DAY JOB

London - a magazine lover's dream. It didn't take long for me to find my favourite newsagent. Right near my work, it's a little off license that stocks every magazine you can imagine. The first time I went in there and saw shelves upon shelves of delicious covers, my breathing quickened.

The three Indian men that work there know me well now, and as soon as I'm near the counter will rush to tell me teasingly "The Australian ones are running late this month... Like always!" They know my favourites, suggest ones I might like and always write down my suggestions (Monster Children please!)

I won't go anywhere else for my magazines, and I like it that way. My ideal lunch break is a trip down to them, then a coffee in my favourite cafe a little further down the street, trying not to get crumbs and sugar all over the new, crisp pages.

Above: Corduroy magazine / Day Job magazine

SYDNEY FAVOURITES

I've only travelled to Sydney twice - once to visit the Monster Children studio, and once to see the Harry Potter exhibition. If I was to move back to Australia, I would be more than happy to live and work there (Surry Hills please!) There are so many places to still discover, but for now these are my favourite parts...


EAT
Sailors Thai - 106 George St, The Rocks
Canteen style upstairs with a massive wooden communal table and a dining room downstairs. The food is the best I've had outside of Thailand... My favourites have to be chicken with cashews and chilli jam followed by coconut ice cream!

Bourke Street Bakery - 633 Bourke St, Surry Hills
This is when my allergies make me want to cry. Walking into this tiny corner bakery, my mum looked at me panicked as if I were about to lie on the floor and have a tantrum. Seriously, cabinets of rhubarb almond tarts, raspberry pear butter cakes and every kind of loaf you can imagine. Worth it even just to drool at their creations!

Deus Cafe - 98/102-104 Parramatta Rd, Camperdown
Sitting alongside the Dues ex Machina store and below the Monster Children studio, you know this cafe is going to be good... Breakfast, lunch, dinner, Monday movie nights and live music through the week. Add a menu of good ol' classics and a bloody good coffee - it's a winner.

Food on Five - Westfield Pitt St Mall
Westfield's lavish food court is enough to make your jaw drop. I managed to try four places in three days. Try Rueben & Moore's massive Rueben sandwiches. Or go to Charlie & Co. for a gluten free wagyu beef burger and parmesan truffle fries... Need I say more.


SHOP
Pretty much ALL of Paddington and Surry Hills, but with a special mention of Mrs Red & Sons where my sister and I picked up the tiniest hand painted Chinese cats and the staff are just the best (polaroid above). Find it at 427 Crown St, Surry Hills.


Pictured: 1. The Rocks Market. 2. My younger brother Bon. 3. Deus Cafe. 4. My sister in the background thinking, "Seriously, he's posing for ANOTHER photo!?" 5. Aimee on the train. 6. Polaroids of the sights on the boat ride. 7. Knot and trench. 8. Aimee taking photos of her own. 9. Blue hues. 10. Taxi driver stories. 11 & 12. Ariel bookstore in Paddington. 13. Mrs Red & Sons. 14. Bonjamin.

LOL

I've had to buy photo albums to house the boxes of photos I've taken since I've been here. That's one thing I like about film - you get to have it around you rather than just on a memory card or your laptop.

1. My family have always called me Lol. Just like Lol from This is England
2. Park Life
3. Garden
4. Halloween
5. Gloomy vegetables in Bromley
6. "You're the first one who's taken a photo of my veg love" he said skeptically...
7. Afternoon sun at the station
8. Squinty
9. Super glasses
10. The daily commute
11. Take Courage. My favourite for years

KING OF THE CASTLE

As the weather in London changes, so does my inspiration. This past weekend was a series of lazy afternoons in the garden while Nan planted her new flowers. The usual sirens going by were almost matched by the familiar tinkling tune of the ice-cream van and children yelling "I'm the King of the Castle" in the park behind my house.

And so I find myself saving images of breakfasts of berries covered in mountains of maple syrup, milk bottles filled with fresh flowers, black and white pictures sixties starlets in lace white dresses and tiny scalloped bikinis.

Find me on Tumblr here


 

APPLE TREES

Having younger siblings has always meant there’s a few people around I can convince to hang out with me. Because family time is always best when it’s forced right?

Then eventually my brother out-cooled me and my sister out-witted me. That combined with their million extra-curricular activities meant they rarely had time to sit with me in the food court and make me look social. And if I ever wanted them to watch my playlist of endless Honey Boo Boo videos, I practically had to sit on them.

Then I moved to the other side of the world, and to say I miss them is an understatement (who will carry around countless disposable cameras, and oblige to my artistic selfies!?) Above are two of my favourite walks with my sister Aimee from a trip over here last year.

1. Aimee in Teeston Park.
2. Aimee and Sonny.
3. Daisy chains and crazy fairy-floss hair.
4. Teeston Park.
5. My organic accessories.
6. My shed in Nan’s garden.
7. Some fur and forest coloured trousers.
8. Making mates in the alleyway.
9. Took a turn down a winding path and it opened onto fields of apple trees.
10. Late lunch at the Cricketers Inn in Meopham. (Homemade steak burger – melted Somerset cheddar – grilled British streaky bacon – thin fries).

FRANK

There's something surreal about Whitstable.

My perfect day - waking up to my two cousins.

1. Tilly making fresh orange juice.
2. Me and Tilly. Then taking them rollerblading.
3. Coming home to a breakfast of mushroom omelettes and all the mandatory English sides - bacon, beans and ketchup!
4. Tilly clutching her wand as we play Potter games.
5. Rudy watching cartoons.
6. Another afternoon walk.
7. Coffee and gluten free cheesecake at my favourite place there - JoJo's.
8. The kid's self portraits and a stop at the best shop - Frank.
9. Quintessential oldies gossiping away in town.

UNION JACKS

Four words... Apple. Cinnamon. Lemonade. Yo.

Seriously, the thought sipping this icy goodness again through a stripey paper straw makes me want to get on the bus now and head to Union Jacks. Jamie Oliver has never disappointed me yet.

I have had the same every time - Pork and leek sausages, Summer bubble & squeak, beer onions and mustard. Please do not judge on the not so glamorous pictures above, it is so worth it.