Tag Archives: London

Give The Gift of Cooking this Christmas with School of Wok.

Posted on by

sch_wok_015

There’s always an aspiring Jamie Oliver or Delia Smith in every family so this one is for all the aspiring foodies out there. This Christmas, we’re here to encourage you to step away from the utensils and fondue-at-home gift sets and treat someone to a cookery class at Jeremy Pang’s School of Wok.

Run by TV chef Jeremy Pang, Covent Garden’s School of Wok offer a number of cookery classes throughout the year. Learn the art of Oriental and Asian cuisine in a relaxed and informal atmosphere. From Dim Sum to Thai, Vietnamese to Korean, along with special celebrity guest chef courses, there is something for everyone. Or if you want to ensure the perfect choice, an open voucher for any three-hour class will ensure you can’t go wrong. The courses cover and level of skill so whether you are a newbie to the kitchen or a culinary God you will all be leaving a Wokstar. We tried out a taster session with Jeremy earlier in the year and were not disappointed, we left with a new set of skills and kitchen confident.

The choice is vast, and classes start from just £95 per person (all
inclusive). Vouchers are valid for 12 months and can be redeemed against other courses too.

So visit the school’s wokking online shop and check out the range of classes here https://www.schoolofwok.co.uk/shop

Elf the Musical – Review

Posted on by

Elf the Musical
The Dominion Theatre, until 2 January
Box office: 0845 200 7982
www.elfthemusical.co.uk

'

Photo credit: Alastair Muir

Even strolling beneath the over-sized illuminated baubles of Oxford Street, on a mild November evening it still felt far too soon to embrace Christmas. Fast-forward three hours and I was positively exuding seasonal cheer – this is a show that would transform even Scrooge from selfish to elfish.

Based on the 2003 film starring Will Ferrell, the plot is fairy tale daft. A baby crawls into Santa’s sack one Christmas Eve and is raised by Elves in the North Pole. Being a fairy tale nobody mentions the fact that Buddy can place the star on top of the Christmas tree without the aid of a cherry picker, but eventually Santa ‘fesses up: Buddy is actually human and has a father in New York. As it turns out, a father who isn’t too keen on welcoming an oversized elf to the family.

At the risk of spoiling the story for those who haven’t seen the movie, suffice to say that chaos, comedy, romance and high drama follow, each element taking the narrative towards Happily Ever After as smoothly as champion skier heading down a nursery slope.

Ben Forster as Buddy is a joy. Bouncing around like a particularly nimble and enthusiastic Labrador, he has a terrific rapport with the audience and manages to be both charming and sweetly innocent. He also sings like a dream (Forster was the winner of the TV search for Jesus Christ Superstar), and makes an exceptionally good fist of songs that, while entertaining in the moment, aren’t especially memorable.

Kimberley Walsh as Jovie, the object of Buddy’s affections, is also in fabulous voice, while Joe McGann as Buddy’s dad Walter convinces as the tetchy publisher of children’s books who has been putting work ahead of family for too long.

Offering up plenty of warm and fuzzy feelings from the off, excellent teamwork sees a supporting cast singing, dancing and acting their Christmas socks off, while the design team’s clever set (‘wow’ factors come thick and fast) deserves a curtain call of its own.

Directed and choreographed by Morgan Young, if panto isn’t your cup of eggnog then there are plenty of seasonal sensations to be had here, without all the ‘behind you’ capers. And if you don’t leave the theatre wanting to spread tidings of comfort and joy, frankly you’re a lost cause.

Have a LUSH Christmas and give back this Winter.

Posted on by

Whether you’re a customer of LUSH or not, everyone with a functioning nose who has ever walked down a high street cannot mistake the welcome and familiar fragrance of a LUSH cosmetics store. Well be prepared for the smell to turn festive just in time for Christmas when LUSH introduce their Winter Range.

15

The appeal of LUSH is not only in their lingering and innovative scents, we love them because they don’t test on animals, they’re 100% vegetarian their products are made fresh in store, and they practice ethical trading. In fact we learnt a lot about LUSH and we think you’ll be just as impressed as we are.

Like many other Fair Trade or Eco traders which seem to be on the up, LUSH can tell you exactly where the ingredients are coming from and where your money is going. The incentive has been dubbed The Sustainable Lush Fund or The SLush Fund which has the idea of moving their ethical buying practices beyond simply buying fair trade ingredients but to develop supportive partnerships with the communities that produce them. LUSH donate 2% of the amount spent on raw materials and packaging to the Fund, the money is then used to start sustainable farming and regenerative community projects. To date, the £1.2 million raised has supported the development of 32 projects in 19 countries.

Some of the materials attained in these communities can be found in some of your tried and tested LUSH favourites and also the gorgeous new LUSH products such as Moringa Oil in the Lush Gardener Cold Pressed Soap, Fair Trade Shea Butter in the Santa Baby Lip tint and Ylang Ylang Oil found in the Peeping Santa Bubble bar.

If that’s not enough convincing as to why you should shop at Lush this winter, here’s our round up of our Winter Top Picks;

8729c8824c12aa4dcb546960ab56d84f

LUSH Gardener; £4.50

This cold-pressed soap not only contains the refreshing scents of Bergamot and Sage, after use, the soapy water can be re-used on your prized flowers due to it’s aphid-discouraging ingredients. This is an absolutely cracking gift for any green fingered family members.

tumblr_nnlrvyOu7Y1usxbtbo1_1280

BIG BANG bubble bar; £3.75

A magical mix of 23 of LUSH’s finest ingredients including softening Avocado Butter, Zesty Grapefruit Oil and Refreshing Lemon Myrtle Oil. Luxury in a one fruity scented package.

tumblr_lmy43dd4Mv1qhsp3s

Toothy Tabs; £5.95

With five different varieties to choose from, nibble one of these while brushing and you’ll give your teeth an extra bit of sparkle. Our favourite was the Bling variety these include Papain for that extra bling and Guarana seed for that extra buzz. Best of all, they’re suitable for Vegans.

First_snow_bottle_web_0

First Snow sparkly dusting powder; £5.95

This sparkling powder leaves the skin looking like its been kissed by twinkling snowflakes and what’s more, the smell is just heavenly. This has to be our ultimate winter favourite and an essential stocking filler.

lush-santas-lip-scrub01

Santa’s Lip Scrub; £5.50

A moisturising cola-flavoured lip scrub that leaves your lips scrubbed and primed and welcome for kisses under the mistletoe.

And of course; you’re going to want all of your precious cargo wrapped up in one super, multi-functioning, Eco-Friendly…

Knot Wrap; from £4.50

Give two presents in one with the ultimate re-usable gift-wrap. LUSH Knot Wraps are available to wear, use and most importantly, display proudly under a Christmas Tree, so purchase one this winter for a loved one…or yourself.

For those of you looking for a ready to buy option, LUSH have got their most impressive gift box range yet for you to get your hands on this Christmas. From budget to premium they have got it fully covered;

IMG_5441

Budget

Secret Santa; £9.95

Features our two favourite Christmas bath products the Dashing Santa bath bomb and the Peeping Santa bubble bar all tied up in a Santa Knot Wrap.

Mid-Range

Magic Carpet; £38.95

Wrapped in a beautiful Magic Carpet Knot Wrap, this gift set includes the best bits of LUSH including, Fairy Dust dusting powder, Gorgeous moisturiser and Pearl massage bar as well as a few other popular goodies!

High-End

Under the Mistletoe; £79.95

We cannot wait to crack open this one just in time for Christmas, this super-duper loaded gift set have 16 of LUSH’s best including old favourites such as Sex Bomb bath bomb, Ro’s Argan body conditioner as well as brand new soon-to-be favourites, Santa’s lip scrub, Snow Fairy shower gel and the super festive and sparkliest of them all, Five Gold Rings bubble bar.

Before we leave you thinking we haven’t given you any more reason to shop at LUSH, did we mention the LUSH Spa…?

IMG_5440

With three locations across London and five other Spas nationwide, LUSH Spa will ensure you will leave with the ultimate blissed out vibes. You can check out a selection of their treatments here as well as product info and online shop;

https://www.lush.co.uk

Stonehenge replica made entirely from scrap cars installed on London’s Southbank

Posted on by

ŠKODA presents CITIHENGE

Stonehenge replica made entirely from scrap cars installed on London’s Southbank

· Ambitious Stonehenge replica launches ŠKODA’s new Citigo model

· Installation provides an urban meeting point to mark Summer Solstice

Car giant ŠKODA has installed a unique replica of Wiltshire’s iconic Stonehenge – made entirely from recycled car parts – on London’s Southbank.

The sculpture has been specially positioned to sit on little known ley lines and is set to become one of the key talking points in the capital this summer…

With the new car as its centrepiece, the audacious piece of automotive art dubbed ‘Citihenge’ by the makers, was specially commissioned to celebrate the launch of the ŠKODA Citigo.

Citihenge, led by sculptor Tommy Gun, took a design team three months to create. The ambitious piece of art, built using 18 scrap cars, stands at over five metres tall. Each henge is five metres wide and the commanding structure weighs a remarkable 36 tonnes.

Gun, a self-taught artist who specialises in big sculptures often made from machine parts, has exhibited at Chelsea Flower Show and The Grand Designs Show, Olympia, and was commissioned to produce a sculpture for the Tour de France. The installation is the latest in a series of cultural creative projects undertaken by ŠKODA, which has included giant cakes, a car in a cage and collaborations with musicians Anastacia and DJ Tiësto.

Tommy Gun, sculptor says: “The Citihenge project has been the most amazing challenge. Stonehenge is a huge, iconic structure and the Citihenge replica is too. It is made entirely from old car parts, which taps into my own childhood growing up on a farm where I used to love building and creating things with pieces of discarded machinery.”

Citigo re-defines what’s possible with a city car – small exterior dimensions yet exceptional interior space offering ample space for four adults. Great manoeuvrability, exceptional comfort and safety with high levels of equipment, Citigo has been designed to deal with almost anything life can throw at it.

DATING’S A BORE… THIS MEANS WAR!

Posted on by

New dating site promises to end awkward silences with action-packed dates

First-daters are tired of awkward silences, boredom and tedious questions, but a new dating site has the answer.

‘Doing Something’ – a new dating site which takes first dates out of the restaurant and into the thick of the action – has teamed up with Twentieth Century Fox to offer singletons action-packed first dates inspired by the hit romantic comedy This Means War, starring Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine and Tom Hardy.

On the back of a new survey of over 1,200 Brits which reveals eight out of ten 16-24 year-old daters are tired of uncomfortable awkward silences, ‘Doing Something are encouraging singletons to sweat it out on the paintball battlefield, trapeze their way to love or take a romantic crash course on the race track, with dates mirroring This Mean’s War’s romantic action sequences.

A third of those surveyed feel that action dates help them lose their inhibitions, and by getting hot and sweaty this breaks down barriers. This increases significantly with the 16-34 age bracket, with just under half agreeing. A quarter of those surveyed feel more likely to go on a second date, having been on an action date over a traditional restaurant date.

Males seem more convinced that an action date will also lead them to enjoy a kiss, with one in every four compared to just over one in ten of females. But not everyone after an action date has just a passionate embrace on their mind, with one in ten males feeling an activity-based date is more likely to lead to sex, five times more than female respondents.

Asked which celebrity they would most want to go on an action-packed date with, the top choices for women were men of action David Beckham, Gerard Butler and Jenson Button. Meanwhile men went for Olympian Jessica Ennis and action chicks Angelia Jolie or Megan Fox.

The number one action date option was theme parks with more than one in four feeling that love is a rollercoaster, whilst one in twenty would prefer hurtling from the sky as a way to get to know someone, choosing tandem skydives.

CEO of Doing Something Matt Janes commented: “Doing Something takes the awkwardness out of dating and moves away from clinical setting of a restaurant meal to something more natural and encourages more spontaneity. Going on an action dates immediately gives those on a first date something in common and takes away the focus from each other.”

This Means War is the hilarious action comedy about a pair of spies (Tom Hardy and Chris Pine) who fall in love with the same woman (Reese Witherspoon) and take their espionage skills too far by spying on her every move to try and get the upper hand.

Using the action dates in the This Means War as inspiration, Doing Something is offering three themed dates:

* Circus Space – a trapeze date is a litmus test in its own right and a sure fire way to work out some early trust issues, just like Lauren and Tuck when they go on a circus date in the film
* Paintballing – show your ability to cope whilst under fire and like Tuck in the film dispel any doubts that this may be a safe choice
* Supercar – go for the shared adrenaline experience, picking from a choice of thoroughbred Ferraris, track inspired Porsches, iconic Caterhams and desirable Lamborghinis, mirroring the film’s final car chase

https://www.doingsomething.co.uk/we-heart-london/this-means-war/

Top 5 male and female celebrities public would take on action dates:

Guys

· David Beckham

· Gerard Butler

· Jason Statham

· Jenson Button

· Harry Styles

Females

· Jessica Ennis

· Cheryl Cole

· Tulisa Contostavlos

· Angelina Jolie

· Megan Fox

The Roof Gardens private members club wins ‘Best Live Music Venue’

Posted on by

The Roof Gardens private members club wins ‘Best Live Music Venue’ at the London Club Awards

The Roof Gardens private members club in Kensington has scooped the award for ‘Best Live Music Venue’ at this year’s London Club Awards. The awards celebrated another twelve months of exceptional creative achievements in London’s exciting entertainment scene.

The Roof Gardens is proud to be the inaugural winner of this newly created category of ‘Best Live Music Venue’. The Club was also nominated for ‘Best Club’ at the awards.

The award comes after an extremely successful year for The Roof Gardens, which also celebrates its 31st birthday this year. With fierce competition from Ronnie Scott’s and The o2 Academy Islington, The Roof Gardens was chosen as the winner by an esteemed judging panel that included Mark Armstrong and the singer Paul Young.

Jon Brown, Managing Director of Virgin Limited Edition, said: “Winning the ‘Best Live Music Venue’ at this year’s London Club Awards is a wonderful achievement for The Roof Gardens. The entire club team has worked tirelessly to ensure our live music programme is a success and winning this prestigious award is evidence of that.”

The Club at The Roof Gardens has enjoyed two successful seasons of its Live Music Programme. Held in a marquee within the picturesque Tudor Gardens every Friday and Saturday night during the winter seasons, over 200 new and established talents have performed. During the sold-out ticketed live music nights, over 10,000 live music fans came through the door. Key acts included Marie J Cooper (who went on to be one of the finalists on BBC’s The Voice) and ‘The Loveable Rogues‘(one of the finalists on ITV’s ‘Britain’s Got Talent).

Matt Roper has been Club Manager at The Roof Gardens for three years. Known for his innovation and ambition, Matt brings creativity and attention to detail that stems from interacting with customers and understanding what they expect on a night out. During his time in the position, he has brought fireworks, live music, magicians, stilt walkers and fire eaters, whilst introducing some of the best artists and DJ’s to The Roof Gardens.

Something Happening For Kids | Theatre

Posted on by

When: 21 July 2012. 10.00am – 5.00pm

Where; The Place

Robin Howard Dance Theatre

The Place presents Something Happening For Kids, a full day of dance performances and activities specially curated for children (aged 11 and under).

Choreographer Darren Ellis is restaging extracts of his latest work Long Walk Home, which portrays a series of four women, each at a different stage of their lives, as they analyse their hopes and their dreams, accompanied by atmospheric live music by the folk band Askew Sisters. Alongside them, The Place’s First Moves, the youngest dancers (aged 5-8) from the Children and Youth Dance programme, will show two new pieces in the round and up-close.

Darren Ellis is also performing in After Effects, a powerful solo piece in which the human body is at the core of an interactive sound and light performance with a modified acoustic drum kit.

Circus dance artist Ilona Jantti will premier the fantastically imaginative HUHU, commissioned by The Place, in which a web of ropes and architectural devices will create the backdrop for an urban chase, combining circus, contemporary dance, animation and the idea of the city’s space.

Author Michael Rosen will recite his much-loved We’re Going on a Bear Hunt in a series of participatory readings, in which the magical story will be brought to life by dance artist Joanne Moven.

Shuffle, The Place’s new junior dance company, will complete the programme with Lookout, a dreamy and suggestive site-specific piece, originally created for a window overlooking the river Thames.

A series of workshops, ranging from percussion and dance, and movement and play will also be available, allowing the young participants to explore rhythms and create movement to live musical accompaniment.

Ilona Jäntti, HUHU

12pm – 12.30pm / 3.15pm – 3.45pm

Robin Howard Dance Theatre
Suitable for all ages

Darren Ellis Dance, LONG WALK HOME + First Moves 1+2

10.45am – 11am / 11.30am – 11.55am

Studios 1 and 2
Suitable for all ages;

Darren Ellis Dance, AFTER EFFECTS
11.30am – 11.50am / 1pm – 1.20pm / 2.30pm – 2.50pm / 3.45pm – 4.05pm.

Founder’s Studio

Michael Rosen, THE BEAR HUNT , with Joanne Moven
1pm-1.15pm / 1.45pm – 2pm / 2.45pm – 3pm / 4.15pm – 4.30pm
Studios 1 and 2

Suitable for all ages; A selection of Michael Rosen’s books will also be available to purchase on the day.

Shuffle Dance Company, LOOKOUT
STUDIOS 9 & 10;

10.30am – 10.40am / 11am – 11.10am /11.30am – 11.40am

WORKSHOPS

Percussion/Dance Workshops with Helen Clarke & Mark Ball
Using dance, musical instruments and body percussion, young dancers will have lots of fun exploring rhythms and creating movement to live musical accompaniment. Please wear loose comfortable clothing.
10am – 10.30am (3-5 yrs)
11am – 11.30am (5-7 yrs)
12.45pm – 1.15pm (8+ yrs)
2pm – 2.30pm (5-7 yrs)

Movement Play & Free Play with Louise Klarnett

These classes are for babies from 3 months with a parent or carer. Classes provide babies with a movement, sensory and rhythmic experience in a playful environment supported by their parent or carer.
Please wear loose comfortable clothing.
10am – 10.45am (parents and babies/toddlers: 3 months-3 yrs)
11am – 11.45am (3-5 yrs)
1.30pm – 4pm Movement free play

Dance Workshop with Laura Aldridge
Fun dance workshops with a circus theme. Please wear loose comfortable clothing.
10am – 10.30am (5-7 yrs)
11am – 11.30am (3-5 yrs)
1.30pm – 2pm (8+ yrs)
2.15pm – 2.45pm (5-7 yrs)

PLUS…

Social Dance silent disco; Arts Activities; An all day Weirdy Beardies hair salon; Soft play
Outdoor picnic area; Free buggy park; Baby changing facilities; Special children’s menu.

Tickets and information: 020 7121 1100

The Place, Robin Howard Dance Theatre, 17 Duke’s road, London WC1H 9PY

Price: £6 single ticket and a group of four £16

A child’s ticket includes access to one workshop. Please book online or call the ticket office. These are subject to availability

www.theplace.org.uk

What’s Your Social Highlight This Summer?

Posted on by

One of the social highlights of my summer so far was the May Fair Hotel’s annual Penthouse Party. It was hosted by Anthony Lee, General Manager of The May Fair who I had a lovely chat with. I popped along with Dominic Graham de Montrose, and then we headed to the Panasonic Olympics party afterwards. Magician Dynamo was working his magic there. He has to be seen to be believed.

Other social highlights: London Fashion Week, Lovebox, Impulse releasing their new fragrance at the W Hotel with Caggie Dunlop (who’s lovely), the Leo Bancroft launch at The Ivy and being Centre Court at Wimbledon.

2012 is an exciting year for those of us living in London with the Olympics on our doorsteps. We would love to here from people in London and outside about their summer.

What is your summer highlight so far? Let us know.