http://london.eventguide.com/events/e100017.htm Award-winning musical by Willy Russell about twin boys separated at birth and brought up ... NONE 2009-04-03 http://london.eventguide.com/events/e100017.htm http://london.eventguide.com/events/e100028.htm Agatha Christie's classic whodunnit concerning a group of travelers stranded in a snowbou... NONE 2009-04-03 http://london.eventguide.com/events/e100028.htm http://london.eventguide.com/events/e100030.htm While winding up the affairs of a deceased women, a young solicitor pieces together her r... NONE 2009-04-03 http://london.eventguide.com/events/e100030.htm http://london.eventguide.com/events/e100032.htm Set in NY on Avenue Q, which is described as the only place one can live when they are ju... NONE 2009-04-03 http://london.eventguide.com/events/e100032.htm http://london.eventguide.com/events/e100199.htm A funny, heart-warming story of one young boy's dream. The film, released in 2000, was n... NONE 2009-04-02 http://london.eventguide.com/events/e100199.htm http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/whats-on.php?event=23991 Sandra Shevey takes you on a literary walk around 3 of London`s ancient markets and reads prose and poetry inspired by Smithfield, Borough and Covent Garden.... NONE 2008-04-07 http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/whats-on.php?event=23991 http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/whats-on.php?event=23992 Celebrating a return to British produce, Sandra Shevey leads `taster` walks around some of London`s ancient markets including Borough, Covent Garden and Spitalfield.... NONE 2008-04-10 http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/whats-on.php?event=23992 http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/whats-on.php?event=26249 No-one knows as much about London`s markets as Sandra Shevey, who has been championing the survival of these relics since 1990 when she began her company of market walks. Sandra`s walks now embrace... NONE 2008-06-14 http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/whats-on.php?event=26249 http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/whats-on.php?event=28336 Join Sandra on a night watch around London`s charter markets. Here the chat amidst the byways and alleyways....the clubs and pubs and cafes....the traders and porters and buyers....seee a bit of what ... NONE 2008-08-18 http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/whats-on.php?event=28336 http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/whats-on.php?event=16512 An all day event organised under the auspices of the Malta High Commission in London: Maltese Fair at Westminster Cathedral Hall in the morning (at about 10.00am), Solemn Mass in the afternoon (about... NONE 2008-09-13 http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/whats-on.php?event=16512 http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/whats-on.php?event=28090 For the fourth year running ZSL London Zoo is proud to announce the most colourful day on its social calendar…Gay Sunday! Head to the Zoo for a day out with a difference, where you’ll have a chance... NONE 2008-09-14 http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/whats-on.php?event=28090 http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/whats-on.php?event=28633 Volunteers needed to help remove some of the litter affecting London’s waterways. The four day volunteer clean-up is coordinated by London’s leading waterways charity, Thames21. Over 300 volunteers to... NONE 2008-09-18 http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/whats-on.php?event=28633 http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/whats-on.php?event=29005 London Fashion Week is now established as one of London's premier events attracting a target audience of key fashion leaders, retailers and press who attend this bi-annual showcase of British designer... NONE 2008-09-24 http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/whats-on.php?event=29005 http://www.visitlondon.com/events/detail/4772083 NONE 2009-04-01 http://www.visitlondon.com/events/detail/4772083 http://www.visitlondon.com/events/detail/497280 NONE 2009-04-04 http://www.visitlondon.com/events/detail/497280 http://www.visitlondon.com/events/detail/4763619 NONE 2009-03-25 http://www.visitlondon.com/events/detail/4763619 http://www.visitlondon.com/events/detail/4757977 NONE 2009-05-02 http://www.visitlondon.com/events/detail/4757977 http://www.visitlondon.com/events/detail/4763612 NONE 2009-03-27 http://www.visitlondon.com/events/detail/4763612 http://www.visitlondon.com/events/detail/4333010 NONE 2009-04-24 http://www.visitlondon.com/events/detail/4333010 http://www.visitlondon.com/events/detail/4723556 NONE 2009-03-18 http://www.visitlondon.com/events/detail/4723556 http://www.visitlondon.com/events/detail/4419773 NONE 2009-03-05 http://www.visitlondon.com/events/detail/4419773 http://www.visitlondon.com/events/detail/4414822 NONE http://www.visitlondon.com/events/detail/4414822 http://www.visitlondon.com/events/detail/4155178 NONE 2009-03-04 http://www.visitlondon.com/events/detail/4155178 http://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/85792/il-divo.html Cracking an enigma: that’s the mission that Italian director Paolo Sorrentino sets himself with his third film, a slick but never superficial portrait of the much... NONE http://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/85792/il-divo.html http://www.timeout.com/london/art/event/136101/turner-rothko.html Two great painters put together in this new display in the Clore Galleries. NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/art/event/136101/turner-rothko.html http://www.timeout.com/london/art/event/9274/byzantium.html More than 300 objects, including icons, wall-paintings, mosaics, ivories, enamels and metalwork, from the foundation of Constantinople in 330 to the city's capture by Ottoman forces in 1453 NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/art/event/9274/byzantium.html http://www.timeout.com/london/art/event/4152/babylon.html Last chance to catch the British Museum's impressive vision of the fallen towers of Babel NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/art/event/4152/babylon.html http://www.timeout.com/london/aroundtown/event/38477/thames21-deep-clean.html Help clean up one of the most littered stretches of foreshore in London, taking advantage of the lowest tide of 2009 NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/aroundtown/event/38477/thames21-deep-clean.html http://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/event/135120/wall.html Stephen Daldry directs David Hare as his reads his own companion piece to 'Berlin' over at the National Theatre – a 40-minute artistic response to the Israel/Palestine separation barrier, which is on... NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/event/135120/wall.html http://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/event/13598/madame-de-sade.html Judi Dench and Rosamund Pike are joined by Frances Barber in this, the third production in the Donmar West End season NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/event/13598/madame-de-sade.html http://www.timeout.com/london/comedy/event/128486/pajama-men-versus-vs-versus.html We can't recommend this incredible show highly enough. A sublime combination of stand-up, sketch and physical theatre the Pajama Men aren't really like anyone else. With chess playing bats and time travelling camels this... NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/comedy/event/128486/pajama-men-versus-vs-versus.html http://www.timeout.com/london/alternative-nightlife/event/76292/the-brides-of-march-weekender.html Blushing brides to be dust down their wacky wedding creations (that they made at the last two bridal craft workshops, natch) and get their stomp on around the streets of London, flashmob and, erm, Bridecon style. The march... NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/alternative-nightlife/event/76292/the-brides-of-march-weekender.html http://www.timeout.com/london/clubs/event/135055/saddle-up.html Saddle up and strap yourself in for a workout of deep disco and techno to Italo with quality DJs, Château Flight's I:Cube (he's released on Get Physical and had his first record remixed by Daft Punk), Mobilee's Ralf... NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/clubs/event/135055/saddle-up.html London Culture Vultures NONE 2009-03-26 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fart.meetup.com%2F358%2Fcalendar%2F9783614%2F Shepherds Bush Book Talk NONE 2009-03-26 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbookclub.meetup.com%2F1692%2Fcalendar%2F9831051%2F Cheap Arts Meetup NONE 2009-03-26 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fclassical.meetup.com%2F185%2Fcalendar%2F9939535%2F London International Meetup NONE 2009-03-26 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fesl.meetup.com%2F2%2Fcalendar%2F9980947%2F London Culture Vultures NONE 2009-03-26 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fart.meetup.com%2F358%2Fcalendar%2F9921934%2F Cheap Arts Meetup NONE 2009-03-26 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fclassical.meetup.com%2F185%2Fcalendar%2F9945648%2F Acting Classes and Confidence Building in Central London NONE 2009-03-26 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Facting.meetup.com%2F405%2Fcalendar%2F9987736%2F London Culture Vultures NONE 2009-03-26 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fart.meetup.com%2F358%2Fcalendar%2F9913631%2F Cheap Arts Meetup NONE 2009-03-26 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fclassical.meetup.com%2F185%2Fcalendar%2F9939464%2F London OpenCoffee Meetup NONE 2009-03-26 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fentrepreneur.meetup.com%2F1056%2Fcalendar%2F9774874%2F http://amdram.co.uk/events/one-for-the-roadthe-dumb-waiter/ Double-bill of masterpieces by Pinter; One for the Road/The Dumb Waiter performed by Newstagers Theatre Club based in Wandsworth, London NONE 2009-04-22 http://amdram.co.uk/events/one-for-the-roadthe-dumb-waiter/ http://amdram.co.uk/events/smokey-joes-cafe-2/ A musical celebrating the songs of Lieber and Stoller being performed in Kingston Vale, SW15 3RN by KVODS NONE 2009-05-25 http://amdram.co.uk/events/smokey-joes-cafe-2/ http://designmuseum.org/signup/news Sunday 5 26 April and Sunday 3 31 May, 2 – 5pm Design your own model car and race it around our fantastic model track! Be inspired by designs showing in Brit Insurance Designs of the Year with students from the renowned vehicle design course at the Royal College of Art on hand to give expert advice and speed you along your way. Book Now NONE http://designmuseum.org/signup/news http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/2008/richardrogers Last chance to see Richard Rogers + Architects - From the House to the City before the exhibition tours to Spain. Exhibition closes Monday 25 August. NONE http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/2008/richardrogers http://designmuseum.org/kids Calling all budding young architects! Inspired by the stunning architectural models in the current Richard Rogers exhibition these exciting workshops will offer you the unique opportunity to take part in a special project and work alongside professional model makers from Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners. Using a range of recycled materials and specialist model making skills you can help design and make a large 3D architectural model of a fantasy, future London cityscape which will be added to each week. ... NONE http://designmuseum.org/kids http://designmuseum.org/education/design-challenges Brit Insurance Designs of the Year Student Competition 2008. Brit Insurance Designs of the Year National Student Competition is run jointly by the Design Museum and the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust. This new competition links to the Design Museum’s ground-breaking industry award Brit Insurance Designs of the Year and accompanying exhibition celebrating the most innovative and memorable new work in design internationally and across seven design categories. The competition will be judged by a high level panel including leading ... NONE http://designmuseum.org/education/design-challenges http://designmuseum.org See Industrial Facility - Some Recent Projects which includes Under a Fiver and Tim Walker - PIctures both opening today. NONE http://designmuseum.org http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/2007/jeanprouve See the house designed by Jean Prouvé at Tate Modern and the Jean Prouvé exhibition at the Design Museum. Joint ticket £8.50 available from Tate Modern or Design Museum. NONE http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/2007/jeanprouve http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2136948/ Europe s biggest Digital Signage DOOH Media Event Out-of-home advertising is booming – and it is digital screen media that is leading the way, not only in retail but in dozens of other businesses and locations ranging from airports to football stadia to banks. Increasing sophistication in how to maximise the unique advantages of this new medium, ever-improving technologies, smarter ways of measuring audiences, and the growing presence of interaction through touch-screens and kiosks are all driving this rapid development. NONE 2009-04-07 http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2136948/ http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2136031/ This 2-day Data Protection Conference is specifically designed to give Public Sector Information Professionals the key resources and practical information they need in their daily work. The Conference is accredited by the Law Society with 12 CPD Points. NONE 2009-06-03 http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2136031/ http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2135472/ This is the first event for the group. We booked a Lab in Canary Wharf London. We only have 40 places available so hurry and get your ticket now @ http://www.urgoing.to/londonstartups See you there and have your business cards ready. NONE 2009-04-02 http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2135472/ http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2128300/ Date: Thursday 19 March 2009 Time: 6:00 to 8:00pm presentation followed by drinks/networking until 8.45pm Location: Rootstein Hopkins Space - East Space London College of Fashion 20 John Princes Street London W1G 0BJ This seminar – organised in partners NONE 2009-03-19 http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2128300/ http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2127293/ A bunch of us poor and benighted non-SXSW-attendees are going to meet up in London on Saturday to share in our collective misery and then dissipate it with booze, Tex-Mex food and geekery. The evening will also include a LIVE STREAMED (probably on Qik or NONE 2009-03-14 http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2127293/ http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2127260/ Michael Jackson Tickets at the O2 in London Michael Jackson is performing live at the famous O2 in London on several dates between July 8th and July 28th, 2009. Expect this show to quickly sell out. NONE 2009-07-08 http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2127260/ http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2126528/ PUT PEOPLE FIRST! Would you like to see a fairer world where people are more important than profit? So would thousands of other people just like you. Now there s a chance to call on the world s leaders to do just that: to put people first. The G20 - a gro NONE 2009-03-28 http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2126528/ http://www.londonelicious.com/dining/2009/03/terroirs.html I was out on a highly unsuccessful errand. Sometimes I think I send myself on these errands,... NONE http://www.londonelicious.com/dining/2009/03/terroirs.html http://www.londontown.com/London/London_for_Free_2008 Enjoy an uncompromising but wallet-friendly trip in the world's most vibrant capital with our guide to London's best free stuff. From art galleries to tv shows, it won't cost a penny. NONE http://www.londontown.com/London/London_for_Free_2008 http://www.londontown.com From top family restaurants and cafes to the best family attractions, museums, galleries, parks and city farms, this guide is designed to help families make the most of their time in London town. There's a special treat for younger kids on the last page Download 'London for Families' (PDF - 4.2MB) NONE http://www.londontown.com http://www.timeout.com/london/restaurants/features/5603/London-s_best_afternoon_tea.html What could be more British than a cream tea? Time Out tracks down the best teashops, cafés, hotels and places to take afternoon tea in London NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/restaurants/features/5603/London-s_best_afternoon_tea.html http://www.timeout.com/london/museums-attractions/event/133581/new-bus-for-london.html The London Transport Museum is exhibiting the 27 prize-winning designs in the Mayor's competition to design a replacement for the Routemaster bus NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/museums-attractions/event/133581/new-bus-for-london.html http://www.timeout.com/london/restaurants/features/2473/London-s_top_50_restaurants.html Crazy prices? Out. Excellence on the cheap? In. Here's our critics' list of the 50 best places to eat in London NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/restaurants/features/2473/London-s_top_50_restaurants.html http://www.timeout.com/london/features/168/40_things_to_do_in_London_on_a_Sunday.html Six days a week London is a bustling, yelling, wild-eyed city. But come Sunday, the capital opens up into an altogether more enjoyable place... NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/features/168/40_things_to_do_in_London_on_a_Sunday.html http://www.timeout.com/london/museums-attractions/features/1496/London-s_70_best_unsung_museums.html Away from Exhibition Road the capital has a host of smaller, lesser-known collections. Here's our guide to London's best secret museums NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/museums-attractions/features/1496/London-s_70_best_unsung_museums.html http://www.urbanpath.com/london/gastro-pubs/the-easton.htm The Easton is a gastropub par excellence. Great food (I'm salivating as I think about the pork belly) and a relaxed and lively crowd, all tucked away in a side street a short stroll from Kings Cross. Eating outside is heaven if the sun is shining. NONE 2009-03-26 items/show/121 http://www.trafalgar-studios.co.uk/ Joe Orton's black comedy is brilliantly done by this magnificent cast including Imelda Staunton and Richard Bremmer. Achingly funny, this is a satire on the British obsession with sex and class. Apparently Joe Orton's sister told the cast on opening nig NONE 2009-03-26 items/show/122 http://tinyurl.com/54jpym A haven of tranquility tucked behind Kings Cross station, this is one place I have been meaning to visit for ages. I cycle along the Regents Canal and see this park on the other side and it looks like a heavenly place to get away from the hubbub. It's run NONE 2009-03-26 items/show/123 http://london.eventguide.com/events/e101535.htm Featuring Lol Coxhill playing with John Bisset & Alex Ward. Also playing are the 'Ensembl... NONE 2009-03-26 http://london.eventguide.com/events/e101535.htm http://london.eventguide.com/events/e100014.htm Theater adaptation of Disney's animated film The Lion King, features music by Elton John ... NONE 2009-04-03 http://london.eventguide.com/events/e100014.htm http://london.eventguide.com/events/e100015.htm A mother and daughter find themselves delving into past events on the eve of her daughter... NONE 2009-04-03 http://london.eventguide.com/events/e100015.htm http://london.eventguide.com/events/e100021.htm Adaptation of Victor Hugo's masterpiece, set in Paris amid the social and political strug... NONE 2009-04-03 http://london.eventguide.com/events/e100021.htm http://london.eventguide.com/events/e100022.htm Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical of the tragic love between a beautiful singer and a scarred... NONE 2009-04-03 http://london.eventguide.com/events/e100022.htm http://london.eventguide.com/events/e100025.htm Dirty Dancing is a timeless story of first love, full of heart-pounding music, pure dance... NONE 2009-04-03 http://london.eventguide.com/events/e100025.htm The Central London Bible Talk NONE 2009-03-26 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbiblestudy.meetup.com%2F317%2Fcalendar%2F9777553%2F The Language Lounge NONE 2009-03-26 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fesl.meetup.com%2F505%2Fcalendar%2F9838898%2F London Life Drawing Society NONE 2009-03-26 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Ffiguredrawing.meetup.com%2F89%2Fcalendar%2F9948115%2F City and East London Entrepreneurs Speaker and Networking NONE 2009-03-26 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fentrepreneur.meetup.com%2F1831%2Fcalendar%2F10007323%2F The London crochet meetup NONE 2009-03-26 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fknitting.meetup.com%2F1271%2Fcalendar%2F9979989%2F The London Small Business Meetup Group NONE 2009-03-26 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsmallbiz.meetup.com%2F779%2Fcalendar%2F10007262%2F Last Thursday Group (aka The London CMS Pros Group) NONE 2009-03-26 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwebcms.meetup.com%2F59%2Fcalendar%2F9831084%2F http://www.timeout.com/travel/ Take a tour around our brand new travel website, with ideas for holidays and city breaks plus online guides to over 20 cities from Beijing to Barcelona and beyond NONE http://www.timeout.com/travel/ http://www.timeout.com/london/music/event/135591/kid-cudi.html A chance to see what all the fuss is about with Kanye West's protege, rapper/actor Cudi, who nearly hit the top of the charts with the Crookers club-smashing remix of 'Day 'n' Nite'. Now the 25-year-old mixtape master... NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/music/event/135591/kid-cudi.html http://www.timeout.com/london/cabaret/event/136208/the-fun-of-the-fair.html A new show from Nathan Evans (Vauxhallville) that races through 'London's back passages', examining the funfair streets of our capital. A loose, high camp premis, at any rate, for the likes of Dusty Limits, Fancy Chance... NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/cabaret/event/136208/the-fun-of-the-fair.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/racfnwu-h1o/what-to-take-home.html I first spied Charlene Mullen’s exquisite hand-embroidered work at the East London Design Show in December. And being the London-obsessed lass that I am, I made a beeline for her monochrome cushions featuring iconic London landscapes. Transcending a p NONE tag:typepad.com,2003:post-64627493 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/pdSRhnjW6jE/london-musteats-raclette-at-borough-market.html There’s much to love about living so close to London’s Borough Market. It’s become our little Saturday morning ritual, where we take it easy and wander around the stalls, check out the new produce, and make a beeline for Konditor & Cook for a “re NONE tag:typepad.com,2003:post-64314595 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/8p40fPBURiU/wee-finds-lbds-on-the-catwalk.html Jil Sander's LBD for Autumn/Winter 2009Sifting through my favourites from the Autumn/Winter 2009 collections, I noticed a wee trend emerging: LBDs. OK, so LBDs aren't exactly "wee" or a "trend", since designers march out a new version of this modern class NONE tag:typepad.com,2003:post-64234215 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/AzDiDjFMlwI/shopping-in-london-g-baldwin-co.html Cross the threshold of this unassuming South-East London shop and you’ll catch a whiff of the old-fashioned herbal remedies that made it London’s leading apothecary in its Victorian heyday. And whilst they no longer peddle bottles of the extremely pop NONE tag:typepad.com,2003:post-64176941 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/tYD5ttH9Jnc/sponsored-post-kitty-and-polly-.html Vintage screen-printed purse, made using organic Fair Trade cotton, £8, from Kitty and Polly.I hate to nag but it’s Mother’s Day in the UK on March 22, so now is the time to make a considered purchase well in advance. Whatever you do, don’t leave i NONE tag:typepad.com,2003:post-63813991 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/1FH7Jxaas28/wee-etsy-pick-of-the-week.html  It's high time I got back into it posting about Etsy on a regular basis. It's no secret that I'm a big fan of the site and have around 300 individual Etsy shops sitting in my bookmarks folder. And each one is absolutely brilliant. I've also heard from NONE tag:typepad.com,2003:post-63500635 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/Qtnw8Tp8jyY/birdy-goes-bartering.html Until very recently, I had no idea that so many Londoners were such big swappers. I had always presumed that I had nothing of value to swap, and that certain bartering schemes like LETS were the exclusive domain for those with allotments and a special int NONE tag:typepad.com,2003:post-63606939 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/fJfKLsCi0nY/wee-finds-libertyprint-camis-and-bloomers.html   Get into spring with these pretty Liberty floral camisoles (£18) and matching bloomers (£12) from Topshop. NONE tag:typepad.com,2003:post-63471571 http://london.eventguide.com/events/e100308.htm This Tony-Award winning musical tells a story of two showgirls who kill their lovers and ... NONE 2009-03-30 http://london.eventguide.com/events/e100308.htm http://www.timeout.com/london/kids/event/62386/spitalfields-city-farm-activities.html Home to animals ranging from rabbits to ducks, this urban farm is a lovely retreat from the urban rat-race. Weekly events for children and families include the Young Farmers' Club for kids aged 8-13, featuring the chance... NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/kids/event/62386/spitalfields-city-farm-activities.html http://www.soboyesoong.com I love a shop which combines two talents. In this case it is those of two designers: one, E-Sinn Soong, does wearable, fashionable womens clothing, the other (Samson Soboye) is responsible for the equally covetable soft furnishings and bags. Tube: Old Street/Liverpool Street NONE /items/show/164 http://www.caramel-shop.co.uk There are several Caramel baby & child shops in London, plus a couple abroad in Tokyo and Florence but this still feels like a real find if you want to buy a beautiful, unusual piece of clothing for a cute kid. And if you haven't taken the kid plunge, your friend/boss who has will love you sooo much for buying their child something chic from Caramel. The way to a parent's heart is through their child's wardrobe, it's true. Tube: South Kensington NONE /items/show/165 http://www.cinnamonclub.com Sometimes you want to eat a super swanky meal in the most elegant of places, don't you? Well, I know I do. Fabulous modern indian cuisine - yes, please. The Cinnamon Club feels like an opulent, yet comfortable, gentleman's club, all high ceilings and delicate clinking of glasses. The stunning building was originally the Westminster Library and bookworms will enjoy the book-lined bar for a pre-dinner cocktail. Tube: Victoria/Westminster NONE /items/show/166 http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/pubsandbars/the-eagle-review-11338.html This is the mother of all gastro pubs and as such, should by rights have gone off a bit over the years but I had dinner there the other night and it's still as great as ever. That's right, the whole gastropub thing began here. With its open kitchen and lively atmosphere this is a lovely, bustling mediterranean/iberian foodie pub. Tube: Farringdon NONE /items/show/167 http://www.tcm.ac.uk/stringquartetfestival The Allegri Quartet (http://www.allegriquartet.org.uk/) are one of the oldest and most respected British chamber ensembles, founded in 1953. In this afternoon concert they give an entirely Russian programme of music, of Shostakovich ( Nos 1 in C major and 8 in C minor) plus Tchaikovsky. Presented as part of the String Quartet Festival. The Old Royal Naval College is a short walk from the DLR (Docklands Light Railway) stop Cutty Sark. NONE 2009-04-18 /items/show/168 http://www.westminster.gov.uk/leisureandculture/sports/seymour.cfm If the weather is challenging and you want a place to have a swim or to play Squash or Badminton in the centre of town, then this is the place for you. Plus they have a gym and classes and all that jazz too. Tube: Edgware Rd/ Marble Arch NONE /items/show/169 http://www.lyric.co.uk This physical theatre piece has a great pedigree, coming from two companies who produce original, dazzling work. It will definitely involve some aerial, circus skills fun. They say it's suitable for kids too. I'll be booking. The Lyric Hammersmith is a stone's throw from Hammersmith tube and has a bar and cafe with a terrace for sunny evenings. NONE 2009-04-15 /items/show/170 http://www.roundhouse.org.uk/whats-on/productions/ojos-de-brujo-2945 Any band that gets referred to as "Barcelona's hip hop flamenkillo collective" has got me curious and the Roundhouse is such a great venue (at Chalk farm tube or a short walk from Camden) that I'm booking for this one. Presented as part of La Linea 09 the London Latin Music Festival. Tube: Chalk Farm NONE 2009-04-27 /items/show/173 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fatheists.meetup.com%2F213%2Fcalendar%2F9869122%2F The London Atheists Meetup Group NONE 2009-03-31 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fatheists.meetup.com%2F213%2Fcalendar%2F9869122%2F The Battersea Life drawing group NONE 2009-03-31 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fcomart.meetup.com%2F94%2Fcalendar%2F10031359%2F http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fesl.meetup.com%2F2%2Fcalendar%2F9972762%2F London International Meetup NONE 2009-03-31 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fesl.meetup.com%2F2%2Fcalendar%2F9972762%2F http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbookclub.meetup.com%2F1554%2Fcalendar%2F9823218%2F Book Club - Asian Authors/Books about Asia NONE 2009-03-31 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbookclub.meetup.com%2F1554%2Fcalendar%2F9823218%2F London Life Drawing Society NONE 2009-03-31 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Ffiguredrawing.meetup.com%2F89%2Fcalendar%2F9948604%2F London Life Drawing Society NONE 2009-03-31 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Ffiguredrawing.meetup.com%2F89%2Fcalendar%2F9948614%2F BURLESQUE ART CAFE NONE 2009-03-31 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Ffiguredrawing.meetup.com%2F220%2Fcalendar%2F10041623%2F The London Gurdjieff Meetup Group NONE 2009-03-31 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fgurdjieff.meetup.com%2F18%2Fcalendar%2F10033357%2F iPhone and Smartphone Developers and Publishers NONE 2009-03-31 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Ftechnology.meetup.com%2F43%2Fcalendar%2F9877916%2F Cloud Computing - An Introduction to Cloud Computing and AWS NONE 2009-03-31 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnewtech.meetup.com%2F141%2Fcalendar%2F9240081%2F http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2292600/ 23 April, rock/pop Music Tourist Board presents MESSENGERS, DON T WAIT ANIMATE, EDIT/SELECT,, MYLOR TIDE hosted by the EARWAX RADIO SHOW Starts 8pm - visuals/DJs free entry Money for bands after 9pm = £3 entry (/£2 for NUS/Music Tourist Board) Late Music Bar after. New Cross Inn, 323 New Cross Road, Rocklands, London SE14 6AS Tel: 020 8692 1866 http://www.myspace.com/artfulmtb High quality live music tips. Low cost booze. Radio show creating tonight. A different kind of St. George s Day ... NONE 2009-04-23 http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2292600/ http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2292536/ The UK s largest charity bike ride with 27,000 riders cycling the scenic route between London and Brighton on the south coast. Since 1980 when the BHF first became involved with the London to Brighton Bike Ride, over 650,000 riders have taken part in the event and more than £40 million has been raised to help fund pioneering research research, patient care and vital information. Please note that the 2009 Bike Ride is NOW FULL. NONE 2009-06-21 http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2292536/ http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2288267/ Come and see some bands at the Duel in the Deep club night at Catch Bar, 22 Kingsland Road, Shoreditch, London, E2 Bands playing on the night are IVY S ITCH http://www.myspace.com/ivysitch GNOMES OF ZURICH http://www.myspace.com/thegnomesofzurich DORCIA http://www.myspace.com/dorciamusic SLEEPSCAPE http://www.myspace.com/sleepscape Don t miss out! NONE 2009-04-07 http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2288267/ http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=1761 He might not look it but Mr Punch, of Punch and Judy fame, is nearing his 350th birthday. But the annual Covent Garden May Fayre and Puppetry Festival is still going strong. Dozens of puppeteers will descend on St. Paul's church to celebrate the stick-wielding puppet and his long-suffering wife. NONE 2009-05-10 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=1761 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=1732 The Unicorn Children's Theatre is putting on a production of William Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night'. It tells the tale of shipwrecked Viola disguising herself as a man, only for Olivia to fall in love with him/her. Luckily Viola has a twin brother who turns up in the nick of time and passes himself off as him/her. Very confusing, but also very funny. NONE 2009-05-08 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=1732 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/MchBkwMovB8/birdy-1.html Birdy paper sculptures and collages, starting at £35 by UK artist Helen Musselwhite . NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/MchBkwMovB8/birdy-1.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/racfnwu-h1o/what-to-take-home.html I first spied Charlene Mullen ’s exquisite hand-embroidered work at the East London Design Show in December. And being the London-obsessed lass that I am, I made a beeline for her monochrome cushions featuring iconic London landscapes. Transcending a purely functional role, each graphic “piece” is beautifully crafted with extraordinary attention to detail. And with Mullen drawing inspiration from Victorian Christening gowns to prison tattoos, it’s no wonder her work appears simultaneously both modern and vintage. In London, you can find her cushions at Liberty , Sigmar and Linley . She is also stocked in Le Bon Marche in Paris and Scoop in the U.S. Otherwise, purchases can be made through enquiries to her website . NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/racfnwu-h1o/what-to-take-home.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/pdSRhnjW6jE/london-musteats-raclette-at-borough-market.html There’s much to love about living so close to London’s Borough Market. It’s become our little Saturday morning ritual, where we take it easy and wander around the stalls, check out the new produce, and make a beeline for Konditor & Cook for a “real” coffee (because Monmouth's always too busy). But sometimes? I’m not quite sure how living in such close proximity to cheesy heaven, aka Kappacasein ’s raclette stand, is advantageous for my arteries. The premise for a Swiss raclette is ridiculously simple: a white carb celebration of melted Ogleshield cheese, new potatoes, baby gherkins and pickled onions. But it’s also ridiculously delicious – and the long queues are a testament to this fact. The plus side of the waiting time is that you get to watch the whole mesmerising raclette-making process, which involves scraping hot, bubbling cheese onto your pile of potatoes and gherkins. Oh lordy! I especially love the acidic, crunchy baby gherkins, which contrast beautifully with the creamy, cheesy potatoes. They also make the most unbelievably good toasted cheese sandwiches with Montgomery cheddar, onions, leeks and garlic on Poilâne sourdough. Kappacasein is at Borough Market on Fridays 10am-6pm and Saturdays 9am-4pm, and can be found just opposite Southwark Cathedral. Borough Market 8 Southwark Street London SE4 Nearest tube: London Bridge Click here for a Wee Birdy map. NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/pdSRhnjW6jE/london-musteats-raclette-at-borough-market.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/8p40fPBURiU/wee-finds-lbds-on-the-catwalk.html Jil Sander's LBD for Autumn/Winter 2009 Sifting through my favourites from the Autumn/Winter 2009 collections, I noticed a wee trend emerging: LBDs. OK, so LBDs aren't exactly "wee" or a "trend", since designers march out a new version of this modern classic every season. But LBDs seemed to be the flavour of the month this time around. Or maybe I just liked more black frocks than not. Anyway, here are my favourites: Modern assymetrical '40s style with skinny belts at Lanvin. A modern take on the classic sheath at Bottega Veneta. Soft sculptural silhouettes at Jil Sander.  Holey felted wool (!) and exquisite plissé detailing at Calvin Klein. Images from Style.com. NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/8p40fPBURiU/wee-finds-lbds-on-the-catwalk.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/AzDiDjFMlwI/shopping-in-london-g-baldwin-co.html Cross the threshold of this unassuming South-East London shop and you’ll catch a whiff of the old-fashioned herbal remedies that made it London’s leading apothecary in its Victorian heyday. And whilst they no longer peddle bottles of the extremely popular Touch & Go (for “Warts, Corns and Hard Skin”), you can still purchase a refreshing pint of Sarsaparilla for 30p. In 1969, G Baldwin and Co moved from 77 Walworth Road to its present location at number 171, but the shop retains much of its charm and original features including a long counter, apothecary wooden drawers and glass jars. Today the family business is divided into two stores: an excellent health food shop on one side, and the traditional herbalist next door. I was given a sneak-peek behind the scenes, and discovered the fragrant oils room where all of the bottling is done on-site, as well as a thriving mail-order business. Part of the attraction of Baldwin’s these days is its affordable range of essential oils, natural products and aromatherapy products. I swear by their organic Rosehip Oil , a total steal at £7.99, which I use as an inexpensive glow-giving face serum at night. Rosehip oil can be found as an ingredient in many major beauty brands' more expensive anti-ageing products, due to its high levels of anti-oxidants and collagen-boosting Vitamin A. It's also excellent for healing blemishes and acne scars. I also love their range of old-fashioned amber bottles and jars , which come in a variety of sizes that would look gorgeous lined up on your bathroom shelf (in manner of Aesop chic). In fact, Baldwin’s is an excellent source for all sorts of crafty DIY beauty ingredients, including bulk packages of dead sea bath salts and silicone soap-making moulds . Each visit reveals interesting new finds (Stuff in a Tub icecream; English honey cappings; Dr Bronner's soap) and budget buys ( luxury handmade soap for £2.89 ) – making Baldwin's one of London’s true hidden shopping gems. G Baldwin & Co 171/173 Walworth Road London SE17 1RW Tel. 020 7703 5550 Nearest tube/rail: Elephant & Castle Click here for a Wee Birdy map. Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 9am – 5.30pm For more shops in South East London, click here. NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/AzDiDjFMlwI/shopping-in-london-g-baldwin-co.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/MMh_IKUMqV0/wee-finds-britthemed-games.html Wooden counties jigsaw , featuring almost all the counties in England, Wales and Scotland, £37.50, from Pedlars . Touring England game , based on a 1930s board game. The object is to move around England, using the shortest possible route and without visiting the same place twice. £11.50 from Pedlars . Pedlars 128 Talbot Road London W11 1JA Tel: 0207 727 7799 Nearest tube: Ladbroke Grove Click here for a Wee Birdy map. Opening hours: Monday to Friday 10am-6pm Saturday 9am-6pm Sunday 11am-5pm For more shops in Notting Hill, click here . NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/MMh_IKUMqV0/wee-finds-britthemed-games.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/1FH7Jxaas28/wee-etsy-pick-of-the-week.html   It's high time I got back into it posting about Etsy on a regular basis. It's no secret that I'm a big fan of the site and have around 300 individual Etsy shops sitting in my bookmarks folder. And each one is absolutely brilliant. I've also heard from a few of you who have asked for more posts about "cheap stuff online" and "cool crafty finds". To be honest, I can't think of anything that beats Etsy in terms of affordability and originality, and it’s the ultimate antidote to mass-produced, over-priced crap. I've bought a lot of gifts from Etsy over the past two years, and I've had nothing less than brilliantly positive experiences. I also quite like the idea of buying direct from crafty individuals around the world. Admittedly, I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for this week’s Etsy pick, Sarey Poppins , as the crafty owner is actually Glasgow-based Sarah Martin, who's also a musician and member of my favourite band of all time , Belle and Sebastian . Liberty-print linen bag , US$45, from Sarey Poppins' Etsy shop . So this may sound like a bit of a fan-girl response, but Sarah's range of hand-crafted fabric bags, purses, cushions and lavender bags are an absolute delight. I especially love her choice of textiles - lots of vintage-style Liberty prints and old-fashioned florals. Sarah explains that the fabric in this shoulder bag (above) is "a pretty close copy of one of my favourite bags for the last few years, which I picked up in Stockholm from Ordning and Reda . It's made of some of the nicest fabric I have come across in a long time - heavy linen, printed with big plants in great bold colours." I also love the retro-style corduroy Liberty-print fabric used in this shoulder bag and cushion (see below), which Sarah describes as "a firework-y, peacock-y, paisley-ish pattern printed on lovely soft baby cord". And she's also made the most adorable range of lavender sausage dogs . (Surely a lavender sausage dog, hand-sewn by Sarah's nimble fingers is the ultimate twee souvenir for the most dedicated B&S fan?) Liberty-print lavender sausage dog , US$7.50, from Sarey Poppins' Etsy shop . If you live in Glasgow (or if you're ever visiting), you might like to check out Sarah's lovely wares at E&A Clothing on Queen Margaret Drive. NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/1FH7Jxaas28/wee-etsy-pick-of-the-week.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/Qtnw8Tp8jyY/birdy-goes-bartering.html Until very recently, I had no idea that so many Londoners were such big swappers. I had always presumed that I had nothing of value to swap, and that certain bartering schemes like LETS were the exclusive domain for those with allotments and a special interest in Hopi ear candling. In fact, LETS and skills-swap groups are more popular than ever, with record numbers joining up ever since the recession rolled in. If you want to find out more about bartering, check out my guide to London's freebie economy in this week's Time Out. NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/Qtnw8Tp8jyY/birdy-goes-bartering.html http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.mrandmrssmith.com%2F2009%2F02%2Fcompetition-zagat-survey-win-hotel-vouchers%2F If – like us – you' re an opinionated foodie (and we know you are), you' ll have some strong ideas about what you think are the best restaurants in London. In fact, you' d probably leap at the chance to air those views in a constructive way. SO, hate NONE http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.mrandmrssmith.com%2F2009%2F02%2Fcompetition-zagat-survey-win-hotel-vouchers%2F http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.mrandmrssmith.com%2F2009%2F02%2Fstylish-hotels-in-london-for-london-fashion-week%2F Fashionistas have flocked to the British capital for London Fashion Week’s shows, after-parties and insider club scene; so if you' re looking for a stylish place to stay in London, we thought we' d pinpoint where some of the catwalk creators showing the NONE http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.mrandmrssmith.com%2F2009%2F02%2Fstylish-hotels-in-london-for-london-fashion-week%2F http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.mrandmrssmith.com%2F2009%2F02%2Ftop-10-styling-tips-from-johnny-blue-eyes%2F As London Fashion Week gets into full swing this weekend, art-performance-fashion collective House of Blue Eyes' idiosyncratic creative director Johnny Blue Eyes gives roving Smith stylista Toni Jones his top 10 quirky style tips for the upcoming season. NONE http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.mrandmrssmith.com%2F2009%2F02%2Ftop-10-styling-tips-from-johnny-blue-eyes%2F http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.mrandmrssmith.com%2F2009%2F02%2Flondon-fashion-week-stylist-johnny-blue-eyes%2F Many happy returns to London Fashion Week: the industry' s coolest catwalk collection celebrates 25 years of fabulousness, starting today. Designers might go to New York to make money and Paris to show off but London is where the most creative and crazy f NONE http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.mrandmrssmith.com%2F2009%2F02%2Flondon-fashion-week-stylist-johnny-blue-eyes%2F http://www.splendicity.com/snarkstress/thandie-newton-accentuates-the-skinny/ What should you avoid if you’re pin thin and folks regularly gossip about if this is “natural” or due to lack of proper meals? Blazers originally designed for Andre The Giant . “Anybody want a peanut?” While out shopping in West London, Thandie Newton strutted through the streets wearing skinny jeans, running shoes, and a tremendous amount of tweed . Was there not a simple raincoat handy? Couldn’t you just borrow one of the new purchases for your children to cover up your narrow f NONE http://www.splendicity.com/snarkstress/thandie-newton-accentuates-the-skinny/ http://justaplanerideaway.blogspot.com/2009/03/daunt-books-london.html I met Bee in London yesterday. I like to leave our meeting places up to her because she always suggests the perfect spots for our get- togethers . Last time, we met in Notting Hill . This time she suggested MaryleboneHigh Street . The main reason we were in Marylebone was for this fantastic place: Daunt Books . A bookworm like me could get into a lot of trouble in a place like this! But I was good and limited my purchases to: This is Your Brain on Music (for Roxi) and Thr NONE http://justaplanerideaway.blogspot.com/2009/03/daunt-books-london.html http://blog.mrandmrssmith.com/2009/03/eco-friendly-packing-tips/ This month, Mr and Mrs Smith can’t leave home without… Ting’s eco-friendly recycled travel bags On planet fashion, green is the new black. So what better (and more tenuous) way to celebrate St Patrick’s Day than with something super-stylish that will also up your green credentials?! TING is a small London-based company that creates sustainable and seriously gorgeous accessories and luggage, and style mavens from LA to London can’t get enough of TIng’s luxurious recycled pieces. NONE http://blog.mrandmrssmith.com/2009/03/eco-friendly-packing-tips/ http://www.lesbonsplansmodeaparis.com/archive/2009/03/16/one-day-in-london-pictures-thanks.html La journée de samedi dernier passée à Londres m'a fait un bien fou! Très peu de shopping au final...et surtout quasiment rien de ce que je vous présentais vendredi ... NONE http://www.lesbonsplansmodeaparis.com/archive/2009/03/16/one-day-in-london-pictures-thanks.html http://www.londonblacktaxis.net/blog/london-shopping/a-makeover-for-a-london-shopping-icon-liberty Prior to the makeover, Liberty’s layout felt cluttered and slightly claustrophobic. Without losing retail space the shop has been transformed by the use of big mirrors, revealing windows and removing doors. The space is dotted with comfy sofas, creating calm zones for shoppers and their companions to take a breather and relax. Original design features of the six-floor store, like the wood paneling taken from two former Royal Navy ships and a central atrium, remain. Liberty, located in Central NONE http://www.londonblacktaxis.net/blog/london-shopping/a-makeover-for-a-london-shopping-icon-liberty http://www.anglotopia.net/2009/01/london-shopfronts/ I wanted to share this really cool London photoblog with you guys. I’m a sucker for daily photoblogs. This one is something I’ve never seen before, it’s a daily photoblog of London shop fronts. While this may sound kind of boring, actually it’s not. Many small London shops have very colorful and interesting shopfronts. They in themselves can be works of urban art. It’s also interesting to see some of the abandoned shopfronts as well as the shopfronts that look abandoned, but are actua NONE http://www.anglotopia.net/2009/01/london-shopfronts/ http://blog.mrandmrssmith.com/2009/01/london-shopping-guide-insider-tips/ Of all the fashion capitals, London is best known for its fashion-forward style, electric mix of influences and trendsetting fashionistas. It has a wealth of great shopping areas, with funky high streets, designer flagships and tucked-away boutiques and vintage stores. However, having so much choice can be overwhelming, even for hardened city dwellers, never mind whirlwind visitors on a weekend stay in London. What you need is a few friendly pointers to save you a bit of the time and trudgery i NONE http://blog.mrandmrssmith.com/2009/01/london-shopping-guide-insider-tips/ http://fabricmag.com/fabric-magazine-fashion/nyc-shopping-debut/ A newcomer to Nolita’s bevy of indie stores, the gallery-like boutique Début brings a new concept to the marketplace: the centrally located retail space is a brick-and-mortar stepping stone for young designers to launch their collections into the market. (We would say it’s the New York equivalent of London boutique Beyond the Valley, one of our favorites.) We spoke with owner Lisa Weiss about her innovative concept. Marina Cashdan: Can you tell me a bit about your fashion background? NONE http://fabricmag.com/fabric-magazine-fashion/nyc-shopping-debut/ http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.londondrum.com%2Fevents%2F%3Fp%3D710 19th 22nd February 2009 The 20/21 International Art Fair at the Royal College of Art in Kensington Gore offers affordable art by big name artists -- including paintings by the likes of Matisse, Chagall, David Hockney, Bridget Riley and Damien Hirst. NONE 2009-02-19 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.londondrum.com%2Fevents%2F%3Fp%3D710 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.londondrum.com%2Fevents%2F%3Fp%3D254 4th 8th February 2009 The Flower Cellars in Covent Garden is hosting a Watercolors Drawings Fair. Hundreds of art workds are on sale, from watercolour landscape paintings, to pen and ink, pastel and chalk drawings. Paintings vary widely in price, and thei NONE 2009-02-04 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.londondrum.com%2Fevents%2F%3Fp%3D254 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.londondrum.com%2Fevents%2F%3Fp%3D779 1st February 2009 The Antiques, Collectors and 20th Century Fair at Alexandra Palace is London's leading Antiques Fair, with everything from pottery, ceramics, paintings and objet d'art. And if you like the Antiques Roadshow on TV, then you might be inter NONE 2009-02-01 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.londondrum.com%2Fevents%2F%3Fp%3D779 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.londondrum.com%2Fevents%2F%3Fp%3D767 24th January 2009 Get down to Kensington Olympia for Music Mania 2009. There will be thousands of items for sale -- everything from CDs and vinyl to DVDs, tapes, posters and T-shirts. You'll also be able to get your hands on some old programmes, gold disc NONE 2009-01-24 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.londondrum.com%2Fevents%2F%3Fp%3D767 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.londondrum.com%2Fevents%2F%3Fp%3D750 8th 11th January 2009 The Kensington Antiques Fine Art Fair in Kensington Town Hall will have 55 stands filled with top quality art and antiques -- including pictures, paintings, furniture, sculptures, silver, jewellery and ceramics figures. NONE 2009-01-08 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.londondrum.com%2Fevents%2F%3Fp%3D750 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.londondrum.com%2Fevents%2F%3Fp%3D48 12th 21st December 2008 Stroll down to the Thames for the Bankside Winter Festival -- with Christmas shops and stalls and lots of festive events. Don't miss the extra-special Lantern Parade on the 12th December. NONE 2008-12-12 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.londondrum.com%2Fevents%2F%3Fp%3D48 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.londondrum.com%2Fevents%2F%3Fp%3D252 10th 24th December 2008 Stuck for a gift this Christmas? Then get down to the OXO Tower for the Charity Christmas Fair. There you'll be able to buy a festive gift with a difference -- How about a getting goat for a starving Rwandan family? Or a hot Christ NONE 2008-12-10 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.londondrum.com%2Fevents%2F%3Fp%3D252 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.londondrum.com%2Fevents%2F%3Fp%3D174 6th 7th December 2008 Christmas shoppers rejoice! Regent Street and Oxford Street are putting on a "Shop West End VIP Day" -- banning the traffic and letting in the Christmas shopping hoardes. There will also be lots of entertainment with celebrity guests NONE 2008-12-06 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.londondrum.com%2Fevents%2F%3Fp%3D174 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.londondrum.com%2Fevents%2F%3Fp%3D106 30th November 2008 The Chelsea Physic Gardens Christmas Fair will take place on the 30th November, where there will be festive stalls selling everything from jewellery, gloves, bags and tasty treats, to Christmas carol singing singalongs. NONE 2008-11-30 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.londondrum.com%2Fevents%2F%3Fp%3D106 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.londondrum.com%2Fevents%2F%3Fp%3D69 27th November 2008 Get down to Hatchards this Christmas, one of London's most famous bookstores, for a huge book-signing event. Some of the famous authors in attendance will include Judith Kerr, David Starkey and Peter Ackroyd. NONE 2008-11-27 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.londondrum.com%2Fevents%2F%3Fp%3D69 http://www.gll.org/centre/london-fields-lido.asp Well, now I am letting you in on one of my favourite things in London: a heated 50m outdoor pool, open all year round, with changing rooms inside for when it's a bit chilly and also outdoors for the truly hardy. Plus a cafe. And all within five minutes o NONE /items/show/229 http://eventful.com/venues/V0-001-000534865-8 Nettie Horn 25b E2+9DG, London, United Kingdom NONE http://eventful.com/venues/V0-001-000534865-8 http://eventful.com/venues/V0-001-001243775-6 Digress 10 Beak Street, London, SW1E 5EA United Kingdom NONE http://eventful.com/venues/V0-001-001243775-6 http://eventful.com/venues/V0-001-000395157-3 Wax Bar 4 Winsley Street, London, W1W 8HF United Kingdom NONE http://eventful.com/venues/V0-001-000395157-3 http://eventful.com/venues/V0-001-002001747-8 St Martin s London, WC2H 9NZ United Kingdom NONE http://eventful.com/venues/V0-001-002001747-8 http://eventful.com/venues/V0-001-000315171-1 606 Club 90 Lots Rd Kensington, London, SW10 0QD United Kingdom NONE http://eventful.com/venues/V0-001-000315171-1 http://eventful.com/venues/V0-001-000768724-1 Boom Boom at Sutton United FC Borough Sports Ground Gander Green Lane Sutton Surrey, London, SM1 2EY United Kingdom NONE http://eventful.com/venues/V0-001-000768724-1 http://eventful.com/venues/V0-001-002092664-4 Franklin-Wilkins Building 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH United Kingdom NONE http://eventful.com/venues/V0-001-002092664-4 http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/london_book_fair.htm The London Book Fair, progressively a key book fair in the first half of the year held during the spring time.... NONE 2009-04-22 http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/london_book_fair.htm http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/stgeorges_day.htm St George was adopted as the Saint of Battles and is the patron saint of England. Enjoy the St. Geoge's Day celebrations at many popular London venues. NONE http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/stgeorges_day.htm http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/tiger-who-came-tea.htm This musical based on the best-selling children's book is presented on stage for the very first time and will interest and entertain all the children. NONE 2009-04-30 http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/tiger-who-came-tea.htm http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/bubble-london.htm Bubble London 2009 at the Business Design Centre, London promises to bring a new generation of kids trade show to the marketplace. NONE 2009-06-21 http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/bubble-london.htm http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/kids_week.htm The Kid's Week London theatre open up to children to see a wonderful selection of major West End shows.... NONE http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/kids_week.htm http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/london-international-horse-show.htm If you are a horse or a dog lover, then here is a event for all die-hard fans with an entire week of dressage steps, jumping events and galloping. NONE 2009-12-15 http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/london-international-horse-show.htm http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/art_trolley_session.htm A brilliant treat for your kids to develop their creativity and art skills. Take away , ribbons, coloured card, crayons, etc to.... NONE http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/art_trolley_session.htm http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/london-international-boat-show.htm The London International Boat Show arrives to ExCeL from 8th - 17th January 2010, rejoicing 55 years of bringing... NONE http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/london-international-boat-show.htm http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/farnborough_air_show.htm This great International Airshow is a worldwide show event for everything connected to aerospace attracting aviation experts & aviation admirers. NONE http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/farnborough_air_show.htm http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/queens_birthday_gun_salutes.htm Annual gun salutes on the 21st April celebrate the Queen's birthday and offers a magnificent spectacle for the public in Hyde Park and the Tower of London. NONE 2009-04-21 http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/queens_birthday_gun_salutes.htm http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/shakespeares_birthday.htm Every year on the 23rd April a number of celebrations are held along with an annual parade to celebrate the birthday of William Shakespeare, world famous poet. NONE http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/shakespeares_birthday.htm http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/trooping_colour.htm Her Majesty's official birthday celebration will present a display of ceremony and military history and is the major highlight of the London Summer Calendar. NONE 2009-06-13 http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/trooping_colour.htm http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/london-childrens-film-festival.htm Children see filmmaking in all its aspects brought to life and participate in various workshops across London. NONE http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/london-childrens-film-festival.htm http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/new-years-eve-fireworks.htm London celebrates the arrival of the New Year with the annual firework display in the middle of the River Thames close to.... NONE 2009-12-31 http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/new-years-eve-fireworks.htm http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/olympia-international-art-antiques-fair.htm The key fine art and antiques event in London, this years' Olympia International Arts & Antiques Fair promises to be even bigger and more exciting. NONE http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/olympia-international-art-antiques-fair.htm http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/bp-portrait-award.htm The BP Portrait Award sponsored by British Petroleum is a yearly celebration of young artists making it to the art world at the National Portrait Gallery, London. NONE 2009-06-18 http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/bp-portrait-award.htm http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/winter-art-antiques-fair.htm The Winter Fine Art & Antiques Fair 2009 at Olympia National Hall, London promises to be an exciting event and present... NONE 2009-11-16 http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/winter-art-antiques-fair.htm http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/beside-the-seaside.htm 'Beside the Seaside: snapshots of British coastal life, 1880-1950' exhibition at the National Maritime Museum offers a collection of British coast memorabilia. NONE 2008-09-17 http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/beside-the-seaside.htm http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/london-art-fair.htm London Art Fair is now entering its 21st year and is the UK's biggest up to date British and fashionable art fair. NONE http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/london-art-fair.htm http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/grosvenor_house_art_antiques_fair.htm The Grosvenor House Art and Antique Fair at the Great Room at Grosvenor House, A JW Marriott Hotel in London is a top class art and antique event. NONE 2009-06-11 http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/grosvenor_house_art_antiques_fair.htm http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/statuephilia.htm Statuephilia at the British Museum London will feature five major contemporary works displayed alongside.... NONE 2009-11-14 http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/statuephilia.htm http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/fromwar-windrush-exhibition.htm From War to Windrush exhibition at the Imperial War Museum in London will tell the personal stories of black men and women in a light of the world wars. NONE 2008-06-13 http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/fromwar-windrush-exhibition.htm http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/art-of-the-poster.htm The Art of the Poster exhibition at the London Transport Museum will offer over 60 original artworks... NONE 2008-10-16 http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/art-of-the-poster.htm http://blog.mrandmrssmith.com/2009/02/competition-zagat-survey-win-hotel-vouchers/ If – like us – you' re an opinionated foodie (and we know you are), you' ll have some strong ideas about what you think are the best restaurants in London. In fact, you' d probably leap at the chance to air those views in a constructive way. SO, hate it or rate it: why not help trusted restaurant [...] NONE http://blog.mrandmrssmith.com/2009/02/competition-zagat-survey-win-hotel-vouchers/ http://blog.mrandmrssmith.com/2009/02/stylish-hotels-in-london-for-london-fashion-week/ Fashionistas have flocked to the British capital for London Fashion Week’s shows, after-parties and insider club scene; so if you' re looking for a stylish place to stay in London, we thought we' d pinpoint where some of the catwalk creators showing their A/W 09 collections might bunk up, bed down and tuck in while they’re in [...] NONE http://blog.mrandmrssmith.com/2009/02/stylish-hotels-in-london-for-london-fashion-week/ http://blog.mrandmrssmith.com/2009/02/top-10-styling-tips-from-johnny-blue-eyes/ As London Fashion Week gets into full swing this weekend, art-performance-fashion collective House of Blue Eyes' idiosyncratic creative director Johnny Blue Eyes gives roving Smith stylista Toni Jones his top 10 quirky style tips for the upcoming season. Read Toni' s interview with Johnny Blue Eyes, posted yesterday, for a bit of background on London' s most [...] NONE http://blog.mrandmrssmith.com/2009/02/top-10-styling-tips-from-johnny-blue-eyes/ http://blog.mrandmrssmith.com/2009/02/london-fashion-week-stylist-johnny-blue-eyes/ Many happy returns to London Fashion Week: the industry' s coolest catwalk collection celebrates 25 years of fabulousness, starting today. Designers might go to New York to make money and Paris to show off but London is where the most creative and crazy fashion moments happen (ok, as a London-based fashion ed I might be a [...] NONE http://blog.mrandmrssmith.com/2009/02/london-fashion-week-stylist-johnny-blue-eyes/ http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=710 19th 22nd February 2009 The 20/21 International Art Fair at the Royal College of Art in Kensington Gore offers affordable art by big name artists -- including paintings by the likes of Matisse, Chagall, David Hockney, Bridget Riley and Damien Hirst. NONE 2009-02-19 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=710 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=254 4th 8th February 2009 The Flower Cellars in Covent Garden is hosting a Watercolors Drawings Fair. Hundreds of art workds are on sale, from watercolour landscape paintings, to pen and ink, pastel and chalk drawings. Paintings vary widely in price, and their is something for everyone's budget. NONE 2009-02-04 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=254 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=779 1st February 2009 The Antiques, Collectors and 20th Century Fair at Alexandra Palace is London's leading Antiques Fair, with everything from pottery, ceramics, paintings and objet d'art. And if you like the Antiques Roadshow on TV, then you might be interested in the Valuation and Restoration Roadshow which accompanies it. NONE 2009-02-01 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=779 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=767 24th January 2009 Get down to Kensington Olympia for Music Mania 2009. There will be thousands of items for sale -- everything from CDs and vinyl to DVDs, tapes, posters and T-shirts. You'll also be able to get your hands on some old programmes, gold discs, tour jackets and plenty more. Music Mania will be held on the 24th January. NONE 2009-01-24 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=767 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=750 8th 11th January 2009 The Kensington Antiques Fine Art Fair in Kensington Town Hall will have 55 stands filled with top quality art and antiques -- including pictures, paintings, furniture, sculptures, silver, jewellery and ceramics figures. NONE 2009-01-08 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=750 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=48 12th 21st December 2008 Stroll down to the Thames for the Bankside Winter Festival -- with Christmas shops and stalls and lots of festive events. Don't miss the extra-special Lantern Parade on the 12th December. NONE 2008-12-12 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=48 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=252 10th 24th December 2008 Stuck for a gift this Christmas? Then get down to the OXO Tower for the Charity Christmas Fair. There you'll be able to buy a festive gift with a difference -- How about a getting goat for a starving Rwandan family? Or a hot Christmas meal for a UK pensioner? NONE 2008-12-10 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=252 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=174 6th 7th December 2008 Christmas shoppers rejoice! Regent Street and Oxford Street are putting on a "Shop West End VIP Day" -- banning the traffic and letting in the Christmas shopping hoardes. There will also be lots of entertainment with celebrity guests and live music. NONE 2008-12-06 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=174 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=106 30th November 2008 The Chelsea Physic Gardens Christmas Fair will take place on the 30th November, where there will be festive stalls selling everything from jewellery, gloves, bags and tasty treats, to Christmas carol singing singalongs. NONE 2008-11-30 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=106 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=69 27th November 2008 Get down to Hatchards this Christmas, one of London's most famous bookstores, for a huge book-signing event. Some of the famous authors in attendance will include Judith Kerr, David Starkey and Peter Ackroyd. NONE 2008-11-27 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=69 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbeppegrillo.meetup.com%2F619%2Fcalendar%2F9918697%2F The London BEPPE GRILLO Meetup Group NONE 2009-04-02 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbeppegrillo.meetup.com%2F619%2Fcalendar%2F9918697%2F http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fentrepreneur.meetup.com%2F1056%2Fcalendar%2F9828328%2F London OpenCoffee Meetup NONE 2009-04-02 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fentrepreneur.meetup.com%2F1056%2Fcalendar%2F9828328%2F http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fboardgames.meetup.com%2F332%2Fcalendar%2F9913826%2F London On Board NONE 2009-04-01 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fboardgames.meetup.com%2F332%2Fcalendar%2F9913826%2F http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Ffriends.meetup.com%2F763%2Fcalendar%2F9975111%2F London Thirtysomethings Friends Meetup NONE 2009-04-02 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Ffriends.meetup.com%2F763%2Fcalendar%2F9975111%2F http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fjuggle.meetup.com%2F65%2Fcalendar%2F10065000%2F The London Juggling, Poi and Circus Skills Meetup NONE 2009-04-01 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fjuggle.meetup.com%2F65%2Fcalendar%2F10065000%2F http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwalkers.meetup.com%2F547%2Fcalendar%2F10065138%2F London's Social Urban Walks Meetup NONE 2009-04-01 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwalkers.meetup.com%2F547%2Fcalendar%2F10065138%2F http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2F9-11.meetup.com%2F420%2Fcalendar%2F10040119%2F London Truth Action - truthaction.org NONE 2009-04-01 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2F9-11.meetup.com%2F420%2Fcalendar%2F10040119%2F http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/affordable_art_fair.htm The biannual Affordable Art Fair in Battersea Park promises to be an exceptional event for art lovers. NONE 2009-10-22 http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/affordable_art_fair.htm http://www.wiltons.org.uk/tours-and-hire Wiltons is the world's oldest surviving grand music hall and it is also one of the most atmospheric buidings I know. To celebrate the 150th anniversary you can go on a guided tour of the building. Just turn up at Wiltons between 12 - 4.30. Check out the website: http://tr.im/ia7D. I've been to two fantastic weddings, an amazing party and several theatre events in this building and I think it's one of London's hidden treasures - and if you're into Wabi Sabi it's heaven. Nearest tube: Tower Hill/Aldgate East. Wiltons, Graces Alley, Off Ensign Street, London, E1 8JB. NONE 2009-05-29 /items/show/298 http://www.timeout.com/london/aroundtown/event/77646/chocolate-festival.html Outdoor festival featuring chocolatiers and chocolate companies including three-time Best British Chocolatier William Curley, as well as workshops and demonstrations on making truffles, bonbons and more. NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/aroundtown/event/77646/chocolate-festival.html http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/music?action=calendar&calendar_selected=2009-05-15&page=1 What is it about icelanders? I have yet to meet one who is not witty and charming, and, oh my, they make good music. In this intruiging-sounding concert beatboxer Shlomo meets up with Sigur Ros collaborators Amina and Bjork producer Valgeir Sigurõsson. http://tr.im/ib.PT Tube: Waterloo/Embankment NONE 2009-05-15 /items/show/301 http://bit.ly/2st7Fl Chelsea Physic Garden. Just hearing it's name is relaxing. Founded by apothecaries in 1673 this is one of London's hidden calm places, with a civilised café. Even if you're not into gardens per se, you'll enjoy this special place. There's a charge for entry (£8). http://bit.ly/2st7Fl Tube: Sloane Square. NONE 2009-04-01 /items/show/302 http://london.eventguide.com/events/e101280.htm The Festival will consist of dozens of stalls, all of which will individually focus on on... NONE 2009-04-03 http://london.eventguide.com/events/e101280.htm http://www.timeout.com/london/kids/reviews/6473/zippo-s_circus.html The horse-drawn 'Carnival Tsange' rides into town, featuring gypsy horses and ponies as well as acrobats, clowns and daredevil acts NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/kids/reviews/6473/zippo-s_circus.html http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbbw.meetup.com%2F403%2Fcalendar%2F9775324%2F UK BBW/BHM/FA Meetup Group NONE 2009-04-03 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbbw.meetup.com%2F403%2Fcalendar%2F9775324%2F http://www.timeout.com/london/cabaret/event/136931/london-burlesque-festival-glitterati-gala.html The opening of Chaz Royal's London Burlesque Festival featuring a long line-up of showgirls, strippers, vaudeville characters and more in this decadent basement club. Comperes are the twisted Armitage Shanks, busty Ivy... NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/cabaret/event/136931/london-burlesque-festival-glitterati-gala.html http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fatheists.meetup.com%2F213%2Fcalendar%2F10090240%2F The London Atheists Meetup Group NONE 2009-04-04 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fatheists.meetup.com%2F213%2Fcalendar%2F10090240%2F http://bit.ly/1dH7iT When your watch goes wrong you need to know where to go. There's a little booth in Piccadilly Circus Station that can change a battery for you, but for anything tricky, or if you really love your watch, take it to John Lloyd at the Watch Service Centre (60, Clerkenwell Rd, London, EC1M 5PX). The shop is tiny, and very yellow, and John is lovely, has been here for years (more than forty) and he will nurse your timepiece back to full health. Open tues-fri 9-4. Tube: Farringdon, bus: 55. http://bit.ly/1dH7iT NONE /items/show/313 http://www.sci-fi-london.com/festival/2009/programme/all-nighter/italian-horror.php Sci-Fi-London Film Festival (www.sci-fi-london.com) present this great-sounding quadruple bill of 'hot italian hellraisers' by directors Mario Bava, Dario Argento, Lamberto Bava and Salvatore Billitteri. Do you dare? At the same cinema on the same night are several other all-night bills with DJs in the bar. Starts at midnight: Apollo West End Cinema, 19 Lower Regent Street, London, SW1Y 4LR. Tube: Piccadilly NONE 2009-05-02 /items/show/314 http://www.sci-fi-london.com/festival/2009/programme/all-nighter/anime.php If you're into Anime you'll want to know about this, the 8th Anime all-nighter presented by Sci-Fi-London Festival. http://tr.im/ihUK. Starts at midnight, DJ's in the bar, sounds like fun. Apollo West End, 19 Lower Regent Street, London, SW1Y 4LR. Tube: Piccadilly NONE 2009-05-02 /items/show/315 http://bit.ly/JILEE It's classic, it works at every level for an after theatre meal in town. Great cocktails, lovely service, consistently good food plus open into the small hours. Bingo. I always have either the liver and bacon or the burger - no, it's not on the menu, but you just have to ask nicely - which are both delicious. The piano player has been there for years and you'll feel you've been going there for years too. 13 Exeter St, WC2E 7DT. http://bit.ly/JILEE Tube: Covent Garden/Charing Cross NONE /items/show/317 http://london.eventguide.com/events/e101014.htm Join over 2,000 runners taking part as individuals or as part of a team. Spectators line ... NONE 2009-04-06 http://london.eventguide.com/events/e101014.htm http://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/event/134086/spring-awakening.html Angst-meets-musical in this unabashed anthem to youthful lust and idealism NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/event/134086/spring-awakening.html http://www.timeout.com/london/dance/event/137683/spill-festival-inferno.html The first part of visionary Italian theatre director Romeo Castellucci's trilogy freely inspired by Dante's 'Divine Comedy'. NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/dance/event/137683/spill-festival-inferno.html http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fboardgames.meetup.com%2F332%2Fcalendar%2F9861358%2F London On Board NONE 2009-04-05 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fboardgames.meetup.com%2F332%2Fcalendar%2F9861358%2F http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmovies.meetup.com%2F861%2Fcalendar%2F9874176%2F Black Londoners NONE 2009-04-05 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmovies.meetup.com%2F861%2Fcalendar%2F9874176%2F http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2358130/ Lord Paul Drayson of Kensington is Minister of State for Science and Innovation at DIUS, the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. He is responsible for developing and delivering policy that will contribute to world-class research in the UK and the conversion of science into wealth through innovation. His responsibilities include encouraging innovation through government procurement, delivering and developing the recommendations in the Innovation Nation White Paper and Sainsbury Report, enhancing the profile and take-up of STEM subjects and oversight ... NONE 2009-07-09 http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2358130/ http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2355753/ A free night of dusty vinyl and shiny beats. East London s Huskiii will turn up with his bag of charity shop funk records and attempt to fuse them into a hiphop / samba set whilst Auckland s Phooey will lay down a blend of broken beat, soul and general bluntedness. Entry gratis 3 for 2 offers on Sol beer. NONE 2009-04-08 http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2355753/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/ig2k_C38-0Y/birdy-pick-of-the-week.html Iittala birds , designed by Finnish artist and designer Anu Penttinen. NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/ig2k_C38-0Y/birdy-pick-of-the-week.html http://www.timeout.com/london/music/event/137197/wildbirds-and-peacedrums-volcano.html Brilliant, cool 'n' kooky husband-wife duo from Sweden play from their debut album, 'Heartcore', a stripped-down work of goosebump-inducing pagan blues, black spirituals/ gospel, uplifting pop and ecstatic soul and last... NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/music/event/137197/wildbirds-and-peacedrums-volcano.html http://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/event/76676/scenes-from-communal-living.html Audience suggestions help shape this improvised comedy about the flat-share from hell. NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/event/76676/scenes-from-communal-living.html http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fhiking.meetup.com%2F592%2Fcalendar%2F9447765%2F AAA London - The Action Adventure Activity Meetup Group NONE 2009-04-03 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fhiking.meetup.com%2F592%2Fcalendar%2F9447765%2F http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/X-kZdI6vJKg/london-street-style-affordable-vintage-fair.html I caught these birdies hanging outside the Affordable Vintage Fashion Fair on Saturday in Bethnal Green. I only got there in the last half hour, but looks like great fun was had by all. Especially loved the Tea Shoppe by Lady Luck Rules OK, featuring individual tables from different decades. This would be the crafty 1970s table. You could also play tiddly winks at the 1930s table, and Make do and Mend at the 1940s table. Check out the dates for upcoming fairs in the UK - it's coming to Lincoln, Nottingham, Liverpool, Durham and York. NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/X-kZdI6vJKg/london-street-style-affordable-vintage-fair.html http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fspanish.meetup.com%2F30%2Fcalendar%2F10089110%2F The London Spanish Language Meetup Group NONE 2009-04-10 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fspanish.meetup.com%2F30%2Fcalendar%2F10089110%2F http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fhiking.meetup.com%2F373%2Fcalendar%2F9972170%2F Mountaintrax NONE 2009-04-10 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fhiking.meetup.com%2F373%2Fcalendar%2F9972170%2F http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fphoto.meetup.com%2F744%2Fcalendar%2F9265423%2F The London Photo and Graphics Meetup Group NONE 2009-04-11 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fphoto.meetup.com%2F744%2Fcalendar%2F9265423%2F http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Ftravel.meetup.com%2F1530%2Fcalendar%2F9918976%2F UDare! The Really Big Adventure Group NONE 2009-04-11 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Ftravel.meetup.com%2F1530%2Fcalendar%2F9918976%2F http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Ftravel.meetup.com%2F1280%2Fcalendar%2F9492556%2F MINTY TRIPS (TRAVEL and OUTDOOR CLUB) NONE 2009-04-10 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Ftravel.meetup.com%2F1280%2Fcalendar%2F9492556%2F http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fesl.meetup.com%2F2%2Fcalendar%2F9922194%2F London International Meetup NONE 2009-04-10 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fesl.meetup.com%2F2%2Fcalendar%2F9922194%2F http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2385397/ 7.15 for 7.30 pm start The Necronomicon was once the most famous book that never existed - until a few decades ago, when the first copies appeared on the market. From Lovecraft to Grant to... well, you name it! This is the story of their non-existence, their existence, and their secret stories. Dan Harms revals the history of these books, their relevance in the broader current of the grimoire tradition, and their impact upon magical practice. The speaker is author ... NONE 2009-05-28 http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2385397/ http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2375744/ // THE OPENGOV IMPERATIVE: Much has been made of the ability for internet technologies to herald a new era of participatory democracy. However, current structures of governance and representative democracy have evolved for many reasons: deliberative analysis, recognising resource constraints, balancing competing demands, and taking a long-term perspective. Social technologies have massive potential to involve the public across the policy lifecycle - from identifying issues to identifying alternative solutions, from designing public interventions to their delivery. It is certainly possible ... NONE 2009-04-22 http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2375744/ http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2355731/ From the Sichuan earthquake to the Mumbai terrorist attacks and the US Airways plane that crashed in the Hudson River, Twitter has proven itself to as a source for breaking news. But how do you track it, filter it, make sense of it? How do you monitor news whenever and whereever it breaks online? This course will show you how. Aimed at anyone who needs to understand how stories are propagated online and how to track them, this course will ... NONE 2009-05-05 http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2355731/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/O-NMHCaKuOU/shopping-in-london-melt-chocolates.html I couldn’t resist poking my head inside the doors of Melt Chocolates in Notting Hill, just in time for Easter. As you can imagine, it’s a hive of activity at the moment, with all chocolate handmade on site in the small kitchen out the back. And with their recently opened concession in Selfridges, demand has never been greater. The kitchen is headed by Chika Watanabe, who conjures up sheer chocolate heaven in the manner of award-winning Maldon sea-salted caramels, peanut butter and raspberry jam truffles, and exquisite single-origin hot chocolate dipping blocks. For Easter, there’s a delightful bunny mug designed by Lisa Jones with a milk chocolate egg (£17.50), traditional paper eggs filled with Swiss milk chocolate drops (£8.50) and egg cups with milk chocolate eggs (£9.50). Click here to see the full Easter line-up. If you’ve left your Easter shopping ‘til the last minute, resist the calls of the supermarket aisle (and bad-quality, sugar-laden chocolate) and head over to Selfridges instead. Right now you can hand-pick your own selection of fresh chocolates and watch as Melt’s chocolatiers seal them inside a hand-finished egg. Fun and yum! Melt 59 Ledbury Road London W11 2AA Nearest Tube: Notting Hill Gate Click here for a Wee Birdy map. Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 9am-6pm Sunday 11am-4pm For more chocolates and sweets in London, click here. NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/O-NMHCaKuOU/shopping-in-london-melt-chocolates.html http://bit.ly/131xUe Take the tube to Highgate and go for a wander in the beautiful ancient woodland of Highgate Wood. 70 acres of gorgeous trees gives you a great dose of birdsong and the terrain is great for running. There's a cafe which will merit its own entry for good food and a wildlife conservation information hut. Great for kids too. http://bit.ly/131xUe NONE /items/show/350 http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/LGNL_Services/Environment_and_planning/Parks_and_open_spaces/highgate_wood.htm There is a spring guided walk through Highgate Wood today at 2.30pm. You need to pre-book for this free event on 020 8444 6129. This will be a great chance to find out more about this beautiful ancient woodland treasure. Tube: Highgate. http://tr.im/iCxR NONE 2009-05-09 /items/show/351 http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/LGNL_Services/Environment_and_planning/Parks_and_open_spaces/highgate_wood.htm I was staggered at the number of different birds I could hear last time I went to Highgate Wood. This is my (and your) chance to find out who's singing what. It's a 9am start, meeting at the Information Hut, and you'll need to pre-book on 020 8444 6129. Tube: Highgate. http://tr.im/iCz4 NONE 2009-05-16 /items/show/352 http://bit.ly/1a8py4 Fair Trade and Organic womens clothing, plus shoes and accessories, all with bags of style in a cute shop in a great location. Sounds just right? It's Equa in Islington, at 28 Camden Passage, London, N1 8ED. http://bit.ly/1a8py4 Tube: Angel NONE /items/show/353 http://www.youngvic.org/whats-on?action=details&id=2537 I've booked for this one-man, coming of age play, which returns to London after a sell-out run last year. William Ash is a fine actor and the Young Vic is a great theatre with a lovely bar to boot. http://tr.im/iCCy Tube: Waterloo NONE 2009-04-23 /items/show/354 http://www.openairtheatre.com/pl99.html A Shakespearian comedy performed in the Open Air Theatre in Regents Park. What a pleasure. Get some friends together, take a picnic and enjoy one of London's summer theatre treats. Tube: Baker Street (allow time for a stroll through the park). http://tr.im/iCE6 NONE 2009-05-27 /items/show/355 http://bit.ly/B7wye Regent's Park Open Air Theatre has built up a fine reputation in recent years for it's musical summer show and this year's Hello Dolly! should be great fun. It's a magical setting for a show. Tube: Baker Street (plus a stroll). http://bit.ly/B7wye NONE 2009-07-30 /items/show/356 http://www.openairtheatre.com/pl94.html The Tempest is one of Shakespeare's last, and most magical, plays and will be a great one to see on a fine summer's evening at the Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park. Take a picnic, have Pimms from the bar and enjoy one of London's theatrical treats. For all over six years old. http://tr.im/iCZw Tube (plus a stroll): Baker Street NONE 2009-06-05 /items/show/357 http://www.youngvic.org/whats-on?action=details&id=2613 Ok, I'll fess up: Ché Walker is a fiendishly talented writer/director who is also a friend. That means I've been lucky enough to see lots of his work and I recommend you book early for this "neon-soaked...soul/funk powerhouse" of a musical at the Young Vic. http://tr.im/iD0V Tube: Waterloo NONE 2009-06-11 /items/show/358 http://www.youngvic.org/whats-on?action=details&id=2351 Katie Mitchell directs Purcell's Dido and Aeneas in a new film and theatre piece. There are only ten performances of this co-production between the Young Vic and the English National Opera. Katie Mitchell's work is always challenging and worth seeing so if you're into boundary breaking productions of classic musical pieces, this is one for you. http://tr.im/iD3f Tube: Waterloo NONE 2009-04-15 /items/show/359 http://bit.ly/2A30hG This is a great upmarket cafe for lunch, with a relaxed atmosphere and lovely fresh food and cakes. The salads are laid out for you to choose from and the specials are delicious. http://bit.ly/2A30hG Bea's of Bloomsbury, 44 Theobald's Road, London, WC1X 8NW Tube: Chancery Lane/Holborn NONE /items/show/360 http://www.timeout.com/london/music/event/138289/ether-09-brian-eno-john-hassell.html The Southbank Centre's annual festival of brilliantly innovative music returns, running until April 24. It kicks off tonight with compelling bill of music-related conversation from these two experimental – Eno the... NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/music/event/138289/ether-09-brian-eno-john-hassell.html http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Ficeskating.meetup.com%2F32%2Fcalendar%2F9946029%2F London Rollerblading and Ice Skating Meetup Group NONE 2009-04-11 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Ficeskating.meetup.com%2F32%2Fcalendar%2F9946029%2F http://www.bac.org.uk/whatsonresult.php?id=3284 Kneehigh are fantastic and this Don John will be good, take it from me. Inventive and physical theatre at its best. They've set this classic play about the original lothario in the disco world of 1978 and it sounds super sexy and fabulous. Battersea Arts Centre is easy to get to if you get a train to Clapham Junction - it's then a short walk. Trains go from Victoria and Waterloo and take abround ten minutes. NONE 2009-04-07 /items/show/371 http://www.bistrotheque.com/entertainment.php?Y=2009&W=18 Silly, fun and camp as hell, Lipsinkers are the latest in a line of fantastic cabaret acts to perform in the dedicated cabaret bar at Bistrotheque. So, when you've taken in that modern art in all those hip Vyner St galleries, have a cocktail and enjoy! Bistrotheque, 23-27 Wadeson Street, London, E2 9DR Tube: Bethnal Green NONE 2009-05-01 /items/show/372 http://www.bistrotheque.com/index.php Bistrotheque is fine dining as you would wish it to be - well, as I would. Great food; highly aesthetically pleasing, vaguely industrial, surroundings; plus the relaxedness that comes with confidence. It's hip, it's fabulous. There's a lovely cocktail bar downstairs, plus a dedicated cabaret space open at the weekends, and weekend brunches (11-4) are legendary. 23-27 Wadeson Street, London, E2 9DR Tube: Bethnal Green NONE /items/show/373 http://www.tcm.ac.uk/stringquartetfestival The Smith Quartet is internationally acclaimed for their contemporary repertoire. Tonight they play an eclectic programme of modern-day icons: Volans, Crumb, Andrew Poppy and Steve Reich (Different Trains). Old Royal Naval College Chapel is reached by the Docklands Light Railway, CUTTY SARK station. (You can also get here by boat to Greenwich Pier from places like Embankment-check with TFL) 7.30pm NONE 2009-04-19 /items/show/374 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fpoker.meetup.com%2F89%2Fcalendar%2F9995864%2F London Poker Meetup NONE 2009-04-10 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fpoker.meetup.com%2F89%2Fcalendar%2F9995864%2F http://www.sohotheatre.com A chance to see the wonderful Tiger Lillies performing "Songs from Shockheaded Peter and Other Gory Verses". The songs are great: dark cautionary tales from a pre-war Berlin/post-punk cabaret. These guys sound like no other band on earth, viscerally musical and wickedly theatrical. Some nights they are doing later (9.30) shows in addition to the 7.30 show. The New Players Theatre nestles under the arches between Charing Cross and Embankment tubes. NONE 2009-04-27 /items/show/377 http://www.templemusic.org/events The Endymion Ensemble play the Mendelssohn octet, quintet No 2 and Haydn Quartet Op 76 No 3 in the wonderful accoustic of the Temple Church. 2009 is the 200th anniversary both of Mendelssohn's birth and the death of Haydn. 6.30 pm start. Temple Church is in the Inner Temple, off Fleet St. Tube: Temple/Chancery Lane NONE 2009-05-07 /items/show/378 http://www.templemusic.org/events Free Event (no need to book) at the wonderfully evocative twelfth century Knights Templar Church in the heart of the Temple - lawyerland to you and me. Greg Morris plays three Mendelssohn pieces for the Organ. This will be a chance to check out of the bustle and lose yourself for an hour or so. NONE 2009-05-06 /items/show/379 http://www.templemusic.org/events/all/2 This will be a real treat. The Temple Singers plus an early instrument orchestra sing Handel's Messiah to mark the 250th anniversary of Handel's death, in the splendid twelfth century Temple Church. NONE 2009-05-18 /items/show/380 http://www.templemusic.org/events/all/3 Christopher Maltman and Julius Drake perform Hanns Eisler's Hollywood Song Cycle "Hollywood Liederbuch", a musical diary of his exile in Hollywood from the Nazis in 1933. Part of the 2009 Temple Song Series and to accompany the exhibition Lawyers Without Rights (The Fate of Jewish Lawyers in Germany after 1933). 6.45 - 7.45 pm Tube: Temple/Chancery Lane NONE 2009-06-11 /items/show/381 http://www.templemusic.org/events/all/2 Second in a series of four free lunchtime recitals, this is a chance to hear great Bach organ pieces played in the twelfth century Temple Church. The series takes place in both St Martins-In-the-Fields and Temple Church. Tube: Temple/Chancery Lane NONE 2009-05-20 /items/show/382 http://www.templemusic.org/events/all/3 Last in a series of four free lunchtime recitals exploring the organ works of JS Bach. How lovely to be able to listen to these great Bach organ pieces played in the twelfth century Temple Church. Musical meditation. Tube: Temple/Chancery Lane NONE 2009-06-17 /items/show/383 http://www.londonfashionweek.co.uk/shops_details.asp?BarestID=1309 Don't be fooled. It's a really good men's clothing shop, not a butchers. It sells nice clothes, smart casual, very cool jeans, gorgeous shoes. Preppy retro cool. Tube: Liverpool Street/Aldgate East NONE /items/show/384 http://www.albamclothing.com/23_beak_street.aspx Albam is the men's clothing store that women send their men to and men want to go to. Clothes made to rigorous old-fashioned high standards, designed by James and Alistair. And the clothes... dreamy. Think Steve McQueen classics. Tube: Oxford Circus/Piccadilly Circus NONE /items/show/386 http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/nick060516.html What is it about Exmouth Market that makes it such a great street for food? I don't know, but I do know that The Ambassador is one of the reasons it has kept it's foodie reputation. Hearty modern European food and charming service. Tube: Farringdon/Kings Cross NONE /items/show/387 http://www.606club.co.uk/index.htm?315,223 Cleveland Watkiss, co-founder of the Jazz Warriors (with Courtney Pine) is the real deal - a versatile jazz singer of the highest calibre. He's playing at the 606 Club - a definite destination if you're into Jazz. Tube: Earl's Court (plus bus C3)/ Sloane Square (plus bus 22) NONE 2009-05-07 /items/show/388 http://www.606club.co.uk/index.htm?315,223 I've just heard a Gwyneth Herbert track and she sounds wonderful and here she is gigging at the legendary 606 club, home to many a late-night jam session. She is, as the Sunday Times put it: "One of the country’s most exciting talents". Tube: Earl's Court (plus bus C3) /Sloane Square (plus bus 22) NONE 2009-05-31 /items/show/389 http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/directory/1195/45403.php This is my lovely new discovery. A small (women's and men's) clothes shop selling labels (lots of Scandinavian stuff) that you won't find elsewhere. Lee's got a great eye and his stock changes all the time, and with only a handful of each piece you won't ever see anyone else wearing your precious new garment. Tube: Farringdon/Kings Cross NONE 2009-04-14 /items/show/390 http://www.primrosehillvillage.com/richard-dare-kitchenware.html I like cooking and I love really good kitchenware shops. Now, I realise it may seem a strange tip to give to a visitor, but if you're near Primrose Hill and feel the need to fondle some beautiful cookware, or to buy a great present, then this is the shop for you. You know what I'm saying, if you're a cook, that is. Tube: Chalk Farm NONE /items/show/391 http://www.booksforcooks.com/ I get excited at the thought of this shop - a dedicated cookbook shop in the heart of Portobello. That's right. Floor to ceiling, every cuisine you can imagine, plus a few. Owned by a cook, staffed by cooks, they even have a cafe at the back where they (oh yes!) cook from the books. Plus a sofa for the browse in comfort. Tube: Ladbroke Grove/Notting Hill Gate NONE /items/show/392 http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2386108/ Birthday Specials, Faking It @ Traffic Nightclub Victoria House, 1 Vernon Place, London, WC1A 2EP Birthday Special deals contact Robbie XclusiveTouch’s signature night “Faking It” launched in 2009 to rave reviews. Taking all that’s good about London nightlife and leaving out all the rest, clubbers can expect a fun and charismatic night designed to please the trendy soul. The night is an ideal selection for large parties due to the no hassle door policy, fair drink prices, DJ song requests ... NONE 2009-04-18 http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2386108/ http://www.trazzler.com/trips/the-rookery-in-london--north-yorkshire-great-britain An intriguing little hotel in an interesting area of London, steeped in wildly contrasting character: from being the location of the super club Fabric; the famous and still thriving Smithfield meat market and also the spot where William Wallace drew his final breath. In a building dating back to 1764, The Rookery deftly manages to combine modern boutique style without compromising its rich history. So, what you get are beautiful and unique antique-packed rooms (some with a welcoming cast iron bath), wooden-panelled walls adorned with fine art, and a homely comfort that results in an experience resembling a tranquil break with your stylish grandmother. NONE http://www.trazzler.com/trips/the-rookery-in-london--north-yorkshire-great-britain http://www.trazzler.com/trips/sanctum-soho-hotel-in-city-of-westminster--north-yorkshire-great-britain I will try, and most likely fail, to resist the temptation to unleash a tidal wave of adjectives in order to adequately describe the wonder of this new, central London boutique hotel, Sanctum Soho. Opened in April 2009, in the throbbing metropolis heartbeat that is Soho, this little beauty not only offers 30 stylish rooms swathed in luxury and comfort, but also a private cinema, a garden on the roof complete with an open-air hydro spa and a resident’s bar that I will bet my last pair of old school Adidas on soon becoming one of the city’s more exclusive watering holes. Truly, a gem. NONE http://www.trazzler.com/trips/sanctum-soho-hotel-in-city-of-westminster--north-yorkshire-great-britain http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/garden-cosmos-royal-paintings.htm Garden and Cosmos: The Royal Paintings of Jodhpur exhibition displays 56 paintings (never displayed in Europe) from India at London's British Museum. NONE 2009-04-23 http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/garden-cosmos-royal-paintings.htm http://www.wahaca.co.uk Wahaca is an airy, open space with a menu of Mexican street food to savour. My current favourites?...the slow cooked pork burritos and the Butternut Squash Pipian. It's canteen-style, no booking, great for vegetarians, kids love it. I'm going next tuesday, what more can I say? There is also a second branch of Wahaca in the Westfield Centre, Shepherds Bush. Tube: Charing Cross/Leicester Sq/Covent Garden. NONE 2009-04-15 /items/show/399 http://www.algcoffee.co.uk Come and celebrate this shop's 120th anniversary with a coffee, which they'll make for you. Then you can buy any coffee/tea paraphenalia you can think of, plus all manners of leaves and beans. A Soho institution, and rightly so. NONE /items/show/400 Http://www.horniman.ac.uk This is unquestionably my son's favourite 'museum', though it should probably be better named The Horniman Experience. It comprises a fantastic collection, bequeathed by Horniman, of creepy-crawlies, stuffed beasts and bones; an aquarium; a musical gallery, with it's collection of musical instruments; temporary exhibitions; a cafe and a good shop. All set in a lovely park and gardens. It sounds like too much, but actually it works perfectly as a day out and easily overcomes the fact that to get here you have to get a train to Forest Hill from either London Bridge or Victoria and then (if you have kids in tow) a bus or a 10 minute walk. Do it, it's worth it. One of South London's treasures. NONE /items/show/402 http://www.larrythetravelguy.com/london.html Every Sunday morning, people flock here from far and wide to "experience" Speakers Corner at Hyde Park's Marble Arch. Some people participate in the Open Forum — anyone who has something to say, on any subject they please, (usually Politics, Tourists, or Religion) can stand on their soap box and "entertain" the audience — others just come to listen and watch. More than often, the discussions get quite heated. It's worth a visit...at least once. NONE /items/show/403 http://childofthejago.blogspot.com/ A Child Of The Jago will bring out your inner dandy, boys, trust me. Named after a novel set in the Shoreditch slums of the nineteenth century, this edgy, elegant shop is the brainchild of Joe Corre, of Agent Provocateur fame and Barnzley. Upstairs is all original menswear by Barnzley while downstairs is a beautifully chosen selection of vintage menswear. Tube: Old St/Liverpool St NONE /items/show/404 http://www.bstorelondon.com If you're into fashion you'll want to check B Store out for it's mens and womens cutting edge wearable chic. Lots of talented young designers here. Tube: Oxford Circus NONE /items/show/405 http://www.wrightbros.eu.com Seafood in many guises at Wright Brothers 'oyster and porter house'. It's a great seafood restaurant with a cool wine bar vibe overlooking Borough Market. It's heaven. The beef and oyster pie is sensational. Tube: London Bridge NONE /items/show/406 http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/hampstead Ok, I know it's a long shot (5am start!) but maybe you want to grab your jetlag by the cojones with this Dawn Chorus Walk on Hampstead Heath, for which you'll need to pre-book by phone. Tube: Kentish Town / Gospel Oak (on the overground) NONE 2009-05-03 /items/show/408 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/qJmGJ2pLciA/wee-london-finds-walkin-cocktail.html I’m slightly obsessed with kooky-foodie architects Bombas & Parr , the London-based company behind the rather fabulous St Paul’s jelly. The walk-in breathable cocktail is their latest theatrical food experiment, and it’s being unveiled today on Ganton Street. They're using the same technology as Anthony Gormley’s Blind Light at the Hayward Gallery – which was quite an unsettling and disorienting experience. It also involves donning a special protective suits before walking into a mist of gin and tonic water. To further enhance the ‘inner cocktail world’ experience, the interior will be decorated with giant limes and oversized straws. Once inside you can order food from a special menu that compliments the cocktail. And by the sounds of it, Bompas & Parr are just getting started. Harry Parr says, “I’m interested in states of matter. Here we’ve vaporised a cocktail. In the future I would like to make a liquid banqueting table. In the 1905 Gondola Banquet the Savoy Hotel was flooded and the meal was eaten on a floating gondola surrounded by live swans with dessert presented on the back of a baby elephant. That would be the ultimate meal.” While we’re waiting for the liquid banqueting table, feast your eyes on some of the other edible creations in Bompas & Parr’ s portfolio… I adore the bespoke tiered jelly display - perfect for wobbly wedding celebrations! Alcoholic Architecture 16 to 18 April and 23 to 25 April 2 Ganton Street London, W1F 7QL Opening hours: 5pm – 11pm Tickets £5, available from www.jellymongers.co.uk NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/qJmGJ2pLciA/wee-london-finds-walkin-cocktail.html http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fchess.meetup.com%2F302%2Fcalendar%2F10151717%2F The London Chess Meetup NONE 2009-04-15 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fchess.meetup.com%2F302%2Fcalendar%2F10151717%2F http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmovies.meetup.com%2F338%2Fcalendar%2F10139600%2F The London Movie Meetup Group NONE 2009-04-12 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmovies.meetup.com%2F338%2Fcalendar%2F10139600%2F http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fphoto.meetup.com%2F744%2Fcalendar%2F10041193%2F The London Photo and Graphics Meetup Group NONE 2009-04-12 http://api.postrank.com/log?url=http%3A%2F%2Fphoto.meetup.com%2F744%2Fcalendar%2F10041193%2F http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/snozzcumbers-frobscottle.htm Step into the original, entertaining world of Quentin Blake & Roald Dahl with Snozzcumbers & Frobscottle at London's V & A Museum of Childhood. NONE 2009-05-02 http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/snozzcumbers-frobscottle.htm http://www.paralos.co.uk/ When you find yourself wandering along Cecil Court, be sure to stop at Tim Bryars shop and check out the wonderful old maps (of all over the place) and early printing treasures held within. Added to which, a more charming enthusiast you would be hard pressed to meet. Tube: Leicester Square/ Charing Cross NONE /items/show/419 http://www.pinchito.co.uk Pinchito does yummy tapas, good vibes and a relaxed bar on the edge of the city, right by the Old Street Roundabout. I always have a good time here, no matter whether I'm eating with a group or just dropping in on my own for a coffee in the day. The staff are so lovely that you may end up whiling away hours here though. You have been warned! Tube: Old Street NONE /items/show/420 http://www.rossnyestables.co.uk/index.htm I was a pony-mad kid and I was lucky enough to ride at this stables. If you fancy a hack round the beautiful Hyde Park and you want to go where you know (I can vouch) that the horses are really well cared for then this is the place for you. They are brilliant with kids, too, and even have an on site branch of the Pony Club. Tube: Lancaster Gate NONE /items/show/421 http://www.ca4la.com/shop/london.html This is a funky little hat shop near Old Street. Ca4La is a quirky Japanese company with this, their only outlet outside Japan. Tube: Old Street NONE /items/show/422 http://www.vvrouleaux.com Its harder to describe VV Rouleaux than it should be- I mean, I could just tell you it's a trimmings and ribbons shop, but that would in no way prepare you for the sensual onslaught and the riot of colour and texture that greet you. It's gorgeous. Tube: Marble Arch/Marylebone NONE /items/show/423 http://www.blueelephant.com/london/index.html The Blue Elephant is showy, no question, and why not? If you've got it, flaunt it, baby, and this Thai restaurant has it in spades. It has sister restaurants as far as Jakarta but that doesn't take away from its allure. Think ponds and lush foliage and carrots cut into impossibly complicated shapes. Oh, yeah, and really woonderful thai cuisine. Tube: Fulham Broadway NONE /items/show/424 http://www.canelacafe.com/ Canela tempts at all hours of the day with it's luscious portuguese dishes, salads and cakes, plus the fact that you can order a coffee and then change your mind and get a Caipirinha instead. They have a second cafe in Covent Garden as well, but it's to this little place off Carnaby Street that I find myself returning. If you don't drink coffee (I know, weird thought) try the cinnamon tea, which is a revelation. NONE /items/show/425 http://www.barbican.org.uk/theatre/event-detail.asp?ID=8224 Cheek by Jowl theatre company bring their production of Andromache to the Barbican as part of Bite 09. It's in french, with english surtitles, but then it is Racine. It's a co-production with Les Bouffes du Nord (Peter Brook's theatre in Paris). It'll be high-calibre theatre, that I guarantee Tube: Barbican NONE 2009-04-22 /items/show/426 http://www.improbable.co.uk/ Phelim McDermot and Improbable Theatre, his band of performers, always dish up an unquantifiable theatrical treat. They are creaters and devisers of extraordinary , funny, engaging theatre. This one is about the great god Pan, a tale of love and unsettling illnesses, so they say, and it will be wonderful. Tube: Barbican NONE 2009-04-15 /items/show/427 http://cargo-london.com/event/fertilizer-festivalgood-st-from-poland-0/ Part of the Fertilizer Festival (Subtitled "Good Sh*t From Poland") this is a mixed and interesting sounding bill of new sounds from Poland. Sing Sing Penelope supply the Electro-Jazz, Jacaszek, the bewitching cinematic soundscapes and then the lush cinematic emo jazz of the Contemporary Noise Sextet. All at Cargo, a very civilised club where you can eat too in Shoreditch. NONE 2009-05-14 /items/show/428 http://www.cantaloupegroup.co.uk/shop/product_info.php?cPath=27&products_id=880&osCsid=50e4ac966d9861e850e1cc5200ce7682 Fertilizer Festival promises 'Good Sh*t From Poland' and here's a chance to check out some new Polish sounds. Jazzy eclectic electronica abounds in this triple bill which sounds like it will merit a shot or two of Polish Vodka. Tube: Liverpool St / Old St NONE 2009-05-13 /items/show/432 http://cargo-london.com/event/fertilizer-festivalgood-st-from-poland-1/ This sounds fun. Fertilizer Festival, who promise 'Good Sh*t From Poland' present intelligent mellow hip-hop from Fisz plus, in support, a mad sounding 10 piece band who do surreal covers. All at Cargo, a lovlely Shoreditch club venue with a restaurant too. Tube: Liverpool St / Old St. NONE 2009-05-17 /items/show/433 http://www.sadlerswells.com/show/Breakin-Convention-09 This is Sadler's Wells annual three day festival of all things hip-hop so there's loads going on, from performances to workshops plus DJs and graffitti installations. Tube: Angel / Kings Cross NONE 2009-05-02 /items/show/434 http://www.jivamuktiyoga.co.uk If you're into Yoga, you might want to try Jivamukti in London. It's a flowing practise but a bit more laid back than Ashtanga, and classes have music playing in the background and always involve some meditation. Pretty Funky. The Jivamukti Centre is welcoming and airy, near Portobello and Ladbroke Grove. NONE /items/show/435 http://bodywisehealth.org/ If you want to drop in on a good Pilates/Tai Chi/Yoga class, then Bodywise is for you. It's run according to Buddhist principles too so prices are fair, it's enmeshed in the local community and it has a calm restoritative feeling throughout the building. You can also see all manner of health practitioners here, so if you need an osteopath or a massage, this would be a good port of call. Tube: Bethnal Green NONE /items/show/436 http://www.paradiserow.com/ Check out this installation and exhibition by the russian artist chosen to represent Russia at the next Venice Biennale, Gosha Ostretsov. It's visceral and throbbing with energy. Worth seeking out. And while you're on the East End Art Trail, take time get to all those small galleries on Vyner Street too. Tube: Whitechapel NONE 2009-04-16 /items/show/437 http://www.frockmevintagefashion.com/ I've just heard about Frock Me! and it sounds enticing as hell if, like me, you have a thing for vintage. Yes, yes, roll up, roll up ladies and gentlemen for a monthly vintage fashion and accessories fair at the Chelsea Town Hall in Kings Road, where there's even a vintage tea room with home made cakes to sustain your browsing. I've made a date with my most vintage-minded friends for this one. Tube: Sloane Sq/ South Kensington NONE 2009-05-17 /items/show/438 http://www.frockmevintagefashion.com/ If, like me, you have a thing for vintage you'll want to get down to Frock Me!, a monthly vintage fashion and accessories fair at the Chelsea Town Hall in Kings Road, where there's even a vintage tea room with home made cakes to sustain your browsing. Tube: Sloane Sq/ South Kensington NONE 2009-06-28 /items/show/439 http://www.golflessons.co.uk/index.html My friend Al the golfer tells me this is a lovely setting for a round of golf, right on the river Thames. You can hire clubs too. There's a nine hole course plus a lovely looking driving range plus tennis and squash courts too.. The easiest way to get here by public transport is to get the tube to Hammersmith and then a 190 bus towards Richmond getting off at the Hartington Road stop. After your golf fix you can walk back along the river (it's a couple of miles so not for the faint-hearted) to Hammersmith Bridge, stopping at one of the riverside pubs along the way. NONE /items/show/440 http://www.lesleycrazegallery.co.uk This is a contemporary jewellery gallery, which is another way of saying a fabulous place selling jewellery, metalwork and textiles by 100 talented designers. They have exhibitions and it really is a beautiful place in rather a lovely hidden bit of London, too. I treasure my pieces from here. Tube: Farringdon NONE /items/show/442 http://www.rigbyandpeller.com/ Rigby and Peller is the ultimate bra shop. While Agent Provocateur covers the lingerie end, and is definitely where boys should go to buy their girls some undies, R & P is where girls should come to buy themselves a couple of really great bras. For a start, these fitters will get you in the size you should be wearing, rather than the size you always get, then they will make them apples shine. They also have swimwear for women with a bust. Tube: Oxford Circus/Bond Street/Piccadilly NONE /items/show/443 http://www.sja.org.uk/sja/about-us/our-museum.aspx St John's Ambulance are the people who look after us all at public events. They have a fascinating history coming from the monastic order of the Knights Hospitalliers of St John of Jerusalem which you can find out about here, as well as learning about the sixteenth century St John's Gate (which houses this small museum), that formed the southern entrance to a Priory covering 10-acres of Clerkenwell in medieval times. Tube: Farringdon NONE /items/show/444 http://www.the100club.co.uk/ The 100 Club on Oxford Street is legendary. The question to ask is who hasn't played here rather than who has. On monday evenings they have a swing band, different every week, plus from 7.45-8.30 there's a beginners Lindy Hop lesson to get you in the groove. These nights are really friendly and fun so get your dancing shoes on. Tube: Tottenham Court Road / Oxford Circus NONE /items/show/445 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_Square London is full of beautiful garden squares and here's one that's open to the public, plus has a cafe and a cute fountain too. Russell Square is big enough that you can find a quiet place to chill out in an area of London where you sometimes need to look at a big old tree for a while to escape that urban bustle. Tube: Russell Sq NONE /items/show/446 http://www.thelegion.co.uk/thelegion/ Every Tuesday at the Legion pub in Old Street they have a Hot Breath Karaoke evening. This husband and wife team bill their night as: "Karaoke-Meets-Wheel-Of-Fortune-On-AM-Radio-At-A-Car-Boot-Sale" which is intruiging enough. Add to that the fact that my mate Jaime says it's a fun night out and I think it's got to be worthy of investigation, non? Tube: Old Street NONE /items/show/447 http://www.alternativearts.co.uk/AFW Loads of young designers here in Spitalfields Market for Alternative Fashion Week, with a catwalk show every day at lunchtime and a fashion market. Looking at the list of designers some are local, some from Croatia, Italy, Finland & Germany. Sounds good. Tube: Liverpool Street NONE /items/show/448 http://www.eyrebrothers.co.uk This is fine dining as it should be, in my book. Exquisite food from the masterful chef, David Eyre with front of house run by his equally accomplished brother Robert. Elegant surroundings, great spanish/portuguese influenced dishes and fabulous wines. Some things just work, you know. Tube: Old Street NONE /items/show/449 http://www.urbanpath.com/london/japanese/sushi-say.htm The best sushi and authentic Japanese food in north-west London from a japanese husband and wife team in an off the beaten track gem. Worth the trip. Tube: Willesden Green NONE /items/show/450 http://www.phatphucnoodlebar.com Phat Phuc means Happy Buddha in Vietnamese and this lunchtime noodle bar on a courtyard in Chelsea, just by the Kings Road, makes Happy Buddhas of us all. My chef friend Joel worked here for a while and he raved about the quality of the stock which for me is recommendation enough. Noodle soups and summer rolls, heaven! Tube: South Kensington/ Sloane Square NONE /items/show/451 http://www.bfi.org.uk/whatson/harold_and_maude_lightspeed_champion Film buffs and music fans, listen up! Dev Hynes aka Lightspeed Champion plays a live acoustic set, covering songs from the Cat Stevens soundtrack to the Hal Ashby cult classic which is screened first, then there's Roots and Shoots DJs in the bar til late. At the BFI on the South Bank. Tube: Waterloo / Embankment NONE 2009-04-24 /items/show/452 http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/568296/restaurant/London/Pierino-South-Kensington Pierino serve consistently good Italian food in an airy restaurant with a few tables outside. The spaghetti vongole is a dream. I have that every time, I'm ashamed to say, but it is so good. Tube: South Kensington. NONE /items/show/453 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/GsRI6TvfvJQ/birdy-1.html Hans Bølling's wooden duck (£64) and duckling (£34), from the Design Museum shop. The story behind the inspiration for the pair is pretty cute, too: "In Springtime Copenhagen, 1959, a policeman stopped the traffic in order to let a young family of ducks cross the street. The moment was captured by a photographer and created such an impression that all the newspapers published a now famous photograph of the ducks, which encapsulates the Danish attention to nature, detail and the ability to appreciate small everyday miracles." NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/GsRI6TvfvJQ/birdy-1.html http://www.untothislast.co.uk Unto This Last makes and sells ultra modern furniture, designed by Olivier and cut by robot computer in the back room. The pieces are design classic to be, and there are fruit bowls and lamps if you want something smaller. It's only a stones throw from Brick Lane and columbia Road Markets so worth a detour while you're there. Tube: Liverpool St/Bethnal Green NONE /items/show/456 http://www.loop.gb.com/ Loop is for knitters. It sells yarn and all that jazz, does it with style and is in one of Islington's nicest streets, with lots of other browsable shopping destinations around. Tube: Angel/Highbury & Islington NONE /items/show/457 http://www.littleangeltheatre.com/lat/whatson/forthcoming/OTM= The Little Angel Theatre is one of London's secrets: a tiny puppet theatre in a beautiful setting where they weave tales of magic and delight. Handa's Hen, the current show is for the 2-5 age group so if you have a small child, or can borrow one, go and check out this little gem. Tube: Angel / Highbury & Islington NONE /items/show/458 http://www.howieandbelle.com/www.howieandbelle.com/Home.html Howie & Belle is a vintage shop full of unusual antique pieces put together with oodles of style. You'll find clothes here, special pieces of furniture and some really unusual objects and artworks for the home. They are seriously stylish and even offer a bespoke floor and wall covering service. Tube: Kensal Rise / Kensal Green NONE /items/show/459 http://www.theparadise.co.uk/ The Paradise is a truly lovely rambling former pub turned into heaven: a stylish place where you always get a really good gastropub meal, can have a lovely meet up with friends, or a perfect sunday with a roast lunch, newspapers and scrabble. Oh, and a good cocktail, always a prerequisite for any potential heaven, I find. Plus they have things on in the evenings - comedy, live music. Every friday it's DJs playing classic disco and old school house, for free. Tube: Kensal Green / Kensal Rise / Ladbroke Grove NONE /items/show/460 http://www.marineices.co.uk/ Marine Ices is an institution, serving the best ice cream in London and lovely Italian food to the burghers of Camden and beyond. They are lovely here, making a real fuss of the children and looking after the adults too. It's a restaurant and a gelateria, so whatever time of day you arrive, there will be something for you. Tube: Chalk Farm NONE /items/show/461 http://www.thephoenixgarden.ik.com/home.ikml An oasis of calm a mere stones throw from Soho, the Phoenix Garden is a beautiful community garden and just shows what magic can be made in a small urban space. If you want a moment of contemplation, seek it out. Tube: Tottenham Court Road NONE /items/show/463 http://www.localserviceguide.com/Advert_Displays/Advert_2538.asp Fancy a Clarins facial in the West End? At Mirror Mirror they do just that, for women and men, with all sorts of lovely beauty packages involving massages, manicures and pedicures available as well. Tube: Covent Garden/Charing Cross NONE /items/show/464 http://www.breadnhoney.com/ Mens and womens wearable clothes with a chic 'je ne sais quoi' from the two frenchmen behind Bread & Honey. Lovely labels, lovely clothes. Oh, yeah, and great shoes too. I love the Esska shoe label for women - gorgeous. Whitecross Street has a food market on thursdays and fridays so you can grab a bite while you shop. Tube: Old St/Barbican NONE /items/show/465 http://www.labourandwait.co.uk/ Timeless, functional and beautiful things for your home and your life from Labour and Wait, the most effortlessly elegant place to buy useful things I can imagine. In Cheshire Street, a treasure trove of good things. Tube: Liverpool Street/Aldgate East NONE /items/show/466 http://www.innerspace.org.uk/index.asp I stumbled upon Inner Space yesterday and thought it was a nice idea. Nestling in Covent Garden, it's a 'meditation and self development centre' which means it runs courses teaching meditation and talks on topics like stress and anger management. But what interested me most was the quiet room, a place you can drop into for a quick recharge. So if churches don't do it for you and you need a moment's peace, you know where to come. Or they will come to you, with meditation facilitators who will deliver you a half-hour relaxation at work. Tube: Covent Garden / Leicester Square NONE /items/show/467 http://www.lafromagerie.co.uk/home/ La Fromagerie is absolute foodie heaven. Cheese from all over Europe (in a temperature-controlled chamber), fruit and vegetables and all manner of tasty treats are here. Mmmmm. It also has a tasting cafe, which is a great spot for a bite of lunch, or a coffee and a cake later. Or both, I find. Tube: Bond Street / Baker Street NONE /items/show/468 http://www.nealsyarddairy.co.uk/shops.html For British cheeses there's nowhere better than Neal's Yard Dairy. It's also one of the places that stops Covent Garden just being a massive temple to Mammon - this is real food, from people who care, and know their stuff. So, if you don't know much about British cheese, get down here, or to the sister shop at Borough Market and give your tastebuds a treat. Tube: Covent Garden/ Tottenham Court Rd NONE /items/show/469 http://www.pariscalling.org.uk/ French choreographer and dancer Pierre Rigal performs a great-sounding piece all within a constructed space less than three and half meters wide, in the studio at Sadler's Wells. Presented as part of Paris Calling, a season of French theatre artists in London. Tube: Angel NONE 2009-05-28 /items/show/470 http://www.firstthursdays.co.uk/ On the first thursday of every month over 100 galleries, big and small, in the East End, stay open til 9pm so you can do a leisurely art crawl without running out of time. Some are clustered near Farringdon tube, many round Old Street, plus a big group in and around Vyner St which is nearest Bethnal Green tube but you could do worse than start at the Whitechapel, by Aldgate East tube. NONE 2009-05-07 /items/show/471 http://www.firstthursdays.co.uk/ On the first thursday of every month over 100 galleries, big and small, in the East End, stay open til 9pm so you can do a leisurely art crawl without running out of time. Some are clustered near Farringdon tube, many round Old Street, plus a big group in and around Vyner St which is nearest Bethnal Green tube but you could do worse than start at the Whitechapel, by Aldgate East tube. NONE 2009-06-04 /items/show/472 http://mannav.com/ Manna is a lovely, airy restaurant in Primrose Hill which you will like. Oh, and did I mention that it's gourmet vegetarian food? No, oh well, it really doesn't matter because with food this good you won't remember why you eat meat anyway. Unless you don't eat meat, in which case here's the ideal place to bring all those guys who think they simply have to have flesh on the plate or they'll expire. Oh, and on sundays they do a veggie roast, of course. Tube: Chalk Farm NONE /items/show/473 http://www.kokontozaishop.com/ Kokon ToZai is way too cool for school. Seriously hip designer clothing, strange and interesting bits and pieces and, usually, a DJ spinning some tunes, and all in a shop the size of your mum's larder. I see that these guys have just opened a second London outlet in Golborne Rd too which I hear includes homey stuff too and will also be achingly stylish I'm sure. Tube: Tottenham Court Rd NONE /items/show/474 http://london.unlike.net/locations/305133-Bang-Bang Bang Bang is renowned for its vintage clothes, womens and mens, and is in a styish basement in Soho. Some designer wear, lots of nice things, and all well presented, so you don't have to forage at all. Tube: Piccadilly/Tottenham Court Rd. NONE /items/show/475 http://www.mungoandmaud.com/store/ Ok, I can't resist. Mungo & Maud are a dog and cat outfitters. Yes, that's right. Check out those chic canine/feline fashion needs. Actually it has leads, dog blankets as well, and it's a seriously stylish shop, too. Tube: Victoria / Sloane Square NONE /items/show/476 http://www.lockhatters.co.uk/ Lock & Co are a most elegant hat shop in St James' where you can acquire such beautiful things as a leather top hat case, as well as the topper to go in it. They do ladies hats as well, including a foldable Panama with it's own tube. Tube: Green Park/Piccadilly NONE /items/show/477 http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/restaurants/restaurant-8529.php I like Green Papaya because it feels as though it has evolved a bit from the vietnamese cafes that are legion in the area. This has an outdoor space where you can eat in the summer, the food is great and the ambiance relaxed and they don't feel the need to play vietnamese music, but just mellow music. Tube: Bethnal Green / Hackney Central overground NONE /items/show/478 http://london.tribe.net/recommendation/Harris-Italian-Deli-Great-Titchfield-Street-W1/london/3d566475-02c6-4e5f-9d55-f827b327079d People who works near Harris' are fierce in their loyalty to this Italian sandwich shop, and it's easy to see why. I go out of my way to have lunch here. Fantastic combinations (they'll give you ideas), gorgeous full sandwiches and great service, oh, and make sure you try Chinotto, a sort of bitterish fizzy drink - Im addicted to it. Tube: Oxford Circus NONE /items/show/479 http://www.acornhouserestaurant.com/home/index.html Acorn House means a gourmet meal with a good conscience. The emphasis is on sustainability, or should I say, on great food, with sustainability and with social responsibility. In a few years time, this will be the industry standard, surely, but for now all you need to know is that here you will eat well. Tube: Kings Cross NONE /items/show/480 http://www.ica.org.uk This is a music night at the ICA with a hot line up of acts including Martina Topley Bird, Micachu and the Shapes, thecocknbullkid, Alessi's Ark plus featuring DJ sets from residents Queens of Noize as well as Zezi Ifore. The line-up happens to be all female and the night is put on by ActionAid in support of women all around the world campaigning for equal rights. Tube: Piccadilly/Charing Cross NONE 2009-04-29 /items/show/481 http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/whatson/slow-food-market-article-5602.html Now here's a lovely thing. Slow Food London have chosen over 40 UK artisan food producers for an open-air market selling traditionally prepared foods with talks about the art of food production. Having just read 'Animal, Vegetable, Miracle', I am definitely going to be going to this foodie event. Tube: Waterloo / Embankment (then walk over the footbridge) NONE 2009-05-01 /items/show/486 http://www.shambhala.org.uk Here's a day of introductory demonstrations into art forms inspired by the meditative tradition of Shambhala Buddhism, including Kyudo (Zen Archery), Ikebana (Japanese flower arranging) Photography and Calligraphy. I watched Zen Archery in Japan and just watching it is an incredible meditative experience. Tube: Clapham Common NONE 2009-05-02 /items/show/487 http://www.slowdownlondon.co.uk Fancy a seven mile walk through Wanstead Park and Epping Forest? Meet at Leytonstone tube station at 1pm. Organised by the Metropolitan Walkers as part of Slow Down London. Tube: Leytonstone NONE 2009-05-02 /items/show/488 http://www.do-shop.com/new.php?page=profile Do is one of those homeware shops that makes you want to move into an empty house with nothing and begin again. Everything is beautiful as well as functional. You can get everything from furniture to footware in here, with great design as the common denominator. Tube: Oxford Circus / Piccadilly NONE /items/show/489 http://www.taylormadeshoes.co.uk/ Should you feel the need for a pair of bespoke shoes, as you might, this would be the place to come. They've been making shoes here, the traditional way, since 1857. Nowadays they do stylish and comfortable shoes for women and men plus lots of specialist shoes for people with a range of orthopaedic conditions. Tube: Baker Street NONE /items/show/490 http://www.blacktruffle.com Bags and Shoes, it's the winning womens retail combination and Black Truffle are always a short head in front of the competition. I know their Broadway Market shop, in the East End, only too well, but they also have this place in Warren Street so you need never be caught short without a funky new shoe. Tube: Warren Street NONE /items/show/491 http://www.angelusrestaurant.co.uk/ I have to be honest, I haven't yet been to Angelus but it is high on my list of restaurants to go to as I've heard nothing but raves and I have stopped to look in passing and it's fine dining heaven, all delicate crystal glasses and starched napkins. The food is, apparently, sensational under Thierry Tomasin's expert guidance. The menu is french inspired and there is a wonderful looking brunch menu in addition to the a la carte meals. Now that I've written that I really want to go there immediately. Race you. Tube: Lancaster Gate NONE /items/show/492 http://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/richmond_park/isabella_plantation.cfm I can't pretend this is easy, but the Isabella Plantation is SO worth the effort at this time of year, when literally hundreds of varieties of rhododendrons, camelias and azaleas burst into blowsy bloom that I had to tell you about it. It's a 42 acre enclosure within the 2000 acre wonder that is Richmond Park, and I'm not going to kid you, it's a challenge to get to. You have to go to Norbiton Overground station (train from Waterloo) then get a K3 bus and get off at Kinston University on Kingston Vale, then walk into the park from there. Do it. You will never forget it. Train: Norbiton NONE 2009-04-25 /items/show/493 http://www.ucl.ac.uk/events Part of the 'Brain Food' series of talks at University College London this is a one-off talk between the novelist Ian McEwan (Atonement) and neuroscientist Professor Ray Dolan about emotion and its place in literature and the brain. So if you're feeling that you need a bit of brain food I think this would do nicely. Tube: Goodge Street NONE 2009-04-30 /items/show/494 http://www.ucl.ac.uk/slade/index.php A chance to check out the work of the next generation of artists at the degree show of the illustrious Slade School of Art (alumni include Paula Rega and Rachel Whiteread). Tube: Gower Street NONE 2009-05-23 /items/show/495 http://www.uk.emb-japan.go.jp/japanuk150/events/art/Brushing_Aside_Boundaries.html Japan-UK 150 presents this private view of exquisite prints, followed by a workshop in Shodo, the Way of the Brush - that's Japanese Calligraphy to you or me - by professional artist and calligrapher Ono Sensei. Tube: Gower Street NONE 2009-05-07 /items/show/496 http://www.vam.ac.uk/activ_events/events/Baroque_Baroque/index.html For one evening only, the Victoria and Albert Museum (itself a magnificent place) throws open it's doors to an exploration of the 'exuberance, decadence and theatricality of the Baroque style in an evening of burlesque, performance and spectacle'. Lots of different events, all free, some ticketed. Highlights include The Irrepressibles presenting The Human Music Box and the Baroque Ball. Tube: South Kensington NONE 2009-06-19 /items/show/497 http://www.englishconcert.co.uk/concerts/detail.php?ID=1485 This is a free concert at the V&A of music that would have been heard by the middle classes in Handel's London. So close your eyes and transport yourself back. The conductor is Christian Curnyn with the English Concert Chamber Orchestra and the Soprano Rebecca Bottone. Purcell, Scarlatti and Handel make up the delights on offer. The V&A is a wonderful museum with spectacular accoustic possibilities so this should be great. NONE 2009-05-10 /items/show/498 http://www.j-sheekey.co.uk/#close Sheekeys, a west end institution, serves wonderful seafood in elegant surroundings with heavenly service in the old-fashioned way. Sometimes you want everything to be right, and here it is, every time. Tube: Leicester Square NONE /items/show/499 http://www.harpersbazaar.co.uk/going-out/STORY-DELI,-LONDON/guide Fancy a pizza? Fancy the airiest, lighlest, most meltingly delicious pizza ever to appear in those pizza dreams? Then come to Story Deli just off Brick Lane and enjoy a gorgeous, totally organic, treat. Tube: Aldgate East / Liverpool Street NONE /items/show/500 http://www.caravanstyle.com/ Make a beeline for Caravan, in Shoreditch's Redchurch Street. Here the unimaginably stylish stylist Emily Chambers assembles (beautifully) eclectica for you and your home. It is heaven, and I guarantee you will leave with something you love. Tube: Old Street / Liverpool Street NONE /items/show/501 http://www.flat-white.co.uk Come on down for one of London's best coffees from Flat White, the kiwi run hang out on Berwick Street. They are seriously chilled in here and also super friendly. They'll make you food, too. Great place for breakfast, anytime. Tube: Piccadilly/Oxford Circus NONE /items/show/502 http://www.stpancraschurch.org/index.php?id=140 This is a concert of poetry of William Blake ("Tiger Tiger, burning bright..." there, you see, you do know some!) set to music by the jazzmeister Mike Westbrook featuring Phil Minton, Kate Westbrook, Karen Street, Billy Thompson, Steve Berry, the Choir of St Pancras Church / Christopher Batchelor, directed from the piano by Mike Westbrook. And it all takes place in the lovely accoustic of St Paul's Covent Garden, which is a lovely church right in the heart of town. Part of the London Festival of Contemporary Church Music. NONE 2009-05-14 /items/show/503 http://www.moro.co.uk/moro/foodwine/default.asp You've read the recipe books (you haven't? - get them, they're the best!), now come to the restaurant. Moro is absolutely fantastic Spanish and Moorish influenced food served beautifully with an impressive wine list. If you're not hungry enough for dinner, just sit at the bar with a glass of sherry and enjoy some perfect tapas. Yes, it's one of my favourites, you guessed it. Tube: Farringdon NONE /items/show/504 http://www.visitlondon.com/peterpan/index This sounds unmissable if you have children, or maybe just the young at heart, in tow: Peter Pan performed in Kensington Gardens in a specially commissioned, state-of-the-art Theatre Pavilion. The creative team have a great pedigree and I'm definitely booking this one. So, sort out a picnic and head into one of London's loveliest parks for an evening in Neverland, the original, that is! Tube: Queensway / Lancaster Gate/ Kensington High Street NONE 2009-04-27 /items/show/505 http://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/brompton_cemetery/ Brompton Cemetary is such a peaceful place, one of West London's secret pleasures. It runs between Old brompton Road and Fulham Road and is a great place to come for a bit of peace. It's home to loads of wildlife as well as the bones of Emmeline Pankhurst, among many others. There are guided tours on Sunday afternoons which begin at 2pm at the South Lodge (Fulham Road end) but it's lovely anytime. NONE /items/show/506 http://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/kensington_gardens/event.cfm?id=862 There's more to Kensington Gardens than just lovely trees and lakes and all that jazz. There's monuments and buildings which you can learn about on this walk around the park. You'll need to book for this event. Tube: to be disclosed upon booking (meeting point not yet confirmed) NONE 2009-05-28 /items/show/507 http://www.elemental.uk.com Elemental is yet another reason to go to Spitalfields. Here they source handmade furniture and antique curios from round the world plus great lighting. Tube: Liverpool Street NONE /items/show/508 http://www.helpyourshelf.co.uk/ Shelf is such fun. Objets, most useful, some just gorgeous, all chosen by Katy and Jane who are designers themselves. They have such an array of funky and lovely things in here you will find it hard to leave. In Cheshire Street, itself another reason to come. Tube: Liverpool Street NONE /items/show/509 http://www.signofthetimesdressagency.com/ Sign of The Times is that rare and precious bird, a dress agency specialising in current (womens) designer clothes, in an area of London where people wear designer clothes and sometimes want to recycle them So what you find here tends to be wearable luxe labels, plus shoes and bags, for a fraction of their original price. Tube: South Kensington NONE /items/show/510 http://www.urbanpath.com/london/vegetarian/food-for-thought.htm I've been coming here since I was a child and it hasn't changes in any way, and that's good because it was always perfect. It's a tiny place in Covent Garden serving really wonderful, satisfying vegetarian food. Upstairs they do takaway, which is a good option on a sunny day, as downstairs is small and depending on the time of day, busy. Tube: Covent Garden NONE /items/show/511 http://www.busaba.com/ Casual Thai dining Alan Yau style at Busaba Eathai. I've just discovered that there are now two other branches in town, but this is the one I've always been to when I need a great bit of Thai food, fast, in a good ambiance. There's no booking so be prepared to wait (itself a sociable experience) if you come at peak times. Tube: Piccadilly NONE /items/show/512 http://www3.yauatcha.com/yauatcha/contact Quite the smartest and most glamourous place to have tea in town, Yauatcha also does the most exquisite Dim Sum ever, downstairs in the upmarket, shimmering restaurant. Where, incidentally, they mix a mean cocktail (try the Lalu, mmm). Upstairs is Dim Sum plus a wonderful selection of oriental teas and the most perfect gateaux. You can buy those to take away too. Oh, and maccaroons in every shade imaginable. I know, how can this work, you ask? But it does, it so does. It's the Alan Yau magic. Tube: Piccadilly / Oxford Circus NONE /items/show/513 http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/restaurants/inshoku-userreview-6913.html Inshoku is a japanese restaurant tucked behind Waterloo station that I have always had a bit of a soft spot for since two friends of mine (now married with two kids) did their courting here. It's got all the sushi, sashimi, noodles and bento boxes you'd expect on the menu and the food is really good, and good value, as the many Japanese businessmen having lunch here will testify. Tube: Waterloo NONE /items/show/514 http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/directory/1119/14839.php SCP is an Aladin's cave for the modern home. They are, strictly speaking, funrniture manufacturers so here you will find great furniture, plus lighting plus, plus, plus. Books, toys, accessories, you name it, if these guys think it's well designed, they'll stock it. So if you're in to the beauty of form and function meeting, get down to SCP quick. (They also have a second store in Westbourne Grove) Tube: Old Street NONE /items/show/515 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/food/1t6888n/mrs-kibble-s-olde-sweet-shoppe#1e8vl8 A Sweet shop full of jars and jars...Hey, don't panic, get yourself some sugar-free gum for afterwards and enjoy some good old-fashioned British candy, something we've always done well. May I respectfully recommend milk bottles, sherbet pips and pear drops to get you started. They also have a shop in Brewer Street in Soho. Tube: Bond Street NONE /items/show/516 http://www.sjss.org.uk/pages/Diary/content_page4_2.htm What could be more relaxing than a lunchtime concert of cello and piano music? This is in the magnificent church of St John's, Smith Square in Westminster, which is reknowned for it's musical programme of concerts. Programme includes Martinu, Schumann & Brahms. Tube: Westminster / St James' Park / Victoria NONE 2009-05-14 /items/show/517 http://www.relax.org.uk/ Relax is a great place to come for some serious pampering. Right in the heart of Soho, you can come here for a massage, or for the full range of beauty treatments and facials for men and women. It's supremely calm here, so, if the bustle is getting to you, step inside. Tube: Piccadilly NONE /items/show/518 http://www.electriccabaret.com/circoloco_03-05-2009T.html If you like your repetitive beats with minimal frills, (you know I'm talking to you, tuneful-techno heads) then don't miss Circo Loco at the Coronet. You can listen to a sample here: http://www.coronettheatre.co.uk/whats_on.aspx?wid=19. Tube: Elephant & Castle NONE 2009-05-03 /items/show/519 http://www.foyles.co.uk I like the sound of this. Poet and classicist Harry Eyres of the Financial Times Slow Lane and 'natural' wine evangelist David Harvey of Sous L'Nez join with you to sample slow wine and ancient poetry, to see whether the wine and words were better then than now. Tube: Tottenham Court Road NONE 2009-04-30 /items/show/520 http://www.stuartstevenson.co.uk/ This is the most good-looking art shop in town and specialises in material for gilders, as well as artists. They are really nice in here too, and will explain what does what. Tube: Farringdon NONE /items/show/521 http://www.comfortstation.co.uk/ Comfort Station sells super cool jewellery and also bags - all with an eclectic touch, designed by Amy Anderson, and made on the premises. You will treasure your piece from here, as I do mine. Men - this is your chance to score high on the present index, and I mean really high. Tube: Liverpool Street / Aldgate East NONE /items/show/522 http://www.maison-des-roses.com/ Think roses: real, fresh rose stems and arrangements, gorgeous silk roses, rose oil scented products for the home. Yep, that's right, at La Maison des Roses it's roses all the way. Who knew they came in so many shades? If you're a rose lover or know someone who is, then you will want to check this Clapham shop out. Train to Clapham Junction NONE /items/show/523 http://www.viethoarestaurant.co.uk/ The Viet Hoa was the first canteen Vietnamese restaurant on the Vietnamese Strip of the Kingsland Road, and has my unwavering loyalty. It's not that I don't go to the others, which friends will rave about periodically. It's just that for consistency the Viet Hoa wins hands down for me. That said, I only eat upstairs and rarely deviate from my favourites: Chicken and Prawn Goi with Prawn Crackers being one. Yeah, this is the comfort of familiarity for me. Sometimes you need that. Tube: Old Street / Liverpool Street NONE /items/show/524 http://www.rules.co.uk/ Rules serves traditional British food, and I don't mean fish and chips. No, I'm talking fine dining: Venison / Oysters / Pies / Cornish crab and ooh...many many delights. The puddings have names like spotted dick and treacle sponge. Rules has the distinction of being the oldest restaurant in London, established by Thomas Rule in 1798, and is elegant, refined and of the old school, and all the better for it. Tube: Covent Garden / Charing Cross NONE /items/show/525 http://www.fernandezandwells.com/beak.php Coffee lovers take note - this is fabulous. Food lovers also. This is the coffee of your dreams with food to match. And, while you're here, step around the corner into Lexington Street where you will find the F&W Food & Wine shop, which is a fantasy of fine foods to eat, or to take away. So, when you've had enough of eating out and want to stay in your hotel and chill out with some bad TV, do yourself a favour and get your supper from here and your evening will be lovely. Tube: Oxford Circus / Piccadilly NONE /items/show/526 http://www.londontown.com/LondonInformation/Restaurant/Gabys/0d42/ Gaby's is a pop-in-for-a-salt-beef-sandwich kind of a place. They do great falafels in pitta, plus good salads. This, for me, is food-as-fuel, but you still want it to be good tasty food, and served with charm, speedily and at a fair price. For all these, Gaby's is a winner. Tube: Leicester Square NONE /items/show/527 http://www.serpentinegallery.org/ This is such a wonderful Gallery, set in such a great position, that I always pop in if I'm near, regardless of what's on. It's free, the curaters always show interesting work, in the late summer an architect (different every year) builds a pavillion outide the gallery on a budget of about 20p which is always a flight of fancy and in which one can have a cup of tea (if not there's a cafe by the Serpentine Lake). It is unmissable. Tube: South Kensington / Lancaster Gate NONE /items/show/528 http://www.serpentine.org.uk/pages/aboutus.html If you're a runner you might want to go for a run with the Serpentine Running Club. They suggest joining them for one or two of their Wednesday evening or Saturday runs before you join the club. They look fun, but serious. Mind you, I'm not a runner so running for the bus is serious in my book. They set off from the Seymour Leisure Centre. Tube: Edgware Road NONE /items/show/529 http://www.tagzania.com/pt/serpentine-boating-lake/ Check out for a while. Hire a pedalo and go for a spin, or a float, on the Serpentine, a lovely big lake in Hyde Park. Tube: Marble Arch / South Kensington / Lancaster Gate NONE /items/show/530 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/JWzcmszOesA/shopping-in-london-lapin-me.html For those who may have missed my story in Time Out , here's some more pics from my latest fave shop in London, Lapin & Me. The newest arrival to the independent shopping haven that is Columbia Road (well, it's actually just around the corner on Ezra Street, but near enough), Lapin & Me stocks a fanciful and French-y range of limited-edition dolls, design-led products, stationery, homewares and children's clothes. Wee Birdy is also super-chuffed to have served a tiny role in the creation of the real bricks-n-mortar shop. Apparently owner Madeleine James was inspired by the Columbia Road Christmas Wednesdays post last year, and started looking around the area for the perfect premises. On my shopping wishlist is the hand-stitched "one-eyed" doll (see top pic, £36), Nathalie Lete's illustrated "Parisian shopper", and a Fatina doll brooch (£21). There's also glass jars on top of the main vintage counter brimming with pocket-money goodies, like Alain Gree labels (£3.50), vintage stork & baby sets (£2) and Tooth Mouse boxes (£3.50). Don't fret if you're out of London - you can dig into this whimsical treasure trove online at www.lapinandme.co.uk . Lapin & Me 14 Ezra St London E2 7RG Nearest tube: Liverpool Street Click here for a Wee Birdy map. Opening hours: Friday 11am-2.30pm Saturday 11am-3.30pm Sunday 9am-3pm Click here for more shops in East London. NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/JWzcmszOesA/shopping-in-london-lapin-me.html http://www.camden.gov.uk/ccm/content/contacts/categories/contacts-for-open-air-swimming.en#internalSection3 The Ladies' pond is an idyll, and a great place to come for an afternoon of lounging, picnicking and, of course, swimming. There are, of course, some women who come here every day of the year to swim, and they are justifiably protective of its magical tranquility, so don't answer your mobile here, but just enjoy swimming in a perfect lake, completely surrounded by trees. Tube: Archway / Gospel Oak on the overground NONE /items/show/563 http://www.camden.gov.uk/ccm/content/contacts/categories/contacts-for-open-air-swimming.en#internalSection3 I'm female but I have it on good authority that the Mens' pond is larger than the Ladies, less idyllic (fewer reeds, more concrete) and can get cruisey, but even so, were I male and wanted to swim in a natural pond, fed by the river Fleet, on Hampstead Heath, none of that would bother me. Tube: Archway / Gospel Oak on the overground NONE /items/show/564 http://www.camden.gov.uk/ccm/content/contacts/non-council-contacts/contact-hampstead-pond-(mixed-bathing).en This is a mixed bathing pond on Hampstead Heath where, heavens, men and women can enjoy outdoor swimming together. Whatever next? It is a rather lovely place and though I haven't yet swum here, I always envy those who are, when I pass by. Beware that this pond is on the west side of the Heath, unlike the single sex ponds which are on the east side. Tube: Hampstead / Hampstead Heath on the overground NONE /items/show/565 http://www.courtneys.co.uk/centres/Porchester/the-porchester-spa This is London's most relaxing pampering activity, bar none. Built in 1929 and recently refurbished, this deco turkish bath is the perfect day in. With two steam rooms, the requisite three rooms of increasing dry heat, a sauna, a freezing plunge pool and a lounging area with a cafe where they'll do you a fortifying simple lunch, it really is heaven. The most luxurious of London's turkish baths. You can book treatments and massages here too, and your ticket includes a swim in the swimming pool too. Check the days as they alternate man and women with couples on sunday evenings. Tube: Royal Oak / Bayswater / Queensway NONE /items/show/566 http://www.picnicconcerts.com/2009/kenwood/ray-davies.html How perfect does this sound? An outdoor summer concert in the beautifully landscaped grounds of Kenwood House, on Hampstead Heath, where you can take a picnic (or pre-order one to collect) and listen to Ray sing you all those fantastic Kinks songs... I'm booking now. No, really I am. Must go. Tube: not great for the tube but there are special shuttle buses running from East Finchley/Golders Green tubes or it's a trek from Highgate or Hampstead tubes. A lovely trek though. NONE 2009-06-27 /items/show/567 http://www.quovadissoho.co.uk/ Quo Vadis is immaculate in every way. Fine dining with panache courtesy of the absurdly talented Hart Brothers, Sam and Eddie. Comfortable, luxurious and the food is delicious, the wine list fabulous. Oh, and have a cocktail - they're fantastic too. They do a set lunch / pre-theatre menu which is great value, as well. Tube: Tottenham Court Road / Piccadilly / Leicester Square NONE /items/show/568 http://www.theendurance.co.uk/ The Endurance is a great pub in the heart of Soho, and it does a really good meal too. Firmly in the gastro pub area, with modern British and European fare which changes by the season. And you can drink pints with your food, which I'm told is a good thing. Mine's a Bloody Mary, thanks. Tube: Piccadilly / Oxford Circus NONE 2009-04-30 /items/show/569 http://www.finorestaurant.com/ It would be so wrong of me not to tell you about Fino, the Spanish restaurant owned by Sam and Eddie Hart. The tapas are sensational, though don't expect a bustling bar (for that there's Barrafina). Have the belly pork. One portion each. No, don't try to share or you will fight, I promise. Also make sure you try the sherries, both dry and Ximenes. I did in spades last time I was here and it was all magnificent. Tube: Goodge Street NONE /items/show/570 http://www.kew.org/ Kew Gardens, or The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, to give its full title, is 250 years old this summer and it is a delightful place to come and spend a day, or a good few hours, minimum. There's loads to see, from the famous Palm Houses to Queen Charlotte's Cottage, nestling in the grounds, but really you come here to wander through magnificent trees and plants from everywhere, all laid out in tranquil parkland. If you have children in tow there's the fantastic Climbers and Creepers, of which my son never tires. The Maids of Honour (see under Eat) is nearby too. Tube: Kew Gardens NONE /items/show/571 http://www.theoriginalmaidsofhonour.co.uk The Maids of Honour is a proper old-fashioned tea shop, a stones throw from the main gate of Kew Gardens and well worth a trip on it's own merits. It's owned by the fifth generation of the Newens family. Yes, that's right, their great, great, grandfather opened this shop in 1850 and they still make among many, many delights the Maids of Honour cake, as eaten by Henry VIII. And there's meat pies and sandwiches for the savoury kick. Oh, and everything is baked on the premises, of course. Tube: Kew Gardens NONE /items/show/572 http://www.saki-food.com/index-2.html Saki is fine dining Japanese style, and is just lovely. The head chef Hiroyuki Saotome is an artist of the plate, there's a light-controlled private dining room where the glass around you can be clear or opaque according to the lighting, and if that's not enough, the paperless loos are state of the art! There's a cocktail bar as well, always good. And a small but perfectly formed Japanese food store as you come in. But let that not distract us from the food, which is sublime. Tube: Farringdon NONE /items/show/573 http://www.sandown.co.uk/fixturelist/ Come to Sandown Park for the sport of kings: horse racing on the flat (in the winter, it's over the jumps). This is a grand day out: watching the horses parade in the paddock; putting on a bet (they have the Tote (for small bets) as well as the bookies, so you can make 50p bets all day if you want; then you watch the race; have a glass of something, and so the day goes on. A civilised way to gamble. Trains to Esher station for Sandown Park run from London Waterloo every 20 minutes and the journey time is 25 minutes. Easy, see. NONE 2009-06-12 /items/show/574 http://www.sandown.co.uk/fixturelist/ Come to Sandown Park for the sport of kings: horse racing on the flat (in the winter, it's over the jumps). This is a grand day out: watching the horses parade in the paddock; putting on a bet (they have the Tote (for small bets) as well as the bookies, so you can make 50p bets all day if you want; then you watch the race; have a glass of something, and so the day goes on. A civilised way to gamble. Trains to Esher station for Sandown Park run from London Waterloo every 20 minutes and the journey time is 25 minutes. Easy, see. NONE 2009-06-13 /items/show/575 http://www.lock-tavern.co.uk/listings.php I've found you a free party night with some dance beats (if you like, and I quote "cosmic sounds, techy grooves, seminal guilty pleasures and balearica", which sound promising to me). It's at the Lock Tavern in Camden, which has a good terrace. Check out the sounds here: myspace.com/asborave & myspace.com/guccisoundsystem. Tune: Camden Town / Chalk Farm NONE 2009-05-09 /items/show/576 http://www.lyric.co.uk/fromhomepage/pl442.html Wuthering Heights: Bronte goes to Bollywood. Yes, they're doing it classic indian movie style as a musical. Now that's intruiging. This is happening at the excellent Lyric Hammersmith, where you can see top class theatre, without West End prices. Tube: Hammersmith NONE 2009-04-29 /items/show/577 http://www.lyric.co.uk/pl440.html Interiors is a theatre piece created by Vanishing Point which sounds good. The theatre say "Interiors is about sounds, silence, and the darkness outside the window." Critics have used words like "mesmerising" and "sad, funny and heartbreakingly humane". Read the whole review here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2009/apr/08/theatre-review-interiors-edinburgh Tube: Hammersmith NONE 2009-04-21 /items/show/578 http://www.lyric.co.uk/pl443.html?date=1244019600 I know of Amici by reputation only, but it's a great reputation. This challenging dance company is unique in integrating disabled and non-disabled performers. Here they are doing a week of workshops, performances, films and discussions so if you're into dance you should check it out. The company website is here: http://www.amicidance.org/ Tube: Hammersmith NONE 2009-06-08 /items/show/579 http://www.wegotickets.com Flamenkillo hip hop. If that floats your boat to dance to, then this is the night for you. I think it looks like fun. DJs from 8.30 to 12.30. check out http://www.myspace.com/blablabladjs and http://www.myspace.com/soderone for a taste of the beats on offer. Tube: Old Street NONE 2009-05-31 /items/show/580 http://www.cottons-restaurant.co.uk/camden/camdenhome.html I don't know if it's because the sun is shining, but my thoughts are turning to Rum Punch and, thus, naturally to Cottons. There's also a Cottons in Exmouth Market, but since I haven't yet had the pleasure of making that one's acquaintance I would like to introduce you to this Camden institution where you can eat a fine meal of delicious Caribbean food with several cocktails. It's fun, It's good. Tube: Chalk Farm / Camden Town NONE /items/show/581 http://www.greenred.co.uk Green and Red is a bar/restaurant where you can eat, and drink the finest Tequilas and tequila cocktails (and mexican beers should you not dig Tequila). Downstairs they have a great dancey bar with DJs and, yes, you guessed it, more fine Tequila, the perfect dance drink, I find. Tube: Old Street NONE /items/show/582 http://www.walklondon.org.uk/route.asp?R=1 I've just found out about the Capital Ring, a 15 stage, 78 mile circular walk around London, and had to share. You can see all the stages here: http://www.walklondon.org.uk/route.asp?R=1 but the one I've picked is stage 12: Highgate to Stoke Newington because I know that it's a lovely green walk (4.5 miles) and it ends in a great shopping and eating street in North London which is a destination in itself. Happy walking! Tube: Highgate NONE 2009-05-01 /items/show/583 http://www.thewappingproject.com/ If you're into modern art you should check out the Wapping Project, a seriously cool art space in a rescued old power station in docklands. There is a modern European restaurant in here too, if you fancy. Docklands light railway, Shadwell is the nearest stop. NONE /items/show/584 http://www.stringraycafe.co.uk/stringray_globe/index.html This is a nice relaxed pitstop on the Columbia Road trail, and they are open all week too, unlike the rest of this sunday-only destination. They do nice pizzas, good salads and there are tables outside. Tube: Old Street / Liverpool Street NONE /items/show/585 http://www.phonicarecords.co.uk/ If you like dance music on vinyl, you'll love Phonica, the coolest music shop in Soho. There is no more to say on this one. You'll know if it's for you, and if it is, enjoy. Tube: Oxford Circus NONE /items/show/586 http://www.hmrecords.co.uk/ If your taste in music is classical, come to Harold Moore's in Soho, where you can hum them the tune and they'll pick you out the best ever recording of it on CD. It's eccentric and comprehensive. Tube: Oxford Circus NONE /items/show/587 http://bit.ly/WGWxq Strange Resting Places is an entertaining sounding play about the Maori Battallion stationed in Italy in WWII presented by Taki Rua as part of the Origins Festival, the UK's inaugural festival of First Nations creative arts. I'm going to try to get to this because I always figure that if a festival brings a play right round the world, it's going to be worth seeing, a maxim that rarely lets me down. Tube: Tottenham Court Road NONE 2009-05-04 /items/show/588 http://bit.ly/S3XEF Here we have a combining of two great English loves: taking a gamble on the summer weather and Jools Holland and his big blues band, with Kew Gardens thrown in. Jools is a fantastic bluesman and will give you a great evening in the evening sunshine, with fireworks to finish, after dark. Tube: Kew Gardens NONE 2009-05-07 /items/show/589 http://bit.ly/owmwx Canteen: responsibly sourced British produce, at reasonable prices in a beautifully designed contemporary space in Spitalfields. They do roasts, bangers and mash and nice fish here - it's good, honest fare, well done. Plus they do lighter dishes like a pint of prawns. There's also a second Canteen near the Festival Hall, if you find yourself that way and hungry, ah, and I've just learned from the website that they also have a third Canteen on Baker Street. Good News. Tube: Liverpool Street NONE /items/show/590 http://bit.ly/2o1ieF If you get the urge to bowl in London then do it here. All Star Lanes have style and the young crowd make a great people-watching exercise if nothing else. Well, before you make your strike, that is. There are also All Star Lanes in Bayswater and Brick Lane also. Tube: Russell Square / Holborn NONE /items/show/591 http://bit.ly/2cjVrQ I stumbled upon this shop last week and immmediately fell in love with a gorgeous pair of shoes. Always a good sign. This is a clothes shop which sells, at a massive discount, cool clothes and shoes from small labels and independent chic shops. For ladies and gents with more style than cash. Tube: Old Street NONE /items/show/592 http://bit.ly/16zm5P I got bought some jewellery from here once and I still love it and wear it, years later. Jane calls her shop a vintage atelier which isn't a bad description for this lovely airy place, full of lace and delicate vintage pieces, lovingly restored or remade into contemporary dresses and accessories. It's a treasure trove. Tube: Ladbroke Grove NONE /items/show/593 http://bit.ly/dgQnV Supernice sell great wall decals, which are wall graphics, which are... well, think of wallpaper for the twenty-first century, not-super-practical person. Or doodles for the wall. I like the birds on the telephone wires. Supernice also sell some other funky stuff, and like all those gorgeous Columbia Road shops, they are only open on Sundays, though Supernice have started opening on Saturday afternoons too. Tube: Old Street / Bethnal Green / Liverpool Street NONE /items/show/594 http://bit.ly/wLj6d I saw Spring Awakening this evening and, if you missed it on Broadway, you should get along to the Novello Theatre on the Aldwych and see this young cast give their supremely talented all in this modern musical adaptation of the 1890s Wedekind play. It's bursting with adolescent vigour, great singing, and Aneurin Barnard for one is going to be a huge star and you can say you saw him here first. Tube: Holborn / Covent Garden NONE /items/show/595 http://bit.ly/ym9Gk Along with Twiggy, Ossie Clark, Barbara Hulanicki, Bill Gibb et al, Mary Quant is one of the names of sixties London. Tucked away in a street near Harrods, here's a shop where you can buy Mary Quant make-up, plus clothes and accessories. The packaging, with that iconic flower graphic, is worth the trip on it's own, but the colours are great too. Tube: Knightsbridge NONE /items/show/596 http://bit.ly/13iAYG Chocolate lovers, listen up! Make the pilgrimage and come to the masters of chocolate at their shop in Richmond where you will be regaled with handmade chocolates, incredible pastries, biscuits and cakes. William and Suzue Curley win every chocolate award going it seems, and one you've tasted their creations you'll know why. Tube: Richmond NONE /items/show/597 http://bit.ly/4FiqK Sometimes bad things happen to good people, and a bad hair situation can come upon us all. I'm blessed to have known Matthew Wade for years, during which time he's been cutting and colouring my hair, as well as all those models and celebrities he looks after. So girlfriends, if you get in a hair pickle while you're in London, call in the expert, and he will come to where you are and sort out your Barnet. (Barnet Fair = Hair, just so you know) Tube: Your nearest central London tube! NONE /items/show/598 http://bit.ly/l24wd I used to live round the corner from The Cow, and it was one of the things I missed when I moved Eastside. There's a small restaurant upstairs where they do a wonderful meal, or there's the pub downstairs for seafood, and bangers and mash, all done with great panache. You can also have Guiness & Oysters - a great combination. This place gets busy with the West London trendy set so get there early and stake out your patch. Tube: Royal Oak/ Bayswater NONE /items/show/599 http://bit.ly/17pcMt The Queens Head & Artichoke is a really nice pub which does rather wonderful food, just a stone's throw from the centre of town and perfectly positioned for a post-prandial walk in Regent's Park. It does a lovely Sunday lunch too, and they even have a bit of outdoor space to eat in if it's warm. Tube: Regents Park / Warren Street NONE /items/show/600 http://bit.ly/hfxN3 After Noah is a magpie's heaven. They restore old things for the home, source new, old-feeling things and also stock loads and loads of great toys, games and, well, nice stuff. They do everything from tables to telephones, tin robots to trugs. There's a second After Noah on the Kings Road, too. Tube: Angel NONE /items/show/601 http://bit.ly/6zxmi This unashamed "feel-good"" Cuban dance show promises: Mambo, jazz, bolero, son, cha-cha-cha, rumba and salsa. Phew! It's back for the third year running so it must be doing something right, so if you fancy a toe-tapping evening of Cuban dance (to watch, not participate in) then this will be for you. Tube: Holborn NONE /items/show/602 http://bit.ly/o7HmE If you only come to one shop in London let it be Luna and Curious. Well, if you like eccentric style and design, and enjoy a touch of the surreal, that is. And who doesn't? It's like being Alice in Wonderland here - with this design collective you never quite know what's coming. Tube: Liverpool Street / Old Street NONE /items/show/603 http://bit.ly/2u1v6m Midori on the Violin, Charles Abramovich on the Piano; Bach, Shostakovich, Schubert and Faure on the programme and all in the lovely Wigmore Hall. Sounds heavenly. Tube: Bond Street / Oxford Circus NONE 2009-05-09 /items/show/604 http://www.wigmore-hall.org.uk/whats-on/productions/soloists-of-the-lpo-22152 A rare chance to hear the Mozart C minor Serenade for Wind ensemble plus Stravinsky's Soldier's Tale performed in a double bill at the Wigmore Hall by Soloists of The London Philharmonic Orchestra. This will be a real treat for the ears. Wigmore Hall is the perfect music venue, too. Tube: Bond St / Oxford Circus NONE 2009-05-13 /items/show/605 http://bit.ly/dzT0l This is a huge rollerblade round a designated route through the streets of London, with a sound system and a pub stop along the way that happens every wednesday. I have to confess I've never yet made it to one of these events but I have crossed their path when I've been skateless and I really fancy it. You need to be able to stop and turn to do this skate, so it's not for total beginners, and you can hire skates at a skating store called Blue Room at Marble Arch (+442077244884). Tube: Marble Arch NONE 2009-05-06 /items/show/606 http://bit.ly/dzT0l This is a huge rollerblade round a designated route through the streets of London, with a sound system and a pub stop along the way that happens every wednesday. I have to confess I've never yet made it to one of these events but I have crossed their path when I've been skateless and I really fancy it. You need to be able to stop and turn to do this skate, so it's not for total beginners, and you can hire skates at a skating store called Blue Room at Marble Arch (+442077244884). Tube: Marble Arch NONE 2009-05-13 /items/show/607 http://bit.ly/dzT0l This is a huge rollerblade round a designated route through the streets of London, with a sound system and a pub stop along the way that happens every wednesday. I have to confess I've never yet made it to one of these events but I have crossed their path when I've been skateless and I really fancy it. You need to be able to stop and turn to do this skate, so it's not for total beginners, and you can hire skates at a skating store called Blue Room at Marble Arch (+442077244884). Tube: Marble Arch NONE 2009-05-20 /items/show/608 http://bit.ly/dzT0l This is a huge rollerblade round a designated route through the streets of London, with a sound system and a pub stop along the way that happens every wednesday. I have to confess I've never yet made it to one of these events but I have crossed their path when I've been skateless and I really fancy it. You need to be able to stop and turn to do this skate, so it's not for total beginners, and you can hire skates at a skating store called Blue Room at Marble Arch (+442077244884). Tube: Marble Arch NONE 2009-05-27 /items/show/609 http://bit.ly/dzT0l This is a huge rollerblade round a designated route through the streets of London, with a sound system and a pub stop along the way that happens every wednesday. I have to confess I've never yet made it to one of these events but I have crossed their path when I've been skateless and I really fancy it. You need to be able to stop and turn to do this skate, so it's not for total beginners, and you can hire skates at a skating store called Blue Room at Marble Arch (+442077244884). Tube: Marble Arch NONE 2009-06-03 /items/show/610 http://bit.ly/dzT0l This is a huge rollerblade round a designated route through the streets of London, with a sound system and a pub stop along the way that happens every wednesday. I have to confess I've never yet made it to one of these events but I have crossed their path when I've been skateless and I really fancy it. You need to be able to stop and turn to do this skate, so it's not for total beginners, and you can hire skates at a skating store called Blue Room at Marble Arch (+442077244884). Tube: Marble Arch NONE 2009-06-10 /items/show/611 http://bit.ly/FQcv4 Witty, pretty, chic clothing, bags and accessories for women by the design duo of Antoni & Alison abound in this quirky shop near Exmouth Market. Tube: Farringdon NONE /items/show/612 http://bit.ly/3XSIMQ Bridgewood & Neitzert make violins, violas, cellos, you get the picture. They also stock a range of electric violins so if you're a fiddle player, get here and get into their playing room. This shop is one of many on Stoke Newington Church Street, which is a lovely North London villagey street chock full of treasures which I'll tell you about. Tube: Ah, well, there isn't one but you can get the 73 bus from Oxford Street If you must take the tube, then it's a 20 minute walk from Finsbury Park. NONE /items/show/613 http://bit.ly/15mcb7 I've just found out about this exhibition and am going to try to see it before it comes off as it is an extraordinary collection of medieval jewellery buried in France and Germany by (almost certainly) Jewish families fleeing the Black Death and prejudice in the fourteenth century. That all sounds far away, but looking at the pictures of these delicate rings and precious cups they seem all too human in scale. Tube: Bond Street NONE 2009-04-10 /items/show/614 http://bit.ly/10PXPd Seriously funky T-shirts by this young East London design studio in a bright, airy shop. Each piece is a one-off and they are for both men and women. Tube: Liverpool Street / Aldgate East NONE /items/show/615 http://tr.im/kION Sweet feels a bit like the patisserie version of Cheers - you just know that you'll get a lovely welcome and if you come in more than once, they'll be asking you about your mum's bunions. A perfect coffee/cake/light bite pitstop. There is a second Sweet just opened in Whitecross Street. Tube: Farringdon NONE /items/show/616 http://bit.ly/iGnhX If you're into scooters (or mopeds, dare I say? Not in here, that's for sure) then you'll enjoy a coffee in Scooterworks, a great little eclectic cafe where they sell scooters, bits for scooters: Lambrettas, Vespas; and really good coffee. The music is cool, the vibe is really fun and Lower Marsh has other delights for you to explore. Tube: Waterloo NONE /items/show/617 http://bit.ly/2m8utp Two play: A Winter's Tale and The Cherry Orchard, presented in repertoire at the Old Vic with a pedigree Anglo-American cast, directed by Sam Mendes. Definitely worth a butcher's. (Butcher's hook...look). Book early for these plays. Tube: Waterloo NONE /items/show/618 http://bit.ly/SNzOF Triyoga is a really well-respected yoga centre in Primrose Hill and this is their Soho offshoot where there are 45 classes every week, including beginners classes and lunchtime classes, plus Pilates and Massage on offer too. Tube: Oxford Circus NONE /items/show/619 http://bit.ly/1oen2Q Here is a quiet place to sit and have a read, or a think, where, in a tiny space between buildings, birds congregate and sing their hearts out. There's a little kiddies playground too but it's the benches that interest me because when Covent Garden gets too hectic, this is the place to come. Tube: Holborn / Covent Garden NONE /items/show/620 http://bit.ly/QzfyK Persephone Books is a total one-off. They publish the most beautiful editions of neglected classics by twenteith century English writers, which they sell in the bookshop. There is a particularly delicate English sensibility to be discovered here, so if you like a browse, come and discover. The cookbooks they have unearthed are treasures as are the wonderful novels by Dorothy Whipple. Tube: Holborn NONE /items/show/621 http://bit.ly/DgBms A shop that sells honeys from all over the world as well as products made with honey, propolis and royal gelly, with it's own beehives out in the back garden. How cool is that? It's in Clapham's Northcote Road which itself is worth a visit. In these difficult days for the bees this is a shop to support. Train to Clapham Junction from Waterloo and Victoria (trains run every few minutes), then a stroll. NONE /items/show/622 http://bit.ly/7cZ85 This is a Vietnamese Street cafe in one of London's great markets, and if you haven't tried Vietnamese coffee, this is where you should come to put that right. Try the Ca Phe Sua, Vietnamese espresso with condensed milk. They also serve artichoke tea, among others, plus they sell their own coffee. SATURDAYS ONLY. Tube: Bethnal Green NONE /items/show/623 http://bit.ly/ybKib One of the best gastropubs with a legendary Sunday lunch the Anchor & Hope is a serious foodie place with a relaxed vibe. You can't book (except for Sunday lunch) so be canny with your arrival time and be prepared to hang out with a pint of Guiness or somesuch until a table comes free. Tube: Waterloo NONE 2009-05-08 /items/show/624 http://bit.ly/orSJp I bike around London every day and, provided that you wear a dayglo yellow jerkin plus a helmet, and you assume that every other vehicle is, if not actively trying to kill you, then liable to kill you by mistake, it's a beautiful way to see the city. There are great cycle maps that show you all the back roads and cycle paths. These people will deliver a Dutch (one speed, no gear, really comfy) bike to you and collect it from you when you're done. Tube: where you are NONE /items/show/625 http://bit.ly/3bv07h For geared bikes, and mountain bikes, this company operate from the South Bank, a great place to start a gentle cycle around this city. They hire helmets and accessories and provide you with great maps of cycle routes through the city. And, remember, if it all gets too hectic, you can always get off and walk your bike across the big main roads. I do. Tube: Waterloo / Embankment NONE 2009-05-08 /items/show/626 http://bit.ly/Ae6i Cafe 1001 is a lovely sprawling funky cafe off Brick Lane which I've been going to since it opened and this will be a great afternoon with DJs including the legendary Don Letts and Adrian Sherwood with the Soul Jazz Soundsystem. If you like reggae, dancehall and dubstep then get along to this daytime party. There'll be a screening of the new dubumentary Dub Echoes too. Tube: Liverpool Street NONE 2009-05-10 /items/show/627 http://bit.ly/1Dmzqo The wonderful Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, who play on period instruments, give a concert of Schumann's Konzertstuck for four horns and orchestra and Mendelssohn's Scottish Symphony at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. There's even a free pre-concert discussion with the Horn Section. Tube: Waterloo / Embankment NONE 2009-05-20 /items/show/628 http://bit.ly/4NFkw This looks good. An exhibition of the work of leading Norwegian art students in the UK, and in a gallery in Shoreditch's Redchurch Street. Lots of photographers, plus illustraters, painters and designers. Tube: Old Street NONE 2009-05-06 /items/show/629 http://bit.ly/2lyVwA Sometimes you just fall for a place, know what I mean? I stepped into Albert & Pearl and as soon as I found out I could have toasted crumpets with Marmite and my cocktail (I know, but just think about it...) it was love. It's really nice in here, there's food, cocktails and a good friendly ambiance. Tube: Highbury & Islington / Angel NONE /items/show/630 http://bit.ly/17Frbv If you feel the need for a delicate pastry and a pot of tea (or coffee) in Soho then come to this wonderful place where they know how to do it so well. The best people-watching spot in town. NONE /items/show/631 http://bit.ly/2CLKO Sometimes you need a quiet place to recharge the batteries and Lincoln's Inn Fields, the largest public square in London, tucked in behind Holborn Tube station, is an ideal spot. Tube: Holborn NONE /items/show/632 http://bit.ly/G9PdO The Sir John Soane's Museum is, for my money, the most interesting house open to the public in London. I could write a book on it's many delights but the Hogarth room is high on the list. Soane was an architect, collector of antiquities and art lover and at every turn this house reveals a new eccentricity. On the first tuesday evening of the month you can visit by candlelight. Tube: Holborn NONE /items/show/633 http://bit.ly/1EoGEw Yes, it's THAT Old Curiosity Shop, immortalised by Charles Dickens in the novel and built in 1567. Now it houses a brilliant shoe designer, Daita Kimura, and his collection of breathtaking shoes, as well as some seriously hip, totally unique clothing. A fashion must-visit. Tube: Holborn / Chancery Lane NONE /items/show/634 http://bit.ly/a8A99 For 60's and 70's vintage (men and women) check out What the Butler Wore in Waterloo where every piece has a certain "je ne sais quoi". With Radio Days on the same street you'll be in Vintage heaven. Tube: Waterloo NONE /items/show/635 http://bit.ly/D5Ng4 I had brunch at Frizzante, based at the Hackney City Farm, today, and noticed that they are now open for dinner every thursday evening which is great news if you like wholesome, delicious Italian food. You won't get to see all the animals after your lunch though, which is always a treat. Tube: Bethnal Green / Old Street NONE /items/show/636 http://bit.ly/PH5xQ Radio Days is what all vintage shops should be - a glorious shrine to all things from another time, in this case predominantly the 20's to 70's. They have the most extensive collections of wonderful sunglasses, cigarette cases, telephones, clthes, hats, paraphenalia. And they know where everything is. So gentlemen and ladies, come to Lower Marsh to get some seriously retro style. Tube: Waterloo NONE /items/show/637 http://bit.ly/FDCO0 Sus, by Barrie Keefe, will take you back to England on election night, 1979. A seminal play about the police, the Sus laws, racism and corruption, now is an apposite time for this talented director (Gbolahan Obisesan) and a great cast to explore this play afresh. I'll be there. Tube: Waterloo NONE 2009-05-13 /items/show/638 http://bit.ly/Ul8su I hear great things about Strip, apparently THE place to get your waxing done, girls. And boys. These pros will wax you with the least painful Australian Lycon wax, in a boudoir ambiance, with lots of lovely bits and pices to buy too. Tube: Westbourne Park NONE /items/show/639 http://bit.ly/ZrIJ9 I love the Royal Court and I love the writing of Wallace Shawn so I'm bound to recommend this, aren't I? A glorious cast (Miranda Richardson, Wallace Shawn, Jennifer Tilly and Emily McDonnell) in Wallace Shawn's new play...it should be good. Tube: Sloane Square NONE 2009-05-12 /items/show/640 http://bit.ly/1asoCt Kings Place is a brand new venue, which music lovers are raving about, behind Kings Cross and here, as part of Paris Jazz Week, Bireli Lagrene brings his contemporary jazz guitar to London. I like the sound of this 'genius gypsy guitarist'. Tube: Kings Cross NONE 2009-06-10 /items/show/641 http://bit.ly/dNqQ8 Comtoir Gascon is a little bit of the South of France in London, and in these days of sunshine, what could be nicer than a good cassoulet and a bottle of wine? Not much. There's a deli here too. Comptoir Gascon is the bistro younger brother of Club Gascon. Tube: Farringdon NONE /items/show/642 http://bit.ly/2nKCh2 The Duke of Cambridge is an organic gastropub and does really lovely food in a buzzy, friendly ambiance. It's the only gastropub to be certified by the Soil Association and is justifiably proud of it's credentials. Everything is organic here which means there's a great selection of organic wines and beers too. It's popular so worth booking, though you can just pitch up and wait as well. Tube: Angel NONE /items/show/643 http://bit.ly/ra4PG Ironmonger Row Baths is lovely 1930's turkish baths within a leisure complex. If you come for a turkish bath you get a swim thrown in, and then you can enjoy the steam rooms, three hot rooms and plunge pool with a lovely rest area where you can have a snack and a cup of tea. Not opulent like Porchester (which is twice the price), but stylish and absolutely fabulous if, like me, you like to chill out in the heat. They have good therapists (reflexology etc) here too that you can book in advance. Tube: Old Street NONE /items/show/644 http://bit.ly/2FpUx Postman's Park is a remarkable place, in the churchyards of several churches, tucked in behind St Bartholomews, where the painter GF Watts had the brilliant idea of commemorating the heroic deeds of 'ordinary' people. Come and contemplate the ceramic memorials to people who died trying to save the lives of others. A really special quiet place unlike any other. Tube: St Paul's NONE 2009-05-11 /items/show/645 http://bit.ly/1aqPeX I love this shop, I love the absurdity of a ships chandlers in Covent Garden, and I love the, well, boatiness of the whole affair. Here's the place to get your cordage (that's rope to you non-knotters) and your boaty bits and pieces, for that yacht you've got anchored in Shaftesbury Avenue. You'll like it too. Tube: Covent Garden NONE /items/show/646 http://bit.ly/4uasJ If you have any makeup needs, come to the pro's shop - that's actors rather than ladies of the night, though they'd be welcome too, I'm sure. They do really good make-up, every shade of cover-up you can imagine, brushes, eyelashes etc and even have a tranny department should you boys feel the urge. Tube: Covent Garden / Charing Cross NONE /items/show/647 http://www.urbanjunkies.com/london/08/0901.html Mmmm...Sweeties. Well, you've got to love Suck and Chew, a cute old-fashioned sweet shop, and one of Columbia Road's newer delights. Like the Columbia Road flower market, Suck and Chew is only open on Sundays, which is possibly a good thing for my teeth. The stuff of your dreams, and your mother's nightmares. Tube: Bethnal Green / Old Street NONE /items/show/648 http://bit.ly/140E8e I lost myself in the wonderfully whimsical world of Rob Ryan's beautiful cut out designs in this lovely shop in Columbia Road last Sunday. It's open on Saturdays 1-5pm as well as Sundays (all day) when you get to enjoy the vibrant flower market too. The cards are the most beautiful you will ever send, there are lovely things for your home, and I fell in love with a skirt which I have to buy this weekend. A treasure. Tube: Bethnal Green / Old Street NONE /items/show/649 http://bit.ly/4sLV2a The prodigious Shlomo and the beatboxing choir The Vocal Orchestra promise an evening of beats, classic covers and basslines in this beatbox extravagana and all in Udderbelly, a summer venue next to the Royal Festival Hall on the South Bank. It's an inflatable upside-down cow which seats 400. Yes, that's right, an upside-down inflatable cow. You're not dreaming. Tube: Embankment / Waterloo NONE 2009-06-01 /items/show/650 http://bit.ly/MOalf Girls, this is it. Hair styling, manicures and make-up makeovers done with panache at The Powder Room on Columbia Rd. Here the Powder Puff Girls will primp and preen you to your hearts content in their 1950's syle boudoir. They are here Fridays (pre-book) plus Saturdays and Sundays for drop-ins. They will even come to you by arrangement. While you get glamourous they even ply you with tea and biscuits. Tube:Bethnal Green / Old Street NONE /items/show/651 http://bit.ly/uR8U9 Check out this exhibition by the illustrator Von of mixed media pieces and low run prints from his Animal series. These surreal ultra-realistic semi-abstract (look at the Zebra and I hope you'll see what I mean) drawings pull you in to Von's unique world view. The gallery say you can sit on the grass, which may mean they've turfed the gallery as Middlesex Street is as urban as they get. Tube: Liverpool Street NONE 2009-05-08 /items/show/652 http://bit.ly/3WQBSn Since this is one of theatre's hottest tickets, I felt I should share. Reviews are a bit mixed (which may mean that you can get a ticket!), some reviewers saying the show is too funny, which doesn't sound like a terrible thing to me, the play's a masterpiece and Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart together in Waiting for Godot sounds too good to miss. I've booked. Tube: Piccadilly Circus NONE 2009-05-11 /items/show/653 http://bit.ly/Qm9VU I love the work of the actor Tim Crouch and I love the sound of this piece of theatre taking place in one of my favourite art galleries. The piece is about a transplant, well, actually about life and art, through the story of a transplant and the characters are two gallery guides. Beyond that I just know it'll be worth seeing. Tube: Aldgate East NONE 2009-05-08 /items/show/654 http://bit.ly/m5jCg Beneath the magnificent church of St Martin's in the Fields, which overlooks Trafalgar Square, is this beautiful vaulted crypt in which there is a really good award-winning Les Routiers self-service cafe. Great value , great food and a haven of calm in the West End. Tube: Charing Cross NONE /items/show/655 http://www.boccadilupo.com/ If you want to know which restaurant everyone is talking about at the moment, well, this is it. Fine Italian dining with prices to match, Bocca di Lupo is definitely the place to go if you're a restaurant hound. The reviews are fabulous and the word is they do not lie. Book early. Tube: Piccadilly Circus NONE /items/show/656 http://bit.ly/bbKPD In the beautiful Wildlife Garden in Regent's Park, home to birds, bats and butterflies, is an interactive soundbench where you can listen to oral histories from the local community. This being Camden, they are a wonderfully diverse and interesting bunch. The garden is located at the south of Regent's Park next to York Bridge and the tennis courts. Tube: Baker Street NONE /items/show/657 http://bit.ly/A2tNN If you're a golf nut and you're getting stressed, then at Urban Golf you can whack balls to your hearts content, pretending to be on any of the world's 52 best courses, on their state of the art simulators. Or you can chill out with a drink at the bar and dream you're Tiger. They have a second location at Smithfield too. Tube: Piccadilly Circus / Oxford Circus NONE /items/show/658 http://bit.ly/1QsNF2 Bagman and Robin is where Marco and Lee show their wares: beautiful handmade handbags, artworks and accessories. Manbags too, boys. I love my bag from here, in vintage Liberty print. Tube: Farringdon NONE /items/show/659 http://bit.ly/2AT8K0 Come to Sasti for the cutest, funkiest, most hard-wearing kids clothes in town, and all British-made. I remember all the things I've bought in here and every one has been a winner. Sasti is in Portobello Green, an arcade under the Westway on the Portobello Road, just beside the main market (clothes) stalls so if you come on a friday/saturday you can enjoy them too. Tube: Ladbroke Grove NONE /items/show/660 http://bit.ly/S7UqK I saw Talvin Singh perform live a few years ago and he blew me away. Here he's in concert with an amazing Sitar player Niladri Kumar, and I think together they will produce some breathtaking soundscapes. Don't expect classical Indian music - these guys are contemporary masters of their own brand of fusion. If you don't know Talvin's work, it's lush! Tube: Camden Town NONE 2009-05-24 /items/show/665 http://www.oneworldclassics.com/shop/page.html?id=11 Independent bookshops are places of profound beauty and spiritual peace, I find, and to be celebrated for their dogged refusal to sell out. The Calder Bookshop, opposite the Young Vic, is one such, specialising in literary fiction, poetry and drama, which hosts loads of different evening events as well. The shop is even owned by Oneworld Classics, a small publishing house, as if it needed more credentials. Tube: Waterloo NONE /items/show/666 http://bit.ly/M4soS The Union Chapel is a fantastic place for gigs: a round congregational Chapel, super-atmospheric with a great accoustic. Vocal Sampling are six young Cuban musicians and arrangers who create a big Cuban band sound - all using only their voices - reviews are incredible: 'one of the most extraordinary groups in the world' and 'you can't get much closer to pure entertainment than Vocal Sampling'. I'm intruigued, aren't you? Advance tickets from seetickets.com Tube: Highbury & Islington NONE 2009-05-19 /items/show/667 http://bit.ly/SZRk5 While the Craft Council present the enormous Collect where they charge you 10 pounds entrance, here at Recollect 22 artists will be showing, for free, an eclectic mix of small-scale artworks unified by the principle of Wunderkammer: the cabinet of curiosity. The artists here are a talented bunch, so this show should be well worth a visit. Tube: Belsize Park / Swiss Cottage NONE 2009-05-15 /items/show/668 http://bit.ly/1fRa3y Loop Ellington are, I think, mad geniuses, creating live improvised beaty jazz from loops and brass, with great visuals too. Ok, I give up, they are impossible to describe, but when I stumbled upon them playing live recently I was riveted. They are, genuinely, like nothing else and you can check them out at this free gig in the bar at the Battersea Arts Centre. Train to Clapham Junction (from Waterloo or Victoria, takes ten minutes and trains go all the time) NONE 2009-05-15 /items/show/669 http://bit.ly/gVBNs If you're feeling like you need something girly and summery may I recommend you make your way to Happie Loves It where all the cute dresses have something that makes them shriek happy young girl about town, while still having tons of wearability. Tube: Holborn / Covent Garden NONE /items/show/670 http://bit.ly/ZkkIo Sometimes you want some sushi to take away, or some wasabi peas, or to make up a Japanese picnic. Well, look no further as the Japan Centre has it all, including a great selection of fresh sushi rolls all ready to take out with you. You can sit and eat at the restaurant next door, which is also good news, but when you want to grab some lunch to take to the park, this is the place. Tube: Piccadilly NONE /items/show/671 http://bit.ly/LKKw0 The Whitechapel Gallery Dining Room has just opened (after the gallery's refurbishment) and is garnering great reviews for chef Maria Elia's seasonal menu championing British and local produce. Looks great, I can't wait to try it. The gallery is one of London's wonders, by the way, so allow time to explore. Tube: Aldgate East (literally next door) NONE /items/show/672 http://bit.ly/FqvJg I could just say 'Ladies - shoes, belts, scarves and bags!' and leave it at that, but that might not alert you to the level of chic funky sophistication at work here. So, when you're in the Portobello area, detour to check out the Jackson sisters' wares. I've just looked at the new collection online and ooh my, pretty, pretty shoes. Tube: Ladbroke Grove / Westbourne Park NONE /items/show/673 http://www.hopeandgreenwood.co.uk I see that Hope and Greenwood, South London's premiere old-fashioned sweet shop, has now got a branch in Covent Garden so, when you feel the need for a Sherbet pip or some Fizz Wizz you know where to come. They call themselves Purveyors of Splendid Confectionary, which is absolutely right. Want to feel like a small child again? Come to Hope and Greenwood. Bassetts sticks are a must if you like hard, hard licorice, by the way. Tube: Covent Garden NONE /items/show/674 http://bit.ly/POojG Sometimes you just hear the cast and theme of a play and think...that'll be good. Ordinary Dreams is one of those. I like the sound of the play (four thirty-somethings' searches for happiness, a dark comedy) and I like the actors, particularly gorgeous Adrian Bower. Review are not yet out so get in before the rush. At the Trafalgar Studios, just off Trafalgar Square. Tube: Charing Cross NONE 2009-05-15 /items/show/675 http://bit.ly/iSjdW This is the inaugural exhibition of a new gallery in the West End and features the work of 10 emerging British painters, each enjoying growing recognition. Come and see what's new in London painting. Chock full of talent. Tube: Oxford Circus / Goodge Street NONE 2009-05-14 /items/show/676 http://bit.ly/16oCmb The original Monmouth coffee shop is, you guessed it, on Monmouth Street in Covent Garden, but I love this one in Borough, overlooking Borough Market best because it's open, airy, and great for a people watching session. The coffee is the best you'll ever find and the people who work here are passionate about the caffeine fix. And if you come thursday-saturday you can enjoy all the foodie delights of the market too. Tube : London Bridge NONE /items/show/677 http://www.tapasbrindisa.com/ Lovely tapas in a civilised, airy restaurant with a relaxed vibe, right next to the bustle of Borough Market. Last time I has lunch here we sat for hours, gradually nibbling our way through the fantastic menu and drinking great wines. Seriously foodie but not precious in any way. Tube: London Bridge NONE /items/show/678 http://bit.ly/1mo4Cp This outdool pool has a really good ambiance and is in a nice South London Park, not far from Brixton. A good place to chill on a hot day. Eat ice cream, swim and pose in what my friend Rod calls South London's Riviera . Eat your heart out, Cote d'Azur. Trains to Herne Hill go from Blackfriars NONE /items/show/679 http://bit.ly/11dtSN If you are in London with a child, bring them to the kiddie heaven that is Coram's Fields. This is a seven acre park in the centre of town that an adult can only enter if they are accompanied by a child, with loads of great play equipment, some animals, a nice cafe which does lunch and loads of green space. In the summer there's a big paddling pool too, and occasional events, though every time you come will be an event for your little one. Sir Thomas Coram really did the children of London a good turn when he left this as a bequest for their benefit, and you will love it too. Tube: Holborn NONE /items/show/680 http://bit.ly/zOA6x Mildred's is the big daddy of London veggie restaurants, having been in Soho since 1988. This is a place to bring meat eaters, since the menu is always filled with such big flavours put together so well that they'll be happy. For example, at the moment Mildred's menu offers sundried tomato, tarragon and kidney bean sausages served with celeriac mash, braised red cabbage and rosemary red wine gravy, which will keep anyone quiet, I reckon. Tube: Oxford Circus NONE /items/show/681 http://bit.ly/Natt0 The Peasant is the perfect template of what to do with an enormous old pub in London - turn it into a fantastic gastropub with a dining room upstairs. In the ground floor bar, which is huge, you can eat (all day) from a very superior menu of bar food (mussels, soups, burgers, pies all put together with panache), while upstairs is an a la carte restaurant. Together they earned The Peasant the award for Best Gastropub of 2008/09 which was, to be frank, long overdue. The Sunday brunch menu is perfect too. Tube: Angel / Farringdon NONE /items/show/682 http://bit.ly/18QvEU Beyond The Valley is a wonderfully eclectic shop tucked in behind Carnaby Street where you will find all manner of clever things made by new designers as well as super-dooper fashion, jewellery and homeware. They call themselves a creative community supporting new talent in fashion, art & design industries and the shop fully realises this noble ambition. Tube: Oxford Circus NONE /items/show/683 http://bit.ly/BT74I If you love fashion, you'll want to make the pilgrimage to Vivienne Westwood's shop on the King's Road, where the enormous clock on the shop's exterior spins backwards and the clothes (womens and mens) look forwards and backwards at the same time. Tube: Sloane Square, then a bus down the King's Road, or Gloucester Road and a healthy walk. NONE /items/show/684 http://bit.ly/1cPcA Greenwich Park is big, gorgeous and well worth a visit, plus there are lots of things nearby (the Royal Observatory, the National Maritime Museum) if you feel the need to be busy. But, if you want to have a picnic with spectacular views, or grab something from one of several cafes and walk in a beautiful Royal Park, take the DLR to Cutty Sark station and enjoy. NONE /items/show/685 http://bit.ly/3U3Pu As part of Blaze, the Barbican present this day of Cuban music in Gillett Square, in the achingly cool Dalston, East London. Yoruba Andabo Son del Tropico and Changui de Guantanamo are the biggest draws with DJs and stalls from midday. Get the Overground to Dalston Kingsland from Highbury & Islington or buses from Shoreditch. NONE 2009-06-27 /items/show/686 http://bit.ly/xFOGO I've just discovered Muntu Valdo and I like the sound of this Cameroonian singer songwriter (you can check him out here: http://www.myspace.com/muntuvaldo). The Vortex is a cool jazz venue in Dalston, Hackney, which is just about London's hippest area at the moment. Muntu Valdo's music is hypnotic and entrancing (I'm listening to it now). No tube but you can get the overground to Dalston Kingsland from Highbury & Islington, or buses from Liverpool Street or Shoreditch. NONE 2009-05-31 /items/show/687 http://www.greatstbarts.com This church dates from 1123 and is an architectural marvel and a beautiful place for a bit of calm in a hectic city. The services are high church anglican and the church is open to visitors during the day who want to explore. Tube: Barbican / Farringdon NONE /items/show/688 http://bit.ly/1nWSTp At the elegant TeaSmith you will feel new synapses forming as they tell you about, and make for you, all the many teas on offer here - green, white and brown. At the bar you can drink, you guessed it, many teas and nibble chocolates by the ace William Curley. And, of course, you can buy tea here, all beautifully packaged. A tea lovers treat. Tube: Liverpool Street NONE /items/show/689 http://bit.ly/TRmEi The French House is a Soho institution and retains its charm. Downstairs is a small and lively bar where you will find yourself getting into conversation with anyone and everyone, while upstairs is a fine dining restaurant which is the kind of place chefs go to eat on their day off. Pricey but worth it for the serious foodie. Tube: Piccadilly NONE /items/show/690 http://bit.ly/UsKOR Philip Glass in concert in the perfect Barbican Hall with three works with Wendy Sutter, then three etudes on the piano. Book early for this one as demand will be high I'm sure. Tube: Barbican NONE 2009-05-26 /items/show/691 http://bit.ly/sa5Nt I'm hearing good things about this group show at the Nettie Horn Gallery in London's art nexus: Vyner Street in the East End. Gwenaël Bélanger, Daniel Firman, Ori Gersht & Lori Hersberger are the artists exploring the notion of infinity, parallel worlds and perception through film, photography and sculpture. Tube: Bethnal Green NONE 2009-05-01 /items/show/692 http://bit.ly/STAXM When you're on Brick Lane, take time to check out Eastside Books, a really great bookshop. They seem to specialise in gorgeous editions (new) and have a high browseability rating (comfy chairs) plus, best of all, they love it if you love books. A real gem. Tube: Aldgate East / Liverpool Street NONE /items/show/693 http://bit.ly/3t8fAY Sh! is that rare bird, an erotic store run by and for women and it's a really friendly, welcoming place. Guys are welcome if in the company of a woman, by the way. Tube: Old Street NONE /items/show/694 http://bit.ly/Ecg07 If you love Pilates and need a fix while you're in London, Third Space's Pilates studio is a good place to get it. In the heart of Soho, Third Space is a health & fitness club with a private medical centre attached (open to all) and classy pilates classes. Tube: Piccadilly NONE /items/show/695 http://bit.ly/AJLnZ This is the Spa, oh yes. It wins all the plaudits and gets the highest praise from my girlfriends. Now, I realise that Bliss comes from the US, but it's soooo nice I just had to tell you anyway. Ah, and their eyelash tint is only available in London. Tube: Sloane Square / South Kensington NONE /items/show/696 http://bit.ly/T7upc Super quirky jewellery made from acrylic/wood/ strange bits and pieces in this totally original shop. Favourites are charm bracelets with plectra ( that's got to be the plural of plectrum, right?) and your name cut out in acrylic in über 70s style on a delicate chain. Fun. Tube: Old Street / Liverpool Street NONE /items/show/697 http://bit.ly/T6Cm7 This shop is the new kid on the block and looks very alluring, I must say. Tucked in a side street it offers vintage designer gear (fashion names like Yohji yamamoto and Comme des Garcons), a service where they will remake old leather pieces into new things and made to measure leather jackets, shoes and bags, plus handmade jewellery. Open fri - sun only. Tube: Bethnal Green NONE /items/show/698 http://bit.ly/4lrWq Bale de Rua arrive in London following their Edinburgh Festival success last year, with this Brazilian 'street ballet', high energy, dance and percussion performance set to Brazilian and African rhythms. Sounds invigorating. Tube: Barbican NONE 2009-05-21 /items/show/699 http://bit.ly/31Rv7o I absolutely must go and see Duet for One as it has two great actors in it (Juliet Stevenson & Henry Goodman), it's a proper play that makes you think, and an old friend of mine, now a shrink, credits his career path in part to seeing the original production when he was an impressionable whippersnapper. Take teenagers at your peril. Tube: Charing Cross NONE 2009-05-07 /items/show/700 http://bit.ly/oOeab Dame Emma Kirkby, undisputed queen of early music, here joins Florilegium to celebrate the anniverseries of Handel and Purcell in this lovely concert in the Royal College of Music, tucked in behind the Albert Hall. Tube: South Kensington NONE 2009-05-27 /items/show/701 http://bit.ly/JWzPh Raoul's is the place to go for brunch, and, well, foodie treats of all descriptions. It's truly great, fresh, delicious food with a daily changing menu. There is a fantastic Raoul's Deli here too. There's a second Raoul's restaurant in Notting Hill Gate but this is the original in the laid-back opulence of Maida Vale. Tube: Warwick Avenue NONE /items/show/702 http://bit.ly/tFZ4C Now, I know it's left field but if you're a gardener, come to the beautiful oasis that is Clifton Nurseries in Maida Vale, have a relaxed wander around and see how well it can be done. Gorgeous. Tube: Warwick Avenue NONE /items/show/703 http://bit.ly/32w4TC Chef Skye Gryngell's restaurant is one of the loveliest places in London to go for lunch, set as it is in a nursery - that's a plant nursery, not a horde of toddlers. It's very a la mode, so you'll need to book. There's also a tea house here for afternoon tea and cakes. You can reach the nurseries by strolling along the river from Richmond, which sounds like a thoroughly delightful way to spend part of a day. Tube: Richmond NONE /items/show/704 http://bit.ly/13jM0g If you like dancing and music, you might fancy a day out in Hyde Park where over four stages you can see the likes of Fischerspooner, The Streets, Dizzee Rascal (and an afternoon set by Paul Oakenfold) with Basement Jaxx headlining. Early July, so the weather should be great, but don't quote me on that. Tube: Marble Arch / Lancaster Gate / Hyde Park Corner (check which entrance when you buy your tickets) NONE 2009-07-04 /items/show/706 http://bit.ly/10KIuv Ok, I know it surprising, but I have it on good authority that Priscilla is a really great night out in the theatre. Don't get me wrong, I loved the film, but wondered what would be gained from staging the musical. Well, word is it's a triumph and totally fabulous, so what do I know?! In fact, my friend Caitlin raved about it so much that now I have to go and see it for myself. Tube: Leicester Square / Tottenham Court Road NONE /items/show/707 http://www.ticketweb.com Laurent Garnier, the beatmeister Techno Wizard, has a new album out, called "Tales of a Kleptomaniac" and to celebrate its launch this is a two-part event at the o2 arena. First off, a live performance of the album (described as "divine collage of acid house, Detroit techno, tribal, dubstep, DnB, acid jazz and dub reggae") then, for the second part a two room club night featuring Garnier and friends including Norman Jay and Francois K. Which goes on to 6am. Tickets for either part, or both. Tube: North Greenwich NONE 2009-05-19 /items/show/708 http://bit.ly/N1O3e The best place for a late night shwarma and fresh melon juice in town, plus you get to hang out with the West London smart middle eastern youth set. Great falafels too. Tube: Marble Arch NONE /items/show/709 http://bit.ly/UYa06 For great Fish and Chips you can do no better than coming to the Sea Shell, where they have been frying for decades. And since it's licensed, you can enjoy a crisp bottle of white with your battered haddock, which is far from traditional but to be encouraged. Tube: Marylebone NONE /items/show/710 http://bit.ly/txQaw Cute designer clothes for children (up to ten) in this lovely shop in Portobello. If you have kids with you they have a play area which makes shopping fun. Tube: Ladbroke Grove NONE /items/show/711 http://bit.ly/jNxIQ While you're in Greenwich, check out Compendia for its great selection of games and puzzles. A real old-fashioned, family run toy shop, where the staff are knowledgeable and the stock selection is comprehensive. This is one for the adults as well as the children as they have everything from Carrom to Mah Jong. What they don't have are games that require batteries or plugs, hurrah! Tube: Cutty Sark (DLR) NONE /items/show/712 http://bit.ly/fYCah I saw a very happy looking crocodile of cyclists in Hyde Park the other day and realised they were on a bicycle tour of the city. They seem to stick mostly to routes through parks, which means you won't have to run the gauntlet of much London traffic, and is a quirky way to see the sights. Tube: Queensway NONE /items/show/713 http://bit.ly/3iKwpX KiMantra is a unisex urban spa with a funky juice bar downstairs. Lots of treatments, different massages and spa packages available or an oil and salt bath on the roof, all with a fresh juice in the bar to round off your pampering. Tube: Angel NONE /items/show/714 http://bit.ly/NKeAe If you like the sound of Disco Bloodbath, Doves, Duran Duran, Fat Freddy's Drop, Florence & The Machine, Gary Numan, Groove Armada, Ladyhawke, New York Dolls, Noah & The Whale, Young Fathers and about a zillion others appearing on a massive bill, then get yourself a ticket to Lovebox - a two day festival in Victoria Park in East London. Tube: Bethnal Green NONE 2009-07-19 /items/show/715 http://bit.ly/FdpOL The locals have struck gold with this cafe looking over a lake with a fountain in one of London's loveliest parks. The food is great, all organic produce; the coffee is really good and the breakfasts are legendary. There are tables outside where you can sit and lose yourself in the tranquility of the park. Tube: Bethnal Green / Mile End NONE /items/show/716 http://bit.ly/uAwqL Victoria Park was the first London public park, and was voted best London park by Time Out in 2008. It's a great place to go for a run, since it has a track going right round which is at least two miles all the way round, plus a dedicated running track. It's home to the Victora Park Harriers, formed in 1926 who you can find here: http://www.vphthac.org.uk/ If you're not a runner but enjoy a good park then Vicky Park (as it is known) boasts a couple of good childrens' play areas, the oldest model boat club in the world, plus cricket nets and tennis courts. Tube: Bethnal Green / Mile End NONE /items/show/717 http://bit.ly/YkfW9 It's big, it's bold, it's a heart-wrending, life-affirming depiction of the horrors and bleakness of the World War One, told through the tale of a horse, Joey, and the boy who loves him. The most amazing thing about this production is the work of the Handspring Puppet Company who bring huge life-size bamboo puppets to life, to the point where the horses really are the stars of the show. Having played two sell-out seasons at the National Theatre, this production has now transferred to the West End. A cynic might say that it's sentimental and manipulative, but then so are Gone With The Wind and The Sound of Music, and we know how good they feel. Take a box of tissues. Tube: Covent Garden / Holborn NONE /items/show/719 http://bit.ly/3rbdH6 Blade Rubber is a cute shop near the British Museum which sells all manner of rubber stamps, that's right, thousands and thousands of them. They will make you a rubber stamp to order (think about it...could be a cool present for s/he who has everything) plus they sell all sorts of craft stuff. Tube: Holborn / Russell Square NONE /items/show/720 http://bit.ly/uJHOH Playlounge manages to keep cutsie cool, filled as it is with funky little toys and gadgetty bits, lots from Japan, plus, well, just really appealing silly stuff for grown-ups. Tube: Oxford Circus NONE /items/show/721 http://bit.ly/DQm2k Eco is a pizzeria in Clapham that has been serving thin sourdough pizzas and other italian staples in the area for years. It's a lively, friendly place and I love their pizzas, mmmm. They also have a small place in the covered market in Brixton (4 Market Row, SW4 8LD) which is only open during the day and is a must if you're visiting Brixton's market. Tube: Clapham Common NONE /items/show/722 http://bit.ly/6yuu2 Quatuor Mosaiques are an Austrian string quartet reknowned for their interpretations of Haydn and here over two concerts they play all his ground-breaking Opus 20 quartets, with a lunchtime concert of late quartets as an added bonus on saturday. NONE 2009-05-29 /items/show/723 http://bit.ly/CpRdk Truly original jewellery made on the premises, some with a touch of gothic, some super-delicate, in this Upper Street shop. Very cool bling for men as well as women, plus fantastic stone and silver gatherings of people around a tea-light fire. Tube: Highbury & Islington NONE /items/show/724 http://bit.ly/tH2eU If you love design, you'll love Twenty twentyone, a perfectly formed homeware and furniture shop in Islington. They also have a furniture showroom (in River Street) which is gorgeous, but here you will find smaller objects of functional beauty to please the aesthete in you. Tube: Highbury & Islington / Angel NONE /items/show/725 http://bit.ly/Puf03 For the classiest breakfast or the most delicious healthy lunch around you can't beat Ottolenghi. I think Yotam Ottolenghi is a true culinary original, bringing new taste sensations into the mouth with his fantastic salads. The piles of oversized merangues in the window will let you know that your sweet tooth won't get left out here either. There are branches in Kensington, Notting Hill and Belgravia too. Tube: Angel / Highbury & Islington NONE /items/show/726 http://bit.ly/1dlBGy This looks like a thoroughly Shoreditch night out. Scratch Perverts head a bill of DJs and live acts with Stalls, cake & jam, a rooftop BBQ, 'sports day frippery' and all sorts of fun from 7pm - 4am. Could be a bit Nathan Barley (very funny satirical tv comedy by the genius Chris Morris of Brass Eye fame) but none the worse for it, I reckon. Tube: Old Street NONE 2009-05-22 /items/show/727 http://bit.ly/16RpS7 Jamie Oliver is a one man culinary whirlwind and deserves nothing but praise for all his efforts to get the nation eating better and get chefs training better, whatever their background. And he really is a thoroughly nice bloke too. (No, he's not a friend, but I have met him once, since you ask) Not that you really need to know all that if you're just after a great fine dining experience which is what you'll get at Fifteen. Upstairs is the dining room while downstairs the trattoria does coffees and breakfasts as well as lovely mediterranean style grub. Tube: Old Street NONE /items/show/728 http://bit.ly/16YSmS The Regent's Canal runs through London and is a great place for a stroll, outside rush hours, when the cyclists are legion. You can pick it up by the Ladbroke Grove Sainsbury's and, turning right, walk through the urban landscape of under the Westway, before it gets all leafy and canal boaty at Maida Vale. Then you go though London Zoo, before arriving at Camden Lock. Or you could start at Camden, walk through the back of Kings Cross and get to Islington. From there you can carry on to Victoria park. There are tunnels at St John's Wood and Islington but you just follow (above ground) a route marked out on the pavement (just go straight as you can) for a few hundred yards and you rejoin the canal. Or hitch a lift on a boat through the tunnel. Lovely. Tube: Camden Lock / Ladbroke Grove / Angel NONE /items/show/729 http://bit.ly/4EZWfH Taking a boat down the Thames is a good way to see the city from a new angle. There are services running from Putney to the Thames Barrier but Embankment to Greenwich is a particularly good journey because there's nice stuff to do either end when you get there. You have a choice of carriers and even a catamaran. Just don't believe all the commentary. The last time I made this journey the guide was embellishing heavily, shall we say... Tube: Westminster NONE /items/show/730 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/lg6lebVnYAc/what-to-take-home-martin-grover-bus-stop-prints.html I'm loving the new prints and tiles by London-based artist Martin Grover : London iconography, pathos and an irreverent sense of humour rolled into one. Most excellent. They're available now from Rob Ryan's shop Ryantown on Columbia Road. NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/lg6lebVnYAc/what-to-take-home-martin-grover-bus-stop-prints.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/5uVSHhiFbcM/bird.html I went to the opening of Bev Alvarez's new shop on Columbia Road last Thursday, where she is currently exhibiting the work of UK artist Mark Rowney . I was beguiled by his ornate hand-carved leather work , particularly these wallets featuring hand-painted blue tits, goldfinches and woodpeckers emerging from nest boxes - from both the front and back. From £110, at 158 Columbia Road. NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/5uVSHhiFbcM/bird.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/WvlrqrCYJVo/somethin.html There is nothing more magical than stumbling across spring's holy grail: a carpet of bluebells in one of Britain's ancient woodlands. These are some of the pics I took last weekend on the glorious Ashridge Estate in the Chiltern Hills (just half an hour by rail from London to nearby station Trill). And I have bloggy mate Char in the City to thank for the tip-off. A fellow Antipodean living in London, Char posted some photos of another glorious bluebell dell when she was out walking in a wood near Christmas Common. When I realised that it was too difficult to access without a car, Char passed on an excellent link to the National Trust's top bluebell walks . That's how we found the Ashridge Estate walk - and immediately made plans - and a picnic lunch - for Sunday. With the bluebell season almost heading to an end this weekend may be your last chance to see them. Check out the lis t to find one closest to you. NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/WvlrqrCYJVo/somethin.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/R-na-XDsLFA/top-birds-conwy-top-10.html 1. The castle truly is the jewel in Conwy’s crown, commanding the same sense of grandeur and respect as it did back in King Edward’s reign during the 13th century. Climb the towers for an amazing view that offers something completely different from every angle: lush bucolic scenery and the old town wall to the south-east and the most breathtaking coastal scenery to the west. 2. Just a short walk from the castle, Plas Mawr (above) is said to be the finest surviving Elizabethan town house in Britain. Owner Rober Wynn clearly had a predilection for entertaining, showing off and mythological Greek ladies clutching their naked bosoms. His sizable ego is also reflected in the numerous appearances of RW, his initials, on the plasterwork and wood work. 3. Located across the road from Plas Mawr, the bottleshop on High Street stocks a range of well-priced wines as well as an extensive collection of European beer. I like the hand-written tags describing each wine’s attributes. 4. Around the corner from Plas Mawr on Castle Street, Aberconwy House is supposed to be the oldest surviving residential home in Wales, dating back to the 14th century. 5. If you’re in Conwy during Spring, take a walk along the public footpath (in reality, the meadow behind the castle car park) and take in the lambs-a-leapin’ (this curious little fellow was quite happy to pose for us). 6. Next door to Aberconwy House on Castle Street, Penny Farthing Sweet Shop is stacked with old-fashioned sweeties and a rather splendid window display. 7. And the bakery next door to Penny Farthing Sweet Shop has the best Welsh cakes and disgustingly-good cream buns. Oh boy. 8. Stroll down to the quay for a look at Britain’s smallest house (complete with tourist-pleasing lady in traditional Welsh costume). Not sure if it was worth the £2 entry fee, but interesting nonetheless. 9. Its close proximity to some other lovely places in North Wales, including Bangor (yes, we did have “a loverly time”, and I highly recommend ordering the famous scones at the end of the pier), Snowdonia national park, miles of sandy beaches , and lots more castles (specifically Caenarfon and Beaumaris castles). It’s also a short drive to Anglesey , where you can stop by the train station at Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch , one of the longest place names in the world (it translates to "St Mary's church in the hollow of the white hazel near to the rapid whirlpool and the church of St Tysilio of the red cave"). 10. Quay Hotel , natch. (If you’re interested in visiting between April and June 2009, they’ve got rooms from £52.50 per person per night. Contact the hotel for further details on 01492 564 100 or info@quayhotel.com .) NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/R-na-XDsLFA/top-birds-conwy-top-10.html http://directoryoflondon.net/blog/?p=930 Swishing in London Swishing is a relatively new phenomenon and it is gradually gaining a loyal following in London. A subterranean rumbling for many years, it has recently taken centre stage. What is swishing you may ask. Well it’s a thrifty pastime that’s also very chic… it’s just clothes swapping! Swishing events have been organised all across London and many are low-key private affairs with girls inviting their network of extended friends along to their house NONE http://directoryoflondon.net/blog/?p=930 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=1909 23rd 24th May 2009The MCM Expo at London's ExCel Centre is the UK's No.1 consumer show for movies, comics, anime and manga. So if that means anything to you, then great. Get yourself a ticket. But if, like me, you thought that manga was a fruit that you got in a Solero ice lolly, then you'd probably best find something else to do. NONE 2009-05-23 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=1909 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=2523 31st May 2009Get down to Regent Street for a traffic-free street festival. "A Taste of Spain" promises a Spanish-themed fiesta including dancing horses from Menorca, a Fashion Show from Andalucia and a Spanish market selling local produce. Flamenco dancers and traditional Spanish bag pipers will also be performing on the main stage. NONE 2009-03-01 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=2523 http://london.eventguide.com/events/e100205.htm Live jazz-blues and mellow lounge tunes every Sunday night NONE 2009-05-17 http://london.eventguide.com/events/e100205.htm http://london.eventguide.com/events/e101516.htm Can a camp man (and his lover) pretend not to be gay just to meet his son's prospective p... NONE 2009-05-17 http://london.eventguide.com/events/e101516.htm http://london.eventguide.com/events/e101455.htm All the top vintage dealers from across the country are here under one roof to sell an un... NONE 2009-05-17 http://london.eventguide.com/events/e101455.htm http://london.eventguide.com/events/e101556.htm Teams will be given words or phrases from different parts of a pre-written and well known... NONE 2009-05-16 http://london.eventguide.com/events/e101556.htm http://london.eventguide.com/events/e101436.htm Saqarah is a monthly belly dance showcase created to give an opportunity for dancers and ... NONE 2009-05-16 http://london.eventguide.com/events/e101436.htm http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2679082/ FENNESZ Fennesz uses guitar and computer to create shimmering, swirling electronic sound of enormous range and complex musicality. "Imagine the electric guitar severed from cliché and all of its physical limitations, shaping a bold new musical language." - (City Newspaper, USA). His lush and luminant compositions are anything but sterile computer experiments. They resemble sensitive, telescopic recordings of rainforest insect life or natural atmospheric occurrences, an inherent naturalism permeating each piece. Christian Fennesz is published by Touch Music. He lives ... NONE 2009-11-03 http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2679082/ http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/2007/matthewwilliamson Matthew Williamson is a unique success story within the British fashion industry. Ten years after setting out on his own as a fashion graduate in 1997, he now has a store in the heart of Mayfair, his collections are worn by celebrity clients including Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow and Sienna Miller, and he is Creative Director at Pucci. This overview will present his most iconic designs and will deconstruct the process behind his work, illuminating his distinctive use of pattern, print ... NONE http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/2007/matthewwilliamson http://www.timeout.com/london/restaurants/features/20/Cheap_Eats.html Every Londoner loves a bargain, especially one that tastes good. Here's our pick of the best value restaurants and cafés in the capital NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/restaurants/features/20/Cheap_Eats.html http://bit.ly/3MOvgq My friend Katie alerted me to the fact that there's a boat service between Tate Britain (great collection of Constables among other treasures and exhibitions) in Pimlico and Tate Modern in Bankside (Iconic building and stunning collection of modern art plus exhibitions, and a great shop). It runs every 40 minutes, both directions, 7 days a week during museum opening hours, is very good value and doesn't have the touristy commentary you get on some other Thames services. Oh, and it's a catamaran, so pretty speedy. What a civilised way to travel. Tube: Pimlico for Tate Britain or St Paul's / London Bridge / Mansion House for Tate Modern NONE /items/show/782 http://bit.ly/T1Mnv Well, you learn something new every day. Turns out there's a boat service between Westminster Pier and Kew, Richmond and Hampton Court, which I reckon will be the prettiest of them all and the most relaxing, as it involves going through locks as well as a beautiful stretch of the river. Plus tides mean that the trip can take from an hour and a half to a whole afternoon. You could get off at Kew for the Gardens, or carry on to Hampton Court, or Richmond. I may have to take this one, for a lazy time on the river, myself. Tube: Westminster NONE /items/show/783 http://bit.ly/aCbVE For the confident urban cyclist there's OYbike, whereby you pay a fee on your credit card and then pick up a bike at one of many, many locations (often at tube stops or public buildings) and then cycle around, dropping it off at another location later. The first half hour is free, each trip, and then the charges are really reasonable. Pick up the free cycle maps at good cycling shops, something dayglo to wear and away you go, though please assume that every driver wants to kill you, just to be on the safe side. Tube: Many including Hammersmith, Fulham Broadway and Bethnal Green NONE /items/show/784 http://bit.ly/QP1ox Emma Hope has shops elsewhere in London but this Amwell Street shop was her first; is in the nicest place; and, most interestingly, often has sale stock at big discounts which is very good news indeed. My Emma Hope black suede court shoes are my staple wedding wear: comfortable, elegant and impossible to fall over in no matter how much champagne you've consumed. Tube: Angel NONE /items/show/785 http://bit.ly/4sLYVU If fashion is your bag you will want to drop in on Dover Street Market where there are all sorts of offerings from everyone from the big boys (Comme des Garcons, Christopher Kane) to the new and small labels. You'll like it. Tube: Green Park NONE /items/show/786 http://bit.ly/AXFSR Masala Zone is a great place to go for an indian meal if you find yourself in Soho needing a taste sensation. (They also have branches in Islington, Camden and Covent Garden, by the way) It's relaxed, easy place with a nice aesthetic and good thalis. Think canteen style rather than flock wallpaper. Tube: Oxford Circus NONE /items/show/787 http://www.lecomptoir.co.uk/ Comptoir Libanais serves great Lebanese food, is easy on the pocket and the place for everything from breakfast to dinner, with lots of treats in between. They don't serve alcohol here, but instead offer lots of fresh juices. If you haven't tried Lebanese foor yet, you must as it is incredibly delicious. Baba Ganoush is a must. Tube: Bond Street NONE /items/show/788 http://bit.ly/Q53fr THURSDAY EVENINGS: Gaz's Rockin Blues is a London institution, in fact it's the longest running one-nighter club, started in 1980. The secret of it's success? The overwhelming enthusiasm of Gaz, son of Blues legend John Mayall, for beats of the ska/two-tone/funk variety (and beyond). His eclectic musical taste and the friendly regular crowd keep this popular night on the London radar. If you get to the Notting Hill Carnival (as you must if you're in London in August) look out for his sound system there too. Tube: Tottenham Court Road / Oxford Circus/ Piccadilly NONE /items/show/789 http://bit.ly/f0Kxw A Little Night Music is one of Sondheim's most accessible and seductive musicals, all taking place over a country house weekend. This production, by Trevor Nunn, who directed Les Miserables, has tranferred into the Garrick from the Menier Chocolate Factory and is a must-see if you like musicals with brains. Tube: Leicester Square NONE /items/show/790 http://bit.ly/f7LD3 Sometimes Shoreditch can get a bit overwhelmingly urban but remember, just a short stroll up the Kingsland Road is the charming Geffrye Museum which has a lovely set of gardens for you to chill out in. The front gardens are lawns to picnic on, while the elizabethan style herb garden and the gardens at the back (17th to 20th century gardens) are great for an educational stroll. Tube: Old Street NONE /items/show/791 http://bit.ly/5ggzz This is a wonderful kids' clothes and lifestyle shop in the lovely Stoke Newington Church Street. Lots of Scandinavian designers / labels mean that you will find the funkiest togs for your well dressed littl'uns here. A truly original shop with a cool aesthetic at work. No tube but you can get the 73 bus here from Oxford Street. Go on, have an adventure, there's plenty to amuse you when you get there. NONE /items/show/792 http://bit.ly/YMzV4 Cool Vegan Shoes and accessories for him and her at this Richmond shop. Vegetarians cross London to come here and buy these great shoes and bags made from fantastic faux leather and suede. Their motto is 'fashion with compassion', which is appealing, and with shoes this good, why ever not? Tube: Richmond NONE /items/show/793 http://bit.ly/tomeO St James' Park has the dual distinctions of being the venue for my first date and, more pertinently for you, a really lovely park in the centre of town, where you can hear the birds sing, watch the pelicans, and sit by the lake. All very tranquil and a stones throw from Trafalgar Square. Tube: St James' Park / Charing Cross NONE /items/show/794 http://bit.ly/BYpbM Les Trois Garcons is a fabulously decadent fine dining experience in Shoreditch. The trois garcons themselves describe the interior as baroque courtesan’s parlour meets Parisian antique market, which gives you a flavour of the camp opulence you'll find here. You will eat wonderful French inspired food, drink fine wines, and have a thoroughly lush time. You'll need to book, though. Tube: Liverpool Street/Old Street NONE /items/show/795 http://bit.ly/92n9Q St John's Bread & Wine is the canteen style offshoot of St John's restaurant. Here you can eat right through the day, from 9am, and, boy, do you eat well. As always with Fergus Henderson (motto: nose to tail eating) there are some rarely served but delicious bits of the animal on offer (Ox Heart & Aioli today for example) plus more standard fare, and the menu changes daily. A great place for a leisurely meal, or great bread & wine, anytime. Tube: Liverpool Street NONE 2009-05-24 /items/show/796 http://bit.ly/PveHQ Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet performed with loads of invention and fun by a cast of five and lots of silly hats in an outdoor amphitheatre on the South Bank between London Bridge and Tower Bridge as 6pm. And it's free. Sounds like fun for all. Tube: London bridge NONE 2009-05-26 /items/show/797 http://bit.ly/dpY7H Three club promoters are uniting to give you a new night of tech house, techno and electro courtesy of such luminaries as A Guy Called Gerald, Billy Nasty, and Luke Slater. So, if you like your dance music dark and minimal this will be one for you. It's in a brand new venue, too. Tube: London Bridge NONE 2009-05-29 /items/show/798 http://bit.ly/pDyiT If you like your classic labels, and like 'em discounted then you may be interested in the Burberry sale shop in Hackney where you get womens, mens and kidswear all heavily discounted. It's essentially a warehouse so no changing rooms but a great place if you need some of that Burberry check in your wardrobe. Tube: no tube but get the overground to Hackney Central and walk or tube to Bethnal Green then a bus up to Hackney Town Hall. NONE /items/show/799 http://bit.ly/H2mdP Two talented young jewellery designers combine forces & open a pop-up shop for a week at Craft Central in Clerkenwell. Karen Morrison and Lualua both design fun sparkles with a contemporary feel. Craft Central is an interesting non profit association dedicated to all things handmade and always worth a visit on it's own merits. Tube: Farringdon NONE 2009-05-25 /items/show/800 http://bit.ly/8cr9y Each weekend from now until July the Truman's Brewery will be hosting a free series of exhibitions showing the work of the cream of the UK Art & Design graduates. Definitely one to drop in on during any weekend visits to the East End, the shows will encompass design, photography, arts and architecture. Tube: Liverpool Street / Bethnal Green / Aldgate East NONE 2009-05-29 /items/show/801 http://www.hoxtonboutique.co.uk/ Fashionistas listen up! You (female fashion lovers this time) will want to check out the Hoxton Boutique for their own label stuff (+Hobo+), their designer pieces by Marimekko, Dr Denim et al, and their funky jewellery. Say thank you, Caroline. Tube: Old Street NONE 2009-05-24 /items/show/802 http://bit.ly/tgkld Newest Spa on the block is the Lush Spa. Yes, that funky bath bomb, fresh and natural face creams, nose-itching-in-the-shop (...oh, is that only me?) phenomenon that is Lush. Word is that the one and a half hour "Synaesthesia" multi-sensory massage is a really good experience with a twist on usual spa treatments being the synaesthesia (senses combining) angle. Try it out here first. Tube: South Kensington / Sloane Square NONE /items/show/803 http://bit.ly/TM0xY Ever fancied learning to Fly Fish? It's a tricky and beautiful business and, would you believe it, in the grounds of Syon House, across the river Thames from Kew Gardens there is good trout fishing to be had, plus an instructor, Robin Elwes who will instruct you in the dark arts of making your fly and casting it. Tube: Osterley then a cab (cab company at tube station) or BR to Brentford NONE /items/show/804 http://bit.ly/CCjUo Final Fantasy is the band name of Owen Pallett (check him out here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owen_Pallett). He's a multi-talented singer/songwriter/arranger who's worked with Arcade Fire & Beirut, among others. His sweet multi-layered tunes should sound fantastic in the accoustic of the wonderful Union Chapel. Special Guests are promised as well. Tube: Highbury & Islington NONE 2009-05-28 /items/show/805 http://bit.ly/22vg2 This is the weekend when you can go and visit all those gorgeous London garden squares that are normally not open to the public. I recommend Ladbroke Square gardens in Notting Hill as a personal favourite but there are squillions on the list to choose from and you can stroll, or bike, around from one to the next as you will. Tube: all over London so take your pick NONE 2009-06-13 /items/show/806 http://bit.ly/OrZm3 This is the original Rasa (you'll find a few others dotted around) and is a fantasic place to try Keralan & South Indian vegetarian food, which is absolutely delicious. Try the Dosa and arrive hungry as you'll want to try lots of small, side dishes as well. I have to stop now, this is making me hungry. Tube: no tube, but get the 73 bus from Oxford Street NONE /items/show/807 http://bit.ly/Npljs Fish & Chips in central London? The Rock & Sole Plaice in Covent Garden never disappoints. Haddock & chips please, for me. You can even sit down and have a bottle of wine, which makes for a nice start to your evening in town. Tube: Covent Garden / Holborn NONE /items/show/808 http://bit.ly/18KhEQ The Bush Theatre is the premiere small new writing theatre above a pub in London. It's a great space with a progressive team in charge and I have a feeling this one will be a winner. Paola Dionisetti and Philip Voss lead a really strong cast in this new play by award-winning playwright Alexi Kaye Campbell. Book early. Tube: Shepherd's Bush Shepherd's Bush Green NONE 2009-06-17 /items/show/809 http://tr.im/mlzR The Ukelele Orchestra of Great Britain (they are great and, no, they don't take themselves too seriously) present an eclectic evening of film, music and comedy as part of the British Silent Film Festival. They are providing original scores and music for the film material, taken from the BFI National Archive's collection. This will be a good evening for all and a must for fans silent films, and for uke fans too. Tube: Waterloo / Embankment NONE 2009-06-06 /items/show/810 http://bit.ly/WRvdL Sit in a pub, drinking a pint of cider , listening to a fabulous big band? Yes, please. Once a month Hot Orange play a gig at the White Hart pub, an east end boozer. The music is top notch, sometimes staying withing the traditional big band repertoire and often throwing in a few wild left field covers. Get there before 7pm and it's free, after it's a bargain three pounds. Tube: Whitechapel / Bethnal Green NONE 2009-06-21 /items/show/811 http://bit.ly/2hVOve Well, would you believe it, you can go kayaking canoeing and even sailing on the Thames so if you're boaty and need a fix, or if you've always wanted to learn, then the Westminster Boating Base is for you. Tube: Pimlico NONE /items/show/812 http://bit.ly/3phKzC In Neasden, north-east London, there is a breathtakingly spectacular Hindu temple which you can just turn up and visit, and even eat at, and it's a wonderful introduction to one of the world's great religions. A remarkable place to spend a few hours. Tube: Neasden/ Stonebridge Park NONE /items/show/813 http://bit.ly/3XfYtz Les Couilles du Chien (meaning: the Mutts Nuts, aka the Dog's Boll**ks aka the best) is a great place to browse some lovely old furniture and eclectic homeware on the Golborne Road. Eccentric beauty and mad bits and pieces. Tube: Ladbroke Grove NONE /items/show/814 http://bit.ly/17UUQP This play sounds fantastic. That's not just because it's called Foreplay. It's an adaptation of Schnitzler's 'La Ronde' brought to Stratford East by The South African State Theatre on their world tour. Their last play 'Township Stories' was a great success, and this has many of the same team and cast involved. It's at the Theatre Royal Stratford East, one of London's most vibrant, friendly, and gorgeous, theatres. Make sure you arrive early enough to eat Caribbean food (it's cooked to order so leave enough time) from the bar. Tube: Stratford NONE 2009-05-22 /items/show/815 http://bit.ly/2BERSi One of the loveliest things to do on a summer's night is see an opera performed on a stage in Holland Park. The season has been going for years, and attracts good directors, singers and production values. Gaetano Donizetti's 'Roberto Devereux' looks good. Sung in Italian with english surtitles. Bring, or pre-order, a pre-show picnic. Tube: Kensington High Street NONE 2009-06-02 /items/show/816 http://bit.ly/HHhuJ If you want to do something royal while you're in London, let me direct you towards Kew Palace, a georgian mansion on the banks of the Thames at Kew, built in 1631 and later the favourite family home of George III (yes, him, the one who went mad). A beautiful building, it will give you an insight into the past, and the royals, without too much pomp. And you could combine this with a boat trip, a visit to Kew Gardens and/or tea in the Maids of Honour for a tip-top day out. Tube: Kew Gardens NONE /items/show/817 http://bit.ly/H9Q9N There is a magic in Italian lighting and furniture design and the Venetian chandeliers at Vincenzo Caffarela have it in spades. They have lots of italian twentieth century furniture, ceramics, art and all sorts here, but the chandeliers are my personal favouurite. Tube: Marylebone / Edgware Road NONE /items/show/818 http://bit.ly/18kUJ4 A buzzy gastropub that serves really great food, the Havelock is worth seeking out. Be warned, it's no bookings and no cards here, but get armed with cash and an empty tum and get on down to see the West London crowd at play. Tube: Hammersmith / Olympia / Shepherds Bush NONE /items/show/820 http://bit.ly/44T3D ,Just off the Shoreditch beaten track is the welcoming pub the William IV, where you get lovely food in a charming, calm pub, with a touch of eccentricity in the decor and proper ales with names like 'Black Sheep' and 'London Pride'. I had a great lunch in there the other day, so I can heartily recommend it. Tube: Old Street NONE /items/show/821 http://bit.ly/vNfB If you want to perfect that golf swing, come to the unlikely-sounding venue of a Knightsbridge basement where Steve Gould and Dave Wilkinson will tweak your technique. They teach everyone from beginners to PGA and Ryder Cup pros so whatever your level, you'll learn something. Tube: Knightsbridge NONE /items/show/822 http://bit.ly/1IZ5vm The London Wetland Centre has serious worth in terms of wildlife and is a great place to visit if you like birdlife and calm. There's a restaurant so you won't go hungry (always a factor for me!), lots of birds to look at and learn about plus butterflies and a rather tranquil place so near the centre of town. They are building a bat house too. Tube to Hammersmith then either a 10 min ride on the 283 "Duck Bus" which takes you right there or bus 33 / 72 / 209 (get off at the Red Lion stop, approximately 150 metres walk from the wetland centre). NONE /items/show/823 http://bit.ly/49CGBE For luxurious and sexy undies that don't seem to be making too much effort, it just comes naturally, go to Agent Provocateur in Soho. It's a veritable boudoir of opulence that seduces you into buying all sorts of undergarments of delight. Guys, if your gal is home and you're looking to take something back to her then this would not be a terrible place to start. Tube: Oxford Circus / Tottenham Court Road / Piccadilly NONE /items/show/824 http://bit.ly/16TA8L For a boudoir experience that is both seductive and wholesome, with some of the frilliest knickers around, there is Divette, which is a tiny emporium of femininity in Portobello. Divette's motto is 'for everyday divas': this is a good place to bring the diva back into your every day. In a good way. Tube: Ladbroke Road NONE /items/show/825 http://bit.ly/22P2gS The Troubadour is a fabulous 1950's coffee house with a restaurant menu, a boutique music venue downstairs and a deli next door. It's been here for ever, retains it's appeal and is a great place for anything from a coffee to fish and chips to a proper grown-up meal. You'll want to stay and people watch for a while, and, if you're staying nearby, this will become a regular haunt during your stay, I guarantee. Tube: Earl's Court NONE /items/show/826 http://bit.ly/QhsY9 The Proms is a wonderful thing, a classical music festival, mainly taking place in the Royal Albert Hall, with standing tickets available on the day itself. Queueing for the tickets is an event in itself and the atmosphere at these concerts is fantastic. And with 76 concerts plus another 19 chamber concerts at the Cadogan Hall to choose from, you'll find something to please you. Tune: South Kensington NONE 2009-07-17 /items/show/827 http://bit.ly/por8 Gillian Anderson heads a strong cast in this new adaptation of Ibsen's Doll's House, and reviews are very good. The Donmar Warehouse, in Covent Garden is a gorgeous space, very popular, and you'll need to book in advance. Tube: Covent Garden NONE 2009-05-14 /items/show/828 http://bit.ly/Q5sOl The Almeida is a fantastic theatre in Islington, producing first class work, and it looks like they've got another winner on their hands with Australian writer Andrew Bovell's play described by an eminent critic as a "beautiful subtle play" which weaves an "irresistible spell" while another compliments "some of the finest acting on the London stage". It's got a nice bar, too, so leave time for a pre-show drink. Tube: Highbury & Islington / Angel NONE 2009-05-14 /items/show/829 http://bit.ly/mvfrM If you see a couple of funky japanese fashionistas flicking through the mostly black garments on the rails of a cool-looking shop you've heard about as a fashion destination, you're going to go in to check it out, yes? You're nodding? You must go to 127 Brick Lane post haste, for the sake of your wardrobe happiness. Tube: Liverpool Street / Old Street / Bethnal Green / Aldgate East NONE /items/show/830 http://bit.ly/Un9pG Tucked behind the Gate Cinema, right by Notting Hill Gate, is a lovely Indian restaurant, The Malabar, which has been a winner for years and is consistently delicious. I see they do a Sunday buffet lunch, complete with the Sunday papers, which sounds like an elegant twist on a traditional theme to me. Tube: Notting Hill Gate NONE /items/show/831 http://bit.ly/x7yhS Chef Oliver Rowe, who has an impeccable pedigree, opened this restaurant in 2006 and it has been going great guns ever since. Over 85% of the produce is grown or reared within the reaches of the tube network, but you would never know it from the range of seasonal dishes produced from this award-winning kitchen. Tube: Kings Cross NONE /items/show/832 http://www.jinkichi.com/ Jin Kichi is a good Japanese restaurant in Hampstead. I have a friend who rates it as her favourite Japanese restaurant in London, which is saying something. It's small, but perfectly formed, as they say. Tube: Hampstead NONE /items/show/833 http://bit.ly/ZFsQg As part of Ornette Coleman's Meltdown, a superb series of concerts on the South Bank, comes this chance to see Yoko Ono's conceptual supergroup where she appears with Sean Lennon, Chimera Music artists Charlotte Muhl, Yuko Araki, Shimmy Shimizu, Yuka Honda, Shahzad Ismailly, Antony and Cornelius. Expect the unexpected, I would imagine, if it's in the vein of all Yoko's other work. Tube: Waterloo / Embankment NONE 2009-06-14 /items/show/834 http://bit.ly/mnPnz This is a free gig in the Clore Ballroom on the South Bank presented as part of Ornette Coleman's Meltdown. Accoustic Ladyland are really good, jazzy beaty slightly funky stuff that you will like. Well, I do, so I will be at this 5.30pm gig. By the way, the Clore Ballroom is the UK's biggest ballroom. I have just learned that, and felt the need to share. Tube: Embankment / Waterloo NONE 2009-06-14 /items/show/835 http://bit.ly/3UpLPA Baaba Maal is a Senegalese musical genius and I shall be booking for this, a rare chance to see him play live. It's part of Ornette Coleman's Maltdown on the South Bank and should be a great evening. Check out Baaba Maal, if you don't know him already, for some feelgood West African rhythms. Tube: Waterloo / Embankment NONE 2009-06-15 /items/show/836 http://bit.ly/12zQ26 If you find yourself in striking distance of Queen's Park, it's a very nice place to hang out, with a good Pitch & Putt, tennis courts, a children's play area and a cafe. It's also, I'm told, a good place to go for a jog. Tube: Queen's Park NONE /items/show/837 http://bit.ly/2djGZL There's a new gallery at the V & A (Victoria & Albert Museum) which I think might be a good place to take time out of your busy London day. It's a Buddhist sculpture gallery, showing depictions of the Buddha in the major sculptural traditions of Asia. India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Java, China and Japan all feature. So, whether you're a Buddhist or seeking peace and enlightenment another way, this might be a good place to come for a bit of contemplation of the art of one of the world's major religions. Tube: South Kensington NONE /items/show/838 http://bit.ly/10N7au I have just found out about another stunning-looking gallery at the Victoria & Albert Museum dedicated to Islamic Art in the Islamic Middle East from 750 to 1900. Come and marvel at the intricacy of the art from this major world religion and learn a bit about it's illustrious history at the same time. Tube: South Kensington NONE /items/show/839 http://bit.ly/GxJUf The Silver Vaults are a warren of strong rooms under Chancery Lane, housing dealers in antique silver. That means that here you will find all kinds of old silver things from spoons for your god children, to furniture. It's a fascinating place to go and meet an eccentric bunch of subterranean lovers of old silver and see some beautiful things to buy. Tube: Chancery Lane NONE /items/show/840 http://bit.ly/fSDJV If you find yourself needing a pair of glasses, or fancying a change, and you like fashion, this is the place for you. Cool dressing for those long/short-sighted eyes in a chic, sleek Marylebone eye emporium. Tube: Baker Street NONE /items/show/841 http://bit.ly/U60VT I had some friends who used to live above La Piragua, which is how I found out that behind the unprepossessing facade is a really nice, friendly, family-run South American restaurant with steaks that you dream about a few days after you've had them, until you go back for another. Have a Caipirihna for me, would you? Tube: Highbury & Islington / Angel NONE /items/show/842 http://bit.ly/310QmC The Bi Won is a small Korean restarant near the British Museum where I have enjoyed a delicious Korean taste sensation or two. Light and airy. Tube: Tottenham Court Road NONE /items/show/843 http://bit.ly/2gVrZF I went here for Sunday lunch today and what a glorious laid-back affair it was too. This pub is really big, and the garden has grass to sit on as well as tables. They have an outdoor grill menu (friday evening - sunday) as well as the traditional Sunday roasts and there's a really good relaxed atmosphere. And with London Fields now so "in" it's falling out, the less self-conscious, more diverse Vicky Park crowd was a welcome change. The Britannia Bloody Mary is divine and the (ex Marco Pierre-White) chef keeps standards up high, during the week as well as weekends. Tube: Homerton on the overground / Bethnal Green (+ walk) / Mile End (+ walk) NONE /items/show/844 http://bit.ly/DaSDC Melrose & Morgan is the deli you wish was just round the corner from your house, rather than in Primrose Hill. It's stocked with gorgeous foodie delights, all carefully sourced, mostly from small artisan producers, for you to cook up at home. But the best of it is that they cook here too, and you can either take it away for later consumption, or take it into the coffee shop to eat here. They have breakfast, lunch and dinner menus every day. I could live here. Tube: Chalk Farm / Camden Town NONE /items/show/845 http://bit.ly/vpB9l Eat & Two Veg gets raves all round for their modern Vegetarian cooking. There's faux meat here, with a sense of humour, so you get 'Crispy Aromatic Luck' with Soya protein, plus veggie burgers. There are also lots of lovely crumbles and bakes on the menu, and my friend Jo never goes without the Thai Sate. It's a buzzy place with a 50s diner feel. Tube: Baker Street NONE /items/show/846 http://www.rasarestaurants.com/UserPages/Viewrestaurantdetails.aspx?restid=37 For a spicy take-away bite at lunchtime go to Rasa Express (there are two, the other is on Rathbone Street, W1T 1NQ) where you will be assured of tasty food at good prices. The people who work round here must thank their lucky stars for such lunchtime fare. Tube: Warren Street / Great Portland Street NONE /items/show/847 http://bit.ly/12RbGH Crazy Bear is a fine dining Thai Restaurant, with a funky, fun, cocktail bar where you can order small dim sum plates of delight, plus satay, tempura and soft shelled crab to go with your swanky drinks. Tube: Goodge Street / Tottenham Court Road NONE /items/show/848 http://bit.ly/pC8xK The Tallis Scholars are a wonderful group of mixed gender singers who sing the early music repertoire sans vibrato and with a delicate sensitivity. Here you'll be able to bask in haunting early renaissance sounds in this (mostly) Taverner concert in the Nicholas Hawksmoor designed Christ Church Spitalfields. Tube: Liverpool Street / Aldgate East NONE 2009-06-16 /items/show/849 http://www.roofgardens.virgin.com/en/the_roof_gardens/the_gardens Once upon a time there was a shop that was a 1960s happening called Biba, which took over a Kensington department store called Derry & Toms, which itself had planted a wonderful roof garden. In Biba days there were enormous papier mache flowers up here which lasted through several of the roof garden's subsequent incarnations. Now it's owned by Richard Branson and we can visit the roof gardens, with their mature trees, flamingoes and wonderful surreal calm. Just phone a few days before you want to visit and, providing there are no functions on, you're in. (Entrance on Derry Street) Tube: Kensington High Street NONE /items/show/850 http://bit.ly/pC8xK As part of the Spitalfield Music Festival this is an afternoon of music, poetry and sing-a-long aboard a (stationery) old-fashioned Routemaster double decker. So if you're bemoaning the fact that the Routemasters have gone (don't worry, Londoners do it all the time) get a fix with some fun culture thrown in here. The bus is here from 11th to 15th June with an exhibition about Bishopsgate (the area) and a living archive inside. Tube: NONE 2009-06-14 /items/show/851 http://bit.ly/pC8xK Every day for eleven days from 12.30 to 1.30 there will be a different musical interlude provided by the Spitalfield Music Festival in or around the old market in Spitalfields. It's meant for the wage-slaves in the City, but you can enjoy it for free too. Could be classical, could be a band, could be a choir, or an orchestra, it's musical pot luck! Tube: Liverpool Street NONE 2009-06-08 /items/show/852 http://www.karmakabs.com/ If you need to arrive somewhere in style and you're way too cool for a limo, dahling, get in touch with Karma Kabs, a fleet of Ambassadors kitted out in lush Delhi-style opulence. You can get a Karma Tour of London, I see from their website, and it would be a fun way to see the sights, I reckon. So contact the Karmanauts and remember, the journey is more important than the arrival. Tube: by arrangement NONE /items/show/853 http://bit.ly/2PjqvZ This new play, about an election observer overseeing a West African election, sounds compelling and I'm booking. Lovely cast and great reviews. In repertory so not on every night, so check dates on the website. Tube: Waterloo / Embankment (+ walk over the footbridge) NONE 2009-06-03 /items/show/854 http://tr.im/n27d There are three Baker & Spice cafes, in Belgravia, Maida Vale and here. Think heavenly breakfasts, afternoon teas and many snacks and bites in between. The smartest yummy mummies come here for tea. Pastries piled high, in a smart, blasted brick, modern decor. Baker and Spice is nice. Tube: Sloane Square / Knightsbridge NONE /items/show/855 http://bit.ly/PqJS2 The Ragged School Museum is an eccentric curiosity. Housed in what was once the largest Ragged (free) School set up by Thomas Barnardo in 1876, it's staffed by volunteers, is free to enter and gives you a sense of what life would have been like for Victorian school children plus an insight into the broader social history of the fascinating East End. On the first Sunday of the month they open for Victorian lessons in the afternoon, in the schoolroom. Booking advised. Otherwise the museum's opening hours are wed/thurs 10 - 5. Tube: Mile End / Limehouse (DLR) The Museum is on the canal and the nicest way to get to it is to approach it along the towpath. NONE /items/show/856 http://bit.ly/v2Xw1 Word is that this is London's best spa at the moment. Ayurvedic treatments look fantastic. In fact it all sounds great. So, if money is no object and what you're after is pampered bliss, then it sounds like you should come here immediately. I am going to drop a few birthday hints, myself. You'll need to book. Tube: Knightsbridge NONE /items/show/857 http://bit.ly/2qQTMe Mudchute Farm now has a kitchen run by two ex-Moro/Rivington Bar & Grill chefs: Philippa and Louise. As a result it has a great menu with everything home-made, and responsibly sourced. A good place for a change of scene if you have to be in Canary Wharf, or a destination for a fun lunch in an unexpected setting. The farm itself is big and sits right in the shadow of Canary Wharf. Tube: Mudchute DLR NONE /items/show/858 http://bit.ly/M9ZSo The Benugo Group has taken over the restaurant by the Serpentine and you can eat Breakfast, Lunch, Afternoon Tea and dinner (til 8) beside the Serpentine Lake in Hyde Park, which has to be one of the nicest spots in a park to eat. There are outside tables, of course, which are top banana. That means good. Tube: South Kensington / Lancaster Gate NONE /items/show/859 http://bit.ly/10WlmH If you love shoes, ladies, get to Laura J London. It had just renamed itself having been called Lollipop before, but their great shoes and bags by young designers, plus their own Laura J London range, have kept this boutique a must-try-on destination. Treats for feet. Tube: Angel NONE /items/show/860 http://bit.ly/OZBUE Furnace is a lovely pizzeria in Hoxton, buzzy and hip, and the pizzas are great, plus they do loads of fine italian dishes if you don't fancy a pizza (how could that be?) including carpaccio...mmmm. Tube Old Street NONE /items/show/861 http://bit.ly/sqANH When you go to Borough Market, as you must, must, must, make sure you find the Brindisa shop - the greatest spanish deli in London. And, while you're there, be sure to have one of their hot chorizo and rocket rolls to fuel your market visit. Tube: London Bridge NONE /items/show/862 http://bit.ly/mhe8c Fifteen top designers (Ron Arad, Zaha Hadid, Wayne Hemingway, David Adjaye... you get the picture) present some commissions for the London of the future. This is a temporary exhibition in the wonderful Design Museum, a destination on it's own if you're into design, with a great shop and cafe too. Tube: London Bridge + walk along the river / Tower Hill and walk across Tower Bridge NONE 2009-06-03 /items/show/863 http://bit.ly/Lnk0m If you're a gardener you'll want to check out this small and perfectly formed museum sited in the former St-Mary-at-Lambeth Parish Church, beside Lambeth Palace, opposite the houses of Parliament on the South Bank. The garden itself has a 17th century style knot garden as it's centrepiece and the museum has a cafe serving vegetarian food and pastries. The tombs of the John Tradescants (Charles I's gardeners) are in the garden. All lovely and rather genteel: a million miles away from the bustle outside. Tube: Westminster / Lambeth North NONE /items/show/864 http://bit.ly/20u1mn Hurrah for independent shoe shops. Eliot Zed is a nice one, with boots and loafers as well as more dressed up shoes. Owned by Sylvia Azagury, sister of Joseph, of the stylish Azagury clan. On the gorgeous Walton Street, scene of much window shopping. Tube: South Kensington NONE /items/show/865 http://bit.ly/UqhMN If you don't know Richard Long's work, or think you don't, get on down to the Tate Britain in Pimlico and see some of his nature-based works created over the last 40 years. He walks, really, and makes art along the way, which he then documents, and it's a curiously meditative experience viewing them. Once you've seen this there are other lovely things in this Tate, including fantastic Turners. Tube: Pimlico NONE 2009-06-03 /items/show/866 http://bit.ly/13gx9O Carnaby Street was huge in the 60s and it's still fun, particularly the streets around it, full of interesting, quirky shops. Art Vinyl (who do funky frames for your favourite vinyl) are having an exhibition of 60s album cover art which will be a good place to check out some artwork and, knowing Art Vinyl, some good tunes too. Tube: Oxford Circus NONE 2009-06-03 /items/show/867 http://bit.ly/cbi2F Artist Chris Gollon has painted a startling series of works based on the 14 stages of the cross which are installed in their permanent home, the Sir John Soane's church St John on Bethnal Green. You can see them on saturdays 10-1 and mon-thurs 12-2 as well as at the times of services. The church is atmospheric, a bit wabi sabi and the paintings are thrilling. Tube: Bethnal Green NONE /items/show/868 http://www.jarndyce.co.uk/ Opposite the British museum is a wonderful bookshop specialising in 18th and 19th century literature and first editions. You will find lots of wonderful things in here, including their own book "Fish Who Answer the Telephone and other Bizarre Books". Check out their window of hilariously smutty book titles too. Tube: Tottenham Court Road NONE /items/show/869 http://bit.ly/QlT2T Are you a drummer? Chas Foote's is the place you can come and talk sticks and skins without fear of ridicule. It's a drummer's paradise, though they do woodwind and brass here too...and those cute little shaker eggs. And V drums and the like. Release your inner drummer here. Tube: Piccadilly NONE /items/show/870 http://bit.ly/xE5xX The Old Queen's Head is a good hang out for a chilled crowd and worth making the stroll up the Essex Road from Islington if you find yourself there. They often have music/DJs in the evenings and have a bar menu of hot sandwiches, light bites and quirky shared plates. On Sundays the place comes into it's own, with roasts and serious relaxation on the menu. They also have outdoor tables, on the pavement. Tube: Angel NONE /items/show/871 http://bit.ly/YJMZ8 Ray's Jazz is the place you can go and say "it's a flugelhorn and it goes like this...la, la, la" and they'll know what it is. It's a Jazz lovers dream, here, with every section you could wish for. Ray's is inside the great Foyles bookshop and next to the cafe (both of which merit postings on their own), so you can whittle down your CD wishlist over a good coffee. Tube: Tottenham Court Road NONE /items/show/872 http://bit.ly/DMJwM Foyles is one of London's great independent bookshops (still owned by the Foyle family after 100 years) and, though huge, still has many quirks about it. Piranhas in the children's section being one. Staff who know everything being another. Up until recently they had an arcane payment system which involved going to pay the cashier, then reclaiming your books with a ticket. Thankfully they have embraced the till now. It's still the place to lose yourself in if you love books, though watch out, you may be here for days. Tube: Tottenham Court Road NONE 2009-06-02 /items/show/873 http://bit.ly/74hIU I don't know the work of the New Zealand artist Len Lye, but I do like the taste of Arcade, a newish small gallery near Old Street, so I think I'll check this exhibition out. With Len Lye the show also shows work by Anna Barham, Amy Granat and Caroline Achaintre which relate to Lye's abstract vision. Tube: Old Street NONE 2009-06-11 /items/show/874 http://bit.ly/dbMcZ At Lucky Voice you hire a private Karaoke booth for you and your friends and then you all get to sing your heart out, with a good bar so you can test whether you really do sound better as the cocktails flow. Tube: Oxford Circus NONE /items/show/875 http://bit.ly/zxHtC For a gastropub experience that feels like fine dining, come for a meal in the upstairs room at the Draper's Arms. I've had a series of wonderful Sunday lunches up here in the past and it's a light, airy, rather grand space that lends itself to fine wines and erudite discussions. The new chef is ex St John (nose-to-tail eating) head chef Karl Goward so I know the food is going to be tip-top and I can't wait to go back. Tube: Highbury & Islington and then a stroll. NONE /items/show/876 http://bit.ly/4FNgrP Once you've been for your long walk on Hampstead Heath you will be fancying a decent coffee and some home baking and, hey presto, here's Cafe Mozart sent from heaven to fulfil your every need, be it goulash, a sandwich, or a poppy seed cake. There are great outdoor tables or the dark, atmospheric interior if you've had enough sun. Tube: NONE /items/show/877 http://bit.ly/Vn8fY I lived in Westbourne Grove when this Elbow Room opened and I have a bit of a soft spot for it. It's a well-designed bar with lots of (American) pool tables where you can shoot some pool while you have a beer. Which is a winning combination, I find. There are other Elbow Room locations in Shoreditch (haven't been) and Islington (good DJs) but this one has a nostalgic appeal for me. Tube: Bayswater / Royal Oak NONE /items/show/878 http://bit.ly/3A9mWa I'm hearing very good noises about The Chancery, a chic fine dining restaurant in lawyerland, that is to say, tucked away near Lincoln's Inn and Chancery Lane. The chef Andy Thompson, who has a great pedigree (Lennox Room & Aureole in NYC, L'Escargot in London) plus an eclectic and delicious looking menu keeps The Chancery a firm crowd-pleaser, especially at lunchtimes when you will definitely need to book. Vegetarians will be happy, and the set menu prices (3 courses for £34) sound good value for top quality cooking. Another for my ever-growing list. Tube: Chancery Lane / Holborn (+ a stroll) NONE /items/show/879 http://bit.ly/n1seQ High Stakes is packed to the rafters with books about every kind of wager you can imagine. I wonder if they've got a "two raindrops on a window pane" section - it wouldn't surprise me. So, if you feel the need to hone your Holdem theory or check the odds of hitting that inside straight, this is the place to come. NONE /items/show/880 http://bit.ly/oWXP0 I've just discovered that there's a golf school in Holland Park where you can hire practise bays (+44207 602 2226) or you can get Golf lessons from Sean Simpson, who has 25 years teaching experience (+447766 105594 is the number to get him on). I quite fancy a golf lesson myself now. Tube: Holland Park / Kensington High Street NONE /items/show/881 http://bit.ly/W5Aaw So, you've made it to London, but you're not going to get to Paris. Then come to Gastro for a really fun, authentic French bistro experience. The food is classic: what you'd find in small restaurants in town squares all over France, and the decor, service and style of the place all give you a real taste of France. Have a pastis at the bar and a steak frites, pourquoi pas? Tube: Clapham Common NONE /items/show/882 http://bit.ly/WCWxM The Natural Kitchen is an organic, artisanal deli and food store, with a wine shop in the basement, and a gorgeous cafe upstairs, perfect for homemade lunches and cakes. Soups, lasagnes and salads piled high. Just writing about it is making me hungry. Tube: Baker Street NONE /items/show/883 http://bit.ly/2A8kPM Shoreditch Park hosts the 2009 Shoreditch Festival and this is the kick-off day, with a parade, lots of rhythym, from Brazilian funk to Nathan "Flutebox" Lee, whos flute/beatbox combo has to be seen to be believed. It's all part of welcoming the Olympics to Hackney, which is big news in London, as you'd expect, and as LIFT are involved in this day of fun for all, it should be great. Tube: Old Street. NONE 2009-08-16 /items/show/884 http://bit.ly/XfeVA This is a free evening of music from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in Shoreditch Park, as the finale of the Shoreditch Festival. Expect the popular: Nessun Dorma and Ravel's Bolero. Bring a picnic, an umbrella in case (come on, this is London!) and enjoy what I'm sure will be the least stuffy outdoor concert of the summer with the most diverse crowd. A rousing fireworks finale is promised too. Tube: Old Street NONE 2009-08-23 /items/show/885 http://bit.ly/G0Tgg Every morning at sunrise a saffron-clad buddhist monk beats a drum as he walks from his temple to the peace pagoda, a gift to London from the Japanese Buddhist Order, Nipponzan Myohoji. It's a profoundly beautiful place with a gilded Buddha on each of it's four sides and a wonderful view out over the Thames, and there's the lovely Battersea Park to enjoy as well, with its Childrens Zoo and beautiful trees. An urban retreat. Tube: Sloane Square, plus 137 or 452 bus or a walk. NONE /items/show/886 http://bit.ly/U6nlJ From Parliament Hill you can see the whole of London spread out before you like a tablecloth laden with delights. This is where Londoners fly their kites, come for their romantic trysts and see in the dawn after a particularly spectacular evening out. Behind you is the magnificent 800 acre Hampstead Heath, before you London in all its glory. Tube: Gospel Oak or Hampstead Heath on the overground (short walk from either) or a longer walk from Hampstead tube. NONE /items/show/887 http://bit.ly/DAZ4p Holland Park is big and really does have pretty much all you want in a park: formal gardens, romantic woodland paths, peacocks wandering about,a cafe and lots of sports facilities. Ok, so it doesn't have a children's zoo (see Battersea Park for that one) but it does have the really nice Kyoto Japanese garden to relax in. Tube: Holland Park / Kensington High Street NONE /items/show/888 http://bit.ly/17gxcK The supremely talented Helen Mirren leads a great cast in Ted Hughes version of Racine's play directed by Nicholas Hytner. I don't know how much those names will mean to you, but they spell quality, believe me, and I recommend you book early for this one as it should be a stunner. Tube: Embankment (and a lovely walk across the footbridge over the Thames) or Waterloo NONE 2009-06-06 /items/show/894 http://bit.ly/2USUo Terry Johnson is a wonderful director who really understands comedy and Rookery Nook is a very funny play by Ben Travers. Now you may love farce, or it may not be your thing, but if you like a good laugh there are great comic actors being very funny here, in a classic English farce. Tube: London Bridge NONE 2009-04-16 /items/show/895 http://bit.ly/aCRF4 Iznik is an intimate Turkish restaurant in Highbury with a ceiling bedecked with lanterns and lots of delicious Turkish dishes to delight the palette. Meze are wonderful and the courgette fritters make my veggie friend Jo go weak at the knees, while meat & fish eaters will be more than happy too. Tube: Highbury & Islington NONE /items/show/896 http://bit.ly/2vQ9y Hurwendeki is one of London's coolest vintage shops. Opposite Spitalfields Market, it has Hurwendeki own label things too, which are incredible value and both quirky and wearable. There's a Hurwendeki in Soho too, and word reaches my ears that they have just opened a furniture and brick-a-brack shop in Shoreditch which is very good news. Tube: Liverpool Street NONE /items/show/897 http://bit.ly/43Q6Hu The Equinox Festival is a three-day event dedicated to "contemporary spiritual discovery and mystical tradition", and they have lots of speakers and a whacky musical line-up over the three days which includes Comus, reforming for the first time in 35 years to perform First Utterance in it's entirity, plus John Zorn, Threshold House Boys Choir, Z'Ev and lots of others. It takes place mostly at Conway Hall (check as a couple of the events are in Camden). Tube: Holborn NONE 2009-06-12 /items/show/898 http://tr.im/nMWf Lost presents Spacebase: Steve Bicknell and special guest Andrew Weatherall playing at Plastic People - this is all very good news if you want to shake your booty to some electronic beats of the (loosely) techno variety. They are both absolute masters of the genre. It's a lovely club, too, intimate with a great sound system. Tube: Old Street NONE 2009-06-13 /items/show/899 http://bit.ly/1gtP9P Red Bull Music Academy and Karen P's Broad Casting unite Stones Throw's James Pants and Latin soul legend Joe Bataan (his 1st UK appearance) for a cross-generational collaborative Hip-Hop event, also featuring Willie Isz. Cargo's a great space, with a restaurant too. Just don't eat so much you can't dance. Tube: Old Street / Liverpool Street NONE 2009-06-11 /items/show/900 http://bit.ly/6fpJe Eating well near Camden Town tube can sometimes be a bit of a challenge so hurrah for Mango Room, a Caribbean restaurant with lovely service and fine cuisine. I always have to have the plantain fritters, myself. Tube: Camden Town NONE /items/show/901 http://bit.ly/3HDFra Artwords is the place if you love magazines and art books. They sell all manner of books, magazines and videos on the contemporary visual arts and you can gorge yourself on print here. The ultimate arty browse. Tube: Old Street NONE /items/show/902 http://bit.ly/1x0AS0 If you want a stroll with a view over the city, and a place to picnic/contemplate, then Primrose Hill is a really good venue. Tucked behind London Zoo, within walking distance of Camden, and with a host of small boutiques and cafes nearby, you'll have company, but it's a big enough hill to accommodate all comers. Tube: Chalk Farm NONE /items/show/903 http://bit.ly/4rnRA Now, you've got to love a bookshop dedicated to children's books, haven't you? And when it's done as well as this one is, you just want to bring your little one here to let them lose themselves in books. At Tales on Moon Lane you can get a book gift wrapped too so you can take them a present home if they're not with you. Tube: Chalk Farm NONE /items/show/904 http://bit.ly/1gSCL1 If you fancy a lovely meal pre/post a theatre trip to the National, or the Hayward Gallery, or you just happen to be in Waterloo, then get yourself to RSJ where the monthly changing (franco/british/italian) menu and the wine list (mostly from the Loire valley) will keep you happy. It's good value too, with great set menu options. Tube: Waterloo NONE /items/show/905 http://bit.ly/AUDR5 I went into Harold Moore's records today and got into conversation, as you do there, and two pairs of eyes lit up as they atarted talking about Cybercandy in Covent Garden. I'm not surprised. It's a sweets emporium with candy from around the globe, that's right, Japanese sweeties, Finnish, Swedish, Mexican, you name it. It's got to be the laziest and most fattening way of globe-trotting, but boy, is it fun. Tube: Covent Garden NONE /items/show/906 http://bit.ly/3nK5zJ Once upon a time there was a great record shop called Rough Trade, just off the Portobello Road. It was small and perfect, run by people who love music. Then they opened a second shop off Brick Lane, which is big, and run by people who love music. It's just how record shops should be. Tube: Liverpool Street / Aldgate East NONE /items/show/907 http://bit.ly/Sygnt Fine dining with tapas style small dishes, with a four course set menu and a seperate vegetarian menu should you be so inclined, in a stylish venue on Grosvenor Square, Maze is absolutely it. Delicious food and superb service courtesy of Gordon Ramsay, this will thoroughly pamper your tastebuds. Great for a fabulous lunch. There's the Maze Grill next door where beef is cooked to perfection over coals. Tube: Bond Street NONE /items/show/908 http://bit.ly/1aDwuU Hawksmoor is a candidate for best London steakhouse du jour. The meat is from the impeccable Ginger Pig, the menu is just what you're after is you want a meaty one: fantastic slow reared and properly hung meat cooked over charcoal. A carnivore's delight. Tube: Liverpool Street / Old Street NONE /items/show/909 http://bit.ly/Rux18 Now that the sun is out, the idea of dancing to reggae served up by the inimitable David Rodigan and friends in an all-day (2pm - 1 am) club with jerk chicken and roasts served until 7pm is unbelievably appealing. Reggae has stamina for me: you get into it (easy with music this good, I predict) and then the hours just flow by. East Village is a perfect venue in Shoreditch for the Rootikal people to purvey their goodtime vibes to all. Everyting will be irie. Tube: Old Street NONE 2009-07-05 /items/show/910 http://bit.ly/vtTrh Angie Smalis, Janyce Michellod & Daniel Vais in this triple bill at the Union Chapel, presented as part of the Islington Dance Festival. They all look interesting dance artists and if you're into contemporary dance you should definitely check this one out. Tube: Highbury & Islington NONE 2009-07-07 /items/show/911 http://bit.ly/flCSB Epping Forest is a huge swathe of ancient woodland which you can get to by tube. I know, it's amazing. You get out at Theydon Bois and from there have immediate and easy access to 2000 acres of woodland. Go explore. It's a really beautiful place and you could easily spend a whole afternoon rambling. Tube: Theydon Bois NONE /items/show/912 http://bit.ly/xDCur While you're wandering round the delights of Columbia Road on a sunday, don't omit Wawa, a contemporary furniture shop where Richard Ward sells his collection. Sofas with real style. They also sell gorgeous things by other designers - Matt Fothergill leather bags for example, which are the best ever. Bags that look better the older they get, you know what I mean. Wawa is open every SUNDAY 10am - 2.30pm or in the week by appointment. Tube: Liverpool Street / Bethnal Green NONE /items/show/913 http://bit.ly/148bsC Future Vintage is a designer dress agency where you can find designer clothes, second hand, at knock-down prices. It's all under the watchful eye of Jane Flanders, who has immaculate taste, so it's like going into a wonderful designer shop, but everything is a lot cheaper. And while you're there, be sure to check out her mother's shop next door, Angela Flanders, for exquisite perfumes. Opening times are Saturday 12 - 4 and Sunday 10 - 3. NONE /items/show/914 http://bit.ly/JA6Ky Steidl is a publishing house, independently operated in Germany by its founding owner, Gerhard Steidl, who controls every step of the manufacturing process — the editing, design, typography, scanning, marketing, distribution, public relations and printing. The results are the most beautiful photography, art and literary books and in this Lambs Conduit Street shop Danny and Laura Pope have given Steidl a London showcase. Filled with objects of desire. Tube: Holborn NONE /items/show/915 http://www.cattlegridrestaurant.com/main.swf Ribs, burgers, sides, T-bone steaks...you want some? Try Cattle Grid in Poland Street, Soho, which I hear is mighty fine. It's a combination of self service (you go up and order) and high quality steak, so it's good value. Tube: Oxford Circus NONE /items/show/916 http://bit.ly/16Y4Zk Fine dining chinese (cantonese) style courtesy of Alan Yau. Go on, treat yourselves. Feel like a movie star, and a damn sexy one at that, in this hip, chic dark and sultry restaurant. Go later in the evening to avoid the two hour turnaround, which always puts me right off my food, don't know about you. Tube: Tottenham Court Road NONE /items/show/917 http://bit.ly/12nIxQ This is a quirky Art Car Boot Sale, in a car park. That's where the similarity to a car boot sale will end, with artists including Gavin Turk and Sir Peter Blake selling work here and loads of eccentric entertainments. Expect serious frivolity. Tube: Liverpool Street / Aldgate East NONE 2009-06-14 /items/show/918 http://bit.ly/KvyoL This is the second time this production has come to London, and having seen one of theatre-maker Robert Lepage show last year, I am now booking for everything he is involved with. Plus Sylvie Guillem is a wonderful dancer who I've wanted to see in the flesh for ages. Ooh, I'm excited. Tube: Angel NONE 2009-06-23 /items/show/919 http://bit.ly/xeF4c If you're near Holborn and need a quiet green place, try Red Lion Square. Gorgeous big trees and lots of history here, what with rumours about Cromwell's body being buried here and memorials to Bertrand Russell and Fenner Brockway. You can read more here: www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=45213 Tube: Holborn NONE /items/show/920 http://bit.ly/Ttex3 Yoshino is a great place for Japanese food in town, with fish that's just stopped jumping and lots of set menu combinations. Also there's a chef's monthly selection which looks so tempting, I think I'm ready to order now. Tube: Piccadilly Circus NONE /items/show/921 http://bit.ly/3BCCDI Myddleton Square is one of London's prettiest Georgian Square with a big church (St Mark's) in the centre, a toddlers' play area to one side and gardens all around. It's a lovely hidden gem and a good place for a quiet moment away from the traffic, but close to the shops and cafes of Amwell Street and Exmouth Market. Tube: Angel NONE /items/show/922 http://bit.ly/13kzGv The Double Club bills itself as a "a bar, restaurant and disco where the Congo meets the west and the west meets the Congo" - it's a great idea, though only conceived of as a pop-up event, so these are it's last days. Each space (bar, restaurant & dance club) is divided in two aesthetically - Congo and London. Artist Carsten Höller has brought about a space where cross-pollenation can happen - of music & food & ideas, between the Congo and London. 50% of the profit goes to City of Joy/UNICEF, as well so you can feel even better as you dance the night away after a delicious meal. Tube: Angel NONE 2008-11-11 /items/show/923 http://tr.im/o8XK Imilda is the shop where designer Imilda Wright sells her wearable skirts, shirts, and dresses plus some childrenswear too. Everything I have bought from here I love and it feels as though it's been made for me. Lovely fabrics with great florals and prints, these pieces are really good value for money. Last time I passed this shop was after closing time and I found myself pressed to the window, admiring the current stock. Gabriel's Wharf is just along the South Bank from the National Theatre, going east. Tube: Waterloo NONE /items/show/924 http://bit.ly/f95oF Jakes is a great Soho shop for menswear / boyswear. It's also the home of Jakes label, a percentage of the profits of which provide financial stability and support for Jake, now ten, who has cerebral palsy, though as they say "this does not stop him looking cool and having fun". The T shirts are truly great - you'll know some, since David Beckham has been seen in them and the menswear is all really comfortable and wearable. Tube: Oxford Circus NONE /items/show/925 http://bit.ly/13UrkM It's Henry VIII's 500th anniversary this year, and I can no longer ignore the plethora of good stuff going on. The Sixteen, an internationally acclaimed chamber choir and period instrument orchestra, play and sing music from Henry VIII's time by Taverner, Tallis, Cornysh and some by Henry VIII himself at this concert in the lovely accoustic of the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich. Tube: Cutty Sark on the DLR NONE 2009-06-14 /items/show/926 http://bit.ly/QJMLR Two days of free activities around the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich to celebrate Henry VIII's 500th anniversary. Jousting, Tudor Food and family fun. Tube: Cutty Sark on the DLR NONE 2009-06-13 /items/show/927 http://bit.ly/hvKIJ The award-winning Karoo Moose comes to the wonderful Tricycle Theatre straight from Cape Town's Baxter Theatre Centre. It sounds great, combining traditional African story-telling with magic realism to create a story of pain, redemption and hope. The production is the winner of 14 top South African Awards, including Best New South African Play & Best Production. Tube: Kilburn NONE 2009-06-16 /items/show/928 http://bit.ly/OcJyP I've just heard about the Grant Museum and, if you're into natural history and skeletons / specimens in big jars or you're curious to see what a Dodo or a Quagga looked like, then this will be a fun place to spend an hour or two. It's only open 1-5pm weekdays but it's so central that it's no effort to nip in while you're in town. One of the oldest natural history museums in England, it was founded by Darwin's mentor Robert Grant, in 1827. If you make it here you can then tell londoners you meet about it, and I bet you that none of them will have heard of it. Tube: NONE /items/show/929 http://bit.ly/7e2RV For a good off West End evening in the Theatre, Hampstead Theatre at Swiss Cottage is always a good bet. Here's the play that brought Frank McGuinness international acclaim, reworked twenty years later. It's about eight Ulster (Northern Irish) young men preparing for the first day of the (disastrous) Battle of the Somme in WWI, and it's a great play. Tube: Swiss Cottage NONE 2009-06-18 /items/show/930 http://bit.ly/82RFs This man is FUNNY. Originally from Georgia, USA, now resident in England, Reginald D makes me laugh and laugh. Very warm, very wry and very, well, funny. On this website you'll find details of all his Edinburgh warm-up gigs which are scattered through june/july at various locations around the capital. He doesn't gig all the time so this is a rare treat. I've booked already. Tube: Various NONE 2009-06-23 /items/show/931 http://bit.ly/1XNdrI This is the museum about the setting up of Coram's foundling hospital (a home for abandoned children) on the site of Coram's Fields. This museum tells the stories of its campaigning founder the philanthropist Thomas Coram, the artist William Hogarth and the composer George Frideric Handel. It was also, incidentally, the first ever public art gallery. So now it's a lovely place with a nice cafe where you can look at art, period interiors and social history. All in the centre of town too. Tube: Russell Square NONE /items/show/932 http://bit.ly/D3NwD As you will know if you've read my book, (what?! you haven't? eat.shop.london, it's called) I'm a sucker for a bit of close-up magic. Davenports is a magic shop, a truly magic place - it's in a tube station, for goodness sake, how much more magical could it be? Like in Harry Potter when they go through the back of the Leaky Cauldron into Diagon Alley, you'll feel pretty special when you find Davenports. There you'll be able to buy a good trick too, to amaze / con money out of your friends. Tube: Charing Cross NONE /items/show/933 http://bit.ly/Lohp5 Pokit does design. Clothes, shoes and accessories for men and women, always with the accent on good design. They do a two-week service on made-to-measure suits for both genders, lovely brogue type shoes & gorgeous bags. Everything is beautifully made, using the finest materials, and you can really feel the quality. In the lovely Lamb's Conduit Street, one of my favourites, too. Tube: Holborn NONE /items/show/934 http://bit.ly/4iOTIy This is a very nice pub with a lovely relaxed dining room upstairs where you can get really good food on tues - sun evening and all day at weekends. Sunday lunch, busy as hall from the flower market outside, can feel a bit like you're in an Otto Dix painting but in the week it's a calmer venue for a meal. Or a lovely place to come for a drink. Tube: Old Street / Bethnal Green NONE /items/show/935 http://bit.ly/Lytp1 You should come to the Bibendum Cafe for many reasons; the Michelin building is iconic, it's an airy, lovely place to hang out, there's an oyster bar on hand should you suddenly feel the need for an oyster and a glass of champagne (don't mock, these things happen) and meanwhile you can have a coffee and watch the Chelsea world go by. Upstairs is Bibendum Restaurant for fine dining luxury, just so you know. Tube: South Kensington NONE /items/show/936 http://bit.ly/4aKdc3 Oh my word, DJ Food playing a Ninja Tune night at the ICA - my toes are tapping already. If you like repetition in your beats then you'll probably already know the Ninja tunes label and you'll be happy too. Daedelus does a live monome set, Grasscut keeps it experimental while King Cannibal and Cursor Miner join in too. Sounds like seriously danceable electronica to me. Tube: Charing Cross NONE 2009-07-10 /items/show/937 http://bit.ly/Z2pzU Niyaz sound really interesting, blending "Middle Eastern folk music and Sufi poetry with electronic techniques and traditional instruments to create hypnotic, ecstatic and highly danceable music." Now, that's hooked me in already, and the ICA is a great venue with a good bar and lots going on, so I think, if you're into musical adventures, this may be for you. Tube: Charing Cross NONE 2009-06-23 /items/show/938 http://bit.ly/bl0IK This is a free showing of a tryptych of films by Cyprien Gaillard with music by Koudlam forming an 'electronic opera' of visions of utopian architecture and what happens to it in the real world. It sounds really interesting, if you're into architecture, film and/or art. It's happening in the iconic Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern, which is a pull in itself. Tube: Mansion House / St Paul's / Southwark (+ a stroll from each) NONE 2009-07-03 /items/show/939 http://bit.ly/1IckJc The Temper Trap are from Melbourne. They play interesting music, with "fuzzy, atmospheric" guitars and a great singer, Dougy. (You can check them out here: http://www.ica.org.uk/thumbnail.php?max=408&id=6795). They play the ICA in their run up to Glastonbury, so see them here, where you won't need wellington boots. Tube: Charing Cross NONE 2009-07-15 /items/show/940 http://bit.ly/uQUdN We found ourseves in Camberwell last night with a hungry child and opted for the busiest place we could see which turned out to be the most fabulous 70's throwback Greek restaurant with plastic grapes hanging from the ceiling and classic meze and sheftalia. Very friendly, family-owned and super accommodating. The food was tasty and the experience was pleasurably nostalgic. Tube: Ah, well, no tube. Denmark Hill overground or buses to Camberwell Green NONE /items/show/941 http://bit.ly/DFteh One thing we do well in London is talk about the weather. It seems ludicrous, writing on a blazing June day, but I should let you know that we also make great umbrellas. Well, it figures. James Smith and Sons is THE place to get a brolly for life, and I mean a proper umbrella that will see you through years of showers and deluges. The shop is a wonderful victorian emporium, a destination in itself. Tube: Tottenham Court Road NONE /items/show/942 http://bit.ly/ma2PE There's been a fantastic Spanish deli/grocery store on Portobello Road for years called Garcia and now they have opened a lovely cafe next door where you can eat great spanish food. The hot chocolate is one of the wonders of my world and if you get churros to dip into it you ascend to foodie nirvana in an instant. Tube: Ladbroke Grove NONE /items/show/943 http://bit.ly/2DG0UT Another elegant, secluded garden square offering peace and solitude to londoners, this time in Victoria. So, if you need a quiet place, head to Ebury Square, where you feel a million miles away from the hubbub of Victoria Station, just up the road. A great place to come if you have time to kill before a train journey. Tube: Victoria NONE /items/show/944 http://bit.ly/iPAbC So you're shopping, on Oxford Street, and you can't take any more. Easy. Tucked in to the South West of Oxford Circus is Hanover Square with big trees and grass to sit on. Get a cold drink on your way, perhaps a paper, and relax, away from those insane shopping hordes. By the way, Vogue House overlooks the square, so if you see a stick thin girl, she's wont be homeless, just starving. Tube: Oxford Circus NONE /items/show/945 http://bit.ly/AYZ4I I'll give you one guess as to what they sell at Playin' Games...you got it! Just by the British Museum, this is a great shop for board games. They have everything, well except Solar Trader but that's old and like gold dust. Everything else is here, including loads of games you probably won't know. They really know their stuff and have two floors of fun. So if you need a portable chess set or a new board game, you know where to come. Tube: Tottenham Court Road. NONE /items/show/946 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/A5kHoak0TKc/birdy-pi.html Daydream wallpaper, US $105 , by Hygge & West . source: Décor8. NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/A5kHoak0TKc/birdy-pi.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/c_bJPSpzib4/wee-find-rob-ryan-umbrella.html In my eyes, the man can do no wrong. Rob Ryan 's latest collaboration, with Japanese homewares company Afternoon Tea , features a range of delightful rainy day motifs (including - gasp! - a wee birdy holding an umbrella) and the words "Walkin' in the rain" splashed across a collection of wet weather gear. I bags the umbrella. Images courtesy of Rob Ryan and Afternoon Tea . NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/c_bJPSpzib4/wee-find-rob-ryan-umbrella.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/1bseFf2abzo/chelsea-flower-show-the-spoils-of-the-selloff.html Here are the bountiful diascias I spotted on display in the Great Pavilion on the last day of the Chelsea Flower Show. Having fully expected the 4pm sell-off to resemble some kind of elbows-grazing, crazed free-for-all, I was quietly surprised to discover you could reserve plants at some stalls earlier in the day. Happily for me, there were a few diascias, fuschias and orchids available when I traipsed through at about 1pm - but the majority had already been sold. (Tip for next year: head straight to the Great Pavilion on the last day to get first dibs on the choicest blooms). So when the Chelsea pensioners rang the bell at 4pm, there was a genteel round of applause as everyone lined up in a calm, orderly fashion with their tickets in hand. Following the flower-laden crowd on the long walk back... I just managed to peep over my enormous tub of dascias as I headed out towards Sloan Square tube, but not before being accosted by Alan Titchmarsh and a BBC TV crew who exclaimed in a rather bawdy manner, "My, aren't those big?" (Though I was secretly quite chuffed that Alan admired my flowers.) Here they are in their new home on my balcony. Following instructions from the diascia dude, I gave them a haircut over the weekend. Hopefully the gorgeous peachy flowers will spring back soon. NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/1bseFf2abzo/chelsea-flower-show-the-spoils-of-the-selloff.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/tQIxmNL4HSU/going-going-hats-at-the-va.html This weekend is your last chance to catch the very fabulous Hats exhibition at the V&A , which is a collaborative effort between London milliner Stephen Jones and the museum. Jones has scoured the V&A’s extensive archives to showcase not only the changing fashions in headwear over the past 17 centuries, but to throw light on the workmanship, creativity and inspiration that goes into each individual piece. Challenging my own (rather bad) habit of visiting must-see exhibitions ‘til the final days, I caught Hats back in March, and was enthused by Jones’ clearly passionate curatorial role, which also provided many professional insights. Personal highlights included Jones’ mod-ish Underground roundel hat for AW08, a horsehair and silk bonnet worn by Queen Victoria, and a 17th century leather jester’s cap adorned with tiny jingle bells (and not a lurid velour version in sight!). I also really loved Hussein Chayalan’s wooden egg helmet (’98), Christian Dior’s plastic cubist pillbox (’66) and Adolfor’s mushroom hat (’65). And then there’s the Norman Hartnell evening hat worn by Margot Fonteyn, and the Cecil Beaton bonnet worn by Audrey Hepburn during the Ascot scene of My Fair Lady . The centrepiece of the exhibition is a voyeuristic glimpse into the inner sanctuary of a milliner’s studio, which Jones accurately describes as “half-Aladdin’s cave and half-artist’s studio”. Keep an eye out for some of the choice goodies on offer in the museum shop , like these cloche hat brooches and reasonably-priced paper hats . Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones Closes Sunday 31 May 2009 £5 adults, £4 concessions. Victoria and Albert Museum Cromwell Road London SW7 2RL Nearest tube: South Kensington All images courtesy of the V&A Museum. NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/tQIxmNL4HSU/going-going-hats-at-the-va.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/Qt9QYywH7cw/a-wee.html With more magnificent blooms from Chelsea Flower Show on Saturday, this could quite easily become "two weeks of flowers" ... I really loved this old-fashioned display of daffodils - apparently the guy has been attending the show for thirty-odd years and has as many awards under his belt. I was also amazed by the sheer variety of daffodils. Heavenly scents (and the most perfect, old-fashioned English roses) from the David Austin stand... and James May's plasticine garden (with plasticine ladybirds and clever cauliflowers) ... NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/Qt9QYywH7cw/a-wee.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/z9VTg1-zl1Y/foxy-knocker.html Happy Bank Holiday, London birdies! Couldn't resist taking a pic of this rather handsome fellow on the door next to Ryantown on Columbia Road last week. You can also see that I've recently taken to photographing piles of shop bags (see pic below). However, you should note that these are extra-special shop bags, hand-screen printed by Rob Ryan and featuring a cute wee birdy stamp in the corner. Swoon! NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/z9VTg1-zl1Y/foxy-knocker.html http://www.shopbluelight.com/london-shopping-and-the-best-places-to-go/ The capital of England, London, is almost as well known for its exciting opportunities for shopping as it is for its long history and fascinating culture Tourists from all over the planet flock to London to enjoy the immense selection of specialist markets, boutique stores and department stores. With the strong $ and the weak Pound Americans will find goods are much less expensive as in recent years, equally for those folk visiting from countries in Europe because the £ is also finding it diffic NONE http://www.shopbluelight.com/london-shopping-and-the-best-places-to-go/ http://traveldreamsandmoonbeams.wordpress.com/2009/05/30/wanderlust-women-solo-travel-for-london-shopping/ In the pre-Euro days, when the dollar was strong, this Wanderlust Woman would solo journey to London every three months to shop, cruise the antique markets in search of ancient treasures and come home with loads of goodies. I would generally pack an empty suitcase inside my weekender because I knew it would be full. It had been several years since I was able to do that because there were no real bargains to be had or treasures to be found but that has long since changed in this downward econo NONE http://traveldreamsandmoonbeams.wordpress.com/2009/05/30/wanderlust-women-solo-travel-for-london-shopping/ http://www.websgossip.com/sienna-miller%E2%80%99s-london-retail-romp-15337.html Fitting in a retail excursion over the weekend, Sienna Miller ventured out in the London sunshine with a gal pal on Saturday (May 23) . With Miss Miller wearing a summery floral dress, the pair shopped for presents at ‘austique’ on the trendy Kings Road before continuing about with the day’s errands. Meanwhile, Sienna recently talked about a possible style change - as she’s thinking about dying her hair brunette after getting a taste of a darker hairdo while filming her upcoming movie “ NONE http://www.websgossip.com/sienna-miller%E2%80%99s-london-retail-romp-15337.html http://www.timeout.com/london/shopping/features/2503/London-s_best_charity_shops.html We hooked up with Queen of Shops Mary Portas to get her recommendations for the best places for designer cast-offs and vintage gems NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/shopping/features/2503/London-s_best_charity_shops.html http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/diwali-on-square.htm "Diwali in London 2009 promises a free celebration in the capital’s Trafalgar Square, featuring decorations, music, dance and other tremendous activities. NONE 2009-10-04 http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/diwali-on-square.htm http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/frieze-art-fair-london.htm Frieze Art Fair in Regent's Park, London is the annual modern art fair that presents the most forward-thinking galleries from all around the world. NONE 2009-10-15 http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/frieze-art-fair-london.htm http://london.eventguide.com/events/e100606.htm A night of raucous, rude comedy followed by disco until 1am. MCed by comedian Lee Hurst NONE 2009-06-11 http://london.eventguide.com/events/e100606.htm http://london.eventguide.com/events/e101521.htm The Massed Bands of the Royal Marines will perform their world-renowned Beating Retreat c... NONE 2009-06-09 http://london.eventguide.com/events/e101521.htm http://london.eventguide.com/events/e101647.htm Crusaid's Walk for Life is Europe's largest HIV and AIDS fundraising walk in Europe. Joi... NONE 2009-06-07 http://london.eventguide.com/events/e101647.htm http://london.eventguide.com/events/e101483.htm In this exhibition, the encouragement to save is startlingly similar to the situation of ... NONE 2009-06-07 http://london.eventguide.com/events/e101483.htm http://london.eventguide.com/events/e101505.htm Vintage fashion & domestic paraphernalia NONE 2009-06-07 http://london.eventguide.com/events/e101505.htm http://london.eventguide.com/events/e101565.htm Ustad Rashid Khan is one of today's most respected and well-renowned Hindustani vocalists... NONE 2009-06-06 http://london.eventguide.com/events/e101565.htm http://london.eventguide.com/events/e101597.htm A delightful family-friendly gastronomic street party in London's iconic Fitzrovia distri... NONE 2009-06-06 http://london.eventguide.com/events/e101597.htm http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2887441/ The Science Museum is 100 years old! We’re celebrating with some amazing shows, events and a fantastic new trail – the Centenary Journey - with a three day party from Friday to Sunday, and everyone is invited. We'll have loads of special events and gallery activities taking place during this party weekend, so come down and join in the fun! NONE 2009-06-26 http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2887441/ http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2853237/ The Web is rapidly changing the communication, practice and culture of science. Science online London 2009 will explore the latest trends in science online. How is the Web affecting the work of researchers, science communicators, journalists, librarians, educators, students? What can you do to make the best use of the growing number of online tools? This is the follow-up conference to last year's Science Blogging 2008: London conference. The name of the event was changed to reflect the variety of ... NONE 2009-08-22 http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2853237/ http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2807277/ Egeus wants his daughter Hermia to marry local yob Demetrius, so as to get in on his father's mafia connections. Hermia would rather marry wimpy billionaire Lysander. Theseus, Duke of London, has to make the final decision, but he is more concerned about the happiness of all involved, rather than the politics of the partnering. Under the guise of Oberon, King of Shadows, find out how Theseus gets Demetrius to fall for desperate glamour model Helena instead, with the hindrance ... NONE 2009-06-12 http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2807277/ http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2807266/ 14th July: Open Innovation: A mini (re)boot camp to rapidly develop the mindsets and tools needed to engage in the exciting and challenging world of open innovation. 15th July: Collaboration IQ: How to foster the collaborative mindsets that are needed to solve the most pressing issues of the day - without wasting time, energy and resources. 17th July: Disruptive Innovation: Find the next iPod for your sector using the power of systems thinking and much much more. To book a ... NONE 2009-07-14 http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2807266/ http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2806447/ MUSIC: - Iona Leigh will be performing a full set of original music from her recently released album 'Beside the Waves of Time', with tracks recently featured on BBC Radio 2. Iona will be performing with her tremendous trio on voice, harp, shruti box, guitar and fiddle. For more info please see Iona Leigh EVENT: - This concert is part of the Irish Cultural Centre's Celtic Heart Festival, which is celebrating Celtic-inspired music in London. The evening will be filled ... NONE 2009-06-19 http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2806447/ http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2804589/ Since Proud Galleries re-launched in 2008, Be has been their flagship club-night attracting up to fifteen hundred revellers every Saturday. Now in its second year the club has redefined London's club scene with its unique mix of indie, disco electro and rock n' roll, spectacular live acts, performance art and burlesque. Playing live this week are Exeter’s finest new post-punk pop combo Ono Palindromes, and the fantastic and quite possibly insane Captain Strange, keeping a steady hand of the tiller ... NONE 2009-06-27 http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2804589/ http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2804585/ Since Proud Galleries re-launched in 2008, Be has been their flagship club-night attracting up to fifteen hundred revellers every Saturday. Now in its second year the club has redefined London's club scene with its unique mix of indie, disco electro and rock n' roll, spectacular live acts, performance art and burlesque. Jetting in from the States this week are the Pharrell approved, Harvard educated Chester French, joining them onstage, though making the slightly less onerous journey from East London, are ... NONE 2009-06-20 http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2804585/ http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2804582/ Since Proud Galleries re-launched in 2008, Be has been their flagship club-night attracting up to fifteen hundred revellers every Saturday. Now in its second year the club has redefined London's club scene with its unique mix of indie, disco electro and rock n' roll, spectacular live acts, performance art and burlesque. Playing live tonight are six piece Ark People who return for their second turn on the Proud stage, and a special surprise act, a band of multi national avant-pop ... NONE 2009-06-13 http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2804582/ http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2803671/ Seaside is a web application framework that is written in Smalltalk. Smalltalk has been hugely influential on the development of computer languages but realistically how many people have ever used it? Seaside is a practical application of Smalltalk to the web sphere. This Geek Night is going to cover how Smalltalk makes web development different and how Seaside is being put to use in the Real World. Prepare to question how your favourite web platform works and discover object-orientated programming ... NONE 2009-07-06 http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2803671/ http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2763534/ Join us for the first-ever Museum Tech Pecha Kucha where attendees of the Museums and the Web conference in April will present their takeaways in less than 7 minutes. We will meet in the Stevenson Lecture Theatre at the British Museum. This informal get-together is for anyone interested in museums, technology and the social web. In an effort to continue the momentum inspired by MW2009, seven presenters will share their personal highlights from the conference in pecha kucha-style (http://tr.im/mgaA - ... NONE 2009-06-18 http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2763534/ http://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/87187/looking-for-eric.html By now, you’ll know that Ken Loach’s new film stars Eric Cantona as the imaginary mentor of a Manchester postman who suffers panic attacks... NONE http://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/87187/looking-for-eric.html http://www.timeout.com/london/books/event/146695/litro-live.html An evening of live storytelling and music celebrating journeys across borders, featuring authors Geoff Dyer, Alistair Boyd, Hugo Williams, Jake Arnott, Gemma Weekes and Stuart Silver, with music from Anglo-French band The... NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/books/event/146695/litro-live.html http://www.timeout.com/london/classical/event/147649/parthenogenesis.html James MacMillan conducts his 2000 concert work, written in collaboration with poet Michael Symmons Roberts, in this full staging courtesy of director Katie Mitchell. A young German woman is shocked by wartime bombing into... NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/classical/event/147649/parthenogenesis.html http://www.timeout.com/london/museums-attractions/event/144637/story-of-london-the-great-museum-marathon.html A tag team from the Museum of London takes on the epic task of performing the entire history of the city from 1000 to 2009 (time-wise, 10:00 to 20:09), from the Normans to the Middle Ages, on to the Great Fire and into the... NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/museums-attractions/event/144637/story-of-london-the-great-museum-marathon.html http://www.timeout.com/london/aroundtown/event/143832/charlotte-street-festival.html Charlotte Street is closed to traffic for the day and its many restaurants and bars are offering special festival dishes. Other attractions include a street market offering crafts, fashion and art, plus family activities... NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/aroundtown/event/143832/charlotte-street-festival.html http://www.timeout.com/london/clubs/event/146022/forever-heavenly.html Heavenly's last new night was such a success that they're back, back, back to launch Micachu's new mixtape at Cable. She's live with Kwes, Dels, Ghost Poet, Mayhem, Elan Tamara and friends, backed up with digi-dancehall to... NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/clubs/event/146022/forever-heavenly.html http://www.timeout.com/london/art/event/133357/gerhard-richter-portraits.html Magisterial and elusive, paintings from the 1960s onwards based on family snapshots and found photos NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/art/event/133357/gerhard-richter-portraits.html http://www.timeout.com/london/music/event/144323/ladyhawke.html Terrific Australian synth-rocker Pip Brown plies her punchy, sass-heavy and groovily retro blend of Cyndi Lauper, Bananarama and Pat Benatar as Ladyhawke, riding high(er) on the success of recently reissued irresistible... NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/music/event/144323/ladyhawke.html http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/2007/jonathan-barnbrook Last chance to see Friendly Fire - The Graphic Design of Jonathan Barnbrook. Last day Wednesday 10 October. Jonathan Barnbrook has emerged in the past two decades as one of the UK’s most consistently innovative graphic designers. Pioneering graphic design with a social conscience, Barnbrook makes powerful statements about corporate culture, consumerism, war and international politics. Through his work in both commercial and non-commercial spheres he combines wit, political savvy and bitter irony in equal measures. Friendly Fire traces Barnbrook's ... NONE http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/2007/jonathan-barnbrook http://bit.ly/IMZQi The Geffrye Museum is a real gem. It's a museum of the domestic interior and has a series of interlinking rooms showing the decor and lifestyles of the English home from 1600 to the present day. As you progress from the tudor wood-panelled rooms to the modern warehouse space, you get a wonderful overview of how much, yet how little, has changed in the average living room. The museum's setting: eighteenth century almshouses around a central lawned space, with gardens behind, is utterly charming and it has a very civilised cafe/restaurant too. Oh, and did I mention that it's free entry? Tube: Old Street (exit 2, then bus 243 or a 15 minute walk) / Liverpool Street + 149 or 242 bus. NONE /items/show/995 http://bit.ly/sQwwY Twenty-six talented artists, sculptors, ceramicists and designers/makers have studios at the cool-looking Chocolate Factory in Stoke Newington and for a weekend they are throwing open their doors and letting us see what they've been up to, browse and buy work direct from them. Check them out, it looks good. Tube: No tube but buses (149, 243,76,67) or overground train to Rectory Road (5 mins) or Dalston Kingsland (10 mins) NONE 2009-06-20 /items/show/996 http://bit.ly/16ZhFF Somerset House is a wonderful gallery with a magnificant huge central courtyard. They do outdoor screenings of films here (as well as concerts) and this year my highlights would include Slumdog Millionaire (2nd August), Wings of Desire (4th) plus Don't Look now (5th) and Strangers On A Train (6th). Check out the full listings and buy tickets soon. Tube: Temple / Covent Garden / Holborn NONE 2009-07-30 /items/show/998 http://bit.ly/na864 Junky Styling have been plying their wares in Brick Lane for over ten years now, not that you'd know - their particular brand of deconstructed fashion, with new pieces born of old, is as cutting edge now as it ever was. For example, they'll take a man's shirt and make it into a new, totally different shirt, where the ex-cuffs now form the collar and...listen, you'll have to go and look for yourselves, it's too cool and too funky to express in mere words. Admit it, you're curious. Tube: Liverpool Street / Aldgate East NONE /items/show/999 http://www.terroirswinebar.com/ Terroirs is new and sounds great, and would be worth booking in advance. Really good French food, a great wine selection and reasonable pricing in a classic French wine bar ambiance are making this a destination for foodie Londoners. Tube: Charing Cross NONE /items/show/1000 http://www.mymagma.com Magma have two fantastic book/magazine shops (one a few doors down from here) that print lovers must visit, but this is their 'product store' which sounds way too dry for this emporium of cool toys for grown-ups, believe me. If you want to check the retail zeitgeist you could do worse than start in here, where everything from the store design up will make you happy. Tube: Covent Garden / Leicester Square NONE /items/show/1001 http://bit.ly/3L2TPp One of London's quirkiest hidden delights Pollock's Toy museum is two houses in Fitzrovia (tucked in behind Goodge Street station just off Tottenham Court Road) housing an eclectic collection of toy theatres, teddy bears, wax and china dolls, board games, optical toys, folk toys, nursery furniture, mechanical toys and doll’s houses. Benjamin Pollock was the last of the Victorian Toy Theatre printers and this museum (with a lovely toyshop on the ground floor) is a must for the young at heart. Tube: Goodge Street NONE /items/show/1002 http://bit.ly/17vFk7 That Terence Conran, he's no fool. With Albion he's scored high marks yet again as he shows how to make an upmarket, updated caff (the Brit version of a cafe). Everything from a full English breakfast to steak and chips. The chips are great, by the way. And the design is, as you'd expect, fresh and streamlined. My favourite thing about this place though is the shop, piled high with classic British produce (think Marmite) and baked (on site) delights. Tube: Liverpool Street NONE /items/show/1003 http://www.favelalondon.com/ So, when I tell you that there's a really fun Brazilian bar/restaurant in Shoreditch with OTT decor, cocktails, internationally reknown DJs playing Brazilian rhythms, and a new chef cooking lovely fresh food, you're going to want to check it out I bet. See you there. Cocktails, food and dancing - the perfect combination, I always think. Tube: Old Street NONE /items/show/1004 http://bit.ly/iFrgX The Lovebox Allstars have been around for years and are past masters at playing beats of the disco, house and boogie variety so get along to their party at Favela Chic for midweek fun. Shake that booty, drink nice cocktails and you can even eat too. Tube: Old Street NONE 2009-06-17 /items/show/1005 http://bit.ly/w1lRh Taste London is a festival of food in Regent's Park where loads and loads of restaurants, chefs and producers of food and drink show off how clever they are and foodies like me and you wander around tasting things and saying "Mmm... that's delicious, I've got to try that again". Fun for all. Tube: Regent's Park, Great Portland Street, Baker Street. NONE 2009-06-18 /items/show/1006 http://bit.ly/xI2fB The Jazz Cafe is a great music venue and this monthly Sunday all-day (from 3pm) event gets Amadou & Mariam together with special guests in stripped down, unplugged jam sessions with African DJs later. If you don't know them, check out their Malian sounds here: http://www.amadou-mariam.com/. Amadou & Mariam are seriously talented superstars, as Damon Albarn and Coldplay have realised and, together with Marc-Antoine Moreau they curate this very special-sounding event. You can eat at the Jazz Cafe too (restaurant reservations: +442076888899). Tube: Camden Town NONE 2009-06-21 /items/show/1007 http://bit.ly/11ErHM Wilton's is a wonderful, crumbling old Music Hall. This evening in the eighteenth century bar they are showing 82 minutes of short film clips filmed in London from 1896 to 1945 to begin a summer of Mahogany Bar Nights. What a gorgeous way to absorb a bit of the history of this city, while having a glass of something in a beautiful building. It's free, from 4pm, but call first to reserve your place. After the film clips there will be dancing to 'a rousing round up of vintage vinyl to swing and shake to'. Which is also good. Tube: Tower Hill / Aldgate East (+ a stroll from both) NONE 2009-06-26 /items/show/1008 http://bit.ly/7glyE Now, Cath Kidston has exploded in the UK in the last five years, but if by chance you don't know her stuff, you should check out her Covent Garden Store where the Queen of Florals shows off the full range of her distinctive clothes and homewares. You have to love a floral washbag, I think - it's a breezy, post-ironic chintz. Tube: Covent Garden NONE /items/show/1009 http://bit.ly/6IyBt I am trying to think of an excuse to go to Bayswater so that I can check out this brand new women's fashion shop that looks enticing. Classic London Boho chic, with bijoux labels (think Simeon Ferrar, Rika, Jeffrey Montiero, Ambali, Yong, Betty B. & Roseanna) and shoes and lovely bits and pieces. Tube: Marble Arch NONE /items/show/1010 http://bit.ly/jJxYn Indie, indiepop, electro and techno are all on offer at this two room cool extravaganza of dance fun with live acts Minaars and Is Tropical and lots of good DJ's including CSS with Lovefoxxx & Adriana plus Cut and Shut Disco. And all for a fiver. Sounds like a classic Shoreditch night out. Tube: Old Street NONE 2009-06-27 /items/show/1011 http://bit.ly/1gtbQJ When a Michelin starred, ex Gordon Ramsay chef starts up his own place, everyone sits up. Bjorn van der Horst's place is in fact in two parts: the restaurant for fine dining (contemporary French cuisine) & the bistro for more classic market led French regional fare. Both sound great. Tube: Farringdon / Barbican NONE /items/show/1012 http://bit.ly/pMr8i When you go to Cheshire Street, as you must since it has one of the highest concentration of cool shops in the known world, make sure you carry on down far enough to look inside Ella Doran's shop. She is an internationally renowned textile designer who transforms your boring things into objects of beauty. So trays, mats, cups, blinds, you name it really, she will put a giant flower or an abstract pattern on it. And you will love it. Tube: Liverpool Street / Aldgate East NONE /items/show/1013 http://bit.ly/Ltlzf Since the Cinnamon Club in Westminster is one of my favourite high end fine dining places in London, it's only natural that I'm drooling over my keyboard as I see that they have opened a sister joint in the City. It will, I predict, marry Indian flavours and spicing with contemporary flair-filled dishes and be fantastic. There's even a seperate cocktail bar. And a terrace. Plus, it's in my neighbourhood, well, my end of town. I'm delirious. Am I dreaming? Tube: Liverpool Street NONE /items/show/1014 http://bit.ly/2lEaXS You may know Oliver Spencer (he has a shop in NYC too) but, if not, get down to the lovely Lamb's Conduit Street and check out his supremely wearable and elegantly effortless menswear. Tube: Holborn NONE /items/show/1015 http://bit.ly/lYX4K This is a showing of The Betrayal, an Oscar nominated documentary about Laotian refugees in Brooklyn. It's not often that you get to see a really good documentary on a big screen and this afternoon showing, part of Refugee Week, should be worth catching. Tube: Waterloo / Embankment NONE 2009-06-21 /items/show/1016 http://bit.ly/2yIYaQ For my last post before I hand on the baton of Guest Concierge, I offer you the Pullens Yard annual Summer Open Studios Weekend which is a fascinating event on many levels. Pullens, Iliffe and Peacock Yards are fabulous cobbled streets with original 1850's artists live/work units, still used as studios where artists, architects and designer-makers of all sorts (jewellers, photographers, metal sculptors...) throw open their studio doors. I've been to these Open Studios and there is a really good diverse range of work and lots of really interesting and lovely things to look at/buy. It's also a fascinating area, tucked in behind Elephant and Castle, which is a joy to explore. Tube: Kennington NONE 2009-07-17 /items/show/1017 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/Om-i96XnEYc/passion-for-fashion-auction.html I'm kicking myself for not getting this post up earlier, but I've been battling the non-pig-flu flu this week. So things have started to slide. Anyway, the Passion for Fashion auction actually took place in London yesterday, but I thought you might be interested to see some of the vintage goodies that went under the hammer. The auction included an astounding range of museum-worthy fashion, including dresses from 19th century gowns and rare examples from Yves Saint Laurent's Russian Collection, as well as Poiret, Schiaparelli, Lanvin, Balmain (see the exquisite embroidered black satin cocktail gown from AW 1959, above) and Gres. Not so very long ago I would have done something terrible for a Madame Gres pleated gown. Check out this fine example of her extraordinary talent and skill which was on offer yesterday: I was also surprised to discover a pair of Queen Victoria's fine linen knickers up for auction, which are described as "vast drawers" and embroidered with VR and a "queenly crown". And then there's a pair of her knitted silk stockings (also embroidered with her initials): Also included in the line-up were some beautifully structured Courrèges tunics, mini skirts and wool dresses (circa 1968-70): Check out the full catalogue online here. All images courtesy of Kerry Taylor Auctions. NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/Om-i96XnEYc/passion-for-fashion-auction.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/NmWuN-yY-bk/wee-find-halfpint-tees-for-fathers-day.html I spotted these pint and half-pint tees for adults and kids in Fabrications recently, and thought they were would make fun gifts for Father's Day. I'm usually wary of matching slogan tees for parent and child, but these are actually quite clever and rather adorable, and are available in a range of colours. They're made by quirky London-based company Twisted Twee , and you can buy direct from them online. Otherwise pop into Fabrications on Broadway Market on Saturday, and you'll have Father's Day sorted for Sunday. Fabrications 7 Broadway Market London E8 FPH Tel. 0207 275 8043 Click here for a Wee Birdy map. Opening hours: Tuesday-Saturday 12noon-5pm Or call for appointment. Nearest tube: Bethnal Green Station Nearest train: London Fields BR NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/NmWuN-yY-bk/wee-find-halfpint-tees-for-fathers-day.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/2JY3e47t8qg/crafty-happenings-in-london.html   Check out some of the mid-summer crafty happenings coming soon to a London church hall (or pub) near you … 1. Craftaholics Head to Islington for an afternoon of handmade and ethical products, including Bobby Dazzler’s soft toys and characters, Emma Ferguson’s embroidered goodies (see 'Hello' brooch above), Anima's ultra-girlie cupcakes, Seif Alhasani’s prints and sketchbooks and Louise Graham’s ceramics.   Craftaholics Saturday 27 June 12pm-5pm The Old Queen's Head 44 Essex Road London N1 8LN Free admission 2. Button Willow Bazaar A summer fete with a line-up of old-school favourites like tombola, guess the weight of the cake and a celebrity vegetable competition. There will also be handmade and vintage stalls along with tea, cake and a “nice glass of sherry”. Sounds delightful!   Button Willow Bazaar Saturday 20 June 12pm-7pm St Aloysius Church Hall 20 Phoenix Road London NW1 1TA Free admission 3. Sample and seconds sale Pick up some hand-crafted bargains by the likes of Poppy Treffry (embroidered home textiles), Daisy Dunlop (resin jewellery) and The Black Rabbit (quirky knitted gifts) at a sample and seconds sale. There’s also free tea and cake.   Samples and seconds sale Friday 19 and Saturday 20 June 10am-6pm. St James the Less church hall Vauxhall Bridge Road London SW1V 2PS All images courtesy of the artists. NONE 2009-06-10 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/2JY3e47t8qg/crafty-happenings-in-london.html http://www.trazzler.com/trips/the-rake-in-bankside-se1-9-ag-united-kingdom-gb If I had a pound for every time I heard “this is the smallest bar in London”, I’d have roughly £8 ($13 for US readers, according to current conversion rates). In the case of The Rake, nestled in a corner of the wonderful Borough Market, they may even be right. This place is smaller than the average English garden shed, yet in a marvellous juxtaposition, it offers the widest range of beers in the city. Set up by the people behind Utobeer, who have been selling speciality drinks from around the world in the market for several years now, The Rake isn’t the place to come if you’re looking for some tasteless BudMillerCarlsbergLite beer. This is strictly a quality selection with over 100 bottled beers to mull over in the refrigerators, plus specials on tap that change frequently. Upon waiting to get served, you may well be stuck behind some beer anorak asking staff if they have some Ethiopian wheat beer they once tried on their travels, but mainly it’s just a great way of trying new beer in the heart of London. NONE http://www.trazzler.com/trips/the-rake-in-bankside-se1-9-ag-united-kingdom-gb http://www.trazzler.com/trips/the-national-gallery-in-london-greater-london-wc2n-5-gb Sandro Botticelli's Venus and Mars, housed in London's National Gallery, depicts Venus, the goddess of love, staring on peacefully as her lover, the god of war Mars, dozes, physically spent and oblivious to the mischievous satyrs jousting playfully with his weapons. Botticelli's implicit message? Love always conquers war. There is much noted artistry in this painting: the shading and modulation around Mars' limp hands and Venus' angular face; the subtle sexuality of Venus' leg showing through her sheer, wispy dress; and the wasps (vespe in Italian) circling Mars' head—a tribute to the Vespucci family, noted patrons of Botticelli and Florence's blossoming art scene during the Renaissance. The 1485 painting served as the spalliera, or backboard, of a chest or a bed, and was commissioned on the occasion of a wedding—the ideal opportunity to commemorate, through art, the staying power of love. NONE http://www.trazzler.com/trips/the-national-gallery-in-london-greater-london-wc2n-5-gb http://www.trazzler.com/trips/dali-universe-in-lambeth-se1-7-pb-united-kingdom-gb In an age when most great art is viewed only after purchasing tickets, Dali Universe on the south bank of the Thames gives it away for free. Every day thousands of Londoners and tourists alike flock to the south bank to ride the London Eye—and find themselves passing melting clocks, strangely twisted metal, and elephants with too many joints. A visionary, broad-minded artist, Dali created objets d’art that represent surrealism at its best. Make a point to stop by Space Elephant—the juxtaposition of this futuristic beast next to the pod-shaped London Eye carriages will leave your mind spinning. NONE http://www.trazzler.com/trips/dali-universe-in-lambeth-se1-7-pb-united-kingdom-gb http://www.londontown.com/London/Walking_in_London Whether you're a walker or a wanderer, a strider or a stroller, London is perfect for seeing the sights on foot. Navigate city streets and markets or escape the hustle and bustle by ambling through parks and along the river. NONE http://www.londontown.com/London/Walking_in_London http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/HvUmKpg3Zc8/what-to-take-home-thames-pin.html This wee wriggly worm is actually a limited edition, gold-plated pin, shaped like the river Thames. Designed by Kit Grover exclusively for the London Design Museum shop, it is also reflective of the folkloric bent pin, which has been used as votive offering in many cultures. Thousands of bent pins have been found on the Thames foreshore and down hundreds of London's holy wells, which were thrown into the water to grant wishes or to allow a safe crossing. Great value for a unique London souvenir. Thames pin, £5, limited edition of 100 by Kit Grover for the London Design Museum shop. NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/HvUmKpg3Zc8/what-to-take-home-thames-pin.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/WYd6fFR2hFE/shopping-in-london-suck-and-chew.html I’m a real sucker for nostalgic sweet shops, and Suck and Chew on Columbia Road is no exception. Look out for the pillar-box red shopfront if you’re visiting on flower market Sundays and you’ll be treated to old-retro favourites like Rhubarb and Custards, Cola Cubes and Rosy Apples. There’s also a delectable selection of handmade organic chocolate truffles from Norfolk (I love the champagne and strawberry) as well as some unique retro-inspired gifts, like Beano and Dandy tea-towels (£7.99) and blackboard mugs (£4.50). Keep an eye out for the vintage cards, Ladybird books and chocolate tins (from £5), as well as the adorable Topsy and Tim badges (£1.50). Fans of the area should also seek out the ‘I heart Columbia Road’ badges (75p). Suck and Chew 130 Columbia Road London E2 7RG Tel. 020 8983 3504 Nearest tube: Liverpool Street Click here for a Wee Birdy map. Opening hours: Saturday 1pm to 4.30pm Sunday 9am to 4.30pm Click here for more shops on Columbia Road. NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/WYd6fFR2hFE/shopping-in-london-suck-and-chew.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/dtYWQO7fX5k/wee-find-peter-jensen-resort-2010.html It's no secret that I’m a wee bit in love with Peter Jensen’s Scandi/folkie/girlie aesthetic, and his latest bunny-tastic collection (Resort 2010) just confirmed my crush. Showcased in London last week in a set designed and illustrated by Charlotte Mann , Jensen’s line-up included a recurring bunny print, which popped up on an adorable grey swimsuit (with long white ‘ears’ as straps) and some fabulously kooky bunny glasses, courtesy of Tatty Devine . Twee bunny fun aside, I love the print shift dress and the sparkly blue cardie – but I’m really dying to get my hands on a pair of the printed and be-ribboned ballet flats. All images courtesy of Style.com . NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/dtYWQO7fX5k/wee-find-peter-jensen-resort-2010.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/pg2lMOO2oyI/bird.html Tine K hand-painted birdies , £14.95, are designed in Denmark and ethically produced in Taiwan. They're available at Bohemia in Edinburgh. NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/pg2lMOO2oyI/bird.html http://bit.ly/EBUmp You will see all sides of the British personality at Trafalgar Square's living art experiment - sculptor Antony Gormley has invited members of the public onto the square's statue-less Fourth Plinth. Every hour, 24 hours a day, for 100 days a different person will make the Plinth their own - they are free to do anything as long as it's not illegal. The work has already generated fury from the director of the nearby National Gallery and the line-up could be politely described as 'eclectic'. An evening visit will also let you enjoy the charming British tradition of heckling as people emerge from the local pubs and clubs. Tube: Charing Cross NONE 2009-07-13 /items/show/1034 http://bit.ly/3wDsXH London Bridge is 800 years old and hundreds of performers will be celebrating its heritage for the next two weeks. A replica of the The Golden Hinde galleon called the The Crow's Nest will host sea shanties and street songs while the wonderful Old Operating Theatre museum will hold storytelling sessions. Comedians performing include Marcus Brigstocke, Brendon Burns and Stephen K Amos and there will be shows at the Rose Theatre and Southwark Playhouse. The wine tasting attraction Vinopolis, worth a visit any time, will be holding a ceilidh (we looked it up so you don't have to - its a traditional Gaelic social dance!). All in all 169 events over 14 days means that there should be something of interest for everyone. Tube: London Bridge (of course!) NONE 2009-07-10 /items/show/1035 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/3L5MY2lXVd4/strictly-for-harry-potter-fans.html I had a bit of a wobble over whether to post these Etsy finds, for fear you'd think I'd lost my mind (or worse, turned this blog into Wee Mousie). Dear reader, may I introduce the Harry Potter mouse , complete with hand-stitched scar, wire glasses, and hand-knitted scarf. For some reason it's escaped the clutches of official Warner Bros licensed merchandise. But wait, there's more... .... what's Harry Potter Mouse without his evil nemesis, Lord Voldemouse (of course), and ... ... his best mate, Ron Weasley Mouse . All courtesy of the House of Mouse's Etsy shop (and if you're super-keen, you may like to check out the Star Wars mice). NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/3L5MY2lXVd4/strictly-for-harry-potter-fans.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/YHJ_bL0UMuk/craft-capital-london-handmade-happenings-pt1.html When I first started Wee Birdy (my second blogiversary is this week!), I was very keen to cover the so-called contemporary craft scene, and had quite a few things to say about the topic . But it was only just starting to get off the ground in London, with just a few events dotted around the capital. Fast-forward two years and the trend has completely taken off, with all sorts of enterprising crafty individuals, independent companies, stitch-and-bitch pub nights and handmade events popping up around town. The Make Lounge (pictured above and below) set the scene when it came along in 2008, offering a full menu of crafty workshops from its stylish boutique in Islington. It's not only become a popular venue for functions, birthday parties and hen's nights, but has partnered with the likes of high street store Oasis, Twestival, Innocent Village Fete and the V&A Museum to bring 'making-and-doing' to the masses. And to cater for the increasing demand for craft supplies, The Make Lounge are in the process of fitting out a new shop on site, which will stock fabrics, patterns and craft kits as well as haberdashery, Janome sewing machines and overlockers, and a selection of handmade goods by UK designer-makers. Crafty peeps at The Make Lounge. No doubt the recession (with calls to Make do and Mend), increasingly urgent environmental concerns (with consumers seeking alternatives to mass production), as well as the extraordinary success of handmade websites like Etsy , Folksy and Dawanda are responsible for the increased interest in all things handmade, which is also reflected in the sheer volume of craft-related blogs that have sprung up in recent months. Not to mention that crafting can be a particularly fun, creative, and a sociable pastime. People like the idea of 'making stuff' and are desperate to learn forgotten skills such as embroidery, crochet and knitting. And if there was any doubt that the trend has been embraced by the mainstream, one only has to look to Net-a-porter ’s move to stock a (faintly ridiculous) £70 knitting kit by Parisian collective Wool and the Gang from July 15. I’ve had quite a few emails from some of you requesting more info on what’s happening in London, so I’ve done a bit of digging to bring you the very latest on craft in the capital: Finishing School Fiona and Becky are the two pals behind Finishing School , an evening they run at a pub in Islington for meeting up, making stuff and drinking wine. They say it’s a bit like grown-up Brownies, with the aim of learning a new skill each session (whilst making new friends). They source local experts to lead the group, with Catherine Hirst taking the crochet workshop for their very first meet-up last month. Next up is life drawing tonight, Tuesday 14 July, hosted by Louise Reade. All abilities are welcome and basic materials are provided. Entry is free with an optional donation. Finishing School Next lesson: Tuesday 14 July from 7pm The Geography Room at William IV. 7 Shepherdess Walk London N1 7QE Nearest Tubes: Old Street and Angel Tea and Make Stylist Sally Curtis and artist Esther Yarnold (such a good, crafty name, no?) have collaborated to create Tea & Make , which aims to celebrate regional craft and lots of making-and-doing through a series of events. Their very first ‘fete’ is in August, with an excellent line-up of artists and designers selling their wares ( Garudio Studiage , Pheasant, Hannah Waldron , Sara Tierney, Abigail Thomas , Kathleen Stern, interim, Polly George , Laura Laura are confirmed so far), as well as classes and events on the day (including Pete Fowler’s Design a Monster workshop). Keep an eye on their blog for more details. Loving that they've got an art vending machine courtesy of Pingo , as well as the Choc Star van (offering such choc delights as Mexican chocolate icecream, Malteser muffins and Hot Chocolate floats) on hand for the day. One to watch. Tea and Make Saturday 22 August 2009 11am-5pm St Saviour’s, Brockley Rise, Forest Hill London SE23 1JN £1 admission. Create Boutique A relatively new independent craft studio, Create Boutique offers a range of fashion and trend-led workshops by a network of industry specialists. Here you can learn to make a raft of deluxe products and accessories, including organic body cream, bow-themed jewellery and accessories and Burlesque nipple tassles (known as pasties in the biz). There’s also a hats workshop led by milliner Katherine Elizabeth, who has worked with Stephen Jones and created headpieces for the likes of Dita von Teese. Workshops start at £35. Stay tuned to the website for upcoming dates. NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/YHJ_bL0UMuk/craft-capital-london-handmade-happenings-pt1.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/i5eA0dvA-M8/birdy-pick-of-the-week-1.html Some Aussie birdies for a change, this time by South Australian designer Alice Potter . Her sterling silver necklaces are available from Collect in Sydney, which showcases some of Australia’s most respected object makers and designers. Images courtesy of Object Gallery . Photography by Joy Lai. NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/i5eA0dvA-M8/birdy-pick-of-the-week-1.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/uJYuQtrFKMs/bust-london-summer-craftacular.html Bust magazine is back in London for summer with another cracking Craftacular. And if the Christmas event was anything to go by (packed to the rafters with hipster kids and handmade fanatics), the next one will be another big hit on the crafty calendar, with over 50 handpicked stalls, demonstrations and workshops, drinks and DJs, as well as the ever-popular Lady Luck Pop Up Tea Shoppe (loving the sound of their home-baked fancies, special summer ice-cream cupcakes and homemade lemonade!). This year Tatty Devine are back, and will be enlisting the help of Craftacular goers to set a World Record for the longest-ever charm bracelet. If you’ve got a crafty business and are considering applying for a stall, be quick, as applications close tomorrow (Monday 13 July). Not to be missed! Bust London Summer Craftacular Saturday 22 August 12pm until 8pm York Hall 5-15 Old Ford Road London E2 Nearest tube: Bethnal Green Goodie bags for the first 100 attendees, raffle and more! Admission: £2 Check out the Facebook page. All images courtesy of Bust Craftacular. NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/uJYuQtrFKMs/bust-london-summer-craftacular.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/yGB2nHGTu8A/wee-etsy-pick-emedemarta.html Remember how I was telling you about the Barcelona shopping feature I was researching for Time Out London ? Well, another local who steered me in the right direction was Marta Marginet, whose super-adorable Etsy shop and blog caught my eye a while ago. She creates the sweetest hand-embroidered frame purses (I particularly love the simplicity of the black bunny outline on a white background) as well as hand-carved jewellery. Check out her other creations at her Etsy shop here . Her blog is also well worth a click, with lots of beautiful photography from her recent travel adventures. NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/yGB2nHGTu8A/wee-etsy-pick-emedemarta.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/c9A4g8lqMHU/my-secret-london-with-imelda-burke.html In the latest instalment of My Secret London , I caught up with Marylebone's organic beauty queen, Imelda Burke, owner and founder of Content Beauty/Wellbeing . She opened up her little black book to share some of her secret London gems... Best for a books? Books are an ongoing obsession – our house is covered in them. We’ve got everything from art and photography books to medical encyclopaedias - it’s quite an eclectic collection. I go to Donlon Books for the hard-to-finds. It has the best photography and art collection and books on subculture. It’s now got two stores - one in Bethnal Green and one in Broadway market. For books to give your brain a workout, I love The School of Life . Their faculty have read their way through thousands of books to bring you a carefully edited selection. They have the best categorisation of any bookshop I’ve been to. Shelves are organized in the following topics: How to turn over a new leaf How to know you’re in love How to be green on the cheap How to be more creative How to enjoy your own company How to make the world a better place How to find pleasure in everyday things How to understand your childhood How to survive melancholy How to find a job you love How to think deeply about life How to get on with other people Charlotte Mann's hand-drawn walls at The School of Life. Best for vintage? The Peanut Vendor , a mid-century furniture shop based in Newington Green in Islington. It’s filled with wonderful, previously-loved pieces of furniture and homewares as well as design classics. Look out for G-Plan and Ercol classics. Best for interiors and gifts? Rob Ryan’s store on Columbia Road, Ryantown , would have to be my favourite. From tiles to prints, glassware and now cushions – we decorated the treatment room at CONTENT BEAUTY/WELLBEING with his ‘No other planet could be as beautiful as this one’ print. Best for stationery? I love a notebook and the best come from www.o-check.net . Their ‘Another Day, Cloudy Memory’ notebooks are sometimes available from twentytwentyone . Made from old-school heavy newsprint paper, numbered and fabric-bound. I also love their cards, especially the ‘Spring Bird’. Others I love are from the Monocle shop in Marylebone. Great linen-backed notebooks designed by the Monocle team in London and produced in Germany by Brandbook. Best for kids? Jabberwockie in Islington has the best clothes, gifts and shoes for kids. Great for presents, skincare and quirky Japanese ranges. Don’t bother with the mainstream. Best for beauty/skincare? That would be my own shop, CONTENT, of course! A selection of the best organic brands such as Dr Alkaitis and Pai Skincare and established near-natural brands like Ren and Nude. We also have one of the most extensive collections of natural perfumes and hold CONTENT wellbeing evenings once a month, which include food and wine tastings and tips for keeping healthy from our team of naturopaths. Best London souvenir? I think the best thing to take home from London is an appreciation for the diversity living in a large city brings and the energy it creates. Best place to eat? Saf vegan restaurant in Curtain Road. Click here for a Wee Birdy map of Imelda's secret addresses. Click here for more Secret Londons . NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/c9A4g8lqMHU/my-secret-london-with-imelda-burke.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/0q0CiOgGCNw/dont-miss-emma-cook-sample-sale.html I'm fully participating in Park Life on Friday evening (Blur's playing in Hyde Park!), otherwise I'd be making a mad dash to the Emma Cook sample sale. It sounds truly amazing, and will act as a tasty prelude to her upcoming collection for Topshop (out end of July). Hopefully there will still be enough good stuff kicking around on Saturday morning. See you there! NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/0q0CiOgGCNw/dont-miss-emma-cook-sample-sale.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/s8YYVIgiQOQ/wee-finds-jemma-jube.html London’s been sweltering in a mini heatwave over the past few days, and thoughts have inevitably turned to air-conditioning (the Tube is finally getting it in 2010, but until then it’s industrial-sized fans, inane and hopelessly pointless hot weather warnings and bottles of water), icecream (I do love the Mr Whippy van on Tottenham Court Road) and bikinis. Yep, swimsuit season is upon us, and if you’re looking for a particularly flattering one, you may like to check out this week’s issue of Time Out (it’s the one with Blur on the cover!) for my top five picks of London’s best (apologies for shameless plug). One of them is by London/Australian brand Jemma Jube , pictured in this post. These four amazing campaign images are the collaborative result of an Aussie team, and the illustrious credits go to: concept and creative direction by Mel Kier; photography by Mel Kier and Liz Ham; retouching by Grace Testa at Studio Twenty4; styling by Mel Kier; make-up by Natasha Severino, Di Dusting, Aimie Feibig; hair by Sophie Roberts and Di Dusting; and models Lucy Edwards, Emma Booth, Candice Lake, Vivi Valentine, Lorelei Lee, Judy and Jessie. Jemma Jube is available at Miss Lala’s Boudoir in London. Miss Lala’s Boudoir 18 Monmouth Street London WC2H 9HB Tel. 020 7836 6670 Nearest tube: Covent Garden/Leicester Square. Click here for a Wee Birdy map . Images courtesy of Jemma Jube . NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/s8YYVIgiQOQ/wee-finds-jemma-jube.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/_tJ8F1III6Q/london-mustdrinks-bloody-mary-at-automat.html Anyone who's spent a little time in my company knows that I fully appreciate the finer qualities of a well-made, full-bodied Bloody Mary. I won't linger on the makings of the perfect Bloody Mary, suffice to say that it usually comes down to good quality tomato juice (and vodka), as well as just the right balance of Worcester sauce, chilli sauce/Tabasco, salt and pepper. And a deft squeeze of lemon is crucial. Too much lemon can be a great Bloody Mary's undoing. Same goes for too much ice (watered-down spicy tomato juice is not very pleasing). I've had quite a few excellent Bloody Marys in London ( The Wolseley , The Narrow , and The Diner ) but I love visiting Automat on a late Saturday morning, usually following a prolonged tour of Dover Street Market . May I suggest that the Bloody Mary goes down particularly well with the classic Automat burger, which comes complete with pickle and a side-serving of fries. Very pleasing, indeed. Happy Saturday! Automat 33 Dover Street London W1S 4NF Tel. 020 7499 3033 Nearest tube: Green Park Click here for a Wee Birdy map. For shopping in Mayfair, click here. NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/_tJ8F1III6Q/london-mustdrinks-bloody-mary-at-automat.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/aE6LqQ8Zja8/wee-find-im-bad-tshirt.html 'I'm Bad' t-shirt, £24.50, by Lazy Oaf . RIP MJ. NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/aE6LqQ8Zja8/wee-find-im-bad-tshirt.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/e1eKo3a_O9g/wee-etsy-pick-misako-mimoko.html A few weeks ago I was researching a story for Time Out magazine on the best shops in Barcelona, so I sought the advice of a few very clever, in-the-know crafty bloggers. One of them is Eva Monleón Cifo, (aka Misako Mimoko ) a multimedia designer who also handcrafts rag dolls using vintage fabrics. I really love her vintage-toy-inspired creations, which have are characterised by a rather joyful, free-spirited and unfinished quality. These are just come of her little people, which are all available to purchase from her Etsy shop . So lovely. And if you like embroidering yourself, you might like to download one of Eva’s free patterns – go to her blog post here . (And thank you Eva for all your brilliant Barcelona shopping tips!) I'll be posting about a couple more Barcelona bloggers - and their wonderful Etsy shops - over the next couple of weeks, so stay tuned. NONE http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weebirdy/~3/e1eKo3a_O9g/wee-etsy-pick-misako-mimoko.html http://socialwhisper.wordpress.com/2009/07/03/boutiques-cakes-and-sluttery/ Last night I popped down to the shopping event hosted by the guys at Domestic Sluttery at Something on Lambs Conduit Street. I’m a big fan of small boutiquey store and I wasn’t disappointed. The store is gorgeous and has lots of lovely items that you wont find down the highstreet (that are also really affordable). As well as the lovely things is the shop, we were also treated to Pimms and yummy cakes from Kennards across the road as well as a goodie bag to take home. Although Somethin NONE http://socialwhisper.wordpress.com/2009/07/03/boutiques-cakes-and-sluttery/ http://hollisterhovey.blogspot.com/2009/07/revolution.html Sparklers are fine, but why not use the 4th to play full on George (Washington) v. George (III) games. To do it properly, you'll have to pop to Ede & Ravenscroft in London (a decided advantage for the George III player and a bit heretic for the GW, though he probably got his wigs there, too). Have about $1,200 handy for starter models at England's greatest wig tailor. Top image courtesy MykReeve 's flickr site. NONE http://hollisterhovey.blogspot.com/2009/07/revolution.html http://directoryoflondon.net/blog/?p=1406 Credit crunch What is the best thing about the credit crunch? Is there one? Obviously redundancies, unemployment and having to start shopping at Aldi are not right up there, but is there anything good that has come out of these troubled times? If you’re living in London, this great melting pot of culture and opportunity, surely there must be some pockets of Blitz spirit sticking two fingers up to the commercial hangover we’re all stuck in. Well actually, there are… As something of a shoppin NONE http://directoryoflondon.net/blog/?p=1406 http://celebsport.com/celebrity/britney-spears-shopping-queen/ While the world mourned the expiration of the King of Pop , the Princess of Pop spent the period shopping in Beverly Hills. Hey at small she had the slug boots on and she wore a undergarment and panties. More Britney: VIDEO - SNTV - author Shopping activate comes to an end Still Shopping NONE http://celebsport.com/celebrity/britney-spears-shopping-queen/ http://rackkas.com/195/strategies-for-blog-promotion/ You and your blog on the Internet. The next obvious thing in mind, strategies for advertising, the blog is visible to others. This requires a degree of planning, what kind of tools you use to create strategies for promoting your blog. These strategies should be a reasonable amount before them. Blog strategies for development are manifolded. Yet, as below good strategies that work for your blog. 1) search engine and directories on your blog Web directories such as Yahoo and Google as a sear NONE http://rackkas.com/195/strategies-for-blog-promotion/ http://www.poorbritney.com/blog/?p=8267 "I'm so excited to bring The Circus back to North America. I've made some really cool changes to the show that I think my fans are really going to love. I also get to bring the show to some new cities we missed the first time around," exclaims Britney. NONE http://www.poorbritney.com/blog/?p=8267 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=3420 The London Art Book Fair will be taking place at the Whitechapel Gallery on 25-27 September. It will include stalls by all big art publishing houses, international artist bookmakers and gallery presses, alongside a wider programme of talks and events. NONE 2009-07-25 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=3420 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=3707 Michael Palin will be signing copies of his diary, "Halfway to Hollywood" at the Hatchards store in Piccadilly. The second volume of Palin's diaries covers the 1980s -- a decade in which the Monty Python members branched out into their separate careers. NONE 2009-12-01 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=3707 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=3705 Dame Vera Lynn will be signing copies of her autobiography, 'Some Sunny Day' at Hatchards. This national treasure is over ninety years old now, and shot to fame in World War II when her songs helped the Brits defeat the Nazis. NONE 2009-07-12 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=3705 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=3709 Gastro-chef Heston Blumenthal will be signing copies of his new book, "In Search Of Total Perfection", at the Selfridges store in Oxford Street. Heston is a regular on the telly, and his "Fat Duck" restaurant in Berkshire was awarded its third Michelin star in January 2004. NONE 2009-07-01 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=3709 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=2971 The papers are reporting that her marriage has just hit the rocks, so it's probably best to leave your Peter Andre CDs at home. But if you want the model Jordan to sign a copy of her new book "Sapphire" instead, then drop into Selfridges on the 23rd July. NONE 2009-03-01 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=2971 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=3772 The stars of TV's "Torchwood" -- John Barrowman, Eve Myles and Gareth David-Lloyd -- will be meeting fans and signing copies of their new DVD "Torchwood: Series 3: Children Of The Earth" at the HMV store in Oxford Street. NONE http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=3772 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=2973 Bill Bryson, the bestselling author of "Notes From A Small Island" and other mega-selling travel tomes, will be dumping his luggage at Waterstones for an evening of laid-back chat. Hear him discuss his journeys and experiences around the globe in search of stories. NONE http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=2973 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=2533 Sebastian Faulks will be in Selfridges on the 4th June signing copies of "Devil May Care". This is one of his Ian Fleming-style James Bond novels, and just became Penguin's fastest selling hardback ever -- and now you can join him for the launch of the paperback version. NONE 2009-11-01 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=2533 http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=2531 One of Britain's best-loved chefs, Jamie Oliver, will be signing copies of his new "Jamie" magazine at Selfridges. If you want to meet the guy, then be advised that you need to buy a copy of something with Jamie's face on the front -- which includes any of his three thousand cookery books. NONE http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=2531 http://www.timeout.com/london/restaurants/features/7322/London-s_best_noodles.html We've untangled the capital's udon, ramen and pho NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/restaurants/features/7322/London-s_best_noodles.html http://www.timeout.com/london/art/event/137412/baroque-1620-1800-style-in-the-age-of-magnificence.html Last chance to catch this dazzling exhibition NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/art/event/137412/baroque-1620-1800-style-in-the-age-of-magnificence.html http://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/event/143796/bassline-london.html Video & sound installation in the Barbican's Car Park 5 NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/event/143796/bassline-london.html http://www.timeout.com/london/aroundtown/event/150913/london-bridge-festival-anniversary-fair.html London Bridge celebrates its 800th anniversary NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/aroundtown/event/150913/london-bridge-festival-anniversary-fair.html http://www.timeout.com/london/shopping/features/5406/Londons_best_hairdressers.html Time Out writers tried and tested hairdressers and barbers in the capital to find the best places to get haircuts and treatments, and not a ‘Krazy Kutz’, or ‘Curl Up and Dye’ among them... NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/shopping/features/5406/Londons_best_hairdressers.html http://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/features/5084/Outdoor_theatre.html We pick the hottest outdoor tickets in town NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/features/5084/Outdoor_theatre.html http://www.timeout.com/london/bars/features/3227/London-s_best_beer_gardens.html The best outdoor drinking spots in town NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/bars/features/3227/London-s_best_beer_gardens.html http://www.timeout.com/london/museums-attractions/event/147121/grimaldi-corner-and-clowns-international-archive.html Props and costumes from Britain's famous clowns NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/museums-attractions/event/147121/grimaldi-corner-and-clowns-international-archive.html http://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/87289/public-enemies.html Michael Mann’s take on the Dillinger saga NONE http://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/87289/public-enemies.html http://www.timeout.com/london/sport/features/8056/Outdoor_swimming_in_London.html London's best lidos and open-air swimming spots NONE http://www.timeout.com/london/sport/features/8056/Outdoor_swimming_in_London.html http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/kings-place-london.htm An exceptional event in London for families with free family art activities and an unplugged stage featuring celebration of good music and something for all. NONE 2009-07-26 http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/kings-place-london.htm http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/disney-on-ice-princess-wishes.htm Disney On Ice Princess Wishes will be coming to the O2 arena in London for a limited number of shows in October and November to take you to the world of wishes. NONE 2009-10-28 http://www.lth-hotels.com/london_events/disney-on-ice-princess-wishes.htm http://bit.ly/31VR7K The Proms is an eight-week summer season of classical music concerts building up to the triumphal, flag-wavingly patriotic finale that is the "Last Night". Each year the BBC's festival takes over London's Royal Albert Hall and Cadogan Hall, as well as other venues in Kensington. There are over 100 concerts as well as films, talks and family events. There is also a "Party in the Park" on the last night where thousands can enjoy the celebrations in Hyde Park. The BBC has a great deal of coverage on Radio 3 and television but prices are traditionally low, the artists are word class and the atmosphere is so unique you should try and get along to at least one of the events. The BBC's dedicated site is a great place to start as it has lots of detail on what's on when, recommendations and the history of the Proms. NONE 2009-07-17 /items/show/1079 http://bit.ly/hjxbK The Serpentine Gallery is situated in the classical Tea Pavilion in Kensington Gardens next door to Hyde Park. It holds public displays of modern and contemporary art as well as its exhibitions and architecture. A tradition since 2000 has been the commissioning of an architect to design a temporary pavilion to be erected in the grounds. This year it has been designed by leading Japanese architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa. They describe it as "floating aluminium, drifting freely between the trees like smoke". Well we wouldn't know about that but this is must see if you are enjoying the sun in the parks nearby - which is also a must! Diana, Princess of Wales, is a former patron of the Gallery and there is a permanent work at the gallery entrance dedicated to her. Nearest tube: South Kensington NONE 2009-07-16 /items/show/1080 http://bit.ly/9iuYx "There is only one sale" This legendary London sale is as grand as ever. Harrods is recognised as one of the largest and most famous department stores in the world. Their motto is to provide "all things for all people everywhere". Perhaps it is a little less exclusive than in the days when they had their own fleet of ships scouring the globe on behalf of their patrons, but never the less it is a good place to spend a few hours, and you will probably end up the proud owner of a famous green bag. NONE 2009-07-16 /items/show/1082 http://bit.ly/mVFsb One of the best activities in London is a walk down the Southbank - start from Westminster Bridge and follow the Thames river front all the way down to Tower Bridge further east and on to Shad Thames where the old river warehouses have been converted into trendy restaurants, bars and of course flats. On the way you will see the London Eye, the spectacular Tate Modern and also the stark 60's architecture of the Southbank Centre - if its a hot day, Jeppe Hein's interactive fountain may tempt you. Walls of water rise and fall randomly to create a series of constantly changing 'rooms', challenging visitors to not get soaked! The Southbank Centre itself is worthy of attention with its wide-ranging programme of classical & world music, rock & pop, jazz, dance, literature and the visual arts. NONE 2009-07-16 /items/show/1083 http://bit.ly/JNgQs Shoreditch is an area in the East End of London which is known for its artisitic community, trendy residents and its nightlife. It is often linked with nearby Hoxton as a destination for bright young things to show off the latest in asymmetrical haircuts and way out fashion at the numerous clubs and bars in the area. The festival features the 'Proms in Shoreditch Park' on Friday, with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and a fireworks finale. Saturday has live music, a tea-dance tent, the English National Ballet and films in the new amphitheatre including Buster Keaton's silent classic 'Steamboat Bill Jnr' with live piano accompaniment (screenings 2.30pm, 5pm). 'World in Motion' on Sunday is a day created by young people for all featuring live music, dance and film. The nearby Columbia Road flower market is a must visit in the morning - a Sunday tradition with some of the liveliest cockney market stall holders. While in the area you should also check out the free Gilbert & George show at the White Cube gallery on Hoxton Square - it has work from their new project of manipulated and collaged photographic imagery . Nearest tube: Old Street NONE 2009-07-17 /items/show/1084 http://bit.ly/ZR3MM One of London's best weekend festivals, Lovebox, is back. The two-day festival features on Saturday Duran Duran, N*E*R*D, Friendly Fires, Florence & The Machine and Dan Black while on Sunday are Groove Armada, Doves, New York Dolls, Gary Newman and Noah & The Whale, amongst others. Keep an eye out for some amazing after-parties around Shoreditch and Hoxton. NONE 2009-07-18 /items/show/1085 http://bit.ly/1guhJ The entrance to this pub, in an unassuming alley of Fleet Street, lists the reign of 15 monarchs through which it has survived. One of the oldest pubs in London Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese was rebuilt shortly after the Great Fire of 1666 and there has been a pub at the location since 1538. There are numerous gloomy bars and rooms and an open fireplace in the winter. Oliver Goldsmith, Mark Twain, Alfred Tennyson and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, as well as Dr. Samuel Johnson (whose house is around the corner) are all said to have been 'regulars' - a painting of Johnson and his biographer, Boswell, was found recently in a cellar. Charles Dickens was also a frequent visitor to the pub and the character Charles Darnay in A Tale of Two Cities is lead "up a covered way, into a tavern where Charles Darnay was soon recruiting his strength with a good plain dinner and good wine" A famous resident of the pub was a parrot whose mimicry entertained drinkers for forty years and whose death was announced on the BBC and covered by newspaper obituaries around the world. NONE /items/show/1086 http://bit.ly/hom1J One for the more adventurous of you. Frank's is a 'pop up' cafe and bar on top of a multi-storey car park in a less than salubrious suburb of London. Disembarking on floor 6 (the lift won’t go any higher), and walking through the car park to floor 10 take some time to enjoy the various art installations that have been put in place as part of the Bold Tendencies exhibition. Frank’s itself boasts stunning city vistas in the most unlikely of surroundings. A temporary tent-like structure designed by Paloma Gormley (daughter of sculptor Antony) and hand-made wooden tables, benches and chairs allow you to enjoy a cocktail or some great grill food (the grilled lamb and corn on the cob are recommended) and watch the sunset. Frank’s Cafe is definitely worth a visit before it ceases to exist on September 30. Opens: 11am to 10pm Thursday to Sunday Train station: Peckham Rye NONE 2009-06-30 /items/show/1087 http://bit.ly/qSniA Artangel are reopening the copper sulphate crystallised flat in Elephant and Castle which has earned its creator, Roger Hiorns, a nomination for this year's Turner Prize exhibition. 75,000 litres of copper sulphate were pumped into a council flat resulting in all surfaces being covered in growths of eery blue crystal Seizure is open Thurs-Sat, 11am-7pm, Sundays, 11am-5pm. Free admission - wear wellies or be prepared to change your shoes at the door. Tube: Elephant & Castle NONE 2009-07-23 /items/show/1088 http://bit.ly/1adb4w This should be an interesting spectacular. A clan of scantily-clad ladies are planning a march on Camden Town Hall to protest against the Council's decision to require any venue offering a burlesque show to apply for a license - normally the purview of strip bars and lapdance clubs. The peaceful protest is being organised by the Burlesque Women's Institute. The march will begin in the borough of Camden and culminate outside the offices of Camden Council and will run from 12pm to 2.30pm. NONE 2009-07-30 /items/show/1089 http://bit.ly/DTwRH Lined with chic boutiques, every Sunday this historic street fills with a hundreds of flower stalls. Columbia Road is the capital's most colourful and sweet-smelling market. Flowers, shrubs, bedding plants and other horticultural delights are all for sale. The stalls and surrounding shops sell everything to cater for that English obsession - gardening. Many of the plants and flowers are grown and produced locally and the traders are refreshingly old school London - predominantly east-end cheeky chappies. The market is open from 8am to 3pm and there are plenty of attractive cafes, pubs and authentic sea-food stalls where you can make a pit-stop. Nearest tube: Old Street NONE /items/show/1090 http://bit.ly/c0BTh The Old Operating Theatre museum is famed for its intriguing interiors, gory history, and tales of disturbing medical practices. It is found at the top of a wooden spiral staircase in the barn-like roof space of St Thomas Church in the old Herb Garret . While the Garret has a charming old world atmosphere of oak beams and bundles of herbs, the Theatre itself is a shocking reminder of the harsh reality of life before modern science and technology. The location may seem bizarre but the church was connected to the south wing of St. Thomas's Hospital. It was at the same level as the ward and offered sound proofing so other patients would be protected from the screams coming from within. The act of parliament required that apprentices had to attend operations at public hospitals which meant that large crowds of students gathered here. A description of the students packing the Theatre to witness an operation has been left by a St Thomas surgeon, John Flint South: "The first two rows ... were occupied by the other dressers, and behind a second partition stood the pupils, packed like herrings in a barrel, but not so quiet, as those behind them were continually pressing on those before and were continually struggling to relieve themselves of it, and had not infrequently to be got out exhausted. There was also a continual calling out of "Heads, Heads" to those about the table whose heads interfered with the sightseers." Surgeons did not have the use of anesthetics until 1847, and could only rely only on their speed of operating and alcohol or opiates to dull the patient's senses. It is said that an amputation could take less than a minute. Antiseptic had not been invented so most operations that took place were indeed amputations - it was too dangerous to operate on the internal organs of the body. Surgery was a very dangerous method for dealing with illness in these times. Patients were often operated on as a 'last resort' so many died just from the shock of the operation or simply just not being strong enough to survive such an ordeal. A misunderstanding of the causes of infections at the time heightened the death rate significantly, as it is said that the surgeons would often be wearing the frock coats from previous operation covered in puss & blood. The only method for collecting blood would be the box of sawdust underneath the operating table. The patients were mainly poor people who were expected to contribute to their care if they could afford it. Rich patients were treated and operated on at home rather than in hospital. The patients at the Old Operating Theatre were all women. Patients put up with the audience to their distress because they received medical treatment from some of the best surgeons in the land, which otherwise they could not afford. Britain's oldest surviving Operating Theatre has been restored with original furniture, including a 19th Century operating table. The museum displays the history of herbal medicine, surgery, nursing at Old St. Thomas's Hospital (the original home of Florence Nightingale's Nursing School) and Guy's Hospital and the Evelina Children's Hospital. It provides a dramatic insight into life before the modern era. NONE /items/show/1091 http://bit.ly/Teacx A multi-label fashion boutique housing up-and-coming labels alongside established designers. Look out for New York labels S-Sung, Richard Ruiz and Alice Ritter as well great dresses from Rebecca Taylor, Carl and Cacharel, and leather hoodies from Mike&Cris. Try accessories by Erva, cashmere made in Dublin by Sphere, footwear by Bensimon, Paris, and Australian designer Lee Mathew's clothing collection. Or keep it naughty with lingerie by SPANK. Tube: Bond Street NONE /items/show/1093 http://bit.ly/Pp5yl Beyond Retro is a huge warehouse in Brick Lane full of not-too-expensive cool clothes. It was voted best vintage shop by readers of Time Out last year. I would recommend this branch over the one in Great Marlborough Street as there is just so much more choice although be prepared to put in the work to find those hidden gems. Lilly Allen and Kate Nash have both been customers and they often have live bands playing in-store. NONE /items/show/1094 http://bit.ly/acED6 Somerset House is a grand Renaissance building on the south side of the Strand. Previously used as a royal palace, today it plays host to a wide variety of events including contemporary art and design exhibitions and family workshops whilst the courtyard hosts music concerts, film screenings and, in the winter, a beautiful ice rink. For this summer’s ten-day film programme, the organisers have teamed up with Bafta to present a ‘Behind the Screen’ series of interviews, featuring some of the filmmakers whose films are playing. So, Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar will be here for the UK premiere of his ‘Broken Embraces’, Nic Roeg for his psychological thriller ‘Don’t Look Now’ and editor Chris Dickens for ‘Slumdog Millionaire’. Fingers crossed for the weather! Nearest tube: Temple NONE 2009-07-30 /items/show/1095 http://bit.ly/WRUI2 Hide and Seek was the best kid's game ever, and now adults can join in too. Events also include games such as competitive boasting, trading secrets and 'a satirical game of large-scale fraud' amongst others. Taking place at the Royal Festival Hall and around the South Bank, this is a great way to get acquainted with a must-see part of London. Nearest tube: Waterloo NONE 2009-07-31 /items/show/1096 http://bit.ly/G4yCs In celebration of Audrey Tautou’s new biopic Coco Before Chanel join the first-ever Chanel 'fashmob' at St. Pancras International train station at 6pm. Dress code is mandatory to join the party of fashionistas dancing around the turnstiles but if you haven't packed the right gear nobody will stop you from watching the spectacle. If you're among the first fifteen people to arrive, the organisers, Queensofvintage.com, will give you an exclusive Coco Before Chanel gift. Worth a dash in high heels perhaps? Nearest tube: King's Cross NONE 2009-07-30 /items/show/1098 http://bit.ly/16tZJs Freddo, Argentina’s best-known ice cream chain, offers dozens of flavours at trendy stores across Buenos Aires. The newly opened UK branch, Freggo – it couldn’t take the Argentinian name because of a trademark conflict – is an attempt to make going for ice-cream in London a thing to be seen doing, as it most certainly is in BA. The Malbec & Berries sorbet is recommended, as is the the Dulce de Leche ice cream - they also do a scoop of it with a shot of espresso. The downside? Well, the cost is high at £3.95 for two scoops, but the quality really does shine through. Open until 2am Thursday to Saturday with both indoor and outdoor seating, Freddo is only seconds away from Piccadilly Circus and a perfect stop off on a balmy summer evening. NONE /items/show/1099 http://bit.ly/1wca8B No trip to London would be complete without a visit to St. Paul's Cathedral and now you can dine in its crypt. Accessed via a separate entrance on the north side of the cathedral the restaurant has beautiful oak tables which are laid with mismatched antique cutlery and slate place mats. The menu features an ever-changing selection of dishes using the best quality seasonal ingredients. It includes a fixed price lunch with two courses for just £16, or three for only £20, which is pretty good value for the standard of cooking on offer. The place seems to be a hit with locals as well as tourists and is a recommended refueling spot during a hectic day of sight-seeing. NONE /items/show/1100 http://bit.ly/rE6G9 The gorgeous unheated Parliament Hill Lido on Hampstead Heath was upgraded not so long ago which means it now has a cool stainless steel lining with wonderful reflective qualities which also helps to retain the heat. Regular visitors love the wonderful sense of space and the sense of freedom is perpetuated by the most amazing views of the city from its elevated spot. There's a huge variety of people who use the pool and depending on the time of day, from the really serious swimmers to families and groups of teenagers. Visit the cafe, the exterior of which is a beautiful example of 1930s architecture. The Swimming Ponds on Hampstead Heath are also well worth a visit and are just a short walk away. NONE /items/show/1101 http://bit.ly/ttMdu Tom Stoppard's Arcadia has won fantastic reviews and seems to be packing the crowds in. The comedy is set in two different periods in a stately home in Derbyshire. In the early 19th century the lady of the house, Lady Croom, is having her gardens transformed while a tutor and schoolfriend of Byron is teaching Lady Croom's daughter who foresees some of the great mathematical discoveries of the future. In the present we encounter a pushy academic and a popular historian examining the house's history. Comically and poignantly, Stoppard shows how easy it is for the present to misinterpret the past, even as the play depicts the way the past shapes our future. NONE 2009-08-01 /items/show/1102 http://bit.ly/eRVkv This summer institution is a true original on the clubbing scene - a bright and cheerful day-time party (2pm-10.30pm) featuring feel good techno and house. Efdemin, Detroit's newest start is making his debut this month. The shift of venue to the Light Bar has been a happy one - a former electric station it is an impressively spacious building with high ceilings, metal beams and apparatus left over from its former days. NONE 2009-08-09 /items/show/1103 http://bit.ly/1aagJV The Scoop is an 800-seater sunken amphitheatre next to London's City Hall close to Tower Bridge. During the summer months it offers a programme of free open-air movie screenings, musical performances and theatre productions. A great idea is to combine a visit with a stroll along the fantastic Southbank area (start at Westminster bridge and walk east along the river). Look out for the interesting architecture of City Hall - former mayor Ken Livingstone referred to it as a 'glass testicle'. The new mayor, Boris Johnson, has referred to it more politely as 'The Onion'. Nearest tube: London Bridge NONE 2009-08-01 /items/show/1104 http://bit.ly/sl2FL Jez Butterworth's comic look at life in England has recently had its run extended. It follows Johnny Byron, a waster who is on the run from his children, the local council, a man who wants to beat him up and his mates, who are after his ample supply of drink and drugs. The London Paper descibes it as "startlingly brilliant" while Timeout says the production "is the rarest of beasts: a state-of-the-nation play which is a pastoral comedy; an edgy piece of new writing manned by a big and mostly magnificent cast; and a polemic which, despite weighing in at three hours and 20 minutes, is hilarious and/or gripping throughout". Tube: Sloane Square NONE 2009-08-02 /items/show/1105 http://bit.ly/4rMcwX American artist Jeff Koons's show at the Serpentine Gallery features work from the 'Popeye Series' - paintings and sculptures inspired by the pop culture icon. Displays includes blow-up beach toys recast in aluminium, rubbish baskets, stacks of patio chairs, stepladders, industrial chains and mesh fences. A raft of cooking utensils dangles beneath a dolphin's belly, a lobster pays homage to Salvador Dalí, and computer assisted paintings of Popeye. Basically, a typically quirky and slightly odd-ball mix! Tube: Knightsbridge / Lancaster Gate NONE 2009-08-02 /items/show/1106 http://bit.ly/18ho5U A family friendly summer roller disco at The O2 (previously the Millenium Dome) is a fun place to get down with some retro tunes. The music is a mixture of disco, pop, 80s and popular R&B with a live DJ for the last session on weekends. Sessions on the rink last up to two hours and are supervised by qualified instructors and up to 350 skaters can strut their stuff at any one time. Look out for special themed sessions - these range from American Independence Day celebrations to rock nights and many more. Nearest tube: North Greenwich NONE 2009-08-02 /items/show/1107 http://bit.ly/Cp5qU In a city teeming with greasy spoon cafes, serving all kinds of coronary-inducing Full English breakfasts, it takes something pretty special to become London's best and most famous. E Pellicci has been warmly welcoming customers since 1900. The heritage-listed interior is cozy (read cramped) and sharing a table is expected. The good-value cooking includes traditional English and Italian dishes, sarnies and classic puds, and of course a roster of glistening fry-ups – everything from a set veggie breakfast to black pudding. In December 2008 former owner Nevio Pellicci Senior passed away. He was part of the institution of Pellicci's, and will be much missed. Pellicci's continues to be run by his son, Nevio Pellicci Junior. Nearest tube: Bethnal Green NONE /items/show/1108 http://bit.ly/VgRv4 Who needs Edinburgh when you can enjoy some of the best fringe theatre and comedy right here in London? The 2009 Camden Fringe has 399 performances of 118 different shows across 4 venues. There is a great mix of "new writing, stand-up, children's shows, storytelling, new twists on Shakespeare, poetry, musicals, dance, OAP rappers, a mind-reader, a medium, sketch comedy and a quiz". Basically there is something for everyone - check the website for venues and times. Why not combine a trip with a visit around the markets? See our post in the relax section. Nearest tube: Camden Town NONE 2009-08-03 /items/show/1109 http://bit.ly/12hFgr Tube: Camden Town Camden's group of markets is now the fourth most-visited tourist attraction in London. It is the largest street market in the UK, and attracts around 100,000 visitors each weekend. There are actually a few markets located around Camden Town each with their own style and flavour - these are Camden Lock Market, Camden Stables Market, Camden Canal Market, Inverness Street Market, and Camden (Buck Street) Market. There are hundreds of designer workshops, studios, stalls and shops selling an extensive array of goods from designer, alternative & vintage clothing to one-off pieces of art, furnishings, antiques and jewellery. There is also an eclectic mix of cafes, restaurants and bars. The Camden Market area is famed as the playground for many well known musicians. The British band 'Madness' brought their loafers at the British Boot Company, the first distributors of Doc Martens in the UK. The Clash were another famous resident of Camden and spent many years living and rehearsing in one of the markets warehouses. Camden's most recent musician is Amy Winehouse who can often be seen drinking in one of many pubs or bars in Camden Market. Camden Lock Market was originally a craft market. Stalls now sell books, clothing, second hand clothing and jewellery and it is still the most craft-focused of the Camden Markets. The Stables Market is the largest area and is made up of shops and stalls built into the large arches in the railway viaducts. There is a large selection of ‘alternative lifestyle’ shops and merchandise on sale. It is also where the main furniture shops of the market can be found. Many of the furnishings are hand made, and are often ethnically influenced. Some of the goods are second-hand or twentieth-century antiques. The section along the canal to the east of Chalk Farm Road is known as the Canal Market and there is a covered entrance tunnel leading into a general outdoor market. The Electric Ballroom has been operating as a nightclub since the 1950s and remains one of London's nighttime hotspots. On the weekend it still operates as a market during the day and attracts a wide range of traders selling a mix of day wear, clubbing gear, records, jewellery and leathers. NONE /items/show/1110 http://bit.ly/bVkcm The Great British Beer Festival at Earls Court is Britain's biggest beer festival. Over 450 beers and a wide selection of real cider and perry await thirsty festival-goers this year. With 14 UK regional bars, displays by some of the best-known family brewers in Britain, and a bottle-conditioned beer bar, GBBF presents the best that British brewing has to offer. You can also play some traditional pub games, enjoy live music, sample some food, including good traditional pub snacks, and also attend tutored beer tastings. Tube: Earl's Court NONE 2009-08-04 /items/show/1111 http://bit.ly/fs22M Indulge in handmade, luxurious chocolate creations at this boutique chocolate shop in Camden Passage, Islington. This little shop is the perfect place to escape to on a hot day, with its delightfully cool temperature and heady chocolate-scented atmosphere. Using a fusion of the finest ingredients, Paul Young fashions mouth-watering chocolates that come beautifully packaged in dark purple boxes. Paul, a hat trick World Chocolate Award winner, also offers chocolate workshops throughout the year. Tube: Angel NONE /items/show/1112 http://bit.ly/lSAgC La Cave a Fromage is every cheese lover's dream. It has the most amazing selection of over two hundred French and British cheeses, cured meats and jellies for the perfect cheese board. You can smell the shop before you've even opened the door. These guys are true cheese experts. You can ask to try anything on display and then buy by weight. Try the Muscat jelly too, great for topping off the perfect cheese. As the blackboard in the window says, 'What's a party without cheese?' Tube: South Kensington NONE /items/show/1115 http://tr.im/vAgZ As a child Jurassic Park was a favourite film of mine - as a slightly nerdy science buff seeing these incredible creatures brought to life was a real thrill. I therefore felt a flush of geeky excitement when I heard about this show. Based on the BBC series of the same name the dinosaurs have evolved from computer animations to 15 life-sized, mechanical dinosaurs roaring their way around a stage featuring earthquakes, volcanic explosions and falling comets. The show is on course to become the most popular non-music production in the world this year. It takes a team of three to operate each of the larger beasts. There is one driver and two puppeteers who manipulate miniature versions of the animals that have the same range of movements as the life-sized counterparts. For kids and adults alike this is a real spectacle and something not to be missed - its not on for too much longer so get down to the O2 as soon as you can. Tube: North Greenwich NONE 2009-08-05 /items/show/1116 http://bit.ly/A7xjC For one night only London Zoo is opening for an evening of entertainment, food, drink and of course the animals - watch out for Blondie, a rare white porcupine who is making her debut. I wish you more luck than my last visit - a good old London drizzle meant that most of the animals where quite content to curl up in the most distant of corners leaving us to view lots of lifeless enclosures. The great thing about this night, however, is that there will also be talks, demonstrations and feeding sessions so there should be plenty to entertain. Tube: Camden Town/Baker Street NONE 2009-08-07 /items/show/1117 http://bit.ly/hgyd Greenwich Park is always top of my list of places to escape to when London becomes a little hectic. The history, the open spaces and the gorgeous views of London really are a tonic if you are feeling somewhat frazzled. This weekend will see me down at the Thai festival. I love Thai food and fondly remember a gap year trip to Phuket so I'm pleased to hear that there will be a range of authentic Thai food from some of London's best Thai restaurants. The bandstand is to be transformed into a Thai village while the start of the festival will be marked by a procession of Thai dancers. With a return to form for London's weather forecast then this is the pick of the weekend events. Transport: Greenwich DLR or mainline NONE 2009-08-08 /items/show/1118 http://bit.ly/PGdwY I'm a huge fan of the Talking Heads singer and his crazy ways and think that this looks fantastic. During three weeks of August the old steam engine repair shed, which is a now a top notch venue, will be converted into a giant musical instrument. At the centre of the installation is a pump organ which is attached to the building's structure by a series of cables and wires to make the building vibrate, resonate and oscillate. The idea first started at New York’s Battery Maritime Museum last year but now ‘Victorian steam-punk technology’ comes to London! Check the website for particular events which include a BBQ option, jam alongs and pay what you can Mondays for those of you where money is tight. Tube: Chalk Farm NONE 2009-08-08 /items/show/1119 http://bit.ly/cz0MY The garden of this bar and restaurant is one of my favourite outdoor spaces in the whole of London - especially as it is on a roof 5 stories high nestled among some of the Square Mile's most famous buildings and overlooking the Bank of England. And now for the bad news - Le Coq D'Argent is decidedly well-to-do and is a scarily expensive place to visit. I haven't eaten here but a bottle of house white wine set me back £35. The cooking looks fantastic and the inside space and terrace are lavish and very comfortable so by all means splash out for a special occassion but its the garden that keeps pulling me back. The place can get very busy on week nights as it is very popular with the City crowd and their expense accounts but a tip is to go on a weekend evening. My brownie points went through the roof a few years ago when I took a date there on a Saturday night - we basically had the whole garden to ourselves which was great for a touch of romance. If you have someone to impress or want to celebrate something in style this is highly recommended, Tube: Monument / Bank NONE /items/show/1120 http://bit.ly/RkZ9L A heavy influence on shows such as Cirque du Soleil, Charlie Chaplin's daughter Victoria Chaplin and Jean-Baptiste Thierrée demonstrate the art of Cirque Nouveau which they developed in the '70s. A mix of magic, acrobatics, make-believe and optical illusion the show is more intimate and oddball than the big blockbuster circus performances and is an enchanting evening out for the whole family. Tube: Waterloo NONE 2009-08-04 /items/show/1121 http://bit.ly/2FPsjw The Daily Telegraph sums this place up pretty nicely: "The most beautiful bookshop in London - designed for travellers who like reading". Everything, from the antique oak furniture, to the astounding number of titles they carry, to the way they organise their inventory by countries and regions, to the staff - who are superbly knowledgeable, is beyond compare. Before any trip I love to have a roam here to get inspired by picking up books not just about the country but also by people from that country. Tube: Baker Street NONE /items/show/1122 http://bit.ly/4xKZFK Have you ever been to a school disco, where the gym equipment was only partially concealed, the floors were a little sticky and the walls faintly smelled? Well that would be capture the charm of the Working Men's Club. Steeped in East End history - it really was a working man's haunt - it also has its very own Banksy on one of the walls outside. This is the stomping ground of my youth - E2 was my postcode for five years before I was prized from the grime of East London by my girlfriend with an eye on the yummy mummy lifestyle offered by the greener spaces and rarefied air of South West London. I am still pining for my east end days and this place is the epitome of the area. The events are varied and attract both the quirky and avant garde - be prepared for some achingly to-cool-for-school types as well however. Make sure to get there early and look fabulous - word has spread about this venue which can lead to large queues and increasingly picky bouncers. Tube: Bethnal Green NONE /items/show/1123 http://bit.ly/lsGC9 Dennis Severs was an artist from California, who moved to London in 1979 and refurbished this large, rundown house in a way that would capture the atmosphere of the 18th and 19th centuries. Each room of the Georgian house is dedicated to a particular era, decorated and furnished just as it would have been during that time. We had a fantastic visit recently. We were met by Mick who has been entrusted to look after Severs' legacy. He has actually lived in the house for some time and is full of fascinating information. You can chat to him at the door but you are then encouraged to enjoy the house in silence. It is designed to look as if the house is still occupied, and that the tenants have just left for a moment, with half eaten food on display, and smells and sounds enhancing the experience. Sever's described the house as a 'still life drama' and said that he 'worked inside out to create what turned out to be a collection of atmospheres: moods that harbour the light and the spirit of various ages'. The fictional story of an immigrant family of silk weavers who occupied the house from 1725 to 1919 ties all of the rooms together, providing a loose framework for the journey through time. The project was typical of the bohemian culture of the Spitalfields area at the time, with several other artists such as Gilbert and George and Jeanette Winterson refurbishing other houses. Severs gave the property to the Spitalfields Trust before he died. The latin phrase, Aut Visum Aut Non which is the motto of the house, means 'You Either See it or you don't' Check the website for opening times which are fairly complex but a visit is really worth the effort - the transition from the modern city into this dark, atmospheric and quiet place is a magical experience. Tube: Liverpool Street NONE /items/show/1124 http://bit.ly/QlAh1 The Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition is closing soon. It mixes the amateurs and professionals with a policy of numbering rather than attributing the works which makes for an enjoyable visit guessing which is which and leads to a rather mixed bag - as usual, there is some great stuff and some pretty dismal work. Make sure you aren't fooled by any mundane objects lying around - in 2006, the RA found itself the subject of press mockery when custodians placed just the support for a sculpture on display in the belief that it was in fact the sculpture itself. Levels of public scorn rose still higher when the management attempted to justify its being kept on display as a work in its own right! Tube: Piccadilly Circus NONE 2009-08-11 /items/show/1125 http://bit.ly/rWohO Following on from last year’s hugely popular London Through a Lens, Londoners Through A Lens takes another look at the capital, but this time with the emphasis on its inhabitants – from famous figures to everyday people. I'm really excited about this exhibition as it combines my love of photography with the powerful sense of history that you sometimes feel as you walk around the capital. These photos invoke the ghosts of past triumphs, disasters and the every day mundanities of life. The exhibition covers the period from 1900 to 1990. Some well-known names crop up including the Beatles and the Kray brothers as well as famous events such as the Battle of Cable Street in 1936 and the poll tax riots in 1990. Iconic structures and places appear too but all of these are matched by anonymous Londoners doing everyday things. This exhibition will really give you a sense of London's roots - the changing faces it has seen over the decades. Tube: Oxford Circus NONE 2009-08-15 /items/show/1126 http://bit.ly/9gvLD Everyone enjoys a good gross-out every now and then, especially me, and this is the exhibition that delivers. 'Exquisite Bodies' is anchored around a remarkable collection of wax models. Many are anatomical replicas formerly used as teaching aids for surgeons and midwives. Others, including the cupboard of pustulating genitals, were used as a warning to the public about the dangers of promiscuity. During the nineteenth century, museums of anatomical models became popular sightseeing attractions, enabling visitors to learn about the human body through displays that combined serious science with an element of fairground theatricality. 200 years on the models still have the power to titillate and educate in equal measures. Tube: Euston Square NONE 2009-08-13 /items/show/1127 http://bit.ly/4Cvn4J Every Thursday from 12.00pm – 8.00pm Running since 2007 this event has become so popular its run has been extended from one month to four this year. The market is a foodie's heaven, where you can buy lovely fresh ingredients or pick up delicious take-away food to eat in the Covent Garden piazza. Coming from the microwave school of cooking I love a wander around the stalls to get some motivation to do better and of course some inspiration Thre is a food bloggers stall where London's finest recommend products they are fans of. This has seen a couple of my friends trying out the life of a market stall holder - something they have all thoroughly enjoyed and which has given me a few excuses to have a visit and pig out. There are a host of specialist food producers including the Spore Boys, selling some of the finest mushrooms in the capital, SJ Frederick & Sons, whose free range chickens have been praised by top chefs including Gordon Ramsay and Crumbs and Doilies, purveyors of delectable cup cakes. Why not try skipping lunch to build up an appetite this coming Thursday and then spend a late afternoon and early evening satiating it! Tube: Covent Garden NONE 2009-08-13 /items/show/1128 http://bit.ly/1jn6Rk Having grown up in the West Midlands, an area of the UK which has a high concentration of Bangladeshi and Pakistani families, I developed a taste for spicy food from a young age - the Birmingham Balti, a curry served in a a distinctive flat-bottomed wok, is legendary in those parts. That is why I am excited by Europe’s largest celebration of South Asian culture which returns to Gunnersbury Park on Sunday. The Mela is a free event, with performances including urban, classical and experimental music, DJs, circus, dance, visual arts and comedy, plus a kids' zone, funfair and food stalls. There is also a chance for everyone to join in with the mass participation dance event 'I Love Bollywood', which sounds great fun. A fantastic day out for all the family. Tube: Acton Town/South Ealing NONE 2009-08-16 /items/show/1129 http://bit.ly/17G6Zp The Barbican Centre certainly isn’t London’s best looking date location – in fact it was voted London's ugliest building a few years back – but once you get past the concrete façade there’s plenty of interest inside. The small but renowned gallery tends to attract more contemporary (read ‘weird’) exhibits than the city’s big names, but that makes it all the more interesting. As well as the art gallery the Barbican plays host to cinema, theatre and music, all of which usually tie into some sort of theme for the season. The venue has a couple of great eating places too – the slightly swanky Searcy’s with massive lampshades and squidgy leather banquettes and the more informal Waterside Café. Personally I’m a big fan of the Waterside – the self-service style canteen does killer waffles with organic ice-cream which you can enjoy sitting by the surprisingly scenic Barbican man-made lake – once the biggest expanse of water in central London, fact fans! If you’re feeling brave, have a wander through the Barbican housing estate – it’s slightly maze-like, but there are nice surprises throughout, including secret gardens, remains of the old town walls and the ancient St Giles church. There’s no obligation for residents to have any kind of gardening skills, but through some kind of telepathic community spirit the majority of the concrete village is festooned with astoundingly cheery floral window boxes year round. Back inside, stick your head in the roof-top conservatory if it’s open – it’s a hidden oasis, complete with exotic birds and fish. Tube: Barbican NONE /items/show/1130 http://bit.ly/1N4yR Now I know this is a slightly odd proposition but you’ll be in for a pleasant surprise at Nunhead. Yes, it is a graveyard, but this place is more in the league of Paris’s spectacular Père Lachaise Cemetery than your usual goth hangout. Tucked away amongst the suburban terraced streets of SE15, it’s a bit of a surprise to stumble across the grandiose gothic gates of Nunhead. Even more of a surprise is the spectacular view of London cut through the trees from the steep, woody hilltop of the site. If you can nab the sole bench at the top, it’s a perfect secluded spot. There are, of course, a tonne of graves and Victorian family vaults to admire, as well as an abandoned chapel if architecture is your thing. Even if the grandiose surroundings don’t stir you, there’s plenty of other things to see in the 52 tranquil acres. Active types will enjoy the lesser-trekked wilderness areas – now designated as a nature reserve – while fans of social history will be amused by the graves of various 19th century music hall ‘celebrities’ and the poor unfortunates with vaguely humorous dedications. Best of all, just turn up and have a good old wander – there are plenty of places to get lost and enjoy a bit of tranquil leafy space. Rail: Nunhead NONE /items/show/1131 http://bit.ly/qYrPF This south London institution was recently voted the best pub in the UK, and although it’s a little off the beaten track for non-locals, it’s certainly worth the trip. Run by a bunch of pensioners who’ve had the place for the last half century, the real attraction at this pub is the completely insane décor. Stuffed zebras fight for space alongside an 18th century coach, glass-fronted coffin and penny farthing, not to mention the glut of antiques cluttering every available surface. I imagine dusting is a nightmare. The locality of Goldsmith’s University means that Monday and Friday nights tend to be given over to gigs and club nights – including the ever present burlesque dos that seem to be sweeping London. At the weekend it’s a quieter affair; come in on a Sunday for a roast with all the trimmings for a fiver. While you eat there’s an organ performance from one of the old gents who runs the place – it has to be seen to be believed. Alternatively, make like a local: show up on a quiet week night and settle down in one of the dark, fairy-lit nooks with a board game – there’s always a fight for Trivial Pursuit, and be warned that not all the pieces are there on most games. The staff (if you can call them that; it’s more like being at your nan’s house) are ridiculously friendly and call last orders whenever you want them to. Rail: Queens Road Peckham NONE /items/show/1132 http://bit.ly/ErDdo The real charm of this Victorian pub is its location. Plonked in the middle of Greenwich’s Maritime heritage site, it perches perilously on the edge of the River Thames offering incredibly romantic views – of the river at least, Canary Wharf does kinda get in the way beyond that. Show up early or book one of the bay window tables and settle in for a cosy night. The abundance of wood combined with the proximity to the water’s edge genuinely make you feel a bit like you’re on a boat, which is always exciting. Dazzle your friends with a selection of the following historical facts (if they’re into that kind of thing): Charles Dickens used to eat here; it was built in 1837, the year of Queen Victoria’s ascension; it was famous for its whitebait, which was plucked straight from the river and served fresh. There. Blind them with history. You can still eat the classic whitebait, although these days it comes from further afield. Whitebait aside, the rest of the menu is a little pricey for pub grub, but the surroundings are rather on the sumptuous side and it’s perfect for a special night out. One tip: don’t go on a Saturday afternoon - there are always weddings whichmeans a packed pub. DLR: Cutty Sark / Greenwich NONE /items/show/1133 http://bit.ly/uQ6Gu The London Swing Dance Society offer classes all over the city in the fine vintage art of shaking your booty, but this regular Monday night event is the best place for beginners. The LSDS chaps are extremely welcoming, so don’t fret if your dancing skills only extend as far as knowing all the moves to Saturday Night by Whigfield. The group take up residence every week at London’s famous 100 Club – a venue that’s played host to everyone from the Rolling Stones to The White Stripes over its 60 year history. There’s a £10 admission fee, but the price includes an hour-long lesson and performances from two suitably swinging bands, as well as dancing late into the night. There are lots of regulars who are exceptional dancers (and dress to impress too) but they’re a friendly bunch who won’t judge you or tut when you turn the wrong way. In fact they’re more than happy to help you distinguish your Texas Tommy from your Throwout, so don’t worry if you’ve got two left feet. There’s no obligation to dress in vintage gear, but comfy shoes and something you can move freely in are advisable. Tube: Tottenham Court Road NONE /items/show/1134 http://bit.ly/NVPIW Theme bars get a bad rap, but this place is less Olde Worlde Disneyland Inne, more a genuine blast from the past. In fact, they’d probably be offended by the term ‘theme bar’. Once you’ve found the place (look out for the painted faux shop façade on Percy Street), slip down the stairs and step back in time 80 years to the roaring twenties. This prohibition era styled drinking hole has it all, from cocktails in tea cups to a secret door (hidden by the astoundingly OTT floral wallpaper) leading to the loos. Take note, the toilet is on the left as you look at the bar – stumbling along blindly fumbling the wall is not going to make a great impression. The place is tiny, and gets full up quickly so it’s worth booking a table or showing up early – not for nothing is often likened to being in someone’s lounge: it really is miniscule. The cocktails are killer and reasonably priced, and nothing will make you feel more at home in this clandestine drinking den than supping on something strong and prohibited (well, you can pretend). Look out for the live music on Tuesday nights – it decreases the capacity of the place, but that makes for an even cosier setting, particularly when the dancing kicks off, which it inevitably does. Tube: Tottenham Court Road NONE /items/show/1135 http://bit.ly/fQNpa A wander amongst the faintly legendary Crystal Palace Dinosaurs is one of the finest ways to fill an afternoon in South London and you never know, you might learn something too. Built in 1854 – six years before Darwin’s Origin of Species – this place caused outrage to religious types with its monuments to the theory of evolution. Hard to believe now, but there it is. The landscaped pond area of the park is home to a variety of enormous dino sculptures, giving this patch of middle class suburbia an exciting Jurassic Park-esque feel. Even if you’re not into dinosaurs (and let’s face it, if you’re not a boy aged 10 or under you’re probably not), this still makes for a fun park to go for a stroll around, and in this social networking-obsessed age (grumble grumble) there are plenty of photo ops to be had hanging out with the dinos. As well as the dinosaurs, there’s a small city farm home to ferrets, llamas, exceptionally loud pigs and more, and the token park café where you can enjoy obligatory tea and cakes. The area can be popular with families, but there are plenty of secluded spots to escape to if it all gets a bit much. Rail: Crystal Palace NONE /items/show/1136 http://bit.ly/OyLgv This Soho institution has been around since the 1960s and it seems that not much has changed over the past 40 years. The food and décor are decidedly retro but, pleasingly, so are the prices. Estate agents would describe the place as ‘intimate’, but it all adds to the appeal. Clean, cosy and comforting, it’s the perfect place for an early evening tea or late night snack. Nab one of the prime outdoor tables if it’s sunny, otherwise head to the back and nestle into one of the corners. There are tables downstairs, but there’s none of the hustle and bustle down there, and a definite decline in atmosphere. Upstairs is where it’s at – and how! Open all night and centrally placed in one of Soho’s most salacious streets, there’s always something going on at the Stockpot, and the people-watching will keep you talking long after you’ve finished eating. Food is hearty and filling, and while it’s probably never going to win a Michelin star, there’s certainly nothing to complain about – it’s hearty, home-cooked fare. Mains tend to come in at under a fiver, and the three course set menu is usually only about a tenner. House wine is surprisingly good and dirt cheap. The puddings – oh, the puddings – look out for a fantastic spotted dick. One thing to note is that they don’t take cards. When you see the vintage tills you’ll understand why, but make sure you take cash out first to avoid any embarrassment. Tube: Leicester Square or Tottenham Court Road NONE /items/show/1137 http://bit.ly/7N5uD If you’re up for a bit of adventure, you could do worse than sign up for the Secret Cinema. This cult club promises extraordinary films in extraordinary locations, and all you have to do is sign up for an email mailing list. Then pay for the films, obviously. It’s a bit of a last minute thing, as you’ll just receive an email a few days in advance with a time and location. Show up at the designated point at the designated time (in fancy dress if you’ve been informed of it!) and see what happens – you won’t be disappointed. Observant types might notice clues en route; actors in costume loitering at the tube, discrete posters pasted up in the street and more often than not, themed locations. So far highlights have included the cast of heavy metal documentary Anvil! showing up to perform an entire set after the screening of their film, a torch-lit screening of Ghostbusters complete with van, ghosts and team of lookalike actors and a Watchmen preview in the atmospheric tunnels below London Bridge tube station. It’s always an adventure, and even if the film’s rubbish you’ll certainly have something to talk about! NONE /items/show/1138 http://bit.ly/16Y4Zk Nestled in a secluded road just off Oxford Street, Hakkasan is a world away from the hustle and bustle of the shopping Mecca. With an adventurous East Asian menu, a door manned by bouncers and a vintage feel, it’s a great restaurant to take someone special for an intimate evening. Only the burly bouncer and cryptic Hakkasan symbol mark the restaurant’s unassuming entrance – you’ll feel as though you’re being admitted to an exclusive club. This feeling remains as you descend into the beautifully designed restaurant. Busy enough that it has a buzz but not overcrowded or too loud to talk, the low lighting and unobtrusive staff set just the right ambiance for romance. The menu is full of dishes that are great for sharing. Kick off with some dim sum selections for plenty of opportunity to brush hands or feed one another tasty morsels – not recommended unless you’re handy with a pair of chopsticks though. There is plenty on the menu to get you talking as well – why not sample some Ostrich in Yellow Bean Sauce or a spot of Mongolian style venison together? Although there is no formal dress code, put a bit of effort in or you’ll feel under-dressed. But above all, don’t chance it by rocking up and requesting a table for two on the night; book in advance or expect to be turned away at the door. Tube: Tottenham Court Road NONE /items/show/1139 http://bit.ly/eb7e4 We’re spoiled for choice when it comes to parks in London, but leave behind posh Holland, forgo the tourist trappings of Hyde and head for the biggest park of them all: Richmond Park. The park is one of the few places in Greater London where the landscape is pretty much untouched by modern life – these aren’t cultivated gardens with complicated children’s play areas but proper park land, worthy of a period drama. Keep an eye out for the wildlife – there are bunnies galore and herds of Red and Fallow deer graze around the park. You couldn’t wish for a more idyllic backdrop. On sunny days, throw together a hamper of champagne and finger food and set out for a secluded spot to picnic in, or a flask of piping hot soup to enjoy works equally well in autumn although you’d be wise to pack an umbrella too. For a more active time, you can hire bikes at Roehampton Gate and take a variety of paths depending on how hard you want to work – be warned, there are hilly areas! Or, there are a number of stables that will take you on a private ‘hack’ around the park on horseback. Tube: Richmond NONE /items/show/1140 http://bit.ly/rUSce London is a world leader in contemporary, cutting edge fashion, and where better to indulge in its sartorial greatness than our very own Fashion and Textile Museum? Founded by eccentric, fuchsia-haired designer, Zandra Rhodes, the museum explores everything from fabric, to jewellery, to design, and provides an interesting insight into the intricacies of fashion. With a variety of permanent and changing exhibitions, the Fashion and Textile Museum has plenty to tantalise all fashion-lovers. Situated a short walk from London Bridge station, in the centre of trendy Bermondsey Village, the museum is surrounded by a selection of bars and restaurants (including gorgeous gastro-pub, The Garrison), providing plenty of opportunities for a relaxing post-museum drink or bite to eat. That said, the museum itself boats a recently re-designed café, which serves delicious Mexican street-food (think Wahacca with less menu buzzwords), as well as traditional museum fayre such as freshly made quiche and scones, in a bright, and colourful setting. Tube: London Bridge NONE /items/show/1141 http://bit.ly/19YjP6 Striking the balance between swanky and homely is a tricky feat, which few gastro-pubs get right. Sway too far in the direction of swank and you have lost the relaxed comfort that the ‘pub’ element offers, but tone down the fanciness too much, and you’re left feeling like you’ve paid £35/head to eat down the local boozer. The Garrison however, gets the balance extremely right. The restaurant, with its mismatched chairs, antique tables and glass lanterns has a country feel that is almost kitsch, but manages to avoid Cath Kidston, floral vomit associations, with a modern and light colour-scheme of pistachios and creams. The décor is thoughtful and deliberate, but the bustling friendly atmosphere and feeling that you could be in the living room of a stylish eccentric, remind you that you’re simply in a rather nice pub. Ultimately, and quite rightly, the food is the star of The Garrison, which boasts a regularly changing, seasonal menu, of delicious ingredients, sourced from nearby Borough Market. Typical dishes include courgette and ricotta cannelloni with roasted red pepper coulis, stuffed corn-fed chicken breast with mushrooms and tarragon jus, or Cornish crab and spinach risotto. Served unpretentiously, the simple quality of the ingredients, and skill of the chefs at this Michelin recommended restaurant sing proudly, and the chances of you leaving disappointed are slim. Tube: London Bridge NONE /items/show/1142 http://bit.ly/uSjyO Having a vegetarian girlfriends I know that all too often eating out means that reading a menu begins with scanning for ‘v’s’ and ends with choosing one of sometimes as few as two options - the obvious way to a herbivore’s heart is therefore to take them to a vegetarian restaurant. There is certainly a place for vegetarian restaurants where you are served halloumi skewers and burritos, undoubtedly by someone wearing A: a bandana, B: thick-rimmed black glasses, or C: all of the above, but wooing and impressing a meat-declining food-lover is not it. Michelin recommended Vanilla Black, in the heart of London’s gastro-heaven, Clerkenwell, however, is as beautiful, refined, and, oh go on, I’ll say it, ‘Posh’, as any of London’s top restaurants but does not serve a smidgen of beast. Its old town-house setting, crisp white linen table-cloths, shimmering silver-wear and voluptuous crystal clear wine-glasses scream luxury, something vegetarians shouldn’t me made to sacrifice choice for. And then there is the food. Carefully constructed, masterfully created, beautifully presented plates of meat-free culinary pleasure, that would put the limp aubergines, and flaccid stuffed peppers so many restaurants churn out to weeping shame. The menu ranges from skilfully executed takes on classic ingredients, such as organic Cropwell Bishop Stilton terrine with apple puree and roasted fennel, to unusual and creative combinations such as poached duck egg and Ribblesdale pudding with hickory smoked potato croquette and pineapple pickle. In short you will be bowled over by this beautiful restaurant, and its beautiful food. Tube: Chancery Lane NONE /items/show/1143 http://bit.ly/T0TG9 When it is not performing its more obvious function as a working church, The Union Chapel is playing host to performers themselves, as one of London’s top gig venues A massive variety of bands have graced its holy stage, including Patti Smith, Laura Marling, Fairport Convention, Bill Callahan, Lambchop, U2 and Oasis. While the atmospheric, gothic setting is most obviously suited to acoustic music (folk tinged Adem performed a particularly poignant set in 2008, and Rachel Unthank and the Winterset’s traditional Cumbrian folk suited the venue perfectly), artists such as Nu-Metal pioneers Korn, and disco queen Goldfrapp, have added an interesting spin to their sets by playing at the chapel. The building, which dates back to 1877, features dramatic Victorian architecture, which not only makes for a visually impressive setting, but also provides stunning acoustics, which capture the essence and detail of the music being played and create an aural richness that is perfect for a stimulating gig. The Union Chapel is a real hot-spot for great bands that are about to make it big, as well as already huge bands adding an intimate warm-up gig to a massive tour, and tickets tend to be reasonably priced and readily available, (no 9am re-dialling Ticketmaster affairs), making it a perfect place to impress your date with some wonderful music. Situated at just off Upper street, there are also more bars and restaurants than you could shake a stick at to wine and dine them afterwards. Tube: Highbury & Islington NONE /items/show/1144 http://bit.ly/sT9ET If you don’t have the time to leave London to experience a taste of rural life then Parsons Green may just be enough of a country village fix. Situated right on the green, is The White Horse, a lavish, wood filled pub that seems as though it would be more at home in The Cotswolds than in West London. It is the kind of pub where you would expect to see people in wax jackets and tweed guffawing over their pedigree dogs and Fois Gras. But, you mustn’t let that put you off. Fight your way through the hoardes of pearl-lobed, swept-haired Sloanes (it ‘aint nicknamed ‘The Sloaney Pony’ for nothing), and you will find a beer menu so extensive, it would put a Belgian brewery to shame. With origins stretching from America to Belgium, The White Horse serves over 135 bottled beers and 6-8 cask ales, in addition to a huge variety of draught beers including more exotic choices than the usual Carlsberg et al. Sierra Nevada lagers, available at The White Horse, are flavoursome and crisp and would please even a beer snob. Bottled beers include an impressive (and strong!) selection of Trappist beers, while the frequently changing cask ales often feature the delicious Fraioch Heather Ale. To soak it all up, The White Horse also offers a varied menu of typical ‘Gastro-Pub’ fayre, such as Cornish haddock and hand-cut (always hand-cut) chips, or wild boar sausages with mustard mash and onion chutney. Tube: Parson's green NONE /items/show/1145 http://bit.ly/4lblCr People who know a lot about music, like nothing better than showing off how much they know about music, and people who love music, love nothing more than indulging in a little record trivia. Where better for music lovers to bond over who the founding members of Fairport Convention are, and how many side projects Jack White really has than the Rough Trade pop quiz? Hosted by the legendary Paul ‘Guided Missile’, the lively quiz includes picture rounds and a cartoon round, as well as a hilarious ‘name that tune’ round featuring keyboard tinklings from the Guided Missile himself. And if you do win, there are plenty of Rough Trade vouchers and booze related prizes on offer, so you could go home with a nice new record or some pennies in your pocket following a free pint or two! Times: Mondays 8pm Tube: Angel/King's Cross NONE /items/show/1146 http://bit.ly/2AqnM Hidden away in trendy Dalston is The Print Club, a design space equipped with all the print screening implements you could ever dream of, from screen beds and t-shirt carousels to Apple Macs, and ‘the mother of all exposure units’. The Print Club was set up a couple of years ago by Fred Higginson and Rose Stallard to provide an affordable environment for designers and illustrators to print anything from record covers to t-shirts, as well as running regular beginner workshops. For £35, you can spend a whole day transforming a piece of art into a proper professional screen print. An interesting way to convert digital artifacts from your trip to London into a physical reminder to take home with you perhaps? Rail: Dalston Kingsland NONE /items/show/1147 http://bit.ly/3Opxx East London is a thriving hub of art and creativity, and as such, there is more to Brick Lane than curry. The Brick Lane Gallery, hidden at the Bethnal Green end of Brick Lane, plays host to a plethora of modern pieces, from both British and International artists, at emerging and mid-career level. Focusing on various types of Art, from painting to street art, the gallery makes an interesting and unusual destination. The gallery’s embrace of the London street art scene is a unique selling point, and should impress any creative guerillas! Previous collaborations have included the notorious Banksy as well as Faile, Bortusk Leer, Four Five and The Krah. Because of its great location, you can also treat yourself to an authentic curry (Sheba, near 93 Feet East is the best), or a delicious cocktail afterwards, while you discuss the finer points of graffiti. Tube: Liverpool Street NONE /items/show/1148 http://bit.ly/3vRgy The Uxbridge Road in Shepherds Bush is not necessarily the most obvious destination, but the wonderful Bush Hall should not be overlooked. The old Victorian town hall, decked out with lustrous chandeliers and sensuous scarlet walls plays host to some of London’s best live music. Its stage has been graced by numerous artists over the years, from Stephanie Dosen to Courtney Love, and Noah and the Whale to REM. As well as being a favourite venue amongst world mega-stars kicking off a gargantuan tour, or playing rare, intimate secret shows, Bush Hall is a regular stop off for brilliant bands on the way to the top. Just last year, Florence and the Machine - who I am partly in love with - charmed only a couple of hundred people with her as yet unheard compositions. Best of all, such gigs tend to be priced at less than a tenner and don’t always sell out until the last minute, making for a perfect impromptu musical outing. The Uxbridge Road also offers a great selection of authentic Lebanese eateries to grab a bite to eat before the gig, while the nearby defectors weld provides a great post-gig drink venue. Tube: Shepherd's Bush Market NONE /items/show/1149 http://bit.ly/TKE1U This place was literally a 3 minute walk from my flat when I lived in these parts and was a regular haunt. Yelo, in Shoreditch’s trendy Hoxton Square adds a nice contemporary twist to the traditional Thai restaurant with a cool, modern atmosphere. Seating is on long benches, which are almost always full, meaning the restaurant has a fun, bustling and laid-back atmosphere, making for a casual and relaxed date. Yelo’s head chef, Ekchart Pullarp has worked in many of London’s top restaurants, but ultimately was drawn to his home cuisine of Thai food. As such, Yelo pride themselves on authenticity, and many of the ingredients are imported directly from Thailand. Dishes include a beautifully spiced red curry coconut soup, filled with silky rice noodles and a fiery but delicious chili chicken noodle dish, packed with crunchy, fresh vegetables, as well as the usual Thai favourites such as stir fries, curries, and of course, the ubiquitous Pad Thai. Dishes are all priced well under £10, mostly around the £5 mark, making Yelo a perfect place for a budget evening. The best thing is though, the food is so good, and the restaurant so pleasant, that other than the cost, there is nothing ‘cheap’ about it! Tube: Old Street NONE /items/show/1150 http://bit.ly/xpdcK There are a few Vietnamese restaurants on the same stretch of Kingsland Road, but Tay Do Café is definitely one of the better ones. This was another regular haunt - living as I did almost directly above the place! Don't let the bright green walls and the scary lobster decorations scare you away. The food's simple and the clientele is a mix of Shoreditch hipsters, bohos and hobos. Go and grab a quick bite before moving on to one of the many bars in the area. You can eat a pretty filling meal for less than 10 pounds. Be prepared to bring your own booze though because the Tay Do Café doesn't serve alcohol. Might be worth bringing a bottle opener as well as they charge for corkage. The service is a bit so-so, but friendly. Make sure you mention the number of your dish as well as the name when you order. Viet Hoa across the road is also recommended if this place is full or you fancy something a little posher. Tube: Old Street NONE /items/show/1151 http://bit.ly/3qGz6v The Breakfast Club is cozily located on a cobbled stone side street in Angel. The breakfast menu is to die for and the decor reminds you of the 80s movie the café takes its name from. It's the perfect place for a laid-back brunch date. Start with cups of coffee and pancakes sticky with maple syrup. Try to decipher all the photos of 80s celebrities and other random people on the walls. Share a morning paper and do the sudoku. It's also a good place to meet up after a heavy night out and sober up together with some of the green juices on the menu. Stroll around Angel afterward or go down to the canal and walk all the way to Dalston. If you're going for brunch on a Saturday or Sunday morning be prepared to go early because the queues stretch into the street. The place is tiny and understaffed, but that just adds to the charm. If you want to be sure of getting a table go on a weekday instead. There are also venues in Soho, which I have tried and enjoyed, and Hoxton - which I haven't so you are on your own! Tube: Angel NONE /items/show/1152 http://bit.ly/c47ZV The world's oldest surviving music hall, Wilton's is hidden away on a little side street in east London. Behind fraying doors lies ”the city's hidden stage”. It genuinely feels like a secret stage with hints of faded glamour and an atmosphere from bygone days. You can almost see the ghosts of the actors from a century ago prancing around in the corridors. Wilton's Music Hall has been serving up entertainment for the locals in the East End since the 1800, but history has left its mark and the building has fallen into disrepair. The decay only adds to the charm and walking into Wilton's feels like stepping back in time. The music hall is now open for both tours and other events. Go for a movie screening, an opera or a play or just go and hang out in the little bar by the foyer. The music hall has a cozy, closed-knit feeling to it and a lot of the people going are regulars. Good for anyone who wants to soak in some old school thespian charm. Enjoy the fact that a couple of hundred years ago the very room you're in was filled with gangsters, sailors, prostitutes and ordinary East Enders looking for a bit of fun. Tube: Tower Hill NONE /items/show/1153 http://bit.ly/11uAdX Want to travel away from London for a while and teleport yourself into a movie-like version of Korea? Then New Seoul is perfect. This quiet little restaurant in Clerkenwell doesn't look like much from the outside, but inside it's a calm, cozy place. The restaurant feels shielded from the world outside and the food is good enough to make you forget about your daily worries. The prices are reasonable and the staff are friendly. A good place to go to if you want good food and good conversation rather than the showiness of a fancy restaurant. Tube: Farringdon NONE /items/show/1154 http://bit.ly/eMmHf If you're up for a different culinary experience then Saf in Shoreditch is definitely worth trying out. This swish restaurant has tapped into one of coolest (no pun intended) recent food trends; raw food. The über-healthy food is totally vegan and a lot of it isn't even cooked, something that according to the restaurant preserves all the minerals and nutrients in the food. If this sounds a bit too hippy dippy for you then maybe the fancy cocktails and the posh decor might help you change your mind. For a relatively cheap price (about £60 for a three course dinner and drinks for two) you get a pretty impressive experience. The staff are friendly and very helpful when it comes to explaining what the dishes actually contain. The deserts are gorgeous (even though they're totally cream free). Why not share a plate of nut ice cream for desert and swoon over how much better it tastes than normal ice cream. You don't have to be a health nut to enjoy this place. It might not be the perfect place to bring someone who only eats beef, but who knows, maybe the food at Saf would be good enough to make even the most conservative meat eaters enjoy a vegan meal. The restaurant is always busy and it's worth booking a table, especially during the weekends. Tube: Old Street NONE /items/show/1155 http://bit.ly/Ocbpd Behind a nondescript door in Shoreditch is a stair-case that leads into Lounge Bohemia. The bar is strangely enough still a bit of a secret in an area that's filled with trendy bars trying to be underground. Lounge Bohemia truly is underground. Walking into it is like stepping into a trendy atomic bunker somewhere in the Soviet Union. The decor is 60s chic with low ceilings and decorative lighting. But it's not just the atmosphere that hails from a sort of fictionalised version of Soviet kitsch, even the cocktails are something a mad scientist might have come up with. Why not try a Lab Test? An assortment of shots in test tubes. The drinks list is a mix of cocktails actually hailing from Soviet Russia and original takes on old classics. The bar also has an excellent selection of Czech beer. But don't just go for the drinks, the bar (sorry, lounge) also serves Czech canapés and Czech cheese platters. The bar encourages its customers to book a table and don't really appreciate walk-ins. Tube: Old Street NONE /items/show/1156 http://bit.ly/yMIqU Hidden away in central London is the city's oldest wine bar. Walk through a small doorway and down a tiny staircase into a wine lover's paradise. Book a table in the old wine cellar and spend an evening snuggling in the darkness only lit by candle light. The building dates back to the 17th century and the wine bar itself has been operating since 1890. It's a family business and many of the staff have been working at Gordon's for many years. The atmosphere is friendly and it's definitely worth asking for help if you're unsure of which wine to get. However the bar can get very busy and it's best to book a table to be sure to get a place to sit. The bar can get very crowded just after office hours, but is a bit easier to visit earlier during the day or in the weekend. Tube: Embankment NONE /items/show/1157 http://bit.ly/cupfq My number one favourite day out in London is take a stroll down the South Bank and stop to explore Borough Market along the way. A vibrant, rambling market spanning several streets with stalls nestled under railway bridges, it’s as good a place to escape the rain as it is to pick up some amazing produce. You can enjoy free samples of some of the best fresh foods around, and stock up on supplies to create a home-cooked banquet later on. From cheeses to teas, oysters to gourmet mushrooms, there’s bound to be something to suit all palates! For inspiration or cooking advice, the stallholders couldn’t be friendlier so don’t be afraid to ask. Tube: London Bridge NONE /items/show/1158 http://bit.ly/uPUn3 Tucked away behind a small park and a row of innocent-looking houses is a little slice of Cornwall in Hammersmith. At least, that’s what it feels like when you’re in The Dove, a cosy traditional pub that looks out over the River Thames. The menu features the classic British pub fare in keeping with the traditional décor and the intimate feel. It’s as great a place to stop for a hearty meal on a chilly winter’s day as to relax with a Pimms on the terrace in midsummer. The best time of day to nab a table is lunchtime; so really earn that lunch by building it into a long walk along the banks of the Thames. With brilliant views of the passing boats, the terrace area is a popular viewing point for the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race if you’re lucky enough (or early enough) to grab a spot. The Dove actually is the kind of pub Hollywood execs think we have all over the place in London. It’s reputed to have played host to Ernest Hemmingway, William Morris and Graham Greene amongst other legends of the arts world. How jolly quaint. Tube: Ravenscourt Park NONE /items/show/1159 http://bit.ly/2zuucF If there’s one activity not synonymous with London Town, it’s farming. Fields are something your average Londoner rarely comes into contact with, let alone a flock of sheep, herd of cattle or drove of donkeys. Which is why taking a trip to Hackney City Farm will be a breath of fresh air in more ways than one, and makes for a more unusual city date. The ideal time to visit is a sunny spring day – imagine it now: soft focus, lambs a-frolicking, daisy chains in your hair… Unfortunately sunny spring days tend to be few and far between, but donning the wellies and preparing to get rained on could be fun too. If you’re a crafty type, there are regular workshops to get involved in, like pottery classes. For outdoorsy types, you can volunteer in the gardens and get stuck in with a bit of weeding together. When you’ve had your fill of patting, feeding, weeding, pottery-throwing and taking comedy pictures with the animals, refuel your batteries at the Frizzante Café with some homemade Italian food. Tube: Bethnal Green NONE /items/show/1160 http://bit.ly/XaLWU Living during an era rife with reality TV, tabloid sensationalism and Primark, there is something altogether more glamorous and appealing about times gone by than the present. Make a date with the past – ‘20s style. Rocking up to your local in a sharp pinstripe suit or flapper dress with your hair perfectly set might leave you feeling a touch out of place. Instead, indulge in a bit of prohibition chic at the 20th Century Theatre Speakeasy in Notting Hill. The vintage outfits are essential to get the most out of the evening, which will include cocktails, jitterbuggin’, live music and some amazing style-spotting opportunities. Swot up on vintage Hollywood movies before you go and impress each other with your almost-authentic mobster speak. Call everybody ‘kid’ or ‘fella’. You’ll have no trouble hearing each other because decibels are kept reasonably low – just another sign that the Speakeasy is a more sophisticated affair than the bars and clubs modern Londoners are used to. Don’t be afraid to get involved with the action – the dancing can be scarily impressive, but you’ll create more memorable moments by making fools of yourselves on the dancefloor than sitting on the sidelines watching. Note: the website is painfully out of date but the Speakeasy night is still running! Tube: Notting Hill NONE /items/show/1161 http://bit.ly/14I62o Ah, dinner and a movie – that classic combo. But always with the worry that dinner will overrun and you’ll miss the start of the film. Much safer to do it the other way round – movie and then dinner. And there’s nowhere more perfect for this scenario than the Ritzy Bar and Screen in Brixton. It’s a lovely rambling old cinema with intimate little screening rooms – none of this priority seating rubbish; it’s first come, first pick of seats. The films on offer range from typical Hollywood fare to the latest in World cinema. The café has had a recent facelift, managing to maintain its cool-but-comfy vibe whilst giving itself a fresh new look. You can dissect the film you’ve just seen over tasty treats like halloumi burgers, seabass fillets or traditional sandwiches and pizzas. If you’re more of a drinks-and-dancing kind then check out the schedule for Upstairs at the Ritzy where music nights are regularly held with great value drinks offers. Tube: Brixton NONE /items/show/1163 http://bit.ly/gpSAh Remember when, as a child, you were dragged off to museums by your parents and the only things that made them bearable were the quizzes and treasure hunts you got given to fill in as you went round? Relive that childlike fun at the V&A Museum in South Kensington. On the last Friday of every month (except December), the V&A is open until 10pm. Quite aside from the fact that it becomes acceptable to wander around the museum’s fine exhibits with a glass of wine in hand, there are all sorts of fun activities to get involved in. The events are always run around a specific theme. One month, for example, the theme was soul music and the spoken word so live music and poetry workshops took place around the museum all through the evening. A treasure hunt is often laid out around the museum – the answer to each clue in a different exhibit, and the first teams to make it back with the right answers won a prize. All sorts of fun can be had by throwing competing teams off the scent by loudly and authoritatively proclaiming incorrect answers, and if you miss out on the prizes, treat yourself to a gift from the shop – it’s 15% throughout the night. Tube: South Kensington NONE /items/show/1164 http://bit.ly/gVJ1e Join the crowd trying to escape the gotta-go-to-work blues by heading down to The Comedy Store in Piccadilly for a laughter packed evening of fun. Presented in a 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?' format, classic comedy store players take to the stage and take part in various improvisation games. Each week sees a variation of the Comedy Store Players perform including Paul Merton, Josie Lawrence, Andy Smart and Neil Mullarkey. Each player offers a unique style of comedy creating a night out which anyone would be forced to stifle a laugh. Audience participation is optional - unless you decide to sit in the front row - and be prepared to heckle and join in with suggestions for the comedy players to improvise. Tickets cost £15 (£10 for students) and can be bought online or on the door. It's best to get there early to guarantee a good seat and I can heartily recommend the spicy potato wedges. Tubes: Piccadilly Circus or Leicester Square NONE /items/show/1165 http://bit.ly/de1Rh Don't think for a second that farms are full of endless mud, scattered with hundreds of wellied-clad families of four. No, Mudchute Farm is so much more than that. With over thirty acres of land the city's biggest farm offers not only over two hundred different animals including chickens, pigs and llamas but also a tasty home grown farm restaurant serving delights such as Pea, mint and lemon risotto with parmesan and Mudchute Farm's Gloucester Old Spot pork. Perfect for stopping off for lunch after a stroll around the grounds. Why not visit the equestrian centre whilst you are there and book yourself a horse riding lesson? The riding centre caters for all abilities and the all weather floodlit riding arena provides year round riding facilities. Lessons are book-able in advance or on the day. Just remember to dress appropriately! If you have children there is also plenty to keep them occupied from petting the animals to the education centre where activities and games are available to join in with. Located in the Isle of Dogs admission to Mudchute is free and the farm is open seven days a week from 9.30am – 4.30pm. Tube: New Cross NONE /items/show/1166 http://bit.ly/zmuK0 Pop down to Scandi kitchen to sample some of Scandinavia's finest traditional foods including fresh fish, homemade cakes and delicious meatballs. Scandinavian food is normally quite simple and in Scandi kitchen you will find food that is based on the three main staple ingredients that Scandinavians use and love - lots of rye breads, fish and cured meat. For a light lunch create your own Smorgasbord, a Swedish meal served buffet-style with multiple dishes of various food on the table, perfect for sharing. Choose from a variety of Smoorbrod (open sandwiches) including Norwegian smoked salmon, Swedish meatballs, Egg & Kalles Kaviar or the delicious Danish blue cheese mash. Or if you don't fancy lunch and prefer to stop by for a snack whilst shopping in central London be sure to try one of the in-house baked cakes. All the cakes are made with traditional recipes and baked daily. The banana cake is made with Swedish filmjolk (a type of fermented milk) and pecans and the Sticky Swedish chocolate cake is a must have. There is also an in-house shop allowing you to buy goodies from Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland. Tube: Oxford Circus NONE /items/show/1167 http://bit.ly/TynCM A fundraiser for the British Heart Foundation, take part in the 100m shambles, brain and spoon race, relay of the dead (using severed limbs as batons), people chase, body bag race, deathcathlon and rot foot (shot put using a severed foot). Meet in Leicester Square and join the ghoulish procession to a final destination and the sports day - latecomers can ring 07746198985 to find out where the procession has reached. Donations will be collected along the route, and there will be a free zombie picnic to revive participants. Horror fans might also want to check out the films at FrightFest, which is taking place nearby at the Empire Leicester Square. Tube: Leicester Square NONE 2009-08-31 /items/show/1168 http://bit.ly/Fqpgz On the first Friday of every month the Tate Britain extends it's normal opening hours to 10pm with last entry to exhibitions at 9pm. Enjoy performances, music, talks and films whilst relaxing with a glass of wine. Entry to all events at Late at Tate Britain are free and the exhibition entry is half price. And why not follow up a stroll round an exhibition with supper at the Rex Whistler Restaurant which is open late for one night a month only. Described as being 'one of the most original' restaurants in London the Rex Whistler serves a modern British menu and boasts an award winning wine list as well as an amazing mural designed by Rex Whilster in 1927 which surrounds the restaurant. Tube: Pimlico NONE /items/show/1169 http://bit.ly/l8RaE Benihana is one of the few Japanese restaurants in London that use the old Japanese method of cooking called teppanyaki within the dining area. Teppanyaki directly translates to the word teppen which means 'iron plate' in Japanese. Benihana combines this style of cooking with entertainment and fun - each table in Benihana houses a big iron grill so the chef can cook your chosen food to exactly how you like it right in front of your eyes. Not forgetting, of course, entertaining you along the way as he shows off little tricks including the fantastic 'onion volcano'... definitely one to ask about. After selecting what kind of meat and vegetables you would like from the menu the chef wheels a large trolley full of food and then chats away as he prepares your meat to exactly the way you like it. The staff at Benihana are all very chatty and attentive. The Saki cocktails are highly recommended and the meat that Benihana use is of very high quality. A perfect place for a fun night out. Tube: Piccadilly Circus NONE /items/show/1170 http://bit.ly/SlglT Sushi In Europe, located in Golders Green and run by Nari and Yoshie, offers a Sunday afternoon course for up to four people at a time. Learn how to cook the rice properly, make rice vinegar, wrap Nigiri sushi, sushi rolls and lots more. Each class lasts up to four hours and afterwards you will be presented with your very own Sushi kit allowing you to continue cooking at home. The course is very hands on and participants are expected to take part in all stages. Nari and Yoshie adapt to any dietary requirements and state that if there is a particular type of sushi that you like they will add it in to their class and teach you how to make it. Private lessons are also available - they don't come cheap at £220 per couple but the price includes an afternoon session, recipe books, goodie bag including lots of tools to help you make your sushi and to take home everything you make. Tube: Golders Green NONE /items/show/1171 http://bit.ly/3fj4ka Wander into Petek, a few minutes up Stroud Green Road and you'll be transported to a charming little Turkish restaurant complete with lanterns and framed pictures of sunny coastlines. As you're seated a waitress brings you a basket of delicious Turkish bread with a tomato and chilli salsa-type dip and olives to pick at while you make your choice. Top tips for starters are the lamb's liver, which will convert even liver-phobics, cooked to tender pink perfection and tossed in herbs. The chilli prawns and calamari are also worth a mention. As for main dishes, you'll have a tough time choosing from seabass, freshly made kebabs, monkfish skewers all served with heaping portions of wonderfully fresh side salad and potatoes with capers and herbs. The portions are enormous, and the wine is always good, for this kind of night out you'd expect to pay dearly for, but in fact Petek is really good value. A great place to go for that special intimate experience without paying extortionate prices. Tube: Finsbury Park NONE /items/show/1172 http://bit.ly/2rVvaL Bloomsbury Lanes is an authentically American '50s bowling alley located off a quiet sidestreet near Euston and guaranteed to impress. Start off by cosying up in a booth with some nachos and buffalo wings as you watch the vintaged-up punters try to get a strike, and let the waitresses bring you some of their fantastic cocktails. The bar area has a great atmosphere and there is always music playing, be it a selection of retro hits or live bands to get the crowd dancing. You can also nip into one of their private karaoke rooms to sing you heart out, but bear in mind you'll have to book ahead. For something a little more intimate take a seat in their mini cinema, which screens old films on a monthly rotation. Make sure you take advantage of the free popcorn! Tube: Russel Square NONE /items/show/1173 http://bit.ly/1bgzet How about a few exotic cocktails? Notting Hill’s Trailer Happiness is a very relaxed intimate basement bar with plenty of casual seating and retro interiors. It offers an impressive cocktail menu divided into three categories; House Favourites (for example bellini or mojito), Tiki Classics (including the Colada Nueva which is a great twist on the classic) and Homage Drinks (think martini’s with unique ingredients). They come in all shapes and sizes (literally) with decorative glasses (which are explained in the menu with small diagrams) and a range of ingredients. The background music is an eclectic mix including reggae and disco with sounds from most decades. It’s usually pretty busy at the weekend, which makes quiet conversations difficult, but offers a great starting point for a night out or after dinner drinks. It’s easy to miss, which means it avoids tourists, as it stands on a corner of Portobello Road with a staircase leading down to the bar. Also, beware of the service charge that appears with table waiting as this adds to the cost. Tube: Notting Hill Gate NONE /items/show/1174 http://bit.ly/2NsexW Strictly speaking more of a canteen than a restaurant, Taro offers good-quality Japanese grub and speedy, friendly service. It's not as flashy as some Japanese establishments but that is part of the charm. The central location and casual atmosphere means it's an ideal pitstop for a pre-theatre dinner or a quick stomach filler before drinks. In fact both the Brewer Street and Old Compton Street branches are just a short walk through Carnaby from the Photographers' Gallery which is a good bet. Order from a variety of noodle and rice based dishes, as Taro offers soba, udon, sushi, ramen and bento boxes so there's something for even the most reticent foodie. Of particular note are the gyoza, perfectly cooked and not too greasy. If you're in the Old Compton Street branch which has a slightly more extensive menu, give the green tea ice cream a go. Another thing to try there is the umeshu, the plum wine diluted with soda makes a great alternative to sake or beer. Watch out for Mr Taro himself, who is most usually found wandering the Brewer St branch. A kindly man with permanent smile, his face is the inspiration for the Taro logo. Tube: Leicester Square or Tottenham Court Road tube NONE /items/show/1175 http://bit.ly/zAnlJ Few areas of London are as affluent as Mayfair. Just the word sounds fancy and everybody knows it’s the most expensive place of the Monopoly board! Therefore, if you’re looking to impress you can’t go too wrong with most places between Berkeley Square and Green Park. The Mayfair Hotel is a very fashionable location (not least for it’s role as the official hotel of London Fashion Week) and the cool bar does not disappoint. With its modern décor and menu of over 40 signature drinks, it’s no surprise it was recently voted the ‘Best Hotel Bar in London’ by Guardian readers. You can sit at the bar and watch the master mixologists at work, or on one of the black leather sofas for a more intimate evening. Food is also available using “great British ingredients” which ranges from sharing platters (think bento or char grilled vegetables) to the a la carte menu (which ranges from Aylesbury Duck to Cornish crab). The bar is popular for a reason, so the only problem you might come across is finding a table. Tube: Green Park NONE /items/show/1176 http://bit.ly/14lW5s This cool chain of American style eateries is popping up all over the capital in key locations including Carnaby Street, Camden and Curtain Road (the original and a popular weekend haunt of mine). They all look very similar with retro interiors, cosy booths and outdoor seating for sunny days. You can choose to eat in the bar or in the restaurant where your table will offer all kinds of American style condiments. They’re open all day offering all American breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can expect to see classic meals from across the pond including burgers, burritos, and pancakes served in lined black plastic baskets. Why not go all out and accompany your meal with a thick shake. Choose from classic child friend flavours like Strawberry, Chocolate and Vanilla or step it up a gear with a ‘hard shake’ as the drink is given an alcoholic edge. Tube: Old Street NONE /items/show/1177 http://bit.ly/CNLtE Harrods has brought one of the best Parisian cafes to London as Ladurée sits at the back of the Knightsbridge emporium offering a surprisingly secluded location. If you are not familiar with the French tea salon, they have been offering the finest macaroons since 1862 and even invented the double decker version. It’s a great place to visit for a very civilized afternoon tea and offers a vast menu of cakes and pastries alongside plenty of drink options. Choose between the wide range of tea and coffee or opt for a more alcoholic beverage like or wine or champagne. Unfortunately, as with most aspects of Harrods, Ladurée doesn’t offer the best value for money with the cheapest bottle of wine starting at £18. However, if you’re looking to impress you’d struggle to find better French treats than here. You can sit inside the ornate salon or outside on warmer days, which provides the perfect people watching spot as people arrive in their chauffeur driven cars. Tube: Knightsbridge NONE /items/show/1178 http://bit.ly/1675Ve Nestled on the far end of the South Bank, sits the suitably streamlined and minimalist building that is the Design Museum. One of the world’s leading museums for contemporary design, the Design Museum embraces a wide spectrum of design, from photography and fashion, to product and furniture design, and hosts works from a plethora of industry leaders. Previous exhibitions have included the structurally challenging, and LED adorned clothing of avant garde fashion designer, Hussain Chalayan, and an overview of the modern architectural wonders created by Richard Rogers, of ‘Pompidou’ fame. It hosts only 3-4 exhibitions at a time so you won’t be so bombarded with information that you leave with brain ache. Based in an old Thameside warehouse, the Design Museum is open and airy, and compared to old beasts like the V&A or the Natural History Museum, is easy to get around with time for a pint afterwards. What’s more, when you’re designed out, the café boats a lovely river view and a rather tasty scone. Exhibitions on show change a couple of times a year, meaning there should always be something on offer to float your cleverly designed boat. Tube: London Bridge NONE /items/show/1179 http://bit.ly/G9PdO On the first Tuesday evening of each month, take a candlelit tour around the former residence of architect and collector Sir John Soane. Soane designed his house to live in and also as a rather nice place to display his ever breeding collection of antiquities and art. The website says “having been deeply disappointed by the conduct of his two sons, one of whom survived him, he determined to establish the house as a museum to which 'amateurs and students' should have access.”. Right on. The museum is incredible; a labyrinth of wonders from a variety of periods and origins. It’s all a bit other-worldly in the dim glow of the flames. Sniff out the Sarcophagus of Seti or an excellent collection of Hogarth's paintings; some secreted away behind false panels. Amazing to think that Soane never left the country to pick up these pieces; he was just an extremely enthusiastic (and rich) enthusiast. Be prepared to queue to get in; I took a hip-flask and some mince pies and was glad of them both since I stood outside for over an hour. But it’s well worth it. Tube: Holborn NONE /items/show/1180 http://bit.ly/12HMX8 The famous Routemaster bus may have come off of London’s roads, but it hasn’t come off our menus! Well, the aptly titled, ‘Rootmaster’ hasn’t at least. Situated amidst the hub of street food in the markets around the Truman Brewery, Rootmaster is an oasis of vegetarian gastronomy, atop a real-life double-decker bus. Far from being simply a novelty restaurant, Rootmaster serves up beautifully presented dishes, using locally sourced ingredients, including delicious Clean Bean tofu. Culinary influences stem from all corners of the globe, with Gyoza dumplings and Teriyaki stir fry from Japan, Bruschetta, Mezze platter and veggie adorned pizzas from the Mediterranean, and Spinach and Onion Bhajis from India. The London bus has been transformed from its 1967 hey-day to feature a fully fitted kitchen on the lower deck, into which diners can see and watch their feasts be lovingly prepared. The top deck has been stripped of its nasty old bus-seats and replaced with cosy booths, candles, cushions and the kind of shiny silver table-ware you would expect to find in London’s fanciest restaurants. Meat or no meat, the quirky setting of this London icon, is sure to please herbivores and omnivores alike. Tube: Liverpool Street NONE /items/show/1181