Bramley's Cocktail Bar & Bistro

While the city of Canterbury may not have a brilliant selection of nightclubs (you'll have to jump on the train to London for that) it certainly has its fair share of independent bars and restaurants. From the ever popular Cherry Tree to the charming Marlowe's restaurant, there is always plenty of choice for somewhere to eat and drink.

Having been to most of what Canterbury has to offer socially wise, I was interested to visit an establishment I hadn't heard of before: Bramley's Cocktail Bar & Bistro.

Tucked away among the back streets of Canterbury, this place is easy to miss. Particularly as it's located next to a well-known bar, so your attention can be somewhat distracted. From the street, all there is to see is a small doorway. No loud, garish posters. No bouncers. No annoying lighting. But its simplicity is part of its intrigue.

On entering, the size of the bar comes as a pleasant surprise. Larger than you'd think, its layout gives a feeling of space. A corridor leads you down into a mysterious treasure trove, filled with nineteenth century adornment. Low lighting and a cushioned ceiling with sweeping curtains create a mellow and intimate mood, while a fascinating array of ornaments are an enchanting touch.

As soon as I arrived I couldn't stop myself from looking around. Bramley's is covered with antiques ranging from beautiful writing desks to Singer sewing machines, ornate candle holders, unusual lamps, plush velvet seating, quirky road signs; I could go on. It is an Aladdin's cave.

While there is a definite nineteenth century feel, many features point towards the 1920s. Enhanced by a wonderful grand piano, customers are treated to Jazz and Blues on Wednesday evenings. For those who don't wish to just sit and drink, a pool table and board games are provided, as well as a small smoking area at the back.

Though drink prices are not particularly kind to the student pocket, this is not your typical Wetherspoon's; there are 2-4-1 deals available on cocktails. That's another thing, which for me at least, adds to its appeal: you won't find any pretension or disorderly drunkenness in here. Instead, the atmosphere is one of simply style and enjoyment.

Friendly staff also ensure you feel welcomed into what feels like a secret that not many have been let in on.
Bramley's is a decadent and rare bar which harks back to a different era, allowing you to forget about the worries and stresses of real life, it transports you into an unusual world. Open six days a week, it's definitely worth a look.

Bramley's Bar

15 Orange Street,
Canterbury

01227 379933

Open Mon - Thurs: Noon to 11.00pm
Fri & Sat: Noon to Midnight

Dublin; that fair city.

I'm sure everyone noticed last Saturday was Ireland's national holiday, St. Patrick's Day. How could you not? The Irish don't tend to be quiet when it comes to celebrations.

Every year it's full of merriment with Irish music, dancing, plenty of Guinness and of course a sea of shamrocks and greenery. While it may bring the Irish weather with it, I've always enjoyed St. Patrick's Day. Perhaps that's due to my Irish heritage but even if I wasn't Irish, I think I'd still enjoy 'the craic'.

The emerald isle itself is very warm and welcoming with its capital, Dublin, voted the friendliest city in Europe. Due to my extensive Irish family, I've been to Dublin more times than I can count and I don't think I'll ever tire of it. While it may be a fairly small city, it is perpetually growing, with new places to constantly discover.

When thinking of where to begin with a visit to Dublin, there are the typical tourist hot spots to see:

• Trinity College
• Temple Bar
• The Guinness Storehouse
• Grafton Street
• Dublin Zoo
• Dublin Castle
• Kilmainham Gaol

and so on...

Not to say that these aren't well worth visiting, they definitely are. The Guinness Storehouse's Gravity Bar boasts incredible panoramic views overlooking the whole of Dublin, while seeing The Book of Kells in Trinity College is a must for any Dublin trip.

But, there are always those other sights which give you that closer insight into the real Dublin world.

Take St. Stephen's Green: the city's beautiful park. Aside a huge shopping centre and the main shopping street, Grafton Street, it is in the centre of town and indeed a lovely place to relax if the Sun comes out. However, due to its close proximity to the shopping areas, not to mention Trinity College, it can become a hotbed for tourists. Why not, instead, try The Iveagh Gardens. Only a short walk away from the commotion of Stephen's Green, the lesser known Iveagh Gardens offers a tranquil feel with its lush fountain, rosarium and maze. You won't find many tourists here either, but more of Dublin's working lunch crowd.

Other open spaces to check out include the vast Phoenix Park and the stunning Dublin Mountains.

For those interested in culture, go along to the National Gallery of Ireland, it's free and holds more than 15,000 works. Or, if interested in theatre, Dublin has plenty to offer, including The Abbey, The Gate and The Gaiety where you can often find many a wonderful production put on stage.

Another cultural gem is the Dublin Writers Museum on Parnell Square. There is a huge amount to see, housing collections of Irish literary figures from the last 300 years, from Joyce to Wilde to Stoker. Not to mention the house, a restored Georgian mansion, is an attraction in itself.

Although Temple Bar is on all the typical travel guides' hit lists, there's more to it than just drinking in a few pubs. Whether for shopping, drinking, or eating there is always something to discover, as well as various regular cultural events taking place across the 'Cultural Quarter'. For more information on Temple Bar, have a look at: http://www.templebar.ie

While you can find a good Irish dinner at many of the local Dublin pubs, the seafood in Howth is definitely worth a try, in particular Aqua, which provides beautiful sea views. Howth, a scenic fishing and yachting Dublin suburb, is an enjoyable afternoon visit for a little respite from the city. 

Wherever you go in Dublin, you're bound to have a good time. Its small size allows it to be manageable, yet it still encompasses a wide variety of attractions. Along with the wonderful Irish spirit, Dublin makes a great choice for a city break.

International Women's Day: Just for the Day?

Last week saw the anniversary of International Women's Day, held on March 8th across the globe. The day celebrates our wonderful gender, all those inspirational women who have done so much. It is a day for women, from all around to world, to connect and congratulate each other on our magnificent merits.

It is one day. On one day we honour and praise each other.
The rest of the year? We go back to good old female competition then?

From the very early stages of womanhood, young girls are programmed to treat other girls with a competitive streak. You can even see it in Cinderella, where the 'ugly' stepsisters are brought up to compete with Cinderella, or in Disney's The Little Mermaid, where the two female characters are compared and appear to hate each other.

By setting up this stereotype from a very early age, while girls do of course go out into the world and make friends, those somewhat spiteful undertones are undeniably present in the female Western culture. Not only is it noticeable in children's films, but also in other parts of the entertainment industry: from songs, to books, to television programmes, the theme arises in them all. It is certainly not a modern-day issue either as one can note the tension between Elizabeth Bennet and Caroline Bingley in Jane Austen's nineteenth century novel, Pride and Prejudice.

 

While it may be portrayed through nasty comments about appearance or social status, a huge factor of female competition seems to be due to the desire for male attention. In recent years there have been a large number of songs released by female pop artists centring upon belittling other girls in order to seem more attractive to a man. Take Avril Lavigne's 2007 song Girlfriend.

We are presented with a girl bullying another, with the result of stealing her boyfriend. The song features lines such as:
"She’s like so whatever/You could do so much better" and "She’s so stupid/What the hell were you thinking?!" 
Is this what girls are really meant to be thinking? How can I sabotage one girl's relationship in order for me to be happier? On release, the song was a success, reaching number 5 in the American charts. So are we not to blame the writers and artists? Are they merely giving us what we want?

Sadly, this may be the case. This strong sense of competition girls feel towards each other, whether in the workplace, in relation to romance, or appearance wise, is a consequence of our own insecurities. In the society we live in there is such a pressure on being the best: the prettiest, the smartest, the richest. We are constantly being told how we should look, how we should live, what we should be spending our money on.

No wonder we feel the need to point out someone else's flaws.

So, perhaps we should not blame each other for our bitchy ways, but blame the competitive nature of our society. Imagine not worrying about how others view you; life is a whole lot easier. Instead of trying to be the better version of everyone else, be yourself.

Take note from Oscar Wilde, he knew what he was talking about.

Home vs. University

As a final year undergraduate, I've learnt the pros and cons of living out at University.

Being a fresher it was all about THE FREEDOM! Not living with the parents!? Had the dream finally arrived??? It was very exciting at the time. Our lives had all of a sudden taken a complete turn and from out of no-where we were the ones making the decisions. No-one to answer to. No-one to have to listen to. Doing whatever we wanted. And in place of our biological families, we created our own University, social families. Our housemates, neighbours, coursemates - even randoms we met on the street - all became our brand new family. That family (though we didn't realise at the time) we still needed so much.

I'd say it took me about a month to think about coming back home. It took me a year to realise how much I had actually missed it.

By the time I was in second year I knew what I was doing. Well, at least I thought I did.
First year had been a non-stop whirl of excitement and exhilaration, but I had still learnt a lot. Academically, yes (that's right, even first years do have to do some work), but also socially and emotionally. I realised that in order to achieve that happy medium of getting the most out of Uni life without wanting to tear my hair out seven weeks into term, I needed my home time. And I swear to God, those outbursts do happen. I've seen it from the very early stages of twitches in someone's eye when they see a kitchen covered in dirty washing, to the full blown explosive cry for rescue.

I don't want to paint a picture of students sitting around in their own mess depressed because they're too lazy to reach for the hoover, but there are some home comforts that University living just can't replace.

I'm home for the weekend at the moment and even now, I still notice things I miss.
Home-cooked meals, a dishwasher, actually being warm, the lack of alcohol litter, the lack of mould, the lack of maggots (wow it gets worse as I go along doesn't it), my cat, a bedroom I have space to dance in, a comfortable mattress which doesn't incur back spasms...

Saying that, twenty-four hours after I'd arrived, I could already see signs of potential bickering with the parents. There is that very distinct, strangely unfamiliar and inevitably sad feeling that, in some way, this home is perhaps not your home anymore. That's not to say my home in London doesn't still feel homely. I know it will always be a home - I've lived there all my life - but it does more feel like the parents' house now.

I remember the first time I came back when I had just started Uni, I didn't know what to do with myself and while that feeling has lessened over time, there is still that notion that this house belongs to my parents, not me. Perhaps it's because I've learnt what it's like to have to pay rent and bills, that sense of responsibility, of ownership. For some people that might be a complete turn off, but  for me, it's actually been a surge of motivation to have a place of my own sooner rather than later.

Living out at University, while it does bring with it all the stereotypical student traits, is an amazing way to learn so much about, well, living. Life. You realise what it's like to have to stand on your own two feet. To do things for yourself - and work out how to fix it when you haven't taken the right choice.

I was always adamant that I was going to move out when I was eighteen for University.
I did it, I recommend it a thousand times over and I'll never look back.

Just make sure you pop home every month or two so you don't forget what it's like to live with central heating.