January 2012
25 posts
3 tags
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...
6 tags
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...
7 tags
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...
6 tags
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...
5 tags
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...
6 tags
"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...
8 tags
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...
7 tags
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...
10 tags
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...
7 tags
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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