Hark! The Herald

I've eaten my body weight in mince pies, drunk enough mulled wine to flood Cornwall and have battled my way through the Christmas shopping hoards.  But something is still missing...my vocal chords have been given a work-out while I warble away to 'Last Christmas' and 'Baby it's cold outside' but there has been a distinct lack of caroling to my Christmas build up this year.

Luckily, St. Paul's is here to answer my festive prayers and is hosting a free carol service with unticketed entry on Sunday 23rd December from 4pm.  Expect all the golden oldies, 'Once in Royal', 'It Came Upon a Midnight Clear' and, my personal fave, 'Hark! the Herald'.  Get there early and come ready to belt those beauties!

Festive Ice Skating!

Christmas, a time for growing bellies and shrinking budgets, has just got better.  Kill two birds with one stone at Hoxton Square's ice rink - don those skates, bust those moves and burn those calories - and the best bit?  It's all for FREE!

As part of Destination Hackney's Christmas project to 'make Hackney sparkle', visitors can enjoy a light display and take to the ice without paying a penny.  It's only on until Saturday 22nd December, so make the most of it while it lasts! If, like me, you’ve been given the label of ‘Bambi on Ice’ a few too many times for it to be funny and the thought of donning skates has you running for the hills, don't worry. Half the fun is laughing at yourself (and other people). Grab some friends, drink a mulled wine or five (probably best to do this after) and ‘chill out’! 

Cinema in the Snow!

At last! Christmas is here and what better way to celebrate than with a glass of mulled wine, a cheeky mincey P and a Narnia-esque journey through a magical wardrobe into a snow-filled cinematic festive extravaganza? 

Following the rip-roaring success of their summer programme, Pop-Up Screens is bringing Christmas to Brick Lane by hosting a series of festive films including my personal faves: Home Alone, Elf, Edward Scissorhands and the Nightmare before Christmas to name a few. With three screenings a day from 18th December until 23rd December, tipples including mulled wine and regular (or ‘pimped’) hot chocolate and festive decorations adorning every inch of The Dray Walk Gallery, The Cinema in the Snow is sure to get every child (both inner and outer) in the mood for festive cheer.

Tickets are available here, and although they're a bit steep at £14, it's only Christmas once a year!

Happy Advent!

Dominoes Everywhere for the holidays from Jared Lyon on Vimeo.

UK Chilli Stand Off!

Don’t let the name alarm you.  Instead of a horrendous ‘who can eat the hottest chilli’ contest, which would have a Nando’s ‘plain for kidz’ girl like me running for the hills, the UK Chilli Stand Off refers to a sort of X-Factor type contest…except instead of talentless singers, we have eight talented chefs…and instead of singing, we have steaming pots of chilli con carne.   With a 12pm and a 4pm sitting on 17th November, ‘cooking doesn’t get tougher than this’ with eight chefs battling it out to win the title.  And the best bit? We get to play the role of a chilli guzzling Gregg Wallace, as we critique the chef’s efforts alongside guest judge, John Torode.   

Competitors include Dishoom, our national street food treasure, The Ribman and Tim Anderson (the 2011 Japan fanatic Masterchef winner) to name a few.  Wash it all down with 2 Texan beers and a tequila cocktail (included in the £40 ticket) while enjoying live music.  Who said the proof is in the pudding?

If Daniel Craig can do it, so can we.

We've all practiced the gun pose with a water pistol, used our scientific calculators as walkie talkies and tried to sound cool by introducing ourselves with the surname, first name, surname lingo - but this is really the closest us mere muggles are going to get to tasting the mission filled life of James Bond. 

With the Skyfall premier last night, Coke Zero challenged unsuspecting train passengers to unlock the 007 in them by completing a challenge in 70 seconds in order to win tickets to the film.  Check.it.out.

Wok+Wine!

Most conversations with my family and friends generally always return to the same topic - food.  It's not that we're all pigs, it's just that...just that...ok, maybe we are.  This fodder nattering is the mantra behind Wok+Wine - 40 strangers, 40 pounds of jumbo prawns and 40 bottles of wine.  People eat, people drink but people also meet and talk with other like-minded prawn and wine loving individuals.  I mean really, what more do you need in common?!

Starting in November 2008, Wok+Wine has taken the world by storm, with over 3000 guests attending their events across the globe, from New York and London to Venezuela and Whangarei!  Everyone gets down and dirty by eating prawns with their hands from a huge communal table.  The relaxed environment (as well as at least a bottle of wine each) gets the conversation flowing and allows interesting people to meet others for just £35.  The locations are announced near the time of the event and luckily for us, the next London Wok+Wine is this Friday, 19th October!  Hurrah!  But hurry, with just 40 tickets on sale, they disappear in no time! Head to the website for more information and your daily dose of prawnography!

The World's Largest Rope Swing!

This is just awesome. Check.it.out.
 
 

Rain Room

In Britain, it never rains, it pours.  In celebration of this, Random International have created an installation of cascading water, which opened at The Barbican last week. 

This multisensory experience, allows visitors to hear, see and feel the splash of rain without getting wet.  Instead of emerging from the exhibition looking like a drowned rat, a la Thorpe Park’s Tidal Wave, this installation keeps you dry as a bone.  Visitors can feel Moses-esque by ‘parting’ the rain, as the installation tracks movements and stops the water as visitors walk towards it. 

A light at the far end of the rain room provides a dramatic backdrop for the water to glisten against.  So escape the outdoor weather and head to the rain room to keep dry.  It is open until 3^rd March and admission is free so there’s no excuse to miss it!

Colin O'Brien: Travellers' Children

With ‘My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding’, the Dale Farm eviction and the Stoke Newington Common fracas, travelers seem to be a relatively recent hot topic of discussion.  However, Colin O’Brien jumped on the gypsy wagon many years ago.  His new exhibition at the Genesis Cinema, ‘Travelers’ Children’ focuses on the children of an Irish traveling community 25 years ago, who settled in East London at a time when Hackney’s Victorian houses were being torn to the ground and its streets were poverty stricken and rubbish laden.  If the current spotlight around traveling communities has taught us anything about their lives, it is the insularity of their tight-knit communities and their attitudes towards outsiders.  Through gaining their trust and confidence, Colin O’Brien’s photographs give us unprecedented access to witness the highs and lows of traveling groups and their children against the backdrop of 80s Hackney.  The exhibition is on for the whole of October and is free - wahooo!

The Big Issue: Read all about it!

On the way to work, it’s easy to walk along in a bleary morning daze, listening to your i-pod, contemplating what the day ahead has in store and, let’s face it, what food is coming your way.  This is most certainly how I start my days, walking along, wondering if I’ve got my outfit quite right for the day’s temperature, enjoying my 90s classics playlist and being completely oblivious to the multiple men and women in red jackets that I (and most Londoners) must pass every morning.

I am ashamed to say that the only reason I noticed this particular Big Issue seller was because he was (very cleverly stood out side a Pret-a-Manger) and also directly opposite a road I had to cross to get to work every morning.  While waiting for the green man, I decided to buy one but panic (and shame) struck me when I realised I literally didn’t have a clue about how much it cost. 

After carrying out some research in order to buy it the next day, I was shocked and impressed to find out what a truly fantastic company The Big Issue is. 

          
-  Firstly, a Big Issue vendor has to make a conscious decision to go out and earn a living; after providing proof of homelessness or risk of homelessness, they must undergo an induction process and sign up to a code of conduct.  Once this has been completed, each vendor is allocated a Big Issue jacket, a pitch and specific number of free issues to sell.

-       Following the sale of these first free issues, vendors can purchase further copies for £1.25 each and sell them for £2.50.  This decision to spend money to earn money creates a basics in business course and hopes to achieve The Big Issue’s aim to ‘help them to help themselves’

-       The Big Issue Foundation also links vendors with vital support groups, such as housing and health associations and relies almost entirely on voluntary donations

The particular issue I bought had a Matilda front cover, a book (and musical) that I know and love.  Not only is The Big Issue title a seriously clever double entendre, the writing inside was interesting and witty; it was a magazine that I would have happily spent £2.50 on regardless of the added bonus of it being for a good cause.  I thought I’d write about it on here, as I am sure that many of you, like me, thought that The Big Issue was more or less a free giveaway for homeless people to sell on (which don't get me wrong, is still a good cause) but with the business backbone behind it, as well as all the other good work that the Big Issue Foundation achieves, I think it is a really admirable company, and something that is worth snapping out of your i-pod filled morning haze to give to.

Vogue's Fashion Night Out!

Stuck for something to do tonight?  Anna Wintour has the answer.  Four years ago, in an effort to give our failing retail economy a serious cash injection, Vogue launched their Fashion Night Out; a one night extravaganza, which allows us mere muggles to live the high life of the fashion world by transforming the shops of Oxford and Bond street (as well as a few other venues) into an emporium of fashion shows, champagne receptions, flash mob stages to name a few!  Tonight, Vogue’s unbeatable influence on the fashion world is brought to the fore as shops ranging from Topshop and H&M right through to Anya Hindmarch and Vivienne Westwood take part by offering goody bags, cocktails, entertainment and that all important discount!!  Head to GAP to be involved with Flash Mob dances, Christian Louboutin to fulfil all your fortune telling curiosities and Jimmy Choo for cocktails, music and a photo booth.  You’d be an absolute idiot to miss this one!

Notting Hill Carnival

With all the Olympic hype, it's easy to forget that the Notting Hill Carnival, Europe's largest street festival, is upon us once again already!

For the Carnival novices among us, Sunday (26th August) is children’s day with smaller floats and costume awards, while Bank Holiday Monday (27th August) is for the big dogs with the main Carnival procession. 

While many people avoid The Carnival like the plague, other people's view is that it should be on everyone's Bucket List. The infectious samba beats, bustling atmosphere and sizzling rhythms get people hooked for life.  For those of you who decide to brave it, I thought I would share a few hints and tips that people have picked up along the way:

- It may sound geeky, but wear comfortable shoes.  No-one wants to be party pooper because their compeeds have run out.

- Get there early in order to get good views.  

- Take a hipflask (and some water), and drink spirits, not beer, unless you want to be searching for a loo all day.  Drinks can also be quite pricey, so bringing your own booze should save a few pennies.

- Don't bring too many valuables with you - this way, you can relax all day and you don't have to worry if you end up having one, or two, or five too many bevvies.

- Most importantly, go with a positive attitude.  People are there to let loose and party, so you should do the same.

For more information on good sound systems, carnival parties and places to eat, the Notting Hill Carnival website and Time Out London have a comprehensive list of recommendations.  Here is handy map from Time Out which marks out the route of the procession and good places to grab a drink, party on down or simply people watch.

Transport for London also have a dedicated transport page for the Carnival, so be sure to check it out before you head off.  Blow that whistle, get those salsa hips swinging and enjoy!

You must be having a bubble?!

With the tragic news of Tony Scott's death today, I thought I would share a film-related event.   

Pop-up film venues are spreading like (a good but ferocious) rash across The Capital.   Future Shorts has embarked on the biggest pop up film festival the World has ever seen in the hope of bringing the best in short film to audiences around the globe.  Hoping to span 6 continents, 70 countries and 180 cities, the festival's current stop is here in London town!

Tomorrow night's event (Tuesday 21st August) brings us a screening with a twist.  We all know we can rave in a warehouse, have a pint in a car park or wander street food stalls in an abandonded train station, but this pop-up is unlike any others.  When most people say, 'Let's go out for bubbles', they usually mean champagne.  However, perched atop East London's Netil House are 12 hot tubs, ready and waiting for film goers to strip off and get cosy with each other.  Following the success of the Back to the Future screening last weekend, Future Shorts is now taking over the venue for their next night of the Summer Season Short Film Festival.  Prices start from £22 and a selection of hot tubs are on offer - the 'Ghetto' is packed with a maximum of 8 other people; the 'Spacious' tubs have a maximum of 6; and entire group bookings of tubs can be made for a mere £200. 

So strip off, sit back and enjoy the 40 degree heat while sipping your wine and enjoying the film - just beware of prune fingers!

For more information of Future Shorts events, check their twitter.

 

Future Shorts Festival - Summer Season from Future Shorts on Vimeo.

Can you hand-le this?!

Simply terrific!

STREB - Prepare to be amazed!

Now, I have only just heard about this amazing event (which is why it is already midday before I write about it) BUT there is still a chance to catch some of the amazing events around London today.

Cirque du Soleil type acrobatics are coming to London for one single extraordinary day in July (today).  Commissioned especially by the Mayor of London and London 2012 Festival, Brooklyn's visionary choreographer Elizabeth Streb hopes to thrill London with an electrifying series of daredevil, surprise events around the City.  Streb aims to totally disarm spectators with her one-off creation!  Performers push the human body to the impossible, by creating daredevel stunts that relate to ancient rituals from around the world.  Already this morning the STREB team have executed the 7:30am 'Waterfall', a bungee jump from the Millenium Bridge which allows them to 'kiss the water' and the 10:00am 'Skywalk' where spectators could see the STREB team running down City Hall.

For 12:30pm, get to St. Paul's cathedral sharpish, where the performers will be attaching themselves to a spinning steel wheel.  It's bound to be breathtaking.  As time marches on, their website releases information about their next movements, so be sure to keep track of them here.

Branch Out!

In the words of E. M. Forster, ‘what is the good of stars and trees, sunrise and the wind, if they do not enter into our daily lives?’  While many tribes in Indonesia still use tree houses for practical survival reasons, most are reserved for the wish lists of children worldwide. 

In an age of growing environmental concerns and ever-adventurous holiday packages, tree houses have now become a realistic and viable holiday solution for audacious adults and children alike.  Adventurous travellers (aka not afraid of heights) can soar above the stale continental breakfasts and drably decorated rooms of conventional hotels, by reliving their childhood dreams in breathtakingly peaceful and truly unique lodgings.  With all this abysmal British weather, I thought I'd create a fantasy list of the best tree-house hotels where intrepid travellers can, literally, go out on a limb for their next jaunt.

Sweden, Treehotel

These guys know tree houses.  Born from the film, ‘The Tree Lover’ by Jonas Selberg Augustsén, Scandinavia’s leading architects were inspired to provide a low-impact, sophisticated haven from the stresses of everyday life; by situating their Treehotel with spectacular views of the Lule river.  Treehotel, located just fifty kilometers outside of the city of Luleå, offers five breathtakingly innovative and unique tree rooms; the combination of groundbreaking modernity juxtaposed with the peace and purity of unspoiled nature, is sensitively executed so that the Treehotel physically complements the natural setting of the site.  For example, The Bird’s Nest treeroom is formed of recycled fallen branches and is accessed through a remote-controlled retractable staircase.  Other treerooms, which are of differing size, include The Mirrorcube, a light-weight aluminum structure which reflects the natural surroundings back onto itself, The Cabin, The Blue Cone, the UFO and even a Tree Sauna.  This is my pick of the bunch for a truly unique, extremely sophisticated stay in the heart of nature.

Tree house for 2, from £320 per night. http://www.treehotel.se/, +46 (0)928 104 03

Costa Rica – The Tree House Lodge

Replace the sounds of car alarms and sirens with the peaceful humming of crickets and the singing of parrots.  The Tree House Lodge is located on the Punta Uva beach, in the province of Limón, where activities such as surfing, white water rafting and natural educational classes are available.  It was constructed solely using fallen trees and recycled materials and with solar powered electricity and locally sourced food and furnishings, this venture is dedicated to maintaining the environment and the community.  Supporting this treetop complex is probably the only place you can feel like you’re doing good deeds while doing absolutely nothing at all.

From £186 a night, http://www.costaricatreehouse.com/, +(506) 2750 0706      

India – Tree House Hideaway, Bandhavgarh, Madhya Pradesh

Tree House Hideaway offers an absolute assault on the senses. Not only is the reception, bar and dining room open-air and filled with animal sounds, it also has a panoramic lookout point over the reservation’s highly populated watering hole.  The accommodation consists of five spacious tree houses adorned with vibrant tribal paintings, colourful fabrics and huge balconies with sensational views.  Open jeeps and experienced guides are on hand to provide tours around the reservation, which is home to the largest tiger population in India.

Treehouse for two, full board from £165, http://www.treehousehideaway.com/, +91 12442 22657

Mexico – Xinalani Retreat

For all the yoga bunnies out there, this one is for you.  This retreat centre is relaxation in a nutshell.  Set in a jungle overlooking pristine, white-sand beaches, Xinalani combines yoga facilities, healthy food and open-air accommodation.  This place is seriously dedicated to maintaining the environment by minimising their carbon footprint, encouraging eco tourism and avoiding land modification at all costs.

From £128 per person, per night. http://www.xinalaniretreat.com/, (+52) (322) 221 5918

Spain – Cabanes Als Arbres

Located just 52 miles from the heart of Spain’s cultural hub, Barcelona, Cabanes Als Arbres offers 10 fully furnished tree houses perched atop Douglas fir trees.  Hanging 10 metres above the forest floor, the site’s philosophy is to educate visitors about the environment, while providing comfortable accommodation in the heart of the forest’s natural ecosystem.  The Viletta home stay within the grounds provides more civilised amenities including a swimming pool, spa facilities and a bar.

Tree house for two including breakfast from £78, http://www.cabanesalsarbres.com/en, +(34) 625 411 409

Europe's Last Dictator

 I know it's been a while since my last docu-geek outburst but this particular one is worth shouting about.  After writing about a screening of it in London a while ago, I was eager to watch it when I saw it on the 'Community Channel' (I had never heard of it either), last week.  A good documentary stays with you for days after watching it, and Europe's Last Dictator, although not easy to watch, has done just this.

In a time of extreme political turbulence in the Middle East, the eyes of the world are often distracted from atrocities happening closer to home. For 14 years, Belarus has suffered at the hands of their totalitarian president, Aleksander Lukashenko. With interviews from families, friends and supporters of opposition leaders, combined with horrifying original footage of Lukashenko’s brutal, political crackdown of the post 2010 election protests, Europe’s Last Dictator exposes accusations of torture, state-sponsored murder and violent repression as reality.

Although a little insincerely narrated by Joanna Lumley, the main contributor is Irina Bogdanova, sister of Andrey Sannikau, one of Lukashenko's main political oppositions who was imprisoned in 2010 before suspiciously disappearing from jail.  People still do not know his whereabouts.  Andrey Sannikau's selflessness, determination and bravery are astounding and her wish to publicise the atrocities in Belarus are essential for the Free Belarus Now campaign.  So give it a watch, have a think and spread the word.

Travel in Groups!

Here's a Wednesday treat!

Pure.Meat.Heaven.

Me and the gals had a truly lad-dy night of carnivorous platters and beers at Bodeans over the weekend, and I think i'm still high on the vast levels of meat I managed to stuff my face with.  Bodeans offers everything from delicious sticky ribs to tender pulled pork and burnt brisket ends.  All portions are served with a generous helping of chips, coleslaw and lashings of barbecue sauce.

 When it comes to sauces, i'm a bit of a condiment slut.  Ketchup, salad cream, mint sauce, cranberry sauce, bread sauce, redcurrant jelly - you name it, I want it; but the combination of the ginormous meat platter with sticky barbecue sauce was just the business.  The meat platter was £22.95 between 2, but cheaper items on the menu include pulled pork and burnt ends baps from £6.95.  With branches in Soho, Clapham, Fulham and Tower Hill, you're bound to be near one, so there's no excuse not to check it out.

If the neon pink pig sign with 'BBQ' emblazoned across its podgy little tum doesn't do it, the 2 lonesome fish dishes will soon give vegetarians the message - MEAT RULES!

MOVE

On rainy days like this, it's only natural that we're all going to get itchy feet and dream of warmer places.  This video was created by Australian freelance filmmaker and illustrator, Rick Mereki.  The finished product was made by three weary travellers over 44 days. They took 18 flights to span 11 countries and 38, 000 miles in order to make this amazing short film. If the rain doesn't do it, this montage is sure to kick our travel bug into action!

MOVE from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

Showstoppers!

In a weekend jam packed with Jubilee celebrations, I took myself off to the Southbank Udderbelly festival to see a friend in action, playing percussion for Showstoppers!  I know I'm bound to be a tiny bit biased but it was genuinely one of the best things I have seen for a long time and they only have two more Udderbelly shows left before they jet off to Edinburgh for the festival, so get on it quickly.

Showstoppers is an improvised musical, where the power of the show's theme lies in the audience's hands.  In our particular performance, people suggested everything from 'colonial India' to a 'vampire's crypt'.  For the next 70 minutes we were transported to India, and entertained with a story about a train journey, based on the orient express.  With sly interjections from  'the director', the performers were required to think of new lines and songs on the spot (including singing them in particular ways, such as 'in the style of Avenue Q', which they nailed).  I was genuinely mesmerised at their expertise and obvious intelligence at thinking up new stories and musical interludes immediately.  And not only that, the play was genuinely hilarious!

I'll be going back again; every single show is unique, as with each new audience, comes different story ideas.  I'm telling you folks - it's the best way to spend £15 and to top it off, there is a nice outdoor area to enjoy a cheeky bevvy post-performance.