An American In Paris musical

Hola Lexicans! So a few weeks ago, my school took some of their Year 9 students (including me) to a theatre trip viewing An American In Paris. My mum had seen the musical a few months before me and absolutely loved it, I had seen a lot of advertising for it (particularly when we went to California in the Easter) and it looks quite La La Land-esque (and I did really love La La Land!!) so I was really excited to go and see the show.

Before I share my opinions on the musical, I wanted to just give a quick summary of the show. An American In Paris tells the story of Jerry, an American who is still in Paris after fighting in World War I, Adam a kind soldier who helped Jerry and Henri, son of two wealthy French people. They all then begin to bond and become good friends. Until one by one, they all but Lise - a charming French lady who they all fall in love with. I won't go into any more depth as I want to spoilt it but yah:)

I did really really enjoy this musical, particularly the ending. I think what really stood out to me as being amazing was how skilled the singing, dancing and design of the whole musical was. The dancers really were talented and I thought the set was one of the most beautiful ones I've ever seen. And yes, if you've ever read one of my reviews of another show before you will know I pretty much always mention the set and how amazing it is, BUT IT'S TRUE!!

I loved the storyline of An American In Paris, it was slightly cliché in my opinion, but so beautiful and pure. I do have to admit that at points I found it very confusing aha but then again, it isn't made for young teenagers. One other slight criticism is that I (and a lot of the other girls in my class) think that the end dragged on a little bit, particularly the final dance (but it was beautiful so that made up for it!!)

Overall I loved this show a lot and would recommend it to adults and teenagers. It's not the most family-friendly musical, as I think anyone under 12 would probably be confused for most of it, but if you haven't seen it yet, and you live fairly near the Dominion Theatre, go give it a try - you won't regret it!

Xxx

If 10 stars were possible: Watergate Bay Hotel

Hola Lexicans! Last weekend, I was staying in Watergate Bay Hotel, Cornwall, and it was amazing! My friend Mollie stayed in WGB last year, and she was raving about it for weeks on end. So when I found out I was going on a review trip there, I was SO excited.

 

The Room

We were staying in a family suite, which was really nice because it gave us plenty of space, with a room for my parents, and a separate room with bunk beds and a TV for my siblings and me. Like the reception, it had a really contemporary beach feel and some really comfortable beds too - normally hotel beds aren't as comfy as my one at home, but this actually came very close!


FOOD

This may just be the most important factor when choosing a hotel. We were having our breakfasts in Zacry's, and let's just start with them.

THEY HAD A WAFFLE MACHINE! Now being a big waffle-lover, this aroused a lot of excitement (and it's actually on my Christmas list now). The waffles were simply delicious. And filling.

As well as that, they also had amazing crispy bacon, a range of cereal, bagels - and a VERY cool bagel slicer to go with it; my sister had a bagel just so she could use that - sausages, egg, a range of pastries (including my favourite, the pain au chocolat), toast and too many more to name in just one blog post. Needless to say, I didn't get the chance to try all of this, much to my disappointment!

For lunch, we went to the Beach Hut and I had the best fries EVER (and I've eaten a lot of good fries) as well as a delicious chicken burger. It was so yummy and perfect - I'm so hungry right now!!

Dinner was also nice, we had the children's buffet for one night, for younger kids, and the more grown-up one where I had some really tender pork and some chunky chips. And the chocolate mousses which I had for dessert both nights were heavenly.


Surfing - Extreme Academy

Now, I have NEVER surfed in my life, but it is something I have always wanted to do. So when I found out that as part of this trip I was going on a surf lesson, I was VERY excited! Our instructor was really nice and friendly. We started with some simple bodyboarding (which I haven't done before either!) Whilst I was freezing at on the beach, once you got going you going it was so much fun.

And then we started trying to stand up...

I fell over so many times - but it wasn't as bad as I'd anticipated, in fact I loved falling in! Finally, a big wave comes, paddle paddle and I'm up, with some cool surfer moves (Okay, so a little exaggerated, but I did it). It was such a thrilling and exhilarating experience, I can't wait to go again *hint hint Mum*!

Kids Club

The second night, my siblings and I were going to WGB's XA Club. I'm not going to lie, we weren't very pleased about this. Until we saw exactly what there was! There were computers, movies to watch, table tennis, so many different games, popcorn, Just Dance, Fifa and other computer games, books, Pac man,  and so many more. The leaders were really good fun (although not very good at Charades - how can you miss Toy Story!?!)

And when my parents did turn up to collect us, I didn't want to leave, and then decided to come back the next morning!!!

Swimming Pool

The pool at WGB is very large and ever so beautiful, with huge windows so we could see the beach whilst we swam, which was stunning. Also, the temperature was just perfect, warm from the moment we got in; I never wanted to it to end! There was also a shallow area for children who aren't very strong swimmers, alongside the main bit, and I had so much fun and while I swimming my mum had what she said was 'the best massage ever'.

Overall, I had an absolutely AMAZING time in Watergate Bay Hotel, and would love to come again. They had so many fun activities for kids - surfing, swimming, hanging out in the Kids Club and of course eating is pretty much my ideal weekend! And with the beach as its front garden, it was in a perfect destination with stunning views, and I LEARNT HOW TO SURF (I still can't get over that)! This is such a chilled, family friendly hotel, and I cannot express how much I recommend this for all families.

If you are ever planning on visiting Cornwall as a family, then its definitely worth checking out Watergate Bay Hotel - your kids will LOVE it!


*Disclosure: A one night complimentary stay for 5 was provided by Watergate Bay Hotel in return for this review, including a surf lesson for 2. This post has been in no way affiliated or sponsored, and all opinions are entirely my own*

Its Finally Friday: Inside Out

It's been a while since I've done an #ItsFinallyFriday post! And today I have the perfect one for you, Inside Out:

Most of us will have heard about, seen the trailers for and read reviews of Disney's new movie: Inside Out.

Riley is a happy, content 11 year old girl, who loves hockey, and is having an easy ride with her 5 emotions: Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Anger and Fear. Joy is normally taking charge and everything is running smoothly. Until her parents announce they're moving from Wisconsin to San Francisco, and from there her emotions struggle to keep up, as Sadness takes over. And when Joy and Sadness get completely lost in Riley's brain, all that's left are Disgust, Fear and Anger. Not a good match!

I had heard so many amazing things about Inside Out, and it certainly lived up to my standards, although a little tedious at some points. Made me laugh. Made me cry. Definitely one of my favourite Pixar movies since Toy Story! I also found it very relatable, being 11 myself so it was fun to watch. I have to admit, in the middle it got a bit boring and long-winded, and could have done with a little cropping there, but apart from that I would recommend it to all families!

So that's the review! It's Finally Friday - what are you up to in the weekend?

The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Nighttime: LIVE

*Before we start this post, I will be referring to The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Nighttime as CIDN, no way was I ever going to write that more than once!*

As part of a birthday treat, one of my sister and mine's birthday present was tickets to see CIDN on stage. I'd heard SO many great things about it, and I'd read (and loved) the book, so I was really excited to see what the stage adaption would bring. Following an amazing meal at Heddon Street Kitchen (review coming soon!), we made our way to the Gielgud Theatre!

Right from the beginning, it was very well-laid out, and thought-provoking. I was wondering how the production team would bring CIDN to life, but they did it very well, and throughout the play, you could see the many relationships grow, and fall apart.

credits

Something I particularly picked up on, was the amazing lighting, sound and visual effects! The stage has a screen behind it, and they used that VERY well. And as for the sound, it was produced in the way Christopher would have heard it: loud and scary, and at one point even I was very frightened by the noise!

And I cannot miss out how funny the play was yet juggling some really sad bits at the same time!

CIDN is currently in Bristol, but still has 11 more stops, including Glasgow, Sheffield, Bath and Milton Keynes, and there are stills tickets available, so book here now.

Overall, the production is very well made, with the amazing lighting and sound, the relationships and the characters. 'Funny and intense'.

Sidenote: The play does swear in it (about 5 or 6 times), and is unsuitable for 8 and under.

5 AWESOME places to check out in London

Recently, I took a trip to London and it reminded me of all the great places I've been to there! So, I wanted to share my top 5 places with you, in case you ever decide to come to the 'City'!

1. Imperial War Museum 
For all you history-lovers out there, this Lamberth North based museum is perfect! Completed with full details on all the major wars (World War 1, World War 2, the Boer War etc.). The information is presented in a great way too, with games, diaries, trench replicas and mini films as well as the usual way of presenting, which makes exploring the Imperial War Museum a very interesting (and emotional) trip! And, the museum offers free admission to all, so why not check out this place?

2. London Eye
One of the most famous tourist attractions ever, you can't visit London and not take a ride on the London Eye. This huge wheel (with a 424m circumference) has an amazing view over London - in fact you can see over 25 miles away from the Eye at the top! It's in a great location too, not far from some of the City's other famous landmarks!

3. Spitalfield's Market
Now going over to the Eastern side of London, we find the cool, hipster Spitalfield's Market. Yes, you guessed it, this is a market (the name should have explained that) selling pretty much anything, from food to jewellery, souvenirs to some very funky scarves (yup, I did buy one)! Here there's something for everyone, a win-win for all!

4. Discover: Children's Story Centre
Heading East, you can take a trip to Discover: Children's Story Centre, a place dedicated to kids' reading. With regular events, book signings, talks and activities, anyone who loves reading (like me) will adore this place! Currently displaying an exhibition on Oliver Jeffers, a picture book author - who although may seem babyish, produces gorgeous and amazing books to read.

5. The Museum Of London
My last pick today is the Museum Of London, which, as the title suggests, is a museum - of London. Beginning way back in the Romans to the 2012 Olympic Games, this museum takes you through a journey of London, covering an era of over 2 millenniums, explaining everything in a fun kid-friendly way. Again a must visit for any history-lovers!

So that's it, my 5 top picks of awesome places to visit in London, let me know if you visit any of them and enjoy!