The Hazel Pear Inn

It's been a Christmas tradition for as long as I can remember that every Christmas Eve my Dad goes out for lunch with all his friends and the lads from work. Each year my mum and I would be at a loss for something to do while he was out, going from chilling in front of the television to frantically wrapping presents to doing a spot of last minute shopping. He'd come home full of tales of delicious food, so last year Mum and I decided to start our own Christmas tradition and go out for our own girly Christmas Eve meal.

Mince Pies

After blogging something a bit different yesterday with my take on an Alternative Christmas Pudding, today I'm going with something traditional: the humble mince pie. Shops have been flooded with them for what feels like months, and with so many different brands on offer picking the right one can be an absolute minefield. According to my family it takes a lot to beat Morrisons' lattice-topped or Marks and Spencer's deep-filled-all-butter, but a homemade mince pie is incomparable.

Alternative Christmas Pudding

Christmas is my favourite time of the year. 

I hope I never stop getting excited by fairy lights, advent calendars and decorating the tree. I can watch Elf, Love Actually and The Santa Clause millions of times and still laugh at every joke even though I know what's coming, and I relish taking a highlighter to the TV guide to plan a suitable television schedule for the holiday period. I eagerly anticipate the arrival of Starbucks' famous red cups and take a photo of the Christmas tree in Covent Garden every time I walk past it, the novelty of seeing it clearly showing no signs of wearing off. You can't talk about Christmas without mentioning the food. Every family I know seems to stock up on nibbles and mince pies and Quality Street in December as if we're heading towards an apocalypse. It's a universally accepted fact that for the few days of Christmas all sense of calorie counting and being good goes totally out of the window, and there's nothing more dangerous to healthy eating than a spot of Christmas baking. 

Since I've been home the oven has been working over time. I started today with a recipe from everyone's favourite supermarket (and general life-saver) Marks and Spencer. It's on their website as a Special Christmas Brownie, but it turned out as more of a dessert so I think it would be the perfect alternative to Christmas Pudding, if you're not really a fan and also a bit of a chocoholic.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

British Library Christmas Market

At the moment, I feel like I live in the British Library. I'm there at least every other day and have become weirdly possessive over a particular desk in my favourite reading room.

A Midsummer Night's Dream

I love Shakespeare. Always have, and I hope I always will. 

The Day of the Doctor

Doctor Who is as British as a perfectly made brew and as iconic as the Queen.

Over the last 50 years it's woven itself into the tapestry of our culture and helps to define what it means to be British. Everyone's heard of the Doctor, harbours a (not so) secret desire to travel in the Tardis at least once, and knows of the terror of the Daleks. Having an in-depth knowledge of the zygones, the origin of "Geronimo!" and just why that fez is so significant doesn't matter. Yes, of course it helps, but it's not a total necessity. That's the beauty of Doctor Who, it's accessible to all: young and old, new fans and diehard Whovians.

Summer Musings

I've had the best summer.

Primetime Emmy Awards 2013 Best Dressed

Television really is having a moment.

I normally merely have a passing flirtation with television shows and can take them or leave them, only choosing to mildly obsess over Downton Abbey or Grey's Anatomy or Sherlock, and occasionally indulging in the odd mini-series. I don't watch many shows - helped by my lack of a TV - and have long since accepted that I'm in a long term relationship with films. Recently, however, thanks to an obsession with Breaking Bad akin to the effects of meth onscreen I've become more and more aware of, and interested in, the television world. It may just be because I'm suddenly more attuned to it, but it seems to me that television is better than it's ever been. The calibre of acting, editing and directing has sky-rocketed, and I'm continually having to re-revaluate my preference for film over television in the face of overwhelmingly stunning shows.

About Time: Film4 Summer Screen at Somerset House

Nothing makes my heart pound and my face light up like a good film. 

I'm not a fussy film-watcher as I'll see pretty much anything and my taste is eclectic and often unpredictable. I'm as happy watching the Cornetto trilogy as I am seeing Gregory Peck reluctantly shoot a rabid dog or Bridget Jones orchestrate a dinner party with blue soup, omelettes and marmalade. My breath is caught when I spot a girl in a red coat and as Gotham city falls to the hands of a masked tyrant. I'm on the edge of my seat equally as velociraptors tear apart a kitchen looking for frightened children and the hallowed halls of Hogwarts are blasted to pieces. I get that inevitable lump in my throat as an old man steers a house tied to thousands of balloons on an adventure to fulfil a childhood promise and Tom Hanks screams WILSONNNN. I’m fired up and inspired as Idris Elba promises to cancel the apocalypse and the USS Enterprise reaches warp speed once Sulu remembers to disengage the external inertial dampener.

It's moments like that provide that unavoidable heart flutter, that tingle of excitement and that small smile that appears before you can do anything to stop it. 

The Cripple of Inishmaan

Subscribing to The Times has to be one of the best things my mum's ever done. Last night I was lucky enough to see the critically-acclaimed play The Cripple of Inishmaan followed by a post-show Q&A with Daniel Radcliffe thanks to the team at MyTimes+.*

*and I literally bumped into Jon Hamm. omgggggg!!!

Breakfast Cups

In true Blue Peter fashion, here's one I made earlier... I actually tested this recipe at Easter and the photographs have been sitting on my camera for weeks, but better late than never!

Breakfast Cups are quick, easy and perfect for brunch with a large group of people. As a self-contained meal they can be served on napkins rather than plates - ideal for when there's so many people you're perched on the emergency chairs and drinking out of mismatched cups.

A Curious Night at the Theatre

Every now and again I come away from a moment feeling so happy, so lucky and so inspired that I feel like I can do anything I set my mind to: be it applying for an internship I'm convinced I'm not good enough for, traveling round the world at the drop of a hat, or walking up the stairs at Covent Garden tube station (harder than it looks: there's a lot of steps...). There's simply nothing I can't do and 'impossible' is no longer a word in my vocabulary. It's a magical feeling that I've not experienced for a while, but the floodgates were opened when I emerged into the cool night air on Shaftesbury Avenue following an utterly fantastic and totally unique evening at the theatre.

Trooping the Colour 2013

No-one does pomp and pageantry quite like the British, and the annual Trooping the Colour is the perfect example of Britain doing what we do best in a military ceremonial display performed by regiments of the British and Commonwealth armies. The colours, or flags, of the regiments were used as an assembly point in battle and were carried or 'trooped' in front of the soldiers daily so that each soldier would recognise his own regiment's colours without delay.

Since 1784, Trooping the Colour has also been used to mark the official birthday of the British sovereign. Queen Elizabeth was born on 21st April, but by publicly celebrating in the summer there is - in theory - a greater chance of good weather (however as it's Britain there's always a 90% chance it'll rain). It also coincides with the publication of the Queen's Birthday Honours List. The Queen has attended Trooping the Colour every year of her reign, except in 1955 when a national rail strike cancelled the event.

The Graham Norton Show

It's like the saying goes: you wait for one bus and then they all come at once. Having had two months doing nothing but bury myself in books, as soon as my exams finished I've been exhausting myself scurrying all over London going to various different events.

Yesterday really was a night to remember as my friend and I spent the evening watching the series finale of The Graham Norton Show be taped. Watching a television show be taped is something I've always been dying to experience and so a couple of weeks ago I looked into applying for tickets to be part of the audience of a couple of different shows. I love watching The GNS every Friday and thought it was worth filling in the application form on the off-chance that I was successful. Luckily I was, and even though I got tickets to my lowest preference evening I had no intention of turning them down, and set about texting my friends to see who'd like to come too.

Such Fun: Miranda Hart Q&A

Well hello to you!

As a subscriber of The Times my mum is able to access the numerous offers available from the team at Times+: varying from restaurant discounts to advance film screenings; Q&As to competitions. Unfortunately I always seemed to find out about London-based events either after they’d happened or when they’d sold out, so as a result of constantly missing out I started following the @MyTimesPlus account on Twitter and am now often aware of events and offers before my mum has checked her emails. Within half an hour of last week’s event being advertised, I was on the phone and getting her to book us tickets as this was something we simply couldn’t miss: Miranda Hart in conversation with David Aaronovitch at Cadogan Hall.

The Medium Purple Box

Anyone that knows me knows that I love to send and receive post. There's something about the process of selecting a card, using your favourite pen and hunting for your book of stamps; going to the post office and entrusting a parcel with the postman; and guessing the origin of the handwriting on a letter waiting on your doorstep that I relish over technology. E-mail really does lack a personal touch.

The Mrs Carter Show 2013

Exams have greatly hindered my ability to blog over the last month, but now they're out the way normal service can resume. First things first, I was lucky enough to see Beyoncé when she performed at the O2 in London as part of The Mrs Carter Show world tour. I wish I'd blogged about this sooner but as a testament to how good it was I can still remember it fresh in my mind as if it was yesterday. Seeing her in person has confirmed that when I grow up I want to be Beyoncé.

About Time

The first trailer has just been released for time-traveling rom-com About Time. Starring Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams and Bill Nighy, it tells the story of Tim (Gleeson) who at the age of 21 is told an incredible family secret by his father - that all the men in his family have the ability to travel in time. He can relive any moment in his life to try things differently until he gets them perfectly right, including wooing the beautiful Mary (McAdams).

It's classic Richard Curtis, but I think it still looks fun. Thoughts?

U.K. Release Date: September 6, 2013

Arqiva BAFTA TV Awards 2013 Best Dressed

Tonight marks a celebration of all things television with the annual BAFTA TV Awards. The categories are extremely strong this year, and I'm excited to see a full list of the winners in about an hour... I have my fingers crossed particularly for Olivia Colman (Supporting Actress for Accused / Female Performance in a Comedy Programme for Twenty Twelve), Graham Norton (Entertainment Performance / Entertainment Programme) and all nominees related to The Hollow Crown and Parade's End. There's been a lot of fantastic British television this year, but they have to be my absolute favourites. My fingers and toes are crossed!

The red carpet was predictably soggy and umbrellas were out in force as London showed that the last few weeks of glorious sunshine were a total fluke and it's back to business as usual. That being said, a spot of rain didn't affect the fashion, and there were plenty of stand out looks this evening unhindered by the weather. Suspense was building all afternoon thanks to the #BAFTAStyle hashtag on Twitter, so it's lovely to finally see the outfits in full now instead of teases on Instagram!

The World's End

Oh. My. Days. Five childhood friends reunite after twenty years to repeat a legendary pub crawl from their youth, returning to their hometown once again to attempt to reach the fabled pub "The World’s End". Over the course of the night, they begin to realise that the real struggle is not just theirs but humankind’s, and completing the crawl becomes the least of their worries.

Tell me I'm not the only one that's ridiculously excited for this?!

U.K. Release Date: July 19, 2013

Met Ball 2013 Best Dressed

Arguably the most exciting event in the fashion calendar, the annual Met Ball is the fashion world's Oscars, and each year the sartorial bar is raised higher and higher. This year, the Costume Institute exhibition at New York's Metropolitan Museum pays tribute to the punk era, and so last night's theme was Punk: Chaos to Couture. Leather, studs and safety pins were all over the red carpet as revelers embraced the theme with aplomb, but overall the fashion tended to lean more towards couture.

Olivier Awards 2013 Best Dressed

I adore the theatre. Having been a part of my school's stage crew for 5 years I gained a real appreciation for the stage. I still experience a certain thrill and a spine-tingle every time I enter a theatre that takes me back to hours spent following scripts by torch-light in the wings, frantically changing sets between scenes and cursing the cast's innate ability to break and lose props with no knowledge as to how they managed it. These memories are some of my most cherished (ignoring how stressful they were at the time!) and helped to develop a special and unique adoration towards theatre that I really can't explain properly, but hope will never fade.

Unfortunately I don't get to go as often as I'd like to, so have decided that as a mid-year's resolution (not a thing, but it is now...) I'm going to make a substantial effort to go more. Living in London is a dream come true, and being so close to so many world-class productions and not seeing them is a total crime, so come 30th May and the end of my exams I'll start working my way down my list of shows. I'm excited already!

Back on topic, last night saw Covent Garden transformed as the Royal Opera House hosted the annual Olivier Awards. A celebration of the best of British theatre, the awards were as glamorous and spectacular as expected, with hosts Hugh Bonneville and Sheridan Smith entertaining those inside while the piazza was filled with theatre fans watching on a large screen.

MTV Movie Awards 2013 Best Dressed

I've been buried in revision since I got back to London and haven't surfaced for a while, but nothing will drag me back to the real world like the pull of a red carpet and a celebration of film. Last night was the MTV Movie Awards, and there were many examples of excellent style on show.

Hot Cross Bun Pudding

Christmas isn’t Christmas without a mince pie, and Easter isn’t Easter without a hot cross bun. This year I was determined to do something different with them, as there’s only so many times you can have a hot cross bun toasted and covered in butter before it gets a little boring… Morrison’s March/April magazine had a recipe for a Hot Cross Bun Pudding so I stocked up on buns (packs of 4 were 75p each or 2 for £1: bargain!) and decided to make it today.

Easter Flapjack

Nothing annoys me more than open packets of ingredients in the cupboard, so when I had a good rummage in the kitchen and found open porridge oats I couldn’t resist making something with them. Limited ingredients and an unwillingness to leave the warmth of my parents’ house to buy more meant I was stuck with something simple: flapjack.

Strawberry and Lemon Sponge Cake

I stumbled across this recipe while reading Morrison’s March/April magazine online and instantly knew it was one I absolutely had to try. It’s originally billed as a cake for Mother’s Day, but is a perfect summer dessert. Strawberries and cream are infused with tangy lemon curd and sandwiched between light vanilla sponges. This is an utterly British cake, an embodiment of Wimbledon, Pimms, bunting and the Queen. It looks beautiful and is really easy to make: ideal to impress distant family members with your culinary prowess over Easter or an excellent finish to a dinner party with friends as a pre-exams/post-dissertation treat.

(Chocolate) Bread and Butter Pudding

For me, a mention of Bread and Butter Pudding evokes memories of snuggling up with a blanket and a film in the middle of winter and tucking into a steaming bowl of the pudding with lashings of double cream. It’s an iconic comforting winter treat, and given the unpredictable British weather – snow in March?! – I think it’d be the perfect dessert to make this week. I found this recipe from Gary Rhodes months ago here, and made it for my flatmates at uni. However, as none of them were really fans of fruit in a pudding, I omitted the traditional sultanas/raisins and instead added dark chocolate. From their gushing compliments I’d say it was a success, although personally I’d prefer to leave it unchanged and as my mum used to make it with the fruit! If you do have Easter eggs left over after the weekend (it’s a long shot but worth asking…) then you could always put them to good use and make your own variation of the recipe below. Waste not, want not!

Oscars 2013 Best Dressed

It's the biggest night in the film industry's calendar: the Oscars are finally here! If I didn't have a French class tomorrow morning I'd stay up all night and follow them live, but as it is I'm going to have to settle for red carpet coverage now and thoughts on the winners/embarrassing speeches/snubs in the morning. As I said in my post about the BAFTAs, awards season is my favourite time of the year and I'm expecting tonight to be incredible. Not only are the Oscars the awards everyone's been building up to, but with the fashion world in the throes of fashion weeks the sartorial stakes are exceedingly high. The red carpet is - quite frankly - going to be out of this world.

EE BAFTAs 2013 Best Dressed

Awards season is - without doubt - my favourite time of the year. Fashion and film collide beautifully, with never ending red carpets displaying all of the latest designs from the fashion world, and hundreds of gold statues handed out to the film and television industry's finest.

Tonight is the EEBAFTAs, the biggest night in the British cinema calendar. As I type, the ceremony is well underway at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. Results are being tweeted live, but the show is recorded and will be broadcast at 9pm on BBC1, so disconnect your internet if you don't want to be spoiled! The red carpet, however, has finished, and as there have been so many stand-out looks tonight, it only seemed appropriate to take a quick break from work to document the best dressed here. I'll discuss the awards results later this evening (and mostly on twitter as they happen: @emma_forth) but for now it's all about the fashion.

I Give It A Year

 IGIAY is the hilarious new British “anti-rom-com” from Dan Mazer (writer of 'Borat' and 'Bruno') that follows a newlywed couple through their first year of married life. After a whirlwind romance highflying corporate PR woman Nat (Rose Byrne) and struggling novelist Josh (Rafe Spall) tie the knot and are an undisputed example that opposites can attract. They face doubt from friends and family from the onset and are clearly attracted to other people (Anna Faris and Simon Baker). Determined to prove their sceptics wrong they set their sights on making it to their first anniversary, but the honeymoon period is definitely over and 365 days starts to feel like a very long time indeed…

Based on a true story...

There's no two ways about it: I LOVE that recently historical films have been creeping into cinemas, simultaneously proving to be box office hits and capable of dominating the awards season. For both a history and film nerd, this is an extremely exciting prospect! Despite not being able to watch a film without looking for all the inconsistencies, goofs and plot holes, I'm not one of those people that automatically moans when a film is historically inaccurate - slightly ironic, I know, but perfect for these type of films!

Holocaust Memorial Day 2013

First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me

~ First They Came - Pastor Martin Niemoller

The Impossible

The initial images of the Indian Ocean tsunami destroying everything in its path as it traveled with a ferocious and unstoppable intensity dominated the news on Boxing Day 2004. As the day progressed, footage emerged showing the rest of the world the wall of water tearing through buildings, flattening palm trees and sweeping thousands of unsuspecting people to their deaths. It was one of the most significant and shocking natural disasters of the twenty-first century: an environmental catastrophe that left a trail of utter devastation in its wake. The Impossible manages to powerfully recreate this very moment in history, with director Juan Antonio Bayona using the true story of the Spanish Belón family with great success. Stunning visual effects and powerhouse performances render this a truly astonishing film.