MISS HOLLY P
A BIT OF ME . A BIT OF FOOD . A BIT OF WINE
jewellery

Wolf and Gypsy Jewellery

WOLF AND GYPSY {gifted item}  A huge thanks to Wolf and Gypsy for the lovely Sixpence necklace! It’s an original 1914 sixpence coated on gold vermeil and is reversible so you can wear it on the side of choice, these guys have a lovely range of gold and silver designs to suit all tastes and styles and at the heart of the brand is a really important message!

Wolf and Gypsy love sentiment and history and the sixpence itself has been a symbolic gift of good luck since the 1500’s. As a brand they have a really strong ethos and strive to be ethical and sustainable! Check out these brand statements taken from their website ⭐️????

 

➳ Eco-Friendly Packaging // FSC® Certified, recycled

& biodegradable.

➳ Conflict-Free Gemstones // Handpicked for quality & unique features.

➳ Recycled Precious Metals // 14ct gold, gold vermeil & sterling silver.

➳ Hand Made & Designed // by Tori Shay & in our ethical work-shop.

➳ Committed To Positive Environmental Change // Member of 1% For The Planet, donation made for every sale.

The fashion landscape can be really confusing and to be conscious about where you source your pieces from can be really confusing when brands don’t have full transparency about how your pieces are sourced and made. Wolf and Gypsy are totally transparent about the product journey and you can wear with a smile knowing your piece of jewellery has been made with a conscience. Have you checked out Wolf and Gypsy? Head over to wolfandgypsy.com to shop now and use the code misshollyp for 10% discount!

Style and design bang on trend with the knowledge that your piece can be worn with pride ???? ???? ♻️ ???? 

beauty

Hestia Aesthetics- Anti Wrinkle Injections

After a lot of heartbreak and trauma this year I really wanted to do something to make myself feel better. Anti wrinkle injections AKA Botox is something I had considered for a while and after the final nail in the coffin with my ex and an extra large dose of worries and frowning, I felt a bit ropey and weathered and it gave me the push I needed to book myself in for 1 area of botox. Now I’m not saying this is for everyone, nor am I telling you to go and do it, I just wanna share my personal experience and my personal thoughts on the results. 

So Botox anti wrinkle injections are a treatment where an injectable solution is administered and this takes up to 14 days to activate and it basically ‘freezes’ the muscle movement, smoothing lines and preventing future lines from forming. Results do vary from person to person and last from 2-6 months. Reactions are highly unlikely but if on the rare occasion this did happen, the skin would likely react then and there so help is on hand and it would likely be a localized reaction. I only mention this as it is something on instagram I was asked multiple times and I know is a concern to many of you.

I didn’t know where to go for my treatment as the cosmetic sector is now such a competitive market with more and more people offering this treatment but after doing a bit of research Hestia Aesthetics just stood out for me. The team of Costas and Lauren have an extensive medical career and full aesthetics training, the language on the website really stood out to me as it seemed less daunting and more approachable than other places- I mean, lets face it, this stuff is a bit daunting, confusing and can be really intimidating too. 

I booked my appointment online for 1 area and paid a £30 deposit, the total treatment price is £180. The area I wanted to go for is the forehead as this is definitely the area for me where life takes its toll! We came to the agreement that I would help get the word out as this is very new business they would do me a package so I had a little more in other areas too! 

I visited the clinic on a Sunday morning. I arrived with no makeup on and a little nervous. I was invited into the room and greeted by the guys, they are a lovely team, so friendly and put me straight at ease. The appointment starts with a consultation when you will be asked about the treatment you have selected and the desired results, you will then be talked through how it works and a little about the anatomy of what you are having done. Once you are both happy with the selection you will move over onto the bed and you will be marked up, this is done with a liner and is to make sure you have your botox applied evenly, then once done, they will inject. I promise, this does not hurt, unless you have an incredibly low pain threshold. Some of the injections I could barely feel!

After the treatment you are left with a little redness but totally manageable and I would really recommend having his done when you have no plans as you don’t wanna be putting makeup on for up to 24 hours ideally. 

The areas which I had done were the forehead and a brow lift. You can also have amongst other areas- crows feet, frown line, bunny lines, hooded eyes, tear trough, dimpled chin, marionette lines, smile lines, underarm. The team also do a range of other treatments too including filler and cannula treatments.

So… the results! Obviously what we all want to know about! So you’re appointment includes a 2-week follow up appointment to check the results and includes a top up if required! Costas on my follow up appointment also gave me a little extra in my frown lines, smile lines and bunny lines to share with you guys.

 

Lifting my brows before and after full activation

For me; I will never look back, after having botox I have gone through such a traumatic event in my life and normally that would take its toll in my face, honestly, I look fresh as a daisy! My skin looks smooth, polished and healthy and I just feel so much more confident in myself even though the changes are subtle. My requested result was the desire to have a ‘freshen up’ that is exactly what I got, I look natural and not over enhanced but I feel the BEST I have felt in years!! 

Lauren and Costas are so friendly and knowledgeable and would be so happy to talk you through anything if you are considering a treatment. 

The clinic is highly professional, sterile and clean but still feels extremely relaxing and it is based at Rowan House in Hethersett. 

I can not rate my experience enough, I’m so pleased, honestly I feel the most confident I’ve ever felt in myself and that feels wonderful. Thanks so much guys for making me feel like me again!

 

If you would like more info or to book, click here

 

Thanks for reading, H x

blog

Gyre and Gimble Bar and Distillery

Have you heard of Gyre and Gimble? Gyre and Gimble is a cocktail bar, gin academy, distillery and now has its own house brand of gins and spirits. Situated above The Strangers Tavern and right by the historic Strangers Hall, Gyre and Gimble takes is name as a nod to the weird and wonderful world of Alice in Wonderland author Lewis Carrol and with the ‘strangers’ location, it seemed a fitting title! Curiouser and curiouser!

Duo team Craig and Rory have transformed the former Gin Palace (which also had a brief stint being called Door Eighteen) into one of the newest hot spots on the Norwich cocktail scene. With exposed brick, botanical accents from draping plants and industrial fixtures the décor is perfectly fitting to the trends we are leaning towards and will suit all tastes and styles. The team are currently operating an offer of ‘Drink out to help out’ with a selection of £5 cocktails every Wednesday evening and serving up grazing platters to enjoy while you drink. Their cocktail menus have a host of different drinks, they have the largest spirit selection on offer in the city and they are always working on new drinks to surprise and delight. Look out for the next menu launch which is focused around sustainability and no waste

There is an on-site ‘Gin Academy’ which you can book to enjoy a gin making experience where you will learn about the history of gin, the process of how to make and the chance to design, create and take home a bottle of your very own gin! The session last’s for 2.5 hours and you will enjoy cocktail tastings during your distiller for a day experience and all of this is £85. A great treat and lovely gift too.

With all of this at their fingertips and with the teams knowledge and expertise they have now branched out and developed their very own brand of gin and very special it is too! They have developed 3 blends and have a strong mission of sustainability at the heart of their brand, with bottles being 95% recycled glass (most have a max of 60%), wax seals so no plastic lids or seals, and recycled paper labels, the journey of the development is about as green as it gets.

The 3 different blends are all inspired by Lewis Carrol….

Callooh Callay Coastal Gin- 45%- blended with samphire, seaweed and Norfolk Lavender. The most gorgeous illustrated walrus and carpenter logo label and a percentage of sales go to Friends of Horsey seal protection charity. Inspired name from The Jaberwocky

Nohow- This is a classic London Dry coming in at 42.5%, with notes of aromatic pink pepper, citrus and spices, Nohow is named with a nod those crazy twins Tweedledee and Tweedledum

Queen of Hearts Cherry Gin- 40%- A cherry gin which a rich and layered deep taste of cherries throughout. The colour and label is inspired by the famous Alice in Wonderland character, The Queen of Hearts.

These are all available to buy now and available in the bar by the glass!

All the labels of the gin are bold and bright colours with strong typeface and illustration logos, which are reminiscent of the ever growing world of craft beer.

 

So what are you waiting for? Go and visit Gyre and Gimble! You can eat, drink, chill and create!

 

Thanks for reading,

 

H x

blog

Girly East Anglia Staycation

In the current climate when travelling is so uncertain and loaded with potential issues staying a little closer to home has been the best option.

Whenever I get time off work I always want to get as far away from home as possible (usually by plane) and that leaves lots of places super close to home left unvisited!

Being a bit of bargain hunter and with so many businesses offering great deals at the moment to entice customers back in, I managed to plan a luxury, jam packed itinerary for some great prices!

We started our adventure in Cambridge on Tuesday! Cambridge- stunning architecture, great shops, lovely food, punting, history, museums and culture! There’s a lot to offer!

We parked at The Grand Arcade which until the end of October is £1 per hour! So super cheap in the shopping heart of Cambridge for the whole day! The Grand Arcade is such a lovely, modern shopping centre with a huge selection of shops. We were really lucky to have picked a gorgeous sunny day so walking around was so pleasant. Outside you’ll find the market square which has daily market from 10am-4pm selling a huge range of goods and food and then arts and crafts on Sundays!

Coffee is always a must when you’ve had a little road trip and I had read and heard endless rave reviews about Bould Brothers Coffee! These guys now have 2 locations in Cambridge due to their success and I can vouch it is bloody nice coffee AND the team are REALLY nice! Great to see them using Strangers coffee which is local to Norwich.

 

Cambridge is hugely famous for punting; punting is a guided river tour of Cambridge by water, you can do it in groups, privately or have a go at chauffeuring the punt yourself! We went with the AMAZING Let’s Go Punting who kindly gifted me the experience for my first time with my mum! We had a shared punt which is divided by clear Perspex screens to keep people distanced safely with new Covid measures. I absolutely loved the experience, being on the water is so tranquil, the knowledgeable chauffeurs regale you with facts and information about your surroundings on the tours, all whilst your eyes feast on the backdrop of architectural grandeur of the iconic colleges. You glide under historic bridges, surrounded by wildlife and absorb all the beauty Cambridge has to offer. I can’t wait to visit again when it’s chilly and wrap up warm with a hot drink and see the colours of a new season. This experience was so special with my mum but would be great for a date or a group trip (up to 6) and I saw lots of doggies enjoying the punting on my travels too!

As a real foodie I always do my research of where I’m going to eat when I go away. I don’t like to visit chains and want to know we won’t be disappointed (yes I  am a control freak), after a few recommendations I decided on Six which is located on the sixth floor of the very trendy Varsity Hotel and Spa and to my delight when I booked on their website they had extended the Eat Out To Help Out concept and offered 50% off food up to £10 per person! We requested an outside table which is on an a terrace with panoramic views over the rooftops of Cambridge and hanging colourful flowers overhead as you look up to the sky, there is also a retractable cover to protect when required from the elements so your experience is never interrupted!

They have such a gorgeous bar in this restaurant and a huge range of gin and cocktails that I would love to sample but I didn’t because my mum was driving and I didn’t wanna be an annoying drunk on the way to Newmarket!

There is a truly varied menu with something for everyone, we shared the scallop and smoked salmon starters then I had baked cod and mum went for the king prawn and chorizo skewers, we each had a soft drink and an alcoholic drink and after discount the bill was £73.50.

On the very top floor there is another large roof terrace space with a bar where you can soak up the sun or wrap up under the stars. I would definitely love to stay here!

Our day in Cambridge had come to an end so we hopped in the car and took the journey down to Bedford Lodge Hotel and Spa in Newmarket. We booked their ‘Gourmet Getaway’ offer, which for £220 which included room, usage of the leisure centre (not the spa which is separate), £30 per head towards an evening meal in the award-winning Squires restaurant, a bottle of house red or white wine and breakfast the following morning.

It’s a beautiful and impressive venue with lots of racing memorabilia around to earmark its location and history. The hotel public areas are well maintained and very clean and so was our room. We booked a twin room and due to Covid restrictions it was still nice to see the inclusion of robes, Molton Brown toiletries and lovely tea and coffee facilities as I know some places have decided to remove these amenities for safety but I feel that would definitely have impacted the feel of the stay (please note if you want to use leisure facilities you need to take towels from the room and the showers are not open). The weather was just lovely so we went and sat outside for some drinks and the atmosphere was great as there was lots of people and a lovely buzz!

 

We had wine, champagne and cocktails and just had a giggle until our meal in the restaurant. I carried on my fishy theme and had a prawn cocktail and lobster mac ‘n’ cheese, the food was really lovely and the restaurant has a modern décor with dimmed ambient lighting which creates a nice mood. We finished the evening off with an espresso martini outside before hitting the hay.

Go to sleep full and wake up for more food, that’s what it’s all about right?

These days there is almost an awkwardness to know what’s what and in a hotel with a continental and cooked breakfast option its a bit like “Ooooh, what am I allowed?” So, I’m sure this will be the situation in most places, the continental options are available to order and you can have as many as you choose- like a buffet, then you have the cooked breakfast option of which you choose one. It was a lovely breakfast. Great coffee, my fave oat milk too! They have a signature green ‘Bedford Lodge Smoothie’ which was fresh and contained wheatgrass for a pick me up. We shared some Baron Bigod cheese and ham charcuterie off the ‘continental’ menu and I had the Bedford Lodge Full English and mum went for the sourdough toast with avocado and poached eggs. Breakfast was exceptional as was the service and it’s always a pleasure to see a venue sourcing as many local ingredients as possible.

The spa at Bedford Lodge is in a separate building to the main hotel and unfortunately is not open Mondays and Tuesdays so we couldn’t use it but we did go and have a look around before heading off on Wednesday morning. This is a PROPER spa, finished to an extremely high standard, lovely main areas in the hydro pool, an extensive treatment list, a lovely seating area where you can enjoy light bites and beverages and the staff were so welcoming and accommodating despite only looking around. They open evenings too for twilight deals so if this sounds up your street have a look at their offering here.

The ‘Gourmet Getaway’ deal is only on for September but do keep a look out as given the world at the moment; businesses are definitely having to adapt with deals for a new clientele.

From Newmarket we moved onto Bury St Edmunds, Bury is a short and simple drive from Newmarket and is a beautiful town rich in history with a lovely shopping centre.

We parked at Ram’s Meadow which set us back only £2.30 for the whole day in a large open air car park so one to remember if you plan a visit.

We headed straight from there to the beautiful Abbey Gardens ‘the abbey was once one of the richest and most powerful Benedictine monasteries in England. Its remains are extensive and include the complete 14th century Great Gate and Norman Tower, as well as the impressive ruins and altered west front of the immense church.

The relics of the martyred Anglo-Saxon king St Edmund, whose remains were moved to this site in 903, and his shrine became a place of pilgrimage. The abbey itself was founded in 1020 and grew in power and wealth up until its suppression in 1539.’

When I was a little girl I wanted to be an archaeologist so ruins are always a huge treat for me! The gardens are kept immaculate by volunteers and they were in the process of changing over to the winter plants!

Even after a long walk we were still full from breakfast so we tried to get as many steps in as possible before our lunch which was booked for 2 at the gorgeous Angel. We explored the grounds of the cathedral and found a nature reserve walk with lovely little goats! We then headed to The Arc shopping centre and rummaged through the sales and got some bargains then on the way down to lunch we hit every charity shop too!  I managed to get a lush black Hugo Boss blazer for £9.99! The Angel is a hotel and has a bar and restaurant and is a stunning and huge ivy covered building in the heart of Bury. The Angel are still extending their Eat Out to Help Out too for September which was a bonus when booking but we were still so full we couldn’t manage a full meal which also meant no Lottie’s waffles after either!! The restaurant is just stunning though, I adore the decor with different touches of modern art and the colour palette in this room. We just had soft drinks and shared a lovely antipasti board for 2 which was just enough! The perfect end to a lovely 2 days!

circus

The Hippodrome Circus Great Yarmouth

If you are looking for a fun and entertaining day or night out for the kids and adults too, look no further that the Hippodrome circus In Great Yarmouth! Since Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron and the cast of The Greatest Showman melted the hearts of film lovers across the globe, circus is more popular than ever! In 2018 we saw the 250th anniversary of circus and we are incredibly lucky to have one of the ‘last surviving, purpose built, total circus buildings’ in the UK right on our doorstep in East Anglia! The Hippodrome Great Yarmouth was built back in 1903 and has been kept in the the most impeccable condition with its original features preserving the traditional circus charm. The Hippodrome’s shows combine acts across stage, air and water and it has 1 of the only 3 rings in Europe, with the feature of the floor lowering to fill with water and transform into a pool, where audiences can enjoy this range of talents, show after show!

The Hippodrome has been delightfully handed down through the Jay family and with the well-known local hero Peter Jay sharing his 40 years of the hippodrome experience last year and handing the torch over to his son Jack, who is our fantastic ring leader and leading man in the circus come-show ‘Pirates’; the family message is very much alive and present here. 

From the second I walked through the doors of the beautiful building I was hit with a wall of nostalgia that I am always subconsciously craving. I am obsessed with times gone by and being able to step inside a piece of history evokes every sense I have. This is such an incredibly loved building, inside and out and you are literally walking in time in a place of entertainment history. The retro and charming interior has been cared with love and does nothing but compliment the experience. The walls are covered in posters and memorabilia from the shows hosted over the years and gives you a glimpse into how circus was in the days of animals and odd balls, as opposed to the unique and raw talent from over the world which we see today.

 

 

Jack and his team spend each season between shows not only script writing but also attending and researching shows to source the most exciting, original and ground breaking acts. This keeps the Hippodrome fresh and exciting each show for all the new guests but for the die-hard loyal fans that attend every show year after year. With the exception of Christmas day this is a 24/7 job and which the love, passion and dedication of the team we continue to see it thrive and succeed as much as ever!

The Hippodrome hosts 4 house shows per year which fall in line with the school holidays to give as many opportunities as possible for families to attend, they do 2-3 shows per day from afternoon to evening. Kicking off the year with the Pirates Live over Easter, then the longest running summer show ‘Circus and Water Spectacular’, October half term gets creepy with the Halloween Spooktacular and then seeing out the festive period with Christmas Spectacular!

You will get to know and love the dynamic comedy stylings of Jack Jay and Johnny Mack who’s on stage chemistry is perfect and their humour infectious. Great laughs for the kids between acts and fantastic nods to the adult audience with some cryptic ‘in’ jokes. The shows without Johnny feature other well-known names from the UK entertainment scene so the hosts are always a delight. 

The global acts the guys source are phenomenal, I have been attending most shows for the past couple of years and without fail every single time I see something and I can’t quite believe my eyes! I’m squirming and squealing  with adrenaline and I am literally on the edge of my seat! They vary from weird, to unbelievable and super extreme but every single act I cannot fault and excites me enormously. 

I don’t think I can gush mush more about the circus do you? Seriously, book some tickets, take a mate, when you arrive grab some popcorn and a drink from the licensed bar and sit back and enjoy the show! 

After the show keep half an hour spare to visit the on site museum behind the ring where you can look into the rich history of this circus with a huge amount of old outfits, props and memorabilia it is a fascinating insight to the years of rich on site circus history and so much more! 

Thanks for reading and I hope you’ll love it as much as I do.

H x