Friday 18 December
This is our last ‘Weekly Escape’ of 2020 and this time next week will be Christmas Day! We have loved sending out NERANO jigsaws across the UK and Europe in the run up to Christmas and it makes us very happy to know that lots of NERANO jigsaw puzzles will be under the tree and enjoyed with friends and family over Christmas this year.
As so many people are now in Tier 3/4 and restricted on what you can do and where you can go we have focused on things we have enjoyed / looking forward too from the comfort of home.
If you are still panic-buying gifts we have collated a last-minute Christmas Gift Guide on our blog to give you some inspiration.
We are watching..
BEING BRIDGET JONES / Tuesday 22 December 9pm BBC2
We’ve grown up with Bridget Jones and Mark Darcy so can’t wait to revisit some classic Bridget moments in this new BBC documentary on Tuesday evening with interviews from Helen Fielding and past cast members.
"It's 25 years since Bridget Jones made her first appearance - in a newspaper column detailing her rocky relationships with men, booze, fags... and knicker elastic. One of the defining figures of the 1990s, Helen Fielding's comic creation was an instant cultural phenomenon.
"Now, a quarter of a century later, BBC Two celebrates Bridget Jones and the legacy of Helen Fielding's character. In the age of Fleabag and #MeToo, the film explores how Bridget's story reflects changing attitudes to women - and the way their stories are told. Being Bridget will feature interviews with Helen Fielding and the friends who inspired the original characters along with rarely seen archive and celebrity fans playing tribute."
New period drama ‘Bridgerton’ hits NETFLIX on 25 December
We love a period drama and this one is already getting a lot of buzz. According to VOGUE, ‘Showrunner Chris Van Dusen and producer Shonda Rhimes are set to drag the period drama into the 21st century with this zany interpretation of Julia Quinn’s best-selling Bridgerton novels. Their eight-part series plays out in the ballrooms and boudoirs of Regency London, as the fiery Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) sets out to find a husband. The cast is thrillingly diverse, ranging from rising stars such as Ruby Barker and Regé-Jean Page, to Julie Andrews as the acerbic narrator’.
We are listening to..
STIG ABELL’S PODCAST - A GUIDE TO READING
This has been our podcast of the week and is great way of discovering new books across different genres. It’s also interesting to listen to Stig and his interviewees take a step back to discuss the wider context of each genre from how important life experience is when becoming a novelist to which of Chaucer’s famous pilgrims they’d go for a pint with.
About: For a whole year on his train to work, Stig Abell read books from across genres and time periods. Then he wrote about them, and their impact on our culture and his own life. In this new podcast, Stig talks to guests about their favourite books and tries to get to the bottom of what makes them so good. Episodes focus on a range of genres, from Crime to Classics, from Poetry to Shakespeare's Plays. It's a lively and funny celebration of the power of words, as well as a guide to discover new books to love and remind you of the ones that you already do.
Stig Abell’s ‘Guide to Reading’
What we’re cooking..
Home-Made Mince Pies
This year, my sister and I are completely stuck with what to give our Dad. He doesn’t have lots of hobbies to shop for and as his birthday was at the end of October, we stocked him up with enough books, socks and jumpers to last him well into the New Year. We have decided to make him a hamper stashed full of all his favourite gourmet goodies and all the things we spend most of the year telling him to avoid. Alongside kalhua coffee liqueur for his espresso martinis and quirky local cheeses, we will be making him some home-made mince pies.
We are putting our trust in one of our favourite food writers Felicity Cloak, whose step-by-step mince pie masterclass is apparently the go-to recipe we should follow! This recipe also has helpful pictures at each stage to hopefully keep us on track. READ HERE.
Photograph: Dan Matthews/The Guardian
Beetroot Beef Wellington
Alexandra is vegetarian so we are always on the look out for new recipes that can be served alongside a roast turkey that look as impressive and taste delicious. This roast beetroot recipe takes some effort but served with a shallot gravy will probably be divert us from the turkey as well. RECIPE
Photo: Kate Whitaker
Looking forward too post-lockdown..
The Mayfair Townhouse
It’s brave to open a new hotel in London when we are constantly going in/out of lockdown but The Mayfair Townhouse (near to Green Park) has done just that and we’re pleased they managed to host some journalists in the short time it could remain open and receive some glowing reviews over the last week.
When we can travel again, we’re looking forward to visiting The Dandy Bar, which looks like a stylish basement den for some very decadent cocktails inspired by Oscar Wilde and other literary icons who used to hang out in these converted Georgian townhouses before his arrest in 1895.
The Mayfair Townhouse
Coping with Loneliness this Christmas..
Christmas is going to look different for many of us this year, with many feeling levels of anxiety, stress and/or anxiety based depression have been heightened like never before. The Samaritans received over 10,000 calls on Christmas Day last year alone and its volunteers have said that the most common worries recently have been about being separated from family and loved ones, and how they will cope with being lonely during Christmas or having to spend Christmas alone.
It's important to be prepared and if you're feeling anxious about the celebrations, read Anxiety UK’s tips for coping with Christmas here. Anxiety UK also have therapists on call over Christmas if you need to speak to anyone and The samaritans are always there to talk on 116 123.
The brilliant comedian, Sarah Millican, will also be doing #JoinIn on Twitter for the 10th year running. It's a hashtag to connect all of those who could do with some company on Christmas Day. So essential for this year when so many can’t spend the the day with family.
