The double digit months are finally here! Where have the past nine months gone? (Let’s pretend that it’s the fourth of May and not the fourth of June as this is my April round-up). I’ll be posting my May round-up next week or at the end of this week to try and get things back in some kind of order.
These round-ups used to be a lot more interesting when I went to Awards shows and after-parties but that is not my job and these round-ups are meant to be a little reflection of what I get up to in the PR world. Which used to be a lot of prosecco drinking and movie premieres 🙁
I may not have attended anything glamorous this month but they are rare perks of the job so obviously don’t happen all that often. As much as I would love them to.
Are we still talking about my birthday?
Well haven’t I dragged this out for all it’s worth. I spent the beginning of April at home as it was the Easter period and celebrated my birthday with my family and friends in Ireland. I’ll not go into much detail as I’m sure you’re sick of hearing me talk about turning 21, and I can’t believe it’s June and I’m still talking about it.
Anyway, I was back home for the first time since Christmas and I had a lovely time as I got to see my close friends and family, but it still felt too short. I even saw my baby cousin for the second time in her life and she turned one a month later. Sometimes I feel bad for not going home so much but when it comes around I always dread it so much, which is why I put it off for so long at a time. Why do I dread going home? Because nothing ever changes. Plus Lurgan is a pretty miserable town at best.
I’m heading back home for one night this weekend and then a full weekend the week after. Only my third time at home in six months. I think the longest I’ve been home for one period at a time since summer after first year of university was ten days at Christmas due to it falling over a weekend. But I’m hoping to go home for a while after placement. I’ve missed it.
My first massage
London has been a year of firsts for me. My first time at an Awards show, my first time at a celebrity event, my first time at a movie premiere, my first time being the actual PR girl I always imagined, flicking through glossy magazines, talking to journalists and working in the beauty industry. But I had another first this month. I had my first ever massage – exciting, I know.
But it took place in The Mondrian Hotel (at the same time they were holding the Love Island casting) and was a treat for the PR girls at work. I’ve only ever been to The Mondrian once, before we headed to the GQ Awards and it was ever so fancy but I remember the staff were very pleasant. I always expect to get that ‘You don’t belong here’ look, like I’m not fitting with their clientele, but it was quite the opposite.
After I had my first ever massage, I can’t say I felt relieved of any stress or tension or any more relaxed than I was going in. I’m not someone who can switch off very easily. I get a little anxious if I’m sat for five minutes doing nothing, constantly thinking there’s so much that I need to be doing or thinking about and here I am wasting time.
Even if I have a day off, I can’t sit still and relax. I need to have plans and be doing something. The only time I ever feel fully relaxed and carefree is when I’m on holiday. Sitting by the sea, sun beaming down, cocktail in one hand and a book in the other. There is literally no better feeling. I think I may need to take more holidays.
Anyway, after my massage and some champagne, we were taken to the Rumpus Room bar on the 8th floor of the hotel where there was a live jazz band playing. The best thing about this bar was the views. There was a terrace to the side which gave views of St. Paul’s Cathedral, The Gherkin, The Walkie Talkie building and Cheese Grater. I don’t know if these buildings have actual names but these are the only ones I’ve ever known them by. It was also night time at this point so the views were even more special in the dark.
That night was definitely a great introduction back into London life after being at home.
The View from the Shard
Another one ticked off the Bucket List. Annie and Alice (two of the interns) had bought me a ticket to head up The Shard for my birthday present – I know, still talking about my birthday – and it was pretty amazing. We even grabbed a glass of champagne at the top!
The views were pretty spectacular and we went around 6pm which meant we got the best of both worlds with views in the light of day and then by night when it started to get dark.
Now that I only have a matter of weeks left in London, I need to get myself in gear to finish my Bucket List by the end of July.
Concerts
April was quite a busy month for me where friends were concerned. I had a friend visiting for a weekend where we went to see Harry Styles in concert and another over visiting for a Dua Lipa concert.
The Harry Styles concert was in the o2 and he was phenomenal, as expected. The Dua Lipa concert was in Alexandra Palace (Ally Pally) and good grief, it was quite a trip to get there. It was also insanely humid and probably one of the sweatiest gigs I’ve ever been to. Dua Lipa was great, but there wasn’t any personal touch with her. It was like we were at a festival, from the way she performed. There wasn’t really much interaction, but she’s still an amazing performer.
I also got a free ticket to the Global Citizen concert in the o2 Academy, Brixton through work. Maya Jama and Adwoa Aboah hosted and I was also able to see Emeli Sande and Professor Green perform, another few people ticked off the Concert Bucket List – I have a lot of Bucket Lists…
With two friends visiting over two weekends, it was also a great excuse to see some more West End shows. I was able to see Phantom of the Opera and Dreamgirls (for a second time). Almost on my way to ten West End shows!
Harry Kane PA Day
Ok less about what I did outside of work, and back onto the point of this post – what I got up to in work.
If you didn’t know, Harry Kane is one of the faces of our new Hugo Boss BOSS Bottled United fragrance. The fragrance has four ambassadors, four footballers that will be taking part in this year’s World Cup. I always support Spain in the World Cup – are Ireland even taking part this year?! – due to my old love for Fernando Torres during his Liverpool days but after the antics of a certain Sergio Ramos during the Champions League Final last week, I’m starting to think otherwise.
I got to visit Watford during April (my first time) and it was actually the same stop as the Harry Potter Studios and it made me a little (a lot) sad because it’s been on my Bucket List ever since I made my first Bucket List – the Harry Potter Studios, not to visit Watford. Something you should know about me is that I’m a major Harry Potter geek. I can say all of the lines from the movies before the actors even say them. As the saying goes, ‘I could act in it’ and by ‘it’ I mean every single movie. There was even a small kid walking through the station in a wizard cloak with a wand and I was very tempted to tag along instead of going to work but there’ll be another day for that trip.
Oh and something else of interest, that morning I had to go to the Nike store on Oxford Street and purchase twenty England football jerseys. This would have raised a lot of eyebrows if I was to do the same thing back home. I thought it quite funny that the only Irish in the office was sent out to buy England tops. At least I wasn’t back in Ireland, that’s all I can say.
The work location for the day was The Grove Estate, probably the most posh hotel/golf club/country home/I don’t know/place I have ever been to. It took about ten minutes just to drive up the driveway. The views of the grounds were absolutely stunning. And I got to work with Harry Kane for the day. Something to remember.
In reflection
I guess there actually was quite a few celebrity events during the month of April. There were definitely a lot of concerts, shows and brunches thrown in too.
I should really keep up with writing these so I’d be able to remember what happened more clearly. Although the month of April seems like an absolute lifetime away, not just over a month back.
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