over to our not-so-fair isle, but they do a damn good job of bringing the flavours.

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