NOTCH LONDON

This was the first summer i spent in London. Usually I go back to Jamaica to see my family.

London is beautiful in the summer. In May and June the streets are lined by roses and cherry blossom, pinks and reds and the sky is so blue. 

The days are long, with the sun setting at around 10 pm during the longest days. This means there is plenty time for lazying in parks, having picnics, or discovering new rooftop bars and finally getting to catch up with old friends. City life is so hectic, and once routine sets in its easy to go months without seeing people who live only 15 minutes away from you. 

This particular Friday I was bored at work stalking peoples snap chats and I see my friends LIT snap story and they're in London partying in Shoredtich somewhere the night before. Of course, I text them instantly. No hang overs to be used as an excuse - its summer and we are going out! 

My friend Maddy had come to visit London from Paris. I met Maddy on Britain's Next Top Model Cycle 8 (almost 4 years ago, yikes!), and have remained friends since. She was with our friends Rida and Tasha, who I met through Rissikat, another friend from BINTM. 

They were all meant to be going to Ibiza to see Rissikat but they're trip had sadly been cancelled last minute, so they were doing some partying in London instead.  

We headed over to a new pop-up bar right opposite Marble Arch tube station called Notch London

It's a roof top bar just above the busy Oxford Street, it's open air and has a really cool East London vibe. We waited in a queue for a long time (one of my pet peeves) it was so long that the people in front of us started leaving one by one. We were having a great time catching up so we waited it out. 

After that long ass wait, once we were inside we went straight for some drinks. I had a Giant Ice tea at £12 it came in a very on-trend mason jar. There were also Old Fashioned's and Negronis that came in colourful vintage tin cans. 

The music was really good, a mixture of hip-hop and electric dance music. Plus it had cool activities like Sharpie pens to draw on all the surfaces. But the best part about this place was the swing sets! After a few drinks we were playing like school kids and of course had to have an IG worthy photo shoot. 

Always have to nuff up ourselves, but the bartender didn't seem to mind being our photographer!

We were there until the place closed. It was so much fun to see these girls, we couldn't go home.

So we made our way to The Cuckoo Club, on Swallow Street. I went to university with the very glamorous girl who does the door there. She let us in though it was a private party or something. We had some of the canapés and some prosecco before any one noticed we weren't invited or dressed for the occasion. 

I think I'm getting old because the second best part of the night was taking the Night Tube home for the first time. It was awesome. Forget whatever fusion restaurant, whatever bar,  whatever new pop-up HIIT-yoga-boxing studio - the best thing to happen to London this summer is the Night Tube. 

Earrings - Bought in Jamaica

90s Choker - ASOS

Silver Necklace - Christmas Present

Bodysuit - Missguided

Denim Skirt - ASOS

Bracelets - random purchases and gifts 

xoxo