House Festival 2014

Hi everyone,

This is a little late, but I wanted to share this with you anyway because it happens every year. To be honest I have ever heard of this event before and I really didn't know what to expect. So when I got the invitation to go, I was a little hesitant... but I am so glad I went. The House Festival is a one day outdoor event taking place at Marble Hill House in Richmond.

I have not been to many festivals but I imagined extortionate prices for food and drinks and any extras, however I was pleasantly surprised to find it was all FREE! Once inside the Festival all your food, drink and entertainment is included. Marble Hill House's grounds were be filled with market stalls offering a summer feast including oysters, lobsters, hog roast and homemade pizzas, and there were be plenty of bars.

Needless to say everyone was in a jolly mood, but they were so fun and friendly - people would just talk to you, just to be nice. The sun were shining and line up was pretty cool, with likes of Dizzee Rascal, Jake Bugg, Paloma Faith, Sam Smith, Kelis and more! 

This festival seemed quite clean and slightly more 'up market' then the muddy skankiness of Glastonbury, even the toilets clean and well presented. There are plenty places is sit, chill and enjoy, so no need to stand around until your feet hurt..

The money raised from the House Festival go towards the English Heritage Foundation which helps with the maintenance and upkeep of Marble Hill. The money also goes to the War Child charity; which helps to support vulnerable children whose lives had been torn apart by war. Tickets for this event tend to sell out rapidly, so keep you eyes peeled for next year.

Couldn't help myself - got to love props!

Take Care.

Jamaican-me Laugh

Hey everyone,

Ha-ha, though I'd  make a little pun for you :)

What makes a Sunday afternoon a better Sunday afternoon? Answer; go to the park. Even better answer was to go to Brixton Splash or Crystal Palace Jamaica Day last Sunday.

Officially it was Jamaica's 51st Independence day on Tuesday 6th August 2013, but celebrations have been in full swing since last week.

Sadly I couldn't get to both in one day, so I choose to go to Crystal Palace. Crystal Palace Park was an old favourite of mine as a child; its changed a little bit, but still a really cool place to chill and enjoy the day. There was a great sense of pride in the air, everyone made an effort dressed in Jamaican colours, it felt so welcoming.

So what was going on?

There was some amazing live dance performances. Some of the dancers looked young, but they were so talented. You could tell the performance meant something to them, they looked so happy. I enjoyed watching these two (can't remember their name), I rarely see young people doing dancing like this - so this was a treat.

I'm not going to lie though, there was some parts I found slightly uncomfortable. Number one being the under 13yrs dance competition, what bothered me about it was the dancing itself. I don't think its right for young innocent children to be doing this 'cock up batty', 'jook gal',  'bruk it down' dance moves to a crowd of adults and big ass men. No, no, no not feeling that at all, what kind of messed up impression are we giving here?

Anyway… There where loads of stalls offering delicious Caribbean food, merchandise and arts and crafts. I love Caribbean art, so colourful and calming - its like it takes you to another world. And to top it off Steel pans, I love Steel Pans! I love the way they sound, the atmosphere they create and when I was younger I really used to enjoy playing them too.


Everybody will be eating all the chicken tonight lol

Naturally there was a hell of a lot of chicken, not 100% sure what the obsession is with it, but it really nice. Not dry and chewy, it was tender and well seasoned. Though, I'm more into fish these days but hey-hoo.

It was a really nice day for the whole family, there was even a funfair to keep the children busy. Various DJs for those who fancy a dance or just sit down at your picnic and nod your head. Whenever was 'your thing', there was plenty of room for you to enjoy. It was a happy atmosphere, no trouble just simple fun.

I might not able to afford a ticket to the Caribbean right now but this is a good start.

Hope your well.