Good stuff

Its been a poor effort recently, three months without a post. To break my longest drought to date, here's a mixed bag of good stuff that I've come across lately... while i finalise a future rant about coffee chains.

1. The rise and rise of Hailo - a genuinely useful app and i don't even live in London anymore. The app that lets you hail that elusive black cab from the other side of town and track it all the way to your curbside seems to be everywhere. It saves the cabbie driving around looking for fares too - the kind of win-win that's likely to make it a huge success, and means they can offer trial driving promotions like this...

2. All year round decoration - Liberation day in Guernsey marks the end of the German occupation in the second world war, you can find out more about that here and maybe even plan a trip for next time round (9th May). Houses all over the island are decorated with bunting. That's been partly responsible for a new obsession i have over the stuff - if you want to get in on the bunting action you could do a lot worse than starting with a Dutch offering here.

3. Local craft classes - It's not just bunting, here's the latest edition to my the kitchen from Iris & Dora Designs they don't just sell you locally inspired homewares, they'll teach you how to make it too.

4. 'Destination' train stations - I travelled through Kings Cross last week for the first time since its redevelopment. A beautiful mix of old and new in the mould of St Pancras next door. If only we'd mastered the flying lark a little earlier... that way Gatwick South Terminal would have been built by the Victorians and it might have been next in line for a face lift.

5. 'Magic' mints - Good to see Peppersmith getting some High St distribution for their mints. They contain xylitol which makes them good for your teeth... well, for the few real ones I have left.