February 2012
24 posts
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Metropolitans: Steven Layton, Graphic Designer
I am…a graphic designer currently working for a small agency based in the heart of Soho. I graduated five years ago and avoided real work for a few years by running a hip hop/turntablism night with a few friends at The Social, also in Soho, as well as DJing in a few bars and clubs. These days I occasionally DJ but I’ve found people don’t appreciate 90’s hip hop, funk and soul...
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Something You Should See... The Grand Entrance...
What were you doing in your 20s? If you were like me, it involved uni, pubs and dreaming of travelling the world. If you were the great Isambard Kingdom Brunel in 1826 you were building the world’s first underwater tunnel under our lil Thames.
Upon its completion, it was considered a wonder of the age and attracted thousands of visitors to London and while it is no longer open, the...
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Something you should do... discover your "Hidden...
The Southbank is grey and drizzly when we arrive at the BFI. Hoods up and phones on, we leaf through a trusty pocket A-Z and furtively send ‘start’ to our anonymous text contact. A reply beeps immediately, and we’re assigned our first clue. The hunt, as they say, is on.
For those not already in the know, Hidden City is a text-message-based game that allows players to explore the quirkier parts of...
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What we've been up to... the Issa London at London...
On Saturday, February 18th, the Issa London collection captivated the fashion crowd at Somerset House with vibrant colours and luxurious evening wear.  Brazilian designer Daniella Helayel took them on a collective Trans-Siberian journey from Moscow to the Forbidden City in Beijing with her bright and elegant collection.  The show itself was well received by the crowd, while backstage was...
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Something you should see... Jeremy Deller: Joy In...
He may not have been around that long but Jeremy Deller’s impact and importance since winning the Turner Prize deems him worthy of a bit of a mid-career retrospective at the Hayward Gallery this spring. All his well-known works will be represented here including videos, installations, posters, banners and performance pieces. His work is multifaceted, drawing on different mediums but all with...
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Something you should do...... The Great...
The annual Great Spitalfields Pancake Race is taking place on February 21st (Shrove Tuesday!) , so put together a team of four pancake loving friends, grab a frying pan (pancakes are provided!), and hot foot it down to the Old Truman Brewery. Get on your marks and get ready to race (whilst flipping the pancake!), with the coveted prize being an engraved frying pan at stake for the winners. Make...
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Something you should do... get knitting
For years, an underground revolution has been taking London by storm. It involves needles, hooks and stitches, and it may bring back memories of those itchy Christmas jumpers from your grandma. That’s right, folks: knitting continues to be the new cool and with the temperature continuing to drop, more timelier than ever.
Knitting has always been a popular pastime, but unlike the olden days, when...
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Something you should do... Hendrick’s Unusual...
Ever thought how unfair it is that society dictates that the man should be the one to propose? Are you all loved-up after Valentine’s Day and wondering if you’ll have to wait another half century before you can finally announce that you are ‘betrothed’ to your darling dearest?
Well, fear not! Tradition has it that every Leap Year on February 29th, every respectable lady has free reign to send...
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Somewhere you should go... Roux at the Pembury
You probably know Michel Roux Jr - head of the world famous Mitcheli starred Le Gavroche restaurant, the perfection-seeking host of Masterchef: The Professionals.
Coming from a long history of chefs and restaurateurs - including his famous father of the same name - Mr Michel Junior has evidently always had both a love of food and business running through his veins.
That’s why in recent years...
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Somewhere you should go... Love Bugs at the...
Head over to the Hunterian Museum for an alternative Valentine’s experience at their Love Bugs event, hosted by Science London. Don your face mask (free with every £2 donation) and get loved up making your own cuddly bacteria. Guest speakers give a gruesome account of what you wouldn’t want to catch from close contact, and reminisce over tales of romance from the museum’s archives.Love Bugs...
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Somewhere you should go... WigWamBam at the Queen...
Overlooking the chaos of the city is a lovely little rooftop with a difference. You can now escape from the winter weather and warm up at WigWamBam, a cosy, heated wigwam on top of the Queen of Hoxton. Of course no domed dwelling would be complete without a bar and grill, so you can enjoy a hot mulled cider and chargrilled snack while snuggling up under the twinkle of fairy lights. The wigwam is...
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Somewhere you should go... The Vault Festival
The recent excavation of the Waterloo tunnels has caused a stirring in the alternative arts scene. So for a three-week period, the maddest hatters and the creepiest ideas generators are moving down under and bringing the Leake Street underground to life with The Vault Festival - a mass celebration made up of hundreds of performers and an eclectic mix of theatre, film screenings, late night parties...
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Something you should see... Paolo Roversi at The...
February is Fashion Month and in London, that can only mean one thing - the people-watching just got a whole lot more interesting. Glamorous editors, lithe young models and outrageously attired scenesters pound the pavements for London Fashion Week, going from show to soirée in pursuit of the next big thing. It all looks fabulous (if not tiring) so if you want your fashion fix but fancy an...
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Love films? Love Orange and the BAFTA Awards 2012
Call me lazy, but I only ever feel inspired to go to the cinema when it’s awards season. It’s hard to resist a convenient shortlist of flicks chosen for their artistic merit (my kinda movies, really), and nine times out of 10, both the winners and nominees - like The Descendants (pictured), The Help and The Artist, which we covered last year - actually live up to the hype.
The next...
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Somewhere you should go... LSE Space For Thought...
One of my favourite things about the capital is the great selection of free things to do. Seriously - they are everywhere, from museums, live music and sport to even educational events and the chance to take part in lively discussions. So for those interested in the latter, you’ll be glad to hear the London School of Economics is organising its acclaimed literary festival for a fourth...
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Somewhere you should go... Frame London Fields...
Anyone with a modicum of good sense knows January is not a great month for making resolutions. With the cold and the wet and the getting back to the 9-5 grind, it’s any luck you can draw on resources of willpower that Paula Radcliffe could only balk at. But February, well, the time is now ripe. You’ve had a month’s grace, eaten that last packet of mince pies and finally a good...
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What we've been up to... D'Angelo at Brixton...
If, like me, you were among the generation of music-savvy teens in the late 90s who analysed album sleeve notes for production credits and could spot a sample in a heartbeat, then you probably welcomed the arrival of “neo soul” with open arms. This progressive genre and its experimental mesh of classic soul, funk, et. al  wasn’t mundane like the whiny R&B that prevailed at...
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Somewhere You Should Go... Dennis Severs' House
Just around the corner from one of London’s busiest modern day transport hubs sits a quiet house in a stately street. The old lantern outside the door hints at what lies inside: an historical time capsule that is worlds away from Liverpool Street’s hustle and bustle. Behind its doors, 18 Folgate Street holds an imaginative still-life drama without any visible actors – except for the resident black...
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Something you should see… Like Crazy
There are basically two very dissimilar ways the connection between two lovers is depicted on the big screen. The first one includes incredibly photogenic people doing grand romantic gestures in fabulous locales and aspires to offer the audience the idealistic romance they wish they could have. The second one focuses instead on the little details that forge a relationship between two ordinary...
Run Dem Crew Makes It Count
rundemcrew2:
Run Dem Crew makes it count outside Nike Town London
*Great run with the crew last night! (Peep me in the middle with my gray woolley hat!*
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Somewhere you should go... Roots Manuva, The...
The unmistakeable voice of Mr Rodney Smith has been gracing the British Hip-Hop scene for over a decade now and here’s your chance to bear witness to his greatness at the Roundhouse in Camden on February 4th. His musical style has developed and matured over the years but there is something so genuinely British and remarkable about this artist, he’s practically a national treasure....
January 2012
25 posts
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Somewhere you should go... The Other Cinema
We’ve seen our fair share of pop-up cinemas in 2011, but the guys behind Secret Cinema are going one better with the launch of The Other Cinema - a global network of film screenings in alternative venues like town halls, prisons, hospitals, oil rigs (!) and parks. The aim is to bring back that warm and gushy feeling of heading to the local cinema with loved ones - and what better day to...
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Win a 'dessert date' at La Gelatiera! (this...
Whether you like it or loath it, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner (and pretty hard to ignore!)  so we thought we’d mark the season of  loveliness by giving you the chance to win dessert for two at  La Gelatiera artisan gelato - a pretty delightful Italian gelato and coffee parlour in one of our favourite areas, Covent Garden (27 New Row, Covent Garden, London, WC2N...
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Metropolitans: Maya Simeon, Freelance Creative
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...
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Something you should do….take an unseen tour of...
Here’s a very unique take on walking tours; led by homeless or previously homeless guides, you might learn about local history and architecture, see some street art, or discover new parts of London. But what makes Unseen Tours different is that the guide also shares with you their story and experiences of being homeless in the capital. This takes the tours off the beaten track, giving a...
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Vic Frankowski's favourite coffee spots in London
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 itâs about the places I attend regularly, get some banter and a great coffee, a passion that characterises...
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Somewhere you should go... True Stories Told Live
True Stories Told Live is a simple concept;  a group of strangers gather in a pub and share a true story from their life. So far, so normal. In fact, you might think this sounds like any other night out.  But there’s a difference.
First of all, there is a strict 10 minute time limit to each story (wafflers need not apply!). Secondly, no notes are allowed, ensuring people are willing to...
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Something you should see... David Hockney at the...
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...
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Something you should see... Future Map
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...
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Somewhere you should go... Jean Grae at The Jazz...
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...
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Somewhere you should eat... Kumo
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...
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Somewhere you should go... Totally Serialized:...
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...
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Something For The Fans
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...
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"Snap Your LDN" - The Winners
Last month, we ran our very first photography competition asking readers to take a snap of their favourite things to do, experience or places in London during December and January. Above is the winning picture from William Ly, who came in 1st place with his shot of a “headless” breakdancer on the Southbank. He wins a new Polaroid X720E waterproof digital camcorder, a £100 gift voucher...
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Metropolitans: Nana Banful, IT Professional
I have… lived in London most of my life and guess what, I love London. There is so much energy here. You look around and it is so diverse that you can pick up trends just by looking around.
The area in London I call home is… Charlton. I’ve moved to the Southeast in the last 6 months and being next to Greenwich is pretty cool. Whenever, I leave the area for a while, it’s like fresh air...
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Something you should see... Damien Hirst: The...
Usually, there is nothing that chills me to the bone more than the words, ‘Damien Hirst’ and ‘spot painting’ in the same sentence. I spent some time at his auction exhibition at Sothebys back in 2008 and was exposed to the pomp and circumstance that surrounds anything the enigmatic artist creates. HOWEVER, like all good car crashes, you know you are going to want to take a...
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Somewhere you should eat... Kitchen Joël Antunès...
The Embassy Club hasn’t exactly developed the most flattering reputation over the years; think C-listers, “models”, iffy door staff and any other big pimping-types “spendin’ cheese” and that pretty much sums it up on a good night. But following a 7-month makeover, the Mayfair locale’s done a 360 and now offers a French restaurant which exudes nothing less...
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10 of the best alternative film clubs in London
In the last few years, the number of places you can go to watch a film has increased beyond the drab concrete walls of a multiplex. Now, you can catch a flick in the friendly atmosphere of the local pub, the luxury of a five-star hotel or the gothic surroundings of the Union Chapel. Such an imaginative choice of locales combined with an eclectic selection of films means there’s more variety...
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Somewhere we're going... Absolutely Fabulous Night...
Sweetie darling, January is here and boredom is out, but fear not - The Book Club have the perfect antidote with their Absolutely Fabulous Night.
As one of the most popular British sitcoms of the last decade (with fingers crossed a film coming soon) fans will relive the fashionable ups and downs of Eddie, Patsy, Saffy and Bubbles in their ever fabulous world of fashion and PR.
Whichever...
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Metropolitans: Kimberley Kasirowore, poet
I am… a Poet/Uni student studying Literature and Creative Writing. I moved to London in 2000 when I was about nine, from Zimbabwe. I’d holidayed in London before, but adopting my own postcode was a rather different experience. I’d found her, London personified, eclectic in her music and tastes, energetic and modern. She still is. Random memory: I remember being excited when I...
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Something you should do... Date differently
It’s a New Year (wahey!), and if you’re single, meeting someone may be on your wish list. So in a city packed with interesting things to do and people just as intriguing, merging the two could make for some love connections over this season that might (fingers-crossed) last in time for February 14th! So here’s some alternative events that could give you a chance to meet that...
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Somewhere you should eat... East Street Restaurant
It’s good to see a pan-Asian hotspot that doesn’t seemed fazed by the dominance of Alan Yau’s growing Busaba Eathai chain nearby; planted off Oxford Street, East Street’s entry onto the West End foodie scene is bold, brash and laden with ambitious intentions, yet executed in a delightfully quirky fashion. The menu boasts of street food from seven Asian regions - yes, 7!...
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Something you should see...The Spaghetti Western...
Everyone loves a cowboy, the rugged hero saving the town and always riding to the rescue just in time. The iconic films made Clint Eastwood a star and in a brilliant twist, The Spaghetti Western Orchestra are bringing the music from films such as The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and Once Upon A Time In The West to life.
Made up of five fantastically talented musical members, they play over 100...
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Something you should do... have a 'wish list' day
I never would’ve imagined a mediocre flick like New Year’s Eve would inspire me and a couple of friends to put together a list of things we’ve always want to do (based on a character in the movie who had a bucket list of her own) - but last Saturday, we set about running around London ticking off versions of things we always wanted to do and experience before the year was out.
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December 2011
32 posts
7 tags
Our highlights of the year no. 1: Q-Tip at YoYos,...
We didn’t have to think too long and hard about this one. For all this year’s hip and cultural happenings, this PA from A Tribe Called Quest’s legendary member Q-Tip (in my ‘hood of all places) has to go down as one of the most exciting - and random - gigs of 2011. Much love to Amelia from Put Me On It who spread the word on Facebook a day before the show, along with...