I am… a very multi-dimensional kind of person, but to try and define what I do, I guess it comes under the umbrella of being a Freelance Creative. I operate project by project, with industries I’ve worked in including music, TV, radio, film and theatre. I also organise and manage events and artists. London is like a mosaic as opposed to a melting pot, which other metropolitan cities claim. This is where London’s beauty lies and is probably its most unique selling point too. The diversity is distinct, not lost, and yet still contributes to creating a whole. Also, the way it’s always evolving keeps things interesting and I like the fact you can never get bored here! I’ve got a real passion for London and get a kick out of showing international family, friends and clients around my home city.

The area in London I call home is… I was raised South of the river, but have also resided in Islington, Camden and Hackney. I’m currently in the process of moving back to North London, but would like to experience living on the Westside too. Holland Park is a cool area, as its tranquil, but still close to the buzz of the city centre.

 I’ve got to have a meal at… anywhere that serves authentic (cooked in the drum) jerk chicken! I’m a bit of a die-hard fan and will travel far and wide for the good stuff. One year, I passed through Notting Hill Carnival JUST for that reason! Haha… There used to be a festival called Jerk Cookout which took place every summer in Horniman Museum Gardens and it was heavenly! Lemonia in Chalk Farm is one of London’s best Greek restaurants, while Ponte Nuovo in Crystal Palace serves amazing Italian. I’m also a stickler for Thai and Indian cuisine and I can’t forget dim sum and tapas.  My parents and grandparents (plus various other family members) were restauranteurs, which probably explains why I’m a bit of a foodie!

 I tend to get my threads from… independent boutiques, High Street and online stores, markets (Spitalfields and Portabello are two of my faves) plus a few one-off pieces by some upcoming designers I know.

To enjoy London’s nightlife, you should… Try something different! I advocate the ‘variety is the spice of life’ philosophy, have clocked up an endless list of alternative nights and am always on the hunt for new experiences. I guess it’s because I get bored easily, so avoiding the same old same old is a necessity.

 If I was mayor, I would… apart from slashing the extortionate public transport fares, expand train schedules to run later on weekends.  I’d really like to set up schemes which would enable underprivileged people to experience activities they would never usually have a chance to, from the arts to sporting events. Also, the general culture of rudeness bugs me! Londoners seriously need to learn how to be friendlier to each other, so I might have to introduce fines or some other way to eradicare that nonsense!  Also, in an ideal world,  I’d love to build a canopy over the city. The weather can really spoil the vibe at times, so having guaranteed warmth would be awesome! Of course it would be able to open on sunny days and when we need rain. Having seen Boris in action at Mayor’s Question Time, and being thoroughly unimpressed by his bafoonery, I would so revel in doing the job properly!

My favourite spot to check out art is… as a hobby photographer, I see art pretty much everywhere. I’m a fan of street art - from community murals to graffiti and the pavement re-creations of the masters’ classics you find in places like Covent Garden. In terms of more conventional exhibitions, whenever I hear of something that sparks interest, I’m there! …The Tate Modern is a great art space and their late night events make it a cool hang out spot too.

I’d kindly tell a tourist to… Invest in taking one of the bus tours, as it’s a great way to see the whole city. The history you get is really insightful too. I’d also recommend doing a waterways walk - along the Southbank, by the Regent’s Canal or around Docklands, then go to Parliament Hill or Greenwich Park for panoramic views. Oh, and if you want good fish and chips in central London, Fryer’s Delight on Theobald’s Road in Holborn is the place to go.

The things I miss when I leave London are… apart from the obvious one, being my peoples, being away from the multiculturalism here makes me glad to come home.

My soundtrack to London would be: 

Prayin’ by Plan B - simply because this creative genius is a homegrown talent ;)

LDN by Lily Allen -  this track expresses the familiar pros and cons of life in London town.

Bright Lights, Bigger City by Cee-Lo Green -  apart from the fact I absolutely love this guy’s voice, the song is vibrant and the title says it all really ;)

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Original Article

Creating a short list of cafés for my book  The Independent Coffee Book: London  was very hard, as the capital has spawned so many great ones. Each person will have their own favourite based on what they like, where they live, the atmosphere…. it all becomes very personal. For me it’s about the places I attend regularly, get some banter and a great coffee, a passion that characterises DunneFrankowski - a creative coffee company and consultancy I run with my business partner Rob Dunne. So here are my favourite places, in no particular order:

Prufrock Coffee

Everything you need for your coffee needs, espresso and brewed coffee. The baristas have a good chat and know their stuff. www.prufrockcoffee.com (23-25 Leather Lane, London EC1N 7TE, Closest tube: Chancery Lane, Farringdon)

Prufrock @ Present in Shoreditch is my watering hole on a regular basis. Always great for a chat and to bump into familiar faces. (140 Shoreditch High Street, London, E1 6JE, Closest tube: Shoreditch High Street - London Overground)

Climpson & Sons/ Broadway Market

Always a stopover before starting my walk down the market. Not as busy as the shop on Saturdays but always good cup. www.webcoffeeshop.co.uk (67 Broadway Market, London E8 4PH, Closest tube: Bethnal Green, Haggerston and Hackney Central - London Overground)

Browns of Brockley

When southeast of the river I always try to pop in and say hi. It’s great all-around and barista Ross has transformed the place since taking it over a couple of years ago. www.twitter.com/brownsofse4 (5 Coulgate Street SE4 2RW, Closest tube: Brockley - London Overground) 

Tapped & Packed, Rathbone Place

This is the original coffee shop with a great atmosphere, banter, food and coffee. I’ve got a soft spot for it as it was my first consultancy job. Still the best coffee in Fitzrovia. www.tappedandpacked.co.uk (26 Rathbone Place, London W1T1JD, Closest tube: Tottenham Court Road) 

Espresso Room

Ben is one of the best coffee trainers around and the shop,  just as the name suggests, speaks for itself. You’ll get one of the best espressos in town. www.theespressoroom.com (31-35 Great Ormand Street, London WC1N 3HZ, Closest tube: Russell Square) 

Taylor St Baristas, Bank

To keep city workers caffeinated there is no one better then Taylor St. I take off my hat to them as it’s not an easy task to make 1500 cups of coffee a day to a high standard. http://www.taylor-st.com (Unit 3, 125 Old Broad Street, London, EC2N 1AR, Closest tube: Bank) 

For more recommendations, pick up The Independent Coffee Book: London, available at most good coffee shops,or online at www.coffeehit.co.uk

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Original Article

David Hockney is undoubtedly one of the best British artists of the 20th century, and has a long established fascination with the depiction of landscapes.  Working most recently on huge canvases filled with bright contrasting colours, his work is vibrant, bold and exciting.

Thinking outside the traditional painter’s box, Hockney has been drawing on an iPhone since 2008, eagerly graduating to the iPad in 2010. Using a simple  app called Brushes, his initial infatuation with iPhone-drawing was the ability to send finger-drawn images to friends, usually of flowers, or the view from his window. This became an almost daily habit, and led to his recent ‘Fresh Flowers’ exhibit, which involved drawings made on the electronic devices that were projected onto screens.

His latest exhibition, ‘The Bigger Picture’, is comprised of work from the last few years; a range of vivid large-scale paintings inspired by the East Yorkshire landscape and created especially for the Royal Academy. Using a tablet proved invaluable for creating these works, as they are made up of multiple panels, the size of which allow the viewer to really get lost in the scene portrayed. A series of films have also been produced, using 18 cameras and multiple screens set up in the gallery, which will show an artistic journey through the eyes of Hockney himself. It’s a great example of how modern tools and artistry can combine to create new ideas – and, at 74, Hockney also proves that you’re never too old to get to grips with technology. (Words: Flora Baker)

‘David Hockney: A Bigger Picture’ opens at the Royal Academy of Arts runs until April 9th.  For more info, visit www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibitions/hockney

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If you fancy yourself as a bit of a Charles Saatchi (before he decided he didn’t like art, that is), you could do no worse than make a bee-line for this annual survey exhibition showcasing the hottest talent from some of the hottest art colleges in London. The 30 artists involved are handpicked from 10,000 graduating students at the University of the Arts’s six different colleges (and you have to be pretty good just to get on these anyway!). The 30 chosen truly are very accomplished artists and names you will no doubt see again as they grow within their field.

Its not just about visual art either, as the University of the Arts encompasses fashion, communication and design through colleges such as Central Saint Martins, LCC and London College of Fashion. The exhibition has a competitive edge too. It culminates in a prize chosen by six movers and shakers in the art world, namely Mark Rappolt, Editor of the ArtReview, David Roberts - collector and founder of David Roberts Foundation - and Lulu Guinness, acclaimed handbag designer. And the prize? Bankrolling the artist for 12 months and helping them produce a limited edition of their work. Sounds like every artist’s dream, a golden ticket to success and it most probably will be. A must for all avid art fans. (Words: Laura Thornley)

Future Map takes place at the Zabludowicz Collection and runs until February 5th.  Entrance is free and for more info, visit www.futuremap.arts.ac.uk.

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With a career spanning two decades and a very successful jazz pianist father, this South African female rapper has proved herself to be quite the legend. Moving through different monikers along the way, first as a member of Natural Resource and then as ‘What What’, Jean Grae has always been at the top of her game. Through the years she has managed to team up with the biggest talents in Hip Hop such as The Herbaliser, The Roots, Mos Def and Pharaoh Monch. Since 2005 she has been signed to Talib Kweli’s Blacksmith Records - who rightly deems her to be ‘one of the last true MCs left’.

Being the renegade she is, Grae’s career came into dispute back in 2008 and there has been some to-ing and fro-ing with retirement. However this was all put to rest in 2011 with the release of a free mixtape titled Cookies or Comas, no doubt a taster for things to come. So considering this in an artist who truly does things differently, this gig isn’t to be missed. And if that isn’t enough to tempt you then, how about the incredible supporting act Chima Anya? The rapping doctor - physician by day and rapper by night (I guess art really can save lives).   (Words: Laura Thornley) 

For ticket information, visit www.hmvtickets.com

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Down a well hidden staircase on the exclusive Beauchamp Place, is the bar Kumo, a purveyor of japanese bites and classy cocktails. You may have walked that street 10 times and missed it, or mistaken it for a Gentlemen’s Club (there must be something slightly seedy about walking down a red staircase, right?). Once inside, the striking decor, reflective surfaces and mirrors make the small venue look deceptively big. These are intense surroundings and not ones I would not usually eat in, but I take the plump anyway because this isn’t just about the food - as I realise when handed the cocktail menu. I take a signature Apple Martini and my companion, a Mojito - both are not overly sweet -  a genuine mix of flavours.

Settling down at our table we opted for a large platter that involved four different Maki rolls, six of each (but only one of which was vegetarian but the staff are probably accommodating enough to change that if required), two miso soups with Tofu and what they call ‘warm mixed Japanese mushroom salad’ - but I would call stir fried button mushrooms with japanese flavours. The sushi had some reassuring imperfections that spelt made on the premises. A smallish selection of standard fillings are available with slightly more interesting extras such as soft shell crab. Presentation was impeccable, elegant and refined - perfect for a cocktail drinking group to share.

Our large platter was supposed to satisfy 3-4 but just about filled two hungry women so don’t expect to leave bursting (particularly with prices reflecting the neighbourhood -  our platter was £40). But that isn’t the nature of Kumo - this is a place to while away the hours, a marriage of cocktails and sushi (in the true way sushi should be eaten - i.e. as a snack not a meal) and the attentive, friendly staff make this all the more easy.  (Words: Laura Thornley) 

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Gone are the days when you would hear the words ‘TV serials’, and automatically think of one-dimensional characters and dodgy storylines often involving at least one miracle resurrection. Yes, sadly the soap opera days are a far, soft focus away from the dynamic TV storytelling we are now used to. The likes of Twin Peaks, 24 and The Wire have all made for a film-like experience on our domestic boxes. But naturally, this hasn’t just happened in the US, and proof of this is the Institut Francais’s  London Paris TV Festival.

Totally Serialized showcases episodes from the best of what the two countries have to offer. For the UK that means Death In Paradise, Misfits (all-nighter) and This is England ‘88 (naturally) plus Q&A with the cast. The French proffer their star-studded Platane (Vincent Cassel and Monica Belluci) and Braquo, amongst others. There will also be industry talks about how to write for TV and Q&A sessions following the screenings. The event promises to be a real first, dedicated to a newly revamped genre that often looks like and surpasses its film counterparts. And if that doesn’t sway you, then get yourself down there in the name of EU relations. Your countries need you! (Words: Laura Thornley)

The London Paris TV Festival takes place January 19-22.  Click here for more info.

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As I’m sure most of you will agree, there is nothing like having good sing-song, as it truly does blow those cobwebs away. I’ve always envied the vocalist who can belt out an amazing note, get carried away on a tune, entertain the masses. But, like some of you, I have generally confined my sweet dulcet tones to the bedroom or karaoke booth at 1am - until now.   Forget your musical modesty and get yourself involved in Something for the fans - a new competition, that’s quite amazing to say the least. It gives you the opportunity to sing, nay, DUET, with some of our most loved artists of the minute. Artists such as Emeli Sande, JLS and Labrinth are all involved - but the best part? You’ll be performing with them on a TV advert during the BRIT awards of course!

The competition is in conjunction with Priceless London, a campaign that aims to bring MasterCard holders closer to those unique experiences that money cannot buy.  And with the BRIT awards fast approaching – (remember our competition filling you in on this back in November? if not see here) and all the usual amazing talent that that involves like the soulful Adele, the hot to trot Miss Jessie J, and the reappearance of the big man himself Noel Gallagher – you will no doubt be feeling inspired to practice a cord or two. So if you fancy yourself as a bit of a singer/entertainer or want a backstage BRITS experience then get yourself down to Priceless London, for experiences beyond the pound.

MasterCard
Something For The Fans
BRIT Awards 2012

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