Cockney in the Countryside

As many parents will know, a rare night away is like gold dust and I was hugely excited this weekend to be able to visit The Courthouse Hotel in Shoreditch, London for an evening without my three hooligans in tow! As many of you who follow my blog will know, I have 3 children under 6, one being autistic. “Sleep deprived” is the aura which encompasses my daily life. My youngest rarely settles before 10 pm most night and up in the morning shift at 4 to 5 am. Therefore time for actual conversations with Irish, my husband, are scarce and few.

When contemplating a night out in London there is no other place I would want to go to than East London. Yes I am probably biased being from East London myself but to me it’s energy, character and eccentric charm are what makes it the perfect night out. You don’t need to visit an art gallery in East London to see visual inspiration. Simply walk through Shoreditch and admire the murals which drape the walls. The delicious scents of street food stalls in the various markets around Shoreditch, Brick Lane and Hackney allow you more choice for dining out if you don’t fancy eating in one of the many restaurants. Quirky pubs offer a less pretentious night out, I was over joyed to find an original jukebox in The Bricklayers Arms and inflicted my music choices on everyone in the pub!

The Courthouse Hotel was ideal in terms of location, just a short walk from Liverpool Street Station, which is a great walk, especially if you stop for a drink at each pub along the way! Standing grandeur in Old Street, the former courthouse exudes elegance and luxury with it’s stunning entrance lobby and sweeping staircases. Looking every part the 5 star hotel it earned so deservedly, the staff and atmosphere are warm and welcoming with no request seeming too much for them.

After checking in we went to find our room. Elegantly decorated and spotlessly clean with stunning views of the London rooftops, even on a grey evening. That night when we returned home from our nights drinking I watched the lights of the East London skyline twinkle magically from our room.

I can safely say that the sleep I had that evening in the Courthouse was the best sleep I have had in 7 years, since becoming a parent. The black out curtains muted any noises from the bustling London streets below and when I woke that morning I could hardly believe the time… 10:15 am!

Breakfast ran from 6.30 am to 11 so we quickly dressed and went down for breakfast by 10.40 am. We were greeted warmly by the staff in the breakfast hall and shown to our table. We were told that as it was almost the end of breakfast that there may not be everything on show at the vast buffet but not to hestitate to ask for anything we might want.

Breakfast was delicious and most importantly to me.. Hot! Hot breakfast that I hadnt cooked myself? Could this be a dream? No child tugging at my arm for another drink, a biscuit or the Boss Baby with his daily potty deposit during my breakfast. I sat savouring every moment of the peaceful experience whilst the Irishman, for the first time ever, didn’t compare his breakfast to an Irish fry up!

After breakfast we checked out but asked if we could still use some of the hotel facilities which we hadn’t had time to do the previous day. We followed the signs down to the extensive range of facilities; the spa, fitness suite, pool and much more.

With slightly fuzzy heads we started with a game of bowling in The Courthouse’s own 2 lane bowling alley which also had table tennis and other games. Irish thought I was winding him up with my dire table tennis skills and before a row erupted, due to my hatred of losing, we moved on to look at the cinema and other areas of the hotel.

Leaving The Courthouse we walked back to London Liverpool Street Station feeling content and recharged from our stay at the Courthouse Hotel. We reflected on how perfect our night had been and most importantly to me, a good night’s sleep.

The staff at The Courthouse Hotel went above and beyond to make us feel welcome and comfortable during our stay. The location is ideal and I highly recommend Shoreditch as a place you visit in London for its character and charm and a night different to any other you would find in the more commercial parts of London.

Many thanks to The Courthouse Hotel for an amazing and memorable stay in my home town.

My stay at the hotel was a collaboration.