Regarding Kettle Lists – and drinking 50 coffees
50 coffees? What is that about then?
If you are new here, this intro paragraph will be useful to you.
However, if you are a regular and know what ‘Polly’s Pad’ is all about then feel free to skip ahead.
What is a ‘Kettle List’? If you want the long version, check out my post here. It even includes all of the tasks on the list.
If you want the TL;DR, it’s like a Bucket List but less depressing; instead of doing all the things before I die, I want to get them done before March 2027, when I turn … well older.
I am writing up every task, whether completed or not, and I will update them as I go.
And here is task #44 – Drink 50 coffees in 50 different cities
50 coffees – An excuse to feed my caffeine addiction
This task is all about coffee; that wonderous drink that fuelled me through college, University and continues to do so through middle-age.
This page will be a caffeinated work in progress until I have completed the task. My intention is to add the pictures of me with the caffeine in question as I visit 50 Cities – although my definition is fairly loose, so for ‘city read: City/town/district/area.
To be honest, considering the amount of coffee I drink, I am hoping to exceed 50, it is however entirely dependent on me visiting lots of new places.
August 2024 update!!!
This task is now complete. Now comes the arduous task of gathering all the photos and remembering what i was doing and where I was!
Coffee 1:
My first official coffee (because anything in Bristol doesn’t really count) was in Greater London – Heathrow Airport at the start of my Japan trip on April 4th 2017.
I also got to tick a county off too, so that was a great start to the Kettle list!
It was an early morning latte – and the first of many I would have in the first 2 weeks of the challenge.
Coffee 2:
Osaka, Japan – 5th April 2017
While waiting for Yumi to finish work we had a wander around Namba Parks and found a coffee shop: Bagels and Bagels. It was here we tried our first Sakura Latte. What a great start to my 50 coffees task!
Also, It was my first attempt at buying something in a Japanese shop, in Japanese, and it went rather well. I mean – we got the things we ordered, so that is always good.
Coffee 3:
Nara, Japan – 6th April 2017
Komeda coffee.
This is one of the coffee shops I looked up in advance and had been planning to visit in Kyoto. Turns out they are everywhere.
I had a few coffees in Nara, including all the ones I drank in Yumi’s house. This picture is me having an Iced Coffee, which totally counts.
Coffee is coffee.
Coffee 4:
Kyoto, Japan – 10th April 2017
Once we left Yumi’s home in Nara, we caught a train to Kyoto for our stay there. As I mentioned above, I had looked up Komeda coffee in advance. This branch is very close to Nijo Station, so we were frequent visitors.
As I had ‘walked the streets’ via the power of Google Maps, it was a very odd feeling to actually enter cafes that I had only previously ‘virtually’ visited online.
Coffee 5:
My Toyko Coffees.
So many coffees, but only one city. So ‘coffee 5’ is actually quite a few coffees
Harujuku, Tokyo, Japan – 15th April 2017
Toyko Dome City – 15th April 2017
Asakuka, Tokyo -17th April 2017
Coffee 6:
Wiston, West Sussex – May 2017
Not long after I had returned from Japan, I was off again.
This time for a weekend of camping in Wiston for the BCDO. Despite the weather, we had a lovely afternoon coffee and scones, all while hiding from the rain.
Coffee 7:
Newbury, Berkshire -May 2017
This may be the services on the way home, but it totally counts.
I had hoped to stop in one of the counties I have yet to tick off my list on the way home. Sadly this trip didn’t count, as I have already been to Berkshire, having spent time in Reading.
While the ‘county tick-off’ was not to be, I was able to “enjoy” a latte in the Newbury Services’ Mcdonalds.
Coffee 8:
Newport, Wales: 2017
This is a fairly weird one. We were in Newport for a funeral, so I feel a bit bad about including it.
But we did go to another city, and we did have a coffee in the pub afterwards. Also got to try out a Snapchat filter to prove I was there.
Coffee 9:
Berlin, Germany: 16th-18th March 2018
Wasn’t particularly impressed with this photo and I have accidentally ‘lost it’!
We found a Starbucks, and because I needed both coffee and WiFi we popped in. I had a bucket of coffee there, and then other lattes in various other places over the weekend.
Berlin was really nice, although at -7c it was a little cold for me!
Coffee 10:
Bovington Tank Museum:28th April 2018
It was Tiger tank day, and we even made a vlog of the occasion. The coffee was truly awful, but I did get to tick Dorset off my ‘Visit every county’ list.
Coffee 11:
Bicester, Oxfordshire: 29th April 2018
Well, the Cherwell Valley services, but totally counts. I purposely made a pit stop for a coffee and to tick Oxfordshire off the county list.
Coffee 12:
Milton Keynes – 29th-30th April 2018.
This was the closest Hannah could get tickets to go and see Dan & Phil in concert, so we made a weekend of it.
Managed to tick off a coffee, but also Buckinghamshire from the county list AND we got to go Indoor Skydiving!
Coffee 13:
Potters Bar, Hertfordshire. – June 2nd 2018
Okay, it was a ‘services’ again.
And much like our trip to Milton Keynes, I planned to stop just so I could tick Hertfordshire off of the county list. This was part of our journey towards Colchester.
Coffee 14:
Colchester Castle Park. June 3rd 2018
A coffee in the park while attending a Medieval Fayre that I have wanted to go to for the last 13 years.
I asked Toby to take the photo…so you can’t see the coffee, just my 5 chins, and will just have to trust me.
Coffee 15:
Cheltenham 23rd June 2018
We visited the Well Walk to celebrate my Mum’s Friend’s 60th Birthday. It was a quirky little place, that looked more like an antique shop than a tea shop.
No pictures of me with coffee yet again, but plenty of witnesses. Hannah will be going to Gloucester & Cheltenham University which is pretty near the Well Walk. Maybe I’ll get the chance to go again at some point?
Coffee 16:
Minehead, Somerset. October 6th 2018
Our girly weekend at Butlins, Minehead. It was a 70’s theme, so we got to see Leo Sayer, Gino Washington and some dancing pandas.
Coffee 17:
Southampton; March 9th 2019
Don’t ask! We drove all the way to Southampton because Harri wanted to buy 2 tortoises. We did get to tick off a new county (Hampshire) Also, I got to try out possibly the greatest pie I have ever eaten at Piecaramba! (I can thoroughly recommend ‘The Mountie’!)
Coffee 18
Weymouth, Dorset: Easter Sunday 2019
Having missed out on our last visit we decided to return to the Tank Museum with Paul in tow. It was very quiet for a holiday weekend, and we decided to risk it and go to Weymouth when we finally finished looking at everything.
Some genius – Me! I am the genius in this situation- had the wizard idea to bring coffee in a thermos. So I was able to drink it in whichever city we arrived in. So I got to drink coffee on the beach and watch the sun go down.
Coffee 19
Sutton Colefield, Birmingham: August 24th 2019
We spent a weekend at Paul’s friend’s house, so I seized the opportunity to tick off another coffee.
Coffee 20
Lymouth, Dorset: September 7th 2019
Pat decided to take us on a nice day out. We got to go to the beach, ride the cliff railway, and of course, drink coffee.
Coffee 21
Dublin Airport; 23rd October 2019.
We only got to sit in the airport, so it doesn’t count as a European capital, but I did get to have a coffee.
(Yes. It is the same jumper as above. I have a capsule wardrobe, what can I say!)
Coffee 22
Santa Monica, California 24th October 2019
The first of many iced coffees on this trip. I was amazed at the pricing of things in America. Some were far more expensive than I expected, while the food was really reasonably priced, for the most part.
They also appear to have an overwhelming obsession with ice. Much like my new overwhelming obsession with cold coffee… maybe I could do an iced version of the 50 coffees task?
Coffee 23:
Hollywood, California: November 2019.
Lots of coffee to be had here too, but this one was in the Disney/Ice-cream/Chocolate store on Hollywood Boulevard.
Yes, we bought far too much chocolate.
Yes, I have no regrets.
Coffee 24
Korea Town, California: November 2019
I appreciate that my accent isn’t the greatest, but the Starbucks staff insisted on calling me ‘Pauly’ for the entire holiday!
Coffee 25
Oxford Centre, Oxfordshire: February 2020
What with one thing, and another, mainly the ‘one thing’, I have not been out much this year.
I did get to go visit Carolyn in Oxford though and sneak in my only non-Bristol coffee of the year. It has also taken me to the halfway mark on this ’50 coffees’ task.
Hoping to get a few more in as the country opens up. After all, I still have plenty of counties to tick off and countries to visit.
Coffee 26
Barry Island, South Wales: June 2021 (It’s been a while!)
Having been invited on a day out with my friend Rin and her family, I was able to have a coffee by the beach. Oh, how I had missed the beach during lockdown!
I would return to the beach at Barry to tick another task off in Summer 2022 …must write that up.
For now, though here is me looking out to sea with a coffee in my hand. Which I obviously drank afterwards.
Coffee 27
Bridgend, South Wales: August 2021
We were finally able to go and visit my friend Nic in Wales, and have a coffee with her at her house. The K stands for Kaffine.
Coffee 28
Sudley Castle: November 2021
This was a WI Christmas Lights trip. It was very cold, but very enjoyable and a warm latte was just the job after walking around the grounds.
(Got this one confused with my trip to Downton Abbey, but as that was in Newbury, it didn’t count as a different place).
Coffee 29
Malvern Flower Show: May 2022
Beautiful day out, glorious weather and an excuse to wear an obnoxiously large sun hat.
Iced coffee all the way for this one!
A hi-light for me was the bio-dome,that was – I imagine, as I have yet to go there- like being at the Eden Project, but on a smaller scale.
Coffee 30
Tewkesbury: May 2022
We would visit Tewkesbury twice this year. This time I was bringing Hannah and a friend to watch another friend in her University final performance show.
The other time was to bring Ethan to a medieval fayre – which he loved. We didn’t get to watch the reenactment battle, as it was too hot for my Mum to sit out, so we plan to return another year and stay all day.
Coffee 31
Liverpool: May 2022
For Hannah’s 21st birthday, we took a long weekend to Liverpool ( ticking off yet another county on the list) . As she is a very big Beatles fan, we did the Cavern, a Magical Mystery Tour, saw all of the statues, and had a few too many cocktails in one of the themed bars.
A latte in a local cafe was the far forward from that the next morning!
Coffee 32
Stow on the Wold : September 2021 (Because I forgot this one)
Going through photos, I realised that I could use this coffee photo that Harriet took as we snuck out for breakfast. We were in Stow-on the Wold for a wedding, and got to stay in an adorable cottage to avoid a long drive on the day of the wedding.
Coffee 33
Tiverton – on a barge!: August 2022
Not going to lie – not a great cup of coffee, but I was travelling down a canal on a horse drawn barge, so what I lost in flavour, I made up for in ambience.
Coffee 34
Lancaster: October 2022
On what has since become an annual trek, we drove up to the Lake District to visit the LICAF. I was very cognisant that I hadn’t been involved as much in Toby’s interests, and thought this was an event he would enjoy. We are in fact going for a third time this year, so I think I can assume it is a hit!
I also got to tick a county off my list, and definitely didn’t plan the entire route to Cumbria to have strategic stops to tick more counties off… 😉
Coffee 35
Bowness-on-Windermere: October 2022
The Lake district is beautiful, and this particular small area of it comes to life in September when comic book and graphic novel fans from all over come to the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. And, I have no doubt, drink coffee while looking out at Lake Windermere.
Coffee 36
Evesham: June 2023
While I can find wedding photos, pictures of the kids, Can’t find a photo of me with my coffee. I’m still counting it though, as I distinctly remember sitting out on the veranda of the cabin we stayed in and drinking a coffee, and getting an arty shot of the fields and my book… I’ll see if I can find it.
Coffee 37
Himeji: April 2023 (Dates have all gone to pot…a coffee pot, obviously)
As Himeji was the only new city I visited while in Japan, I cannot count the numerous other coffees I drank while I was there. Rest assured there were many – although not as many coffees were drunk as noodle dishes were eaten. My new favourite dish is kitsune udon; it was my first meal when I arrived, and the last thing I ate before I left.
Coffee 38
Leicester: July 2023
Can’t find a photo! Actually gutted as – weird as it sounds- this was one of the nicest McDonalds I’ve ever been to. We were on our way to a festival in Nottingham, and I purposely stopped here to tick a county off.
I have a nice picture of a fox, but that is the only proof that I was there.
Coffee 39
Derby: July 2023
As another county was so close by, and Han has always wanted to try a Tim Hortons donut, we popped over.
Coffee was Meh, donuts were better.
Coffee 40
Nottingham: July 2023
My trip to the Lake District has made me quite adventurous, so we drove all the way to Nottingham for the weekend to attend a festival. We got to see loads of artists, including Betty Boo, Royston club, Madness and Liam Gallagher. It was well worth being rained on the entire time.
Coffee 41
Coventry: July 2023
Can’t find a photo! We stopped here on the way back from Nottingham – and had an obligatory McDonalds latte, but there are no photos… I think my phone may be dying!
Coffee 42
Windsor: August 2023
The annual Women’s Institute trip this year was to Windsor – not the castle, but an independent wander around the town (city?) , a meal at a very underwhelming all-you-can-eat Chinese restaurant and then a visit to a fudge shop. We then all met up to go on a boat trip along the river. in between all of that, I managed to find time to drink a coffee and grab a snap.
Coffee 43
Amsterdam Airport: April 2023
A lay-over isn’t a problem when it is at Schiphol Airport as they have loads of interesting shops and restaurants. A great start to my first solo holiday.
(As an aside it is also the only place were I had seen a special chocolate that Hannah likes, so I ended up buying 1kg of Tony’s Chocolonely white raspberry popping candy, which made it’s way to Japan, sat in Yumi’s fridge for 10 days, took a detour to Korea, before returning to Holland, then London… Some well travelled choccy!
Coffee 44
Shrewsbury : September 2023
I visited Shrewsbury years ago when I was at college when I convince our Geography teacher to stop there on the way home from a camping trip to Wales. As a Cadfael fan, I wanted to see the abbey. But, as that trip was back in 2012 it didn’t count as a country for my list. Therefore when planning out the drive to the Lake District for this years LICAF (avoiding motorways, as I am not a fan) I knew we needed a Shropshire stop, and that Shrewsbury was the spot. Even it it was for a McDonalds latte.
Coffee 45
Blackburn : September 2023
On the way home Toby was in charge of directions – so we ended up in Blackburn. It was still quite early, so breakfast at McDonalds it was.
Coffee 46
Frome : November 2023
Having driven for 10.5 hours home from Cumbria a few months previously, I was beginning to have a different perspective on distant and how far is ‘too far’.
Frome is only 20 miles away, and they were having a Christmas chocolate fair. Hannah and I decided to check it out. Not only did I find what has fast become one of my favourite skirts in a local charity shop, but we were able to buy a few Christmas presents, as well as get a quick coffee in.
Coffee 47
Winchester : November 2023
Another WI trip – this time for a Christmas market. It was in Winchester where we were the recipient of a Christmas miracle. Hannah had seen some plushy rats (doesn’t ask!) on a random TikTok and had made me visit at least 5 different Aldi stores to look for them.
We had had no luck at all, but walking through the mall, Han just disappeared – she had been draw into the Christmas shop, and all I heard was ‘They’ve got a Renton!’ – so we came way with 2 rats and Coffee ticked off of our list that day.
Coffee 48
Birmingham : May 2024
Having been coerced into attending an Olivia Rodrigo concert, I was able to convince Hannah that we should spend the weekend in Birmingham, so we could have a day of shopping.
Now, while I did have coffee in the hotel room (and in Spoon’s with my breakfast) I appear to have saved the wrong picture down, and I am sipping a free spicy tequila sample here. Coffee was definitely drunk on the weekend – just not as much as other things…
Coffee 49
Bradford on Avon : July 2024
One of Hannah’s friends is an artist who often sells at craft fairs. As we always go to support our arty friends we popped to Bradford on Avon. A pair of new earrings and some cute stickers later, we found the only affordable shop in the place (a Parsons, of all places!) and I chugged my penultimate coffee.
(Also, check out @katiebaird.art on Instagram)
Coffee 50
Abergavenny : August 2024
It’s time for the annual WI trip again! This year we went to Abergavenny, had some beautiful cakes – and a coffee! – before travelling to the Brecon Mountain Railway. Despite the rain we had great day travelling up the mountain in the steam train, even if we couldn’t see a lot due to the mist.
And with that… My 50 coffees have been drunk.
Kettle List completion
It feels strange finally completing this one, as it has been a constant task that I have worked on since the list started in 2017.
One of the things I noticed was that only 11 of the coffees were non-UK ones, so I think perhaps I want to expand my travel – and coffee- horizons. I will need to think of another caffeine-based task for my next list.
But for now, it is with great pride, and a small sense of loss, that I declare this task – Completed.
