Weekly Diary: ABBA Voyage, studio shoots, long overdue catch ups and birthday BBQs 🕺🥳🎬
A mid-July, good weather (ish) week full of quality time with very special people
Hello! Welcome back to the Weekly Diary, where I chat about my week as a freelance social media manager. This week was filled with family time and lots of fun plans, so I hope this weekly diary is as enjoyable to read as it was for me to write.
Here’s a quick glance at what I got up to last week:
ABBA Voyage with my lovely mum
The most gloriously warm summer evening dinner at one of my favourite Tunbridge Wells foodie spots
A (mostly) sunny birthday BBQ
MONDAY
We’re starting off strong with a trip to see ABBA Voyage this week. I’m going with my mum and few of her choir friends, via coach (don’t even ask. Mum had to pay the coach company with a cheque because they don’t accept any other form of payment - it’s a good job she still had a chequebook hiding in the back of the cupboard!) I grew up with ABBA always playing in the house or at my grandparents’ house, and mum and I have been to many an ABBA tribute before, so this trip feels very full circle.
I get through a few emails and then make my way to my parents’ house for some lunch before we board the coach. There’s some very jolly sing-songing to a few ABBA classics, a quick pitstop at Westfield shopping centre for some dinner, and then we’re dropped off at the arena!
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9c5af3a2-6f8d-4102-b323-6ff317db7a58_3088x2316.jpeg)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd446f838-aaf7-43e7-9b04-a20ad263c5bf_4032x3024.jpeg)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fff6fca6a-94d8-4338-9b3c-6748d534c8ca_3088x2316.jpeg)
I urge you to book tickets if you haven’t already, it is as spectacular and mind-blowing as everyone says it is. We have the most brilliant time dancing along to all our favourite hits and then pile on the coach home, collapsing into our cosy beds at gone midnight with ABBA songs still ringing in our ears.
TUESDAY
Mum is very kindly dropping me off at the station this morning as I am heading into London for a shoot. I’m finally meeting the brilliant Lorraine and Trish from Postcards from Midlife, who I have worked with for the last few months but never actually met IRL.
I grab a seat on the train and quickly do my makeup (this gives me major flashbacks from when I had to commute into London at the crack of dawn every morning and always ended up doing my makeup on a packed commuter train) and then listen to a podcast as the train makes its way into London Victoria.
A quick bathroom break when I get into Victoria and then I am straight on the tube to Parsons Green, where Jet Studios is based. I sit down with Lorraine and Trish to catch up on all things Postcards from Midlife and then we crack on with filming some social media content for the summer before the next season of the podcast launches.
Chef Lettie makes us a lovely light lunch, and then I head into the Jet offices for a meeting with the team and their new content producer.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbcc0271a-b6b0-4e1d-bd23-2febb0e3d348_4032x3024.jpeg)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F99c3f7ae-e333-4158-8985-210e40bc0ecb_1200x1200.jpeg)
I head back home on the train to James and, joy of joys, a plateful of the famous sausage pasta that I love so much. We watch a couple of episodes of SPRINT on Netflix and then call it a night.
WEDNESDAY
This morning I have a call with a wonderful fellow writer and literary interviewer, who hosts literary events and interviews authors in front of live audiences. She’s unsure on how to get her work out there or what her personal brand is, so we chat about social media, the publishing industry, personal branding and what direction she might be going in. It’s such a useful and inspiring chat and I can’t wait to set up more regular calls to check in with each other as freelancers working in the same field!
I spend the afternoon clearing out my wardrobe, even managing to upload some items to Vinted. Halfway through this task, I realise that I do actually have some work to finish before I leave my desk for the day. I abandon the teetering pile of clothes and vow to clear it up before bedtime (dear reader: she merely moved the teetering pile of clothes from the bedroom to a cupboard. More Vinted uploads incoming shortly).
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F04ad0762-5126-4fff-8eee-c57fa6b8707b_4032x3024.jpeg)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7b3cd4c8-2754-4883-bc7a-44fa697a6ada_4032x3024.jpeg)
I finish up at my desk at 6pm and head to the kitchen to make pasta bolognese, a household favourite. It’s just what we both need after a long work day.
THURSDAY
We’re waking up to blue skies and sunshine today! Yay! I’m off for dinner tonight with my friend Kate at one of my favourite restaurants in Tunbridge Wells and I can’t wait to see her and catch up.
The day rushes by in a blur of editing videos, writing captions and replying to emails, and before I know it it’s time to rush out of the door to meet Kate. I change into a Whistles linen jumpsuit, touch up my makeup and walk up the road to catch a bus into town.
Live music + warm weather = a fantastic atmosphere in most British towns, mainly because we don’t see these balmy temperatures very often and are usually huddled in our insulated houses under electric blankets by 9pm. It’s so lovely to see so many people sitting outside all along the colonnade as I find our table at Kumquat, a beautiful restaurant run by a wonderful local family.
The food at Kumquat is as spectacular as I remember, if not more so - we order miso caramel aubergine, chicken satay, Japanese leaf bites, Korean style stone bass and spring onion pancakes and share everything (the food and our deepest, darkest fears, because that’s the kind of dinner chat we love).
We end up being the last ones to leave the restaurant, at which point, we realise that neither of us has a bank card to get cash out for a taxi home - oops. Kate ends up calling her very understanding fiancé to come and pick us up (thank you, Matt, we owe you!), and I eventually get into bed at almost midnight.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fde649b85-0bad-4d10-8c92-37ff22d63a68_4032x3024.jpeg)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb1c64268-564c-4cfb-8120-6647c5f3892d_4032x3024.jpeg)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F82867b47-e845-4eb4-93f2-186485f22129_4032x3024.jpeg)
FRIDAY
We made it to Friday, and it’s another warm sunny day! Is it officially a heatwave yet?! I’m a big fan of the warm weather in the early morning and evening, but not so much in the middle of the day when it becomes oppressive. I walk into the village early to drop off a Vinted parcel and then spend the rest of the day cowering from the sun in my lovely cool house, editing social media content and replying to comments.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffba2b3d7-32c6-40d5-8976-2603b2b3ea4a_3088x2316.jpeg)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0daae747-7430-4ef1-9abc-47dbf797f4e8_2183x3084.jpeg)
I go into my garden briefly at lunchtime to admire my roses that are still blooming, despite me not knowing how to care for them - I genuinely have no idea how they are still alive. Maybe this gardening thing is simpler than I thought.
James is playing golf with a friend after work, so after he’s left I finish off some bits at my desk, give the kitchen a quick tidy, get changed and meet him at a local pub for a post-golf dinner. We sit outside in the garden and order two burgers, a beer for James and a glass of rosé for me, and catch up on our days and plans for the weekend.
One of our favourite bars is just across the road from the pub, so we head there for another drink on our way home. This place has one of the best views in Tunbridge Wells, not to mention an extensive cocktail list, and it’s one of our go-to local haunts.
We practically roll home on our very full bellies, watch some TV and then head to bed. A perfect start to our weekend!
SATURDAY
We’re up and out bright and early for a house viewing, followed by a much-needed late morning coffee in the sunshine. I’m in the mood for a rifle through the charity shop rails, so we head our separate ways and James goes off to get his hair cut.
I find a total gem in the form of a woven leather bag, reminiscent of the Dragon Diffusion ones that I am currently saving up for. This one is a smaller handbag style with a finer weave, perfect for evenings out or days when I don’t need to carry my laptop. I love the colour and at £6, it’s a bargain that I simply can’t miss.
Satisfied with my charity shop finds (I also buy a beautiful salad bowl for £3, a raffia tray for £2 and a glass for £1) I go on the hunt for a birthday gift for James’ mum. I settle on a raffia cross-body bag that I know will be perfect for our holiday in the South of France in August, some silver hoops, and some taper candles and a candlestick holder.
I head home with my arms full of treasures and spend the rest of the afternoon doing some more decluttering in my wardrobe, followed by an M&S Thai box for dinner.
SUNDAY
We’re off to a birthday BBQ for James’ mum today and luckily, the weather isn’t looking too bad. It’s a short bus ride to the village where they live and it drops us right outside the local village pub, where everyone has already gathered for a pre-BBQ drink.
We stroll back to the house to fire up the BBQ and then James’ sister, brother-in-law and nephew arrive, at which point we are immediately embroiled in a game of hide and seek. The rest of the afternoon is spent chatting, eating, drinking and participating in a competition where we have to build something out of a random handful of Lego. I’m pretty chuffed to get an 8 out of 10 for my ‘world’s longest waterslide’ Lego creation.
We’re home by 7pm and spend the rest of the evening on the sofa. Bliss.
Thanks so much for following along with my week!
Lauren x
What a wonderful week! And so productive, too. It's amazing what goos weather can do, too - I bet it made all the difference, lovely events aside.
SO JEL that you went to ABBA!!! It looks so good!! Love hearing about all the work you're getting up to Lauren, it's so interesting to hear all the behind the scenes