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...

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!

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?

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

Long to Reign Over Us!

What better excuse is there for a seriously long weekend, lots of pimms drinking and a good old British party, than Queen Liz’s 60^th anniversary on the throne?!  In short, there isn’t one, which is why I thought I would share all of London’s best weekend Jubilee jubilations with you!

First things first, although a glorified, jewel encrusted hat may seem a little over-the-top for a street party or picnic, its not.  Jubilee celebrations are the only time when you can acceptably wear a tiara, so until 15^th June, The Tiara Shop at Selfridges is your one stop pop-up shop for bling headgear, with tiaras ranging from royal budgets of £50,000 right down to a good old fiver.

From Thursday 31^st May

Although not technically starting at the weekend, why not get the party started early?!  Selfridges are hosting a truly British afternoon of tea and crazy golf on their roof terrace.  Truly spiffing!

Saturday 2^nd June

Not strictly a Royal celebration, BUT the Queen is attending this year’s Epsom Derby!  So get down there to catch a glimpse of the lady of the hour, place some bets, watch some races and soak up the atmosphere.

Saturday June 2^nd and Sunday June 3^rd

For the kids among us (including me!) there is the Sainsbury’s Jubilee Family Festival invading Hyde Park.  With everything from The Magic of Disney and Warhorse to the Commonwealth stage filled with African Gospel Music and Maori dancers, there’s something for all tastes.

Sunday June 3^rd

This is the big one – The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant.  Over 1,000 boats are set to make their way down the River Thames from Battersea Bridge to the West India Docks.  It is one the largest flotillas ever to have breached Thames waters and is sure to bring it to life in a way we have never seen it before.  Check out this map for the best spectator spots.

The Book Club has Royal festivities mastered after their Royal Wedding party.  To carry on their outstanding reputation, they’re whipping out the bunting again for a Diamond Jubilee edition of feasting, drinking and general merriment.

Monday 4^th June

The Big Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace will have everyone from British legends, Sir Elton John and Dame Shirley Bassey through to Robbie Williams and, randomly, Australian Kylie.  Big screens are being put up on The Mall, St. James’ Park and Green Park if you want to mingle in the crowds or will be broadcast on BBC 2.

Tuesday 5^th June

The Queen of Hoxton is hosting a royal extravaganza in the form of their Jubilee Jamboree party.  Following footage of the Queen’s Royal flotilla, the perfectly groomed rooftop bar will be filled with the sounds of Majesty’s Pleasure DJs and Cash Cows live, and accompanied by the tastes and smells of burger master’s, Patty and Bun’s pop-up restaurant.  With everything from toffs and rah’s dress up, lawn croquet and even a rent-a-corgie service, it’s set to be a right royal knees up!

The weekend will culminate in a service at St. Paul's followed by a Royal procession, and the signature balcony wave from our favourite lady.  This might be the best chance to see her all weekend if you get the right spot, do some research and you might catch a glimpse of her fluffy, silvery barnet.

There you have it folks, my guide to the Jubilee’s best bits.  However we celebrate it though, there’s only two things that matter – we love a celebration and we love you Queeny!

Sundance comes to Blighty!

I am excited!  For the first time ever, the Sundance Film Festival is crossing the Atlantic to showcase the crème de la crème of Sundance's selection of American and international independent films in a four-day jamboree of film and music at the O2 arena!  The Sundance London festival kicked off today and lasts until Sunday (26th-29th April) and with about 14 screenings a day, there is plenty of films to cater for all tastes.  Robert Redford, founder of Sundance, commented that he felt this year was the best year yet for Sundance talent.  Although many screenings and panel discussions have sold out, there are still some really exciting events up for grabs, so take a look.

Although the ticket's aren't super pricey to begin with, Guardian Extra are offering 2 tickets for £15 for selected screenings so there's really no excuse to miss out!  I'm off to see Lena Dunham's (director of Tiny Furniture) second film, Nobody Walks, at the weekend, so I'll let you all know how it is!

In addition to film screenings galore, there's the chance to meet the filmmakers, grab some food and catch live music performances from Tricky, Placebo and Rufus and Martha Wainwright - it all feels so glamorous!

Cirque du Soleil: Totem!

Last night I was literally lost for words after seeing Cirque du Soleil: Totem at The Royal Albert Hall. My initial feeling of being slightly inadequate next to the super toned, super flexible, 6-packed (but still skinny?! How do they do that?!) bodies that were flying around on stage soon disappeared, as the only thing to do was stare in awe as the spectacle unfolded.

The theme focuses around the evolution of man and traces the human journey through each act which include everything from cave men and chimpanzees to aliens and nutty professors! With synchronised uni-cycling, trapeze artists, balancing acts, acrobatics, skating and trampolining galore, it was sometimes hard to decide which part of the stage to focus on! In addition to the phenomenal talent of the performers, the music and set design were amazing too, with a transparent trampoline and HUMAN mirror ball!  The only, very small criticism I would make, is that I hadn't realised that the last act was the finale because all of it was so impressive.  I found that I was left wanting more after the final curtain call, but that probably just shows how greedy I am for Cirque!

Totem ends on 16th February, so I suggest you grab those last minute tickets ASAP! Although some of the tickets can be very pricey, The Royal Albert Hall has a very well kept secret. We bought our tickets for the gallery section, and I honestly think it was the best £20 I’ve ever spent. Although it is completely standing, the view from the top is unbeatable and you can really see how high the performers actually go (I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re scared of heights though).

While normally I get performer envy after a show, I think I’d rather sit this one out and watch a woman being swung by her head from a man on skates from a distance thanks!

Rock and Roller!

From the near death of my roller blades after one of my mum’s ‘new year clear out’ invasions (they may have been lying there in dust for 10 years – but who knows when I might take it up again?!) to one of my friends being permanently on wheels in an effort to perfect the art in 4 days, roller skating has been a hot topic of conversation this week amongst my family and friends.  All this hype has seriously made me consider getting back on those wheels in a big way.

So imagine my delight when I heard about the London Friday Night Skate and London Sunday Stroll?!

The London Friday Night Skate is a weekly (weather permitting), free, marshalled, fast paced skating tour around London starting in Hyde Park.  In addition to whizzing through London with the wind in your hair, there is also a portable sound system to accompany you!  Although this sounds like fun and games, it is not for the amateurs (like me), it is pretty fast and you are legally required to stop by yourself on your skates.

If, like me, your mantra is ‘If I’m going down, you’re coming with me’, then maybe the London Sunday Stroll may be more suited to your abilities.  Although they still state that you must be able to stop, change direction and control your speed on hills, the Sunday Stroll’s pace makes this a more achievable feat.

The skating tours are entirely free and are put on just for fun!  The London Friday Night Skate usually leaves from Wellington Arch in Hyde Park every Friday at 8pm, and the Sunday Stroll usually departs from Serpentine Road in Hyde Park at 2pm every Sunday.  The website provides full details including routes and if the skates are running due to weather.  There's also information on there about the Easy Saturday Skate, skate hockey and the Speed Skate team!

So what are you waiting for?!  Dig out those skates, brush away the cobwebs and recreate your very own Starlight Express around the streets of London!