August for Ding

Anna Harding August 18, 2018

Everyone else may be on summer holidays, but over here August is turning out to be one of my busiest months of the year!

Winchester Jazz Festival is just over a month away (spoiler - it's going to be EPIC) and I am busy putting together marketing materials and selling tickets! This festival isn't solely for jazz lovers, there's definitely something for everyone in this line-up. Check out the website for full listings, but my top recommendations are reggae/jazz/soul saxophonist Yolanda Brown's 10 Years of Music, who will be performing in Winchester for the first time, and brass grooves from local band the Tuba Libres which will be a perfect way to close the weekend.

This month I'm also enjoying working with Hannah and Louisa (aka The Spitfire Sisters) putting together outfits for our upcoming photoshoot. I would love to tell you more...but i'll let the photos speak for themselves once we have them!

And then there's the big secret project that isn't that secret anymore (The Nutshell) which is beyond exciting! Anyone who grew up in Winchester will know how special The Antique Market is, and the incredible potential of the building. We are so thrilled that it will become a centre for the arts, and are working really hard to get it ready for public hire this October. I'm looking forward to sharing loads more about this very soon but in the meantime check out this news article from Winchester City Council!

Tea Party for One!

Anna Harding January 21, 2018

Because this is what January should be about.

December for The Spitfire Sisters is manic. It's our busiest time of year for gigs and we bloody love it, but it can be exhausting. I know singing doesn't sound like the most strenuous of job descriptions but working antisocial hours, lugging gig kit around the country and constantly wearing uncomfortable shoes can really take it out of you. I'm pretty sure that by the second half of the month I'm running on Coffee and adrenaline but not much else. However, after a few years of practice I think I am beginning to master the art of CHILLING OUT whenever possible. This year I asked for xmas presents that would fascilitate ultimate chilling: a new teapot, milk jug and tray for tea in bed.

Today, this was topped off beautifully with a gift from Spitfire Hannah. I've always dreamed of a jungle home, one with plants on every surface and views into a tree canopy through huge glass windows. Life in central Winchester with no garden isn't conducive to this dream, so instead I'm spending my occasional lazy mornings choosing houseplants that will give me that green fingered feeling. This Happy Houseplants book from Hannah has been a lovely guide and it has also given me some tips for keeping my existing plants alive. I think my next plant purchase will be some kind of fern, but i'm on the look out for a hanging basket for it that I can somehow rig up inside. Suggestions welcome...!

Polesden Lacey

Anna Harding January 5, 2016

Gin, Gin, Gin!

Anna Harding April 26, 2015

It’s no great secret that I enjoy a gin & tonic (Hendricks, slimline Schweppes & a squeeze of lime) but it wasn’t until last Christmas that I started to take this fondness to the next level by getting experimental (or “fussy” so I’m told) with mixers and cocktail recipes. “What was the catalyst for this rather frivolous and entirely extravagant new hobby Anna?” I hear you ask. Well, it began with a rather splendid gift from my brother. Wrapped under the Christmas tree last year was a bottle of Twisted Nose Gin, a local tipple that is distilled just up the road from me in Winchester. I knew it would be nice, it was recently voted 17th in a poll of the nation’s favourite gin’s and received rave reviews at the Gin Guild Ginposium (YES, a place where gin professionals get together solely to discuss gin…!).

I’m going to put my neck on the line here as a gin novice and say that it’s got quite a distinctive peppery taste, which is very refreshing! This might have something to do with it’s watercress infusion (a speciality of the area, thus lending its name to our wonderful steam line – The Watercress Line) or a combination of nine other botanicals of which you can read about on the website. Of course Twisted Nose makes for a wonderful G&T, but I also wanted to share with you a beautifully bitter gin cocktail that I’m becoming rather fond of (potentially sacrilege? I’m new to this!).

Gin Bramble

Ingredients:

45ml gin
20ml lemon juice
15ml sugar syrup
20ml crème de mûre (Blackberry liquor is difficult to source – but you can also substitute this with Chambord)
Lots of ice
Blackberries or raspberries to garnish

Method:

MIX and enjoy!

N.B. I originally stumbled across this recipe on Honestly YUM, which is crammed full of good & drink related goodness!