Solo time

Reflection and replenishment on 'Hannah Day'

I’ve always been happy in my own company, but one of the challenges of that is constantly having a mental to-do list rolling in my brain. I’m not very good at switching off and doing nothing.

Combine that with founding an interior design studio which, as any other business owner will know, can take up every single bit of your mental energy, leaving little room for ‘switching off’.

On Thursday last week I’d blocked out in my diary what I was referring to as a ‘Hannah Day’. I’d booked a ticket for an exhibition I’d wanted to go to for a while and reserved a table at one at one of my favourite London restaurants. The booking of these two things meant that there was no backing out and no excuses (from myself) that I was ‘too busy’.

There was something different about the act of taking a single day off mid-week to go and do things I wanted to do on my own. Different to a weekend planned collectively with my husband or a day out with friends or family. These choices were mine alone with no compromises.

One thing I was determined to not do, was any work.

That might seem easy, but the urge to check emails or ‘just do a bit on that kitchen project’ or message a client are extremely hard to resist.

Hannah Day

My ticket for Paint! Pattern! Print! The Textiles of Susan Collier and Sarah Campbell at the Fashion & Textile Museum was booked for 11:30am. This meant no great rush in the morning and I could start my day with my usual early morning walk & podcast listen followed by journaling. I’m on week 7 of The Artist’s Way and this daily practice of morning pages is something I look forward to when I wake up. It’s a very good way to start the day.

I got the 10am train to Waterloo which takes about 25 minutes from my house and then walked along the river as far as London Bridge before heading down Bermondsey Street.

Bermondsey Street is one of my top places in London because it has many of my favourite things: great bars and restaurants, galleries (White Cube and Fashion & Textile Museum), a gorgeous bookshop (Morocco Bound) and several other independent shops which are great for a browse. There’s even a fancy charity shop.

My first stop was coffee at Chapter 72 almost opposite the F&T Museum. The coffee was outstanding and the cinnamon bun disappointingly dry (tasted like it would have been good yesterday…). I paused to read a little of my book and then headed over the road.

The Fashion & Textile Museum is small enough to cover it all in an hour or two without drowning in information. The prints and sketchbooks were wonderful - full of life and colour and I found the story of Susan Collier and Sarah Campbell’s pioneering business enterprises as fascinating as their work.

In the gift shop afterwards I picked up several postcards, with a plan to write and send them later. I couldn’t resist a new note/sketch book (can you ever have too many?) and a pencil. It was a bit like being on a school trip.

Postcards and Penpals, aged 41

I had a little time before lunch to wander. This included a visit to Morocco Bound bookshop which has a beautifully curated book selection. It’s also a bar/cafe and live events space. I bought Joan Didion’s ‘Play It As It Lays’ to add to my never diminishing TBR pile!

Lunch was at Cafe Murano. It has tasteful decor and exquisite food and the irony wasn’t lost on me that only that morning had I found out that I’d won tickets to an event there on Sunday evening. Some kind of synchronicity, perhaps?

I decided to be brave with my lunch choice and order mussels for the starter. I’ve always believed I don’t really like them, but felt it was a good day to give them another try and see if my tastes had changed. I enjoyed the flavour - less so the texture - but I did eat them all. It’s good to challenge ourselves with food every once in a while.

The main course was a giant plate of delicious broccoli and spicy sausage pasta which I couldn’t finish because I wanted to save room for dessert. Stephen, my excellent server recommended a lemon meringue and it was divine! In between courses I took out my notebook to journal and jot down interesting observations. The staff are so friendly at Cafe Murano and kept coming over to chat to me which was nice.

Very full from lunch, I decided to walk along the river and head for the roof garden on the top of the Queen Elizabeth Hall at the Southbank Centre. Although the riverside bars and restaurants were brimming with tourists, I had a feeling that the roof garden would be quieter and I was right. I got myself a drink and sat with a riverside view to write postcards.

Writing forced me to override the urge to reach for my phone and instead focus on what I was doing in that moment. I couldn’t help listen a little to conversations nearby, as well as watching people walking along the river below me. I could see and hear boats, large and small, on the water. I was calm.

The postcards were deposited in a post box in Waterloo Station and I boarded the train to head home for a chilled evening in the garden with J.

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I know that I am in a position where I don’t have caring responsibilities and so it’s easier for me to have a day like this. But, if you have any way of doing something similar, I 1000% recommend a day/morning/hour to yourself.

It doesn’t have to cost money. It doesn’t have to be in London. But the focus is on not working, doing something creatively enriching and spending time with your thoughts. It’s an opportunity to do things exactly your way.

Sarah Manley wrote a beautiful piece on something similar last week. She has walked the entirety of the Saxon Shore way alone. This is a national trail of 163 miles which she completed in 12 stages. Sarah writes about both the practicalities and the mental processing that goes on during such an adventure. Read about it here:

The Saxon Shore Way?

What’s Next?

I will definitely be blocking out more days like this in my calendar. In fact, for September I’m in the process of making this into an overnight stay to mark the occasion of not going back to school. For the first time in 20 years I will not be attending an INSET day on 1st September.

I’d like to book a night in a hotel by the sea and I’d love your suggestions!

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And finally, a reminder that I am giving away an online interior design consultation to a paid subscriber. All you have to do is comment on the post linked below. If you’ve been thinking about upgrading your subscription, this is the perfect time!