This Week I……

Well, this week has been kind of busy and eventful as it happens, involving 4 train journeys (2 of which actually got me to where I was going on time and without drama) and a visit to the Pin Up Pop Up Shop (Which is on Dray Walk off Brick Lane till Tuesday, I recommend it!)

It’s also been super hot and muggy, not my favourite weather, which means I haven’t been sleeping too well and have a perpetual slightly grumpy air that I am attempting to fight off by doing nice things and imagining that I am radiating happiness, even if I’m not. Probably soon we’ll get one of those dramatic Summer thunderstorms and return to normal UK Summer weather of, er, rain.

Anyway, what DID I do this week?

This week I….

Lost Some Money

Well. Probably. It’s a little early to say yet. For 3 years I’ve been using a company called Passionfruit Ads to manage my sidebar ads. It allows people to see the impressions and clicks their ads are getting and change their own ads if they want to try a new one to see if it performs better. I pay them $50 a year, they manage the ad servers, take the money, and then payout to me a week later, taking a small cut. Last week I noticed a payout had been missed, and then found lots and lots of people on Twitter talking about how they were also still waiting for payments and no one had contacted them and rumours they had filed for bankruptcy. I emailed them, and have had no reply.

I’m sad and disappointed that a company would do this. Passionfruit deals mainly with bloggers, so it’s a lot of small businesses struggling to make a living that they’re stealing from by continuing to take money if they can’t, or don’t intend, to pay it out. I’m self employed and could really do with the money from the ads, but at present I really doubt I’m going to get it. Obviously I’ve cancelled my subscription, but I write this as a warning in case anyone else is using them either to buy or sell ads.

Anyway, onto more cheerful things!

Had a Fascinating Afternoon

On Wednesday I was invited to an event with the Women’s Tennis Association at Kensington Roof Gardens. Along with some journalists I we were treated to a taste of the canapes and wines to be served at the annual WTA pre Wimbledon party, and then talked through the separate menu presented to the Tennis players at the event, who are obviously watching their nutrition prior to the tournament.

It was delicious, the Roof Gardens were gorgeous, I discovered Tennis players take their sports nutrition far more seriously than I do (must drink less wine) and I left feeling all cheerful and inspired with a goodie bag containing more wine (doh!)

Had a Grumpy Evening

Yeah, so that cheerful and inspired feeling started to wear off when my train home was cancelled, while I was sitting on it. Magically the 8pm train turned into the 8:30pm train and magically fitted 2 train loads of people on it in comfort (It didn’t, people had to sit on the floors, not me, I had a seat and I stayed attached to it like my life depended on it)

Then it was delayed even more on the way home so I didn’t get back till gone 11pm. I was tired and grumpy.

I think it’s my punishment for breezily telling people how easy it is to get into London from Norwich.

Went Out for Dinner and a Cocktail

It seems such a waste of beautiful sunny evenings to stay in doors, so in an attempt to remove the grumps we went out for an early dinner and Cocktails on Thursday. It worked, at least temporarily. We went to Revolucion de Cuba, I like Revolucion de Cuba, it makes me feel like I’m on holiday.

Had a Train Catch Fire

I know, Abellio Greater Anglia not excelling themselves this week.

On Friday afternoon I was heading back to London again when 20 minutes out the train ground to a halt.

Smoke billowed down the outside of the window and the carriage slowly started to get hazy with it and fill up with an acrid smell like a burning clutch. People were coughing and spluttering.

An announcement asked all the First Class passengers to move into Standard class, presumably because they were at the front of the train closer to the fire.

After a while the smoke started to clear a little and another announcement told us that this train would now terminate at Stratford due to a “Technical Fault”, at which all the people in my carriage shared looks with slightly raised eyebrows. Being on fire is not really a “technical fault”.

We limped into Stratford and all filed off to get a new train. Good work Greater Anglia. Good work.

Visited the Pin Up Pop Up Shop

I was invited down to the opening party night of this event by Ronke from Love Ur Look who I’ve worked with a few times.

Along with some other brands, including Silly Old Sea Dog and Lady K Loves she has organised an amazing Pop Up that fans of novelty prints definitely should not miss!

The Pin Up Pop Up is on till Tuesday on Drays Walk off Brick Lane and is well worth a visit if you’re in the area.

I still wish I’d bought this hat.

Had a Lovely Train Journey

I’m including this one just for balance. My return home on Friday was pleasantly uneventful. I’d booked a cheap first class ticket and the woman at the buffet car was friendly and helpful. I arrived home calm and relaxed.

Hurrah!

Anyway, now you know all about my week. I hope yours was wonderful and involved less train fires!