Welcome to my monthly diaries ❤ At the end of May we were treated with a heatwave over the bank holiday weekend, so we made the most of it and had our very first BBQ of the season. We also celebrated our friend’s Wedding in Liverpool at the breathtaking Cathedral, followed by a reception at the stunning Tatton Park in Cheshire. From interiors updates and new pieces in my wardrobe, to spending quality time with our parents and lots of giggles with my friends, it’s been a fabulous month easing into the 2026 summer season.
Click the link here to watch the vlog over on my YouTube channel ❤
It’s the late May bank holiday here in the UK and I’m winding down following a wonderful weekend soaking up the heatwave sunshine.
Back on Friday evening, we met friends at The Mutton for sundown drinks in the pub garden.
I wore this cute asymmetric dress from ASOS with a pair of nude thong kitten heel mules, my Coach handbag and MiuMiu round sunnies to complete the smart-casual look.
Saturday was another scorching day, so when 5pm came I enjoyed a glass of wine and some olives in our garden, whilst watching Emz and Nick’s latest Greece vlog.
For date night that evening, I booked The Leather Bottle for dinner in their picturesque courtyard area.
Even at 8pm it was still a lovely temperature to be sat outside as the sun went down over the neighbouring fields.
To start we ordered the padron peppers because whenever they’re on a menu, my boyfriend and I simply cannot resist.
For mains my boyfriend opted for the Bavette steak frites, whilst I had the Gilt head bream fillet.
Served with potato terrine, courgette, heritage tomato, feta and a salsa verde, this dish was divine and presented so beautifully too.
As we enjoyed our meal, the stunning sunset skies turned shades of gorgeous deep oranges and pinks, before dusk eventually set in.
Back home we embraced the warm night air and had another drink in our garden, festoon lights glowing and the moon shining brightly up overhead.
Sunday we were off to my boyfriend’s parents’ house for our first BBQ of the summer season.
Temperatures were set to be over 30 degrees, so denim shorts and my new pink contrast vest from Stradivarius and classic Birkenstock sandals, were the perfect cute-casual outfit combo.
I also styled my hair in a French twist to keep it off my neck for the day, not to mention looking super chic and elegant too.
It was the first time using their barbecue and outdoor space in their new house and it was all absolutely perfect.
Every corner of their house is so aesthetic and I was particularly drawn to these stone faces in their garden which give boho-chic Tulum vibes.
On the grill we had chicken skewers, burgers, sausages, corns and asparagus.
Of course a barbecue for us is not complete without my signature Greek Salad, so I was very excited to be making my first one of the summer this weekend.
There was also a Caesar salad, beetroot salad, Jersey Royal potatoes and all the condiments necessary for such a feast.
And not forgetting the footy game which had to be on in the background for the boys!
After lunch, I sat with my boyfriend’s mum out on their cute bistro set with a glass of bubbles; it was like we were sat outside our very own Parisian wine bar, pure bliss.
Meanwhile, the boys were equally chuffed with their setup inside to finish watching the football game.
My boyfriend’s mum even treated us to our favourite dessert she introduced us to of frozen raspberries, melted white chocolate and cream.
Before we knew it the sun was beginning to set and it was time to leave, but on our way home we made a spontaneous detour.
As we passed through Farnham, my boyfriend said we should do the walk at Caesar’s Camp to catch sunset.
So we parked up the truck and made our way across the picturesque countryside.
After about a 25 minute walk, we found this incredible viewpoint from which we watched the sun go down over Caesar’s Camp.
Sunsets never fail to amaze me; I find it mesmerising to see the sun dip below the horizon so rapidly in realtime.
A majestic sunset stroll was the most idyllic ending to our long bank holiday weekend showered in sunshine ❤
With the weather in the UK looking absolutely glorious this weekend, we decided to go on a mini staycation down to the iconic surfer town of Newquay in Cornwall. Leaving on Friday morning from Hampshire, the journey took just over 4 hours and we arrived to checkin at The Headland Hotel by 2pm.
We spent our afternoon at the newly renovated Aqua Club spa with lots of indoor and outdoor pools overlooking the deep blue ocean sparkling in the sunshine.
It was a perfect Friday arvo enjoying the spa pools, sunbathing whilst reading my book and indulging in a glass of bubbly paired with some olives of course, my absolute bliss.
After a freshen up and change for the evening, we went for a stroll along Fistral Beach and had sundowner drinks at Boardmasters Bar.
It was just a 15 minute walk from our hotel into the centre of town where we had dinner at a bistro on the front called Saltsheds.
I had a twist on a traditional Greek salad whilst my boyfriend had a chicken bacon burger with chips which we said was really good. Classic food done well with a nice coastal view, you can’t go wrong with that.
Later that evening there was the most incredible sunset which we got back to the headland just in time to see the final few minutes before the sun dipped below the horizon.
Nothing beats the natural beauty and romance of a breathtaking sunset.
Saturday morning after breakfast at the hotel, we went down to Fistral Beach where I rented a board to do some surfing.
Obviously it was very different to surfing in Bali and unfortunately the waves were fairly flat this day, so I only caught a few small ones and then called it a day. Not to mention the water was freezing even with a wetsuit on!
I’m glad I gave it a good go though as Newquay was where I first learnt to surf at the age of 8, so it was a nostalgic moment coming back over 22 years later. We even tried to recreate this photo my mum took of me on a film camera all those years ago, but I’m not sure it has the same effect taken with a modern iPhone.
That afternoon we went to the Newquay Food Festival which happened to be taking place this weekend in the middle of town on Killacourt overlooking the cove.
My boyfriend enjoyed his favourite Greek chicken Souvlaki wrap, whilst I couldn’t resist the fabulous looking spicy Bloody Mary cocktail with all the accompaniments.
I also caught up with an old friend who moved down to Newquay years ago and it was a joy to see her thriving in her new home.
Saturday evening we had 8pm dinner reservations at Dune Restaurant within the Fistral Beach Hotel, so we had a gorgeous sunset stroll along the top of Fistral Beach over to our dinner spot.
We were spoilt with another picturesque golden hour with sweeping views of Fistral as surfers continued to catch waves until dusk.
Our experience at Dune Restaurant was very positive as we savoured a delicious dinner complete with sundown views and wonderful service from our friendly waiter.
We shared the padron peppers and a bread board to start, followed by the chicken dish for my boyfriend and the roasted Monkfish for me.
The flavours of the smoked tomato lentil dahl, coriander yoghurt and carrot purée to accompany the Monkfish were divine, and the fennel bhaji added a lovely crunch to the dish.
A post dinner walk back along the beach at dusk with those pastel peachy pink skies, was the most beautiful way to end our evening.
So that was our very short but sweet stay in Newquay this weekend and although we are not usually ones for a UK staycation, the weather in particular made it almost feel like we were abroad.
Dani Aneka 