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Tag:

London

    AdviceTravel

    Where to See Wisteria in London

    by Brenna Holeman March 25, 2018
    written by Brenna Holeman
    March 25, 2018
    17 comments
    1 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
  • LifestyleStories

    Why I Marched: Thoughts on the London Women’s March

    by Brenna Holeman January 23, 2017
    by Brenna Holeman January 23, 2017

    On Saturday, January 21st, I walked over 10,000 steps with approximately 100,000 people in London – millions of people when you include the entire world. Together, we marched for women’s rights (for all women’s rights), for LGBTQIA rights, for worker’s rights, for immigrant rights, for disability rights, for reproductive rights, for civil rights, for environmental justice, and for ending violence.

    It was a cold but beautiful day, the sun coming out to cast light on our route. I showed up alone, but from the moment I stepped out of Oxford Circus tube station – Bond Street was already overcrowded and closed – I felt a sense of unity, of solidarity. Thousands of us walked down Oxford Street towards the American Embassy, but the streets were already so crowded that we were soon brought to a halt. We didn’t start marching for at least an hour or so, but it didn’t matter; we were all talking to one another, cheering, singing, and making new friends. I saw people of all ages, of all backgrounds, of all walks of life.

    Here’s why I decided to march.

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  • LifestyleStories

    Why I’m Staying in London

    by Brenna Holeman January 20, 2017
    by Brenna Holeman January 20, 2017

    I have a lot of memories of London from before I lived here. In one, I’m wearing Spice Girl shoes, you know, those platform trainers that all of us wore in 1997. I had bought them on Oxford Street, at Miss Selfridges, my new favourite store. It was my second time in England; my very first visit, in fact my first visit to another continent, was to London and Windsor for a Christmas holiday with my family only six months before. My sister and I had gone to see Spice World in Convent Garden that holiday, and let me tell you – the Spice Girls were a big deal in London at the time. Anyway, in this memory, I’m on the tube, wearing my Spice Girls shoes, being very thirteen, when I stepped on a woman’s foot.

    “Watch it!” she hissed at me, and I remember thinking she was extra scary because she had a British accent.

    “I really don’t want to live in London,” I remember thinking. But oh, what a decade or two can change…

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  • Travel

    Best of London: Silent Disco at the Shard

    by Brenna Holeman December 11, 2016
    written by Brenna Holeman
    December 11, 2016
    16 comments
    1 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
  • Travel

    Best of London: London’s Rooftop Cinemas

    by Brenna Holeman August 24, 2016
    by Brenna Holeman August 24, 2016

    It’s been a while since I’ve done a “Best of London” post – in fact, looking back through this blog’s archives, I rarely write about things to do in London, despite having lived here for three years now. That’s a bit odd, considering I feel like I’m always doing cool stuff in the city; anyone who has been to London knows there is seemingly no shortage of museums, markets, neighbourhoods, restaurants, and bars to sample.

    Last night, however, I did something new and wanted to share it: I went to my first rooftop cinema in London.

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  • Travel

    The Albany: An Alternative to London’s West End

    by Brenna Holeman October 5, 2015
    by Brenna Holeman October 5, 2015

    Part of the struggle of finding shows to go to in London is the cost. In March I went to see the brilliant The Ruling Class with James McAvoy, but that set me back £60 for a matinee ticket. I tried to go see Photograph 51 with Nicole Kidman, but ultimately decided I’d rather by a Eurostar ticket to Paris with the money it would have cost me. And yes, I know – you shouldn’t put a price on art, it would be worth every pound, and what have you – but I simply can’t afford to drop that kind of money all the time when I’m constantly saving to travel, and, you know, living in one of the most expensive cities in the world. But just because you can’t afford to see a show in London’s West End, doesn’t mean you can’t get involved in the theatre scene in London. There are plenty of venues, playhouses, and festivals that promote affordable theatre. My new favourite? The Albany in South East London.

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  • Lifestyle

    Two Years in London… and an announcement

    by Brenna Holeman September 24, 2015
    written by Brenna Holeman
    September 24, 2015
    61 comments
    1 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
  • AdviceTravel

    The Best Instagram Accounts of London

    by Brenna Holeman September 13, 2015
    by Brenna Holeman September 13, 2015

    It’s no secret that I am pretty obsessed with London. I absolutely love living here, and I am constantly overwhelmed by the sheer amount of things to do and see in the city. Despite living in London for two years, I feel as though I’ve barely scratched the surface, and that I’m only just beginning to discover what the city really has to offer.

    On top of that, London is a photographer’s dream.

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  • AdviceOpinionsTravel

    How to Look Like a Tourist in London

    by Brenna Holeman August 12, 2015
    by Brenna Holeman August 12, 2015

    Were you wondering how to look like a tourist while in London? Never fear, I have created a guide for you so that you can figure out exactly how to act when you visit the Big Smoke.*

    1. Walk very, very slowly on the sidewalk, er, pavement. Londoners are never in any rush, especially around Liverpool Street, Bank, The Strand, or any other financial district. Bonus points if your group takes up the entire pavement, making it impossible to pass you without stepping into the busy street.

    2. Speak very loudly on the subway, er, tube. Why do Londoners all speak in a whisper on the tube?! So weird. Also, making conversation with the people next to you is welcomed and expected.

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  • FashionStoriesTravel

    A Night at the Museum: Savage Beauty at the V&A

    by Brenna Holeman August 3, 2015
    written by Brenna Holeman
    August 3, 2015
    11 comments
    3 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
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About Me

About Me

Hi, I'm Brenna

After travelling to more than 100 countries over the past 19 years, many of them solo, I write about travel a lot but I write about other things, too: break ups, buying way too much jewellery, and whisky, for example (none of those things are related, I swear). You’ll find a mix of advice, opinion pieces, and stories on this blog, but either way, I hope to make you want to read more. And up next? I'm now a single mom to a beautiful little boy, the biggest solo adventure I've ever been on. For more about me and what you'll find on This Battered Suitcase, click here.

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INSPIRATION

Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life." - Jack Kerouac

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AFFILIATE POLICY

Please note that some links on This Battered Suitcase are affiliates (at no extra cost to you); I only recommend products I use and love. This Battered Suitcase is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Currently in

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA

Last Stops: Phoenix, AZ & Vancouver, BC

Up Next:  Curacao

 

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This Battered Suitcase is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and links to Amazon.com. For the full disclosure/privacy policy, please click here.

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This Battered Suitcase
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