When my parents were (and even when I was) growing up, regular flying was seen as the preserve of the rich and famous. Most people did not get on a plane until they were well into their teens or even twenties – even more so if that plane was heading “overseas”, to somewhere beyond South Africa’s borders. Movie stars were always being whisked to the plane door in a limo and jetting off somewhere but for Joe Bloggs and his family it was a rare and special occasion to board a plane at all. That all changed with the arrival of low-cost, no-frills airlines from the 1970s onwards, and by the early 2000s on any given weekend you could find every man and his dog jetting off on a low-cost weekend break. I still remember one of South Africa’s pioneering budget airlines Kulula’s first TV ad which was accompanied by the catchy refrain “Now anyone can fly, Kulula.com!” And fly we did, with gusto.
Patron Cave a Manger (Review)
On my Instagram feed recently, in among all the photos of artfully messy food flatlays, impossibly glamorous women in maxi dresses on tropical beaches, and adorable kittens doing goofy things, I found this quote: “I need a 6 month holiday, twice a year”. And let’s be honest, who hasn’t felt like that at some stage? […]
Click here for a full portionRoasted Brussels sprouts with sesame and ginger
Synonyms. Antonyms. Possibly even homonyms. It’s fair to say most readers will be able to hazard a pretty accurate definition for each of these. But how about eponyms? Would it help if I told you that your Achilles tendon is an example of an eponym, and so is Fahrenheit?
Click here for a full portionGerard Bertrand wines and a jazz dinner at Chateau L’Hospitalet
Gerard Bertrand is sometimes referred to as “the man who saved the Languedoc”. A bold claim, perhaps… but at a time when the region (particularly the Pays d’Oc) was known principally for producing cheap, bulk wines, he set about convincing consumers that the region could make quality wine that deserved to be taken seriously. Given […]
Click here for a full portionKarapincha – Sri Lankan food in Canary Wharf
Ask Google how many restaurants there are in Greater London and you will get a number of answers of variying degrees of usefulness. I say this because the total number of establishment serving food in London (in excess of 30,000!) includes things like fast food outlets, kebab shops, coffee shops and private clubs – most […]
Click here for a full portionPotato, salmon and cucumber salad
When I was growing up, my father was never one for sports. Sure, he was a pretty sporty guy when he was younger, playing tennis and swimming competitively at university. But by the time my brother and I were born, his main sporting activities were a few laps in the pool, a leisurely game of […]
Click here for a full portionReview: Le Relais de Venise L’Entrecote
There is a French saying that says: Trop de choix tue le choix , or “too much choice kills the choice”. At first glance, this seems rather paradoxical to people who have been brought up in a society where more choice is thought to equal more freedom and therefore be generally better for everyone. Surely […]
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