Author Archives: Lesley Tan

Mooncake Festival

28th September, 2015 | Article By Lesley Tan

FestivalsFood and Drink

The Mooncake Festival or Mid-Autumn Festival is a harvest festival celebrated by Chinese and Vietnamese. The festival is held on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese calendar, on the night of the full moon!

Mooncakes are named after the Chinese Moon Goddess. It is traditional for people to give each other mooncakes filled with sweet bean paste (often lotus bean, red bean and green bean) as a way to celebrate the year’s harvest. There are the old fashioned type, which are wrapped in a thin pastry and more modern ‘lighter’ versions made of fruit, vegetables, seafood, jelly (Agar-Agar) and even surprisingly, ice-cream!

Nowadays it is also a great reason to get together for family reunions, eat mooncakes and watch the moon. As Malaysia is a multicultural society, including a large population of Chinese, the Mooncake Festival is celebrated in style here in Sarawak!

The elaborately decorated boxes used to present the mooncakes are lovely to keep, as I do, for trinkets, jewellery boxes and as mementos.

Newcastle and Gateshead Quayside

| Article By Lesley Tan

AttractionsLeisureOccasionsPubs & BarsRestaurants

We were all very excited as we wanted to celebrate my school friend’s 60th at a great location on the Gateshead side of the River Tyne, so where better than at Six, a stunning rooftop restaurant offering British modern cuisine at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art.

We met and had a couple of drinks first at Pitcher & Piano on the Newcastle side of the river. The weather was warm and we were high as kites as this outing had been planned for many months!

The Quayside has been transformed from a typical working men’s quayside to ‘the Place to Be’ on a night out and Newcastle is now one of the best places to party in the UK. There are numerous pubs and clubs, restaurants and picturesque walks to attract most people and of course there are the bridges across the river. The Millennium Bridge is a sight to see – at night it is dazzling with the lights constantly changing and in the daytime it is one of the great attractions of the North East – along with the other bridges which span the Tyne, it has been photographed countless times.

The restaurant was super, good food and service and spectacular views looking out over the River Tyne.

What a great night out on the “TOON”!

Bath and Beyond

25th September, 2015 | Article By Lesley Tan

AnimalsAttractionsHistoric BldgsPubs & BarsTours

I have just returned from a very nice trip to visit my cousin in Norton St. Philips in Somerset. First of all we visited the 700 year old George Inn, a Tudor style pub which is a great place for tourists like me to visit for a drink and a meal. We chose fish and chips and it was a huge serving which we could not finish!

Later on we had a great evening feeding the pigs and chickens my cousin and her husband keep in a field in Lullington not far from their home and the next morning went to visit their daughter and son in law’s horses which are kept on the other side of the field.

The next day we drove up to Bath and parked in town. The forecast was heavy rain with thunder and lightning and as we had planned to do a Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour around Bath we were armed with raincoats and an umbrella so that we could sit on the top deck and take some good photos.

As we are both over 60 we only had to pay £11.50 for Concession tickets and this entitled us to two different tours, The Skyline Tour and The City Tour, so we did both. There was an Audio Guide and we managed to sit at the front of the top deck of the bus for most of the time. And the rain held off! We saw The Circus, which is a circular area surrounded by large town houses. We drove down Great Pulteney Street which is a grand building project that was never finished which has a fountain at one end and also saw the house where author Jane Austen lived for some years. We were also told about the history of the Sedan Chair and shown elevated pavements which kept the wealthy above road level in the old days as it could be rather dirty.

After some refreshments we had a walk around the town centre and through an indoor market and some lanes full of interesting shops. We walked around Bath Abbey and saw some buskers and loads of tourists who were having a great time sightseeing.

Bath is a great place with ancient buildings steeped in history, exciting ghost stories, famous residents from the past (Jane Austen), ancient bath houses and canal boats dotted here and there on the canal. Places of note to visit are Bath Abbey and the Saracen’s Head which is one of the oldest pubs in Bath.

As the afternoon was drawing to an end we had to make our way to the Bath Spa railway station as it was time for me to travel back to Surrey, only then did it start to rain!

All in all I had a great time in Somerset.

Orchid Heaven

24th September, 2015 | Article By Lesley Tan

NatureParks-Gardens

Orchids are naturally beautiful whether you buy them from the local supermarket or florist, have them given as gifts or just come across them as decoration in restaurants or hotels. They are delicate, beautiful and exotic, often used in weddings and for other special occasions.

Well, I live in Malaysia and they grow here in the gardens of ordinary people. They come in wondrous colours and the only thing I have heard that is wrong with them is that they ‘feed’ off their host plants.

There are many thousands of species of orchids and they are all beautiful. My friend, Tong Teck Ping,  has agreed to let me post his photos and together with one of mine, I think they make a very beautiful welcome to Asia! A lot of Teck Ping’s photos were taken in the garden of his good friend Leonard Tay. They live in Sibu in Sarawak, Malaysia.

People visiting Malaysia, Singapore or Asia frequently bring home gifts of orchids for their loved ones. Singapore has an Orchid Garden and one of the ‘touristy’ souvenirs, which I have too, is a ‘gold plated orchid’, which I think is a lovely idea.

Visit Asia for all things exotic!

Photos taken by Tong Teck Ping and Lesley Tan

Civilized Sunday at Pinnock’s

16th September, 2015 | Article By Lesley Tan

CafesFood and DrinkGood ValueLeisureRelaxing

This Sunday afternoon my sister decided to drive the two of us down to Pinnock’s Coffee House, which is a quaint old house used as a coffee house located in High Street, Ripley, Surrey. This was my second visit so I was really looking forward to it.

Seating is available inside on the ground floor, upstairs on comfortable armchairs and settees, and also out in the back courtyard.

They serve delicious coffees, teas and chocolate drinks together with tasty lunches, scones and cakes – all at reasonable prices.

Sundays are usually crowded as whole families gather to relax, celebrate a birthday or just eat a well presented snack and drink a nice cup of coffee – dogs are welcome too.

The building dates back to the mid 1500’s and it reflects this, especially on the inside, with low rafters, old wooden staircases and flagged floors.  A nice relaxed atmosphere has been created with comfortable furniture and a great selection of old books to choose from, as this is a book swap coffee house – bring in your old book and choose a new one! Then you can relax with your coffee and book or sit and surf the internet, the connection is free.

For our first visit we sat outside, at the back of the building in the sun, surrounded by bright flowers, this time we sat upstairs with a welcome cold chocolate drink and had a good chat. The place was buzzing with Sunday afternoon customers.

Well worth the visit if you are in the area.

Upnor Castle

14th September, 2015 | Article By Lesley Tan

AttractionsHistoric BldgsLeisure

Our good friends took us for a visit to Upnor Castle, sitting on the banks of the River Medway opposite Chatham Dockyard, in the quaint, pretty village of Upper Upnor, Rochester. Accessed from a picturesque hill leading down to the river, Upnor Castle is situated to the left at the bottom of this hill.

This Tudor castle was built in 1559 as a gun fort to defend the warships of Queen Elizabeth I when anchored in the Medway.

As we entered the castle it became immediately apparent that children were welcome. There were activities going on and groups of children having fun while learning during their educational visits.

Areas inside are used for weddings and there are audio guides for those who require them. Parking areas are available in the village and coach trips are welcome.

The gatehouse and main area of the castle are open to visitors and although it looks small from the entrance, it is quite vast inside and includes picnic areas on the grassy slopes. The many areas inside were fascinating and there was even a mini museum. There are some fabulous views of the River Medway from the castle too.

An enjoyable outing, in a very scenic area of Kent.

Old School Cafe

| Article By Lesley Tan

CafesFood and Drink

My sister and I had just finished a gruelling, but enjoyable, 2 hour boot camp at Inferno Fitness in Hersham and we felt very hungry. After consulting with friends from the class we decided to eat breakfast at the Old School Café, an old Victorian schoolhouse in Longcross near Chertsey, now converted into a café that serves PROPER food!

The area is surrounded by woods and is very pleasant. The building itself is as you would imagine, authentic and decorated with hanging baskets.

There were six of us and we all ordered large breakfasts. The servings were good and the food was delicious. Really filled us up! According to my sister the café has a reputation for serving non-greasy food and my bacon, sausage, fried bread, tinned tomatoes and fried egg were very tasty, non-greasy and nicely cooked, all washed down with tea and coffee.

My sister and her friends have eaten at this interesting old café many times and I will return too if I get the chance.

Dear deer

12th September, 2015 | Article By Lesley Tan

AnimalsCafesLeisureParks-GardensWalking

My son’s dog Tilly is a big dog, so needs to be taken for long walks and runs every day. On this particular day we went to Bushy Park. The entrance to the part of the park we were going to was accessed by a nice walk down a path, with a lovely stream alongside for part of the way.

Bushy Park, located near Hampton Court Palace, has loads of grassy areas, which are great for a dog to run around in. My son lives close to the park so it is very convenient and dogs are allowed.

One of the amazing sights of the day was the deer. They just wandered freely around the park with no fear of people or the dogs! I managed to get some super photos, some really close up too!

There are many parks in London and Bushy Park is the second largest of London’s Royal Parks. It is very popular with visitors and especially those walking their dogs.

There are numerous activities and attractions in the park, the Diana Fountain, the Upper Lodge Water Gardens and the Bushy Park playground. The opening times are 6.30 to 7.45 and there is a café, so it makes a good day out for all the family at weekends or school holidays.

Crossing The Tyne Buskers Festival

10th September, 2015 | Article By Lesley Tan

EntertainmentEventsFestivalsMusicPubs & Bars

This year, because of one of my Facebook groups, Talent in Tynemouth & Tyneside, I became friends with Steve Willis, a joiner by trade, but who has rekindled his interest in music, specifically playing the drums and guitar and writing and singing.

I decided to add him to my admin and quickly learned that he had had a dream of getting musicians from the north and south sides of the River Tyne to ‘cross over’ and share their music with the other side. His dream started to take shape and I was soon very excited to be helping him on admin on his Facebook page, Crossing The Tyne Buskers Festival, which was due to take part on Saturday 29th August from 12 midday to 6pm. Steve had others helping him on admin and Jan Buglass was the main person who I liaised with. She is also a singer songwriter who plays the guitar.

The main aims of the festival were to expose the buskers from the south of the Tyne to the north side and vice versa AND to help raise money for The Great North Children’s Hospital.

Special thanks goes to Ray Rowley and to Bethan Amber Carr-Brown and Emily Palmer Giles for their help from the south of the Tyne and Derrin Atkins, Jamie Allen, Wayne Bordoli, Jenny Lascelles and Michael Steedman from the north side. I helped out trying to spread the word, taking photos and other online work. It was hectic but exciting to be part of the very first ‘Crossing The Tyne Buskers Festival’.

The day came and the plan was set. There were some venues around the north side of the River Tyne, the main base being the Old Low Lights Heritage Centre on the North Shields Fish Quay and the same with the south side. All of the buskers were free to go and perform at any of the venues, then had to be on the Shields ferry in enough time to set up their equipment and perform a half  hour slot, according to the timetable on a specially set up area on the ferry. Then, when their performance was over, they alighted on the other side of the river and continued performing at any of the venues on that side.

It all went according to plan on the day, except maybe for the weather, but even that was laughable, the sun shone, the rain came, wind blew and then the sun shone, but the musicians played on and braved the weather! The ferry passengers were delighted that their mundane daily journey had been brightened up by the talented musicians who were performing. It was such a success that there will definitely be another festival next year and hopefully, for many years to come.

I went around the venues with my son and took as many photos and videos as I could to help support this great festival. We ended up that evening in the Low Lights Pub on the North Shields Fish Quay, singing along to some of the many great artists taking part.

This event was supported by the local Transport Company NEXUS, the local newspapers, local radio stations and other media. A lot of upcoming young musicians had the opportunity to share their talents and at the same time entertain the passengers on the ferry and those people at the venues. And a very worthwhile charity will also benefit from the money collected.

I am SO looking forward to Crossing The Tyne Buskers Festival 2016!

Well done Steve Willis, your dream has come true! And thanks to the support from all of the amazing admin!

Oatlands Park Hotel

8th September, 2015 | Article By Lesley Tan

Food and DrinkHistoric BldgsHotels

Many years ago in the 70’s, I worked in the Audience Research Department of the BBC. The friends I made there have remained friends till this day and we thoroughly enjoy reunions.

This year the 4 Star Oatlands Park Hotel in Weybridge, Surrey, was chosen as the venue. It is used as a lovely venue for weddings, meetings and get-togethers (like ours) and by people just wanting to relax and have a break.

The hotel, is situated on the Oatlands Estate, built around the turn of the 18th Century, on the site of what was once a grand royal Tudor palace.

I took a walk around this splendid hotel and was very impressed with the golf facilities, tennis court, lake and beautifully manicured gardens, it is very easy on the eyes. Inside is also impressive, beautiful hanging tapestries and ornate decorations on almost every wall and a glass dome over the entrance, which keeps the place bright and warm.

We had a lovely time reminiscing and taking and sharing photos, which I put immediately online as there is free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel.

The service was good, the coffee and food well presented and delicious, and there is also a bar serving the usual drinks.

A very grand hotel indeed, which is not too far from the town of Weybridge. It is also easily accessed from Weybridge station, by taxi or even on foot, if you wish.