London: Tea Time in Wonderland

A tiny art gallerie has opened in Covent Garden. They have fascinating representations of cities, black & white and suddenly a rainbow of tints, as if the colours were the ones telling the story. Have a look at the Delicate Mayhem Gallery, 3 Russel Street next time you are around. Nice to see some art in that neighbourghood!

That’s art, baby:
* Facebook inspires street art.
* Rainbow of colours with David Hockney.
* 21st century art: 3D printing.

So British:
* Become a cricket fan.

Sing it:
* Keep a coin for the juke box.

Take the little ones along:
* Street art: follow Stik around.
* Sunday, robotic camera workshop.
* In honour of the musical Mathilda, Roald dahl fans will not resist the stupendous afternoon tea.

Yummy time ahead:
* Hate detoxing? Oh but it can be quite fun at The Botanist et au Chiswell Street Dining Room.  Until February 12, you can sip  on Lemon Aid (white tea sirup and apricot infused gin), de Green Business (vodka, cucumber, basil, spirulina) et Hazy Days (gin, green apple liqueur, fresh ginger, goji berries). We promise those are filled with good things for you!

Out of the ordinary:
* This Thursday evening small is beautiful and fun at the Wellcome Collection.
* Still on Thursday, stop at the Imperial War Museum for a free movie.
* Nostalgic touch -  see a silent movie at the Barbican.
* Note the London tips of the fantastic Luiz Hara.
* Galop at the O2.
* You might think it is Halloween with this coffin exhibition.
* Discover Three Mills Island.
* The Take-away shop proposes to share… anything from anedotes to skills vis London histories and craft. I tip my hat to that.

Ah, how lovely to walk through Shoreditch again, such a familiar neighbourhood but with the constant surprise of street art. Keep your eyes open (and down) – there are still some of Pablo Delgado’s miniature works around… What are your plans for the week-end? None yet? Then scroll down…

That’s art, baby:
* Pretend you are Mime Marceau.
* This ice-sculpting festival should be pretty cool.
* Let’s be serious – Sky News and the Somerset House have put together an impressive collection of pictures.
* A colorful and fun exhibition that should delight curious minds -  at the London Transport Museum.
* find your luck at the Wellcome Collection.
* Love the glass sculpture at the entrance of the V&A? Why not go and see what else the artist can do?
* And from the first floor of your double decker…

So British:
* Warm up in front of a lovely chimney fire in a pub.
* Or listen to classic albums there.
* Or enjoy a traditional treat.
* Get to know everything about gin with this craze walk.

Take the little ones along:
* And rediscover Quentin Blake.

Yummy time ahead:
* Cheers to you!
* Dine in a cinema.
* Fancy a squirrel pie?

Out of the ordinary:
* Take those ice-skating shoes and dance.
* White your thank you cards at Tatty devine.
* Lord of the rings will take you through the night.
* Sing a cappella.
* Sip a drink in a tipi on a London roof. You read that right.
* Try this Pay what you want guided walk.
* And now, you can even personnalise your soup tin.

Another page turned. Good resolutions taken in the warm cocoon of the festivities. Good resolutions shaken hard by the first day back to work, sometimes even lost on the way there, we’ll pick them up again on the way back home. Sigh, cross out 2011 and write carefully, 2012 each time we write a new date. Such a feeling that everything would be brand new and be slightly surprised that nothing has changed, still lost in the magic of December.

Well, sometimes, the best resolution is to get lots of sparkles of your own, those that will make your eyes and your nails glitter, hypnotise the gaze. What a better way to shine through the day, even when wind and rain threaten to take your umbrella away?

Cheers!
* Drink to the spirit of our beloved Dickens.

Smile:
* Nothing stops a taxi driver. Not even the cold.
* Do you quidditch?
* Art beats the winter blues in the Tube.
* Chips with that?

Yummy time ahead:
* Hélène Darroze will be offering her delicious Galette des Rois, the traditional French cake eaten to celebrate Epiphany, as part of the Connaught‘s afternoon tea. It will also be for sale at the hotel for people to take back home. Give them a call!
* Have a bite at the it/eat address of the moment, the Delaunay.
* Deal. Remember The Rosendale and The Avalon -  delicious (and kids-friendly) gastropubs. You can eat there for half the usual price till the end of the month!

Out of the ordinary:
* Have a closer look at the Olympic Games area.
* Fall in love with short films.
* Disco, karaoke, bowling and garden gnomes. We’re not joking.
* Dream in a London garden.

How about doing something different before the year is over? Like, maybe, not just buy the Big Issue to have a clear conscience but stop and chat, ask whether they would like a coffee, make it just a little bit more human than erasing them from your mind after walking past. Or join an Unseen Tour, strolls through London led by homeless guides who therefore know the neighbourhoods like the back of their pocket. Even the most blasé will learn fabulous facts from them. You can also take part in a Sock Mob – volunteers go round with sandwiches and socks, chat with homeless people, try to cut through the isolation, a few minutes that can make a difference. Christmas is not just about buying gifts but sharing, even with total strangers.

The Christmas touch:
* Last week, Santas were racing through London. This Saturday, they will be skating in Hyde Park.
* See a festive movie in a deconsecrated church, all decorated for the occasion. Even better, it is for a good cause.

That’s art, baby:
* Not pop TV but punch TV.
* For the Andy Warhol fans -  the last chapter.

Yummy time:
* Your mouth will water at the only sight of this Sunday Roast.
* Warm up with a flamed cocktail at the One Aldwych. And check in on Four Square too – you will get a mini mince pie crumble with your drink.
* Test a mozzarella bar.
* Now, here is a fab idea-  an afternoon tea with a selection of mini-cocktails rather than just a normal sized one.

Take the little ones along:
* Inspired by Dicken’s A Christmas Carol, the London Museum proposes kids workshops.

Stocking fillers:
* Pop-up boutique + theatre = fun
* Add a little Beatles touch.

Hum along:
* Join the Xmas carols at the Borough Market.
* Dance, rock and twist at the Royal Festival Hall. It’s free!

A touch of magic:
* Share. At least your time and help prepare community meals.
* Don’t follow the trend, get a hula hoop and dance yourself happy.
* A stroll through London. Christmas-themed. Yep. In a kayak.

My advice of the week? Go for a Christmas afternoon tea at the Mandeville hotel. They had already won my heart (and my stomach) with their traditional version and I fell for that one too. Tangerine tartlet with a touch of gold, light but delicious Stollen the best scones in town, mince pies to die for, cupcakes decorated as a Christmas tree, a brownie teaxture to the chocolate cake with a touch of mint… What better way to celebrate the season before, during or after a shopping session? Even better, match it to one of theur fantastic cocktails -  the Via con me is a drink-it-up tiramisu version and the Dragonfly is very Turkish Delight like… You will be back for more!

‘Tis the season to be jolly:
* The Xmas tree dresses up in Legos at St Pancras.
* Don’t forget the Pudding Race!
* Woodlands get enchanted.
* Celebrate Xmas with a Swedish touch -  gorgeous food and drinks, ski lodge atmosphere and soft furs…

That’s art, baby:
* Open space and green!
* Robots invade the Science Museum.

Yummy time:
* Shhh -  a secret place for Whisky lovers.
* The Real Food Market gets festive.
* Learn to cook Tudor style at Hampton Court.

December, your best excuse to do some shopping:
* Do your shopping at this night market. Chinese lanterns and DJ – what a lovely atmosphere!

Out of the ordinary:
* Turn back the clock and head for a sensational Victorian evening.
* Brave the cold.
* Fingercross for a chance to see the Cointreau Cabaret.
* Beat that winter-blues with a ray or two of light.
* Discover Mrs Marmite Lover’s London.

My mind is elsewhere this week. Partly in endless Xmas shopping lists, partly in the mountains of leaves in the garden that I keep jumping in with my daughter and partly in packing a suitcase. I will be enjoying the sun of New Delhi next week. A few days with spices and exotic colours…

We wish you a merry Xmas (no, it’s never too early)
* Bond street lights will be switched on on the 17th – the shop windows always are worth making a special detour…
* Also on the 17th – 20% reduction in Carnaby street!

That’s art, baby:
* Tip your hat to Terence Conran‘s genius at the Design Museum.
* With birds… or without?
* Art vs postcard. Love at first sight, buy one and learn at the very end who did it. You may well have a Tracey Emin or an Anish Kapoor!

Yummy time:
* Say no to food waste. On Trafalgar Square Friday evening, learn to cook a better way and nibble delicious treats.
* Indulge in delicious breakfasts.
* Coffee or tea?

Out of the ordinary:
* You knew speed-dating. The new trend is speed listening – ipod music sharing with a cocktail.
* Try a less known park.
* Sleep in an Ikea.
* Give aquatic siatshu a try – you can’t get bored in this town!

Well if it is going to get all chilly and wet, I might as well go winter cocktails hunting. You’ll find a few celebration ideas here. Mulled ciders, toddies, buttered rums, here I come!

That’s art, baby:
* Go and see Leo. Not the one from Titanic, the other one.
* Hogarth’s house (the famous painter) is opening again to the public. Even better, entrance is free.
* Discover little secrets of your daily household objects…
* You will be in awe of this photo exhibition at the Royal Festival Hall.
* Do you have a lucky charm? There is a whole collection here.

The music touch:
* Dance, sing, play along the Thames with the Merger festival.
* Jazz it up!

A little fresh air:
* Street lights are pretty much the same from one year to another these days. Yet Carnaby street‘s always are particularly colourful. They’re switched on Nov 10. Oh, and Covent Garden has digitalised the Nativity scene. Not to be missed!
* Keep fighting and garden.

Kids-friendly:
* See (real) reindeers at Covent Garden.

Yummy time:
* Falling for cupcakes? Meet Lola’s founders Thursday at Selfridge’s.
* The Make Lounge offers lovely workshops – this week-end it is all about chutneys and jams.
* To decorate your cakes as if they were works of art, have a look here.
* Oh, a new supperclub, Spanish style…

Out of the ordinary:
* Fancy being  foxy? I mean, really?
* Express yourself and get a free haircut.
* Less known but still worth a detour: the mayor’s parade.

Psst, try your luck, we have two competitions on the blog at the moment:
*5 Time Out Eating and drinking guides for foodies.
* You live in the UK? Great – you might win £400 worth of flights to Europe.

Resistance is useless. It may only be early November but Christmas is everywhere – you can’t escape. The street lights have been switched on, with parties to celebrate the event. Shops have all switched the windows decoration to this w-ho-ho-ho-le new theme. Harrods is having their famous parade this Saturday. You can even find mince pie popcorn! Very commercial, of course but then again with the night now falling arounf 16.30, we all need a little mulled wine and fake snow to cheer us up. Merry London, everyone!

* Meet the macarons magician Pierre Hermé who will be signing his new book.

* Mrs Marmitelover’s underground market is the place to go this week-end. Just reading the description, you will be drroling.

* On Saturday, 300 hundred vintage cars will invade Regent street. Quite a view!

* Street art fan? You cannot miss Sick Boy’s latest show.

* Carnivorous friends will go hunting for this new pop-up.

* Poppies bloom on Boris’ bikes.

* Selfridge’s plans a white Xmas.

* The day of the dead, Mexican style, should spice up your Saturday at the Wellcome Collection.

* A free, artistic, relaxed and musical evening to forget the annoying sound of firecrackers.

* Make your own gin.

* Stop at the Soane Museum to marvel at Liliane Lijn’s utopian and light inspired work.

* See amazing pictures of the Rainforest lost paradise at the Somerset House.

* Fascinating objects of the past, this way.

* A brunch at the Savoy with jazz, now that is real class.

* End the week with real fireworks.

Pssst:

* The Secret Cinema is finally back -  get tickets, quick!
* Stephen Fry on stage? You cannot miss that.

This week-end brings a luxuty escape. On a train. On a luxury train. I will admire the vibrant British countryside from the cocoon of the British Pullman. Breakfast on board, a stroll in the Cotswold villages, champagne and dinner on the way back, watchinh the lights switching on softly…

What about you?

* Indulge in a gourmet pub crawl. The menu is mouthwatering and we guarantee you will fall in love with the Renaissance Pubs…

* Art switches to 3D

* The famous champagne bar Kettner’s will be offering with Jameson a different party each evening between October 12 and 27. Hoorray!

* Celebrate Diwali.

* There is some dancing at the Scoop.

* Nothing more autumn like than a market dedicate to wine and cheese.

* Discover the latest artitic installation in the Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall – movies are a piece of art too.

* Aromatherapy and macaron: isn’t it me time yet?

* Well, this week is chocolate week. You can go round the best chocolatiers in town who will be proposing a variety of events or… spend an afternoon at Chocolate Unwrapped where they will be presenting their best treats.

* Why not sip a free one with a cute paper umbrella at Hendrick’s?

* Take your coffee with style.

* Hop, second dose of Tracey Emin this year.

* Big Ben leans. Yes, you read that right.

* Indoor bike training, graffiti and trendy music included, is the new winter sport.

* Love the Royal Family? Well, the Diamond Jubilee china is now on sale.

* Are you all ready for Movember? You might be missing a crucial accessory.

I had grown tired of cinemas -  they had lost their charm. The Nomad Cinema, this year, suceeded to bring back a wonderful atmosphere I was longing for. Have you tried it? They choose amazing places. With changing weather -  beautiful now, what will it be by the end of the day? Here you never know – indoors probably is safest: why not try this one, in a pub or this more elegant one with a glass of champagne?

If you do not have any plans for the week-end, you can find inspiration below:

* Friday is tango time at the V&A.

* Be a mad (but fun) scientist this way.

* Try a gourmet safari on Regent Street.

* Have an afternoon tea at Café Luc. Or breakfast. Or lunch. Or dinner.Their steak tartare are the most tender is the whole of London.

* Climb up the Monument in the most musical way.

* See the foundry which made Big Ben.

* Rediscover Spitafields. And do go and see this amazing synagogue, built by Huguenots and just reopened. Gorgeous.

* Gordon Ramsay goes the extra size.

* Sing along at the pub.

* Get your shoes tattooed.