Thaikhun, Manchester

I realise that there have been a lot of food posts around these parts recently and I promise that I do more in life than eat (...kinda), but you know what, I for one love looking at what people are eating and hearing about nice places to go, so why the hell not eh? I've just moved to Manchester which means that there is a whole new abundance of amazing places go on my doorstep, one such place being Thaikhun in Spinningfields. The first time I went there was on a very busy and bustling evening a couple of months ago and I enjoyed it so much that we popped in for lunch yesterday. 

I absolutely love how it looks inside, it has a really modern but authentic feel to it with postcards and pictures covering the walls, coloured baskets on the table and little metal water cups. There's even a Tuk Tuk parked up outside! They have loads of different things to offer including street food, noodle and rice dishes, curries, stir fries, salads and steamed or grilled dishes. As much as I loved the Phad Thai that I sampled last time, this time around I went for something a bit different and had Khao Mun Gai Tod (crispy chicken with coconut rice and sweet chilli sauce). It was all really delicious but that coconut rice was the star of the show! I'll definitely be having that again. 

Spinningfields can be a bit pricey in general but for the amount (there was LOADS) and quality of the food, my meal was incredibly good value. I'd say the prices are pretty much on par with a lot of big chains, including my beloved Wags, but in terms of uniqueness as well as flavour, Thaikhun wins hands-down.

And I'd just like to give a little shout-out to my friend who introduced me to this place - she spent some time living and working in Thailand and Thaikhun has her seal of approval, so even if my opinion means nothing then her's should!

Maray, Liverpool

There are few things which make me happier in life than good food and a lovely setting to go with it (apart from maybe when Ryan Gosling pulls this face). I love Middle Eastern style food and when I was told about Maray on Bold Street which specialises in falafel, small plates and cocktails, I knew it was going to be right up my street. So, on an uncharacteristically sunny British summer's day, we went in search of hummus and good times.

Maray is pretty small inside meaning that it's extremely welcoming and cosy, but at the same time it still has a really slick and current look to it. Everything about this place is aesthetically pleasing from the huge, glass-topped wooden table to the mismatched crockery, to the fresh flowers adding a natural pop of colour. It looks like something I'd see on Pinterest and instantly add to my hypothetical cafe interior board, which I'm sorry to admit is a genuine pastime of mine...don't judge.

When it came to making a decision about food (my least favourite task in life), we settled on a sharing platter and a side of crispy chilli kale. Kale is one of those things that is crazily popular at the moment, so I reserved judgement as to whether having it on the menu was more of a fashion statement than a taste sensation until after I'd tried it, but I'm very happy to say it definitely delivered on flavour. The sharing dish was made up of their signature falafel, some dips, salad, pickles, olives and tabouleh, as well as some of those super thin flatbreads which I love. These kinds of dishes where you get to try a lot of different things are my absolute favourite (I'm a greedy pig, ok?) and we left Maray with full tummies and falafel-induced grins on our faces. Next stop...the evening menu (and the falafel and gin disco!)

You'll find Maray at 91 Bold St, Liverpool.

Dunham Massey

I love an afternoon visit to a National Trust property (and most importantly, their tea room). I've been to a fair few over the years but I think my favourite definitely has to be Dunham Massey, which has been transformed into the Stamford Military Hospital to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the First World War. 

The grand Georgian house has been decked out as it would have been when it served as a hospital for wounded soldiers a century ago and boy, have they done a good job. It really is like stepping back in time; there's a ward full of hospital beds and an example of an operating theatre nestled in what would have usually been a wealthy family home. It's the extra touches that I really love - the room filled with piles of the family's furniture to be stored whilst their home was being used as a hospital, the bedside tables holding soldier's personal belongings and, probably my favourite bit, the actors performing dialogues as the soldiers and nurses who stayed there. The combination of a great setting and the lingering ghosts of the people who recuperated and worked there brings the whole place to life - it's far from being just another stately home.

And as if the interior wasn't enough, the grounds are absolutely stunning. The house is located in a deer park and has some fantastic gardens to stroll around. Even if you're not particularly interested in the history of the place, what's not to love about going Bambi-spotting in the sunshine? Plus, as I said, there's always a scone waiting for you at the end of it.

Book Club #2: We Were Liars

There are times when you just need a quick read, something which isn't the size of a brick and won't be too taxing on the old brain cells. A book which I'd really recommend for this kind of occasion is We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. Now don't get me wrong, I don't mean that this book is in any way poorly-written, I just mean that it's incredibly readable and not the type of thing where you'll be bogged down in fancy language or rambling sentences. This is definitely one of the reasons why it only took me a couple of days to finish (the other reasons being that it's pretty short and most importantly, that it's a serious page-turner).

The story follows the wealthy Sinclairs and their summers spent holidaying on their private island - to any onlooker they would give off the image of a perfect, privileged family, but we soon come to learn that there are some darker things going on beneath it all. And let me just say a word for the almighty twist at the end - I did not see that one coming. At all. One of those eyes wide, mouth open, involuntary squeal of surprise moments which I had to try and reign under control so as not to look too demented to my fellow train passengers.

So, if you're looking for a speedy read which provides some interesting characters and doesn't fall down in the plot department then definitely give this one a go - and please tell me whether I'm just a bit slow or whether that ending hit you like a ton of bricks as well! (Note: bricks, not brick-like books - those are for another day...).

On Repeat #3: One of Many July Playlists

I've already spoken about a couple of artists that I can't get enough of (see here and here), today I thought I'd take a different approach and share some of the tracks I've been enjoying at the moment in the form of a playlist. I am a huge playlist maker. Some may argue that there is never an occasion for one lasting 55 hours...I beg to differ. Sometimes I use Soundcloud as my method of choice, a lot of the time I opt for Spotify; it just depends on what kind of thing I'm looking for. I always appreciate any recommendations and love trawling through other like-minded people's playlists to discover something that I may not have heard before, or just to see how tracks are put together. Hopefully some of you might enjoy this in the same way! 

Longitude Festival 2014, Dublin

Last weekend I hopped on a plane to Dublin to go to Longitude festival, which is essentially Latitude's smaller, younger, Irish sister. Being completely honest, I wasn't even aware it was on when it debuted last year and I wouldn't be surprised if it passed by again this year with a lot of people not realising it existed. I saw a lot of coverage relating to Latitude in the lead up to the weekend, but very little about Longitude, so I've taken it upon myself to sing its praises!

The only festival I've been to previously was Leeds years ago, so I was extremely excited to get back into the festival spirit. Live music is one of my favourite things in the world and as far as the line up went, it basically consisted of everyone I love at the moment. There's also the other small factor that it is a no camping festival, I assume due to its smaller size. I've done the whole camping/gross toilets thing at Leeds and whilst it is good fun and I definitely think it's part of the experience at some festivals, I can't tell you how nice it was to have a comfy bed at the end of the day and more importantly, the luxury of a shower! I didn't even need to take dry shampoo. Crazy.

We were staying in a hotel (Bewley's Hotel Leopordstown, FYI) which did the job of acting as a base perfectly and even ran their own little bus service to the festival site every day which was really useful. The festival was held in Marlay Park with the biggest stage in the main part of the site and then bridges off to other areas. The feel of the place was so relaxed and there was such a happy atmosphere, it warmed my little heart! Food-wise, a special shout out goes to Dave's Wood-Fired Pizza Company for the best sweet potato fries I've EVER HAD. Oh, and to the ice cream man we single-handedly kept in business (sometimes all you need in life is sunshine and a 99.)

Now onto the important bit, the music. I won't list everything we saw because that would just be boring for you, but I'll try to pick out a few highlights. I have to give a special mention to George Ezra, HAIM and James Vincent McMorrow who were absolutely incredible, as expected, and also to Bastille and Rudimental for putting on a corker of a show! Sam Smith and Disclosure were two acts who really surprised me in terms of just how much I loved their sets and I am also now Hozier's new biggest fan - definitely check him out if you haven't already, he really caught my...erm...ear? 

So, without further ado, here are a few snaps from the weekend...