Scalini Walton St Could the Influencer Age Finally be coming to an end?

As london restaurants impose cover charges and no photography guidelines is the influencer age over?

Rupert Dobbin

2026-04-08T11:02:00.0000000 2026-04-08T15:25:06.1300000

As no photography, cover charges and minimum spends take hold in London’s top spots and stories appear in the national press about businesses losing patience with the swarm of influencers descending on their establishments claiming local hotspots as public spaces, restauranteurs and coffee shop owners are fighting back.

There’s definitely been a shift, I’ve noticed it, in more and more places; pick your phone up to take a picture of the place or worse still a picture of the food and the atmosphere changes. Like you are one of those people not there to enjoy the atmosphere, food and service but to get your images whilst spending as little as possible and leave.

I like to take pictures, and I like to write reviews not as a business, usually to share things I love and help the business but more and more, in wonderful long established spots like Scalinis, Daphnes, Kahani, Claude Bois at Bibendum, or newer restaurants Dinings SW3 2017 or Fellini 2024 the staff (and sometimes the customers) are giving out the camera away vibes. And can we really blame them?

I have overheard dinners complain about too many people taking pictures and saw one table tell an incessant snapper to ensure they weren’t captured on camera. Embarrassing for the person taking too many pictures. They had to stop and finish their meal with everyone talking about them.

Mr King said their respect has been 'replaced by a sense of entitlement' and such behaviour has 'stepped over the line', sparking complaints from other guests.  

Jeremy King is behind some of the capital's most iconic eateries including The Ivy and Le Caprice. But he says his newest restaurant - The Park in Notting Hill - has been hit with a 'influenza-like outbreak' of social media influencers.

When restauranteurs are having to apologise to customers in their newsletters and implement signage and policies to stop the influencer invasion the tide is definitely turning

When speaking to the Daily Mail Mr. king said

'In the meantime. we have implemented protocols to minimise any potential disruption of your meal, and can assure you that you will not end up in the background of anyone's Reel.

'We are not quite ready to declare The Park a mobile-free zone, but if another young lady shows up with a three-person camera crew, makeup artist and vanity mirror, we'll have no choice but to reconsider our position’

Jeremy King is clearly not alone.

At the most expensive hotel in London the New Chancery Rosewood in Grosvenor Square there’s a £200 cover for a table in the bar. To keep the influencers out. And Claridges and The Ritz American Bar have also stopped anyone just wandering in. In Claridges recently a business meeting where we had a pizza to share, a couple of cocktails and a bottle of wine the bill was over £400, we were met in the lobby and shown to a table in the bar we needed a reservation for, no waltzing in and definitely no photographs.

The same goes for Scalinis, my favourite spot, an old school place, older than the hills my parents liked to take us to as a family where I would always order Spaghetti carbonara. It’s so good and so unchanged I rarely order this popular Italian dish anywhere else because I know it won’t taste like Scalinis.

There wasn’t a sign up saying no pictures but there might as well have been. I snapped the cheeky picture inside of the sign without getting caught but that was it.

Borough Market, somewhere I love and have written about; Security have escorted out food influencers for filming without permission and the market now requires permits for filming to prevent congestion.

It’s been reported in the Evening Standard numerous times over the last year about gentrification and areas around London being overrun with Tiktok and Instagram people and the negative effects it’s had on business and neighbourhoods.

For me it’s great to see the places I love to go, dealing with the problem directly with steely stares, polite but direct communication from staff about respect for other diners. And even bold customers speaking up and slapping down the influencer types not welcome in their favourite haunts.

It’s a new dawn and personally I’d be happy to see a cellphone ban for customers restauranteurs don’t know. It would encourage more people to frequent the best places regularly and get to know staff at those establishments if you want to be allowed to have your phone at the table.

KX The Private Club Where You Think The Investment Will Add Network Value

It’s Private Inside And Out, People Who Go Keep Themselves To Themsleves

Rupert Dobbin

2026-04-02T10:34:00.0000000 2026-04-02T14:15:26.8270000

I joined KX in Brompton Cross with a mixture of curiosity and quiet expectation. You hear about it in that particular London way, not advertised, but mentioned in passing, as if it’s less a place and more a tier of life. Someone you know goes there. Someone else swears by it. The details are always vague, except for one thing: it’s expensive.

What no one quite tells you (at least not upfront) is just how expensive.

The first thing that strikes you is the calm. Not the curated, Instagrammable calm of most wellness spaces, but something more deliberate. Controlled. There’s no chaos, no waiting for machines, no low-level tension of a crowded gym floor. It feels almost like a private clinic disguised as a members’ club. You’re there to work, to reset, to improve.

And, to be fair, it delivers. The facilities are exceptional, a gym that never feels overrun, a spa that rivals a five-star hotel, and a restaurant that makes “healthy eating” feel like an indulgence rather than a compromise. Everything you need is in one place, and it works seamlessly. That is the real luxury: not marble surfaces or eucalyptus steam rooms, but the absence of friction.

But then, gradually, the numbers start to come into focus.

Membership itself is not publicly listed, but the range hovers between £700 and £1000 per month, we paid a joining fee on top. My girlfriend and I joined separately which was fine but it ended up costing us about £1600 a month each. That alone places it firmly in a different category to even London’s premium gyms. And yet, that figure is only the beginning.

Because KX is designed in such a way that simply “having membership” is almost beside the point.

Personal training, which feels less like an optional extra and more like part of the ecosystem — can easily run £100 to £150 per session. Do that a couple of times a week and you’re quietly adding another £800 to £1,200 a month. Treatments, testing, recovery sessions: all available, all excellent, all additional.

Even the smaller things begin to accumulate. Lunch isn’t included, though it sits there, conveniently, persuasively. You finish a workout, you’re already in the mindset, and ordering something clean and perfectly calibrated feels like the logical next step. A salad, a juice, a coffee, £20 here, £30 there, and before long, it’s simply part of your routine.

The club even operates an internal account system, meaning you rarely feel the moment of payment. You just sign, and it’s handled later. It’s frictionless in every sense.

Which is precisely the point.

There is also the matter of commitment. Membership is typically structured annually, and once you are in, you are in. There is no casual pause, no dipping in and out depending on your schedule. Even if you stop going, the cost continues; a quiet, persistent reminder.

The reality of cancelling KX, you are effectively locked in for 12 months.

Once you’ve joined on a standard membership you cannot cancel during the 12-month term

Even if: you stop going, your schedule changes, you simply change your mind, even if you have a death in the family and your financial circumstances dramatically change.

This is explicitly stated in their terms. It’s not a flexible membership. It’s a contract.

And so a subtle shift occurs. What begins as a luxury starts to feel like something you must justify. You find yourself going not just because you want to, but because you feel you should.

And yet, for all of this, it is undeniably effective. If you can absorb the cost, and that is the defining condition, it removes every barrier to living well. Training, recovery, nutrition, expertise: all handled, all available, all under one roof. It becomes less a gym and more an infrastructure for a certain kind of life.

But it is a life that comes at a price.

In truth, KX is not really for the “well-off.” It is for the genuinely wealthy, those for whom a four-figure monthly spend on wellbeing does not require negotiation or second thought. Luxury and the beautiful people everywhere you turn.

For everyone else, it sits in a more complicated space: aspirational, impressive, but ultimately difficult to sustain without a lingering sense of excess.

I found myself admiring it, even as I questioned it. It is, without doubt, one of the most refined wellness environments in London. But it is also a place where every decision, every session, every meal, every small indulgence; carries a cost.

And those costs, however quietly presented, have a way of adding up.

Truth is I love it but cannot really afford it. And getting out of your contract once you’ve committed isn’t possible either. Buyer beware, this club will draw you in like a super powerful James Bond style magnet but once you’re in you’re in.

I am not anti Tech I am just pro being intentional

Would you dump an Apple Smartphone for a Nokia Flip

Rupert Dobbin

2026-02-17T11:10:00.0000000 2026-02-17T16:42:51.6970000

You don’t have to look very far to see the shift away from smart phones to flip phones by the super rich and super smart. A whole host of respected publications from PC Mag, to Forbes, to Reuters, to Business Insider have written on the growing trend shift in the billionaire category board rooms.

It’s been widely published that business men like Warren Buffet have steered away from attention sapping smart phones preferring a simpler communication device with no apps, just calls and messaging capabilities. He did get an iPhone 11 in 2021 but reportedly uses it rarely and very little of its functionality.

To be clear I haven’t binned off my IPhone myself yet but I am fascinated by the people I know who don’t spend their life on their phone and to be honest those people are much more intentional, less distracted, better company, tend to be more successful and I am thinking there may be something in this no longer upgrading a perfectly good phone for a bigger better latest model that when you get it isn’t actually that much different.

I use my phone as more of a work tool, I have moved away from my laptop which I rarely use and split my work load between my iPad Pro a 12.9-inch tablet (4th generation, released March 2020 model) in Space Grey, featuring 256GB storage, Wi-Fi + Cellular connectivity, and a Liquid Retina display powered by the A12Z bionic chip, it includes a 12MP wide/10MP ultra wide rear camera system with a LiDAR scanner for AR, and is compatible with the 2nd generation Apple Pencil none of which I actually use. When it was launched the retail price was £1200 but as this model was discontinued by April 2021 the current market value is anywhere from £400 to £600. If I am taking pictures or video I use my 12 max pro I phone.

Again my iPhone (which I purchased secondhand for about £600) started life in 2020 costing £1100. Mine with extra storage 256GB today cost between £250 to £300 so you can start to understand the billionaires mindset that say a Nokia 2780 at £90 is a better option and delivers way less brain rot.

It has been suggested by such individuals that smartphones steal your time, your thinking time, the most valuable asset an entrepreneur processes, the number one reason you don’t find them in the top boardrooms. It has been observed individuals who spend a lot of time scrolling feeds like Instagram TikTok and short form videos over time have real problems concentrating and focusing. Supporting the idea that your thinking brain is a muscle that if it’s not used and just directed it stops working entirely.

Quite a depressing scary concept for younger people no longer addicted to cigarettes and alcohol like their parents but certainly addicted to their phones.

Could I give mine up? Like I said I use it for work and store a lot of information on there particularly usernames and passwords for banking, credit cards, emails, just basic life stuff. I guess billionaires write that stuff down or secretaries who keep it for them on their smartphones.

I am half way to giving up my smartphone, the only reason I swapped over from my iPhone 6S to this one was my banking app stopped working and wasn’t supported and my iPad I like for the screen size but managing files and folders is a mine field I try to avoid and don’t yet completely understand. I am sure others can relate if I download something I often struggle to locate it and don’t yet understand the relationship between images in files and images in popular file manager app Documents by Readle.

There are a couple of films on you tube I often refer to link below with titles like How I Organise Files on iPhone and IPad (so I can actually find things) and the new photo app on iPhone to be honest I actually hate. If you take and manage a lot of images and videos, cut and edit them for content creation I haven’t come up with an easy system for storing and recovering quickly using albums or files.

I guess managing without smartphone technology if you are not a billionaire in the boardroom yet would be tricky although the big question is are you going to get there if you just can’t stop scrolling?

I have a couple of apps I like and use regularly, a free game I play, where the only thing I have to suffer is incessant TEMU and test your IQ ads on completion, easy to skip. I’ve never had a Facebook account, I don’t use Instagram to scroll, I have an account and post a couple of times a month, I do post on X but I am careful as I’ve already had one account cancelled for some rule breaking I am unaware of and could not get it back despite numerous attempts. In the end I had to set up a new email and start again which was a complete pain.

And it’s not just the financial elite moving to flip as many Gen Zs are prioritising mental health with less and less screen time, the stats are interesting on the flip phone market share and value. Watch out Apple and the major players on Android Samsung, Google, Huawei, Xiaomi, Vivo and Oppo and I predict it won’t be long before these companies are getting in on the action with a flip phone of their own. According to Google, the global foldable flip smartphone market was estimated at $31.65 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $74 billion by 2030.

I am swaying towards joining this new elite class and making the switch to a flip phone, I’ll keep my iPhone in my pocket using it just for the camera maybe. I do like to take a lot of photos.

Krambals Italian Bruschetta From Bulgaria 🇧🇬

One standout product for us, Krambals Bruschetta we’d never heard of until this holiday

Rupert Dobbin

2025-12-30T09:49:00.0000000 2025-12-30T15:36:56.0470000

It is very rare for me to buy a new product like Krambals Bruschetta from Bulgaria, a brand I have never seen before or tried at the holidays, like most people I decide what I am making and stick to the plan, so to veer off piste in satire and then be completely blown away by how good it actually is, a one in a million. I’m usually in charge of the food shop and cooking at Christmas, so this year I decided to mix things up a bit and bought a few things, random, I’d never tried before.

These bruschetta snacks, pieces are thin and small, not like the toasts you get in a restaurant but more bite sized, super crispy, a cross between a bruschetta toast and a crisp. So absolutely great for making one mouthful sized hors d’oevres or using like tortillas for dipping in salsa, hummus, taramasalata, what ever you prefer.

That is if you manage to put the bag down. OMG I cannot remember the last time I bought something so moreish; salty, crispy, oily, flavoursome everyone was into them before the first drink was even poured and the first bag was literally devoured in less than a flash. Like a swarm of locusts leaving nothing but the bright orange packet floundering on the kitchen counter. WHOOSH.

It was the new recipe garden grill that had proved such a hit. So much so within 24 hours I was back under strict instructions to buy more, this time being forced to try a different flavour as what had been a massive display of orange packets, with the onion and chilli pepper on the front had been reduced to a single solitary one. I bought the yellow packet as well, the Bruschetta creamy cheese flavour as a back up last resort.

Had we tried the yellow packet first, we’d never have been hooked as the flavour whilst not unpleasant didn’t compare to the Garden Grill variety which are possibly the most delicious crispy bread snacks I have ever tasted. So good you don’t actually need anything to go with, perfect to be eaten alone.

If you spot this delight in your local supermarket, I didn’t get them in a smart deli, I found them in the Coop, and wonder should I try them, don’t hesitate. Pick up a bag, a taste of the Mediterranean I can’t imagine anyone disliking. Delicious with a glass of decent red. An absolute triumph in an orange bag.

And Palm Oil free which for anyone who is avoiding products made with this controversial food a win win.

Having done a little bit of research I discovered this company was founded in 2012 with big dreams to make innovative delicious healthy food products. They make other baked snack products, pretzels, nuts, and a very interesting looking tiramisu croissant which I cannot wait to try if I can find it. Definitely look out for this exciting better than your average snack company. They say they want to make people smile. They definitely managed that for us this holiday.

Huel Helps Your Metabolism, Energy, Immune Health. Digestion and Gut Function And Don’t Taste Terrible Either

Ready meals and shakes that aren’t processed, and that are sustainable and quite tasty does...

Rupert Dobbin

2025-12-09T17:07:00.0000000 2025-12-10T10:33:00.9700000

It was pretty funny when I asked in our small convenience store in our North London neighbourhood what this new product Huel was all about they said they didn’t know. The Saturday girl told me she thought the owner had made a mistake because it was near the milk and it was the only thing that wasn’t selling. I got my phone out to investigate. I was curious.

Huel - The no prep meal that doesn’t compromise on your health. I liked the strap line and the packaging, I thought why not.

When you think of a complete meal in a shake if you are like me you think of those high calorie meal replacements they give to OAPs withering away and in need of serious nutrition, easy to injest, a meal in a shake. Brands, Ensure, Fortisip Or Complan are the names this vision conjures up. Not sexy, not young, not inspiring.

And then Huel pops up (cute right, sounds like fuel, of course you got that, I confess it took a woman to point it out to me, she’s in marketing) the complete opposite, same concept except targeted at the young, beautiful people, that offers a complete nutrition solution that supports your body, your goals. Your mind and your life.

The idea is the product range is convenient for busy folk on the go, foods that will help you manage your weight, snacking on the go with healthy nutritious bars, increase protein intake whilst still being completely vegan, a problem for plant based advocates and the company Huel offer snacks as well as delicious shakes and hot meals.

I noticed Huel shakes on the shelf in my local supermarket and I have to say the clean packaging did peak my interest. I like a new health product and am usually open to give a healthy protein bar a go. The packaging is fresh and young and as someone working on reducing my dairy intake the distinct Vegan labelling on the packaging did appeal.

I bought a shake, it wasn’t cheap A single Huel ready-to-drink shake (500ml bottle) cost me £3.50. The higher-protein Black Edition version costs more, at £3.80 per serving. This wasn’t available. I tried the chocolate shake.

They have a few flavours, banana, salted caramel, vanilla.

Now a McDonald’s chocolate shake, which I am quite partial to it was not, that said it’s way better for you. Huel use superfood ingredients like Pea protein, Flaxseed, Oats, Faba Bean protein and Coconut to make their products.

I know they don’t make it sound very appealing but I was very pleasantly surprised. I didn’t have to hold my nose to get it down. It was quite delicious actually. Not overly sweet but a nice texture and quite chocolatey. It didn’t taste weird which I have experienced in the past when I’ve ventured into flaxseed territory.

The number one notable thing to mention was how sustaining it was, I didn’t feel hungry for ages afterwards and actually ended up missing lunch completely that day, not on purpose it just happened. And that rarely happens on a Saturday, we almost always enjoy a brunch out.

Would I buy again, budget permitting yeah sure. I think a couple of these in the fridge at home could replace my cheeky hot chocolate treat of a morning with my croissant and defo substitute those less than healthy sugary MacDonalds shakes I am so partial to even though a High protein Black Edition come out at almost double the price. You get what you pay for right?

Huel already have over 4 million customers around the world they publish on their website. I guess with me they are one person closer to 5 Million. And if they are making it into small convenience stores in London they must be doing something right when it comes to distribution network. It’ll be interesting to see if I can still find it here in a few weeks.

Well if GQ likes it maybe I can get my Girlfriend to try it too, she’s a reader and definitely buys into the gentleman’s quarterly, actually more than I do. She got me the subscription last Christmas and I bet it’s going to be renewed this year.

The Good Life Eatery Healthy Plates Affordable Prices

Office for the day or a quick avocado on toast the Good Life Eatery delivers

Rupert Dobbin

2025-11-17T13:35:00.0000000 2025-12-17T17:02:45.1030000

Inspired by the cafe breakfast culture of New York and Los Angeles the Good Life eatery has 3 bustling locations across London, on Sloane Avenue in Chelsea, Marylebone, and our favourite on St John's Wood High Street.

The Good Life  is not fancy but the best neighbourhood casual cafe for the health conscious in St John’s Wood, North London. It’s where I go when I’m feeling bloated, drank too much, over done it, just want to be good or if my girlfriend says "we're having something healthy."

It’s an order at the counter place where the Poke Bowls resonate and there are a lot of salad, vegetable, no meat options available plus gluten free. The thing I love the most is the food, never had a bad meal and they serve great protein smoothies all made fresh to order. I cannot stand beetroot but they have a few salads with beetroot, so good for you I am told and the chef has managed to make this divide the crowd vegetable come back for palatable.

It attracts a young 30 something crowd for coffee, granola, fruit and yogurt, that kind of vibe, healthy fresh squeezed juices and smoothies are available from the chiller cabinet.

It’s a no frills kinda place but pull up a seat by the window, it’s on the corner of Wellington Place and St johns wood high st so lots of window seats available, either at the bar on the front or tables along the side for great people watching in the neighbourhood.

It’s not known for it’s super friendly service, it’s affordable and gets busy so don’t expect a chat and a how are you, it’s more of a can you hurry up, get your money out, iPhone wallet and pay, as there are three people waiting behind you, kind of vibe. I don’t mind that though, the foods always been great and you get a really good sized lunch portion for under a tenner. Guys like that.

They don’t serve alcohol and don’t expect frills like ice and or lemon in your water. In fact getting a tap water has been met with we have water in the chiller before (My girlfriend has got it, of course they’d prefer customers to buy a water which I do to save any grunts) but if you like a big salad with imagination it’s definitely the best place to choose on St John’s Wood High st, and don’t think it’s all plant, you start with your plant base and then add delicious fresh cooked meat and fish, options so definitely something to suit everyone.

Enjoy Wild Idol Zero Alcohol Sparkling Wine at The Ivy: A Sophisticated, Vegan-Friendly Choice

Experience Sophistication with Wild Idol Zero Alcohol Sparkling Wine at The Ivy

Rupert Dobbin

2025-09-10T08:24:00.0000000 2025-09-10T11:43:22.4400000

Wild Idol Zero Alcohol Sparkling Wine: A Toast to Health at The Ivy

If you find meandering through the vibrant streets of London, looking for a dining spot that combines a relaxed stylish atmosphere with wellness, The Ivy chain of restaurants might just have the perfect offering to elevate your lunch experience without compromising your health goals. Enter Wild Idol Zero Alcohol Sparkling Wine, a chic and vegan-friendly alternative that promises the elegance of traditional sparkling wine without the alcohol content.

We were offered a glass to try at a restaurant we often frequent mid week for a casual quick but tasty lunch, the Ivy on the Kings Road in Chelsea. Brasserie style dining, great service and you don’t need to dress up.

In recent years, the trend towards healthier lifestyles has seen a significant shift in the beverage choices of diners, particularly among those who prefer to avoid alcohol due to health reasons or personal preferences. Recognizing this shift, The Ivy has introduced Wild Idol Zero Alcohol Sparkling Wine to its beverage menu, catering to a growing demographic of health-conscious patrons. The long summer nights and the balmy weather in the UK have meant drinking a bit too much of an evening and I wanted to rein that in for the next few months. My girlfriend is also pregnant so it means she can enjoy a glass of bubbles too.

It’s the first time I’ve tried a sophisticated blend like this, Idol Wild have attempted and successfully I might add filling the gap of a delicious fizzy aperitif without the booze or sluggish unproductive afternoon that doesn't taste like fizzy apple juice or church wine.

Wild Idol stands out as a non-alcoholic sparkling wine crafted with the same meticulous attention to detail as its alcoholic counterparts, I haven't tried the boozy version as there isn’t one although am assured by friends the Ivy Collection is very good. A mate of mine who's a bit of a connoisseur and wine collector said the Ivy Collection wines, sparkling cuvee and rose are not the poor relation, his words, to more well known popular choices like Verve Cliquot or Tattinger, his favourite champagne.

In comparison, the idol Wild drinks are naturally alcohol free, a blend of meticulously selected grapes, ensuring that each sip delivers a complexity and depth akin to traditional sparkling wine with or without alcohol. The non alcoholic version tasted really good, better than expected and did leave me wanting another glass, at £13.50 I stuck with the one complimentary glass offered but will be keeping my eyes open for this tasty alcohol free tipple elsewhere. It's an appealing option for those who desire the sophisticated feel of sipping on a bubbly without the effects of alcohol.

Not Just Non-Alcoholic, But Vegan Too

In addition to being zero-alcohol, Wild Idol is vegan-friendly, making it an inclusive choice that aligns with various dietary preferences and lifestyles. This aspect is particularly appealing to me at a time when I am trying to be healthier and veganism is becoming not just a diet but a lifestyle choice for many. The health benefits of trying to eat more plant based options becoming more and more undeniable. By choosing ingredients that are cruelty-free and plant-based, Wild Idol ensures that everyone at the table can join in the toast.

Perfect for Lunchtime Indulgence

Choosing a non-alcoholic drink like Wild Idol Zero Alcohol Sparkling Wine during lunch can be a smart decision, especially for those with afternoon commitments. It offers the pleasure of a festive drink without the lethargy that alcohol might induce. Plus, its moderate fizziness ensures that you won't feel too bloated or uncomfortable after your meal, keeping you in perfect shape to continue your day.

Where to Enjoy Wild Idol

The Ivy, known for its quintessentially British charm and consistently excellent cuisine, provides the perfect backdrop to enjoy Wild Idol. Whether you are dining in the lush, plant-filled interiors of The Ivy Chelsea Garden or enjoying the panoramic views at The Ivy Tower Bridge, Wild Idol adds a touch of sparkle to your meal without steering you away from your health goals.

To sum up,

Wild Idol Zero Alcohol Sparkling Wine at The Ivy is more than just a drink—it's a lifestyle choice. For those on a health kick or embracing a healthier lifestyle, it offers a sophisticated, grown-up alternative to traditional wine. Its availability across The Ivy’s chain of restaurants in London ensures that wherever you choose to dine, you can enjoy a touch of luxury that aligns with your health and ethical values. So here's to a healthier, bubbly toast with Wild Idol, where style meets wellness in every glass.

Wild Idol's grapes are grown in the Rheinhessen region of Germany, however the wine itself is produced and blended in England by award-winning winemakers, specifically at Balfour Winery's Hush Heath Estate in Kent, England. Love supporting made in UK. The product is a naturally alcohol-free sparkling drink made from a blend of Müller-Thurgau, Dornfelder, and Merlot grapes, carefully chosen for their fruity and aromatic qualities.

I recommend every champagne drinker give it a try. Not as fizzy and of course you won’t get the same buzz but I think you’ll be quite impressed, I was.

Gail’s Bakery Southwark Bridge Road Up from where El Vergel Used To Be

Went to look at the converted fire station apartments Saturday Morning

Rupert Dobbin

2025-08-02T10:00:00.0000000 2026-02-26T16:26:44.6100000

A friend of mine told me about the converted Fire station apartments on Southwark Bridge Road; said they were pretty special and might be a great investment for me so we went to have look.

And came across this awesome new Gail’s Bakery and cafe next door where we stopped to have breakfast, well coffee and a toasted sandwich for me, Kombucha and a croissant for Freya.

I don’t usually like a chain, we’ve got a Gail’s in St John’s Wood and one in Hampstead so I am familiar but we don’t get our bread from there usually.

I have to say the coffee they served was particularly good, better than Laurent’s Deli where I normally get my Americano and or expresso weekend fix. I don’t know what it was or if it was just later than usual, we’d spent an hour viewing a couple of the apartments still left in the Firestation one door up.

This Gail’s certainly added appeal to the apartment.

It’s a big one, lots of seating inside which was filling up with all different types of people. Mostly young families and twenty to thirty something couples like us grabbing coffee or a bite after a visit to the park across the street or a morning workout or yoga or Pilates class.

Tables outside too for watching life go by. It wasn’t so busy so we sat outside. The service was really good: friendly and we shopped to go too, buying a couple of loaves of the same bread my sandwich was made from, crusty, wholesome and fresh, delicious when toasted into a croque monsieur, cheese and ham kind of thing.

It wasn’t cheap. With the bread I ended up spending about £40. The loaves about £6 each but we spent quite a bit of time talking about the apartments and going over the details and even though it was busy when we left we didn’t feel any pressure to vacate from the staff.

If you find yourself south of the river it’s a big place on the main Southwark Bridge Road so you cannot miss it. There used to be a fantastic family run Mexican restaurant I loved El Vergel where FYI Stella after 28 years is now offering their joix de vivre vibes and delicious and I mean delicious food for your event, wedding or party. I will do a separate snoop but it was El Vergel that made me visit and fall in love with this area of London.

What Stella, El Vergel says on the website www.elvergel.co.uk

"We are still family run, after 28 years of forming our catering company with the help of mum, and have served hundreds of memorable events. We strive to maintain our tradition and commitment to serving dishes made only from authentic ingredients.

When we first opened our restaurant, our idea was to build a space where we could share with our customers, good food in a relaxed atmosphere, serving breakfast and lunches to our mixed crowd of barristers, architects, artists… mothers and babies!"

Our focus is now on catering and creating beautiful food for events. The restaurant is now Chimi’s and we’re firm friends with our office next door. So, if you’re in SE1, don’t forget to pop in and see them - the Argentinian menu is just delicious.

Chimi’s the new Argentine restaurant is just down the road from Gail’s on the same side and whilst the food is really good. I do still miss popping in to see Stella, her wonderful family, her daughter and grand daughter and eating some fabulous food.

Gail’s bakery and cafe on Southwark Bridge Road was really good vibes for coffee and we both did like the bread. Although probably not enough to make me shop Gail’s in St John’s Wood where to be honest the service is not nearly so good.

The only down side for me is you don’t get the family feel and genuine connection you get when someone like Stella from El Vergel cooks for you. So if you like Mexican food and are having a party make sure you get Stella and friends to create your ultimate fiesta.

If you are reading this Stella, Gail’s Bakery is a good addition to the neighbourhood and if El Vergel was still open (closed October 2021) I’d definitely be buying the apartment.

La Cage Imaginaire family run French bistro in Hampstead

Tucked away off flask walk NW3

Rupert Dobbin

2025-06-30T13:48:00.0000000 2025-06-30T14:50:49.8030000

It’s a truly delightful and intimate family-run restaurant serving traditional French cuisines offering a quiet grown up

setting perfect for business meets or a romantic tete a tete.

It’s not young or hip, the interiors are tired but the food is bloody delicious. And not expensive. If you are used to dining in France it is typically French, the waitress might have a dirty apron but you’ll be greeted with a knowing smile and it’s frequented by loyal locals who appreciate good food and wine.

It’s a small bistro of old, the kind popular in the 1970s, probably only about 12 tables so you’ll need a reservation. It’s way off the main high st tucked away down a side road you’d never stumble across unless you already knew about this little gem of a restaurant.

Some things are 5 star like the whiter than white table linens and crisp white folded dinner napkins, the wine list is extensive, and the customers posh but the light shades are dusty,

The flowers imitation and the carpet has seen better days. It’s an experience much more so than the over branded interior designed more modern establishments you might find on Hampstead High St.

My girlfriend and I like sitting in the back, enjoying homemade french onion soup, followed by entrecôte steak, moules mariniere, (with cooking liquid so tasty you mop it up with endless bread in a basket) escargot, and the best skinny French fries: you’ve ever tasted. Want Frogs legs or a boozy boeuf bourguignon no problem. Think stopping in a small French town and sitting down to enjoy a plat du jour you cannot pronounce.

All washed down with a bottle of house red. You’d expect it to come in a carafe, it doesn’t, it’s a very drinkable Claret at twenty one pounds, but if you fancy a bottle of Dom Perignon they’ll oblige you for £425. It just that kind of place, stylish but not flash.

Definitely a place to try if you like authentic simple French cuisine.

Great for lunch too. They have a couple of tables outside on the street where you can watch the world do by.

Flask Walk is a busy cut through from Hampstead high st for the residents of the big houses that surround this neighbourhood hangout that’s been there for twenty years.

As places close as fast as they open in London these days this is one of those gems you’ll want to keep returning to. It has it’s own personality and charm.

Escentric Molecule 05 Unisex Cologne

Smelled like bathroom cleaner to me

Rupert Dobbin

2025-06-11T08:24:00.0000000 2025-06-11T14:36:15.1830000

They say it’s woody with notes of pine. My girlfriend said she liked it. I guess that’s why she bought this massive 100ml bottle for £115.

This one, Escentric Molecule 5? It’s a bit confusing as there are two molecule 05 versions online a citrus one and this one, the citrus one may be better.

This one is a funny smelling fragrance meant for both men and women apparently. The story is the perfumer a German guy Geza Scheon created a synthetic fragrance molecule he says is the base of all 5 Escentric molecule options, simply named, 01, 02, 03, 04 and 05. Although there are two versions of No. 5 one citrus one woody so the citrus one might be better.

The key molecule is called Cashmeran. Not sure what that is though.

They come in two sizes, 30ml and 100ml. I’d go for the 30ml first to see if you like it. This one is weird for sure.

She tried it and agreed it smells really funny, like pine scented loo cleaner she said. She’s ended up reselling it on a secondhand site as you cannot return fragrance once opened which is fair enough, cannot be resold by the shop.

These fragrance collection is available on the eccentric website or from NK space,

John Lewis, Harvey Nichols, Selfridges and Harrods in the UK. The guy who makes it began in 2006 so it is a pretty big success story. For me a mistake, big mistake.

Facebook Instagram X formerly Twitter which one should we use?

Some social media firms don’t want us these days

Rupert Dobbin

2025-05-21T09:38:00.0000000 2025-05-21T10:46:05.5070000

Social media platforms are a great way to connect with friends and build a community of like minded people, well I think that was the original intention Facebook becoming so familiar my parents generation often got confused 10 years ago thinking Facebook and the internet were one and the same. I remember sitting down and trying to explain what the internet is and how Facebook was just one of many many ways people connected online.

I had a Facebook account for a short time but I was one of probably the first people who used a name, my nickname actually everyone knows me by and in an early clean up of suspected spam accounts, my account got deleted, suspended and I spent weeks, if not months trying to get someone at Facebook, this was before they changed to Meta, to help me get it back up.

I realised early on this company had absolutely no interest in its users. I went on forums and left messages throughout the Facebook platform seeking help to get my account reinstated. I remember at the time feeling a bit like a freak I wasn’t on Facebook, and my FOMO (fear of missing out) did set in a bit. Fortunately my girlfriend was active and she kept me abreast of family and friends stories and images shared so even though I was excluded I got over it.

It’s funny now to see how the platform amidst so much negative press has become just an advertising portal with the real audience no longer enjoying the connection they once did, more experienced and more careful about what they share and with who. When writers and creatives realised their content and potentially life work was being exploited and used, perfectly legally for the development of AI tools by social media giants there was public uproar.

It’s pretty obvious to me any platform that exploits it’s community, let’s remember content is king and our data is the most valuable asset of all, and gives nothing back isn’t going to be sustainable.

Instagram also owned by meta has seen loads of api type businesses spring up around it offering consumers users a way to try and beat the algorithm and even offering ways to purchase followers something extremely common on the platform now, to make “influencers” appear more influential than they might actually be and gaining brand partnerships under somewhat false pretences.

And so companies like Brand Ambassador dot com have come about, the brain child of the founders of OnePiece clothing, pioneers, Norwegians Thomas Adams and Ole Fjelberg. As their clothing brand and e-commerce business grew to over a $200 million dollar business they needed to find a way to seamlessly link up their brand and their ambassadors whilst protecting all their data and creative content. Brand Ambassadors is one example of something evolving from need and then being used to help and serve other brands. In effect a need being fulfilled more ethically by new entries into a space dominated by a few names.

it’s the reason I joined Poopsnoop and now share my rants and ramblings here. The platform is moderated by the community so they won’t publish spam, or obvious marketing crap, and the community is protected for a small subscription fee. Worth it to my mind and my content remains mine.

I don’t have millions of social media accounts anymore although I did recently join X. I saw the Poopsnoop community active here sharing snoops and communicating amongst each other. I thought I’d join the party. This hasn’t been smooth. If you click my SM link for X you will notice my account is currently suspended. I have connected the suspended account for the purpose of this snoop.

I joined X, I liked a couple of Tweets and retweeted a couple of @Poopsnoopeditor tweets and bam I was barred.

It was reminiscent of what happened to me all those years ago on Facebook. Some things just aren’t meant to be. I’ve jumped through all the hoops in the X help files to get my account back up but so far no luck.

The interesting thing for me you cannot delete your account until you have tried to reactivate. Something I have tried doing, emailing 4 or 5 times and checking my email as instructed in hope of the much awaited response, yeah or nay so I can delete the account and move on.

So far nothing doing. Why I am sticking to Poopsnoop where the editors and moderators are real people I can actually speak to.

La Tua Pasta Bicester Village Oxford

What happened was memorable

Rupert Dobbin

2025-04-17T07:34:00.0000000 2025-04-17T12:15:52.2900000

Sadly not in a good way.

I was thinking about lunch at the Wolseley Cafe restaurant at Bicester Village where the service was great, super efficient the food OK and then remembered it closed in 2022 after a feud between Bicester owner Value Retail Group and TWHG owner of Wolseley Cafe. After a four year tenure and a change of ownership to Minor International from co founder Jeremy King Bicester village found a way through a technicality in the lease to get rid of the brand even though TWHG could offer strong trading results and a desire to stay. I thought it was all a bit fishy at the time. A big public feud in the papers not the best PR so hey we had to eat elsewhere.

If I showed you a picture of this restaurant, stunning, cool pale green decor, Italian gelato stand, olive trees, al fresco dining, friendly staff in neat uniforms serving Aerosol Spritz, like us you’d see super stylish Italian vibes. We didn’t have to wait, we were early for lunch although it didn’t take long after we were seated for quite a queue to form. Lots of people were enticed like us by the visual.

Bicester Village Tua Pasta are obviously positioned for an opportunistic sale and not relying on repeat business because in spite of everything from the service to the setting being perfect the food was absolutely abominable. Almost inedible. We ate it and didn’t complain because we were hungry but possibly the worst gnocchi I have ever eaten and certainly won’t be returning except for the gelato.

Sorry guys, could have been a bad day although when we asked if the food had been cooked to order they told us everything is pre prepared ahead and brought in and then reheated and plated up which could be the explanation.

This is the restaurant opposite Ralph Lauren next the the valet parking.

It’s the one thing that’s missing at Bicester Village, a very good restaurant. Actually I take it take back. They’ve got an Ottelenghi now. On reflection we should have gone there.

Vilebrequin Shorts South Of France Swimwear Brand

Skiing for Easter new swimming shorts required

Rupert Dobbin

2025-04-15T09:46:00.0000000 2025-04-16T11:46:49.5600000

This year instead of the usual we are trying Czech skiing recommended by a Polish friend who assures me the snow boarding is unbeatable on the Polish Czech border in resorts like Spindleruv Mlyn where we are off to for the first time this week. It’s been well reported the more popular ski destinations in Europe have been over run with bloggers, non skiers and posers, we have noticed, the off piste skiiers are looking for more obscure and cheaper places to get their kicks.

Skiing is getting so expensive with lift passes costing up to €80 a day in France and €100 euros a day Switzerland. (Which is still cheap compared to up to $300 US dollars a day for a lift pass alone.

In the Czech resorts of Spindleruv Mlyn, Harrachov, Pec pod Snezkou, and Zader-Prkenny Dul you are going to pay less about €60 euros a day which gets me onto why I need new shorts. I always try to save money whatever I am doing and this meant I had more money for new shorts. I didn’t know at the time how much, even shopping outlet mall I was going to need.

No ski vacation complete without jacuzzi time.

You’ve probably noticed guys wearing the Vilebrequin swimming shorts whilst on holiday. They are the ones with the blue label at the small of the back. A bright fun swimwear brand that originated on the beaches of St Tropez and has become known amongst guys who like the beach as much as a decent quality, safe stylish option of beach shorts.

The last pair I had were pretty out there palm trees and pineapples my girlfriend bought me as a present. At the time I thought she was completely mad. I swore I’d never wear them, ended up relenting and then for years they were my swim shorts until this year I couldn’t find them. I think her in doors might have thrown them away.

Forced to invest in a new pair I discovered these swim shorts are not a bargain.

I picked up a pair at an outlet shopping mall where I made a bit of a saving. The outlet in Oxford offered 50% off retail and the selection was good. If you go to the shop in London in the Burlington Arcade off New Bond St or on the Kings Road in Chelsea, expect to pay at least £200 for swim shorts up to £250 for plain bermuda shorts although I have seen these in all colours on a discount site my girlfriend showed me Brandalley.com for as low as £65.

_

And next time you are poolside or at the beach look out for the small navy label. More people have bought into this brand and wear their shirts and shorts than you might think. And for a reason.

The mesh inside always secure.

The latest thing they have added is a linen swim short. They didn’t have it at the Bicester Village Outlet so I cannot tell you what they are like except they cost, between £180 and £220.

“Crafted from breathable linen for unmatched comfort and style in and out of the water · Swimwear with elastic waistband and drawstring to tie.”

Yeah for me I like the bright patterns and I think the linen swim short would be a bit scratchy for me.

I am 6 feet tall with a 36 inch waist and I wear size XL which fit me comfortably.

Ringo App Won't Tell You You Are Going To Get A Ticket

parking in Westminster London

Rupert Dobbin

2025-03-07T07:48:00.0000000 2025-03-31T11:05:59.3630000

Who’s to blame when you pay for parking via a parking app like like Ringo app and then you get a parking ticket?

How is it possible to have three parking sessions on the go in central London via the Ringo Parking app and still get a ticket?

I use the parking apps all the time, Pay By Phone, Just Park and Ringo. Not sure what the difference is and I don’t know how people cope driving in London without a smart phone.

Is it more convenient to pay for parking via an app, I guess so except when you get a parking ticket anyway. Interestingly the wording in the ticket says the enforcement officer “believes” a contravention took place so I wonder are councils so broke now it’s sort of a crap shoot, hand out the tickets anyway and if some get paid great and the rest that are challenged we just back down?

I’ve challenged the ticket I got yesterday with a payment receipt for the time in question from

Ringo. It will be interesting to see if that is enough to stop the wheels in motion to get the bailiffs round when I don’t pay the actual ticket.

The parking apps are great, convenient maybe however yesterday because I had three stops to make for three meetings and wasn’t 100% sure how long I needed, the parking session I got the ticket for I’d paid for 3 hours I ended up not needing and had to pay for a further two hours in different locations.

Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could use unused minutes from one session on the next?

And then he woke up.

If you need to challenge a parking ticket issued after paying for parking in the City of Westminster via the Ringo app I have put the link below.

Ciesse Piumini Ski Jacket

Ski clothes no one has heard of

Rupert Dobbin

2025-02-28T08:40:00.0000000 2025-02-28T09:02:19.6230000

Over the last few years we’ve been skiing in Czech resorts and Croatian resorts, the skiing is better, and less people posing for selfies and invading the real skier’s space.

Wanted to share my new to me ski jacket Ciesse Piumini an Italian ski brand I hadn’t heard of.

Everyone knows about Moncler, Canada Goose, Northface even old Swiss brands like Postcard, Descente, Rossignol and Bognor.

I bought into a much less expensive ski jacket this year which I absolutely loved. I found it at a random ski clothing sale and to be honest had never even heard of the brand.

Since looking online I have discovered the jackets on the Ciesse Piumini website are between €300 and €500 euros which for down filled quality ski clothes definitely trumps the more well known brands.

Loads of people asking me about my jacket too. Mate what’s the jacket? Hey Man like like the new jacket.

I paid less than £200 brand new and it’s as good and as warm as the other more well known choices. And great style too, young and dare I say it, trendy.

Tarquins Dry London’s Gin 0% ABV

Addicted to zero percent gin

Rupert Dobbin

2025-02-26T14:01:00.0000000 2025-02-26T14:36:50.3870000

My sister is a bit of a Rick Stein fanatic so we’ve spent a bit of time in Cornwall, in Padstow where the Tarquins Gin shop and tasting Center is located and where we had our first experience of the Tarquin tipples.

There is even a potent special gin, crafted by Charlie Stein for Tarquins, a bottle bearing the stein name.

This limited edition gin by Charlie costs £45 and is distilled by hand in small batches using copper pot stills called Senara, Ferrara, Tamara and Senara.

The one I like, comes in at £25 and for the drivers, the health conscious, or for people who a buzz is more of a buzz kill all the flavour and refreshing zing of a Gin and Tonic without any of the depression mothers ruin can bring on.

This small batch distillery may not be in your radar just yet but like Warners of Northampton and Three Bees of Market Harborough custom gins are on the up and up and yet finding the best zero percent one can be challenging.

I’ve tried a few, of the main stream brands I don’t rate Gordon’s, Tanqueray zero is palatable and less expensive than Tarquins for me Tarquins is by far the best.

I’ve bought a bottle of Italian Spritz from Lyle’s the non alcoholic cocktail specialists. When the ice maker broke at home; instead of getting it fixed I ended up taking the bottle £24.99 to my local and after words with the landlords Mrs; I ended up leaving the bottle of Lyle’s Italian Spritz there. Tasted a bit like Campari if you like it and want 0% or 0.5% abv.

Mr. Nice

brilliant brilliant film based on a true story of Howard Marks

Rupert Dobbin

2025-02-19T08:12:00.0000000 2025-02-19T09:45:31.7200000

Honestly cannot believe I’d never even heard of this movie. Released in 2010, and directed by Bernard Rose the reviews weren’t favourable, I don’t know why and all of a sudden this brilliant film disappears into obscurity.

The real life element alone, the story of Howard Marks, played remarkably by an almost unrecognisable Rhys Ifans sporting a dark shag wig, wide boy suit and 1970’s swag. The contrast between an unremarkable Welsh school teacher who ends up with the most remarkable infamy as he pushes the boundaries of his boring existence for a more glamourous exciting life, one of a hashish importer.

Assisted by his wife Judy played beautifully and subtly and in my opinion by Chloe Segnvny, when it becomes impossible for Howard to continue crossing borders with a car full of hash she gets him an alias, from a tarot card reading in a pub, with an unassuming Mr. Nice (pronounced like the city on the Cote D’Azur) Howard elects, in his lilting Welsh accent, on the simpler pronunciation of Mr. Nice.

The things that made this film great for me, read the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB you probably wouldn’t bother was how fast paced and totally believable the characterization of Howard Maxx was and that is all down to the brilliance of Rhys Ifans, who after Richard Burton and Anthony Hopkins is the only Welsh (Hollywood) actor I can actually think of.

It’s quite an intense watch, not violent or gruesome, I watched with my girlfriend and she loved it too. Very fast paced so you might find yourself thinking whoah that was exhausting at the end but definitely doesn’t drag,

For kids of the 70’s the costumes and characters to an extent reminded me of my own high school teachers which makes the film even more engaging for Generation Xers like me.

For me Mr: Nice is on the definite watch again list. For anyone who loved American Hustle, the score is just as good. For lovers of Matthew McConnaghey in The Gentlemen or Johnny Depp in Blow it would be a great watch. It’s free to watch on Amazon Prime. And FYI I dug the music which included Lazy by Deep Purple, Don't Bogart Me by Fraternity of Man and God by John Lennon.

I find all the choice on Apple TV, Prime, Netflix and I can end up having no clue about any of it. I reminds me a bit of Hollywood in the 1930s when there was loads of options made that audiences weren’t that interested in and the studios made a move to make less but much higher quality productions and we saw the classic blockbusters emerge of the 1940s and 1950s.

This film is one to watch. What to watch, a movie when you just don’t know what to pick.

Gazelle Sneakers By Adidas

The hottest sneaker in 1970 right through to today

Rupert Dobbin

2025-01-23T16:42:00.0000000 2025-01-23T17:05:44.9930000

I cannot think of another sneaker trainer that could endure for the last 60 years and go on to endure another 60.

So many people have loved and lived in their Gazelles from icons like Liam and Noel Gallagher to sustainability Queen Hollywood’s Emma Watson and poster girl and model Gigi Hadid swapping their Sambas for gazelles.

Me well not so sleek or so sexy but you’ll find me summer or winter, flying, travelling in my gazelles to nipping out for Saturday morning coffee on the high st or poking around the local market.

I’ve got a couple of pairs on the go, these the older and more well worn, about 10 years now.

They come in loads of colourways from blue, red, yellow, green, and suede and leather options. Cost around 85 quid.

The thing for me as I have gotten older the shoes have stayed the same age, when so many things we buy and buy into become old and tired, old fashioned even I cannot think of

anything else branded or otherwise I have worn consistently for more than two decades.

One thing I will say I did my back in skiing a week ago and because my Gazelles are so well worn and flat to the floor, pretty much no arch support I did struggle with a dodgy back for a few days.

Otherwise a pretty loyal gazelle guy. Thanks Adidas.

Fego Caffe In Ascot

Like visiting an old friend

Rupert Dobbin

2024-12-05T10:27:00.0000000 2024-12-05T10:51:00.2070000

When Fego caffe closed in St John’s Wood I know I wasn’t the only local to be absolutely gutted.

It was such a neighbourhood joint I actually made new friends there, people I saw eating at the same time so many times we connected. I even got almost all the Middlesex cricket team autographs in there, it was right next to Lords. Like so many other favourite spots, unfortunately it didn’t survive “Covid”.

I was playing golf in Ascot with clients for a business/charity a couple of weeks ago and I found myself having breakfast on familiar territory.

No one deserves a shout out more than these guys. A real example of something done exceptionally well. No fuss, no fake, all with a sense of humour and everyone focused on making sure every single customer leaves raving about the food he experience the staff and cannot wait to come back.

I remember asking a familiar member of staff if the spicy scrambled eggs were available and she said if she took it off the menu she’d have a revolution on her hands.

It’s one of my all time favourite things to eat.

They didn’t have it in Sunningdale, so the menus must vary from location to location. We had poached eggs and they didn’t disappoint.

The whole experience from arriving, being seated, being fed to saying goodbye made us feel completely at home, even though we’d never been there before.

This is a wonderful business.

Borough Market

London Markets on a Sunday

Rupert Dobbin

2024-12-01T09:06:00.0000000 2024-12-01T09:34:15.5370000

Personally I think this is London’s finest food market. I just read about the impeding closure of Smithfield Market and Billingsgate Market and it left a pit in my stomach and forced me to put pen to paper about Borough Market, just over London Bridge, a place I love.

I am often in the City for business so it’s a quick walk 10 minute over London Bridge for me to enjoy the hustle and bustle of the market, all the smells and the faces I have come to know on my favourite stalls.

With over 100 hand picked traders to choose from it’s a one stop

Shop for wine, meats, cheeses, produce if you are the discerning chef, I like to cook but I like to eat more and here there is an internatiomal array of expertise, each person carefully selected by the market team to add to the world class group of foodies that have a street food offering.

There’s no smoking which is fair enough I suppose, outside though and pouches dogs are very welcome on a lead or carried.

The Greek gyros from Agora are possibly the best I’ve tasted outside Greece and Padre serves up Mexican to compete in California so if you are passing, stop by.

Keep out bustling market traditions alive. Hang out in the Burlington Arcade, I do but during the holiday season I always get down the market with my few hundred quid Asda spent. I’ll be spending a little bit more with a little less convenience and soaking up the atmosphere at the market, homemade hot chocolate in hand, slinging a prickly homemade wreath over my shoulder and dragging a Christmas tree, not, the staff are so helpful they’ll deliver your Christmas to your door, for a fee of course.