An introduction to my life on wheely shoes

Sometime during the course of 2011, I became aware of a sport called roller derby. I'm not entirely sure what came first, whether it was walking past adverts for London Rollergirls games at Kensington Olympia on my way to work, or meeting an LRG rec league skater on a night bus after pretending to know her to save her from a dodgy drunk guy. Or maybe it was Whip It. Any which way, this full contact team sport on rollerskates was very much on my radar. Going to my first ever game with my then partner (LRG vs Sioux Falls at Earl's Court) cemented the idea that I wanted in. 

Roller derby is not the cheapest of hobbies. Looking at a super basic start up kit of skates, wheels and protective gear I worked out I'd need a couple of hundred pounds worth of kit. So the Christmas list became entirely skate related and I picked up a couple of cheap bits myself (I actually kept using my original £1.50 gumshield for well over a year). Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and looking back I would 100% suggest buying second hand skates and spending a bit more on a decent helmet and knee pads. But my starter kit was good enough for someone who hadn't been in rollerskates since the heady days of the 90's in strap-on Fisher Price beauties.  

On the first Friday of 2012, I took my shiny new skate kit to work with me and shuffled up and down the carpeted office for a few minutes. My colleagues thought I was super cool. It's a good job they didn't know any better. That evening, I went to my first ever open skate session in North London, and tentatively wobbled about on my wheels for a couple of hours. It was here that I first got to experience the sense of community that is Roller Derby.  Everyone was kind, a few people were as nervous as me, a couple of people were sweet and helpful and supportive. Nobody laughed at me. Nobody judged me.

There were no intakes for any of the London leagues around this time, so for a few months I gave up boozing with colleagues on Friday nights and went to skate in a little sports hall in Chalk Farm. I met a few of the skaters from the November LRG intake, who were keen to brush up their skills in the hope of passing probation and progressing to the rec league. I had it in my head that I would go for the next LRG intake, my confidence boosted by learning to stop, fall safely, and crossover around the track in the required skating style. The tryouts were scheduled for May, so I had a target to aim for and boy was I looking forward to it.

Fate clearly felt I wasn't destined to be with LRG, however, when the tryout date was moved to the weekend of Download festival.  Despite my excitement to join an actual roller derby league, and the anticipation that had been building for months, I wasn't quite ready to bail on another passion of mine for a few hours skating that may or may not have got me a place in the fresh meat program for new skaters with LRG.

Not prepared to wait for another 6 months minimum (they couldn't tell me exactly when the next intake was but said it was most likely the following year) I looked around for other teams to join. LRR had an intake in November, that was 6 months away, and Croydon Roller Derby had an intake next week. NEXT WEEK! I could make it. I'd been practicing. Quite quickly I had to Google Croydon. I'd heard of it, I'd got a train there once to work a godawful student night at Tiger Tiger, but I wasn't sure how practical it would be getting there from New Cross. 12 miles. A 40 minute drive or a little longer on public transport. Going by the London commuting 'rule' that anywhere accessible within an hour is acceptable, I decided to go for it. 

The day was Sunday May 27th 2012, and this was the day I was to become a member of Croydon Roller Derby. Not knowing about a parking situation, I navigated the tube, train and tram to arrive at the sports centre on a blindingly sunny day. I think I was the first there. A couple of skaters started to appear and told me the person in charge of the new recruits was Daylight Throbbery, who turned out to be a friendly Northern Irish lady who didn't seem to quite know what we were supposed to be doing. We soon discovered that the person who was actually supposed to be meeting us had not yet arrived, and the team had a game to prepare for so were understandably excited and not overly concerned with some bright-eyed,  bushy-tailed newbies. After a few more nervous faces appeared, our trusty recruitment boss lady (otherwise known as Sheila) had gathered us into a group of around 10 potential recruits to meet our late running but excitable coach, Rolling Thunder. Throbbery went to join her teammates and we were left sitting atop a grassy knoll and being given the Roller Derby lowdown by Rolling Thunder. It transpired that basically because we'd shown up, we were in. Immediately, I think it was clear to me that I would probably fit in better here at CRD than I would as part of the behemoth of a league that is LRG. We were taken through some basic off skates warm up exercises in the baking heat in a basketball court, whether to 'test' our fitness and competitive nature or just for something to do, I'm not quite sure. Later we got to watch the bout on that day between CRD and Big Bucks. I have no idea what happened, but I know that it was brilliant. I skipped merrily (probably sauntered casually) back home and tried to quell the excitement that in just a few days time, I would be heading to my first ever roller derby practice as part of a real life team.

Fast forward almost exactly 3 years and here I am. Rostered for the A Team, having played all over the UK and in Europe, and about to embark on a slightly impulsively booked trip to Vegas for Rollercon; an international roller derby convention. Roller Derby has taken over my life, in the best possible way, and I honestly can't imagine who I would be without it. There's been joy and heartbreak, the ecstasy of winning and the agony of injury. People have come and gone, there have been really tough times both mentally and physically and I've considered throwing in the towel more times than I've taken to the track. But I wouldn't change it for the world. There will be more challenges, more highs and more lows. But I'll face them with my team, and that's what matters. I am a skater. We are CRD.

Bank Holiday Music weekend - ASIWYFA / Palm Reader.

3 days off work, so what better way to spend it than having my ears assaulted by 2 excellent bands accompanied by 1 good friend?

First up is Belfast outfit And So I Watch You From Afar, more often depicted as ASIWYFA,  presumably because they've too frequently run out of space on posters and flyers for their full name. A band I discovered a few years ago whilst venturing into The Cave stage at 2000 Trees festival in the rolling hills of Gloucestershire. Back then, I wasn't hugely familiar with the post rock genre, but I'd say ASIWYFA were probably one of the first bands to really spark my interest in all things post / math rock and beyond.

Tonight's venue is Islington Assembly Hall, a location I've not visited before, and one which is helpfully described to me by my friend as having "a lot of wood." To be fair, it's a pretty accurate description, with the main room, floor and ceiling all decked out in classy wooden panelling. It's a far cry from the dingy basement clubs that so often play host to the smaller bands I like. It's entirely opposite, in fact, to the venue I'll head to for the second leg of my Bank Holiday gigging adventures. But we'll get to that in a bit.

We arrive just before ASIWYFA are due to take the stage, having grabbed a quick drink in the nearby Hope & Anchor rather than shuffle in during the support act. It's a slightly older crowd than some rock bands would pull, groups of people standing around chatting as opposed to seeing how many shots they can down in the break between bands. The lights change to indicate the imminent arrival of the headline act and everyone's gaze shifts to the stage.

There's some brief atmospheric lighting and synth and they break into the upbeat "Run Home"- the opening track from the new album "Heirs" - to open the show. The next couple of tracks from the new release follow, leading into a quieter section in the middle of "BEAUTIFULUNIVERSEMASTERCHAMPION" from the 2011 "Gangs" EP. This brief downtime allows us to quietly discuss our appreciation for the post rock genre, and confirm our mutual admiration of the aforementioned woodwork and generally decadent decor. Surroundings aside, ASIWYFA are one of those acts who can really capture an audience's attention. From high octane technical riffs to almost silence within one track, the anticipation of the next soaring stanza is palpable in the quietness of the pauses.

A few more tracks from "Gang" are followed by the high energy "Like a Mouse" from the band's second album "All Hail Bright Futures." The sound fills the room with electric riffs and technical drumbeats, mixed up with a melee of electronic beeps and off-beat rhythms. With a large number of instrumental post-rock artists, one might worry about a lack of wordy vocals, that there might be something missing from the music. There is certainly nothing whatsoever lacking in ASIWYFA's performance tonight. The melodies are so complex, and the noise they make so complete, that there's no need for lyrics to convey the power of the tracks. 

"S is for Salamander" and "A Beacon, A Compass, An Anchor" precede "A Little Bit Of Solidarity Goes A Long Way"; the first offering tonight from the band's eponymous debut album. There's an element of rawness to this earlier material that's a noticeable change from the polished sound of the newer tunes, but it blends seamlessly into the set, the energy, focus and clever musicality every bit as accomplished as their newer writing. Finishing the main set with the emotive "Tryer, you" from the new album, these Northern Irish guys have given us a belter of a show, the new material along with the old going down a treat with the fans.

An encore consisting of 2 more tracks from the first album and 2 from the second, including the ever popular "Set Guitars To Kill" finish the evening on a familiar high, the soaring riffs and energetic beats leaving a buzz in the air and a very satisfied crowd.

ASIWYFA are a band I would 100% recommend to anyone who appreciates musical skill and passionate performances. I'll be catching them back at 2000 Trees in a few weeks, if you see them playing at a venue near you, do go along and check them out. I'm pretty sure you won't regret it.

In a complete change of venue and genre, the second of my Bank Holiday gigs is Palm Reader at the Windmill in Brixton. I've not been to this venue before either, and it couldn't really be much more different to the lavish interior of Islington Assembly Hall. Tucked down a residential side street up Brixton Hill, you'd be forgiven for mistaking the Windmill for some sort of community space or social club.

It's 4 o'clock in the afternoon and I'm running a little late. Odd time for a gig you might think, and you'd be right, if it weren't for the fact that this is gig 3 of 5 for the Palm Reader boys, who decided to play at 5 venues in and around London in one day aptly entitled "5 shows; 1 day; no fucks" to promote their new album, "Beside The Ones We Love".

If Wednesday is "hump day" because it's day 3 of 5 in the working week, you might expect this to be the the "hump set" which looks all kinds of wrong written down. I mean that the energy might be flagging, the voices going. Oh gods no. As I'm a little late, they've already broken into the ferocious "I Watch The Fire Chase My Tongue" from the new release. Their characteristic energy is there from the off, with heavy riffs and screaming hardcore vocals. It's a tiny venue and we can barely see the stage, although it transpires that this is partly due to the space being given by the small but excited crowd to allow the frontman Josh to expand from the stage and get in amongst the fans.  

Next up is "Stone's Blood", also from the new record, which is relentless in terms of sheer noise and brutal guitars. "Spineless" from the debut album follows, the crowd swaying to the pounding rhythms with a sense of familiarity.

"Sing Out Survivor", with its melodic and slower paced, emotive breakdown, and "Stacks" follow from the second album, finishing with the brilliant technical guitars and powerful vocals of "Seeing And Believing Are Two Different Things" and pure hardcore assault on the ears that is "Smack Hound" from the debut offering; "Bad Weather".

I manage to catch up with guitarist Andy after the show, who is still in high spirits despite working up a good sweat, and facing two more gigs before the day is out. These guys are finally getting some decent recognition since their formation in 2011, and you can tell it's the hard work and passion they put into their music that has got them to this point. They have time for a quick drink and a couple of merch sales and it's back into the van in the fading light of early evening towards Kingston for gig number 4. If you like hardcore, or even if you don't,  do check these guys out if you get a chance. Their talent and sheer energy on stage is clear, and I hope they will continue to gain the popularity they rightfully deserve.

So there you have it. 2 totally different bands, 2 totally different venues, but a wholly enjoyable experience and a most excellent way to celebrate an extra day off work.

Once again I was too busy enjoying myself to take any pictures, so you'll just have to go and see these bands for yourself to discover what they look like giving it their all on stage.

You can check out ASIWYFA here and Palm Reader here to find out more.

   

Whowhatwear.com 30 day wardrobe challenge

This is a post about a 30 day outfit challenge I stumbled upon whilst perusing the web for fashion inspiration. But since this is my first post about fashion, I thought I'd wax lyrical for a bit as a sort of mini introduction to my love of clothes and style.

Style. It's obviously a very subjective concept, but something that many of us hope to exude in our daily lives. There are celebrities who are generally heralded as having great style - Kate Moss, Olivia Palermo, Clemence Posey, Emma Watson, to name but a few. Of more interest to me personally though, are those mere mortals who have their own unique style. Those people who breeze past you on their way to work who exude confidence and self assurance, who just look "right". You know the ones I mean. I admire people who look effortlessly put together every day. But how do they do it? I have a few theories...

1) They have a personal stylist. This obviously only applies to a minute percentage of privileged society. See aforementioned celebrity icons.

2) They spend hours each evening painstakingly putting together the next day's outfit. I say hours, because I'm anticipating 12 outfit changes and at least one full make up application and removal.

3) Witchcraft

4) The one I don't like to admit to myself.  They have a 'natural' sense of style. Or probably more accurately, a practiced and developed sense of style. Which leads me back to my own quest for the ability to look at my overflowing wardrobe and pull together a daily outfit I'm happy with, as opposed to the far more common occurrence of staring blindly at the mass of fabrics and declaring I've nothing to wear.

When developing any skill, guidance is invaluable. And boy do I need some guidance on my fashion sense. So I began looking at more online fashion articles, reading blogs and following Instagram and Pinterest for outfit inspiration. It was during this research phase that I discovered Whowhatwear.com, a fashion and style website, by following a link to this post. Each day for 30 days, it gives you a specific requirement for your outfit. Broad enough to apply to most people's lifestyle, but particular enough to give some direction, a starting point to make you think about your outfit and sometimes push you out of your comfort zone.

So without further ado, here is my exploration into my first ever 30 day outfit challenge. Click on each image for a link to the day. Since most of my clothes are really old, I've linked to similar items for each look. Let me know if you find a better match!

Bobo Social - Charlotte Street, London

New blog, new review. Out for dinner and a catch up with a couple of lovely ladies on a pleasant spring evening. After a couple of drinks at a nearby Sam Smith pub, we wander up Charlotte Street to the unassuming Bobo Social. It's one of those charming locations, of which there are many across London, where the shape and structure of what was presumably once a city home is clearly still apparent. The main eating area is effectively a sizeable front room, but manages to nail "cosy" without being cramped. The rather lovely single toilet is fitting for a plush townhouse, complete with individual hand towels and shabby-chic decor. But enough about the interior, we came here to eat and drink, and that we did.

We started off with a cocktail each to help peruse the small but appealing menu. I didn't get off to the best start, opting for the Black Basil Cosmopolitan, which was sadly rather tasteless, lacking the flavours of black cherry and basil as promised on the menu. My companions went for the London Buck (pleasant but a little too subtle - would have been better with ginger beer rather than ginger ale for more of a kick) and a Margarita (very well balanced and enjoyable, by far the best of the bunch).

We decided to share 2 of the small plates between the 3 of us to start, selecting the Salt & Pepper Crispy Squid and Fillet Steak Strips. Although they possibly should have been listed as very small plates, what they lacked in size they certainly made up for in flavour. The morsels of squid were succulent and tasty, with a light breaded coating and a generous amount of lemon aioli. The steak was delicious, just seared to seal in the flavour and served with a subtle avocado salsa.

As this is a burger eatery, literally the only choice for main is a burger. They all sound tasty, but I couldn't resist the lure of the lobster and crab burger with dill caper cream and wasabi fried onions. The others went for a capsicum burger (beef burger with chorizo, manchego, chillies and tomato salsa) and a custom Bobo beef burger with maple cured bacon and Colston Bassett Stilton. We chose the skin-on, beef dripping Bobo chips, sweet potato chips with truffle salt, and apple slaw with toasted pumpkin seeds to accompany our burger selection. The burgers are served on traditional blue and white china plates, with the sides presented in China tea cups. It's just quaint enough to be endearing without trying too hard. The burgers are a very decent size, and the sides are just the right amount to make a good hearty meal. My crustacean burger is soft, well seasoned and incredibly moreish. The dill and wasabi flavours are not overpowering and really complement the favour of the meat. In fact we all enjoyed our burgers so much that there was no sharing of mains to be had! So I think it's safe to say that the beef options were as enjoyable as the seafood. We went for wine by the glass - it pays to look closely at the menu - a bottle of Malbec was actually a few pence more expensive than 3 large glasses. The ladies went for the Malbec Leduc to go with their beef, and shunning convention, I also went for a red - a Biferno Montepulciano Aglianico Camillo de Lellis - with my lobster and crab. Both wines were extremely enjoyable and nicely matched to our dishes. The Malbec was round and spicy, the Montepulciano light and fruity with some lovely topnotes of blackberry.

I'm not much of a pudding person, but I couldn't resist the sound of the Cohiba dessert cocktail. A heady mix of Havana, bourbon, cherry brandy and an unconventional addition of tobacco liqueur. In a pleasing contrast to my first cocktail, this one was packed full of flavour, the sweet woodiness of the tobacco complementing the rich flavours of the spirits. My friend went for the cheesecake, which was very tasty if slightly on the rich side, and there was another Margarita and an espresso martini enjoyed all round.

I've not mentioned the service thus far, but by no means is that a bad thing. Aside from being offered drinks twice on being seated, for me the service was excellent. Attentive without being smothering, polite and friendly but never forced. The staff were rather attractive too, although one isn't supposed to comment on such things in this day and age.

One last thing worth a mention - the special burger each week is created from the Experimental Burger Society held on Monday evenings. For £35 a head, members of the public can create their own burger with exotic meats. The best burger of the evening then gets added to the menu for the week. A meat pairing and wine tasting starter are also included.

So, Bobo Social - slightly pricey but totally worth it burgers, very tasty sides and variable cocktails. Great service, relaxed atmosphere and some lovely wine to boot. I'd be more than happy to go back, and would definitely consider the experimental evening as something a little different. Besides, I forgot to take any pictures of the food so I'll just have to go back for more!

Whowhatwear Day 30: Leave the details to your shoes

These shoes have certainly earned their cost per wear value. I've probably had them over ten years, and I think they were around £10 from Primark. They've been re - heeled at least once and they're obviously not leather, but I love the colour and style. The heel is just the right height to be able to wear all day and they go with a surprising number of outfits. Sadly this was their last outing as they split at the sole and had to be binned. I went for a bit 

of a 70s vibe matching these shoes with suede and button -through denim.

Shoes - Primark. Similar here. 

Skirt - charity shop. Similar here. 

T shirt - Topshop. 

Cardigan - Topshop. Similar here. 

Jacket - New Look. Similar here. 

Necklace (just seen) - Hand made. Etsy shop coming soon!  

Whowhatwear Day 29: Incorporate an office-appropriate blouse into your look

Today's challenge description was actually "Incorporate an office-appropriate blouse into your weekend look", but since I'm only doing this challenge on week days, and my office is casual, I thought I'd leave out the weekend part! I'm really happy with this look. As I've mentioned before, I often struggle with proprtions and high waisted items, but this shirt and skirt seem to go together really well. Add some flats and a slick of red lipstick and I'm bringing some smartness to office Thursdays.

Shirt - Primark. Similar here. 

Jacket - New Look. Similar here. 

Skirt - H&M. Similar here. 

Shoes - Primark. Similar here. 

Whowhatwear Day 28: Give a feminine dress some edge with a moto jacket

When did biker jackets start being called moto jackets? This jacket is one of my favourite items in my wardrobe. It's actually a replacement for the same jacket I lost on a night out once. This one is sadly a little more worn but it does the job. This dress actually has a beautiful purple lace back that you can't see here. I'm sure I'll wear it again when the weather gets a little warmer and I'll add a pic then, it's so pretty!

Jacket - New Look. Similar here.
Dress - Liquorice. Similar here.
Boots - Timberland. Similar here.