That Sunday Post...

Ahh... there is nothing in this world that beats that chilled Sunday feeling. I love Sunday mornings. It's a chance to forget about the stress of day to day life, and to spend the last bit of the weekend doing nothing without feeling guilty.

With the changing of the clocks, I arose from my bed feeling refreshed with the extra hour of sleep, and was greeted with the autumnal sun shining through my window.

After a lazy morning spent eating breakfast in bed, it seemed only fitting to do a tiny spot of Sunday baking. Being a student at university, I don't have the luxury of being able to use my mum's range of baking equipment that she has accumulated over many years. Instead, I go back to the basics when baking at Uni.

Something I hadn't baked in a while were brownies.

Nothing beats the smell of them baking in the oven, and the first taste of warm, gooey chocolate brownies that seem to melt in your mouth.

So, armed with tesco's basic baking ingredients, I managed to create the perfect (well, to me) chocolate brownie with a hint of orange.

The orange gave it an autumnal, almost christmassy kick, as well as providing a way of using up any leftover fruit I had lying around.
Seriously, when I was baking them, the kitchen smelt like Terry's Chocolate Orange. It was the perfect addition to spice up the simplest of recipes.

Speaking of the recipe, I followed the BBC Good Food Best Ever Brownie recipe (found here), but as I'm baking I tend to meander away from the steps and add my own little additions. You can do this to, creating it to your own taste by adding nuts, raisins, more chocolate, whatever! It doesn't have to be perfect, just as long as it tastes delicious!

So, when you're feeling lazy and in need of a cosy weekend treat, give these tasty little brownies a go!

I will be cycling from London to Paris!

Please help me raise money for Breast Cancer Now!

I am taking on a little challenge next year by cycling from London to Paris in 3 days to raise money for Breast Cancer Now.

The charity is amazing and its aim is to raise money for funding into breast cancer research. They hope to find a cure by 2050 for breast cancer so that no women will have to die of breast cancer again.
Finding a cure for breast cancer can also find a cure for all types of cancer, so no one ever has to lose someone or die themselves.

Cancer is a very common subject and many of us have been or know people who've been affected by it. My Grandma was personally diagnosed with breast cancer, although she was lucky enough to make a complete recovery from it. Others aren't so lucky and a close family friend of mine made the decision to have a mastectomy to be able to live her life to the full.

By finding a cure, women won't need to die anymore or have to make the horrible decision to lose their breasts due to this devastating cancer.

I will be cycling as part of a group of students from London to Portsmouth, then hopping across the channel and cycling through the french countryside right into the heart of Paris, arriving at the Eiffel tower.

My aim is to raise at least £995, however anything extra is a bonus and will all be going to the charity, so there is no limit.

I will take you on the journey and update you with how my training is going on this blog!

If you would like to help me and donate, here is the link to my just giving page. Any amount helps and even £1 can make a huge difference in scientific research, and possibly find a cure for cancer.

Thank you!

https://www.justgiving.com/Charlotte-Davis20

A Weekend Up North

Last weekend I had the pleasure of travelling from the South coast of England all the way up to Liverpool!

Having only ever been to the northern cities of Sheffield and Manchester, which was only to look at the universities, I have never really explored anywhere around that area.

Forgive me if Liverpool isn't North to you, but considering I'm from South East england, anywhere that far away is North to me!

I met my friend in Liverpool after a 4 hour train journey there. We stayed in the Novotel in the city centre which is a stunning hotel with the best location, and even has a pool! We managed to get a really great deal using booking.com, so check this out for the best value deals on top hotels.

 I recommend staying near the Liverpool One shopping centre, as it's right in the centre of the city and all the attractions are within walking distance.

So, the first thing to do when we arrived was to of course go explore the shopping centre! It has a fantastic array of high street shops from Primark, New Look, Topshop to the more upper end shops like Michael Kors.

That evening we headed over to the restaurants in Liverpool One, and there is a big selection to choose from, ranging from American to Thai cuisines. Most of the restaurants here were chains, which is good for quick and cheap eats. We ate at Chaophraya, a Thai restaurant where I decided to be adventurous (for me anyway) with what I was ordering and opted for duck, which is something I never usually order. It was amazing, and definitely recommended!

After we took a stroll to the Albert Dock to see it at night, as well as getting a glimpse of the Liverpool wheel at night with all the lights on, before heading to a bar for some cocktails. The bar we stumbled across was hidden down some steps on Colquitt Street, but it had the nicest cocktails, was cheap and had shots out of chocolate cups! What more could you want?! Plus it had a really nice and chilled atmosphere which was a perfect way to end our first day.

Visit Bar Bodega for great cocktails

Day 2 was full of city sightseeing. We started off in Albert Dock, having a look around the shops before going to the Beatles experience. Of course, Liverpool is famous for being the birthplace of one of the greatest bands in the world, and even if you aren't the biggest fan of the Beatles, this museum is still so interesting and not badly priced!

Luckily I was a student so I could get in for only £11 on a concession rate, but even the full price is only around £15. This includes admission to the museum with a personal headset, so you can take your own time and listen to what you're interested in. The museum took around 1 hour and a half, and was a poignant tribute to the rise of the Beatles.

The experience didn't stop there, as the ticket includes admission to another attraction over by the pier head which includes an interactive 4D show. If you have time it's worth checking out, but if you don't want to head over there then you wouldn't be missing out.

After learning about the lives of the Beatles, we headed over to where it all began, Mathews Street, to see the Cavern club where the Beatles used to play. Around there are loads of independent pubs that are perfect for that Saturday afternoon drink.

Mathews Street

We also headed up the Radio City tower to get a 360 degree view of the city. This is great on a clear day as you can see across the Mersey, and sometimes as far as Wales! Plus it was only £5 so it won't break the bank balance!

With all the walking, we headed over to Bolt street, which is filled with loads of independent cafes and restaurants, as well as the usual chains. We decided to go to Central Perk, a Friend's themed coffee shop for some coffee and cake. It's quite expensive but the theming is cool with the typical sofas plus they play friends episodes all day! I also bought a huge carrot cake which was delicious, but was way to big so I couldn't finish it all!

Liverpool Cathedral

Next stop, we wandered up to the cathedral before making our way back to the hotel for a pre dinner swim. This time we ate at Albert Dock in a really nice restaurant which I can't remember the name of! But I definitely recommend checking out the restaurants around there as there are some really nice independent ones which aren't badly priced! Plus there is a really nice atmosphere to have a walk around after all the consumption of great food.

Our Saturday ended with a night out on the town. Liverpool's nightlife is notorious for being amazing, and it certainly didn't disappoint. You will find an array of bars and clubs, all situated around Concert Square, and there is something for 18-50 year olds! Expect lots of hen and stag does though.

After a busy weekend, it was time to head back south. Liverpool is truly a great place to visit and you can explore the whole city in just a weekend. Everyone is so friendly and there are lots of things to do and see for all ages. Whether its a historical and educational visit, or a night spent dancing away, check out Liverpool!

View from the Radio Tower

Review: One Direction at the O2 Arena

Hello Readers!

Today's post is to do with one of my favourite things to talk about in the world: One Direction!

Having supported them since they were on X Factor, and I'm not lying when I say this! I really did go to one of their very first gigs at the forum in Hertfordshire after the X Factor had ended. And I may have been to every tour they've ever had...

Anyway, I am not a crazy directioner, I promise! So on Monday I headed off to London to meet my little cousin and take her to see One Direction at the O2.

Since being at university, I haven't seen them or anyone live in a while, so it was nice to go back to that familiar feeling of excitement before seeing your favourite band live. Unfortunately we missed the support act so I have no idea how good they were.

Onto the review of their live show.

The tour was called 'On The Road Again' and was a collection of their greatest hits, plus tracks from their albums Midnight Memories and Four. These included Kiss You, What Makes You Beautiful, Drag Me Down, Story Of My Life, Little Things etc.

Usually pop concerts consist of 90 minutes of cheesy, danceable songs. I was pleasantly surprised that 1D were onstage for a full 2 hours, which is pretty good seeing as most of their audience members are of school age!

 It was a Monday and their fourth night at the O2 arena, so I wasn't expecting the same energy that they would have had from their weekend shows.

I was wrong, they performed with every ounce of energy to make sure everyone in that room got the same and best experience. This is a thing to be proud of, as it's so easy to give a poor performance because you are bored from the repetitive routine and completely knackered from performing 4 nights in a row. These tickets were certainly not cheap, so to come out of their getting my money's worth, and having had an incredible experience is a really nice feeling.

The atmosphere was amazing. It was hard not to sing and dance along to all the songs, even though I didn't know some of them.

I also felt that even though there were only four of them this time, you couldn't notice the difference from their previous tours. They united as a foursome extremely well.

After the concert had finished, I walked out feeling a little sad that this could be their last one for a while. It made me want to see them again straight away, and I guess all artists want their fans to feel this.

I feel like 1D should feel proud to have transformed into a very professional and talented band. There music hiatus will come gladly to them, as I do feel they need some time to recharge and regain their passion and excitement for their careers. All I can say to them if by chance they happen to read this, is good luck for whatever you choose to pursue in the future, and enjoy the moment while it lasts.

To my readers, if you want a fun and enjoyable night out where you can sing and dance your heart out, take someone to see One Direction!