Simone Reddington

Bloody hell it’s hot, isn’t it?  As much I love a bit of sunshine, I am struggling to cope in this heat as the UK is currently sweltering under the third record-breaking heatwave of the year so far.  It certainly appears to be the result of global warming, and evidence of the effects that human activity has upon the natural world.  Here are the things that I enjoyed in June.     

• Tip Toe– The best piece of television that I have watched this year was Tip Toe, Russell. T Davies’ latest drama, which aired on Channel 4 last month. Russel. T Davies knows exactly how to write powerful stories that force the audience to face uncomfortable truths about the world around them, and Tip Toe does exactly that.  The five-part series is set over a period of ten days and follows Leo (played by Alan Cummings), an openly gay man who has a disagreement with the seemingly conservative family who live next door to him which culminates in his brutal murder.  The shocking story is extremely on the nose and explores the return of homophobia in 2026 when LGBT+ rights are being eroded by the rise of the far-right in politics. A harrowing but must-see watch. 

• Gameshow Allstars- On a more upbeat note, I really enjoyed the Gameshow Allstars experience in Leeds when I went for a day out with friends last month. It’s a fun activity bar where you compete against each other in mini games based on popular British TV gameshows, such as Tipping Point, Catchphrase and Supermarket Sweep. It was something different to do, and we all had such a laugh doing it.  As well as Leeds, Gameshow Allstars also has a venue in Sheffield, and I can see them expanding and continuing to open more sites across the country.  

• Green dress- I celebrated my childhood bestie’s engagement in June and wore this stunning khaki dress for the party.  Originally from Tu at Sainsburys, I bought it a couple of months ago from my local charity shop and couldn’t wait to find an occasion to wear it. It’s so simple but elegantly chic, and I absolutely love it.  I wore it with gold jewellery and sandals, as green and gold are one of my favourite colour combinations.  It’s the perfect dress to wear for an evening on a sunny beach holiday, and it will definitely be going in my suitcase if I book a holiday this year. 

• Royal George chorizo and hot honey parmo- I wrote about my first meal at the Royal George in Peterlee since it reopened under new management back in my January favourites post, and I enjoyed an even nicer meal when I treated my dad to a belated Father’s Day dinner.  For people who are not from the North East of England, parmos are a local delicacy.  They are basically flattened pieces of deep-fried chicken, smothered in white bechamel sauce and cheese.  They are traditionally served in takeaway shops, as greasy food that you devour in the early hours of the morning after a night out, but over the last ten years they are now served in a more upmarket form in restaurants with various toppings.  Hot honey is the flavour that everybody is talking about this summer, and I fully support the trends.  The spicy parmo was absolutely delicious, served with homemade chips.  The service was also brilliant, with staff working very hard in the busy pub on a sunny weekend.  I am very lucky to have this place on my doorstep.