November Reads

1. The Rest Of Us Just Live Here is based on one of the most interesting concepts I've come across, certainly in YA literature. High school senior Mikey lives in small town America with his ambitious politician mother, alcoholic father, a sister in recovery from an eating disorder, and a best friend who just happens to be part-God. He's only interested in making it to prom and graduation, getting the girl he loves to notice him before she leaves for the summer, and hanging out with best friend Jared. Unfortunately, an invasion by Immortals is messing with these plans. The conceit of the book, which is brilliantly done, is that the Immortals are only bothering indie kids - the same group affected by the battle with the vampires a few years ago (cue some very funny digs at the Twilight franchise), the soul-eating ghosts a decade ago, etc etc - and so remain as a sub-plot dwelt on only briefly at the start of each chapter. As Mikey says, the indie kids "have always got some story going on that they're the heroes of. The rest of us just have to live here, hovering around the edges, left out of it all for the most part. Having said that, the indie kids do die a lot, which must suck." This is easily one of my books of the year: extremely witty, it deals with big issues - the mental health struggles of Mikey and his sister are a huge part of the plot - very well whilst remaining pacy and thrilling. If you read one book from this round-up, it needs to be this one.

2. 21 Proms was one of those YA books that I think are best left to, well, young adults themselves. A collection of short stories about prom, they were (perhaps inevitably, given the subject matter and restricted length) fairly shallow tales, almost none of which gripped my attention. The highlight for me was John Green's story, The Great American Morp, which had something of a great teen movie about it.

3. I'm afraid my love for David Levithan is quickly becoming sullied by one mediocre book after another. Another Day is the sequel to Every Day, which was the story of A, a teenage boy who wakes up every morning in a different body and who falls in love with the girlfriend of the boy in whose body he inhabits for one day. This is the girl - Rhiannon's - side of the story, but because it limits the narrative to exactly the period that was covered in the first book, we don't really learn anything new.

4. A woman is snatched from a Paris street, and Commandant Camille Verhoeven, haunted by the murder of his wife five years ago, is assigned the case. But solving it is going to be more complex than just discovering who her abductor was, and Alex is no ordinary victim. Alex is gory and gripping, packed with satisfying plot twists and very well written. I can well see why it won awards and accolades by the bucketload: very much recommended.

5. When Mr Shaitana, famous for his flamboyant parties, invites a group of detectives - a writer of crime thrillers, the head of Scotland Yard, an MI6 man, and Poirot himself -  to dinner, together with four more guests, he ends up dead. And so the detectives begin to look into the backgrounds of the other guests, about whom Shaitana had dropped hints regarding 'getting away with murder'. Cards On The Table was perfect for a dark autumn night, and marked the debut of one of my favourite Poirot characters, the crime writer Ariadne Oliver, based on Christie herself.

6. The Silent Wife has been compared to Gone Girl but it's nowhere near the quality of that book. Jodie & Todd have been a couple for 20 years when he betrays her with yet another affair. And so she decides to kill him. Written from both points of view in alternating third person present tense chapters, I just couldn't find it in me to care about either character, nor about their eventual fates.

7. I picked up Mystery In White from a secondhand bookshop recently, thinking it would be an appropriate inclusion for a Christmas gift swap parcel, and decided to give it a cheeky read first. A classic Golden Age crime novel with a ghost story element, it made for a nicely seasonal, undemanding read.

8. I've really enjoyed Sloane Crosley's non-fiction essays, so I jumped at the chance to read her first novel, The Clasp*. Three college friends now in their late 20s - Kezia, Nathaniel and Victor - are reunited at the wedding of a classmate, and Victor's encounter with the mother of the groom leads him to become obsessed with a legendary necklace. When, after losing his job, he disappears to search for the necklace, Kezia and Nathaniel team up to look for him. I have to say, The Clasp wasn't really for me; it's written in a self-consciously literary style and the plot took a long time to get going.

9. I read A Place Of Execution years ago and had luckily forgotten quite a bit about the plot. One of Val McDermid's only stand-alone crime novels, it tells the story of young and ambitious detective George Bennett, who one cold night in December 1963 is called to the isolated Derbyshire village of Scarsdale to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. The scenes in the dale are atmospheric and creepy, and it contains one of the very best 'reveals' in modern crime fiction.

10. I actually read Signs For Lost Children on holiday in October, but then forgot about it in my monthly round-up. Sarah Moss writes beautifully, imbuing her characters with real life, and I have adored every single one of her previous books. This, the sequel Bodies Of Light, finds Victorian-era doctor Ally beginning her married life to lighthouse designer Tom with a long period of separation, as she continues her challenging work in a Cornish asylum, where she is disrespected and distrusted by staff thanks to her sex, and her husband goes to Japan for more than a year to complete a commission. The descriptions of both Ally's descent into depression and of Tom's experiences in Japan - where the country is vividly rendered by Moss' use of language - are wonderful but I found it a less engaging read than any of her previous novels.

Photo An Hour: 21st November 2015

You know those days when you wonder why you ever got out of bed? Yeah, yesterday was one of those days. Instead of doing the sensible thing after working four 60+ hour weeks on the trot, and staying at home, I'd taken it upon myself to instead drive to Sheffield for a Plus Size Clothes Swap and to see Rebecca, then head on up to my mum's in Leeds for dinner.

Unfortunately, the day had other plans for me. And as a result, I did a pretty shit job of Photo An Hour, missing a grand total of five hours - oops! I'll have to be better next time. Thanks as always to Jane and Louisa for organising.

9.30am
I woke up late (I'm so tired at the moment: working two jobs will do that, I guess) and it was freezing cold in the house so we lit the wood-burner.

10.30am
A read of the paper (very depressing, do not recommend) and toast for breakfast.

11.30am
Trying on a new dress, which I mostly love but which has a very tight and weirdly fitting waistband. Instagram and Twitter both say keep, but I'm still a bit undecided.

12.30pm
Deciding on a book to take with me to my mum's.

1.30pm
In the car, so no photograph.

2.30pm
Still in the car, no photograph. Around this time I was snarled up near Meadowhall, where it took me an hour to travel less than 3 miles.

3.30pm
Still in the car, having missed the clothes swap which was the entire point of my journey north. Feeling pretty annoyed with myself, I pressed on up the M1 and a few miles out of Sheffield my bloody hubcap flew off (luckily while I was pulling onto the hard shoulder, having been alerted that something was wrong by another driver).

4.30pm
Finally at my mum's! By this time I was in an extremely bad mood so a cup of tea was sorely needed.
I'd made an error choosing this book, though, I don't think Pratchett's for me.

5.30pm
Poking round in the fridge for something to eat. My mum and step-mum use their Scrabble fridge magnets to spell out key events each month (no idea who Clive and Jean are though).

6.30pm
Fitting in a little bit of blogging before dinner.

7.30pm
No photo as we were engrossed in Strictly.

8.30pm
No photo as I was busy scoffing cheese and biscuits and laughing uproariously with my mum and step-mum. My grump was over by now, and I really enjoyed my evening with them.

9.30pm
Heading to bed soon, but first time to read. I'm so glad I thought to pack my Kindle as well as a book, as I've already given up on The Hogfather.

When Outfit Photos Go Wrong II: Revenge Of The Camera

Outfit photography lesson 1: Beware the wind

Last year I wrote about how bad outfit photos had conquered my fear of cameras and I had cause to think about this again recently. My brother got married and, during the rehearsal on Friday evening, Thomas was roaming round with a camera snapping off shots.

Inevitably, I looked absolutely awful in every one: slouching shoulders, greasy hair, scrunched up face, boobs looking - as always - ridiculously disproportionate to the rest of my body. A couple of years ago I'd have had a breakdown after seeing them. I'd certainly have cried and demanded they were deleted, proceeding to spend the whole weekend in a deep funk, convinced I constantly looked that terrible. I'd most likely have refused to be photographed at the wedding.

But instead, I shrugged it off. So there were some bad photos of me? So what? I'd been driving for three hours, was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, and the photographer was snapping candid shots. No wonder I looked a mess.

And at the wedding, I happily posed for photos: I had a handsome man on my arm and an outfit both classy and comfortable. Why would I refuse?

It's entirely thanks to photographing my outfits for this blog that my attitude has taken such a 180 (well, that and the aforementioned handsome man, it being hard to really hate your appearance when someone you love and admire tells you you look beautiful).

I've learnt that it's entirely possible to look completely unlike yourself in a photo: a shutter clicked at the wrong moment and I look utterly ridiculous; a moment later, radiant. The more photographs of me that are taken, the more forgiving I can be of the terrible ones.

So now seemed like a good time to release into the world the next batch of outfit photo outtakes, of which I have many. Particularly because, in the absence of a dry weekend in which to take photographs, I haven't managed to do an actual outfit post in months.

1. When I'm nervous, I move my hands a lot: as a result, every batch of outfit photos includes numerous ones of me with blurry limbs. This also features the dreaded double chin.

2. Thomas had probably just told me a terrible joke.

 1. Don't know what to do when you're posing? Me either, but I can tell you that awkwardly messing with your belt whilst talking constantly is never a good idea. 2. If I remember rightly, I was looking at a cat when this was taken: how that's made me look like a zombie, I don't know.

 And what do you do with your hands? Maybe pretending to slam-dunk a basketball wasn't the best idea. I know, I'll cup my boobs instead, that'll work.

And the ever-present eye problem. I always close my eyes in photos, but perhaps that's the better option if my only other one is to stare maniacally.

Gift Ideas For The Book Lover In Your Life

What do you mean, it's too early to start thinking about Christmas shopping? I've been picking up bits since January, keeping my gift spreadsheet updated all the while. But I'll accept that not everyone is as organised/weird/anal as me and you might only just be starting to think about gift buying.

Now, I'm not one for beauty gift sets, luxurious make-up palettes or sparkly jewellery. What I really want at Christmas is things that remind me of my greatest passion in life: reading. And if you, too, have a book lover for whom you need to buy a present, how about one of these ideas?

Clockwise from top left:

1. It breaks my heart that a similarly minimalist poster isn't available for Austen's far superior novel, Persuasion, but this Pride & Prejudice print from Etsy will still look lovely gracing the wall.

2. The Literary Gift Company is the obvious starting point when buying for a book lover and this cushion with a quote from Borges, on the topic of libraries, would be perfect to adorn any literary home.

3. Happen to know an opinionated, height-challenged lover of Shakespeare (*cough* me! *cough*)? Then this book page print from Etsy will be just the ticket.

4. I know I'm not the only book lover with a borderline fetish for list-making. Featuring beautifully illutstrated pages inviting the owner to list everything from their favourite dystopias to their favourite childhood reads, this Literary Listography would be the perfect gift for anyone with a librarian-like desire for order in their reading life.

5. Obviously I'm slightly biased here (I do work for them, after all), but I think the Willoughby Book Company provide the perfect solution for the readers in your life. We offer a range of bespoke subscriptions, starting at £29.99 for a 3 month package, and your giftee will then receive a carefully chosen (by me!), beautifully wrapped book at the start of every month. We're also offering 15% off everything in the run up to Christmas - just enter the code WBC15 at checkout.

6. I'm a little obsessed with badges and brooches at the moment, and Etsy is a treasure trove of book-related pins to choose from. My very favourite might be this Drink Tea & Read Books wooden brooch, with the literary owl a close second.

Autumn In Norfolk

A trip to Norfolk seems to be becoming an autumn tradition for us. Last October we spent a long weekend in Wells-next-the-Sea and a couple of weeks ago we again headed down the A47 for five days in Little Walshingham. Having just a few days off during half term before starting my new job, and with Thomas having gone straight from his PhD to a new role at the university, high on the list of our priorities was to relax.

Our cottage in Little Walsingham was perfect for the job: with no WiFi or 3G signal, we had to abandon our phones and social media addictions and just... chill. We went for long walks, explored ancient ruins, picked blackberries, met friends, played board games. Most of all, we ate a lot of food, drank a lot of tea, had many pints of local cider, read quietly in front of the fire, and slept a great deal.

Sheringham was a nice place for an afternoon's wander, a classic seaside town where it was practically obligatory to eat chips on the seafront, despite the chilly wind.

Walsingham itself is a fascinating place to visit. The village is tiny, a maze of cramped lanes lined with half-timbered Tudor buildings and traditional brick and flint cottages. A site of pilgrimage since 1061, Walsingham Abbey was destroyed in the Reformation but pilgrimages were resumed in the early 20th century and it's now a major site of pilgrimage for both Anglicans and Catholics. It was quite an experience to sit in the pub one evening (the amazing Black Lion - do visit if you're ever in the area) and listen to a table full of robe-clad, beer-drinking priests debating who their favourite pope was. It was rather like an episode of Father Ted writ large, all the more so when the 'mean girl' priest started taking the piss out of a colleague for the speed of his Mass. Thomas and I decided that a trip to Little Walsingham is the priest equivalent of Ibiza; at least, there certainly seemed to be a lot of late-night drinking going on.

The Abbey grounds are now open to the public as a large park. The ruins, although there's not much left of them, are quite spectacular and we met the sweetest cat in the adjoining woodland, with whom we of course had to make friends. The glorious sunshine on our final day there brought the early autumn colours to life, the perfect weather for a long country walk.

Our few days in Norfolk were the perfect tonic and I've returned refreshed and ready for the challenges of this half term. Little Walsingham was just right for us, too. Quiet, peaceful, and away from the bustle of North Norfolk's seaside resorts, I'd heartily recommend it if you ever decide to visit the area.

And The Prize For Guy Who's Put Up With Me For 3 Years Goes To....

... this handsome fellow (seen here making me laugh so I snort cider out my nose, like the classy broad I am)!

Three years ago yesterday, the 29th October 2012, I met Thomas for the first time.

We'd been chatting online and he seemed pretty nice, so we arranged to meet for a drink. I almost cancelled, struck by anxiety and first date nerves, but instead I got on the bus and headed into town.

I found a table at the back of the pub (I'd arrived early, of course), got myself a pint, and sat and read while I waited. A few minutes later a man - who was much taller than I'd expected, bearded, and wearing a truly horrible green coat - came over and introduced himself as Thomas. As he walked to the bar to get himself a drink, I clearly remember one word flashing through my mind: "Finally."

The last three years have, hands down, been the best of my life. We've travelled and had adventures; we've hung out together, cosy and quiet, at home. But wherever we are and whatever we're doing, I always have the most fun with him. He is kind, patient and calm. He supports me entirely, and I him. We've been through a long distance relationship, periods of ill health, and the completion of his PhD, and we've come through all of it as strong as we ever were, if not more so. I know I'm biased, but I also think he's just about the cutest thing to walk the earth (yes, Thomas, even cuter than Ellen Page).

There's a Father John Misty song that we both love which has a line that goes, "Darling, I love you as you are when we're alone/I'd never try to change you." Although the rest of that song's lyrics are entirely apt, the second part of that line always makes us smile. I have tried to change him: the green jacket, for example, was quick to go, followed by a musical education to try and steer him away from an entirely Springsteen and Meatloaf-based diet (the fact we both love Father John Misty indicates I've succeeded here). And yes, I'm also guilty of encouraging the checked shirts and the longer beard. But his essence remains; the softly-spoken guy I first met three years ago. And he's changed me too: I'm a better, stronger, more confident person thanks to his love. 

I didn't get this post written and published last night because, well, we were celebrating rather than sitting at laptops! We spent our anniversary eating delicious pizza and making each other laugh, before going to the pub where we first met for a pint. It was perfectly 'us': a low key night doing our favourite things (eating & drinking!). 

Three years together, and many more to come. Here's to the future, dude!

October Reads

1. All The Bright Places was one of those books that crept up on me. I didn't instantly fall for the main characters - Theodore and Violet, who meet on the ledge of their school's bell tower - and the narrative was quite slow going, but by the devastating end I was completely hooked. Examining suicide and mental health, it's not exactly a laugh-a-minute book, but it's definitely worth a read for fans of thoughtful YA fiction.

2. Solitaire is perhaps one of the most disappointing books I've read recently; disappointing because it had so much potential but ended up being so utterly crap. Sixth former Tori has a gay brother, friends she doesn't really like, and a new guy at school badgering her into spending time with him. Oh, and some mysterious organisation known as Solitaire, who are pulling pranks ranging from the silly to the dangerous at her school, and who seem to be in some way connected to Tori herself. The problem with Solitaire is that there's far too much going on. The story of Charlie, her brother, would be an interesting one to know more about - he's out at his all-boys school, going out with the rugby star, recovering from an eating disorder, and dealing with bullies - but it's all glossed over in favour of Tori's deeply boring rants. The problem with Tori is that she's just not that interesting: she hates everyone and everything, treats people horribly, is clearly plunging into a clinical depression (a fact which is never really addressed, even when she tries to jump off a roof) but still manages to be massively unsympathetic. We hear a lot about her blogging but that's never really relevant to the plot either. And as for the Solitaire 'mystery', that again turns out to be a bit of a red herring, plot-wise.

3. Beautiful Broken Things* follows Brighton best friends Caddy and Rosie, and what happens when new girl Suzanne breezes into their lives, bringing chaos and complications. I did enjoy this - Caddy, Rosie and Suzanne are all likeable and believable characters - but it felt just a tad too long and it failed to keep my attention for a while in the middle before picking up again at the end.

4. Smoke & Mirrors* is the second of Elly Griffiths' - better known for her Norfolk-set books about forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway  - series set in 1950s Brighton. Detective Inspector Stephens once again teams up with stage magician Mephisto to solve the murders of two young children, found buried under snow and surrounded by sweets in an eerie echo of Hansel & Gretel. The winter setting is atmospheric and the narrative more well-paced and tense than the first in the series.

5. Death Is A Welcome Guest is the second in Welsh's Plague Times series, the first part of which I read and loved last year. This second volume is not as enjoyable, perhaps because the main character - this time, we're following stand-up comedian Magnus as he tries to get from disease-stricken London to his childhood home on Shetland - isn't as sympathetic. The murder mystery element, introduced when Magnus takes refuge in a large house in the countryside, keeps the tension high but other than that it didn't grab me like the first book.

6. Whatever You Love, like Doughty's recent - and superior - novel Apple Tree Yard, poses questions about revenge and the limits to which we will go when tested by tragic events. Single mum Laura is left reeling after the death, in a hit-and-run accident, of her beloved daughter Betty. Moving between flashbacks of Laura's marriage to Betty's dad, and the present day as she tries - and fails - to move past Betty's death, it's a gripping portrayal of grief and loss.

7. A Game For All The Family is, like all of Sophie Hannah's mystery novels, wildly ridiculous and unrealistic but also completely, utterly attention-grabbing and tense. I read it with a sense of fear and terror in my gut, whilst also rolling my eyes at the ludicrousness of it all.

8. Lotte, a Cold Case detective with the Dutch police, is still trying to recover from a traumatic past case when she's asked to help look into a 10-year-old murder case. When she discovers that her father, a retired cop, may have hidden evidence, she compromises her own position by hiding her relationship with him from the other investigators. A Cold Death In Amsterdam* was an atmospheric read, capturing the city in winter so well that I felt I was walking the streets of the Jordaan myself.

9. What to turn to on a chilly autumn Sunday, when the fire's blazing and I don't want a book that will make me have to think? Agatha Christie of course! Mrs McGinty's Dead is a mid-period Poirot, full of the wit typical of 'his' novels. I especially loved the appearance of the recurring character Ariadne Oliver, a writer of detective mysteries who Christie largely based on herself.

10. Enchanted April is the original 1920s books on which recent release Enchanted August (which I read and reviewed in June) was based. I loved the new one, so was keen to read Elizabeth van Arnem's version. Unfortunately, I think I was hampered by two things: first, reading such a sun-drenched book while sitting in a rainy Norfork cottage wasn't quite right, and second, so much of the joy of the plot relies on the element of surprise, which was obviously removed for me. I did enjoy it but I have to say that I preferred the updated version, which seemed to have more to get my teeth into as a reader.

11. The Bookshop That Floated Away is the story of journalist Sarah Henshaw's often doomed attempts to make a living from a bookshop based on a canal barge, and as a bookshop fanatic it made a pleasant and undemanding read.

12. How To Grow Up is billed as a memoir, but rather than straight autobiography it's more a series of short, often comical, essays each dealing with a specific area of Tea's life: from musings on fashion and style, to the hunt for a wedding venue, to coping with poverty. As with all Tea's writing, it sparkles with wit and life.


* These books were provided by the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Life Lately

Lately, it's the simple things that are making me happy: a crackling fire, bread fresh from the oven slathered in butter, a massive cup of tea on a chilly afternoon. We've had the wood-burning stove lit for the first few times this autumn and Thomas has also got really into baking (I think it's the GBBO that's inspired him) so we have the most amazing fresh bread each weekend.

I feel like it's been a long time since I blogged properly. I spent most of the two weeks before half term feeling rotten with a cold and throat infection - yes, another one. You'd think after 10 years teaching I'd be immune to child germs, but no. And then we were away for five days last week. Five blissful, internet-free days in Norfolk, spent walking, eating, drinking, sleeping and reading. Once I've sorted through the photographs I'll blog properly about our holiday.

We came home from Norfolk a bit early because I started my new job on Thursday, eek! I felt weirdly calm about it all (which, considering my anxiety levels have been sky-high recently, is really amazing). I just sort of trusted that it would work out great, and it did. I absolutely love the job. I mean, I spend my whole day looking at, reading and talking about books. What's not to like?! From this week things will get crazy busy, though. I'm still teaching four days a week until Christmas, plus fitting in my fifteen hours a week at Willoughby. 

What else have I been up to? Well, at the start of the month my lil' brother got married, which was pretty amazing! Steph and Richard both looked radiant, just so happy and in love, and it really was the perfect day.

Meanwhile, this weekend has mostly been about three things: sleeping off a monster hangover from a night in the pub on Friday, listening to Joanna Newsom's new album on repeat (so good!), and visiting Becky and her gerbils. She took me to the most incredible 40s-themed cafe, The Larder, where we feasted on bubble & squeak and Eggs Benedict: perfect hangover fodder (the gerbils stayed at home).

And the next few weeks have lots in store: the start of my manic 60+ hours a week work schedule; a trip to Sheffield to see Father John Misty; a Joanna Newsom gig; a weekend in London to visit my best mate; some time with my mum... what a great start to the new half term.

Finally, in case you didn't see my post yesterday, the thrifty gift swap is back. Details of how to sign up are here.

The Thrifty Christmas Gift Swap Is Back!

Original image source here

Last Christmas was the third year that I ran the Thrifty Christmas Gift Swap, and it was great to have lots of participants making, buying and thrifting cool gifts for each other.

Despite my hectic work schedule between now and Christmas I'd love to run it again, and only need a handful of participants to make it work. Crucially, you do not need to be a blogger to take part: last year was about a 50/50 split between bloggers and non-bloggers. So, if you're interested, have a gander at the rules below and then contact me on the email address below to sign up.  (And if you're a blogger or on Twitter, feel free to reblog or retweet this post to spread the word!)

The Rules
1. Send your name, address, blog address (if you have one) to jbistheinitial@gmail.com by November 8th.
2. Include in your email as much detail about your likes and dislikes as possible, so your giver has a starting point.
3. Wait to receive the details of your swapee (to be sent out by November 10th).
4. Put together a box of bought, thrifted or handmade goodies that you think your recipient will love.  In previous years, gifts ranged from framed animation strips from the giftees favourite film, to Christmas mix CDs, to handmade brooches, to secondhand books. As a general rule, I'd limit yourself to around a £10 spend.
5. Pop your parcel in the post by December 10th (although try and be a bit more prompt if sending overseas).
6. Sit back and wait to receive your own box of delights from a mystery giver!

A Date In Nottingham

This Tuesday marked my last day off before I plunge head first into a crazy schedule of working 60+ hours a week up to Christmas (well, I do have a few days off for half term, too, but then it gets really crazy). Wanting to make the most of it, rather than just lying around reading, as I often do on my Tuesdays off, Thomas and I hopped on a train to Nottingham for the afternoon.

It took me a long time to warm to Nottingham. Living in Leicester for the past 19 years, it's been a place I've visited pretty frequently but it was only when I met Laura and she showed me some of the hidden corners of the city that I started to really love it. Now I'd happily live there: it has more of a big-city-buzz to it than Leicester (or perhaps it's just that familiarity breeds contempt?). Regardless, we had a fab afternoon of vintage shopping, book buying and pizza eating: the perfect day off.

We started our afternoon in Hopkinsons, four floors of vintage gorgeousness just next to the railway station, and somewhere that's always worth a rummage. From there, we headed to purveyors of graphic novels and comic books, Page 45, and then Five Leaves, a radical and left-wing bookshop tucked away just off Long Row, where I found a really great book on import from the USA by trans activist and writer Julia Serano.

Das Kino was the real reason for our trip to Nottingham, though. Once Thomas got wind of the fact that this East German-themed ping-pong bar (trust me, as bizarre and hipster as that sounds, it actually works) offered vegan cheese on their stonebaked pizzas, a visit was inevitable. 

Luckily, the pizza met with his approval (not pictured is my equally delicious one topped with mozzarella) and a couple of pints later, we rolled out and wandered down to Hockley for a quick browse in Rough Trade before hopping on our train home. Cool street art will always catch my eye, but I particularly liked this community garden in a handcart.