Author Archives: tikichris

About tikichris

Chris Osburn is the founder, administrator and editor of tikichris. In addition to blogging, he works as a freelance journalist, photographer, consultant and curator.

Affordable Hotel Stays in Edinburgh

Posted on 2015-06-26 by tikichris

If you are planning any type of a leisure trip or holiday to Scotland one of the places you may want to visit the most is Edinburgh. There is a great deal for you to see and do in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Hotels, Scotland, Travel | Tagged edinburgh, hotels, scotland, SPONSORED POST, Travel | Leave a comment

London Daily Photo: Tanabata Fukinagashi Decorations | Southbank Centre

Posted on 2015-06-25 by tikichris

Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography | Tagged London, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, south bank, south london, southbank, southbank centre, street photography, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

A Guide to London Heathrow Airport’s 5 (Soon to be 4) Terminals (OneTravel)

Posted on 2015-06-25 by tikichris

London Heathrow Airport is the busiest airport in the UK as well as the busiest airport in Europe by passenger traffic. If you’re planning a visit to London or many other destinations across Britain or elsewhere in Europe, there’s a … Continue reading →

Posted in London, OneTravel, Travel | Tagged air travel, airports, heathrow, London, london heathrow airport, OneTravel, Travel, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

London Daily Photo: Memento Mori

Posted on 2015-06-24 by tikichris

Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography | Tagged London, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, street photography, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

3 Ways to Celebrate Midsummer in Europe (OneTravel)

Posted on 2015-06-23 by tikichris

The longest day of the year – in a good way – is Midsummer when (as long as any clouds don’t dampen the party) hours upon hours of sunlight cast rays of fun across the northern hemisphere. Here’s a look … Continue reading →

Posted in OneTravel, Travel | Tagged Midsummer, OneTravel, Travel | Leave a comment

London Daily Photo: Looking Up

Posted on 2015-06-23 by tikichris

Dining at the Renewed Aqua Nueva

Posted on 2015-06-22 by tikichris

It had been some while (like a couple of years) since I had last dined at Aqua Nueva, but I still held strong memories of how much I enjoyed my meal when I recently accepted an invitation to return for a visit after the soft launch of this Spanish restaurant that’s just reopened after a long hiatus for refurbishment. Continue reading →

Posted in Drink, Food, London, Restaurants, Wine | Tagged aqua nueva, argyll street, Drink, Food, London, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, regent street, restaurants, reviews, soho, spanish food, street photography, tapas, W1, W1B 3BR, wine, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

London Daily Photo: Bethnal Green Road

Posted on 2015-06-22 by tikichris

Win a Range of Barman Sirops, Cans and Gourmet Drops from Teisseire

Posted on 2015-06-21 by tikichris

Teisseire has been making French sirop from naturally filtered water in the alps since 1720. The sirops come in a huge variety of flavours – from strawberry to cactus – among the most popular are Passionfruit, Raspberry, Lemon, Caramel, Mojito, Pink Grapefruit and Grenadine. They’re more flexible than cordials and go with both hot or cold drinks. Fancy a summery dash of French flair for free? I’ve teamed up with Teisseire to offer one lucky reader a chance to win a range barman sirops, cans and gourmet drops. Continue reading →

Posted in Competition, Drink, Food, Freebies, Shopping | Tagged #frenchflair, cocktails, competition, Drink, Food, free, freebies, RT to win, Shopping, sirops, syrups, Teisseire, twitter competition | Leave a comment

London Daily Photo: Clouds and Clapping Hands

Posted on 2015-06-21 by tikichris

Hotel Marketing and the Mystery of Blogging

Posted on 2015-06-20 by tikichris

I had a great time speaking as a panellist at the Hotel Marketing Association’s recent Clearing up the Mystery of Blogging seminar at the Royal Garden Hotel. If I was able to share even a fraction of the insight some of the other panellists imparted, I did very well indeed! Continue reading →

Posted in Blogs, Hotels, London, Travel | Tagged #HotelsnBloggers15, Blogs, Chartered Institute of Marketing, CIM, Clearing up the Mystery of Blogging, HMA, Hotel Marketing Association, hotels, kensington, Kensington High Street, London, Royal Garden Hotel, seminar, Travel, Traverse Connect, W8, W8 4PT, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

London Daily Photo: Towers of …

Posted on 2015-06-20 by tikichris

Find Affordable Hotels in Wimbledon

Posted on 2015-06-19 by tikichris

One of the nicer areas of London to visit is Wimbledon. Whether you are coming to the area during the time of year of the famous tennis tournament, visiting another time of year to take in all of the sights … Continue reading →

Posted in Hotels, London, Travel | Tagged hotels, London, SPONSORED POST, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

London Daily Photo: Bethnal Green Road

Posted on 2015-06-19 by tikichris

Recipe: Earl Grey Duck (Gressingham)

Posted on 2015-06-18 by tikichris

Here’s an extremely easy recipe that should still impress any dinner guest. Earl Grey is a brilliant marinade for duck breast, infusing the meat with range of light citrus notes and woody tannin flavour while tenderising it even more than it already is resulting in an incredibly succulent dish. Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Gressingham, Recipes, Shopping | Tagged duck, Earl Grey, Earl Grey Duck, Food, gressingham duck, recipes, Shopping, tea, tikichris recipes | Leave a comment

London Daily Photo: Smile

Posted on 2015-06-18 by tikichris

Win a £50 Online Farmers’ Market Shopping Spree + Free Delivery from Bonativo

Posted on 2015-06-17 by tikichris

Bonativo delivers fresh, unique products from producers who can only usually be found at farmers’ markets and specialty shops. I tried the service out recently and was impressed with the items I was able to purchase and by the use of use of the site and the speed at which my order was delivery. For your own taste of this nifty idea and a free chance to shop at this “online farmers’ market” for free, keep reading to find out about an exclusive giveaway competition Bonativo is running for my readers. Continue reading →

Posted in Competition, Food, Freebies, London, Shopping | Tagged Bonativo, competition, Food, free, freebies, London, Online Farmers' Market, RT to win, Shopping, twitter competition, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

London Daily Photo: My Sky

Posted on 2015-06-17 by tikichris

Re: Joyce! It’s Bloomsday! (OneTravel)

Posted on 2015-06-16 by tikichris

Considered to be Joyce’s masterpiece and a seminal piece of 20th century literature, the modernist novel Ulysses is known for its dense and dialect rich text and tells the story of a day in the life of Leopold Bloom. Bloomsday … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Ireland, OneTravel, Travel | Tagged Bloomsday, books, dublin, ireland, James Joyce, Joyce, OneTravel, Travel, ulysses | Leave a comment

London Daily Photo: Inside Out

Posted on 2015-06-16 by tikichris

Happy 150th to The Langham London

Posted on 2015-06-16 by tikichris

One of London’s most lauded luxury destinations, The Langham, celebrated a stately 150 years as a hotel last week. I tagged along for some of the birthday fun and had a peek at what’s new and upcoming for this upscale mainstay of impeccable hospitality. Continue reading →

Posted in Celebrities, Drink, Food, Hotels, London, Luxury, Restaurants, Travel | Tagged Albert Roux, Artesian, BARS, Celebrities, CHERISH FINDEN, Drink, Food, hotel, hotels, Lady Gaga, langham, langham hotel, London, luxury, marylebone, MICHEL ROUX JR, restaurants, the langham, The World's 50 Best Bars, Theo Walcott, Travel, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

London Daily Photo: Blue Yellow Green

Posted on 2015-06-15 by tikichris

Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography | Tagged flowers, London, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, roses, street photography, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

Brunch at Blueprint Café

Posted on 2015-06-15 by tikichris

When the sun is out, a table at Blueprint Café overlooking the Thames is a glorious spot to enjoy a meal. And it’s been my experience that the café’s Head Chef Martyn Moody’s meals are definitely enjoyable. His new Saturday brunch menu is a guaranteed weekend delight. As for the weather, there are no guarantees, but the crisp blue skied Saturday I paid a visit was gorgeous. Continue reading →

Posted in Drink, Food, London, Restaurants | Tagged bermondsey, BLOODY MARY, blooy mary, BLUEPRINT CAFE, brunch, cocktails, DESIGN MUSEUM, Drink, east london, Food, kedgeree, London, reviews, SE1 2YD, SHAD THAMES, south london, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦 | 2 Comments

London Daily Photo: Self Portrait (Line up in a Dirty Window)

Posted on 2015-06-14 by tikichris

Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography | Tagged London, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, self portrait, street photography, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

Recipe: Sweet Potato Duck Croquetas (Gressingham)

Posted on 2015-06-13 by tikichris

These sweet potato duck croquetas are crowd pleasers,perfect for BBQs and casual dinner parties. I like to dip my croquetas in an easy-to-make chipotle honey mustard sauce: one part yellow “American” mustard, one part honey and couple of drops of … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Gressingham, Recipes, Shopping | Tagged chipotle honey mustard, Croquetas, duck, Food, gressingham duck, recipes, Shopping, sweet potato duck croquetas, sweet potatoes, tikichris recipes | Leave a comment

London Daily Photo: King of the Knobs

Posted on 2015-06-13 by tikichris

Summer Festivals at London’s South Bank (OneTravel)

Posted on 2015-06-12 by tikichris

Summertime in London means it’s time to head to the riverside to see what’s up and festive. A calendar full of events scheduled for London’s South Bank aims to delight locals and visitors alike with something for virtually every interest … Continue reading →

Posted in London, OneTravel, Travel | Tagged London, OneTravel, south bank, south london, southbank, Travel, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

A Taste of Puglia: Craving for More

Posted on 2015-06-12 by tikichris

Did you have fun reading my series of posts about the great time I had visiting the boot heel of Italy? I certainly got a kick out of my trip! But such a short jaunt of Puglia only proved to be a tease, and now I’m craving to discover more about this sunny region. Continue reading →

Posted in A Taste of Puglia, Food, Italy, Puglia | Tagged A Taste of Puglia, Food, Italy, puglia, Travel | Leave a comment

Jason Manford on Call Centre Frustrations #TodayIwill

Posted on 2015-06-12 by tikichris

Barclaycard has created five videos featuring snippets from the stand-up routine of the comedian Jason Manford sharing hilarious observations about all those pesky money/payment situations we find ourselves in too often these days. Continue reading →

Posted in Celebrities, Money, Video | Tagged #todayiwill, barclaycard, comedy, Jason Manford, money, SPONSORED POST, Video | Leave a comment

Recipe: Squid and Chickpea Barley

Posted on 2015-06-12 by tikichris

Sometime during my recent visits to Sicily, Barcelona and Puglia the elements of this recipe starting fomenting in my ravenous mind. Once home with enough time to play around with my ideas, I was keen to create what’s turned out to be a really scrumptious dish: squid and chickpea barley. Continue reading →

Posted in A Taste of Puglia, Food, Italy, Puglia, Recipes, Shopping | Tagged A Taste of Puglia, barley, CALAMARI, chickpeas, Food, I Murgini, Italy, pearl barley, puglia, recipes, seafood, Shopping, squid, squid and chickpea barley, tikichris recipes | 1 Comment

20 Reasons Why Londoners Love Summer (Time Out London)

Posted on 2015-06-12 by tikichris

Time Out published a piece this week in its magazine and online with ideas from “the city’s best bloggers on amazing food, lazy strolls, hazy evenings, hot nights and cool things to do in London this summer.” I’m chuffed to have been asked to contribute with one of my own favourite summertime suggestions. Continue reading →

Posted in Blogs, London, Time Out | Tagged Blogs, E17, east london, London, time out, time out london, WALTHAMSTOW, walthamstow marshes, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

A Taste of Puglia: Drinking

Posted on 2015-06-12 by tikichris

The last post in my Taste of Puglia series was about the best bites from the region. But what drinks pair well with all that excellent southern Italian food … wine … coffee? Sure! Puglia can be proud of its contributions to these two most significant liquid elements of Italian culture. Continue reading →

Posted in A Taste of Puglia, Coffee, Drink, Food, Italy, Puglia, Shopping, Travel, Wine | Tagged A Taste of Puglia, Caffe Tito Schipa, Cantina Coppola, coffee, D'Alfonso del Sordo, Drink, Food, Gallipoli, italian wine, Italy, L’Antica Cantina, Lecce, puglia, Quarta Caffe, Quarta Coffee, San Severo, Travel, wine | 2 Comments

London Daily Photo: 1995

Posted on 2015-06-12 by tikichris

A Taste of Puglia: Eating

Posted on 2015-06-12 by tikichris

If a dietician were to design a food pyramid based solely on my most preferred eats, it would have giant tentacles extending from its based and wrapped around it to the top. Squid … octopus … cuttlefish: I had so much of it – along with all sorts of other bounty of the sea dishes – always sumptuously presented but with minimal fanfare while visiting Puglia … and at such low prices (from my gouged Londoner perspective anyway). Continue reading →

Posted in A Taste of Puglia, Food, Italy, Puglia, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel | Tagged A Taste of Puglia, Food, Gallipoli, Gareth Jones, I Murgini, Italy, La Rusticana, Le Saittole, le zie, Le Zie Trattoria di Perrone Anna Carmela, Lecce, Marechiaro, pasticciotto, polpo in pignata, puglia, restaurants, rustica, seafood, Shopping, trattoria | 3 Comments

Scents of Summer Afternoon Tea at Intercontinental London Park Lane

Posted on 2015-06-11 by tikichris

A new limited edition Scents of Summer afternoon tea is available now and running until the end of September at the Wellington Lounge of the Intercontinental London Park Lane. The colourfully presented tea features a bouquet of delicacies created by the hotel’s Executive Chef Ashely Wells in collaboration with Edward Bodenham, 9th generation of the world’s oldest family-run perfumers Floris. For a taste (and whiff) of the joys of summer, this afternoon tea offers a luxurious opportunity to while away some and come out smelling like a rose! Continue reading →