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Fashion Voyeur

People will stare, make it worth their while.

Categories: Lifestyle

Life in lockdown with a Neurodiverse Child

As we approach the end of our enforced lockdown period, we emerge different versions of ourselves. Some of us are stronger having found solace in working out, some of us are a little softer around the edges having sought comfort in binge watching box sets on Netflix and Amazon Prime. Then there are those of us who stepped up top the plate when our schools closed and knocked it out of the park with home schooling.

No matter what type of person we were when we entered this lockdown, we’re all leaving it a little changed, a little different, a variation of our former selves. My own experience of it has been overall a positive one; it didn’t start off that way – we were refused access to our son’s SEN school without explanation despite fitting 100% of the criteria for placement and in the nine (or is it ten?) weeks that the country was locked down we heard from the school twice in phone calls which lasted eleven seconds and nine seconds respectively to ask us if any of us had had any symptoms of covid-19. At no point were we offered any teaching, remote learning or support of any kind. Bit of a kick in the tits after the fight we went through to secure the place in that school, I mean it when I say that it’s ‘good on paper’.

Anyway, you know that movie Sliding Doors? This was our Sliding Doors moment. With Bo working across two hospitals which just happened to be the two hospitals dealing with the majority of covid-19 cases in the North East, his workload was higher than ever before meaning he was working later and starting earlier and I continued to work from home with Plankton settling into his new routine.

Blogger Pixie Tenenbaum and her neurodiverse son

It took around two weeks for him to get to grips with the idea of the whole whole ‘killer virus’ thing and he still doesn’t understand that social distancing applies to everyone all of the time and not just when he feel like it, but Voyeurs I shit you not, we’ve seen the biggest improvement in his anxiety, violent/challenging behaviour (VCB), and overall wellbeing since the lockdown was imposed. Now obviously I’m not an idiot and I know that there are a huge amount of variables at play here – less transitions, the fact that he completely despises that school with a passion, he’s gaslit by every professional involved in his care and they’ve all had to take a backseat, all care packages have been rescinded, and he’s spending 100% of his time in our care. Like I say, a lot of variables but when you conduct any experiment you always set a control measure, and this is our control measure. Remove negative stress and complicated transitions and there’s a much happier boy underneath, it’s really not rocket science. Now I also know that this doesn’t negate his disability, that’s still there. Evidently something many professionals fail to grasp – if you ever say there has been a positive improvement, no matter how minor within earshot of a professional, it obviously means that your child is cured of their disability and no longer requires access to services.

I remember around a year ago when I sent an email to our consultant at one of the North East Mental Health services about their appalling treatment of Plankton and the way they’d conducted an assessment which I’d later investigated and I felt that it wasn’t clinically robust. I received a very threatening letter from the Estates Manager advising that they had taken legal advice and were going to prosecute me for slander and issue a court order to prevent me from talking about the Trust on social media. At the top of the letter it said POLICE REF: AVAILABLE ON REQUEST. I spoke with the police and sent them the letter by email, obviously you know where this is going….. The police asked me if I wanted to open a harassment case, I declined but took a PRN from them and fired a letter back to the Estates Manager of the Trust. Needless to say I got a very quick reply admitting they’d told a massive fib with an apology. As for the assessment I investigated, I took it to the Complex Neurodevelopmental Disorders Service (CNDS) for a second opinion and sure enough the conclusion was that “the assessment was not clinically robust or completed in line with NHS guidelines and is therefore not a valid assessment”. The moral of the story is that employed, paid professionals are not the experts in your child. You are.

Blogger Pixie Tenenbaum and her son Plankton

Quite late on during the lockdown Plankton was added to the shielding category, I think it took a long time for them to find him because he’s the only person in the UK with his genetic abnormality and deletion syndrome. His particular chromosomal abnormality makes him more likely to develop certain cancers and diabetes; he also has a moderate/severe learning disability, Sensory Processing Disorder, Fragile X, global development delay and another rare syndrome called Reverse Angelman Syndrome.  Pretty unique right? When they say one in a million he’s more like one in a trillion. He also loves Most Haunted but I’ve heard there are *some* other people out there who like that show. Anyway for safety it was time to bring this kid indoors a little more permanently.

Now the thing with lockdown life is that it’s perfect for a lot of neurodiverse kids and adolescents. It shuts the world out, it shuts out noise, transitions, stress and all the things that make life hard and difficult to understand. The thing that Plankton finds most difficult is adults not directly involved in his life – Disability Social Worker, Teacher, SENCo, HLTA etc. Answering questions for him and making decisions on his behalf when he’s right there and able to do it himself, if they just gave him a little more processing time. I mean it’s written in his Education Health Care Plan (EHCP) FFS, what more direction do they need? But then it’s so much easier for adults to gaslight teenagers isn’t it? We’ve seen it so many times in meetings and there’s only so many times you can watch people do that to your child before you realise that you have a platform and you can blow the whole thing up whether it fits with your regular subject matter or not.

Blogger Pixie Tenenbaum with husband Bo Curtis-Darville & son Plankton on vacation in Son Bou, Menorca

I mean I figure I have a pretty smart thirteen year old kid, he hasn’t progressed academically since year five when he was in the most amazing mainstream school with a full time one to one support who I genuinely believe had his best interests in everything she did. After that when NHS Mental Health became involved and mandated a school move, everything went to shit. He (and we have) been treated like shit by everyone we’ve come into contact with since then and it’s not uncommon, we aren’t the first family and we won’t be the last. There are hundreds of FaceBook groups dedicated to families in situation like this and the North East is a major hotspot for it.

He’s inquisitive and interested in current affairs, he loves fashion (I mean come on, that was always going to be the case), weirdly is obsessed with true crime and ghosts, and architecture and we try to feed him with facts and knowledge where we can. He holds grudges but does it silently so whilst he might be polite to someone, he lets us know afterwards that he really hates someone which we think is absolutely hilarious. His painfully honest critiques of people’s outfits are incredibly satisfying working in my job too. In lockdown his personality is developing as fast as his hair is growing.

With the end of lockdown potentially in sight and new research available for the clinically vulnerable who knows how far away we are from this being over and our new normal being established. One thing is for certain though, my son entered this crisis in a state of trauma. Not because there was a global pandemic – he had absolutely no idea at that point, but because he was at crisis point himself with the wrong school placement, the wrong support in that placement, professionals who continued to gaslight him and total sensory overload at a respite placement that bombards children with activities that adults think are child-centric but aren’t. He’s gained a sense of priority for himself. He’s learned that he has purpose and that his own opinions are as valid as anyone else’s. We might not have done any home schooling but he’s made more progress at home in lockdown than in the entire time he has been in this particular school placement (since September 2018) and that’s more than enough for us.

Pixie

Categories: Lifestyle, North East

Raising The Barre for The Sunshine Fund

I’m super pleased to be back at The Barre and working out again, something I really didn’t think would happen after a really bad surgical procedure in April 2019 and a botched recovery that saw the NHS hang me out to dry.  Slowly but surely, with the support of Instructors who’ve allowed me to take a way more modified version of a regular barre class, I’ve been able to get some control back into my body and get some fitness back which in turn has made me a lot happier.

An Image taken from the Barre Body Campaign shot by Jason Holcomb for The Barre Workout Newcastle featuring Pixie Tenenbaum and other clients of The Barre. A row of clients are positioned sat under the barre with their feet stretched up towards the barre to stretch their hamstrings and their hands are hung over the barre to stretch out their shoulders at the end of a class.

I’m even more thrilled to be working with them to support The Sunshine Fund, an absolutely amazing North East charity which supports children with physical and learning disabilities by providing equipment they otherwise wouldn’t have access to.  Now when I say equipment, I’m talking life changing, this is equipment that’s absolutely required but not funded by the NHS, Social Services or any other organisation, things such as specialist beds, wheelchairs, trikes, IT and sensory equipment like weighted blankets.  The Sunshine Fund take on the responsibility of supporting babies, children and young adults right through to their 19th birthday from all over the North East region – That’s a lot of disabled people to look after and support and with no specialist funding streams, they rely solely on donations from local businesses, organisations and actual lovely people from the North East and sometimes even further afield.  If you’re reading this and want to make a donation from afar, then you can do so here: https://www.thesunshinefund.org/donate

The Chronicle Sunshine Fund Logo with a Santa hat on it for Christmas!

In order to meet the needs of the disabled children they commit support to each year, they are required to raise £450,000 per year.  That’s a lot of cash, a lot of work, and a lot of kindness.  Personally, and this is solely my opinion it feels like a hell of a huge gap in services from the NHS and Social Services given that they are often the people who identify the need and the equipment required then put the focus on the family to go away and source it, often with a huge feeling of guilt hanging over them if they aren’t aware of wonderful charities like The Sunshine Fund who are around for this very purpose.  So, they cycle is, disabled child has a need identified, a piece of equipment usually aimed at the special needs or disability market is required and The Sunshine Fund help to buy the (very expensive) equipment.  Happiness restored.

An image taken from the Barre Body Campaign shot for The Barre Workout Newcastle by Jason Holcomb featuring Pixie Tenenbaum and other clients of The Barre, this image sees Instructor Natalie Catlah setting clients up for releve
An image taken from the Barre Body Campaign shot for The Barre Workout Newcastle by Jason Holcomb featuring Pixie Tenenbaum and other clients of The Barre. This image is a close up shot of Pixie and Siobhan in an active stretch setting up for a shoulder and chest stretch
An image taken from the Barre Body Campaign shot for The Barre Workout Newcastle by Jason Holcomb featuring Pixie Tenenbaum and other clients of The Barre. This image sees some of the Instructors Leanne and Lou taking part in a class where an exercise called Barre Butt is the main focus, the instuctors are laid on the mat with their feet on the underside of the barre

On December 23rd, The Barre will be holding a special Christmas fundraiser to support The Sunshine fund.  Anyone booked into a class at any time on the schedule on 23rd can come in wearing a costume, some kind of Christmas get up, your best ABBA tribute, basically anything you like, as long as you can do all of your regular class moves without popping a gusset or getting in a tangle.  It’s going to be awesome, all we’re asking as that anyone taking part makes a donation to support The Sunshine Fund and please remember, you don’t have to dress up, we do respect that dressing up isn’t for everyone, you can still come along and take part in your regular workout clothes and still make a donation if you like.

The Barre Therapy Menu detailing prices for the Barre Body Pros who offer Rehap Sports Massage and Relaxation and Revive massage starting at £30 for 30 minutes

Don’t barre but want to pop in and make a donation?  Then come on in!  You don’t have to be a member or take class to take part in the day, if you’ve ever wondered what barre is, or what it’s all about then this is the perfect opportunity to swing by for a chat.  The studio itself has really evolved over the past 6 months with the addition of a treatment room for Rehabilitation and Relaxation style massage treatments, just bear in mind that if you do drop by and see a room of 20 elves, superheroes and Christmas fairies working out – you’re not hallucinating, that really happened.

Pixie

Categories: Lifestyle, North East

A Stay at Beadnell Towers Boutique Hotel

When we were invited to stay overnight at Beadnell Towers as a treat for Bo’s 40th birthday we jumped at the chance.  We’d been invited to the relaunch of this 18 room boutique hotel in the heart of Northumberland and couldn’t make it but after seeing the press pack we’d been desperate to visit.  Set in Beadnell Bay, which was recently listed at number 16 in The Sunday Times Top 40 UK Beaches, Beadnell Towers has undergone a radical but sympathetic restoration and refurbishment which pays homage to the character of the original stone building.

Beadnell Towers Hotel under Stormy Skies taken by Pixie Tenenbaum for Fashion Voyeur Blog

On the day of our visit there was a storm of epic proportions which brought the A1 to a standstill and delayed our check-in massively.  We aquaplaned our way there and instead of the 90 minute journey we expected, it took us a hideous 4 hours to get to our destination meaning we checked in right before our dinner reservation at 6pm, giving us just enough time to change.

Staff at Beadnell Towers are friendly and welcoming and offered to carry our soaking bags up to our room for us, after such a long and frustrating journey a warm friendly greeting hit all the right spots.

The entrance to Beadnell Towers Hotel taken on a sunny day by Chris Ord for Fashion Voyeur blog
Beadnell Towers Hotel Cosy Seating Area
Beadnell Towers Hotel Water Cooler with Fruit
Beadnell Towers Hotel Library
Beadnell Towers Hotel Roof terrace
Beadnell Towers Hotel Original Stone Staircase & Feature Lighting

Walking through The Towers, you can’t help but be drawn in by the attention to detail, from the point of entry the tone is clear; Beadnell Towers is a home away from home.  They’ve thought about the things you might have forgotten, rainboots by the door, umbrellas incase of bad weather, beautiful toiletries in each room and a pantry on each floor with fresh milk and bottled water for guests to use at their convenience.  Management want you to use The Towers like it’s your home and it’s been renovated with that in mind; there’s a water cooler by the entrance laced with fresh fruit, a library tucked away at the back of the bar and pet bowls are provided.  There’s even a cute secluded roof terrace which we were shown, however didn’t get to use given that the weather was absolute garbage.

Inside the Muckle Hoose suite at Beadnell Towers Hotel with it's copper bathtubs on a backlit plinth
Inside the Muckle Hoose suite at Beadnell Towers Hotel with it's copper bathtubs on a backlit plinth
Inside the Muckle Hoose suite at Beadnel Towers Hotel with it's copper bathtubs on a backlit plinth
A close up of a milking stool, toiletries and a copper bathtub in the Muckle Hoose Suite at Beadnell Towers Hotel on Fashion Voyeur Blog

After a short walk up a huge open staircase with the original stone wall and some beautiful feature lighting, we’re shown to Muckle Hoose.  A suite like no other.  This double room packs a punch and a pinch me moment as the door opens to reveal its twin copper bathtubs sitting atop a backlit plinth behind the bed.  The room has everything you expect from a luxury boutique hotel – and more.  There are tea and coffee making facilities in each room along with locally sourced shortbread biscuits (the hotel are happy to provide more if you ask), an iron and ironing board if you fancy taking a load up with you, and a wardrobe for stowing luggage.

There’s a handy writing desk in the room, a huge TV which you can temporarily sync up your Netflix and Prime accounts to to use whilst staying in the hotel (just remember to ‘forget this device’ before you leave), a small thought, but one which makes all the difference especially when the weather isn’t so great, or if you have small children to entertain whilst you’re getting ready.

Jack & Jill sinks Muckle Hoose Suite Beadnell Towers Hotel Fashion Voyeur Blog
Muckle Hoose Suite Bathroom Toiletries Beadnell Towers Hotel Fashion Voyeur Blog
Bathroom inside Muckle Hoose at Beadnell Towers Hotel Fashion Voyeur Blog

The bathroom is lavishly appointed, considering there are two tubs in the room; the separate bathroom has still been a huge consideration in the design of the suite.  There’s a huge double walk in shower with drencher heads, there’s easily enough room in there to move around too – these are meticulously planned and built bespoke for the space and it shows in the build quality and the amount of space in each room.  Jack and Jill sinks mean that two adults can comfortably use the bathroom at the same time with no waiting around and there’s the added luxury of automated low level, low wattage lighting as any night wanderers or insomniacs like me will discover.  These are all very thoughtful, very cool extras that will make you rethink your home spaces from the moment you check out.

Ok so what did we get up to?  Well, we didn’t actually have a lot of time given our utter debacle of a journey so we landed, had a quick change and headed straight downstairs to our dinner reservation in the hotel’s restaurant.  The restaurant itself wraps around from the hotel bar and constantly smells amazing.  We had a brief chat with the chef who advised that where possible it’s the ethos of Beadnell Towers to use local ingredients and produce in a mission to support other local businesses and growers – something we really liked.

Beadnell Towers Seafood Sharing Platter

As we sat and pored over the menu I drank a local gin, with tonic – a total rarity for me as I’m usually alcohol free but it was super refreshing, reminded me of Menorcan Summers and I wasn’t hammered after one – bonus.  The menu at Beadnell Towers is a treat just to read, there are some absolute culinary delights on there and it took us an absolute age to decide, but we finally settled on the most amazing Seafood Platter of locally sourced fish, mussels, crab and other weird and wonderful things.  As with everything that leaves the kitchen, the presentation of the more exotic food on the menu at Beadnell Towers is what draws you in – we overheard three other tables ask their servers what it is that we were having just based on sight.

Over dinner we got chatting to Deputy Manager Joann about Cadwell Park – the next place we’re visiting and we discover that her mum set a land speed record some years ago at that very race track so we bond over all things motorsport and she’s genuinely interested to hear about what we’ll be getting up to on track the following day so spends some time chatting with us.

Pixie Tenenbaum standing in front of two filled copper slipper tubs at Beadnell Towers Hotel in the Muckle Hoose Suite

After dinner when we decided to call it a night, we swung by the pantry to pick up some water and found it empty.  A quick visit to the bar proved fruitful, we were advised that if ever the pantry is empty, the same bottled water is kept in fridges behind the bar for guests too so it’s always nice and cold.  Once back in our room, we decided to test out those copper slipper tubs.  One of them is perfectly positioned for watching TV, the other not so much so you have to either turn off the TV in advance or attempt to force your partner to talk to you if, like me, you forgot and also drew the short straw.

We found two unexpectedly brilliant things about Beadnell Towers Hotel, they’re probably the two most important things when it comes to an overnight stay anywhere either in the UK or further afield, and quite possibly the most overlooked; these are the bed, and the breakfast.  At this hotel I’m assuming all of the beds are pretty much the same but can only comment on the one that we slept in in the Muckle Hoose suite and we can honestly say (both of us) it’s the most comfortable bed we’ve ever slept in.  We tried (very hard) to find out what type of mattress was on it and failed so have made a note to contact the hotel and ask because as a Fibromyalgia and Ehlers-Danlos sufferer, it was the most perfect mattress, period.

Secondly, the breakfast.  Worth visiting for alone.  The breakfast is fit for a king; for hotel residents there’s the obligatory continental set up – with a twist – as a lot of what you see in the buffet has been sourced locally.  You’ll find grains, cereals, fruit and yoghurt.  Then there’s a separate table set up with muffins, pastries and other deli type goods some of which we brought away with us for our journey – encouraged by hotel staff.

The Resaurant area of Beadnell Towers Hotel in Northumberland
The Resaurant area of Beadnell Towers Hotel in Northumberland

The real joy though is in the cooked to order breakfast menu.  Once you’ve steeled yourself with something from the buffet and some of the best freshly ground black coffee I’ve had since Spain and Milan, you’ll find yourself at sixes and sevens trying to select something from the concise, but mouthwatering breakfast menu.  From Craster Kippers to American style pancakes and the obvious choice of a Full English, each breakfast option is prepared fresh to order in the semi open kitchen.  Being a stalwart, Bo opted for the Full English breakfast, and being a fence sitter I opted for both the American style pancakes (in tribute to Miami) and Eggs Benedict because it’s a breakfast favourite of mine and I consider myself to be an excellent critic.

In between ordering and actually eating, we decided to head over to the kitchen for a chat with the chefs and they told us that occasionally new and unique dishes are added to the menu if local fishermen come up with something weird and wonderful in their catch.  As our food arrives at the table it’s clear to see that breakfast (in my opinion) is the dish that Beadnell Towers puts their passion into.  Most guests have travelled to Beadnell from around the North East or further afield to visit the magnificent coastline we have up here, the likelihood is that they’ve been out walking, hiking, boating or driving onward and exploring during their stay and this hotel has quietly considered all of that.  That’s why there are rainboots and umbrellas, drencher head showers to soothe aching muscles, sewing kits in the rooms to darn split socks and the most comfortable beds you could ever imagine to take a load off after a heavy day.   The creature comforts like TV’s which allow you to sync up your own streaming services, free and easy access to water and milk – little things which go unnoticed but make a stay that little bit smoother.

Beadnell Towers Hotel Breakfast Buffet
Beadnell Towers Hotel Full English Breakfast
Beadnell Towers Hotel Eggs Benedict
Beadnell Towers Hotel Breakfast American Style Pancakes

And then there is the breakfast.  Because after you have explored, or even before you have explored, you need to fuel up.  The hotel serves up a breakfast of champions; the Eggs Benedict is as good as Phuc Yea (my favourite Eggs Benedict ever), it doesn’t have that harsh change in temperature or texture and the eggs are cooked to perfection.  The Full English got the double thumbs up from Bo and I wasn’t offered any so I guess that means it was pretty awesome right?  The hands down winner though was the pancakes.  A small stack of light, fluffy buttermilk pancakes topped with fresh fruit and maple syrup.

After breakfast when we came to check out, we had to leave early as we had to pick up Plankton from his respite unit then get the bikes in the van ready to head to Cadwell Park for our track day (which you can read about here).  Because the weather had changed and started to brighten up, you could get a sense of just how pretty the immediate surrounding area is.  We’ll definitely make time to re-visit Beadnell Bay and explore the area, we’ve heard the fish and chips up there are amazing!

Pixie

Categories: Lifestyle, North East

Boojie Burger at Stack Newcastle

Stack Newcastle has firmly established itself as one of those ‘must visit’ places in the city centre.  The double level container village with its imposing black facade is a lot more welcoming than the initial plans may have led you to believe.  Strung with modern bare bulbs and industrial scaffold style seating, it’s a little bit of Shoreditch right here in the centre of Newcastle.  It even has a roof (of sorts) fitted now so you can revel in the elements as long as you like.

an image showing the front of Stack Newcastle pop up container village in newcastle Upon Tyne

At Stack it’s downstairs for dancing and upstairs for er, eating – so a little different to that age old saying your granddad taught you.  On the top deck you’ll find a smorgasbord of eateries and owners Danieli Holdings have tried to fill units with independents from all over the region providing something for every taste.  There’s one ‘restaurant’ style closed unit in the corner called Cluck Cluck Moo which works in a similar style to Nando’s (except the food is better), you can read my full review here.

When we were invited back to review the latest vendor to the top deck, Boojie Burger, we jumped at the chance.  Now, this isn’t our first visit to Boojie burger.  It’s not even our second.  It’s actually our third.  We’ve visited twice previously (as paying customers) during press events at Stack where we stayed behind afterwards to eat, this was before they’d fully refined their menu so this visit was the first time we’d tasted anything from their brand spanking new menu, which they feel is their best yet and has been developed specifically for Geordie tastebuds.

An image of a lightbox used as a decorative table reservation in a restaurant
An image of the serving hatch and menu at Boojie Burger on the top deck of Stack Newcastle
The servinge hatch at Boojie Burger Stack Newcastle

We arrived to a warm welcome and a reserved table with a lovely lightbox on it displaying my name – a really nice little touch I thought, something that would be great for kid’s parties, bachelorette parties or other similar events.  What we also quickly realised is that Boojie Burger has prime viewing for entertainment at Stack, no matter where you sit, you get a great view of any music or performance acts on down below – top tip alert.

So, what about the food?  Well the menu is short and concise and very easy to follow, however don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s an easy choice.  The guys behind Boojie Burger think they’ve sussed out what the people of Newcastle want from a burger which is why they’ve cut out the lengthy menu options and tried to simplify things.  We opted for a Saucy Pig £7 (Bacon, Cheese and BBQ Sauce), a Mexican £7 (Guacamole, Chipotle Sauce and Cheese) and a simple Cheeseburger £6, all of which come with lettuce and tomato as standard fixings.  The seasoned fries £3 were our choice of sides, although there is Halloumi £3 on the menu (which was sold out when we arrived) – we were advised that this is a firm favourite in the Toon so don’t all rush at once!

Burgers and Seasoned fries served up at Boojie Burger in Stack Newcastle
Burgers and Seasoned fries served up at Boojie Burger in Stack Newcastle
Burgers and Seasoned fries served up at Boojie Burger in Stack Newcastle
Burgers and Seasoned fries served up at Boojie Burger in Stack Newcastle

All food is prepared fresh to order and you’re given a buzzer which lets you know when to return to the hatch to collect.  The burger patties are packed with flavour, juicy but not fatty or oily and satisfying enough to leave you full but not uncomfortable.  The Saucy Pig was Bo’s favourite – topped with bacon and a lick of tangy BBQ sauce to cut though the meatiness.  I loved the Mexican, dripping with avocado and lashings of Chipotle which gave it that temperature and texture difference throughout, not spicy but an absolute joy to eat!  Plankton loved the good old fashioned American style Cheeseburger and despite having an adult’s appetite, a burger and a portion of fries was easily enough to finish him off!

An image showing the full menu of burgers and sides served at Boojie Burger in Stack Newcastle

Food at Boojie Burger is served in recycled cardboard trays, and wooden flatware is available if required although we were more than happy to go at everything with our hands caveman style.  Prices are standard fare for a freshly cooked burger from an independent provider right in the city centre, especially one this good.  In terms of taste, Boojie Burger is easily on par with Meat:Stack who were recently voted the best burger in Newcastle.  It’s still a relatively undiscovered gem with it being hidden in the upper walls of Stack.

I was on crutches at the time of our visit and despite it being incredibly busy, staff were more than happy to assist and help which I think really added to our experience.  We left happy and with full tummies and there’s not much more you can ask for than that.  We’d highly recommend Boojie Burger, especially given its advantageous vantage point in terms of entertainment and yes, there’s even a vegetarian option on the menu.

Pixie

Categories: Fashion, Lifestyle, North East, Uncategorized

Slaley Hall Summer Soiree

Northumberland has two modes, Summer and Winter and it looks equally beautiful in either.  Bo and I were invited to Slaley Hall in the heart of Northumberland for the annual Summer Soiree, held during the height of Summer.  Not just any Summer, the Summer of 2018, yeah, the one where we had actual heat and sunshine at the same time.

With the sun high in the sky we set off for Northumberland with the top down, our sunglasses on, and not a jacket in sight.  We arrived at Slaley Hall in the evening with the sun beating down on us like noon on a Summer day, the setting literally couldn’t have been more perfect.  Slaley Hall is as welcoming as it is imposing, this gorgeous castle / manor house never fails to impress and seems to project a different persona from every aspect.  Tonight though, we were there for a showcase in conjunction with Duke Ata Bespoke, a menswear label by one of my BFFs held in the gardens, natch.

The rear of Slaley Hall in Northumberland, a view from the garden with blue skies overhead
Blogger Pixie Tenenbaum wearing hexagonal mirrored sunglasses and a striped Zara dress at the Slaley Hall Summer soiree in Northumberland in July 2018
Durham gin & honey cocktails and sunset themed mocktails at the Slaley Hall Summer soiree in Northumberland - Fashion Voyeur Blog

Guests were treated to sunset themed mocktails and cocktails prepared using Durham Gin (the house gin at Slaley Hall) on arrival, alongside canapés that looked like delicious mini ice cream cones but turned out to be some kind of weird tunafish wafer thing.  As we walked out to the gardens, the view opened out over beautiful, uber green grass and perfectly trimmed trees.  A live singer played on the lawn for us whilst we chatted and enjoyed the rare occurrence of some evening sunshine, think Nikki Beach, with grass.

The stone gazebo at the entrance to the Japanese ornamental garden hidden away at the rear of slaley Hall in Northumberland - Fashion Voyeur blog
Menswear Tailor Duke Ata of Duke Ata Bespoke wearing a green suit with pocket square holding a glass of champagne as he gives a talk on his brand at the Slaley Hall Summer Soiree in Northumberland - Fashion Voyeur Blog
The still pond and purple leaves of the Japanese Ornamental Garden at Slaley Hall in Northumberland - Fashion Voyeur Blog

After a chance to catch up and chat, we were escorted to the Japanese Ornamental Garden further down in the grounds of Slaley Hall.  A feature that’s pretty well hidden, almost like a secret garden which casts the most perfect light over it’s red and purple leaves and super still pond.  At the entrance to the Garden there’s a stone bandstand type structure, we’re told it can be hired for private dining parties and decked out with lanterns, or used for smaller wedding ceremonies and I can’t help but think what a gorgeous moment that would make.  Today though we’re assembled to hear from Duke Ata about his latest venture, the Duke Ata Clubhouse.  If you haven’t already read my post about the Clubhouse launch event you can find it here.  Duke and his team spoke about their quest to find the perfect base for the Duke Ata Bespoke brand and how as well as the bespoke tailoring range, the brand will now produce a ready to wear collection for men comprising suiting, shirts, socks and shoes, all available to view on the rack at the Duke Ata Bespoke clubhouse in Jesmond.

A shot of Pixie Tenenbaum in the centre of the Japanese Ornamental Garden at Slaley Hall's Summer soiree taken by Bo Curtis-Darville on the iPhone X
A picture of a table full of Duke Ata bespoke gift bags each containing an emerald green Duke Ata bespoke pocket square for guests at the Slaley Hall Summer Soiree in Northumberland
Duke Ata wearing Duke Ata Bespoke, shot taken by Pixie Tenenbaum using the iPhone X

After his informal presentation, I grabbed Duke for a chat about some of the intricacies of how the Clubhouse will operate and in his usual relaxed tone, he told me that it’s there to be used, basically if a client wants an appointment the team will make it happen.  A driver will be sent to pick up the client from any North East location to bring them to the studio where they’ll chat about personality, style, likes and dislikes so that Duke can get a feel for what the client needs.  After that, the process begins and the suit is crafted to the exact specifications for that particular client.  It’s simple, but also elaborate and it’s a very client-centric approach.  Obviously I know all of this, I hang out there, I’ve even played the vintage piano that sits in the Clubhouse.

Sunset over Slaley Hall at the Summer soiree in Northumberland

At the end of the evening we make our way back across the manicured lawns to the main Slaley Hall building and I can’t help but notice just how beautiful it looks in the Northumberland sunset, right here in the UK.

Pixie

 

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People will stare, make it worth their while

Pixie Tenenbaum

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The first digital @londonfashionweek kicked off th The first digital @londonfashionweek kicked off this week & there’s a glorious co-ed schedule to behold!
Yesterday we had @malanbreton’s fully digital runway featuring a huge production of digitised landscape & models & today there’s a full day broken down into three sections.
When the @britishfashioncouncil emailed asking me to submit a video for the @johnlewisandpartners #lfwcatwalkchallenge to support the Covid Crisis Fund of course I couldn’t refuse (it’s up in my stories now) but of a challenge indoors given that it’s rained constantly for the last week here but I used my dressing room as my runway!
So, what are you most looking forward to from the first ever digital Fashion Week?
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Today is the day 🖤👏🏼 RTJ4 is finally here Today is the day 🖤👏🏼
RTJ4 is finally here! There’s even a free download & it’s one you should check out .
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Don’t mind me, I’m just turning every wall in Don’t mind me, I’m just turning every wall in my house into a gallery wall innit.
These are prints & @londonfashionweek invites I’ve collected over years & had stashed in a cupboard as well as one super awesome Bowie bolt given to me by my lovely mate Ellie who runs @rebeltreeco 👌🏼 Those are vintage French rosary beads hanging too which I picked up at this mint little church sale at Nice Port a few years ago ✌🏼
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Lockdown root regrowth coming in splendidly 👌🏼🌸
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Happy Easter, bunnies 🐣🐰 . . . . . #happyeas Happy Easter, bunnies 🐣🐰 .
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Here’s a press image of me on the frow at the @a Here’s a press image of me on the frow at the @atelierzuhra runway show @londonfashionweek taken by @sartorialsnapper after being caught in an absolute downpour with the shittest umbrella in the world ☔️ .
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