I’m a wee bit late at writing this up, but believe me when I say the last week or so has been hectic! I’ve had freelancing deadlines, a Pizza Hut date and, not to mention, a very special baby shower/afternoon tea lunch for my friend at work. April has traditionally been one of my favourite months of the year, mainly because of the Easter holidays which means extra time off school/university/work (delete where appropriate). This past April has been no exception, and I spent a great deal of time on mini breaks around the UK, as well as a few days chilling at home with the cats. Bliss.
What Did I Get Up To?
Over Easter I spent a night at The Hoxton hotel in Shoreditch with my friend Amy. We won the stay via a competition at the ‘Destinations: The Holiday & Travel Show’ earlier this year. Expect a full write-up on this soon, but for now here’s a sneak peak of our swanky and achingly-cool room. 
The next week I had my dreams made for life when I found myself in the same room as…Ryan Gosling! (And Matt Smith…the 11th Doctor). Me and a handful of friends were able to nab some tickets to a showing of Gosling’s latest film (which he directed), Lost River, followed by a Q&A with the two stars. If you haven’t seen the film yet…yeah, I probably wouldn’t recommend it. Unless you like your movies to not make sense. 
This month also saw me finally book flights for my most exciting trip yet, take on several little trips around London and head on up to Helmsley in North Yorkshire to review the fabulous Black Swan Hotel and their seven-course taster menu. Again, keep your eyes peeled for a review on this coming soon – but let me tell you it involves lots of tea, gorgeous country houses and countryside views. 
What I’ve Been Posting About
- How learning to ski almost (emotionally) killed me
- So, just what is an Inghams holiday like? + my new YouTube video!
- My top luxury luggage picks
- Exciting news: My biggest trip yet!
- Travel the world as a Date Explorer with Match.com
- Ultimate FAQ for beginner skiers
- Have you seen these alternative New York sights?
- 10 reasons why we all need to visit South Africa
- My top three bucket list destinations
What I’ve Been Reading
- Going to Prison: Visiting Alcatraz, San Francisco (via Kirst Over The World) – can’t wait to visit in November!
- 31 Mistakes I Made in India (via VickyFlipFlopTravels) – really makes me want to go explore the chaos…
- A Kindred Spirit to Share the Road (via The New York Times)
Cat of the Month
I ran into this cat on the way to work – pretty sure it’s an angel sent by God. 
My Plans for May…
My May plans are already well underway! Yesterday I took my mum over to Dover Castle for a tour of the WW2 underground tunnels. Despite the wind and the rain, we had a fab day learning more about Operation Dynamo. And in just a few days I’ll be off to my second new country of the year with Icelolly.com…head over to my Facebook page where I’ll be revealing all over the next few days!
Thank you for including my blog! 🙂 Excited to hear about your trip there later this year.
Also, that cat is beyond cute!
I’m also heading off the The Black Swan! Looks gorgeous doesn’t it?! When are you there?
Hi Hannah! I was up there last week and it was grand! When are you going?
How gorgeous is that cat. One of mine is half Siamese and rolls around like that to have his stomach tickled too and chats away continuously!
Ooh I’m going to the Hoxton soon for an event, looks like you had a lovely stay and nice that you saw Ryan Gosling, even if the film wasn’t great! Did he look as good in the flesh as on screen?
What an exciting April you had! Mine was very low key in comparison but hoping a few upcoming travels will fix all that! I’m very much looking forward to seeing your taster menu review – sounds pretty gourmet! ☺