Friday 21 February 2014

Cakes In Coco


Every week, on either a Wednesday or Thursday, sometimes both if I have enough loose change, I sit at my favourite table in Coco's Cafe, the one by the window. This is my writing spot. I will happily spend a whole afternoon in Coco thinking, writing, watching the world go by.

Lunch time today is packed, every bench and chair taken, loud chatter cutting through the mouth fulls of food...

...Women. Coco is full of women. I like the company of women, their full undulating tones; a sweet flavoured backdrop as I sit behind the lid of my laptop. Mothers. Friends. Business meetings. An eight week old infant in spotty baby gro is passed around, from arm to arm, bottle teat pushed between her tiny lips, suck, suck, suck. Happy. Milky. One man sits alone at a small circular table in black suit and striped purple shirt, he also has a laptop. They come here, the creative types.

In the afternoon it will quieten, will almost have the place to myself, imagination given full rein to gallop, to roly poly like a hard boiled egg. I find I write more productively with the background hum of conversation and music; today, it's Stevie Wonder, Superstition is playing, I L.O.V.E Superstition. My shoulders shake and sway to the rhythm; I must look a little odd. And I zone out, in a good space, focusing on the job. At my favourite table by the window - views of pitted tarmac and semi detached homes - I have somehow managed to climb a few literary peaks over the last year; prose that has elasticity (I hope), solid word counts on the beleaguered story (nearly there now).


I bring Little A to Coco. Any excuse for cake. Her regular tipple is a child size hot chocolate, milky, covered in tiny marsh mallows. A frothy chocolate moustache on her top lip.

Coco is all about smiles and friendship and warmth. I'm like a pub regular. 'What time do you call this?' says Beth with a wry grin, 'you're late today, look your table is free.' Lovely Teddie takes my order, and later, Kim does her damnedest persuading me with another slice of hummingbird. No, I'm already stuffed to the rafters. It's good service in here...

Today I had a plate of gorgeous colour; a scotch egg, it's yolk, yellow like buttercups, still runny, oozing over the plate, accompanied with rocket, salsa and purple salad. The main event, desert, a mini coffee and walnut cake, washed down with a mug of tea, a detox infusion.



This fabulous little cafe has become an important part of my daily life, my writing life. And this got me thinking. I want to write more about the details, the minutes of the day to day, the important stuff. So I had an idea, one for a new blog series; Cakes in Coco, a moment to free style, and talk vanilla sponge; cake is always a good place to start...

Care to join me in Coco? It's situated in Croxley Green - a village located between Rickmansworth and Watford - on the Watford Road.

If you like my writing, you could do two wonderful things for me (pretty please);
1. Vote for me in the MADS (best writer). 2. Preorder my anthology, Seasons Of Motherhood (published in March). Thank you. 

44 comments:

  1. I NEED that scotch egg, it looks divine. Actually I need a cafe like Cakes in Coco. I miss being a "local" somwhere! :) xx

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    1. That scotch egg is awesome... and it was very tasty. It's so nice having a local cafe; I'll bet you'll have some lovely cake places where you are! X

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  2. Lovely photos and descriptive writing. I love a good cafe too!

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    1. Thank you very much! A good cafe is the best!

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  3. That cake...oh my!! I need a cafe like that near me ;) It's wonderful when you find a place like that, one you can sit and write at xx

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    1. The cake was lovely... It's great having Coco, its a community focal point, and great to write in. X

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  4. I loved this post, what a wonderful read. I love Coco Cafe and I want to go there!
    I loved the free style of this post, just writing about what's going om around you. In such fabulous descriptive style!
    (PS that MADS link above is to the nomination form?)

    xx Jazzy

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    1. Thank you very much indeed, it's a fab little cafe with fab food. And the link above takes you through to the MADS website, click on nominations, and then go ahead and nominate. X

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  5. Sounds perfect. You don't really want any of to turn up, do you, coz that would be your writing right out of their best window?! Would love to though. And am so glad your getting on with it :) XX

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    1. It is lovely. The perfect spot. And you make a good point but it's nice having the distraction once in a while ;o). Thank you for your vote of confidence

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  6. It sounds like a wonderful place and the food looks scrummy. Oh, how I'd dearly love to wile away a few hours in Coco with you, writing and eating cake...someday...someday soon I hope. x

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    1. It is rather fab with very yummy home cooked food. Oh please do come and join me in Coco soon; that would be lovely. X

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  7. I love this piece, you write beautifully, I am going to check out more of your blog! And I would love to enjoy a coffee with you sometime!

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    1. Thank you very much... and we must definitely meet up!

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  8. I wish that I lived closer!! Sounds like a perfect spot!! *sticks bottom lip out a little bit* x

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    1. It is a lovely spot, and a very friendly welcoming place - and they do the best cake. X

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  9. It sounds and looks like a heavenly place... Coco would obviously be a bit far for me to pop by but perhaps I should try something like this too, concentrate on the book in a place different than home. xx

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    1. It is lovely, and very, very friendly.... shame you are so far away, but I can recommend experimenting with writing in a nice cafe. X

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  10. so good you have a place like that, and the food looks amazing! I spend one day a week in town after school drop off - like a background buzz too, but haven't found anywhere quite as lovely as Coco's x

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    1. It's great, and the food is lovely.... l like town after a school drop off too, nice and quiet. Where do you go for your cuppa? X

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  11. Ooh, sounds super lovely place, and heck, I could go there, but then you must be mad, you don't want any of us bloggers there talking and distracting you from writing, surely?!! Sx

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    1. It is really nice.... yes, you must come over! I little distraction isn't the end of the world :o) X

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  12. Sounds lovely, Syd starts pre-school this week- I need to find myself somewhere just like it to spend my couple of hours child free time a week! maybe then my writing will be as beautiful as yours!

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    1. It is... best of luck for Syd, that came around fast! I can highly recommend being in a little cafe to while away the hours (and write)... and thank you, you are too kind!

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  13. That scotch egg looks gorgeous! I'm doing a juice detox this week, but once that's done, I'll totally join you - let's make a date!

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    1. It was very, very delicious! A juice detox... the sounds very healthy, and you are a braver woman than I. Yes, please join me :o)....!

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  14. Oh my, this sounds like a little slice of heaven on earth! That colourful lunch looks simply wonderful. And I like your posts so much, I shall do both of the above :)

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    1. It is quite literally a little slice of heaven! It was a lovely lunch... and thank you very much, that is very kind of you; I really appreciate the support! :o)

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  15. I really enjoyed this post and I also like writing with a background buzz. My favourite spot is actually a pub that gives free Smarties with each coffee I chain-drink there! Pleased to see I live near you so I could make it to Coco one day! X

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    1. Thank you - glad you did... the background buzz actually helps me to zone out. A pub with free smarties? That sound like my kind of space :o) And please come along to Coco! X

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  16. It looks like a really fabulous little place and its so nice to just get immersed into somewhere like that. There is an amazing little place near somewhere I work. It's a cake school/coffee shop and its so nice to just sit there watching them make things.

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    1. It's a great little place and I can really concentrate there... sounds like the place near where you work is very nice too - nice to people watch isn't it?

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  17. Sounds heavenly. Do you day dream, while you're sitting at your favourite table in your window, watching the world go by?
    PS. Nomination done. I hope its not meant to be a secret x.

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    1. It is. A lovely place to relax. I am very much the day dreamer, and plenty of day dreaming gets done at my favourite spot by the window. And thank you for nominating; I'm touched. X

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  18. That scotch egg looks amazing! You didn't need to ask - you were top of my list for that category x

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    1. It was delicious! Bless you - that's very kind. X

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  19. Book was pre-ordered the second I heard about it - natch. This all sounds so very Carrie Bradshaw - except for the bit where you take Little A along, in SATC Little A would be the name of a fabulous new handbag, clearly a beautiful little daughter is so much better!! Your writing keeps getting better and better, roll on novels and the emergence of a new literally star for the masses to know about! xx

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    1. I know :o).... thank you very much. Carrie Bradshaw? That made me smile but Croxley Green is hardly New York! But I do love the idea of Little A being a name for a handbag... LOL. And thank you very much for the very last sentence... that's very kind. X

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  20. I can just imagine you sat there and boy how fabulous does your lunch look! If I still lived in Herts, I'd happily come join you. Mich x

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    1. It was a wonderful lunch, and it's a shame you don't still live here, I would have loved it if you joined me. X

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  21. Coco sounds like a wonderful place to spend a morning or afternoon... I wish I had a cafe like that near me! Your photographs are beautiful - as delicious looking as those wonderful cakes xx

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    1. It is a fabulous little cafe... and thank you very much; I can highly recommend the cakes. X

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