Profil von warriorgrrl

I was innocently wandering through Lewisham Centre a few weekends ago with a friend and her baby when we were lured in to TK Maxx by a turquoise dress just inside. Moments later I found myself in the changing room with an armful of dresses on hangers, leaving the store shortly after with two of them in my possession.

This is what can happen when your guard is down.

I saw many more nice dresses and skirts I would have tried on if I was actually there to shop, but managed to restrain myself on this occasion (my food cupboard thanks me). It was pretty busy and bustly in there as it was a Saturday afternoon, but I didn't have to wait to try anything on and the payment queue moved pretty fast. The changing room attendant was horribly moody but that was pretty easy to ignore.

I like Nicolas. They employ real French people who really know about wine and are happy to help you find something appropriate to the occasion, and they have a really good range of own brand, affordable red and white wines.

So when I stopped off recently planning a little wine tasting evening with some ladyfriends I had high hopes for some really tasty drinks. I had a bit of a budget for once, and the girl who helped me was lovely, happily talking me through the options in my price range and helping me choose a couple of bottles to take home.

I don't think £8-£9 is too shabby for a bottle of wine, especially considering my years of buying 2 bottles for a fiver aren't very far behind me…so later on when my friends and I settled down to savour the posh wine I'd bought us we were all pretty surprised to discover they tasted of not much at all, and were the same or worse than other, cheaper, wine we'd drunk the weekend previously. Bah!

There was a weird moment when I felt like I was at Tate Modern, my eyes flitting repeatedly over the description on the bottle as I sipped carefully, trying to get my tastebuds to agree with the "oaky, fruity" flavour I was supposed to be registering. Nada. Both tasted like…wine. No more no less.

Back to the drawing board then, and so much for expanding my horizons and trying to learn more about what wine I like - I still forgot to write down the names of the two wines we thought sucked, but I'll always remember I wasted £17 on the experiment.

This branch of Nando's is handy for a nearby rehearsal studio I used to play at fairly regularly, and so has been the scene of a number of hearty pre-tour lunches.

Being a vegetarian in Nando's is a surprisingly happy experience, since the beanburgers and veggieburgers are super tasty and there are lots of delicious side dishes to accompany them. You have to contend with the smell of chicken in the air, obviously, but I've never found that too much of a problem myself.

One day I will eat at Nando's and have room to have one of their tempting desserts on top of my usual veggie pitta / mashed potato / corn on the cob combo. Mmmm.

A fab place to enjoy a pub lunch on a sunny day, though be prepared to brave the crowds as the Common fills with sunseekers! They serve a really nice range of hearty grub at around £6-£8 per main depending on what you go for, and are nicely located on the edge of the Common quite near the lovely pond.

There are lots of picnic tables outside for eating and drinking purposes; I've never been inside so I can't comment on what happens in there, though it's safe to assume there's a bar of sorts… ;) On days when the Common hosts music festivals the Windmill is a good place to catch some of the music - the sound won't be the best but you get to sit down and eat and it doesn't cost a penny to attend the show!

On a cold, windy weekday Adventure Island looks like the sad, similarly faded brother of New York's famous Coney Island, all rusty charm and weirdness. But glance over the expanse of rides and everyone's still having the time of their lives.

It's impressive how much is packed in to a relatively small area, from go-carts to rollercoasters to those sickeningly scary rides that stick a vertical drop on you with no warning, to those freaky chairs that rotate wildly in the air. I'm not much of one for rides, as you might have guessed, but I can appreciate a whole heap of fun when I see one, even if it's other people who are going to have it.

If you're heading to Southend for a chilled out weekend of hanging in your hotel room and gazing at the sea just make sure you stay somewhere further along the seafront, otherwise Adventure Island may prove a bit of an eyesore.

I love Muji, but lately I find myself heading in to this branch full of enthusiasm and leaving moments later after I realise I don't need yet another notebook! I'm going to have to start buying all my birthday and Christmas presents from them to satisfy my urge to support their minimalist aesthetic and get my hands on their awesome stationery.

Their scented candles are wonderful - they actually smell strongly of what they're supposed to unlike others - and there are some great fun items like the city skylines in bags. I made a New York living ex-Londoner very happy one summer when I took her a Muji London…neither of us had realised she could have bought it for herself in Manhattan! I also love their affordable travel bags, toiletry holders and whatnot. All great stuff.

This gallery is so fantastic - small but packed with great works, active in the community and a fantastic cultural centre for Dulwich Village, with its air of regal calm. But what a shame it's so expensive to get in!

I live locally and have only ever been in once, as have many of my friends, and I think they'd agree it's because the high entry fee is a turnoff for repeat visits. I know that not everything can or should be free, but I wish there was a better deal for locals who'd like to be regular attendees of the special exhibitions.

Dulwich Village is best enjoyed on a sunny weekend afternoon, when you can saunter around and take in the quaint charm of this relatively unspoiled part of middle class London.

Take a stroll in the manicured environs of Dulwich Park, with its beautifully tended flower beds, boating lake and rentable reclining bicycles and just avert your eyes from the estate agents as you crunch up the gravelled pathways towards an inviting stretch of restaurants and shops, with the quintessential village pub, the Crown & Greyhound, in the centre.

It's best to eschew the chain eateries for the gorgeous Italian deli and take a bag full of picnic supplies back to the park but I have to admit enjoying a big glass of white wine and a Pizza Express pizza outside on a sunny day in Dulwich Village is pretty great too.

Then it's back to reality with a bump!

Some people love to hate Ikea, complaining about the mazelike qualities of the upper level and the panicky scrum of the warehouse area. If you avoid peak times it's actually not that bad (though getting lost on the upper level seems to be a special talent of mine whatever the time of day), but a bit of queuing is a small price to pay for such great choices and prices.

No, you won't find a one-off piece here to create a talking point at your next soiree, but for someone like me who just wants affordable, functional furniture for my flat Ikea is always the best bet, with great kitchenware and homeware departments and even the opportunity to treat yourself to a Mr Whippy ice cream on the way out. Sold!

Un sorprendente e comodo hotel che sovrasta il parco di divertimenti Southend's Adventure Island e a 10 minuti a piedi dalla spiaggia. Il foyer è un miscuglio di arte. Il ristorante è grande e spazioso con finestre da pavimento a soffitto con vista sul mare. Burger e scelta per vegetariani, il vino è buono. Stanze adorabili e prezzo abbordabile.