Category: Lifestyle

The Pearl of Prestwich

by CharlRose, posted in Lifestyle

Dan and I booked a date night at The Pearl in Prestwich. My brother and his partner told us great things of their food and drinks. I love discovering new places to spend our weekends and it’s also super convenient because it is pretty much right on our doorstep.

On arrival, we were greeted with a warm “Hi guys, table for Dan?” which I thought added a lovely personal touch, to show they were expecting our arrival. The interior reminded me of a French brasserie, small but cosy and the drapes in the window added a sense of privacy and elegance. The whole aesthetic completely took me out of Prestwich and felt very cosmopolitan.

So, let’s begin with the cocktails, we ordered spicy margaritas to start our evening and my god they were good! The perfect amount of tequila and spice. For me personally, you can just tell when a cocktail has been made with care and precision and that’s the impression I was given.

The menu is split into 4 courses, snacks, starters, mains and deserts. As a snack, Dan and I shared the warms breads with whey fat butter and The Pearl chips, which were filled with ox cheek, mustard and dill pickle. Both were equally delicious.

As a starter, I ordered the gin cured salmon and Dan order the Isle of White tomatoes with burrata. Dan is someone who doesn’t usually like fish, however he tried my salmon and said it was incredible. Top tier compliment.

For main, I went for the wild sea bass and Dan ordered the BBQ beef. I asked for a wine pairing with my main and I was advised to order the Chardonnay. I don’t normally drink Chardonnay but as recommended, it was beautiful and light, perfect with the fish.

We ended our meal with a tarte tatin. You need to tell the serving staff early if this something you’re interested in because it takes a while to bake. In my opinion, it was the highlight of the meal. It’s the kind of desert I would fantasise about on a cold autumn evening. Not too filling but enough to leave you feeling warm and content, if not wanting more.

The Pearl Website – Book a table here

Follow The Pearl on Instagram

RHS Bridgewater

by CharlRose, posted in Lifestyle, Travel

In my opinion, Spring has to be the best time to visit the RHS Bridgewater. The flowers are beginning to bloom, the sun is starting to shine and your midday coffee just tastes that little bit sweeter. I really enjoyed my afternoon taking these photographs at the RHS and would highly recommend that you visit this Spring or in the coming Summer time.

RHS Bridgewater Website

Birthday Trip to Cambridge

by CharlRose, posted in Lifestyle, Places, Travel

This blog post is highly overdue, considering my birthday was in August. However, since our trip to Cambridge, a lot has happened. I went back to work, my partner and I decided to move in together, and then I caught COVID. So a very busy/hectic few months.

I am so happy to finally get the chance to sit down and write about our trip. It was a lovely surprise to find out that we were going to Cambridge because I have always wanted to go. Dan booked a room for us at Fellows House, which is part of the Curio Collection by The Hilton. The building itself was gorgeous and the interiors were very plush with stylish marbled floors and an exquisite bar and lounge area.

Punting

The highlight of the trip for me had to be our romantic punting along the River Cam. Dan used a company called Rutherford’s Punting which he booked in advance. We chose the ‘romantic experience’ which included a little bottle of champagne. It was such a relaxing experience, floating along the calm waters, taking in all of the beautiful architecture and history. It was a great opportunity to take in the cities heritage and monumental university buildings, I felt like a young Sylvia Plath (literacy/poetry nerd reference).

Food

On the first night, we went to a restaurant called The Old Bicycle Shop. It was a quirky little place with a lovely, relaxed dinner vibe. I have included a picture of the menu below for a sneak peek of what delicious food they have to offer.

The next day, we went to The Giggling Squid, which we didn’t realise at the time was part of a chain. The food they served was Asian cuisine but what was even more impressive was the building. I felt entranced by its fabulous glass dome and botanical interior.

On the last evening, after our punting on the river we went to a fantastic restaurant on the water called The River Bar Steakhouse. We had a stunning view of the river from our table and the service and staff were fantastic.

Exploring the city

I loved exploring the beautiful city of Cambridge, it was a little bit like stepping back in time as a student, although I can only wish I went to the University of Cambridge.

It was a wonderful trip, with lots to see and do. Hopefully this blog post encourages you to visit and experience the magic of Cambridge.

Getting it together

by CharlRose, posted in Lifestyle
Inhale and exhale.
Starting a fresh isn’t as easy as it sounds. In my opinion progression is gradual and so is success, diving in head first isn’t always the answer and usually puts more pressure on yourself than needed.
Trying to hold it together all the time is draining and can be stressful. Slip ups are bound to happen. I want this to be the year of “a little goes a long way”. Its the little changes, stepping an inch further out of my comfort zone and aiming just a little bit higher. That way there is no pressure and I can allow myself to do it at my own pace. I’m designing the lifestyle I want to live.
Ive started working out more and it has got me feeling inspired and motivated. I’m not the type to be fretting over a number on the scales to see progression, I think seeing a physical difference is the driving force. Putting a little more time into meal prep and cutting back on saturated fats and sugars has been the game changer. After Christmas, it took me a while to get out of to anti-climatic lull of January. However, I’m happy to say I came out the other end and I’m in a really good place.
Onwards and upwards hunnies!

Cosy Homeware Haul

by CharlRose, posted in Homeware, Lifestyle
The festive season is upon us! I love the winter season for its dark nights lit with candle light, cuddly throws and warm woolies. It is no secret that I love Christmas and all the bells and bows to go with it. I thought I would do a haul of a few homeware bits that I have picked up to get me ready for the wintery months ahead, which will be spent predominantly indoors.
Firstly I picked up this cute wooden star decoration from Paperchase. I love anything that is handcrafted or recycled-up into home decor. This Sparkly star decoration is rustic,  quirky and sprinkled in glitter, perfect piece for the season.

 

winter-star

I picked up three beautiful decorative pillows, one from Marks and Spencer and the other from ASDA (yes ASDA!). The first one is a winter wonderland pillow, with a cute reindeer on it and snowflakes falling from the sky. I amazingly later discovered that it also lights up! The second pillow has a  stunning robin red breast on it, simple yet effective. The Last, was a cute little red pillow with a big ‘C’ embossed on the front.

cushions

The next homeware piece is more of a present from me to me. I have wanted one of these for quite a while now and when I saw this particular one on the Urban Outfitters website I had to snatch it up
Its a Record Player!
The moment it arrived in the post, I quickly set it up,  grabbed a bunch of my dads 80s records and got to listening. Undoubtedly the sound isn’t as clear as a CD but I think that a what gives it so much character and makes it an authentic sound.

record-player

The final piece I picked up was this Scandinavian style, rose gold candle holder. I love the simplicity of Scandinavian design and wanted to try and incorporate some of this into my home. This is again a piece homeware that is so minimalistic but so effective. I picked this beauty up from a local coffee house/ gift shop called Nonsense.

candle-holder