AREA CODE - Dreaming of Durham

Following the success of our little excursion to Chelsea last month, we will be heading to the lovely town of Durham shortly and wanted to give you guys some ideas of what you can get up to in Durham when the shows finished!

Go Stargazing at Hamsterley Forest

Why not join local amateur astronomer Neill Sanders, former volunteer at Kielder Observatory and member of the Go Stargazing team, between 28th March until 30th March for an evening of fun for all the family stargazing at Hamsterley Forest through large telescopes.

Open Treasure - Beasts

Who needs a trip to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter when Open Treasure at Durham Cathedral exists?! This is an exhibition of the weird and wonderful beasts and monsters which have fascinated people from earliest times and is sure to amaze any HP fans in your life, big or small!

Available now until 10th June with various opening times (see website for more details).

Durham Castle: Family Fun Tour

Bring the whole family to Durham Castle Tours on 31st March and enjoy a family-focused tour around Durham Castle, with activities for children throughout the tour.

Please note that charges do apply for this.

Bishop Auckland Food Festival

For the foodie's, Bishop Auckland Food Festival taking place 1st April to 2nd April is the obvious choice. Not only is it the region’s biggest food event, growing year on year hosting a whole programme of events and activities including celebrity chefs, cookery demo’s, street entertainment and a demonstration kitchen, it is also hosted in Auckland Castle - stunning food, stunning venue, what more could you possibly want?!

North Pennines Observatory Open Evening: Jupiter and its Moons

For something a little more romantic, join experienced astronomer Graham Relf on 7th April (Open 19:00 - 22:00) at North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), Ireshopeburn where he will lead a talk about the planet Jupiter, and if the skies are clear you may be lucky enough to see it yourself through a telescope!

After a giggle? Why not hit The Gala Theatre on Friday 14th April for their Funny Bones Comedy Club! A monthly dose of funnies with a mix of seasoned stand-ups and new comedic talents ready to have you laughing your socks off.

Beamish Museum

Throughout the year, Beamish hosts lots of interesting events for all the family to enjoy, including The Great North Festival of Transport, a Georgian Fair, The Great North Festival of Agriculture and much more. They even host a whole season of events just for Christmas!

Experience a real sense of your past at Beamish, and discover what life was like in North East England in the 1820s,1910s and 1940s .

Why we love it at Madia & Matilda: Beamish is a living, working museum, set in 300 acres of beautiful Durham countryside. Costumed folk bring to life the Town, Pit Village, Home Farm and Pockerley Old Hall.

You are also able to experience first-hand how the Industrial Revolution transformed agricultural life in the region as the buildings you see at Beamish are not replicas, but have been brought, brick by brick, from around the region and rebuilt to give visitors a real sense of history.

Also note: Tickets to Beamish are valid for 12 months from the date of purchase for an unlimited number of daytime visits to the Museum. Visit the website for full details.

Events at Beamish Museum March-April:

Great North Festival of Transport

This hugely popular festival gets bigger and better every year. Therefore, we think it is a must for enthusiasts and  a fantastic family activity for all to get involved in!

29th March – 23rd April (Open 10:00 - 17:00).

Old Kind Coal

This five-day celebration of the rich mining heritage of North East England is a definite must-have for any history buffs you may have joining you. Not only can you join in in the banner parades, but also have the chance to enjoy performances by local brass bands.

29 March to 2 April (Open 10:00 - 17:00).

Great North Steam Fair

This is an annual steam fair with an amazing line-up of visiting vehicles and Beamish Transport, in action and on view for all to see! Please the little ones or the boys that refuse to grow up with the likes of motorcycles, lorries and much more.

6th – 9th April (Open 10:00 - 17:00).

Horses at Work

More into animals? No worries! See magnificent horses at work around Beamish museum throughout April, including ponies, carriage horses and heavy horses. We also recommend staying to watch the incredible cavalry display.

22nd - 23rd April (Open 10:00 - 17:00).

Whatever you get up to in Durham, make sure to pop along to our event! Further details to be released later this week.

Sincerely Madia & Matilda

NEWS - London Fashion Week Debut

AW17 SHOWCASE

Classy, quintessentially classic, contemporary and clean-cut... next season's style is one to watch out for.

We geared up and got ourselves down to Chelsea last week for the release of our next season's clothing and we are delighted to let you in on a little sneak peek!

Elmira getting ready to shine

The girls arrived to our location in the lovely area of Old Church Street, Chelsea at Haute Elan for an early start to get their hair and make-up done.

It's the little things

Our fab make up friend, Chloe Versaci doing Danielle's make-up pre-shoot.

The lovely Linn having a giggle with Chloe.

Economic, social and environmental sustainability is something that is very important to us here at Madia & Matilda. Our new collection initiative is designed for simple-living.

The girls wore LilyFlo Jewellery, which you can find in our curated brands, accentuating their looks and with a little cuddle and gal time before taking to the stage.

Shardarae and Elmira pulling off our AW Collection effortlessly.

Linn wearing one of our next season daily looks.

Oriana showing off our new dress collection.

Wanting a more classy look? Danielle shows us how it's done in this new top and skirt combo.

Oriana still slaying in Lilyflo's new season minimalist, urban-geometric pieces whilst having a little sit down mid-shoot.

Is it even a showcase if we don't include a classic black and white behind the scenes?

Life isn't perfect but your outfit can be.

From left: Danielle Esprit, Shardarae P, Linn B. Saeb, Oriana Findlay, Véronica McBeal, Elmira Panjavi.

 Designer & Director Shalize Nicholas, Jewellery - Lily Flo - Designer Diana Sherling, Photographer  Rosalind Rosalind Alcazar & Claire Dytham, MUA Chloe Versaci, Showroom Haute Elan

Pre-order the new collection in August.

Sincerely Madia & Matilda

Pancake Day - #Foodie

Happy Pancake Day!

If any of you are anything like us, you are not a perfect replica of Mary Berry in the kitchen and just about get by with your beans on toast on the daily and pesto pasta for special occasions! Therefore, we thought we would treat you guys on this super sweet day to Queen Berry's very own easy pancake recipes. Grab your frying pan and chill playlist and get cooking!

This gif of Mary is all the convincing and support we need!

MAKES

12 thin pancakes (18-20cm each)

INGREDIENTS

• 125g plain flour
• 1 egg and 1 yolk
• 300ml milk

METHOD

1. Sift 125g plain flour into a bowl and make a well in the middle. Whisk together one egg, one egg yolk and a little milk taken from the 300ml, then pour into the well. Whisk with a little of the flour.
2. Gradually whisk in half of the remaining milk, drawing in the rest of the flour a little at a time, to make a smooth batter. Stir in the remaining milk. Cover and leave to stand for about 30 minutes.
3. Heat the frying pan and brush with a little oil.
4. Ladle two or three tablespoons of batter into the pan and tilt the pan so that the batter spreads out evenly over the bottom.
5. Cook the pancake over a medium-high heat for 45-60 seconds until small holes appear on the surface, the underside is lightly browned and the edge has started to curl. Loosen the pancake and turn it over by tossing or flipping it with a palette knife. Cook the other side for about 30 seconds until golden. Slide the pancake out of the pan.
6. Heat and lightly grease the pan again before making the next pancake. Serve the pancakes as they are made, or stack them on a plate and reheat before serving. (If the pancakes are hot when you stack them they will not stick together; there is no need to interleave them with greaseproof paper.)

TOTAL TIME:

40 minutes

Mary Berry's Complete Cookbook

p.s. Don't forget to add your Nutella!

Sincerely Madia & Matilda

Rainy Day Outfit Inspo

There are times in the year when the sun ceases to exist and clouds rally their forces and join sides to release a downpour of rain on our shores. Don’t let the lack of sunshine and warm rays this season ruin your vibe though – we have taken the liberty of concocting some of the sweetest styles for rainy weather this year so you can still rock your look on Umbrella Days.

First up is our Anya Long Sleeve Jersey top with tights and boots wrapped up underneath the Eloise Dungaree Dress. The look is simple but the layering adds elegance to the style and is sure to keep you wrapped up cosy and warm all day under your winter coat.

With Britain being renown for rainy days - 2 staple layering items that are perfect for mood-swing days are the; Maaike T-shirt with Alicia Mini Skirt and tights - great transitional piece into the spring weather.

The third outfit to bring a little sunshine to your style this month is the new Sura Frill Top with our always-in-style Jean Slim Cut Trousers and layered with a jumper and a calf-length coat on top.

Why not add some of our curated brand LilyFlo’s jewellery for a little extra glam?

Vega Bracelet

For those of you craving something a tad more daring – the Shan Long Sleeve Blouse and our Simone Chequered Print Wrap Skirt is super elegant and can be worn with brogues or boots and a coat to really add to the look.

Are you one to let the weather ruin your outfit? Want to channel your inner Nicole Richie? like our Instagram earlier this month, the Ruth Strap Dress is the perfect dress for a glam night out this weekend. Add a pair of heels, your favourite clutch and a red lippy that would make even T-Swift jealous and you might give Nicole Richie herself a run for her money.

Don’t forget to take a sheer umbrella with you and not even your brolly can hide your style!

...Or master the sexy wet hair look from Sel slaying here!

Sincerely Madia & Matilda

HOW TO: The White Shirt

As every girl knows, a white shirt should be a basic piece in any girls’ wardrobe, regardless of how bold or minimalist her style is. So, to celebrate National White Shirt Day last month and the release of our new season of white shirts, we’re taking the time to focus on our favourite white shirt looks.

Our new Adele shirt is smart and simplistic, giving it the ability to dress up or dress down depending on your mood.

Pair with our Ellen Trousers for a classic chic work look.

For brunch with the girls, our new Fi Wrap Skirt or Blue Chequered Jessie Trousers works wonders!

The new Adian Shirt is another shirt that can be dressed up or down. With its beautifully embellished roses, it adds a little sparkle to any work outfit and fits fabulously with our Frankie trousers for a professional look.

However, for day-to-day wear, simply pop on a pair of our Jean Slim Cut Trousers!

As you might be able to tell, here at Madia & Matilda we are loving long skirts this season. Why not pair our Jen Crepe shirt with the Eduora pleated skirt, a leather jacket and boots for a look that screams edgy with a hint of sophistication?

Happy White Shirt Day and don’t forget you don’t need a National Day to rock a white shirt!

Sincerely Madia & Matilda