Valentine's Day - Sorted.

Like it or lump it, the most loved up, couple canoodling, vomit-inducing holiday is upon us.  Whether you’re smuggly smitten or sick of the schmaltz, here are some things to get everyone through the big V-day.

 
For the lovebirds among us, The FlowerAppreciation society has all our last minute floral fiascos sorted with their pop-up shop at Boxpark selling exotic bouquets.  For the evening, the BFI is hosting a selection of romantic film screenings including A Place in the Sun, perfect for pashing in the back row.  For the more adventurous lovers, Corset & Diamonds’ Memoirs of a GAYsha, is a bizarre night of old and new Japan; expect Harajuku dancing with a burlesque twist along with peep shows, Japanese bondage and ‘love games’, washed down with Sake-it-to-me cocktails and sushi.

For singles in the mood for lovin’, check out some of London's matchmaking events.  Slagbox is a single’s night with a twist; bring a friend of the opposite sex, take a number and the let the magic happen, while For The Love of Mic, gives you the chance to fall crazy in love with your very own Jay-Z or Beyonce.  For something different, check out the launch of the Anonymous Sex Journal, a collection of sex tales spanning from the touching to the utterly awkward, or to see if there really is a point in looking for love, head to The School of Life’s ‘How Necessary is a Relationship’ class.

For a Valentine’s Day where anything goes, head to a pie shop in Shoreditch and indulge in Fat Cheek Love Bites’ 4 course ‘of the sea’ supper club on 15th February.  Alternatively, don your glad rags and head to the Museum of London’s Valentine’s Day Late or the Vintage Dance Club Tea Dance at Canary Wharf for a night of 1920s charm, full of music, dancing and downright debauchery.  If that doesn’t do it for you, why not recreate a bona fide romantic American experience at The Book Club’s Teen Dreams Prom, where British revellers will pay homage to the great American romantic clichés before ripping them apart with icebreakers such as ‘this one time at band camp’.

And last but not least, for those of us who simply refuse to recognise, celebrate or acknowledge the Cupid's arrows adorning every window, there’s always a take away and a bottle of vodka.

Happy 150th Birthday to the Underground!

It's not often that a National Treasure reaches its 150th birthday.  With bleary eyed morning rush hours, sweaty armpits and downright grumpy commuters, it is easy to forget how much we actually love the tube.

It may have been called every name under the sun by irate travellers but this wondrous network of underground warrens, not only survived World War II itself, but also helped hoards of Londoners escape from danger too.  Through bombings both past and recent, the tube has connected the districts of London in a way that no other city has properly achieved.  We may curse, we may seeth, we may even think that sometimes we hate it, but without the tube we'd be screwed.

In celebration of our wonderful city and underground, I thought I would share an amazing food tube map of London created by Cheese and Biscuits (an extremely handy restaurant reviews blog.)  Simply use it like a normal tube map and hunt down your next grub.

How have I managed to get from the tube to food...