New Year - Old Weather

Good day to you all – I hope you are safely inside and out of the rain. Now I must have been writing this blog for a number of months and I very much enjoy the now weekly ritual, but I would be dishonest if what I wrote was all cheerful and happiness if that’s not what I’m feeling. Don’t worry I’m not going to spend the next page moaning and bleating, far from it, but I am going to reaffirm what I’ve just written on the Pall Mall Barber twitter page – “I am suffering from January Blues” – I can’t help it. I’m sitting here looking out the shop window at 1pm and it’s already looking gloomy outside and even the puddles forming in front of the hotel opposite can’t reflect enough sunlight into the shop to make our little cosy home from home enough to cheer me up today. I’m probably just jealous of Richard who is currently tanning himself on a Thai beach – actually with the time difference he’s probably hitting the Asian Nightlife – I promise I’ll do my best to get him to divulge his holiday anecdotes when he’s safely back at PMB and I’ll post them on the blog for you all to see! There’s no denying the man had the right idea. Stick around in London for the Christmas cheer and as those crazy bargain hunters head off to the shops to fill their bags with January sales products, Rich is busily filling his suitcase with swimwear to head to a warmer climate
So I ask you – I implore you to tell me the cures for a New Year slump? Obviously get yourself to a warm sunny beach many miles away from our beloved capital but if that is not an option, then what? I have a number of tricks up my sleeve which on the whole do the job, but in these situations you can never have too many options. One of my favourites is to batten down the hatches, order in the takeaway and put on one of the many box sets I tend to get at Christmas. It’s the geek’s version of hibernation and many a January weekend in the past has been lost in such a pursuit. Having said that it doesn’t really go hand in hand with New Year resolutions – but as I have made a firm point not to fall into such naïve promises I can comfortably put on the weight whilst waiting for sun!
So the weekend is safely taken care of with pizza and box sets of Homicide, Mad Men and Dexter, but what about the weekdays and the inevitable journey into the West End and the workplace. How can I prevent these days turning bleak? Firstly I say – hot lunches! – screw the budget, if you’re wet, cold and need a little pick me up – get yourself a hot lunch. It doesn’t have to be an astronomically expensive steak but something hot and preferably spicy helps you face the soggy world on your own terms. Personally my new favourite haunt is Benito’s Hat – it’s a Mexican fast food type place – with very filling burrito’s – there’s one five minutes walk from Pall Mall Barbers in Covent Garden – trust me it’ll make the afternoons a breeze!
So I’ve covered weekends and food. So what other tips can I suggest? Well it sounds stupid but dress the part and embrace the cold. Sometimes a fresh walk in St. James on a lunch break (prior to my daily burrito) can have a reviving effect, especially when you watch the pelicans practising formation sailing or see the perplexed squirrels searching for their nuts. I wouldn’t recommend this if it’s raining but the park can be so deserted it does feel like you’ve got a private wildlife viewing.
So my last tip tackles weekday evenings and I must admit it’s a bit of a plug. I have a friend who has started up a group called “The Matey Institute” – it’s about trying random stuff out you’d never think to do and at cost (we’re talking between £2 - £5 tops!). So they do everything from an introductory class in ventriloquism to making chutney. I’ll be heading off to their next gathering where we’ll be taught by a trained masseuse how to give massages. It’s a lot of fun and especially in the winter months it gives you a feeling of camaraderie, so that no matter how dark and cold the weather gets and no matter how impoverished we’re feeling we can still have a good time!
So in summary my guide to surviving the winter blues is:
Weekend hibernation
Hot Lunches
Dress the part
Don’t stop having a laugh with friends and trying out new stuff
So can any of you add to the survival guide? Between us we can make this a January of fun and frivolity and we’ll make Richard wish he never deserted us for 30 degree sunshine beaches…. Email me at pallmallbarberslondon@gmail.com




Shaving London, Shave London, Wet Shaving London, Barbers in London, Barbers London, Barber shave London, Barbers W1, Barbers Mayfair, Barber Mayfair, Barber WC1, Barber shop Mayfair, Mens Hairdressers Mayfair, Mens hairdressing Mayfair, SW1, SW2, EC1, EC2 Soho, Convent Garden, St James, Pall Mall, London, Mens hairdressing London, Shaving London, Shave London, Barber shop, London Barbers, Shave, Barber shave, London Barber shop, Shave product London, Shaving Gifts, Shave gift, shave gift vouchers, wet shave gift vouches, mens shave, Mens shaving, shaving London, wet shaving, W1, WC1, WC2, SW1,SW2,SW6, safety razor, safety razors uk, safety razors for men, safety razors for beginners, double edged razor, double edged razor technique, shaving gifts, shaving gifts for men, shaving gifts London, shaving gifts online, shaving gifts him, shaving gift sets for men, shaving gift sets, shaving sets, shaving sets for men, shaving sets for men with brushes, shaving sets for sale, shaving sets with brush, shaving sets with mugs, shaving sets with safety razor, shaving sets with bowl, shaving sets with soaps, shaving sets uk, badger brush, badger brush shave, badger brush shaving sets, badger brush shaving kits, badger brush shaving soap, shaving brush, shaving brush stand, shaving brush set, straight razor, straight razor uk, straight razor shaving, cut throat razor, cut throat razor shave, cut throat razors for sale, cut throat, cut throat shave, cut throat shave London, gifts for men, gifts for men uk, gifts for men ideas, gifts for men who have everything, gifts for men who have everything uk, mens gifts, mens gift ideas,