7 steps to organising your own mini music festival
words Al Woods Are you planning a fundraising event, a milestone birthday celebration or a corporate hospitality jolly? Do you want the event format to be informal and fun, ideally with music and dancing for old and young? Mini music festivals are becoming...
Raw fish for breakfast? At Sushi in the City, it’s delicious
Guy Beringer invented the idea of brunch in 1895 in his essay, 'Brunch: A Plea'. Established as a meal designed to help people deal with hangovers, it’s since swept across the world, before returning to nest in London over the last decade or so. With this history in...
Caribbean brunch? It’s here, and it’s got rum
Words: Kayleigh Petrie Perhaps the only thing worth getting out of bed for on a bitterly cold, windy winter’s Sunday is the promise of a bottomless brunch. And when you add ‘Caribbean’ to that promise, it’s enough to make you dance into the street. Cottons, one of...
How selvedge denim was salvaged
How selvedge denim was salvaged - words Al Woods ‘Selvedge’ is the word on the lips of every sartorialist who dares to be denimpressive. But it isn’t just a topic for tailors - followers of fashion are increasingly drawn to this particular denim, marked out by its...
An immersive Indian noir, ‘Night at the Bombay Roxy’, takes over Dishoom
Words: Chris Zacharia A former criminal trying to fly straight. A young idealist determined to get his revenge. And a corrupt cop, mad on his own power. As an immersive theatre experience, Night at the Bombay Roxy has the right ingredients for an engrossing drama. But...
Filming with Blue Planet II’s Mateo Willis on Scotland’s epic Loch Lomond
Words: Marion Rankine Our seaplane bursts through one last lumpen cloud and golden light spills through the cabin. This morning’s lashing rain has given way to brilliant blue skies, rippling with winter breezes. The landscape below spreads like a rumpled quilt in...
Coffee butter, chocolate and charcoal – welcome to dinner at Aside
Words: Chris Zacharia Comfort is in short supply. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was more of it? More cuddles, more kind words, more reassurance? Life is hard, like stale bread. Comfort is consoling, like butter. And good butter can transform even the crustiest bread...
The enigmatic pop collective TQX featuring Sia
There is not much mystery around these days in the world of pop. This is why we yearn for the days of Prince and Bowie and cling onto pop stars of old who can still manage to intrigue us. Many of today’s pop pretenders have forgotten all about the art of mystery. The...
One Aldwych review – An elegant oasis amid London’s hurly burly
One Aldwych review - An elegant and tranquil oasis amid London's hurly burly - words Lee Taylor After the hustle and bustle of central London, the first thing that strikes you about One Aldwych is the sense of laid back charm that washes over you as you walk in. There...
Brussels turns surreal for René Magritte’s 50th anniversary
Words: Jeanette Farrell Nothing beats travelling by train. The luxury of time spent watching the world go by in quiet comfort puts you in a reflective frame of mind - the perfect way to prepare for a weekend of surrealist art in Belgium. [gallery royalslider="1"...
How to save money on your winter wardrobe
How to save money on your winter wardrobe - words Al Woods Winter is fast approaching, and with winter comes freezing temperatures and icy noses and fingers. In other words, it’s time to break out the winter wardrobe. While you might own a few staple items that you...
UK Grime: from pirate radio to the vital voice of a generation
UK Grime: from pirate radio to the vital voice of a generation - words Alice Mortimer In very recent years it has catapulted from the capital’s underground scene to internationally acclaimed success, but how much do we actually know about London’s home-grown genre?...
What could the future of accessibility in the arts look like?
The conversation surrounding accessibility in the arts is, unfortunately, one that still needs to be had. While museums, theatres, galleries and more have all been working to make the arts as accessible as possible, the limited funding available to do just that is...
Move over, Paris – Champagne is France’s romantic getaway du jour
Words: Lawrence Hunt Anyone who did their time grimacing over French verb tables owes it to themselves to take someone nice to France. Yet Paris won’t win you many points for originality. So where else can you get to in a weekend that offers the full, gourmet French...
Taking your time – slow tourism in France’s historic Mayenne
Words: Chris Zacharia Entering a cave isn’t something you just do. You have to prepare yourself for the cold, the dark, the damp - and unexpected surprises. But when, half an hour later, the halo of our guide’s flashlight reveals a hellish, lopsided swastika scratched...