1950's Soho

Awesome. The 1950's is the first place I'll go once time machines are affordable. Or the 20's. Hmm..

Found here via @londonist.

Top pad in central London only £65pw

...surely not?!!

During my 8 years living in London I've had 2 periods of homelessness and 4 years in my early 20's where all I wanted was:

1) To be in the middle of everything

2) To be entirely spontaneous in every way - ready to react to whatever this great city threw my way, from nights out to meeting new people to trying out different things

3) To spend as little money on the non-important things (food, rent, bills) in order to allocate as much as possible to alcohol, gigs and having fun

...so why the hell did no one tell me about this. Or maybe it didn't exist back then, but either way, what an absolutely awesome thing this is?

Turns out there are office blocks, old warehouses and other kinds of buildings across London and beyond that are empty and in need of protection from squatters + robbers etc. Ordinarily this would mean the owner spending a fortune on security 24/7.

But Camelot Property Protection offers the perfect solution. They find 'guardians' to live in these spaces for something along the lines of £65 per week in rent. Guardians get their own lockable room and share a temporary bathroom + kitchen with any number of other Guardians. It's much cheaper for the property owner + gives the guardians a pad in the centre of town, where they'll be forced to mix with strangers (hmm, good or bad?), for minimal cost (more money for fun) and only a short term commitment.

Awesomeness extreme...

OMG how much fun stuff!!

Having today received a good few of the newsletters that kindly drop into my inbox to tell me about all the fun stuff that this great city has to offer on a weekly basis, I feel compelled to share a selection of their contents. There really is some incredibly exciting stuff happening (if you like what I like..which frankly is unlikely)..

First up and by far my favourite...

Be badly behaved @ The Underground Rebel Bingo Club

The Underground Rebel Bingo Club will host their version of granny's Housie at a secret location in Angel this Friday night (9th). This is how they describe themselves at their Facebook group:

We don't care what people think. We like to dance. We like to drink. But most of all we like to play dirty hardcore muthafuckin bingo on the down low. The Underground Rebel Bingo Club is a secret organisation that meets weekly to party hard and get our bingo on. If you don't like loud music, shoutin and dancin, don't come.

..sounds like f-u-n

Source: Flavorpill

On a softer + more glamourous note, I wish I could go to this, but I can't.. :0(

Bordello's Retro Hair + make-up masterclass

What an amazing idea! Next Thursday (15th) you + your friends can pay £45 to hang out at Bordello's lingerie boutique + learn the techniques need to achieve the 'ultimate in golden-age glamour'. The professional hair + make-up artists that will be sharing their secrets with you have worked with the likes of Amy Winehouse + The Scissor Sisters.

How cool to enjoy a lovely evening there, transforming yourself into a vintage princess or 50's pin-up starlet, before hitting the streets of Shoreditch with your favourite gals. I just hope they do it again. Soon! More info here.

Source: Flavorpill

The Museum of Everything

Opening on Weds 14th October in Primrose Hill, The Museum of Everything is London's first ever space for art by the 'untrained, unintentional and unseen creators of this, our modern world'. Its first exhibition has been selected by leading artists, curators + cultural figures. This is what they say:

In tiny crevices and under dusty beds, there lies a secret creativity by the unknowns of society. Unexpected, delicate and profound, this democratic work has inspired the world’s greatest artists.

In Exhibition #1, the museum presents over two hundred drawings, paintings, sculptures and installations, selected by leading contemporary artists, curators and cultural figures.

And if that's not enough, their site plays the rather appealing + slightly hypnotic sound of baa'ing sheep.

Naughty life-drawing @ 'In her room'

Go to David Carter's boutique Spitalfields hotel '40 Winks' on Weds 14th October and you will find a number of subjects in the various rooms of this 18th century house wearing Bordello lingerie + posing as aristocrats + flapper girls. Included in the price of this erotic life-drawing class you'll get wine, nibbles, pencils and paper.

Source: Flavorpill

Get creative @ Shoot Shoreditch

Shootexperience.com holds photographic treasure hunts mainly across the UK. And the next one, taking place this Sunday, will send teams off across historical Shoreditch to solve clues + provide their answers in photos. Quite simply, the best most creative shots win.

Source: Run-Riot

Small stories + Tall stories

I love this. It's well cute.

The National Theatre has pitched up an inflatable auditorium in which to host five days of storytelling.

The morning 'Small Stories' are for kids aged 5-7 (Wed-Sat 10.30am, 11.30am, & 12.30pm; Sun 11am, 12noon & 1pm); afternoon 'Tall Stories' for 8-11s (Wed-Sat 2.30pm, 3.30pm & 4.30pm) and evenings for adults.

..we agreed in the office that these should be called 'Giant stories'

There are also further family sessions:

Wed: 'Brain Wave', puppetry with the Whalley Range All Stars (1pm & 6.30pm); 'Les Moutons', a sheep story with Corpus (2pm & 5pm).
Thur: A ceilidh for all ages with Cheap Jack (1pm); 'Les Moutons (2pm & 4pm).
Fri: The legend of 'King Arthur' with Les Grooms (1pm & 4.30pm); Explore a giant hive with Pif-Paf in 'Honey' (2-6pm); Allotment fun with Plunge Bloom in 'Vegetable Nannies' (2pm, 4.30pm & 6pm).
Sat: 'Honey (12noon-1pm & 2-5pm); Salsa moves with Coco Xpress and Garcia (1pm).
Sunday wraps up with The Chipolatas and their mix of street theatre and circus (1.30pm).

Now I just need to either be, or have, a kid!

We like..Smirnoff Original Nights

Smirnoff's Original Nights is a series of alternative events in London, involving (among other things) a bit of dressing up, plenty of dancing + a lot of drinking. Which is why it's got my attention!

Smirnoff invited London's Promoters to apply for a £10k bursary to host one of four nights in London as part of their Smirnoff Night Vision initiative. They then asked London nightlife experts; Shaun Roberts (Promotions Manager of Fabric), Simone Baird (Social Club Editor at Time Out magazine) and Crispin Dior (Promoter behind Field Day, Adventures in the Beetroot Field) to hand-pick who they considered to be the most exciting and forward-thinking promoters from those who applied.

The chosen four were then given the cash to create an event from scratch on behalf of Smirnoff. And they really do all sound incredibly innovative, unique + exciting.

Normal people like us can win tickets to whichever event takes our fancy by posting a comment on the discussion board for that chosen event. And it looks like it's going down really well with nearly 50k fans on the FB page + big numbers begging for tickets on the discussion boards. Pretty please, Gods of Fun, can I win tickets to the Hothouse Revue event, I've been practising my Lindy-hop like a good girl + everything:

People Are Germs

Bash Studios – Saturday 18th April

Juliette Hughes and Claire Bartolomeo - better known as People are Germs - are hosting a special, one-off party that dreams are made of.

A rollerdisco like no other, party-goers will be able to skate to their hearts’ content whilst enjoying cutting edge live acts Primary1 and Magistrates and DJs The Glimmers, Hot Chip, Foals and Nadia Kasabia.

Taking place in an East London warehouse space, the night will boast flashing disco lights, party-loving people with colours and scenery to make your eyes fizz.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=150223705719&ref=mf

DJ Flicks

The Curzon, Soho – Friday 24th April

The brains behind disco hub DJ History.com present DJ Flicks; a movie and a party rolled into one. Known as much for their web blogging and record digging exploits as their legendary Lowlife parties, Frank Broughton and Bill Brewster will be transforming The Curzon, Soho into disco decadence.

Showing new, rare and unseen films recounting the disco genre in all its guises, the night will morph into a unique club night, connecting one of history’s pioneering DJs to the exciting scenes they inspired. DJ Kenny Carpenter, a one-time resident jock from the much-lauded Studio 54, and modern day instigators Disco Bloodbath will be taking to the decks. With electro don Arthur Baker as host for the evening, films being screened will include ‘The Godfather of Disco’, ‘Pioneers’ and ‘Disco Godfather’.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=62496567524&ref=mf

Hothouse Revue

No. 5 Cavendish Square – Wednesday 29th April

UK festival producers and promoters Ben DeVere and Michael O' Shea are forming The Hothouse Revue, a 1920s night quite possibly bringing more elegance and decadence than the capital has witnessed for 80 years.

Inspired by the heyday of Berlin's Kit Kat club and Harlem's Savoy Ballroom, expect a brazen blur of burlesque, cabaret, swing-jive and lindy-hop, private lamp-lit tables, fine-food, intimate service, race rhythm, gypsy jazz, and all-round sass as Ben and Mike take over the grand No. 5 Cavendish Square venue. With no detail overlooked, it's the faded glamour of the pre-war roar spruced to a high sheen; so don't forget to dress up before you get down.

http://www.facebook.com/smirnofforiginalnights?ref=ts#/event.php?eid=59732993729&ref=mf

3D Disco… In The Round

Date and venue TBC shortly

The final promoters in the series are from NOVAK Collective, Adam Finley, Elliot Thompson, Andrew Nixon and Keith Daniels, the dynamic team behind the popular AV party 3D DISCO™. Not ones to rest on their laurels, they will be taking the 3D Disco concept they pioneered to a whole new level with 3D DISCO™ In The Round transposing the eye-popping, high-definition club visuals into a completely immersive environment.

The show will be hosted in an IGLOO tent which, as the name suggests, provides Novak with the 360° projection space they will require.

For your chance to win tickets, check out the Smirnoff Original Nights discussion posts http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/smirnofforiginalnights?v=app_2373072738&viewas=741085245

I moved my frame

Having read about Frame in Shoreditch in all the free London papers I've been mad keen to check it out. For anyone that doesn't know, Frame is a dance / fitness + holistic exercise studio..but like no other. Here you can get dressed up 80's style to take part in the Jane Fonda Tribute class (80's aerobics), learn the moves to your favourite music videos, learn the Lindy Hop (I'll come back to that later), as well as the stuff you'd expect like yoga, pilates + ballet.

So having a bit of a penchante for all things 30's + 40's, me + my W.F, Tach hopped along to Lindy Hop on Tuesday. There were 6 of us in the class which rather surprisingly was taught by a rather large + very tatooed man.

In a moment of weirdness (much taller) Tach suggested that I play the role of the man + lead which was fine right up until the bit where I'm to lift her slightly so we can kick our legs to the side. SO, a few trodden-on toes, twisted arms + confused faces later, we realised we had actually learnt something + could pretty much do the whole routine without messing up, which was really, really exciting. Though I should say that because you're learning from the beginning, things don't get really active until right at the end, so I'd say if you want to work more than your laughter muscles, maybe go for aerobics or something. But to learn some new skills that you can replicate for your friends when out (I've not had the chance yet, but I will) + a good old giggle at the same time, the dance classes at Frame are spot on.

Oh and in April there's BOGOF on all classes, so I'm now trying to work out what to use my free class for..

Update on the white bikes

Thank you @markallred + @vacuumcleaner for explaining the white bikes to me.

It seems like I'm the only person that didn't know why they're there, but in case there is anyone left in the dark, the white bikes are 'ghost bikes'. Positioned in spots where cyclists have died as quiet statements in support of cyclists' right to safe travel. Next to each bike is a plaque with the person's name.

Some have missing parts, others have heartfelt memorials + unbelievably, some have been vandalised.

Photographer Katherine Rose travelled around London + Brighton in search of the ghost bikes + posted them here.

As a cyclist myself + one who's had more than a couple of near misses, I agree that everyone; pedestrians, motorists, taxi drivers + motorcyclists need to be much more aware of cyclists on the road. Cycling, especially in cities can be extremely perilous. You really need to have your wits about you + full concentration at all times. And even when you do, you're kind of at the mercy of those around you. Too often cyclists are knocked off by people opening their doors into the road, vehicles turning left, pedestrians appearing from no where.

And believe me I know that cyclists can be stupid too + I do think that something should be done to promote safe riding. But, it's true that we are certainly the most vulnerable on the road, so while this is a pretty morbid demonstration, maybe it needed to be.

Hey! What's with all the white bikes?

White bikes have been appearing all across London. Look..

Me, Tachy + Jamie spotted one on the junction of Farringdon Road + Goswell Road at lunchtime today.

Then, just now, as my bus pulled in at the bus garage at Streatham Hill I spotted one chained to the railings there (pic above).

Why they are here is a mystery.

There is one clue though. And I had to walk the opposite way to home to discover this. On the bike are these words 'Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away'.

Hmm. Any ideas?

Where it's safe to go out this weekend..

Scratch'n'Sniff Cinema

To escape the yuckiness of valentines this weekend here are a few fun places to go to where you can safely avoid fluff, flowers, set menus + soppy couples.

One of my absolute favourites, the Bethnal Green Working Man's Club has a whole weekend of anti-valentines mischief. On Friday you'll find the Love Massacre-ade which they say will take you on 'a magical mystery tour of the heart and into the deep dark corners of your thoughts, where you will find magicians, smitten kittens, phantom pianists and black widows on this twisted take on Valentine's' - in short, burlesque, magicians, music + meta-physical powers. I wish I could go myself.
Fri @ 9pm-2am, tickets = £8

Then on the Saturday Oh My God I Miss You! is hosting 'Dumb Valentines' at the BGWMC. I went to a night run by these guys for my birthday + it was like the craziest of dreams - bizarre but the best thing ever. Complete with a love + hate messageboard, the chance to star in your own romance comic cover, see 'how low you can go' in the love limbo..all while dressed as your favourite couple?! Entertainment comes in the form of burlesque, a performance of the love dance (?) + DJs playing love ballads, love sick songs, kitsch classics, Exotica, Crooners, Rock'n'Roll & novelty songs.
Sat @ 9pm-2am, tickets = £8

On the same night, Cut a Shine will be at the Finsbury Town Hall in Islington hosting a Valentines Barn Dating Ball. While I think this one may be a little more sickly than the others, it does sound like a whole lot of fun, so it's made it in. There'll be an 11 piece jive jump band + they say the best barn dance band ever to jump around to..and accidentally on top of potential love interests?! As well as Folkaoke - like, karaoke to folk music yea? I've always wanted to go to one of these nights but haven't quite managed to drag a friend along..yet.
Sat @ 8pm, tickets £14

Guilty Pleasures is hitting the lanes again for their 'I'm not in love' anti-valentines party (they oversold tickets last time + I couldn't get in, grr), this time at the new All Star Lanes on Brick Lane. The idea is to celebrate singledom + while they'll have all sorts of cheeky dating games, it's not all about that + there's lots of non-romantic fun to be had with bowling (of course) + the usual GP DJs playing pure pop + soft rock complete with 'erection section'.
Sat @ 8pm-2am, tickets £10

Scratch 'n' sniff cinema is the first of it's kind - taking place this Saturday as part of the Jotta Craft Fair, a fortnight of interactive activity. As you'd expect you're there to watch a film - Peter Greenway's 'The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover' (1989) + guests receive scratch 'n' sniff cards to be used at key points in the film. Aromas include rotting meat + dusty books! The evening includes a romantic presentation about the film and a Valentine-themed menu. So not entirely love-free, but ya know.
Sat @ 5.30pm + 9pm, tickets = £10

The Notting Hill Arts Club has a special anti-valentines afternoon goin' on. And it's freeeee! They have some very special guests coming along to perform their reworkings of classic love songs, in true Drowned in Sound style.
Sat @ 4-8pm, FREE

And I'm not sure if I should be talking about this, what with it being a secret and all. So if anyone asks I didn't tell you, right? But this Sunday, Secret Cinema takes place + they have two screenings - a matinee + an evening showing. Obviously I don't know where it is (yet) or what film they'll be showing, but it sounds like it's something to do with rock stars, hmm? I've been to the last 3 secret cinema events + they're amazing. The location is revealed a few days beforehand + the venues, which tend to have a relevance to the film are always pretty interesting + sometimes mean you get to see places not open to the public. You can dress up if you choose, there's always lots of additional entertainment going on too + there's normally a bar + sweeties, yum.
Sun @ 3.30pm + 7.30pm, tickets £13.50-£17.50

..that'll do for now, my fingers are sleepy.

Happy anti-valentines x

Home restaurant from the stars

Moon Song by They Came From The Stars I Saw Them from horton jupiter on Vimeo.

This is brrrr-illiant. Horton Jupiter of eccentric band, They Came From the Stars (I saw them) has opened a paladares-style home restaurant in his very own dining room called 'The Secret Ingredient'. It sounds like Horton does most of the cooking himself (which is apparently rather impressive) while his gf waits on the tables. You can see the current sample menu here on their fb page.

Vegetarian, Japanese food served in a cosy, homely environment..it's as if the whole thing was thought up just for me! The only thing that could make it all even better is employing grannys as waitresses. I just hope it's around long enough for me to investigate myself - I'm a little worried that there may be laws + regulations preventing it from being a permanent thing?

Oh + above is TCFTS new single, Moon Song which comes out next week. I like..

When our snowmen went all charitable

As yesterday progressed, we noticed that not only did our homeless snowfamily attract a constant stream of people stopping to take photos, but many were actually leaving money in Snowdaddy's coffee cup too!

That's when we realised that what started out as a bit of fun could actually be used to get people thinking. We added another sign encouraging passers-by to consider the homeless in London during the cold snap - to whom the snow wouldn't be nearly as much fun as it is to us. The sign featured a url to use to make a donation to Shelter, the homeless charity.

At the end of the day our coffee cup contained almost a tenner in donations too, which we'll be passing on to Shelter.

Sadly our snowfamily had disappeared by the time we came into work this morning. But they certainly brought us a huge amount of joy yesterday + hopefully helped some other Londoners too.

If you would like to donate click here.

What I learnt today 23//01//09

That the Candid Cafe is a great place for a cosy drink. That Last.fm has launched on Android. The extent of the worldwide buzz surrounding Obama's inauguration on Twitter. That if you spread the word of Barcardi's new content sharing platform you can download Groove Armada's new album for FREE. That my cupcakes are tasty. That E4 has created a bespoke Skins MSN Messenger to engage with the youth audience, share content + information on the series. That Cadbury has launched the next 'cup and a half of joy' ad this time using kids with unnaturally wiggly eyebrows. That you can find out who the biggest brands in social media are here. That Howies has a great sale on. That Time Out is celebrating 40 years of fitness by running a free evening of fitness through the decades Leg Warmers + Lycra at the Central YMCA - I'll be there. That if you find a horseshoe you should hang it on a door with the points pointing up for good luck. That I like The Phantom Band.