This month so many things happened. We’ve started the month by visiting in and around Liverpool and it ended up with me moving to London, which we knew, of course, but it is still a huge change. On top of that, we’ve celebrated Festus’ 12th birthday, something we never imagined possible for his breed and gender. I am going to talk a bit more about each thing before making a short round-up of the books I read this month. Have a look at the links I’ve included if you are curious.
We saw some pretty lovely sites for Heritage Open Days and a tour of the Liver building in Liverpool, which is pretty amazing. I would highly recommend the Liver building, the guided tour is so good and worth doing. While there are special events for Heritage Open Days, all those places can be visited on their own.
Festus turned 12!! I shared 12 things about him, such as the fact that he is ambidextrous and that he slept in a museum (as in overnight). He loves pizza, so he had one for his birthday and this is another one. Both pizzas are vegan because we eat vegan, he loved it nonetheless.
I moved to London to start my studies at King’s. This is the library and it is wonderful to be back studying in a library, with other students around. I’ve been to seminars too and loved it.
This is my small studio flat in London. It’s a serviced apartment. This means that there are a few conveniences, such as having someone on site to sign for any parcels and deliver to the door, very good security, a maintenance team to fix any problems, laundry room, reception, all bills are included with the exception of council tax. Cleaning is for an additional fee and it can be booked as needed.
I am very happy with the studio so far. It’s smaller than I wanted, but it was the only one available at the end of September, the bigger ones were available from mid-October, so unsuitable. I will commute to Liverpool anyway, so it’s not a problem.
I’ve added a London tube map and a map of KCL’s buildings on the walls, which serve as decor but also are useful. I got a nice rug too, and it has a more homely feel.
1. Makdous. 2. Cheesecake. 3. Festus hates peas. 4. Delicious lunch at Wild Root. 5. F1 race with the celebratory Prosecco as Max won. 6. Long walk. 7. Reading in the garden. 8. Breakfast at a lovely old library which was newly restored. 9. Royal Liver Building, a tour. 10. Shopping at Cheshire Oaks. 11. Tour of Port Sunlight on Heritage Open Days. 12. Leigh Mill. 13. A very long Festus. 14. Flowers are in bloom again and the bees are very happy. 15. Pizza for lunch at Purreza, Manchester, on our day off. 16. My garden. 17. Stunning sky. 18. Two hair dryers to dry off Festus. 19. We visited a home with lots of guinea pigs. I didn’t take pictures, but I used an old one to mark the occasion. I am in love with guinea pigs after the visit. 20. Celebrations. 21. Festus’ 12th birthday. 22. Library day. 23. Fresher’s fair. 24. Festus loves pizza. 25. LABL Port Sunlight. 26. View from the hotel room. 27. 1st day at university. 28. My studio in London. 29. Went to the library. 30. Books in September.
I finished 8 books in September and the ones that I would highly recommend are Noise and Weapons of Math Destruction. While I enjoyed the other non-fiction and almost all of the fiction ones, those are on quite specific themes. Noise was fascinating to read, about the noise involved in making decisions and the difference between noise and bias. Weapons of Math Destruction is about things that affect our everyday lives, the algorithms who decide if a credit should be given or not or if the CV should pass the automated screening and thus being seen by a human or not. I think both books worth spending time reading them.
Books I read in September:
Papillon by Henri Charrière – 5 stars
The Spanish Civil War at Sea by Michael Alpert – 5 stars
Noise by Daniel Kahneman, Olivier Sibony, Cass R. Sunstein – 4.5 stars
The Inheritor’s Powder by Sandra Hempel – 4 stars
Reclaimed by Her Rebel Knight by Jenni Fletcher – 3 stars
Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O’Neil – 4.5 stars
Mystique by Amanda Quick – 5 stars
That was quite a month. I look forward to seeing more of your London life. The studio looks like it was a good find. Good luck at Kings.
Good luck with your studying. Happy birthday to Festus and I’m glad he had a special pizza treat! #project365
Happy 12th birthday to Festus. We visited Liverpool a couple of years ago but didn’t do the Liver building – wish we had now. Good luck with your studies
Happy 12th birthday to Festus, what a gorgeous dog he is. Good luck with your studies. That is a tiny studio, but it looks nice and cosy and I’m glad you’re happy there. Weapons of Math Destruction sounds very interesting – another one I might have to add to my ‘to-read’ list. #project365
How exciting to be studying again, I did love my time at university. The studio looks lovely and new and as you say its only really a bolt hole. I have not really explored Liverpool but would like to one day so will keep that in mind. I would love to live in London so much to see and do too.
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Aww happy birthday to Festus! So adorable,
Hope you have settled well in London and the studies go well
The math destruction book sounds interesting, I might have to look it up. Sounds like the London move and Kings start has been a good one. Hope the course goes well
What is the specific course and qualification you are doing? It sounds exciting? Are you doing it full time? What was your reason for choosing Kings? Sorry for all the questions but I’m always interested in people’s course choices. Will you be home at the weekend? I only ask otherwise I’d invite you to my concert in Notting hill next weekend if you wanted!
Thank you for the offer Kezzie, it’s lovely. I will email you tomorrow. xx
What an exciting month for you. I hope you are happy in your new home. Your little flat looks so cosy.
Fab photos! x
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Hope you settle in well into London, it looks quite small but like you said if you’re going to commute to Liverpool, time will pass quickly
Anca – thanks for your recent visit to my blog! Congrats on moving to London and your new studies! I have often been tempted to go back to college, just for fun. I love learning! My husband is from the Northeast of the UK, and we are making a trip there in late October to visit his parents. It has been two years since we visited, due to the pandemic, and we are so excited!
I see Festus loves his pizza. Our dogs enjoyed pizza too, I’ve never met a dog who didn’t like pizza. I read Papillon back in the 70s and just found it in a charity shop so I got it to read again. Have you read Banco, it is the follow up to Papillon? It’s a good read too. Have a wonderful weekend and I hope you enjoy your new place in London.
Exciting times! The studio apartment is very small, but if you say the location is great, and the services are included, then that’s a big bonus. Wishing you all the best in your new course! The library looks fabulous.
Happy belated birthday to Festus, he looks so dignified and noble.
You read a great variety of books.
The location is great, close to many transport links (tube – zone 2). I would have spent more on a bigger flat, but none were available when I needed and these are rented in a couple of days or so. This one was not even on the market, but was offered to me as an alternative to another one I asked about, and the previous tenant was still there when I signed the contract and paid.
I love the Liver building will have to time a trip with heritage week as I didn’t realise you could do a tour.
Good luck with your uni course, I think you will find a big difference between living in Liverpool and living in London!
The studio apartment looks nice and it’s great there is someone to pick one’s mail. I know that accommodation is very hard to find in England, so it’s good you have found this studio apartment even if it is smaller than you imagined.
I am happy with the size, as I’m staying on my own. The location is really good and that’s important, a few minutes from the tube and in zone 2 (out of 9 in total for London, about up to zone 4 or 5 is considered ok for commuting daily). It’s hard to find a place in London, that’s so true.
Festus is so adorable eating his pizza. It would be hard to guess his age by photo alone. He has a youthful face. Great reading recommendations. Weapons of Math Destruction sounds like a fascinating read.
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He looks younger indeed. He only started to go grey a couple of years ago. I think you would enjoy Weapons of Math Destruction considering the kind of books you read, insightful and on the heavy side.
It was another productive month for you. I love the photos of Festus with his pizza.
I know you’re excited about beginning your studies in London!
It’s exciting indeed. I had all my seminars for the first week and I like all the tutors, which is great. Now I have to sort out books and so on and to start reading properly.