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!