London: Tea Time in Wonderland

Is September making you feel blue? Well, fight it, plan a heavy week-end out and pretend the holidays are still on!

- First, get yourself  a free bacon roll today to get in the mood…

- Stop @ Soho square -  Buxton has a pop up there and gives away bottles and water. You can even sit in a deckchair and relax…

- Don’t forget to do your food shopping @ the Real Food Market on Southbank…

- Looking for the perfect shoe? Have a look at Vivienne Westwood’s creations @ Selfridge’s…

- A new conception of theatre with Theatre Souk…

- Morris dancers invade London this week-end -  head for Southbank for an amazing free gig!

- Fight death penalty @ St Martin-in-the-field…

- For a lighter note, cross the street and enjoy the Liberty festival on Trafalgar: music, workshops for kids and a circus show!

- You will feel like writing on the walls with the Nothing is forever exhibition…

- Follow the art trail!

- Forget Portobello market -  there’s a whole film festival going on there with a pop up cinema until September 19th: classic movies and even premieres! Even better it is all free…

- Get your bike out of the garage -  Sunday, the city’s heart is yours with the Skyride! The map’s right here.

- Rediscover Little Venice…

- Look up and gaze at the stars @ Greenwich…

- The Globe has designed a Thames inspired menu…

You will find me in Jermyn street, turned into a garden party on Saturday… and at the Royal opera House, turning into a forest this week-end and there will be free muscical events (get your free ticket from the website!). What is your tip for the week-end?

Ah, a drizzle. Just what we need to coold down and get our energy back for the week-end!

- Waterloo is offering a food festival -  have a look this way for the program….

- Is the sea too far for you? Well, you can always pretend with Sergent’s gorgeous paintings…

- Do your gourmet shopping in Soho with this brand new Saturday market!

- Stroll through Portobello and try this new ice-cream parlour. Liquorice ice-cream? Ice-cream served on an espresso? Mmmmmh….

- See London differently. Why not with a canoe?

- Be French! Go and play petanque and grab a glass of Ricard…

- Grab friends, a picnic, a nice bottle of wine: it’s the season for open air cinemas!

- Are you a MRavel/Twilight/Star Wars fan? Rush to this festival!

- Dance, play, sing in Shoreditch! The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra will play on Friday evening and there will be fireworks. The rest of the week-end will be more family-oriented.

- Oh, and the newest pop-ups… Cheers to Courvoisier (cocktails, massages, martial art)… With Campari, you’ll have cocktails with a view… Play ping-pong for free with Puma (100 tables will be dispatched around London until mid-August)

- Have you heard of  Short and Sweet? this cafe proposes an evening of short films every Monday. Entry is free.

You’ll find me… looking at elephants – yep, those you’ve seen around London, only half size. They’re being sold in a 5* hotel on Friday evening (all the info is on their facebook page)
After that, I need to try and exhaust my daughter @ Legoland. what are your plans?

I have never been a fan of Scotch eggs. No matter that Fortnum & Mason invented them.

Never tried one? Well, a quick explanation: this is a boiled egg covered by a layer of pork meat the rolled in crumbs. The thinner the meat surface, the lower the quality. Many varieties exist: as many as sausage meat varieties. Or flavours for crumbs. Even Marmite ones, vegetarian ones, or mini ones with quail eggs.

However, my experiences so far (they are part of any buffet I have come accross) have been disappointing. Bland, even floury. Have you felt let down too? Here is an occasion to change your mind. Enjoy the flower market on Columbia rd on a Sunday and turn left on Ezra st when walking down. you’ll find an oyster stall (delicious and worth stopping) and a couple metres further this one:

Giant Scotch Eggs. Impressive.  After seeing passers-by licking their lips,  I decided to give it a try. Even shared with a friend, this replaces lunch!  Lovely, I must say, the meat is peppery and very flavoured and served with Piccalily sauce, it really is a pleasant snack.  Hopefully they’ll extend ther range to new flavours too in the future!

Columbia Flower Market
Ezra street
London

£5 each

Ready for the week-end? Steady… go!

- Wish the Queen a happy birthday: every year a special parade takes place but do arrive early!

- Vintage and retro shopping? Try the Cabbages and Frocks market every Saturday…

- Enter the Matrix @ the White Cube gallery…

- Have a free ice cream @ Covent Garden on Saturday

- Go for a magical and musical bus ride on Saturday -  it’s all part of  Spitafields’ music festival!

- Love knitting? Give up pub-crawls for a knit crawl for a change…

- It’s summer fair time! Try Marylebone for a farmers’ market, kids’ games and music, of course! There’s also a summer pop-up bar around there….

- Use forgotten empty spaces in London? The answer in pictures…

- Barbican plays it mysterious, surreal and full of desires…

- Meet Marvel’s superheroes @ Mme Tussaud…

- Get a new skin @ the Wallace collection…

- There’s still time to grab a ticket for the Hampton Court Festival – always with a fireworks finale…

- Decide to take a day off next week for a £3 lunch!

- This way for a brand new look on London….

- England, shocking? @ the Tate only…

You’ll find me… all around London, discovering secret gardens open specially for the Open Garden Square week-end…

This week-end is planned to be rain-free – throw away your umbrellas!

- Museums will be open late this week-end – check the events here!

- Happy Birthday to the Tate, 10 years old! A fab program is planned for the coming days. The occasion to see their community garden too, generally closed to the public (a few pics here)

- Stop at Fortnum and Mason, skip the delicatessen part, head for the first floor and have a look at some calorie-free but appetizing works of art…

- Chase a giant banana, it’s for a good cause… Or would you prefer a few steps of tango?

- Surely you will not resist a little shopping? The Spirit of Summer Fair will compensate for the missing sun…

- A little girl’s dream: the dollhouse festival. So cute!

- Why not a pop-quizz @ Selfridges? (And if you are hunting elephants, you’ll find one close to their official elephant shop)

- Finf out more about the Women’s library archives…

You’ll find me… savouring tapas @ Casa Brinsida, discovering the newly re-opened Florence Nightingale museum, and -so not laugh!- at the cress festival to enjoy their farmers’ market. Your turn: what are your advice for the week-end?

It’s been raining for days. When it’s not drizzling down, the heaviness of the grey sky makes you feel like staying under the cover.

Ah, but there is a 4 and 1/2 year old princess jumping up and down at your side. She really, really, really would like to go for a walk, please, mummy?

You’re counting your options. It is wet and muddy outside, so out are the countryside and the parks. You have been so many times to the Natural History Museum (renamed here the Dinosaurs’s house), the Science Museum and the V&A Childhood Museum that you could go round them in your sleep.

Where to go?

The Greenwich National Maritime Museum! Kids can run happily there, admire boats figures, learn how waves are created… The last floor proposes a hands on section on communication (flags, morse, radio), navigation (with a fab simulator system).  Kids activities are very often on at week-ends – colouring, cutting, even treasure hunting. There is a Paul cafe on the first floor (Hooray say all Froggies, real croissants in view!).

Most of all, do go for their actual exhibition Toy Boats, those adorable miniture ships children of good families sailed on ponds in the last century. Picture this – adorable little boy in a sailor suit…

A hundred are gathered here, amazing, gorgeous, some huge, and impressive in details.

What I had failed to understand is that they were not mere toys. Those became a real competition between brands, collections, pride of a country too. We start towards the 1850s. No computer or surreal games then: amusements were to reflect the outside world. The century to come will mark formidable maritime advancement in technology. Countries try to outpass each other: who will build the biggest? Fastest? Most beautiful ship?

What a great occasion for toy manufacturers. The people are fascinated. They crowd harbours to gasp at them. The publicity is taken care of already! They just need to create miniature versions, as close as possible to the real ones. Germany is the first in line, recognised world wide for the quality, the precision. They even develop a range of submarines. France is next in line. The toys sell like mad, the industry develops. Of course, little boys will want races! Twisted rubber bands, steam models (though this could prove dangerous), springs, the very first batteries…

A lovely cruise through time. Parents and kids alike will leave with twinkles in their eyes, longing for the next sunny day, hoping to sail paper boats on the river if they have not yet found the toy boat of their dream…

Toy Boats

Until October 31, 2010
Museum and exhibition free
National Maritime Museum
Greenwich
Romney Road
Greenwich, London SE10 9

Psssst! The Greenwich world food market is only a 10mn walk away, ideal for a week-end lunch!

The Columbia Flower Market is one of our favourite haunts. Bunches of colourful flowers everywhere, vintage and design boutiques… Such a treasure!

Zigzag-ing endlessly, you quickly feel a little elevenish, though.

Do try Columbia Cafe for their fab range of bagels. Out the boring BLTs, pastrami, cream cheese and salmon! hoooray for crayfish and cress, English Breakfast or the sweet strawberry version!

A really friendly service and very satisfying for a mere £3-4.

Feeling like a real dessert?

• Walk up the street for a yummy cupcake @ Treacle.

• Or step into Vintage Heaven. Passed the vintage china hides a tiny tearoom with a lovely selection of cakes…

Columbia Cafe
138 Columbia Road,
Bethnal Green,
London,
E2 7RG

- The London Eye has decorated Southbank… And if you fancy a ride, my friend Celine has found this 2 for 1 offer!

- The Easter passion played on Trafalgar Square: such a show deserves to stop by and have a look.

- Bet on Oxford or Cambridge for the traditional Boat Race… The Spitafield farm prefers to hold its yearly Goat Race (bottom of the page). I tried it last year and had a ball…

- Feeling a little elevenish? Hoorray, the Real Food Market is back @ Covent Garden!

- Womder what the hell chessboxing could look like…

- Are you in an art mood? Think street art @ the Black Rat gallery... Rediscover famous album covers here… Be amazed by bees… Or hop to Selfridge’s for some paper madness!

- Mmmh. Harpsichord and chocolate @ Handel House? Or more traditional @ Chiswick House – Easter bonnet parade, egg trail, teddies picnic…

- A winning recipe: Punch and Judy show and a mobile farm with chicks, lamps and rabbits to pet!

Where to find me? Well, I don’t think I can resist stopping at Haagen Dazs as they have a new Easter ice-cream… I will also be hunting the Easter Bunny @ the Childhood Museum – ideal on a rainy day. If the sun comes out, I’ll just jumps in a boat @ Little Venice and will stop @ the London zoo. What about you?

- Chocaholic? Be a true Easter Bunny and do your shopping @ the chocolate festival on Southbank. Make sure you stop @ the Choc star van!

- Still in an Easter mood? The try the Claridges’ afternoon tea with hot cross buns… and, my friend, a Valrhona hot chocolate…

- Emmenez les enfants decouvrir une tradition suedoise pour Paques…

- Fancy a little suspense? Learn more about Hitchcock…

- For something totally different, go and look at these surprising nail sculptures… or this floating one @ St Paul’s…

- Rediscover the British interior design of the last 150 years…

- or if the sun’s out, head for Greenwich! Have a bite to eat at the food market then learn a few things about the place. There’s even talk about a micro-brewery producing fab beers…

- Looking for a great place for a special occasion? Why not a brunch on the 29th floor with a 360 deg view? Amazing but , wow, £65…

- Empty your bank account @ the Spring Country Living Fair – so many unique and marvelous gifts there…

You’ll find me @ Kensington Palace, enchanted for a while… and at the Alice pop-up cafe @ Harrod’s..

Valentine’s week-end!

- How about a very poetic walk?

- To be followed by an excellent hot chocolate…

- Maybe a classical music concerts, candlelit?

- Alternatively, you can try the cinema screening on the National Theatre roof -  bring your blankets, champagne and picnic!

It’s also the Chinese New year – a roaring Tiger year! The official celebrations ave been postponed to next week – love marketing obliging – but you still can…

- Go to the National Portrait Gallery on Saturday. At noon, 14h00 and 16h00 there will be traditional dances, martial art and Chinese legends storytelling…

- or rush to the Museum of London Dockland Museum to taste some lovely tea, see a few screenings and enjoy the paper cutting workshops…

What about kids?

- Take them to the Wetland center to pet farm animals…

- or to the Horniman Museum for the Myths and Monster exhibition!

A few more options:

- Star Trek fans, be on the Millenium Bridge Saturday at 13.00 – preferably with your costume on!

- Pack some bargain at the market…

- Go and marvel at Judi Dench in a Midsummer’s night dream…

- Enjoy winter sports @ Trafalgar -  the Vancouver opening ceremony will be projected on a giant screen, vitual video games proposed and there will even be a giant ice sculpture of the olympic rings…

- Rediscover the fab Imperial Museum of War and enjoy their Ministry of food exhibition – extraordinary war posters like the famous Dig for Victory

- Stop at Lulu Guinness’ pop up shop in Carnaby street and be a fashion victim

Pssst! Don’t forget Shrove Tuesday next week -  head for the famous Spitafield pancake race!