Linkin Park Live In London November 2014

Hey guys,

I'm back with the final instalment of my recent adventures in London.

This post is extremely long, but I hope you'll indulge me just this once. I don't get to have fun often anymore! If you actually want to keep reading, grab yourself a drink, put your feet up, and get comfortable! This might take a while...

We made it to the O2 in time to catch the last couple of songs from Linkin Park's support act 'Of Mice and Men'. I had never listened to their music before, but I loved what I heard. I'm going to have to check out some of their music. Any recommendations?

I was pleased to see how good the view was from our seats. We were in the closest tier to the stage, and even though it was a side-view, it wasn't restrictive. We had a great view! (Or, I would have if I hadn't been stuck behind two guys swaying and waving their arms like pre-teen girls at a boyband concert). 

It felt like an age before Linkin Park appeared on stage around 9pm, but believe me when I say they were worth the wait! The show started with a bang of drums, guitars, and twenty thousand fans roaring along to Guilty All The Same. I don't think I've ever been part of a louder audience! It was incredible to be a part of it.

They performed a great selection of songs from each of their studio albums, with early hits from Hybrid Theory, like One Step Closer and In The End, to tracks from their latest album The Hunting Party, such as Final Masquerade and Until It's Gone. They also performed a lot of mash-ups, which were amazing, although I wished they had performed more full songs because hearing just a verse or two of my favourites before they merged in to another was just plain cruel! For instance, one of the mash ups was Leave Out All The Rest, Shadow of The Day and Iridescent, which are three of my favourite songs of all time. They sounded great as a mash up but I wanted more, dammit! Haha! Yes, I've heard them all live before in full, but that's beside the point!

Hmm, I wonder if you can tell who my favourite is...

I'll let them off since the show was phenomenal!

One thing I love about Linkin Park, besides their amazing music, is how much they interact with their fans. It seems to be a tradition for Mike to jump in to the audience during In The End to sing with fans, and on this occasion, they invited about thirty fans on stage during the closing song 'Bleed It Out' to mark the end of The Hunting Party tour. Everybody looked like they were having a blast and it was so fun to watch. It actually made me a bit emotional! It was a brilliant end to an incredible show.

A blurry shot of Chester topless. You're welcome!

Joe giving Brad a piggy back ride around the stage during Bleed It Out to wave at fans.

It was hands down one of the best concerts I've ever seen. Linkin Park have yet to disappoint me. They sound even better live than they do on CD, and they sure know how to put on a good show. I'd even go as far as saying they're the best band I've ever seen live! I can't wait 'til the next UK tour; I'll definitely be going!

Here are a few videos I took. The footage isn't brilliant as I was shaky and the guys in front kept blocking my view, and the sound was booming from the base but you'll get the idea. If you watch them, be sure to turn the volume down first; the music will deafen you!

During the show, I tried so hard to stay on my feet so I wouldn't miss anything. It was a struggle as the pain was burning from my neck to my toes, but it was actually my wobbly legs that were causing the biggest problem. I'm not sure if it's the pain, medication, or weakness from being house-bound, but my legs shake constantly these days, and lately it's started to really affect my balance. It makes it particularly difficult to stay up right when I'm stood still and have nothing to hold on to. I kept losing my balance and had to hold on to my sister a lot so I didn't fall down and make a tit of myself. Thankfully, I didn't slip, and just took a lot of rests, but afterwards I had to pretty much crawl up the stairs to leave the arena. There weren't any hand rails to make it easier. One of these days I'll start feeling less self conscious of walking at a snail's pace like a frail old lady. I get embarrassed when I hold people up, even with the girls behind me.

Once we were outside, we headed back to Greenwich pier to get the boat back to the London Eye. We were surprised by how few people were aboard with us. Out of 20,000 people (at the gig alone), there were only around two dozen of us aboard! Why don't more people use it? I'd much rather embrace the cold and take a relaxing journey up the river than squash in to a hot, claustrophobic carriage on the Underground with hundreds of sweaty strangers.

Plus it gives you the opportunity to pose for photos with a giant penguin when you get back on dry land...

I would've given him a bear-hug, but I'd lost the ability to stretch my arms. It was a miracle I was still standing.

Remind me not to wear my black ankle boots with black leggings again; I look like I'm wearing suede wellies! Haha! I did get to wear my new (p)leather biker jacket from Dorothy Perkins, though, and it was surprisingly warm against the cold. It came in handy so I don't feel too guilty for putting it on my store card.

We walked back along the river-front to Westminster Bridge, where we hailed a cab, headed back to the hotel, and raided the vending machine for munchies. My pain was through the roof, so I crawled straight in to bed with a heat patch and a hot water bottle for my back, and we just spent the next few hours chatting until we fell asleep. Rock 'n' roll!

The next morning my pain was excruciating, but my little trip to London was and still is completely worth the pain it put me in. I had a fantastic time seeing one of my all time favourite bands live again and getting to see my best friend for the first time in almost a year. Even without the concert, all three of us still had a great time together in the city.

For me, it was so good to experience a little part of my old life again. I used to go to a lot of concerts, and visit London several times a year to shop, sight-see, and catch a show, and those things are what I miss most in life. I couldn't do anything on the same scale this week, but I'm proud of how much I managed to cope with. I might have some explaining to do to my physiotherapist this morning, but I don't care what the repercussions are; the memories of the great day will keep me smiling well in to the new year! 

Bring on the next one!

Thanks for reading!

There's No Place Like London: Part Two

Hey guys,

I'm back with part two of Monday's London adventures. If you missed part one yesterday, you can catch up with it here.

Today's post is all about our visit to Covent Garden, and a boat journey down the Thames to the O2. I was going to include the rest of my London trip in this post, but decided to split it in to two so I don't crash your computers with a million photos. I have scheduled the last part to immediately follow this one, though, and if you're a Linkin Park fan you might want to check it out!

After a few hours resting in the hotel that afternoon, we (my best friend, sister, and I) headed over to Covent Garden to get a quick bite to eat and wander around the piazza before making our way to the O2. We were hoping to experience Covent Garden in all it's festive glory, but we couldn't have imagined the scene that awaited us.

It was so beautifully decorated for Christmas, with hundreds of giant red baubles and disco balls hanging from the rafters, and yellow fairy lights framing the arches and doorways.

There was a giant Christmas tree adorned in pretty red and white lights, and an enormous reindeer lit up in white, alongside it. Even the cobble stone streets were lit up with festive cheer. I've visited Covent Garden at Christmas once before, but I've never seen it decorated on the same scale.  I was blown away by how gorgeous it was. 

Inside the piazza, we grabbed a burger and fries from Shake Shack, and ate outside so we could soak up the festive atmosphere. The fairy lights were twinkling, and we could hear live music coming from the ground floor beneath us. At one point, we heard a man singing opera music, and by the impressive quality of his voice, I wouldn't be surprised if he was a trained opera singer or theatre actor. Opera isn't really my thing, but the music had a Christmas-carol like quality to it and really added to the festive ambiance. 

I tried to take photos of all the pretty things I saw, but most of them came out blurry, and the rest are crap, so I'm sorry about today's photos. I was saving the battery on my Canon (the camera I use for my blog photos) for the gig, and my iPod, and phone didn't want to cooperate. Neither has a flash so they don't work well in the dark.

Once we were finished eating, we grabbed a cab to Westminster bridge.

We decided to travel to the O2 in style, and took a boat from the London Eye up to Greenwich. The leisurely trip down the Thames takes about half an hour, and it's far more scenic that the tube. It takes you past Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye, London Bridge, Canary Wharf and other iconic landmarks. The views of the sky line lit up at night are amazing. I've gone to the O2 this way once before, but this was the first time I did so at night and during the Winter. It made the trip all the more special... even if it was freezing! If you wrap up warm (or sit inside!) it's an enjoyable trip and you get to sight-see along the way.

We weren't crammed in like sardines like we would have been on the tube, and it didn't cost as much as a cab. It was also far gentler on my back than cars, buses, and trains are.

The man charged us all student prices (£8 return), even though only one of us is still a student! An adult return was about £12, I think. In my opinion the boat is the best way to get to and from the arena, and I'd choose it over anything else any day.

It was a short walk from Greenwich pier to the O2, which took us through a tunnel with rainbow coloured lights, which looked amazing. I could have stayed there taking photos all night, but I didn't even get the chance to take any half decent photos; everybody was freezing and wanted to get inside.

Once we were through security, we grabbed a drink, made our way in to the arena, and waited impatiently for the magic to start... it wait seemed to take forever...

To read the rest of my London adventures, check out part three, which will be live immediately after this post.

Thanks for reading!

There's No Place Like London: Part One

On Monday, I took a rare trip away from home and spent the night in London to have some fun.

I don't get to travel or have fun very often these days, as I struggle to cope with my spinal pain when I'm out of bed. I manage the odd couple of hours here and there, but most days I'm lucky if I can push through five minutes. It makes it difficult to go out and do the things I enjoy most in life, but every so often I need to push myself to my limits for the sake of my sanity, and say "fuck it."

And that's exactly what I did on Monday, when I went to London with my best friend and my older sister to see Linkin Park live at the O2! It was exactly what I needed to put a smile back on my face.

My sister and I left home around noon, hopped on a train, and made it to our hotel in Covent Garden by half two. My best friend arrived soon after. We made it to London so early so that I could rest for a few hours before the show, to have the best chance of making it through the evening. It was a wise decision and the perfect excuse for a catch up.

The trip was only possible because I won a night's stay at a Travelodge hotel on Rachel's blog a couple of months ago. I don't actually live far from London; our journey only takes about an hour and a half by train, but I wouldn't have managed all the travelling and shenanigans in one go. Winning the competition could not have come at a better time! It meant that we could all afford a night away, even with Christmas on the horizon. It allowed me to get plenty of rest before and after the show, and to see my best friend who I'd not seen for almost a year, and we were / are all so grateful for that. 

We stayed in the Covent Garden Travelodge on High Holborn Road, which is in the theatre district and about a quarter of a mile from Covent Garden, and a mile from Westminster Bridge. It's about half a mile from Oxford Street and Leicester Square, too, so it's a great location to stay in if you're visiting London for sight-seeing, shopping, and a show.

It was the first time any of us had stayed at a Travelodge hotel, but it didn't disappoint. The staff were friendly and helpful, the room was clean, and the hotel was well maintained. We had a good-sized room, which, although simple, was all we needed for a night's stay. The room had a double bed and two single camp beds, which we all found comfortable. There was plenty of storage space for clothes and luggage, and a large wooden counter to work from or do your hair and make up from. It also had tea and coffee making facilities, a TV, and a decent-sized bathroom with a bath and shower (over the tub).

The best part about the room, and we all agreed, was the view we had from our tenth floor windows. There was so much to take in! We could see modern office structures alongside beautiful old buildings, with a little bit of nature and a couple of landmarks in between. Everything looked like it had been squeezed in between each other in no particular order and I loved how mis-matched it all looked. It's something I've always loved about London; the way new and old exists alongside each other.

Over the rooftops to the left of the window, we could see the tops of some of the buildings and ships along the nearby river Thames. I think the structure with the flag on the top is one of the bridges, but I'm not sure which one. 

To the right of the window, was the BT Tower, which let's face it, is a bit of an eye sore. It looks so out of place towering above everything else.

It was grey and cloudy when I took these photos on Tuesday afternoon, but when we arrived on Monday, the sun was shining and the sky was blue, which made the view look so much prettier.

We all had a great stay at the Travelodge, and I just wanted to say a big thank you to Rachel for hosting the giveaway, and to Stephanie from Talented Talkers who was organising my stay and so kindly allowed a third person to tag along. Thank you both so much! I still can't believe I won, but it allowed me to spend a rare night away from home, and I really appreciated the opportunity to escape reality for a day. We all had a fantastic time, so thanks again!

I'd happily stay in the Covent Garden hotel again next time I stay over in London, and I'd gladly recommend the hotel to you guys. It has everything you need for a comfortable night or two away from home, and you really can't beat the central location!

This is only part one of my London adventures. Tomorrow I'll be back with part two, when I'll be talking about what I got up to while I was there.

Have you ever stayed at a Travelodge hotel?

Wednesday Wish List

Hi guys!

I'm sorry for the radio silence these last few days. I managed to spend Monday and Tuesday morning away from home doing something fun for the first time since the beginning of the year, (more on that tomorrow), but I didn't have the time to finish and schedule posts before I left. I'm a bad blogger!

I've got plenty of posts planned for the next few weeks, though, and I'm going to do my best to catch up on everything this week. I'll also set aside some time to go back and reply to all of your comments and emails when I stop feeling like I've been hit by a bus. It's all gotten away from me lately, and it's just not good enough. New Year's resolutions; get organised and keep up! 

Right now I'm shattered and in a lot of pain, so I'm going to keep the rest of this post short and sweet. You guys know the drill with my wish lists; everything is either amazing, gorgeous, or pretty! Ha ha! This week it's all about blues, reds, and black. You'll find the links below the collage.

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New Plus Size Clothing Collection: Missguided Plus

If you've been following the plus size blogging community this week, then I'm sure you've heard the good news: there's a new plus size collection in town by the name of Missguided Plus!

That's right; established fashion brand Missguided has finally launched it's own plus size collection! About time, right?

Missguided Plus caters to sizes 16-24 UK, and is made up of trend-led pieces that are similar to those in the straight size range. There's no shortage of colour, short hemlines, and fashionable prints in the current selection, and the prices are reasonable, too. 

Here are some of my favourites:

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My favourites are these stunning velvet dresses, which would make the perfect Christmas party frocks. I'm particularly taken with the blue and oxblood wrap dresses.

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For all of you nineties loving ladies, there are a couple of gorgeous burgundy bodysuits to be had.

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Oh how I love these cosy looking jumpers! One of each, please!

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These skater dresses tick all the right boxes.

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I love the selection of skirts with matching crop tops or jackets. If the co-ord trend isn't really your thing, there's no need to worry; each piece is sold separately so you can style them however you like.

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I love both of these jackets, but especially the checked jacket with the PVC sleeves. Come to mama!

These jackets are so different to each other, and I think it's a good example of how diverse the collection is; there's something for almost everybody... well, for those who wear sizes 16-24. 

It's a real shame that Missguided Plus have stopped at a size 24 instead of extending their sizes further to include the larger ladies. I don't know why so many plus size brands exclude sizes beyond a 24 or a 26; especially when the selection of brands available over these sizes is still so limited. They could be making a killing! Ladies over a size 24 deserve beautiful clothes, too, and there are plenty who want to spend their hard-earned cash on clothes like these! I hope Missguided Plus extends the sizing of their clothing, if the new range does well, (and I think it will)!

I'm already impressed with the selection available, and have fallen in love with most of the collection. It's fashionable, it's fun, and the pricing is great! I think we can expect good things to come from Misguided Plus!

What do you think of Missguided's new plus size collection? Do you have a favourite piece?

Wednesday Wish List

With Christmas just over a month away, I'm sure I'm not the only person who has banned herself from shopping for anything but Christmas presents and necessities. And, when I say 'presents', I mean for others; gifts to myself aren't allowed, either! Not that it's stopped me from window shopping online and adding dozens of pieces to my wish list! Twenty pieces made the post this week, and I may be biased, as I chose them, but there are some real beauties on this week's list. Don't take my word for it; let's take a look...

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These two tea dresses from Lady Vintage are absolutely stunning. The red rose design is my favourite, but I'll be adding them both to my Christmas list.

Junarose Lace Long Sleeve Body

I adore this lace body from Junarose; it's so beautiful! I don't think I've ever owned a body, at least not that I can remember, but this one makes me want to start wearing them!

Little Mistress Wrap Front Embellished Maxi Dress

I wish I had somewhere to wear this stunning gown from Little Mistress. It's so elegant. Though, sadly, I am not!

Lindy Bop Lana Blue Cranes Swing Dress

Lindy Bop keep making amazing dresses, and I'm loving the crane print on this one. I don't know why, but it's reminding me of the beginning of The Lion King, when all the animals are heading to Pride Rock to see newborn Simba.

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I love these heart-elbow-patch jumpers from ASOS Curve; the black one is my favourite.

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These novelty bags from Skinny Dip, Liquorish, and ASOS (all via ASOS), are amazing! I need the pink popcorn bag in my life; hint, hint, Santa!

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I'm also crazy for these two unicorn clutch bags from New Look. I can't decide which colour way I like best.

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New Look are killing it with novelty bags and purses right now. If milkshakes, doughnuts, and unicorn bags weren't enough, they've now gone one step further and brought out a Christmas bauble clutch bag (and matching purse)! Oh how I need it in my life! It would be the perfect bag for the festive season! The snowman bauble purse is adorable, too, and I'm hoping to see a matching clutch bag appear in time for Christmas. 

ASOS also have some cute novelty Christmas purses at the moment, including the cute Christmas pudding purse above.

Tatty Devine Nol Holly Christmas Necklace

One of my favourite finds of the last week is this amazing Christmas necklace from Tatty Devine. I've never seen a necklace quite like it before. I would wear it with all of my Christmas outfits. It's just a shame I haven't got a spare £50 to spend frivolously. Boo!

ASOS Curve Christmas Penguin Print T-Shirt

And finally, this penguin print T-shirt from ASOS Curve is absolutely adorable. With the John Lewis advert warming the nation's hearts with adorable penguins, I don't see this tee sticking around for long!

What's on your wish list this week?

Which of these are your favourites?