She Loves London

Month: August 2012

  • The SheLovesLondon September To-Do List

    It’s nearly September, and I’m marking the occasion for two reasons.

    Firstly, because I be getting another year older this month (next week, to be exact), and secondly because September’s that funny time of year when all the nifty little events and popups that run over the summer months tend to come to an end. Or, err, move inside.

    So before we succumb to autumn and return to our favourite local pubs where roaring fires await, here are a few things to do when September hits.

    1. Mussels and Prosecco

    The Mussel Men are back in sunny Dalston this weekend with their popup at Fabrica584. Here’s the deal: two of you can get a kilo of mussels, a bottle of Prosecco and frites for £27, and if no one wants to go with me on Saturday afternoon, then I will be table-for-one-ing on my own because just reading about this kind of stuff makes me hungry. Tickets here.

     

    2. Street Feast London

    Despite it being about 5 minutes down the road from me, I’ve yet to visit this night market which has been feeding the masses every Friday in Hartwell Street, E8 throughout the summer. Street Feast London will be in Dalston until the 14th September, then it’s moving to somewhere in Hackney. So if you live in Daston and you’re a little bit lazy (like me), the countdown is on to get some neighbourhood grub.

     

    The London Picnic Club at Skyroom

    3. The London Picnic Club

    On Wednesday night, I hopped down to this popup restaurant which will be continuing to feed and water people at the Skyroom in SE1 until September 8th. The food is excellent, the cocktails are unusual and strong, and the surroundings are all about the picnic hampers, garden shrubs, and wooden benches: everything you’d expect from a picnic themed concept set high above London Bridge. We ate beautifully crisp confit duck, we drank, cocktails with Camomile in them, we retired to a platform that stuck out precariously over the street below. And yes, there’s a roof and heaters to protect you from the elements.

     

    4. The Never Ending Story at the Prince Charles Cinema

    One of my favourite childhood films is being shown at one of my favourite London cinemas on Tuesday 25th September. A collaboration between lifestyle blog Domestic Sluttery and the Prince Charles, it’s time to don the luck dragon costume and get some 80s nostalgia in your eyes and ears. This is happening. Also, ATRAAAAYYUUUUUUUuuuuu

     

    5. Kings Cross Ice Cream Festival, N1

    First up, everyone likes ice cream. Second up, the Goods Way end of Kings Cross is looking kindddd of sharp at the moment and third up, Saturday’s not meant to absolutely hammer it down alá last week. Therefore, I conclude that an ice cream festival is probably a good thing to do this weekend. Oh! And it’s free. Get in thy belly.

     

    Enjoy the weekend, my little London pork pies. 

     

     

  • Stupid Things Boris Johnson Said In The Summer Of 2012

    Over the last few weeks, our slightly odd-ball Mayor of London, Boris-the-BoJo-Johnson has come out with some right old corkers in the quote department. Which is ironic, because according to Wikiquote, he was once fired from the Times for making up a quote – and now he seems to devote his time to ensuring that no one else ever has to.

    Thanks for speaking out loud Boris, you amuse me.

    Boris Johnson dangling above a tea cup
    Image from http://dangleboris.wordpress.com/

    (more…)

  • London Olympics in “Not So Bad After All” Shock

    The Olympic Games are over, the Paralympics are about to start, and the entire country has conveniently forgotten the months we spent whinging and moaning about London 2012 sport transport catastrophe ticket misery induced DOOM.

    It’s all been pretty good, really, hasn’t it?

    Long may we remember the days when our daily commute to work took five minutes instead of 45; when people smiled and talked on the tube instead of elbowing each other in the face, and London was united by its newfound love of  Team GB related outbursts, dancing horses, someone called Keirin and Claire Balding’s marvellous face.

    All in all, there’s a lot I liked about this summer’s men in tight clothing  muscles mmm look at all the athletes on telly  sporting shebang. Here are just a few of them:

    1. The Opening Ceremony

    The Olympic rings in the Opening Ceremony, as seen from a pub in N1.
    The Olympic rings in the Opening Ceremony, as seen from the New Rose pub in N1.

    Otherwise known as the night when we all got patriotic in a pub, while commentator Trevor Nelson described all the pretty colours and lights and tall people from Senegal he could see on the tellybox, pondered if the Arctic Monkeys were representing the Arctic, and earned himself a new addition to his Wikipedia page. Also, Mr Bean, the Queen, James Bond, and Mary Poppins all in one sitting. Love, love, love.

     2. Tickets and free transport

    London 2012 Olympic Boxing tickets and travelcard

    Those of us who were able to win the notoriously awful Olympic ticketing system game were soon appeased by the sight of two spandangley free Zone 1-9 travel cards which were included in the price. Although most of us didn’t even know there was a Zone 9, and suspect it’s probably a Harry Potter style “Platform 9 and 3/4” kind of thing, but hey ho. The thought was there, and the queues at barriers for Oyster top-ups and travel tickets were not. Good thinking, TFL. I like the way you move.

    3. The use of up-to-the-minute technology

    Olympic Boxing Schedule in all its full HD high tech glory
    Note the weather report, top left.

    The BBC’s coverage of the Games drew nothing short of adoration from viewers around the world, with even the Daily Mail conceding defeat in the end. And rightly so. The commentators were brilliant (not you, Trevor) and enthusiasm for their designated sports leaked through our TV, computer and phone screens throughout the games. Meanwhile, organisers at the ExCeL arena opted for a less high tech approach. Because sometimes, only a whiteboard with markers, print outs, magnets and a hand drawn weather symbol will do. Bravo.

    4. London looking all lovely ‘n’ that

    Tower Bridge had rings on it, St Paul’s had potted plants outside. Lawns were preened and manicured, and bunting was strung up all the way down Stoke Newington High Street. Balloons! Uniformed people! Did I mention the finely tuned athletes? Even the weird one eyed alien mascots didn’t look quite so terrifying in the sunshine if you had your eyes shut. Oh, London. You don’t half look lovely.

    5. The happy pink shirted volunteers (and Wombat, the police dog)

    Wombat the police dog

    There were 70,000 volunteers dotted everywhere from Southbank to Stratford, on hand with information, smiles, and a healthy dose of good old British humour. While some found fame on YouTube, others entertained us as we trickled down towards the tube home. “Move down the platform please, first class and champagne is at the front of the train, move down the platform”. Oh, how we chuckled, before skipping onto an almost empty DLR and striking up conversation with a convivial police dog called Wombat.

    Ah, them’s the days.

    All those in favour of having the Olympics back again next year, say “aye”.

    AYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEE.