February 2012
27 posts
8 tags
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...
9 tags
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...
7 tags
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...
10 tags
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...
7 tags
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...
6 tags
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...
6 tags
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...
7 tags
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...
7 tags
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...
7 tags
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...
9 tags
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...
6 tags
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!*
7 tags
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
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...
8 tags
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...
8 tags
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...
6 tags
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...
