Today I found myself heading towards the picturesque town of St Albans, which is about a half an hours drive from where I currently live. You know how it is sometimes when you are trying to order something online and then end up having to go all the way to the shop to go and get it only to find that the nearest store is actually quite some distance away. Well I found myself in just this predicament and rather than just simply driving all this way to pick up an order I thought I would make the most of the sunny day and explore it a little further.
St Albans is a town that I am quite familiar with having visited the Verulamium as a child on a school trip and also mooching round a little when I used to go to the dentist there. However this being said I hadn't visited it for a long time, in fact the last time I went was with Richard a couple of years ago and we were both very disappointed. Today I went there with fresh eyes and a clear mind. My first challenge was finding somewhere to park. That was all I could really remember of St Albans when I used to visit with my Mum- it was a nightmare to park and the majority of parking was in god awful multi-storeys. I was yet to actually use a multi-storey since passing my driving test last year and sure enough I ended up at one and spent quite some time driving round and round trying to find a suitable place that wouldn't involve me crashing into a barrier or pillar. Feeling chuffed with myself I got out and took in the great views on offer.
I made my way down to The Maltings which is a quaint little shopping district with the sort of shops you would usually expect to see on the high street such as H&M, Topshop, River Island and New Look along with more upmarket stores such as Hotel Chocolat, Benefit, Kurt Geiger and Pandora. I stopped off in quite a few different shops, pleased to look around something completely different to the local towns and shops I know so well. Sometimes I think it is just nice to walk into somewhere and see that it is completely different to what you know, in many cases with a bigger and better selection on offer. I also enjoy looking at different high streets, with cute little coffee shops and independent stores which is certainly something that St Albans has to offer.
Although I have recently been shopping with both Richard and my Mum I actually ended up finding more here than anywhere local to me which is strange given they had the same selection of shops. I ended up being adventurous and trying on a selection of 'brave' outfits in H&M including some trousers that look amazing on pretty much everyone else except me. Safe to say a different location didn't change their appearance on me but it was worth a shot. I also tried on a dress which had the potential to be great but fitted in all the wrong places and not the areas that counted so that went back on the rail. I did however find success with an amazing fitted skirt that caught my eye. Thankfully it fitted otherwise I think I would have had a little breakdown in the H&M changing rooms and that wouldn't be the first time- the last time that happened it was because I was completely stuck in a dress, was hyperventilating and had no one to help me. Traumatic events aside I ended up leaving with the skirt which I like to think will have a lot of wear out of it...
For me I will always be happiest in a blazer and a pair of jeans and today was no exception. I've reached that sad point in my life where I have become slightly uninspired by clothing- I like shopping but can never find anything that I like and if I do then it doesn't fit. For months I have been looking at the bizarre fashion that has come in and out and wondering how on earth I can move with the trends. The fact is I can't. Give me a pair of jeans, a blazer and a basic top and I will be happy for ages. Same goes for a nice dress, I'll bung a blazer over that too. Safe to say that my £12 F&F blazers have done pretty well for themselves over the last two years. I wear them to death but if you find something that makes you comfortable then stick with it!
My sad clothing crisis aside I enjoyed my trip around St Albans. I moved away from The Maltings arcade and found the bustling market which had plenty on offer including fresh food, fabrics, jewellery and all sorts of other odds and ends I haven't seen locally for quite sometime. It made me realise that I really should get out and see more markets like this because you really don't know what you might find.
I also dipped in and out of different shops along this long stretch of road including a fantastic cookery store that I could have spent hundreds of pounds and many hours in.
So I implore you all to get in your car, on a bus or train and start exploring other local villages, towns and cities near you to see what they have to offer you even if it is just a new coffee shop or nik-nak shop that takes your fancy. Sometimes we forget just how generic our local high street is and actually there is a lot more out there to see...
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