All fans of the eclectic artist Emilie Autumn gathered to London to share a day together, and many of them decided to stay with us!

The weather on that very special Sunday was absolutely perfect!
When we arrived to the park, carrying heavy bags with plenty of food and drinks, we were happy to see a beautiful clear sky and a warm sun ready to welcoming us!

The park was full of people, everyone enjoying the beautiful day!
But of course the most colourful and happy ones were… the participant of the International Muffin Meetup!!

We have been stunned by the incredible beauty of their outfits!!
We will let the photos do the talk, because the colours and the great creativity of each one of the Meetup participants was enough to leave us absolutely speechless!

We spent an amazing afternoon, chatting and eating together.
People around us were playing frisbee, Victorian Twister, blowing bubbles and being busy in any other sort of fun activities!

And of course we had plenty of tea and muffins!! : )

We also had the great opportunity to listen to some talented musicians playing live their instruments!
Framed by the beautiful nature of Regents Park, it has been truly a magical moment…

We truly had an amazing day, and we feel lucky to have had the chance to meet so many great, creative, eclectic and passionate people … we feel honoured that they have decided to stay with us in Ashlee House!!

Everyone here in Ashlee House would like to thank the great people who came to London to partecipate to the International Muffin Meetup!!
We had such great time with you and meeting all of you guys has been truly a pleasure.

We hope to see you all again soon, because we love when we have the luck to have such fantastic Guests in our Hostel!! Thank you!!!

For more photos just check out our Flickr photostream!

Photos courtesy of… Laura : ) – Lunatic Tailor and Commander Stripe Princess.

share with

This time we have been proud to host nothing less than the South African Ladies Team attending the Eight Ball Pool World Championship 2009 in Blackpool!

Carol, Janine, Florence, Miranda, Alta and Bev decided to come a couple of days earlier to visit London, so we took the chance to invite them to The Elbow Room, our favourite pool venue in London, for a friendly game, some drinks and a chat!

We had a very fun evening together!!

It does not happen every day to speak with someone who participate to World Championship, so we have been asking them how they started playing pool and what is that they enjoy the most about this sport.
That’s how we discovered that for Bev all started because his brother and father were playing and they thought it wasn’t a “ladies’ sport”! The same happened with Florence’s boyfriend… and yet these girls proved all them wrong!

What they like the most about playing pool is having the chance to share some quality time together with friends and family, and of course the fun and the adrenaline of every new challenge!

We have been playing together for all evening, chatting and sharing ideas and thoughts.
We have been talking about shopping, travelling, lifestyle in London compared to South Africa, and even about mortgages and public transport!!
… What’s sure is that we really want to go to visit them soon!! : )))

Some of our guests came to play pool with us, and they were very happy to have he chance to do so… it does not happen every day to play with World Champions!

We have been very pleased to have these fantastic ladies with us. It’s always so very rewarding when we get the chance to meet such amazing people!
It truly makes the difference.

We have been fantastically guested by The Elbow Room, our favourite pool bar, on Chapel Market, Islington, a few minutes away from our Hostel.
It’s a fantastic venue, lively and so very welcoming!
Thank you to Donald, Kit and all the great staff who gave us the chance to have such lovely time!

And if you like to play pool, even if you’re not a World Champion, do not miss the chance to play at The Elbow Room!
Every Monday playing pool is FREE all day!
If you’re up for some fun times with your friends, great music, great food and drinks, do not miss to pay them a visit next Monday!!

Thank you Carol, Janine Florence, Miranda, Alta and Bev for staying with us: we look forward to see you again soon in Ashlee House!!
(Or maybe will be us coming to South Africa! : )) )

For more photos, just check out our Flickr Photopage!

All photos © Sonia Bertacchini

share with

Regent’s park, five minutes by bus from our Hostel, is one of the most magical places in London.

The beautiful green landscapes and the lovely ponds are the perfect frame for many beautiful days, and we love to get lost in this park, so peaceful and mysterious that it’s easy to forget to be in the very centre of a big, busy city!

So… what about a lovely summer day, a great bunch of old and new friends, beautiful music and one of the most amazing London’s parks? Sounds good, isn’t it?
And what if we also add loads of delicious food and the perfect excuse to wear amazing Victorian dresses? Now, this is an extraordinary recipe for a great TEA-PARTY in London!



On the 2nd of August, Ashlee House will proudly host the participants of the International Muffin Meet Up!
Everything started from the music of the multi-talented artist Emilie Autumn. {Check her out on her official website!}

Dressed in lace, corsets, bustle skirts and blouses – clothes inspired by the Victorian era but re-invented with her unique style – this American performer is known for sewing her own clothes and being an amazing violin player and singer.
Her original style of music is often called ‘violindustrial’ because it’s a combination of industrial music and the electric violin.

Each of her concerts is an incredible show: music, burlesque dancing, aerial acts, fire hooping, stilt walking, ballet all gather together to create a fantastic and phantasmagorical atmosphere, able to involve and entertain the audience.

The fans of this eclectic performer from all around Europe and the world will all meet up in Regents Park to celebrate summer, music and friendship, having a colourful tea party dressed in their finest victoriandustrial clothes.
The organisers are waiting people from the Uk, USA, Scandinavia, Italy, Spain, Central Europe… Pretty much from everywhere!
If you want to have more details, just check out the International Muffin Meet Up Official Site!

We are also glad to say that they chose our Hostel for their London stay!

Everyone is welcome to this party! You don’t need to be an Emilie Autumn fan to come and have fun! All of us, here in Ashlee House, are planning to go, and we would be happy if you would like to join as well.

As a special offer, also, all the people who will book in Ashlee House specifically to participate to this event, will get a 10% discount on their stay!
Just drop us an email to have more info about.

WHERE: Regents Park, London. But also Ashlee House Hostel!
WHEN: Sunday 2nd of August
It will be an all-day event, but the main Tea Party will start around 4 O’ clock. It is recommended that you arrive somewhere between 10 AM and noon.
WHY: Because it’s a great chance to spend an original day out in London! And also because WE OFFER 10% DISCOUNT on your stay! A chance not to miss!!
HOW TO GET THERE FROM ASHLEE HOUSE: It’s just a short journey. Jump on the bus number 30 or number 205 and in 5 minutes you will be at Regent’s Park gates!

{SPECIAL THANKS to Anne and all the EA fans for helping us writing this post, and thank you to Daniel Gray, Juris, The Lunatic Tailor, Mathias, Gianluca, Filippo, Kewen and James for letting us use their great photos!}

share with