Christmas is here and with it nearly every bar and restaurant have some kind of festive menu edition and at Oh You Pretty Things in the Metrocentre, Gateshead, that's exactly what they're doing with their special menu of delicious and carefully crafted cocktails introduced just for this festive period.

I was invited down to sample the festive tipples with my best friend and female partner in crime Harriet, to be honest it was just a great excuse for a girly catch up, both of lives have been exceedingly busy of late so it was nice to have some time where it was just us, let me tell you, when Harriet and I get together it's always hilarious, she's another one who's as whimsical as I am and we two, we have the best adventures, our Barcelona trip is one of the highlights of my year!

Back to those Christmas cocktails, so we willingly tried each one, just small sips but enough to confirm that yes, each one had the festive taste of Christmas, I'm not sure what many would make of a cocktail which uses blended bourbon biscuits as an ingredient and it does add an unusual texture to the Kentucky Kissmas but I personally welcome the chance to drink the odd biscuit at Christmas, who doesn't?

Our cocktail tasting was like a trip through Christmas Land and I even commented that the taste of the spiced apple was actually like licking the inside of the Witches house in Hansel and Gretel, what do you mean I can't know that?!  Trust me on this, I know what I'm talking about!

I'm stuck between choosing my favourite, I adored the Winter spice snow because I love creamy cocktails and the fact that the rim of the glass is covered in hundreds and thousands just continues to add to my Christmas pleasure, I may even have to go back and try me a whole one of these, I'd imagine if you are struggling with your last minute Christmas shopping then one of these is just going to change your mindset completely and you'll spend the rest of the trip skipping and hopping through the Metrocentre without a care in the world.

I also loved the Vanilla and Apple Martini, that's my kind of drink, not too many flavours and only the best type of ingredients, if I happen to be passing during Twixtmas you can be sure that's the one I'll be drinking whilst perched upon their pretty bar stools.

if you're not a cocktail fan don't worry, their normal menu is still available and they have one or two treats up their sleeves for the drivers and non-drinkers too!

Thanks to Oh You Pretty Things for inviting Harriet and I down for a festive afternoon tea, and some samples of delicious drinkies in exchange for writing an honest article.

Happy Christmas and Bottoms Up!

Mod Pizza at the Gateshead Metrocentre is Open!

I love a restaurant opening, mostly because I love food and I love the North East so the arrival of Mod Pizza in the Metrocentre was a very exciting affair  and I always love being invited down to be one of the first to sample the tasty treats.  Now I wouldn't call myself a massive pizza fan in fact I rarely eat it but if I'm going to then it has to be the thinnest crust ever and that's what you get at Mod Pizza, crispy, tasty hand stretched Italian thin crust and you know the best bit?  You can have whatever toppings you want and I mean whatever toppings.  The only fixed thing you have is a base (obviously, or where would you put all of the fillings?) and then everything else is yours for the choosing.

So, if you don't want a sauce on your base then don't have one, if you are a purist like me try something like feta, rocket, mushrooms and mozzarella, totally scrumptious and I managed an 11 inch pizza without any problem at all, they do a mini one which has a smaller base but hey, lets not talk tiny pizza, just get the 11 inch or if you are feeling particularly hungry they do a belly busting stacked pizza which has not one but two 11 inch bases on top of one another, can you imagine how many toppings you could get on there?

Whilst I was there I noted that there were two types of pizza eater, ones who like me went for staple favourites, the purists as I like to call them and then the ones who decided to just have every topping known to man on one pizza and that's fine, if that's your thing, go ahead, Mod Pizza certainly won't mind!!

You know what I really love, though, you can take your pizza away or  you can sit in and it's good food, they do salads as sides not chips, yes I know, something of a culture shock for some Geordies but really, who needs chips with a huge pizza, not me certainly, I don't even think I could have eaten a salad on the side if I'd tried!

To sum up I would say that Mod Pizza's arrival in the North is not only welcome but something to be celebrated, my next challenge is to go again with fussy Looby who normally doesn't like Pizza and Veggie Abigail, I know they cater for both vegetarians and vegans and I would love to see them turn Looby's head towards good pizza just as they did mine.

One thing, though, when I next go, even though I could choose from the myriad of tasty toppings you can bet that I'll be having feta, rocket and mushrooms, I just don't do pizzas with meat on them!

I want to say thanks to Mod Pizza for inviting me down, stuffing me with Pizza and generally being lovely amidst the buzz and hullabaloo of a new restaurant opening in exchange for me writing this small article.

I will be back Mod Pizza and next time, I am bringing my teenagers, be scared, be very scared!

Family portrait photography in Newcastle by Mandy Charlton

Yes dear reader it's that time of year again when people all over Newcastle and the north east of England are looking to book photographers for family and kids photo shoots at wonderful autumnal outdoor locations like Saltwell Park, Tynemouth Longsands, Jesmond Dene and also Wharton Park in Durham is also a popular choice so I hope you'll forgive me dear reader if I just take a days break from telling you the minutiae of my life and instead simply share some of the photographs I've shot over the last week or so.

It really is my favourite time and my busiest time of year, there's just something special about photographs taken during autumn, they seem to be the ones we have on our walls all year, maybe it's because they're so colourful and pretty and the kids all seem to be having such fun.

If you would like to book me for a photo shoot to capture your family or kids please get in touch, here's the type of photo shoots you can partake in - 

Weekday photo shoot in Jesmond Dene, these are currently only £25 and include a web gallery for 30 days and 15% off for the first week, they take around 30/45 minutes.

Weekend photo shoots at a location of your choice start at £40 depending on location and how much time I need to take out of my diary, suitable for any number so great for larger family portraits.  you get a web gallery for 30 days and 15% off for the first week and your favourite image as a 12x8 print.

Mini sessions on Sunday 23rd November at Jesmond Dene - £25 and you get a web gallery for 30 days, 15% off for the first week your gallery is live and your favourite image as a 7x5 print and photo shoots are limited to a 30 min maximum.  There are just 2 time slots still available and they are 10.30 and 11am.

If you would like to book all you need to do is click through to my website, my facebook page or you can email me

and to whet your appetite, here's some I've shot over the last week or so...

So there you go, small family, large family, bring your pets or just have a photograph with the one you love but do get out there and create some memories today which will last forever!