Year: 2020

  • A WINTER BREAK AT SOHO FARMHOUSE

    A WINTER BREAK AT SOHO FARMHOUSE


    A WINTER BREAK AT SOHO FARMHOUSE

    A Festive Staycation At Soho Farmhouse


    In between lockdowns, multiple tiers, and a year of tears (for many), there was one festive tradition of ours which didn’t get cancelled … our winter trip to Soho Farmhouse. A small miracle really given how this year and this Christmas has turned out. Before Christmas got turned on its head, we managed to spend a night away at my favourite UK escape, the farmhouse. The only trip of 2020 that didn’t get cancelled (aside from our Cornish escapes which we managed to book in the midsts of the year for our summer break instead of our usual travel adventures).

    I booked a night at the farmhouse back in April time, at that point imagining that this years madness with Covid 19 would be well gone, little did we know! But despite the strange circumstances and the current situation which thankfully our trip miraculously avoided, our little winter staycation managed to go ahead and it was the perfect sanctuary for 24 hours.


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    We hid away in our log cabin for the day on arrival, sheltering from the constant rain, reading and relaxing in front of the fire before our dinner and a movie in the cabin that evening. Fortunately we didn’t have to rush off the next day, and spent a leisurely morning with a log fire and cooked breakfast made just outside our cabin before I headed off for a 90 minute massage. Heaven.

    It was the perfect way to end 2020, we love escaping to Soho Farmhouse when we can as it truly is a little sanctuary, and such a needed break after a busy few months at work (although the emails didn’t stop flowing despite the out of office) and the year we’ve all had. It was also such fortunate timing with the UK now back in yet another lockdown.

    Despite the challenges of this year and the unfortunate situation this festive break, I hope you too managed to find a moment to relax, unwind and finish this year on a little high.

  • CHRISTMAS 2020

    CHRISTMAS 2020


    CHRISTMAS 2020

    A Little Festive Note From Me, To You


    Well, what other way to start a 2020 Christmas note than by saying ‘What a year’. No one could have seen this year coming, let alone imagined a year like it. From lockdowns, new tiers coming out of our ears, a year working from home, so much time away from friends and family, a scary health crisis to combat, and of course most recently Christmas turned on its head, this year has been one for the books that’s for sure.

    Despite the obvious negatives of 2020, of which there are many for many different people, there have been positives for me. My health has personally benefitted from finally pausing, the hamster wheel got firmly dislodged, and the ability to work from home, not commute, slow down and simplify my daily life has been a true blessing. Something I know i’ve needed for years but could never quite create myself, nor had the ability, courage or circumstance to stop and change things. This year did it all for me, and I know many in similar shoes.

    Whilst this year has in parts required even more working hours than normal, the reality is, working from home, in my own space, with my own comforts, food and company makes things so much less stressful for me personally. The stress of rushing into and home from London every day, always panicking i’ll be late, stressing about the trains / making meetings on time / running left right and centre is definitely an unnecessary burden that i’ve been grateful not to have this year, and it’s amazing how much better i’ve felt in myself not having those extra stresses.

    I certainly didn’t fall in the camp of productivity, new hobbies and tackling my book pile, despite some early attempts – in fact I totally fell out of my usual yoga routine and in the last few months especially I barely found time to go for a walk in the week let alone take up art and crafts, but even still, just time for a cup of tea before I start work and being able to eat dinner at a normal time was enough to be life changing for me.

    In fact, this year I fell out of blogging somewhat too, perhaps the lack of travel, exploration and going out, combined with a busy year working, I just felt a bit lack lustre on inspiration and then in turn content to share too. Whilst we did get into our new home, and our renovations are (very very nearly) all finished, we’re still waiting on lots of our furniture to arrive, so it hasn’t felt quite ready to photograph and share over here yet.

    But for some reason I feel optimistic about 2021, my creative inspiration is coming back to me, our new furniture will all arrive in the next few months, i’ve got exciting things in the pipeline, posts in my drafts and hopefully i’ll find a bit more time for creativity and life too.

    So thank you for bearing with me this year, and for still coming to visit despite the lack of regular posts and inspiration. I know my content has been sporadic but hey, that’s 2020 in a nutshell isn’t it?


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    Christmas 2020  

    I know this Christmas has been thrown in the air for those of us in the UK (and in fairness, many other countries too), with Tier 4 in the mix and Christmas allowances cancelled things can feel a little scary and lonely. But if there’s one thing for sure, now is a time for making new traditions as smaller families or couples, keeping up those Christmas traditions that we’re still able to (mince pies for Santa, plenty of Christmas movies, a traditional Christmas dinner and festive games well into the evening – perhaps just over zoom this year, not to mention filling your homes with Christmas decorations and cheer, an immediate way to make me feel happy inside) … and of course being grateful for the things we do all have in our lives.

    I know for many this Christmas will be far from perfect or ‘normal’, just know you’re not alone and that you can still create that Christmas magic in your own, new way this year …

    and if all else fails, it’s only 367 days until Christmas 2021.

  • PORTHSCATHO, PORTHCURNKICK, PORTHBEAN & THE HIDDEN HUT

    PORTHSCATHO, PORTHCURNKICK, PORTHBEAN & THE HIDDEN HUT


    THE ROSELAND PENINSULAR

    Portscatho, Porthcurnick & Porthbean (and The Hidden Hut)


    Yet another post I’m well over due sharing. I had this post prepared and nearly ready to go during my trip to Cornwall after discovering a fab little part of the south coast that I knew any other people visiting would love to add to their itinerary.

    Better late than never though I hope? Especially as with Covid not looking to leave us anytime soon, staycations might become more of a thing again in the years to come.

    This summer I spent a fair amount of time in Cornwall, it’s fair to say October was my least favourite time to visit as we were so unfortunate with the rain, openings and general ‘stuff to do’ limitations. By the end of our second week we were so excited to get home to our routine, our coffee shop, our home – not something I’ve ever really felt before.

    Regardless of that though, we had some lovely moments and found some fab foodie spots that made our trip – I really should do a full Cornwall guide to share all the foodie spots (North & South) we visited (I also have tons of photos from the trip I could share), would that sort of thing be interesting to you?

    In the meantime though I wanted to share this little gem in Truro on the south coast – nestled between Porthscatho and Porthbean beach is Porthcurnick Beach.

    Whilst the beach itself is nice, it’s really selling point is The Hidden Hut. A little foodie heaven that made even the most wintery and rainy of days worth hitting the beach for.


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    The Hidden Hut, and Tatams coffee just down the coast in Porthscatho were really highlights of our week in Truro (we were based in the little fishing cove of Portloe). From our morning coffees on the sea front, to our lunch time trip to the Hidden Hut for a heart warming tasty treat. Even I, being gluten and dairy free, had the luxury of choice. We loved the Dahl and the chipotle chilli – truly delicious and the perfect way to warm up after a dip in the sea.

    Once you’ve warmed up, hit the coastal path to the left of the cove, and head over to porthbean beach. It feels entirely secret when the tide is in, only accessible by walking down the cliff trail or from the nearby Driftwood hotel (another foodie heaven if you want a special evening out).

    If you head there in Autumn as we did, the sun will just be settling as you finish your walk back to the car and it’ll make for a lovely afternoon out. Rain or Shine.

  • POSTCARDS FROM ST AGNES, CORNWALL

    POSTCARDS FROM ST AGNES, CORNWALL


    POSTCARDS FROM ST AGNES, CORNWALL

    A Cornish Film Diary 


    After sharing my long overdue film photos from my weekend in Cornwall back in July, todays blog is film from my second Cornwall staycation this summer. This time a week spent in St Agnes in a beautiful little cottage, with much less travelling and much more making St Agnes home.

    I have to say I really really loved St Agnes, a small beach town down the coast from Padstow, with all the Cornish charm and a little more ‘untouched’ than some of the more popular beach resorts on the south coast. Not to mention very hilly making it great for morning walks and beautiful coastal views.

    I loved the local Cornish bakery, the village grocers and my local morning coffee at Genko on the way to the beach. St Agnes felt in equal measure local and charming, and modern and cool. Alongside the local stores and historic buildings, there were some much more London esque coffee shops and cafes, serving vegan food and oat milk coffees without any challenge. I loved this blend, and found myself discovering a couple of really fab spots that I repeat visited.


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    As well as my morning coffee at Genko, our food shopping at the local St Agnes grocers and our best foodie discovery, the ‘just out of town’ fishmonger, J Earl fish mongers who sells the most incredible fresh fish and does so with such passion and knowledge, I also loved Open Surf, Canteen and Finisterre. A real hub of creativity, craft and cool. A Surfers take on your East London indies and a place I truly could see myself hanging out at in a parallel universe.

    Another favourite discovery was Chapel Porth beach, and a real surfers paradise when we were there. The terrible British weather made for some incredible surf and with my new wetsuit and bodyboard in hand I spent hours in the waves feeling at one with the ocean.

    St Agnes has been the side of Cornwall where I could most see myself living in another world, or (pipe dream) returning to summer after summer, to my own little holiday cottage. It’s got the perfect blend of beautiful coastal walks, fab beaches, good surf, Cornish village charm and local businesses doing things right.

    Our trip next week is to the south side of Cornwall, and I’m really excited to explore some new parts of Cornwall and share more with you over here. If you have any recommendations I’d love to know? 

  • POSTCARDS FROM CORNWALL (A WEEKEND STAYCATION)

    POSTCARDS FROM CORNWALL (A WEEKEND STAYCATION)


    A WEEKEND STAYCATION, EXPLORING CORNWALL

    From Mousehole and St Ives, to Padstow and Newlyn


    I’ve been meaning to share this little ‘postcards from’ blog post, from my trip to Cornwall at the end of July, for ages. Another post that’s sat in the drafts for far too long. In fact I also have another post from my second trip to Cornwall, a week in St Agnes in August, and no doubt will have another to share imminently, as we’re actually heading back down there for two weeks this time on the south coast.

    Our weekend away was actually a rather spontaneous trip for Jase’s birthday, and somewhat of a whirlwind. Whilst we based ourselves in Padstow for the two nights, we actually ended up visiting Mousehole, St Ives, Carbis Bay and Harlyn Bay during our weekend, which is probably a little (a lot) too much for a three day trip and meant a LOT of time in the car especially as we came from London. But at the very least, after months of staying home, it was certainly a nice treat to see the sea and get to explore a little.


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    Three of the biggest highlights were icey swims at Carbis Bay (where I took these photos), a delicious dinner at a little seafood tapas restaurant in Newlyn, and finally the most incredible seafood feast at Prawn On The Lawn. We were incredibly lucky to get a reservation as they were super booked up, but it was the perfect way to celebrate Jase’s birthday and end our weekend away. It’s a good few pennies to eat there, but the food and set up (they’ve relocated to a farm x marque set up, just outside of Padstow due to covid) was such a fun experience and well worth it.

    Next up i’ll share some film from my week in St Agnes and my favourite spots to eat, surf and chill.

  • LOCKDOWN ON FILM: A 35MM FILM DIARY

    LOCKDOWN ON FILM: A 35MM FILM DIARY


    LOCKDOWN ON FILM: A 35MM FILM DIARY

    A Personal Visual Diary From March – June 2020


    Hi everyone, i hope you’ve all been keeping well. It’s been a while since my last post, sorry about that, there’s no real reason except i’d been delaying going through the mammoth task of organising this film into a blog post. Often it’s the bit I enjoy the least – formatting all the images into one little story. I take far too many images and struggle to cut them down into something that’s not a dissertation. Anyway, I finally got round to pulling together my lockdown film to share with you all – and so that’s really what this post is. A little visual diary of my lockdown from a couple of days prior to the offices closing, at Soho Farmhouse, to the days spent inside our home during the ‘stay home’ period, to some moments spent outside, walking in the park and getting out and about in the local area. I’ve been meaning to share this for sometime, but I captured a good 4 or 5 films, and just hadn’t got around to editing the collection down for a post.


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    I finally had a week off work last week though, my first of the year which is mad for me, and i’ve got a renewed energy which i’m putting to good use. I’ve also got a couple of more film posts to share with you all from my weekend a few weeks ago, and most recent week in Cornwall (i went to St Agnes for four days last week). So I’ll have a couple more (or one big bumper) posts to share with you all soon.

    I’ve also got some big ideas that I am working through in my mind, and i think and hope that a bit of that will come through over here on mediamarmalade.com in the coming weeks – a big focus on wellbeing and the ongoing struggle of finding life, work and health balance. I’ve been thinking about a big opportunity / new business / platform centred in this space – i’ve got so many ideas for the various ways it can manifest, and I think it’ll start with more regular content from me over here, on the topic of wellbeing. To start things off i’ve added a little wellbeing section to the home page too and a dedicated section of this site for all my wellbeing posts. :)

    I’d love to also hear from you what you enjoy seeing on the blog, and the sorts of content you’re enjoying reading lately? I’d love to get back into the rhythm of writing and sharing with you more – i realise more and more how therapeutic I find it once i’m in the rhythm and through the ‘backlog’ of images.

  • HOW TO ACHIEVE LIFE BALANCE: A NEW ERA FOR MEDIAMARMALADE TO GUIDE US ALL TO A BETTER WAY OF LIVING

    HOW TO ACHIEVE LIFE BALANCE: A NEW ERA FOR MEDIAMARMALADE TO GUIDE US ALL TO A BETTER WAY OF LIVING


    THE GRAPPLES OF ACHIEVING MODERN DAY LIFE BALANCE

    And a new era for mediamarmalade to support – Creating the platform, community, tools and resources needed to help you achieve the balance you really want.


    Finding balance seems to be the ultimate mystery in life for many of us.

    If you’re like me, you love your career and have poured endless energy, focus and dedication to the progression and success achieved in your field of work. And no doubt that relentless commitment has served you well and helped you achieve more than you might have thought. Yet perhaps so far in life, unconsciously, your career success has been at the sacrifice of other important things – holistic health, mental wellbeing, happiness, family, physical health? And i’m probably right in saying that it wasn’t a compromise you really thought about when you set out, it’s just something that happened as your career demanded more of you, and perhaps it’s one you’re only more aware of now, as the impact of that compromise has become more prevalent (perhaps your health took a hit, your personal life suffered, you’re mentally exhausted or struggling to keep afloat) and i’m guessing now you’re aware it’s not a compromise you want to continue making?

    Compromising really important parts of your overall happiness and wellbeing such as your mind, physical wellbeing, family, emotional state and feelings, or your spirituality (in whichever form that takes), for one area – work, it’s going to be sustainable for ever.

    You may have already had red flags, in fact you may have seen many red flags and ignored them, you may have ignored them for so long that a tsunami had to hit you full force for you to realise change was needed. Balance required. Boundaries set.

    I fall in the later of those groups, plenty of red flags were raised in the last decade of my career. In fact if quitting all my sports teams which had been a huge part of my life wasn’t an alarm enough, the rapid and chronic deterioration of my physical health (eventually) was. Weekly migraines weren’t enough to stop me for a good five years. But a couple of years ago, my body decided I needed a bigger wake up call to pay attention – and that’s when I discovered (after ignoring symptoms for another year, because I was too busy at work) I had developed an auto immune disease, Ulcerative Colitis. Stress, Alcohol, aviation – all big drivers and contributors to ill health. And all big parts of my life. Endless focus on my work and incredibly internal stress hindered by lack of confidence, anxiety and pressure, only broken by big, fun, booze fuelled nights out with my colleagues and friends, or trips abroad maximising every ounce of annual leave with a far flung escape! The more remote the better.

    Much of the stress and pressure was self inflicted, it usually is, the usual imposter syndrome, lack of self belief and confidence, and an innate need to prove I could do it constantly coupled with mentally exhausting self doubt. No one would know it. I was a swan. In control and well experienced to deliver on the surface, trying to keep myself afloat under water.

    It’s also not a set of ‘weaknesses’ I necessarily berate either – it is exactly those internal self destructors, that have fuelled me on to deliver the best I can all of the time in my job, to never want to let anyone or myself down, to work until 1am so the presentations perfect, to prepare so I don’t fail, to sacrifice ‘other’ commitments to give my work the time I needed to be as least anxious as possible to deliver.

    That self doubt got me where I am today. But what I am now learning, is that the detrimental damage it can have on your mental and physical wellbeing isn’t an okay sacrifice to make – there are ways and means to have balance. To have success and a career you’re proud of, and maintain physical, mental, emotional and holistic wellbeing.

    I am on a journey of self care and have been for the last few years (well perhaps since I was a teenager when I struggled the first time around), and I feel more passionately now than ever about finding that balance for myself, but also helping others too;  Those of us who do want to commit and deliver in a field of work, but also care greatly about our family, want to have good mental and physical health, and time for passions, hobbies, and relaxation – without that sacrificing work in itself.

    Since lockdown this energy and passion has exploded, a month or so ago i felt overwhelmed by the ideas and scale of possibility – but what I have come to realise in the last few weeks as I’ve sought a little better balance again (see it helps), is that It can start small, and build in time, that actually letting things flow is the best bet for me.

    I’ve always used this blog as a place to share career tips and side hustle advice, a place to talk honestly and vulnerably about confidence, health and self doubt, and I’ve even used it to share tips and advice on seeking balance. As my journey evolves and my understanding of (and success achieving) holistic balance greatens, as I discover new tools, techniques and resources to help achieve that balance, I want to share it with you. Jase is endlessly frustrated by my incessant ordering of books, journals, resources, but I love to read, explore and understand, and what comes with that is a whole breadth of recommendation for you too.

    There are of course tons of people talking about various areas of wellbeing (and I for one love to learn as much as I can from all these places and people), but I want to create something that brings it all together in a really simple, practical and tangible manner for people like me – something that respects careers as well as health, and helps us each create a manageable balance fitted to our own individual lives and desires.

    Whilst this space will still absolutely be a place for style, interiors, photography and of course my travels, it’s also going to be the first step and the place I start to share more about balance, boundaries and better living. 

    Not achieving health at the sacrifice of career success, but nor career success at the sacrifice of health. We want both. And we can have both.

    But to have that, we have to take the time to understand ourselves and what we need (what good feels like in all the important areas of our life, what we want to achieve, what brings us peace, joy and satisfaction), we have to build the inner confidence and strength to set better boundaries, to know with confidence that we are capable of delivering, respected in our field and believed in enough. So much so we have the courage to create balance and take time to work on ourselves, knowing that finishing work on time, calling ‘enough’ or working more flexibly to accommodate all the things we want in our lives, isn’t going to lose us that promotion, that opportunity or that job – in fact that time spent on self development, is going to make us even better, even more ready and even more equipped to tackle the challenge with skill, ease and calm.

    It’s gaining self respect, building self confidence, having good mental health practices, finding your groove with physical wellbeing, creating calm alongside the buzz, it’s building a daily routine that benefits all your desires, not just one.

    I want to talk about that. I want to practice and develop. I want to coach, help, advise. I want to create a platform to help this, I want to create a community to support, I want to create and share the tools and resources to facilitate the time out, to provide the ideas and inspiration to design your own balance boundaries. There’s so much I have in mind – some small, some huge, and so much potential in what this new era and platform could become.

    But knowing myself and what I need to not stress or get overwhelmed,  i’m not going to try and do it all at once, i’m going to start here in the space I already spent a decade building alongside my career, with those of you who are already on the journey with me, and as my knowledge and capacity evolves, i’ll start to add in those additional things, perhaps expand beyond a website and who knows what this may be in a decades time. I’m excited about it.



    SOME FAVOURITE RESOURCES

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    Watch this space x