2017 Rental Affordability Index

Posted on February 27, 2017 by Frostie

To rent the recommended space for one person, Londoners must pay an average of £963.76 per month.
On average, Londoners must earn a gross salary of at least £3,323.07 per month to afford to live alone and meet additional living costs. That equates to a gross salary of £39,876.84 per year.
A family living in London must earn an average of £6,305.31 per month to cover rent plus living costs. That equates to a gross salary of £75,663.72 per year.

Nested.com, the London based online estate agent, produced the Rental Affordability Index. The study illustrates the price of renting per square metre in 33 London boroughs, 15 UK cities and 72 cities worldwide. Based on this, the research could further convey the minimum gross salary required to support an individual and a family of four in rented property, based on the minimum space recommended for one person, and for a family.

The comprehensive study was undertaken in order to understand the costs associated with renting as an individual and as a family, and to determine whether cities are becoming increasingly unaffordable. The inclusion of specific results for each of the 33 London boroughs allows easy comparison between regional and global cities to the UK capital, with its much-publicised unaffordability.

The price per square metre of property was calculated based upon current market listings for all locations researched, whilst the minimum space recommended for one person and four people is laid out in guidelines from the Greater London Authority.1 The gross salary guideline was included to help illustrate relative affordability.2

London

To rent a property of the minimum space recommended for one person, Londoners must on average pay £963.76 per month.
Taking into account the recommended maximum 29% of income which should be spent on rent,2 on average a Londoner needs to earn a gross salary of £3,323.07 per month to live alone. This equates to £39,876.84 per year.
In London, the minimum space recommended for a family of four requires a monthly income of £6,305.31. This equates to an annual salary of £75,663.72.
The least affordable borough to rent in London is Kensington and Chelsea, where rent per square metre is £72.40 per month.
To afford to rent alone and cover additional living costs in Kensington and Chelsea, an individual needs an income of £9,736.55 per month, or £116,838.60 per year.
To afford the rent for the minimum space recommended for a family of four in Kensington and Chelsea, a monthly income of £18,474.48 is needed. This is equal to an annual income of £221,693.76.
The most affordable borough to rent in London is Bexley, where rent per square metre is £13.30 per month.
To afford to rent alone and cover additional living costs in Bexley, an individual must earn an income of £1,788.62 per month, or £21,463.44 per year.
To afford the rent for the minimum space recommended for a family of four in Bexley, a monthly income of £3,393.79 would be required, equal to an annual income of £40,725.48.

The results for London, ranked by the cost of rental per square per metre, are as follows:

	Borough	Cost Per Sq. Metre	Monthly Rental for a Single Person	Yearly Income Needed to Afford Single Person Rental	Monthly Rental for a Family	Yearly Income Needed for to Afford Family Rental
1	Kensington & Chelsea	£72.40	£2,823.60	£116,838.60	£5,357.60	£221,693.76
2	City of Westminster	£54.82	£2,137.98	£88,468.08	£4,056.68	£167,862.60
3	City of London	£44.42	£1,732.38	£71,684.64	£3,287.08	£136,017.12
4	Camden	£39.50	£1,540.50	£63,744.84	£2,923.00	£120,951.72
5	Hammersmith & Fulham	£32.86	£1,281.54	£53,029.20	£2,431.64	£100,619.64
6	Islington	£32.34	£1,261.26	£52,190.04	£2,393.16	£99,027.36
7	Wandsworth	£31.69	£1,235.91	£51,141.12	£2,345.06	£97,036.92
8	Southwark	£31.29	£1,220.31	£50,495.64	£2,315.46	£95,812.08
9	Lambeth	£30.53	£1,190.67	£49,269.12	£2,259.22	£93,484.92
10	Haringey	£26.65	£1,039.35	£43,007.64	£1,972.10	£81,604.08
11	Hackney	£25.72	£1,003.08	£41,506.80	£1,903.28	£78,756.36
12	Richmond upon Thames	£23.49	£916.11	£37,908.00	£1,738.26	£71,928.00
13	Merton	£22.42	£874.38	£36,181.20	£1,659.08	£68,651.64
14	Tower Hamlets	£21.70	£846.30	£35,019.36	£1,605.80	£66,446.88
15	Barnet	£21.67	£845.13	£34,970.88	£1,603.58	£66,355.08
16	Brent	£20.89	£814.71	£33,712.08	£1,545.86	£63,966.60
17	Kingston upon Thames	£20.50	£799.50	£33,082.80	£1,517.00	£62,772.36
18	Ealing	£20.47	£798.33	£33,034.32	£1,514.78	£62,680.56
19	Enfield	£19.00	£741.00	£30,662.04	£1,406.00	£58,179.36
20	Waltham Forest	£17.70	£690.30	£28,564.08	£1,309.80	£54,198.60
21	Hounslow	£17.47	£681.33	£28,192.92	£1,292.78	£53,494.32
22	Harrow	£17.17	£669.63	£27,708.84	£1,270.58	£52,575.72
23	Lewisham	£16.82	£655.98	£27,144.00	£1,244.68	£51,504.00
24	Greenwich	£16.52	£644.28	£26,659.92	£1,222.48	£50,585.40
25	Newham	£16.50	£643.50	£26,627.64	£1,221.00	£50,524.08
26	Sutton	£16.08	£627.12	£25,949.76	£1,189.92	£49,238.04
27	Redbridge	£15.92	£620.88	£25,691.64	£1,178.08	£48,748.08
28	Hillingdon	£15.83	£617.37	£25,546.32	£1,171.42	£48,472.56
29	Bromley	£15.70	£612.30	£25,336.56	£1,161.80	£48,074.52
30	Croydon	£15.30	£596.70	£24,691.08	£1,132.20	£46,849.68
31	Barking & Dagenham	£14.94	£582.66	£24,110.04	£1,105.56	£45,747.36
32	Havering	£13.88	£541.32	£22,399.44	£1,027.12	£42,501.48
33	Bexley	£13.30	£518.70	£21,463.44	£984.20	£40,725.48
	Average across 33 boroughs	£24.71	£963.69	£39,876.84	£1,828.54	£75,663.72

UK cities:

The second most expensive UK city for rent prices is Edinburgh at a cost of £12.85 per square metre.
The most affordable city to rent property is Belfast at £6.29 per square metre.
An income of £1,728.10 per month is needed for single habitation in Edinburgh. That equates to an annual salary of £20,737.20 per year
To afford family rental in Edinburgh, a monthly income of £3,278.97 is needed. That equates to an annual income of £39,347.64.
An income of just £845.90 per month is needed for single habitation in Belfast. That equates to an annual salary of £10,150.80 per year.
To afford family rental in Belfast, a monthly income of just £1,605.03 is needed. That equates to an annual income of £19,260.36.
Single rental in London is more expensive than family rental in any other UK city.
Three of the UK cities made the top 50 global cities list (London, Edinburgh and Bristol)

The top 15 results for the UK cities list, ranked by the cost of rental per square per metre, are as follows:

	City	Cost Per Sq. Metre	Monthly Rental for a Single Person	Yearly Income Needed to Afford Single Person Rental	Monthly Rental for a Family	Yearly Income Needed for to Afford Family Rental
1	London3	£24.71	£963.69	£39,876.84	£1,828.54	£75,663.72
2	Edinburgh	£12.85	£501.15	£20,737.20	£950.90	£39,347.64
3	Bristol	£11.22	£437.58	£18,106.80	£830.28	£34,356.36
4	Southampton	£10.68	£416.52	£17,235.36	£790.32	£32,702.88
5	Manchester	£9.79	£381.81	£15,799.08	£724.46	£29,977.68
6	Aberdeen	£9.61	£374.79	£15,508.56	£711.14	£29,426.52
7	Cardiff	£9.24	£360.36	£14,911.44	£683.76	£28,293.48
8	Leeds	£8.92	£347.88	£14,395.08	£660.08	£27,313.68
9	Nottingham	£8.83	£344.37	£14,249.76	£653.42	£27,038.04
10	Sheffield	£8.54	£333.06	£13,781.76	£631.96	£26,150.04
11	Birmingham	£8.51	£331.89	£13,733.40	£629.74	£26,058.24
12	Newcastle	£8.47	£330.33	£13,668.84	£626.78	£25,935.72
13	Glasgow	£8.31	£324.09	£13,410.60	£614.94	£25,445.76
14	Liverpool	£7.19	£280.41	£11,603.16	£532.06	£22,016.28
15	Belfast	£6.29	£245.31	£10,150.80	£465.46	£19,260.36

Global cities:

Of the 120 locations included in the ranking, San Francisco is the most expensive city to rent property outside of London, at £42.81 per square metre.
To afford to rent alone and cover additional living costs in San Francisco, an individual must earn £5,757.21 per month. This equates to £69,086.52 per year.
To afford rent for the minimum space recommended for a family of four in San Francisco, an income of £10,923.93 per month is needed. This equates to £131,087.16 per year.
Of the 120 locations included, Cairo is the cheapest city to rent property, at just £3.05 per square metre.
To afford to rent alone and cover additional living costs in Cairo, an individual must earn £410.17 per month. This equates to £4,922.04 per year.
To afford the rent for the minimum space recommended for a family of four in Cairo, a monthly income of £778.28 is needed. This equates to £9,339.36 per year.

The top 50 results for the global cities list, ranked by the cost of rental per square per metre, are as follows:

	City	Cost Per Sq. Metre	Monthly Rental for a Single Person	Yearly Income Needed to Afford Single Person Rental	Monthly Rental for a Family	Yearly Income Needed for to Afford Family Rental
1	San Francisco, USA	£42.81	£1,669.59	£69,086.52	£3,167.94	£131,087.16
2	New York City, USA	£41.03	£1,600.17	£66,213.96	£3,036.22	£125,636.64
3	Hong Kong, Hong Kong	£33.14	£1,292.46	£53,481.12	£2,452.36	£101,476.92
4	Dubai, UAE	£30.49	£1,189.11	£49,204.56	£2,256.26	£93,362.52
5	Singapore, Singapore	£28.84	£1,124.76	£46,541.76	£2,134.16	£88,310.04
6	Washington D.C., USA	£28.73	£1,120.47	£46,364.28	£2,126.02	£87,973.20
7	Geneva, Switzerland	£26.66	£1,039.74	£43,023.72	£1,972.84	£81,634.80
8	Sydney, Australia	£25.30	£986.70	£40,828.92	£1,872.20	£77,470.32
9	Zurich, Switzerland	£25.19	£982.41	£40,651.44	£1,864.06	£77,133.48
10	Los Angeles, USA	£24.75	£965.25	£39,941.40	£1,831.50	£75,786.24
11	London, UK3	£24.71	£963.69	£39,876.84	£1,828.54	£75,663.72
12	Miami, USA	£24.53	£956.67	£39,586.32	£1,815.22	£75,112.56
13	Chicago, USA	£21.52	£839.28	£34,728.84	£1,592.48	£65,895.72
14	Copenhagen, Denmark	£20.40	£795.60	£32,921.40	£1,509.60	£62,466.24
15	Tokyo, Japan	£20.20	£787.80	£32,598.60	£1,494.80	£61,853.76
16	Vancouver, Canada	£20.00	£780.00	£32,275.92	£1,480.00	£61,241.40
17	Amsterdam, Netherlands	£19.54	£762.06	£31,533.48	£1,445.96	£59,832.84
18	Paris, France	£18.93	£738.27	£30,549.12	£1,400.82	£57,964.92
19	Melbourne, Australia	£18.18	£709.02	£29,338.80	£1,345.32	£55,668.36
20	Oslo, Norway	£17.39	£678.21	£28,063.92	£1,286.86	£53,249.40
21	Reykjavik, Iceland	£17.34	£676.26	£27,983.16	£1,283.16	£53,096.28
22	Stockholm, Sweden	£17.28	£673.92	£27,886.32	£1,278.72	£52,912.56
23	Dublin, Ireland	£16.81	£655.59	£27,127.92	£1,243.94	£51,473.40
24	Seoul, South Korea	£16.36	£638.04	£26,401.68	£1,210.64	£50,095.44
25	Toronto, Canada	£16.32	£636.48	£26,337.12	£1,207.68	£49,972.92
26	Auckland, New Zealand	£16.24	£633.36	£26,208.00	£1,201.76	£49,728.00
27	Brisbane, Australia	£16.12	£628.68	£26,014.32	£1,192.88	£49,360.56
28	Helsinki, Finland	£15.92	£620.88	£25,691.64	£1,178.08	£48,748.08
29	Beijing, China	£15.80	£616.20	£25,497.96	£1,169.20	£48,380.64
30	Perth, Australia	£15.48	£603.72	£24,981.48	£1,145.52	£47,400.84
31	Munich, Germany	£15.26	£595.14	£24,626.52	£1,129.24	£46,727.16
32	Shanghai, China	£15.17	£591.63	£24,481.20	£1,122.58	£46,451.64
33	Milan, Italy	£15.00	£585.00	£24,206.88	£1,110.00	£45,931.08
34	Rome, Italy	£14.54	£567.06	£23,464.56	£1,075.96	£44,522.52
35	Tel Aviv, Israel	£14.51	£565.89	£23,416.08	£1,073.74	£44,430.60
36	Frankfurt am Main, Germany	£13.71	£534.69	£22,125.12	£1,014.54	£41,980.92
37	Edinburgh, UK	£12.85	£501.15	£20,737.20	£950.90	£39,347.64
38	Dusseldorf, Germany	£12.68	£494.52	£20,462.88	£938.32	£38,827.08
39	Madrid, Spain	£12.04	£469.56	£19,430.04	£890.96	£36,867.36
40	Hamburg, Germany	£11.99	£467.61	£19,349.40	£887.26	£36,714.24
41	Vienna, Austria	£11.88	£463.32	£19,171.92	£879.12	£36,377.40
42	Taipei, Taiwan	£11.88	£463.32	£19,171.92	£879.12	£36,377.40
43	Brussels, Belgium	£11.85	£462.15	£19,123.44	£876.90	£36,285.48
44	Moscow, Russia	£11.60	£452.40	£18,720.00	£858.40	£35,520.00
45	Bristol, UK	£11.22	£437.58	£18,106.80	£830.28	£34,356.36
46	Berlin, Germany	£10.81	£421.59	£17,445.12	£799.94	£33,100.92
47	Southampton, UK	£10.68	£416.52	£17,235.36	£790.32	£32,702.88
48	Osaka, Japan	£10.29	£401.31	£16,605.96	£761.46	£31,508.64
49	Jakarta, Indonesia	£10.28	£400.92	£16,589.76	£760.72	£31,478.04
50	Barcelona, Spain	£10.27	£400.53	£16,573.68	£759.98	£31,447.44

Last Minute Ideas to Celebrate Romance

Posted on February 13, 2017 by Kesh

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner we thought you might appreciate our romantically themed idea’s list without the added Teddy Bears, chocolates or Champagne.

Novel Beauty-Clever Skincare and Cosmetics

This week, we had the pleasure of meeting the talented founder behind Novel Beauty. The idea behind Novel Beauty was to create skincare products for Men & Women which ‘reads you’. Nneka, the brains behind Novel Beauty explains she wanted to create a product which responded to each person individually and the way Novel Beauty have achieved this is by using active natural ingredients that respond to your body as an individual. In keeping with their brand message of letting their products read you, the luxurious, all-natural range are encased in a luxurious refillable book which are designed to fit in to anyones home proudly and elegantly.

With both gifts for Men and Women, Nneka herself recommends the romantically themed Poor Man’s Rose bath and body set;

This collection includes Stream of Consciousness, a raw sugar scrub which polishes and conditions the skin and Platonic Dialogue, a daylight cream with the vitamins of Aloe Vera, seaweed, sesame, apricot and the romantic geranium rose oil.

Novel Beauty is available through www.novelskincare.co.uk and through notonthehighstreet.com

The Bellavita Valentine’s Day Hamper

Because we all know the way to a loved one’s stomach is through food. Italian food heroes Bellavita are encouraging us to spend Valentine’s day the Italian way with a Valentine’s selection which is designed to bring a touch of Italian romance to your evening. Bellavita have designed their hamper with the idea of taking the stress out of creating a romantic meal for two. The ingredients, which are sourced from independent Italian producers are enough to prepare a three-course meal for two with a recipe card included. Ok so it wouldn’t really be a Valentine’s meal without the addition of bubble and chocolates but at £39 for the entire hamper, we think that we’ll skip the reservations and rustle up our own Italian feast courtesy of Bellavita.

The hampers can be purchased both online and in store:
Bellavita Shop, 11C Dock Street, London E1 8JN
www.bellavitashop.co.uk

Pamper yourself at Duck and Dry

If you’re planning on a night of romance, a night with your best friends or simply a night of beloved ‘me time’, Duck and Dry are here to make sure that whatever you do, you will leave feeling damn good. After successfully opening their first salon in Chelsea, Duck and Dry have opened their new flagship in London’s Oxford Circus and will be on hand to offer you a choice of 8 signature blow dries and 8 up-dos in their stylish and energetic salons. This unique and buzzy space is designed with YOU in mind and will not only leave you with luscious locks but also pampered and party prepped. Get your hair-styled in a styling pod, enjoy a drink at their Prosecco bar and for groups, you can even enjoy getting ready together at a group styling table. There is a fitted DJ station and the eclectic and vibrant decor all designed to make you feel good. So, whether you’re celebrating the day of romance or simply just celebrating being so fabulous, Duck and Dry are on hand with their superstar stylists…

…for one day only, February 14th, make up brand Lin & Lo will be offering complimentary express make-up services with all blow dries at the new West End branch.

To learn more visit; Duck and Dry

And to book an appointment visit; https://www.duckanddry.com/booking

La Maison Rémy Martin returns to Soho with a Stellar Line-Up

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Kesh

Last Summer we had the pleasure of spending the evening with some of Britain’s finest Olympians in the luxurious surroundings of the Rumpus Room, courtesy of La Maison Rémy Martin. This month, the members-only club will be opening their doors once again with a jam-packed, spectacularly curated list of talent designed to inspire, entertain and dazzle you in true Rémy style.

La Maison Rémy Martin are set on being the hosts with the most once more, boasting one of The World’s finest Cognac from Fine Champagne, they are set on expanding their brand through their members club with a programme of events and workshops designed to offer their customer a little more of the savoir faire approach they enjoy so much. La Maison Rémy Martin, was borne out of the brands ethos to honour craftsmanship and embrace the luxury of time. With that being said, members are being treated to a line-up of special events, talks and workshops that are being led by some of London’s most talented craftsmen.

Set over two floors of their new Wardour Street home, members can expect to be transported into the iconic world of Rémy Martin. The space will be split into the Boutique, which for the first time will also be open to the public, and The Gallery, where members can enjoy their evenings workshops alongside light-bites paired with Rémy expressions and expertly crafted
Rémy cocktails.

After taking a sneak peek of the new programme, we’re excited to share with you our top masterclass picks…

Michelin Star Chef; Jun Tanaka

Master Chocolatier; Paul A Young

Sports commentator – Tom Gaymor
F1 Driver- Max Chilton

Cellar Master for Rémy himself; Baptiste Loiseau

…to name but a few

The evenings are every bit evocative of the luxury and ‘suaveness’ that Rémy Martin possess and they are keen to share it with whoever appreciates good craft. So, to learn more and to apply to be a member of La Maison Rémy Martin please visit;

lamaison.remymartin.com.

La Maison Rémy Martin will be open Thursday 16th February to Saturday 4th March 2017 excluding Sundays.

La Maison Rémy Martin
147 Wardour Street, London,
W1F 8WD

The Christmas Dinner that Spreads Joy

Posted on December 7, 2016 by Tracy Baines

It’s only one day but what if you had nothing to look forward to over the Christmas period?

A lot of us might think of the elderly living alone, no-one to make their Christmas a special event but there are many people for whom Christmas can be a painful time. We may not give a passing thought to younger members of society yet many of them will be dreading Christmas too. And if it wasn’t for something that popped up on my Facebook feed I might still be guilty of that.

Facebook might be littered with photographs of what people had for dinner, indulgent cakes, cheesy cartoons and cute dogs – but now and then, among all the dross, something will catch your eye, as a friend’s Facebook post did mine. How would I like to be a Secret Santa? All I had to do was follow the link to Amazon, choose a pressie and click. Simple yet stunning and I felt I had to share.

There are many young people leaving care, who may be living in B & Bs, bedsits, sleeping the streets or on friend’s sofas and many of them will be dreading Christmas. Lemn Sissay, award-winning official poet of London Olympics 2012 knows how that feels. He was a care leaver himself and he came up with this wonderful idea to make sure that those who are in a similar position have a fantastic Christmas.

Behold The Christmas Dinner One big Christmas party when they can relax, have fun and be given gifts – this is where the Secret Santa comes in. A festive day for care leavers (those who are 18 – 25 who have been looked after by local authorities away from the home for at least thirteen weeks since the age of fourteen, as well as those with a background in care within the home).

The Christmas Dinner started in Manchester in 2013 but this year there will be similar events in Hackney, Leeds and Oxford.

I spoke with Jill Ambrazitis, who is organising The Christmas Dinner in Leeds to find out more about event and how to get involved.

How many people in the team to bring this sort of event to fruition?

The steering committee for the Leeds event comprised approximately 20 people. We will also have additional volunteers assisting with set-up on Christmas Eve, more on Christmas Day to help with the actual event and then a further group on Boxing Day to assist with clear-up etc.

How many young people will receive gifts this year?

We anticipate that there will be 50 care leavers attending our event this year, all of whom will receive gifts.

Who devised the list, accepts delivery, wraps the presents etc?

Lemn suggested that we set up an Amazon wish list, (we believe Manchester and Hackney were already doing this). I added the suggested gifts and required quantities to the Leeds Wish List on Amazon. All gifts purchased from the list will be delivered to me. We have a group of volunteers participating in a marathon gift wrapping session on Saturday 17 December.

How can people get involved?

At this stage, mostly by being Secret Santas and purchasing gifts via the Amazon Wish list using this link https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/registry/wishlist/1A1SAFC1KDL5B/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_2

Ideally, we would like to have as many of the gifts as possible delivered by 16 December (prior to the wrapping activity), however, having said that this does not mean that we would not accept contributions/donations thereafter! In addition, our venue does not have any sofas/soft furnishings, so if there is anyone who has bean bags/sofas etc. that they are not using and would be prepared to lend/donate these to us that would be amazing.

So, click on the link and choose your present. It’s quick and easy way of being Secret Santa and it will make someone’s day to receive a sackful of presents.

If anyone else is thinking of doing something similar you can find out exactly how to plan your event for 2017 on Lemn Sissay’s blog.

Stepping Out: Review

Posted on November 9, 2016 by Vicky Edwards

Stepping Out

In rehearsals for Stepping Out

At Chichester Festival Theatre until 19 November (Booking: 01243 781312; www.cft.org.uk)

At the Vaudeville Theatre, London, 1 March – 17 June 2017 (Booking: www.nimaxtheatres.com)

Directed by Maria Friedman

Cast: Amanda Holden, Angela Griffin, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Tamzin Outhwaite, Nicola Stephenson, Judith Barker, Rose Keegan, Sandra Marvin, Jessica-Alice Mccluskey, Dominic Rowan, Janet Behan, Emma Hook, Katie Verner and Nick Warnford

A weekly tap dancing class in a community hall is the setting for a story that follows the lives of a group of ladies and a solitary man. Like many adult education classes, all human life is here.

Boasting a cast that includes several popular faces from television, Tracy-Ann Oberman is on superb form as wise-cracking Maxine. Glamorous in a wardrobe of nearly new and knock-off, the more-front-than-Brighton exterior conceals a tender and vulnerable heart. Tamzin Outhwaite as is also touching in her role class teacher Mavis. With her dreams of being a dancer dramatically reconfigured and an unhappy relationship to cope with, teaching is both her salvation and a constant needling reminder that she never quite made it. Amanda Holden as posh but tactless neat freak Vera delivers some of the production’s funniest moments, admitting only towards the end that her perfect life isn’t quite so perfect after all.

Everyone, in fact, has a secret to reveal, but the audience is short changed; what the final outcome is for each of the characters is anyone’s guess. Pace, too, is a frustration. A lethargic beginning gives way to a gentle potter before coming to a rather abrupt and inconclusive ending.

But the dialogue is sharp enough, the performances are (largely) accomplished and the familiar theme of trying to get along with people with whom one has little in common will surely resonate. Touring prior to the West End next year, hopefully the tempo will pick up and settle along the way. Then, no doubt, Stepping Out will be packing ‘em in.

Great Turkish food in North London – and it’s cheap!

Posted on October 27, 2016 by Jack Shamash

Aksular in Green Lanes

For many years Palmers Green and Southgate in North London have been the centre of the Turkish community. Turks, who started off in areas such as Dalston in Hackney, got richer and moved northwards. Many of the more affluent ones ended up in the area around Southgate and Palmers Green. All of which means that this is now a great place for cheap Turkish meals.

Anyone who has travelled through Turkey will know that the country is huge and that the roads are punctuated by gigantic service stations with huge restaurants, where you can buy excellent food at rock bottom prices.

The new restaurants around Southgate are very similar. They have lots of tables, fast service and they are very cheap. It’s not the place for a romantic first date, but if you have a hungry family, you’ll get a very good meal.

Aksular is on the Green Lanes. It’s so popular that the restaurant has recently doubled in size and they’ve opened another branch in Enfield Town. The restaurant is a bit like the road houses that you find in Turkey. It is cheap, clean and functional and is full of families. It has lines and lines of tables and the service is friendly and brisk. As soon as you’re seated, you are given salads, hummus and aubergine dish imam biyaldi. These are free! If you want, you can order other starters but you have to pay for them– I chose a chicken soup which had lots of shredded chicken;. My son had some prawns, nicely grilled with garlic..

My daughter tucking into the starters

The main courses are basic but very good. I had grilled chops, my brother had a mixed shish kebab (with cubes of lamb, chops and meatballs) and my mother had chicken kebab. My son had some sort of donner kebab which was served in bread with a sauce on it. And my wife had fillets of sea bass. The dishes came with rice or potatoes. There’s very little to say about the food. It is good, plentiful and very tasty. And it’s all cooked in the traditional method over a long tray of charcoal.

The staff are delightful. After the meal, a couple of us ordered Turkish coffee. The waitress insisted on giving everyone else a glass of Turkish tea – free of charge. We also got pieces of baklava – the traditional pastry with syrup and nuts. Again, this was free.

We didn’t have any alcoholic drinks -although the place sells a reasonable range of beers and wines. But we’d effectively had a three course meal and for six of us the price was £72. I’d describe it as a bloody bargain!

On similar lines, a restaurant called Kervan Sofrasi has opened about half a mile away in Southgate. It occupies a building which used to be a large pub called ‘The Waggon and Horses’ in the main road, Chase Side. Again lots of tables, big crowds, simple food and lots of it. It’s very popular with the local Turkish community and with anyone else who enjoys good food with lots of flavour and not too much

Kervan Sofasi in Palmers Green

embellishment. Again, there are other branches of the same restaurant – including one in nearby Edmonton. Kervan Sofrasi is slightly different to the Aksular because it tends to cater to parties of slightly younger people – including office workers and birthday parties. But there are still plenty of families enjoying a meal together. And again it’s cheap. I went out with four friends and we had a huge pile of charcoal grilled lamb, chicken, meatballs and even a quail. There were salads and dips to start and we all had beers and coffee. The price including service was £100 – again extremely good value.

Vote for President at The Hippodrome London… sort of

Posted on October 6, 2016 by Kesh

The run up to the Presidential election, has got everyone riled up so The Hippodrome Casino thinks it only fair that everyone across the pond should have a say too. So in the run up to the election, they will be allowing their (over 18 year old) customers to vote at the bar.

Yes, that’s right, The Hippodrome Casino have launched two new cocktails, The Clinton and The Trump and to vote you must simply pick one over the other to give a fairly accurate* gauge on who will come out on top.

The Clinton: a refreshing blend of gin, lemon and lychee juices, and blue curacao for that all important Democrat blue.

The Trump: a mixture of raspberries, Zubrowka, crème de fraise, cranberry and lemon juices, creating a bright Republican red.

The cocktails cost £10 each and can be ordered at The Hippodrome’s Piano Bar. The cocktails will be available until Monday 7th November.

*Your cocktail buying habits will not guarantee your favourite candidate to win the presidential vote. But we really enjoy that The Hippodrome have included us in the voting fever. All in the name of fun!

Mustard Gas – a life saver? By Margaret Graham

Posted on September 29, 2016 by Margaret Graham

Out of darkness came hope, or so explained Justin Stebbing, Professor of Oncology, Imperial college, London at the Pink Ribbon conference on 17^th September.

Gerard Dugdill organized the Pink Ribbon’s 3rd breast cancer forum, in association with the Royal Society of Medicine, 1 Wimpole Street, London W1G and Frost Magazine was lucky enough to be there on the morning of the Patients’ Day.

A series of speakers spoke to an audience of patients and their relatives about many things, not quite sea and ships and sailing wax, cabbages and kings, but surgery, and nursing support. Frost’s own Dr Kathleen Thompson talked about the things she had learned during her journey through cancer, and had excellent ideas for navigating the system. It is a journey so amusingly but poignantly described in her award winning book From Both Ends of the Stethoscope. A book which is selling strongly internationally.

Then it was the turn of a plastic surgeon, and finally Justin Stebbing who kicked off his talk about what were the beginnings of cancer treatment, and where it appeared to be going now, as research speeds at a gallop into the future. He explained that immunotherapy which is being developed looks as though it could be the way to tackle cancer in the future. As he said, this is a mile ahead, but research is already a few yards into the journey.

But back to mustard gas. Justin told us how Dr Stewart Francis Alexander made the link from mustard gas to cancer treatment. He noticed that many of those caught in a mustard gas attack had, after several days, a surprisingly low number of immune cells in their blood – cells that, if mutated, can go on to develop into leukaemia and lymphoma.

Alexander hypothesised that if mustard gas could destroy normal white blood cells, it seemed likely that it could also destroy cancerous ones – thence the start of chemotherapy.

This was a hugely valuable day, one ultimately which gave hope that we are on the way in some years hence to non invasive treatment, and perhaps protection.

From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Both-Ends-Stethoscope-Getting-cancer-ebook/dp/B01A7DM42Q

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Mustard Gas – a life saver? By Margaret Graham

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