West Hampstead's bake-a-boo

There is no denying that since my arrival in London my tea intake has significantly shot up.  Just check the stock of PG Tips – I’m sure you’ll notice a significant price surge about two years ago.  Much of the work’s socialising (during work hours) happens over tea making.  Survival on the gossip grapevine means drinking tea. But I mention this because a cup of tea can make me so happy, providing a welcome relief from the computer screen but even more so if it’s in the surroundings of a place like bake-a-boo. A friend’s birthday meant I found myself at this delightful tea room in West Hampstead on Saturday which is like something out of your favourite pink filled dream then add a scone and  tea and you’ll have some idea of the place. Firstly, it’s pink, very pink and impossibly small so you truly feel like you are visiting some private doll’s house fantasy. The front window displays a selection of baked items, an open counter is filled with miss-matched crockery and cutlery and the small space is decorated with flower filled tea pots, pastel framed photographs, ornate chandeliers and a Cath Kidston-esq fabric covered couch that calls for all day lounging.  And despite the abundance of all things girly, I did spot a few men and they even seem to be enjoying themselves.

bake-a-boo's gorgeous interior and proof that men visit!

The food covers all the usual tea time bases: scones, muffins, toasted cinnamon bagels, crumpets, crust-less sandwiches and of course the assortment of goodies in the front window, though it also includes some lovely new additions like a bowl of popcorn to share among friends. Despite the gorgeousness of the setting, the food turned out to be quite average, though I would still highly recommend the experience. Oh and it’s unbelievably cheap, with a pot of tea for 4 costing £3.30 so book ahead if you intend to visit.    

Guaranteed happiness: scones and tea

Robert Capa's 'Death of a Loyalist Militiaman' (1936)

One of my main reasons for coming to London was its vibrant cultural life.  It still amazes me how many different things are happening in the city and how many remarkable places on quite literally on my doorstep. But at the same time, living here is quite a different thing from touring here and so I’m constantly pulled between the requirements of everyday life – the food shopping, clothes washing, flat cleaning – stuff and the exciting art exhibitions, book readings, poetry evenings and performances that are happening daily. So as a way to make sure things are properly balanced and that I don’t get sucked into a day to day routine, I try to make Thursdays a definite go out night. During summer I would meet the sister every Thursday after work and we would venture around the West End. But the onset of winter made us lazy and so Thursday nights kind of disappeared off the diary.

So in an attempt to reinstate the tradition, I went on Thursday night after work with friend to a photographic exhibition titled This is War! Robert Capa at Work  at the Barbican.  The exhibition consisted of a a collection of Robert Capa’s photographs which were exhibited alongside the work of his lover Gerda Taro, also a prominent photojournalist. Downstairs the exhibition showcased three different photographers and their responses to the War in Iraq.  Some of these were more successful than others but together they really hit home how bombarded we are with images of  war, especially the war in Iraq. As a photographer, these artists have to present a photo which will provoke an emotion or convey an aspect of war in a different light – a tremendously difficult task considering that these images are part of our daily language. In certain respects, Robert Capa had a easier job while capturing images from the Spanish Civil War. Without CNN and blog posts from soldiers at the front lines, his images had an intensity to them which today would be significantly harder to achieve. Anyway, I’m jumping ahead.

I’d always known Robert Capa for his now iconic photograph, The Falling Soldier, but didn’t realise how many wars he had covered – six! – and in particular the photos he took of the Omaha beach landing in 1944. 

While the photos are familiar, I simply didn’t realise he took them. The exhibition was really interesting and was very extensive and at the end I felt like I had learnt so much – which I always love – even though I felt quite exhausted and drained afterwards; because of the demanding nature of the subject matter of the photographs. But a really great way to re-start the Thursday night going out tradition.

How do you break up the monotony of everyday life during the week so that the week doesn’t disappear into a haze of supermarket visits, Friends re-runs and loads of washing?