Is This Mutton?

Friday, 29 August 2025

August in Review {2025}

Is This Mutton dines out at Gina, an exciting new restaurant in Chingford

Dear friends. An enjoyable month with mostly good weather and some quintessentially summer activities: a picnic and a BBQ. There was plenty of walks and cycling, restaurants and a beauty influencer event. There was a goodbye to one method of transport, and hello to another. See how I spent August.

Friday Aug 1

Overcast, showers. Did weights and Pilates at the gym. Had dinner at a new local restaurant, Gina. It opened a few weeks ago but we had to wait for a reservation. Very good! Place was full, service was excellent, and food faultless! Above: pork platter, Gina's famous chocolate cake with cream and ice cream, and rice pudding.

Saturday Aug 2

My new ebike's battery is ready for shipping, although I may not get it until Aug 22. A bit disappointing. The eike arrived 3 weeks ago and Im not able to ride it until the batterycomes. Cloudy. Did forest walk with John. Regrettably trod in dog's dirt. Neighbour gave me flowers and a bottle of wine for giving my (analogue) bike to her daughter.

Sunday Aug 3

Very positive Gina restaurant review in the Sunday Times! Had blackberries with yogurt for breakfast, foraged from waste ground near the house. Did an early bike ride with J to Lee Valley Whitewater Centre. Kayakers were out. Roast chicken. Couldn't resist buying a new faux fur coat in yellow at 50% off. (Sent it back as it didn't have any fastenings and was very oversized, making me look like Big Bird).

Monday August 4

Cloudy. Used pyrolytic oven clean function for 1st time. Had to take out and clean the shelves. Have a list of things I want to achieve this week, so oven is a tick.

A year ago today we started the 3 week, 1100 mile (1770km) bike ride from Land's End to John O'Groats. A fantastic experience. Here we are at the starting point.

Tuesday Aug 5

Sunny start. Did bike ride, Lee Valley, 23 miles. Approved for new Ian McEwan book, What We Know, after 2 week wait. Raced through my current book so I could start reading it.

Battery for bike finally shipped today. Should arrive on Friday.

Wednesday Aug 6

Lovely day 23. Did forest walk, 6 miles. Saw the cygnets at Connaught Water. They're quite big now. Spent afternoon weeding back garden and trying to get rid of violets which are everywhere.

Thursday Aug 7

Cloudy, muggy. Went to gym but had no energy. I don't sleep well when it's too hot. Went on 2 machines, none other available. Thought I would use free weights instead but the ones I use weren't there. Ho hum. Only managed 5 mins on elliptical. Totally spent. Drank protein drink and went home!

Friday Aug 8

Had been going to a Meetup but didn't get a time slot, just "all day" for ebike battery delivery. Didn't think it fair to make J stay in all day so cancelled the Meet Up. A wasted day, as the delivery never came.

Saturday Aug 9

Bike ride. Booked a stay in the Lakes next month. We'll be taking our ebikes and have several wonderful rides planned.

Sunday Aug 10

Had lunch at the local pub, the King's Head. I love seeing my oven clean, so I'm not happy about cooking a roast! J has been cleaning the car to prepare it for auction. The leasing term is nearly up. I'll be sorry to see it go. As you can see, it's a beaut, particularly for an electric car.

Monday 11 August

Start of another heatwave. We did a 30 mile ride, leaving earlier. Complained to Canyon and UPS again as no update on shipping of battery. Below, on my old ebike enjoying the Lee Valley Country Park.

Tuesday 12 August

Email from UPS, the parcel is considered lost and I need to send a claim form. Grrr. This process takes 10 biz days. Plus maybe another 3 weeks for a new battery. Not happy. We did a forest walk in shade, 5 miles. V hot today.

Weds Aug 13

Forecast was for continuous sunshine and high temps but it rained in the afternoon (I was at South Woodford). We did shortish 20 bike, 20 miles. Submitted claim to UPS but it pinged back saying I had to ring them. Turns out Canyon are supposed to make the claim. You couldn't make it up. Emailed Canyon again.

Invited to a L'Oréal Paris event next week. How exciting!

Thursday Aug 14

Cloudy am. Went to gym. Free weights area unavailable but gym wasn't too busy so went on 3 machines and the Pilates. Got email in evening to say battery is being delivered tomorrow.

Friday Aug 15

Hot and sunny. Battery arrived at 2pm. Very difficult to get battery to clip in. Was having to contemplate riding bike to Leyton to a dealer, without the battery in.

J had lunch with Rachel at Gina.

Did ironing and watched last episode of And Just Like That. Did a pedicure - quite pleased with the result, it was as good as the professional pedicure I had before our Greek holiday. Chose outfit for tomorrow. the big Hyde Park colour club picnic which I organise every year.

Saturday Aug 16

A lovely day. 23 ladies attended. The weather was cloudy, but at least not too hot and better for photography!

Sunday Aug 17

Sunny. Lunch at the Royal Forest today. This is a very large pub/restaurant about 15 minutes walk. Lunch was delicious. I had a cheese souffle followed by roast pork. We shared a pistachio souffle for dessert.

Monday Aug 18

Overcast, 21 degrees. Had Cobra coming in the morning to check the alarm. Prepped my blog post for tomorrow. Did a walk in the afternoon. Saw the longhorns.

Tuesday Aug 19

Still overcast. Took new bike out for 1st time, 20 miles. John managed to shoehorn the battery in using a tool. Enjoyed riding the new bike, it's lighter and faster on the flat stretches. It is not as powerful as its predecessor but was still OK going up the very steep Lippitt's Hill.

Wednesday Aug 20

Became sunny by 3pm. The car was collected and driven away after being sold to the same dealer in Leics who bought my Golf GTI.

Did walk, saw lots fungus. Leaves now falling. Changed date of June holiday. The outbound flight changed and was too early for our liking

Thursday 21 Aug

Lovely day. First met a former colleague for coffee. Haven't seen him for 9 years. Then met Annemarie at Victoria and we went to White City for the L'Oréal beauty event. First a MUA showed us how to use some of the products. Then we had a pres on how to use Tik Tok shop. Refreshments and goody bag. We had dinner in The Broadcaster, top floor, in sun. See more in my post here.

Friday 22 August

Became sunny. My heart rate variations were poor in my sleep because I had 3 cocktails last night (1 drink was free because we waited so long for the food). Just shows how damaging alcohol is. I hardly ever drink. Went to gym for Pilates.

Saturday August 23

John and R took my old ebike out and then we had coffee. She likes it so it's hers. Went to a barbecue for the second birthday party of one of the grandchildren (not named or pictured). The weather was good.

Sunday 24th August

Tired today, happens when I don't exercise and then sleep badly. Did walk. 5 miles. Steak for lunch. Still keeping the oven clean. Wrote bonus blog post about Boomer junk.

Monday 25th August

Went out for ride. Was a bit breathless at times. Realised my bumbag was too tight around my waist, ans the handlebars need to come up a little. My diaphragm was constricted. 20 miles. Wrote a blog post.

Tuesday 26th August

Sunny intervals. Had to stay in for delivery. Changed bed, did some cleaning. J pruned a lot off the hawthorn. I had to chop up the branches. Loads more to do. Watched one of J's lame films, The Map that Leads to You. 4 out of 10.

Wednesday 27 August

Did bike ride, R came too. Heavy shower, fortunately while we were having coffee.

Thursday 28 Aug

Did forest walk, 5 miles. Back on my old ebike to go to Halfords to pick up child seat. Rachel will give Olive, 3, rides around the forest and to and from nursery.

Friday 29 August

Raining, which makes a change, and much needed. Gym session and Pilates. Delivery of my favourite colourful Lazy Panda socks from Sock Shop.

I'll be updating this post to include tomorrow (a trip to Wanstead Vintage) and Sunday.

WHAT I'VE BEEN WEARING

WHAT WE'VE BEEN WATCHING

Hostage (Netflix)

A much trumpeted arrival starring Suranne Jones and Julie Delpy. It's rather stiff and stilted, with abrupt transitions moving the plot on. Suranne is definitely more decisive and assertive than any of our recent PMs. We watched it to the end but it was a 6 out of 10.

Beyond the Bar (Netflix)

On Saturdays we have Mr Joon! I love this Korean legal drama. Don't be put off by the first episode, where a newly qualified legal student is seen arriving flustered and late for her interview at legal giants Juim. The legal battles featured are genuinely fascinating, and the relationships develop. Mr Joon, the stern and cold associate in charge of the litigation division, is secretly nursing heartache. Miss Kang Hyo Min develops a reverse mentoring relationship with him where she gives wise advice over late night cups of tea in the office.

Rivière-Perdue (Prime)

A classy French thriller. Two young girls have been missing for several years in the Pyrenees. One of them, now a teenager, turns up unexpectedly in a car crash. What happened to her friend?

Fisk (Netflix)

New series (3) of this offbeat, quirky Australian drama set in the office of solicitors Gruber and Tudor-Fisk, shared with mediator Ros at Conch. Episode 4, where they have to hot desk off site, is a classic. I was roaring with laughter. I'll never see a gavel in the same way.

Alien: Earth (Disney)

It's 2120 and five giant corporations run our planet. A scientific spaceship loaded with er...critters....crashes. That's Episode 1 in a nutshell. I had high hopes. You know how I love aliens. But I have to say it's a 5 at best.

Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser (Netflix)

I used to watch The Biggest Loser- US and British versions - and could never decide if it was cruelly exploiting obese people, or genuinely helping them. The Guardian's review asked how TV had sunk so low. As suspected, a lot of what went on behind the scenes is shocking.

A few who lost massive amounts of weight are featured having regained it all.

I often wonder what happened to the relationships of those who had radical makeovers on another cringeworthy show, Extreme Makeover. Not to mention the confidence of those who participated once their surgery wore off.

I hope you enjoyed my review of August. What were your highlights? Any TV recommendations? Do share in the comments.

DON'T MISS THE NEXT HELPING OF MUTTON

Subscribe for 1 email a week from Is This Mutton for an update on posts you may have missed, or follow Is This Mutton on Feedspot. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky

Camel and Barrel

Is This Mutton's Gail Hanlon tells what happened at a L'Oreal Paris beauty event, wearing a camel and black jumper and black barrel jeans

Dear friends. Exciting happenings last week. I was invited to an event by L’Oréal Paris. Before Covid, there were quite a few events, but I don't get invited to many nowadays because I'm not an influencer who sells things. I prefer to keep Is This Mutton a good reader experience, so I don't offer ads, paid-for links and sponsored content.

It was held at the former BBC Television Centre in White City, which is now home to upmarket apartments, cafes and offices.

What to Wear?!

I was in a bit of a dither about what to wear. I was expecting the audience to be very young. I decided not to be too colourful ("mad old trout") and wore a new pair of black barrel jeans (Whistles) with a camel and black collared jumper (M&S, current). My gold flats, according to Annemarie from YouTube channel @Myover50fashionlife, are bang on trend with their pointed toe.

The latest barrel jeans - and virtually every brand is offering them - have a slimmer silhouette than the first pairs that we started buying in Spring. These are definitely more streamlined than my M&S barrel jeans.

Lest you think I'm selling out on the colour front, camel is one of my good Spring colours and a perfect neutral.

It turned out the event was actually aimed at older women. Amazing! I'm so pleased that L’Oréal see the value in the older demographic. We actually account for the majority of sales in the beauty sector, but most brands persist in marketing only to young women, or, even worse, using young models to demonstrate "anti ageing" products. (Why be anti ageing? You're dead otherwise).

It was great to meet some ladies I follow on Instagram. Here I am with Annemarie.

About L’Oréal Paris

We're all familiar with L’Oréal Paris. They've been around since 1909, with their first product being a hair dye.

You might not know that the Groupe has four divisions representing global brands - 37 altogether. These include hair giants Redken, Pureology and Kérastase in their Professional division. L’Oréal Lux includes Lancôme, Yves St Laurent, Aesop, Ralph Lauren and Urban Decay. The Dermatological division has brands including three of my favourites, Vichy, La Roche-Posay and SkinCeuticals.

Finally the Consumer Products Division features brands like Garnier, Maybelline, NYX Professional Make Up, Essie, and of course L’Oréal Paris.

Not surprisingly, L’Oréal Paris is the #1 beauty brand globally. The significance, to me, is that this means they have access to scientists and laboratories and can invent innovative products that work. All of their products have been vigorously tested and researched.

What Happened at the Event

It started with a professional make-up artist showing us how to use some of the products that were in our goody bag. The two products that interested me the most were the Revitalift Eye Bag Instant Eraser and the Serum Le Duo. The latter is a similar product to Clarins Double Serum, but at a much reduced price.

The eye bag eraser product really works: I've been watching countless videos on Tiktok including one where there's a very dramatic before and after on a woman who's probably in her 80s or 90s. The secret is to tap on a half-pea sized amount and wait for 15 minutes.

After this we had a presentation on how to use Tiktok Shop. I was interested to see data that suggested that 12% of their audience is over 55. I have a Tiktok account but I haven't uploaded anything yet. I'm planning to do some quick book reviews, where I just talk for a couple of mins. I'm too late to jump on the video bandwagon.

My own preference is for long form content (blogs). I think the same is probably true for many of you, otherwise you wouldn't be here. However I am on Instagram, and remain reluctantly on Facebook because it hosts a couple of groups I'm in.

The event concluded with a panel discussion featuring women with big accounts on Tiktok. They shared their experiences and learnings. Below: the panel discussion members flanked by L’Oréal team.

We then mingled and enjoyed afternoon tea. It looked delicious but I rarely eat at these bunfights because a) I'm afraid I'll spill something on my clothes; b) I don't want to get anything stuck in my teeth.

MUAs matched us to the right Skin Ink, which L’Oréal describes as a Foundcealer. It can be used either as a foundation or a concealer (or both). I was matched to shade 100, Warm, but I found that I need a primer containing silicone as it pilled with the moisturiser I was using. Skin Ink has something called Fusion technology that bonds with the skin, providing undetectable, flawless coverage that lasts up to 48 hours.

I was very impressed when I tried the Faux Brow Tint product. The colour supplied, Dark Brunette, is too dark for me now but I'll definitely be buying it in a lighter shade. It has a brush with two prongs (they describe it as a 0.01mm double-brush tip) that perfectly mimics real brow hair. And it really does stay put, unlike most brow products I've tried - for up to 48 hours apparently. It's currently £11.99 at Boots.

As we were leaving the lovely L’Oréal team ran after us with some biscuits. Annemarie and I adjourned to a nearby hostelry, The Broadcaster, and had a catch-up. I ate my biscuit on the train (yummy).

Do you have any L’Oréal Paris products you swear by? Do tell in the comments.

Sharing with these fantastic sites.

DON'T MISS THE NEXT HELPING OF MUTTON

Subscribe for 1 email a week from Is This Mutton for an update on posts you may have missed, or follow Is This Mutton on Feedspot. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky

LAST WEEK'S FAVOURITES

Jill from Doused in Pink with her three shoe packing rule.

Nicole from High Latitude Style with her one outfit to take you from work to a picnic.

Alison from Midlife and Beyond with her summer time make-up finds for a glowy, natural look.

What I've Got in Common with David Bowie

Is This Mutton confesses to a big personal collection of memorabilia or "Boomer Junk." She has this in common with David Bowie although his collection is not deemed as junk and will soon grace a permanent exhibition at the V&A

Dear friends. Some of you may recall that I am a Big Fan of David Bowie, and have been since the age of 11.

He inspired one of my first blog posts back in 2006, at a different place.

I was intrigued to read that David was an inveterate recorder of his life. Thanks to the fact he kept literally everything - ticket stubs, menus and recordings of every show, the V&A will open a permanent exhibition at its new location in Stratford, East London.

Reunited with an Old Favourite

& #Tuesday Twirl

Dear friends. I told you recently how I love "stalking" clothes online. I recently had a big success. I bought, on Vinted, a Laura Ashley skirt I had a few years ago. I always loved it and the skirt actually wore out. The replacement is in pristine condition and cost me £8.

I wore it on Saturday to the annual Kettlewell Colour Club picnic in the park, which I organise (although it barely needs any organisation except the date!).

It works well with the lighter Spring colours in my palette. I wore it with the Kettlewell Pippa top in apple mint, and Rachel jacket in confetti, as it was a little cooler on Saturday (hooray!).

Here I am with the other women analysed as Spring:

Here's a pic from when I first had the skirt, in 2014. I loved the cashmere cardigan but it became very worn.

So what else is new at Mutton Towers? Well, I bought a pair of shoes last week. Oops. I wasn't supposed to be buying any more shoes (or boots). I stumbled across a site that was new to me, Justin Reess. Well, brogue heaven! I couldn't resist these shoes in a warm, bright green. I love colourful brogues, and other quirky flat shoes because they add a bit of je ne sais pas to an outfit, now that I don't wear high heels.

However, with my "one in, one out" policy I will now sell my other pair of green brogues, from Embassy London. They are beautiful but the green isn't bright enough to work well with my wardrobe.

Do you have clothes that you loved a few years ago that you'd like to be reunited with? Do share in the comments.

Sharing with these fantastic sites.

DON'T MISS THE NEXT HELPING OF MUTTON

Subscribe for 1 email a week from Is This Mutton for an update on posts you may have missed, or follow Is This Mutton on Feedspot. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky