Oxo Tower; Champagne Sunshine Showers
What would a romantic city break be without some super fancy wining and dining? So for our first evening in London I booked us into the Oxo Tower Brasserie upon recommendation from my Dad, who has held a number of work functions there and claims it to be one of the best views of Southbank and the city.
We arrived nice and early for our reservation at 6pm and treated to a welcome drink of champagne on the house upon arrival.
How lucky we were that the skies cleared and the most magnificent golden hour of sunshine showered the skies and glistened upon the city.
The Brasserie menu had a lot to offer serving up the finest of British cuisine alongside an extensive wine list. In fact it is part of the Harvey Nichols franchise, so I knew food would be top standard.
I opted for the Josper grilled spatchcock chicken, chimichurri, autumn vegetable slaw and maple glazed pancetta, whilst my boyfriend went for a classic Rib eye steak, green peppercorn sauce, mushroom pâté and green leaf salad.
To accompany the meal we had some potato wedges and tender stem broccoli and to drink we shared a carafe of French red wine, the perfect pairing to our meaty dishes.
Our meal was just exquisite and we both agreed it to be some of the best food we’d ever tasted! Service was absolutely impeccable too and my wine glass was never more than half empty – thanks waiter 😉
We stayed to finish our drinks and soak up those final few moments of sunset, before leaving to attend our post dinner cocktails at the Four Seasons.
I have to put the evening up there as one of the most beautiful dinners I’ve ever had. From the picture perfect setting as golden hour hues painted the London skyline, to the delicious food and wonderful service we were treated to, it was truly magical. A spacial thanks to the Oxo Tower Brasserie for taking such good care of us and ensuring our experience was so special.
I guess in some ways it has taught me to enjoy the simple pleasures of relaxing at home and soak up this bonus time we have to spend with friends and family. It’s also been a perfect opportunity to work on self care and personal challenges or goals.
One of my achievements during lockdown has been to improve on my handstands which I’ve practiced every single day since March. I can now get up without support and hold it for at least 20 seconds or so. If I keep up this consistent routine of balancing everyday, my aim is to be able to handstand for over a minute and move my body into different yogi positions whilst doing so.
Upon reflection, there are a few positives of being unable to travel at the moment, like not having to deal with the stress of busy airports and cramped planes. Not to mention getting to avoid the suffering of post holiday blues, often accompanied by a week long hangover from all those cocktails which seem so hydrating and refreshing in the scorching sun! Instead I’m feeling healthier and fitter than ever before as I relish the fresh summer countryside air of Hampshire.
Life really has been turned upside down and like most people, this year has brought me many challenges as a result of such unpresidented events. I know I’m not the only one to have struggled with my mental health during these times, as we’ve all been forced into our bubbles of isolation and given no option but to reflect upon ourselves.
Yet it has been the resilience of human spirit from within and to each other which has got us through – and that fundamental element of our species is something not even a virus can rob us of. Whilst the world is yet to find its feet with any kind of normality, lets remember to just keep our heads up and always look at the glass as half full.
Located on the distinctive blue road at The Brentford Project, this event ooses classic American 50s charm as waiting staff on roller-skates take orders from the comfort of your car window. Guests can enjoy draft beer by The Brewery Tap, cocktails from Rye by the Water, freshly popped popcorn and even the best pizza in London (as voted by Time Out) from Santa Maria Pizzeria.
Upon arrival, each car is escorted into position in front of the big screen and fellow car fanatics can be treated to the congregation of such prestigious motors gathered in one place. This is not only a fun movie viewing experience, but a truly unique opportunity for any classic or supercar owners to showcase their motors amongst the elite car community.
We had the pleasure of pulling up front row to complete a stunning white line-up of sports cars. The McLaren GT certainly made an impression as we arrived with its roaring engine and falcon-wing opening doors. It was fun to have a walk around the array of awesome classic and supercars at the event, before getting setup with our beers, popcorn and pizza on order ready for the movie.
This evening’s screening was the another automotive classic film 2Fast 2Furious. As the moonlight twinkled at dusk casting a pinkie blue hue across the sky, everyone took their seats back behind their wheels ready for the movie to commence.
The Fast and Furious series never get old and what a spectacular and scenic setting in which to watch it again! Duke of London showrooms even brought out a number of their own range of classic cars for the event from partner RNG Classics, including a Porsche 928, Lamborghini Murcielago, Jaguar E-Type, Ferrari 308 GTSi and MGB GT.
We were in our element as we kicked back in the McLaren and devoured our delightful pizza delivered up to the car window by our very own roller-skating waitress. Supercars, a movie classic, authentic Italian pizza and beers on tap – now that’s a date night right out of a Hollywood movie!
A little off the beaten track and quite the scramble down a steep hill, Dancing Ledge is a flat area of rock at the base of the cliff where a small rock pool forms at low tide.
With the ledge being a straight drop off point into the sea deep enough for small ships, it was previously used for the quarrying of Purbeck stone. It’s now an ideal spot for divers and fisherman as well as those seeking a picture perfect moment by the ocean.
The swimming pool carved into the rock was originally created in the early twentieth century for a local school. It now remains a beautiful spot for a dip overlooking the sea without the danger of a vicious tide. As keen photographers and always on the hunt for epic content, me and my boyfriend were in our element capturing some unique shots.
I love playing with reflections and colour, so the rock pool was an incredible canvas to play with. Using Lightroom to edit, I focused on experimenting with different colour hues and exposures to enhance my images.
Here I added more green to the mix along with golden oranges to create a vintage effect. Alternatively with the photo below, I reduced the colour temperature and opted for an overexposed, ethereal style final picture.
I’m still learning a lot when it comes to editing my photos, so I often seek inspiration from my favourite Instagram pages or Influencers whose style I like. Having good quality photos in the first place is always key too and going out to explore new places never fails to get my creative juices flowing!
Practicing and trying different methods will improve editing skills and eventually you will find a signature style. I was really happy with the outcome of the edits in which I brought out those purple colours in the sky and turned down the exposure to achieve that moody tone.
But whilst you capture your life through the lens of the camera, always remember to enjoy those moments before they become memories. And upon reflection, that’s when a photograph will say a thousand words – when you are truly happy and living in that moment ❤
The secret to finding these mysterious locations is through Instagram on which you can utilise the explore location tool. It’s a competitive market on the world of Insta for professionals to produce high quality content, so people are always going that extra mile to get the most epic shots.
My most recent adventure with my partner in crime was Ouse Valley Viaduct Bridge in Sussex just past Gatwick. This was another hidden gem my boyfriend had tracked down via Instagram and we were both keen to get some unique golden hour snaps.
Described as the most elegant viaduct in Britain, construction of the bridge commenced back in the 1830s and has continued to stand the test of time as a functioning railway bridge. Built through the undulations of the valley, the resulting view through that tunnel of 37 arches is spectacular.
Composed of red bricks shipped all the way from the Netherlands along with smooth limestone, sunset hues cast stunning shadows through the viaduct at dusk. A playground for photographers, this bridge is truly unique for capturing different angles on symmetry and perspective.
A final thought from me on Perspective; Stay in your own lane, comparison kills creativity and joy. 
As our favourite beach at West Wittering was closed, we still wanted to make the most of this mini heatwave and decided to head down south to a different beach instead. Studland Bay located in Dorset is a vast area of sandy beaches and heathland, overlooking the natural coastland rock formation of Old Harry Rocks.
It was no surprise that everyone had the same idea to soak up the sun at the beach that week, especially with lots of people still not working. So it wasn’t until later in the day when the crowds slowly cleared that we were able to find ourselves a quiet, undisturbed view for sunset.
It was perfectly serene over the bay as the sun showered golden hues over the water before slowly dipping below the horizon. Whilst we did have a few tinnies of G&T and crisps to nibble on, annoyingly cafes were still not open and there were no nearby shops to grab more food. A takeaway pizza or portable BBQ would’ve been the finishing touch to this idyllic setup.
It was a truly picture perfect sundown at Studland Bay as we played some chilled background tunes and watched on at the mesmerising colour show across the sky, all created by the natural wonder that is the sun going to sleep.
Being local to the area, it’s somewhere I’d heard a lot of great things about and been meaning to visit for a long time. There is of course the Silent Pool gin distillery based here too with its exquisitely designed floral blue bottle inspired by this luscious landscape.
I’ve never seen such truly turquoise water in a naturally occurring pool like this before and the plush green trees overhanging the water create the most incredible reflections.
Legend has it that King John rode on his horse to the pool and abducted a woodcutter’s daughter, who he forced into the deep water and drowned. This folklore dates back to a book by Martin Tupper written in 1858 and it’s even rumoured that the maiden’s ghost can be seen by the pool at midnight.
Given its otherworldly beauty and serene stillness, Silent Pool has been linked back to numerous historical stories like this and is even considered by some as a sacred site.
I too felt very peaceful and calm by the harmonious elegance of the lagoon as we walked along the narrow paths enveloped in luscious greenery. A top tip would be to take a blanket and a little picnic to sit by the waterside and soak up the tranquility of such splendid surroundings.
Next time I would be intrigued to take a tour of the gin distillery next door and have a proper insight into the history and background of Silent Pool. And if you’re looking for somewhere a little different to take a stroll or have a picnic with your partner or family, this is a truly unique spot which feels like heaven on earth ❤
Living in the beautiful Hampshire countryside, we really are spoilt with some of the most picturesque surroundings which we usually take for granted.
Hopping on the bikes and taking a new route each time we venture out, we’ve been lucky enough to discover some awesome new locations. So when we found this bluebell woods in full bloom we couldn’t wait to do a shoot!
The ideal time to capture such dense woodland is at sunset when the light is peaking through the trees and showering those golden hour hues. It’s always fun to just experiment in order to capture those more natural action shots.
So whilst we may have to wait to go out in the world and travel foreign lands again, I’m thankful to be chasing such picturesque sunsets back in my home country; it’s time to rediscover the natural beauty of our homelands ❤
Having previously made the move to Aus solo, it was a different experience to be holidaying with my buddy. As two outgoing, confident individuals, as a pair we had no trouble making friends and weren’t afraid to explore new places and try new things. Of course you can’t take yourself too seriously and it’s so important to be able to maintain humour particularly at yourself.
I would definitely recommend travelling with one or two very close friends to have that someone to share your experience with, laugh alongside and to have one another’s backs no matter what. That’s not to say travelling alone isn’t doable, as I did so myself, it’s just so awesome to have someone to do things with and reminisce on the moments shared.
One of the lessons I learnt early on in my travels was that ‘if you dare to remove yourself, the true you will follow.’ I know that taking myself away from the safety of home when I originally moved to Aus, was a huge learning curve and proved that I am capable of achieving so many things on my own. The same applies when you’re travelling even with a partner, as you are both out of your comfort zones and have to adapt to the spontaneity of the adventure.
Dani Aneka 