Pop Up Cinema - The Cineroleum

Who would have thought a petrol station could be entertaining?  Well this summer a hand-built pop up cinema, the Cineroleum, has transformed a derelict petrol station on Clerkenwell Road into a cinematic experience. 

Reflective of the trend to showcase films in unusual places, the Cineroleum has been built by young artists, designers and architects using primarily donated and found materials.  The unique interiors include curtains made of roofing insulation, wooden flip-down chairs from scaffolding boards and a discarded screen from the National Theatre.

You can expect to see off-beat classics including Barbarella, Rebel Without a Cause, Night of the Living Dead, Metropolis and more.

The latest in a growing trend of pop up culture, the Cineroleum is only open until 12 September and tickets are selling out fast, no wonder at only £5 per person.  Visit www.cineroleum.co.uk to book your tickets.

Hummingbird Bakery Cupcakes

As you stroll down Portbello Road en route to the famous Portobello Market, you may find yourself outside of the Hummingbird Bakery.  The queues outside of the Notting Hill bakery are a clue to the popularity of this American owned establishment.  It’s colourful and fun décor is inviting though be warned seating is limited especially on weekends.

The concept behind the Hummingbird Bakery is to bring authentic and original American style cupcakes, cakes, pies and cookies to London.  The Red Velvet cupcake is the most popular ‘deep red vanilla cake with a light taste of chocolate, topped with cream cheese frosting’ – who could resist.  And for the chocolate lovers the Chocolate Devil’s Food Cake is an absolute must.  All cupcakes are made with natural ingredients and free-range eggs, so they must be good for you!  Perhaps not so healthy but incredibly tasty are the decadent frosted brownies, pecan pie, Mississippi mud pie and chocolate chunk cookies!

 The Hummingbird Bakery has expanded, with new locations in Kensington and Soho, so if you are out enjoying your day in London why not stop for a delicious treat. 

For all you die hard fans, you can now recreate the experience at home with the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook.  Visit www.hummingbirdbakery.com

Ping Pong Emirates Stadium

In the spirit of the upcoming London Olympics 2012, the mayor and Sebastian Coe are keen to get the city of London active.  Ping! is the perfect solution with 100 ping-pong tables placed around the city, young and old can enjoy the lost sport of table tennis.  The tables are free to use and bats and balls are supplied.  Ping! is located across London from Soho Square to Westfield Shopping Centre, Tate Britain to the British Library and St Pancras International to Heathrow Airport, Terminal 3.

The project is supported by Sport England’s Innovation Fund and is the brain child of Colette Hiller of the Sing London arts group.  Ping Pong is an irresistibly fun game and is a superb way of gaining mass participation across the city.  It is a sociable game that also allows for a bit of stress release and some laughter.  

In addition to the ad hoc games, a series of master-classes and competitions have been set up such as ‘Passport to PINGland’, ‘Literary Ping Pong Quiz’, ‘Smash The City’ and ‘Sing n Ping’.  Celebrities and artists are also getting involved in the challenge;   Boris Johnston, Charles Saatchi and wife Nigella Lawson, Damien Hirst, Tracy Emin and more. 

Pick up your bat, the tables are only here until 22 August!

London Olympics 2012 - 2 Years to Go

Two years today, the London Olympics 2012 will kick off with the Opening Ceremonies.  To announce the 2 year countdown and celebrate the achievements so far, Sebastian Coe, LOCOG Chair and London Mayor, Boris Johnston along with top athletes Sir Chris Hoy, Michael Johnson and John Amaechi were at the various venues of the Olympic Park.

The anticipation of the London Olympics 2012 is growing especially now that progress on the venues construction is evident.  The Velodrome is almost complete and will finish ahead of schedule.  Sir Chris Hoy was the first person to cycle in the Velodrome followed by Mayor, Boris Johnston riding Hoy’s bike and in the Basketball Arena, former NBA star John Amaechi was shooting hoops.

Olympic gold medallist, Michael Johnson demonstrated his sprinting skills on a temporary track that was placed in the Olympic Stadium which is well under way.  Michael raced against local school children, most of whom beat him to the finishing line, not something that happens often!

The excitement is building and the London 2012 Olympic Organising Committee are encouraging the UK public to start planning for the games now.  Residents in the UK can register their interest in buying tickets for the various events on the London Olympics website.

A volunteer programme has been launched requiring up to 70,000 ‘London 2012 Games Makers’.  Today the Mayor launched the ‘London Ambassador’ programme which will require 8,000 volunteers to meet and greet visitors to the capital.

To get in on the action at this once in a lifetime event and for further information, visit www.london2012.com

Hotel Indigo London Tower Hill

A second hotel has recently opened in London, owned by the Thai Square Group, the Hotel Indigo London Tower Hill with 44 bedrooms and two suites. Hotel Indigo London Tower Hill is situated on Minories in the City of London. The hotel has eight floors with a bar and two restaurants as well as fitness facilities and all the amenities you would expect of a boutique hotel; luxury toiletries, flat screen TVs, free WiFi, iPod docks, on-demand movies and luxury bathrobes.

There are currently 34 Hotel Indigos worldwide with expansion globally planned, including Liverpool and Glasgow in the UK. The attraction of the Hotel Indigo brand is the individuality and boutique style of each hotel with the assurances of a global hotel group.

We welcome further expansion of the Hotel Indigo brand and hope that our guests will have the opportunity to stay at an ‘Indigo’ wherever they go!

Steve Jobs with iPad

Image courtesy of http://techie-buzz.com

Is it just me or has Steve Jobs and Apple taken over the world with their ever inventive, creative and stylish products that seem to appear on the market at a seemingly ever increasing rate? 

From the Macbook to the iPod to the iPhone to the iPad – where will it end?

It seems that ever so gently, Mac has been infringing our daily lives.  The downhill slope began with the iPod.  Its sleek features and ability to hold countless tunes won us over yet we could still function with our PCs and Blackberrys but now with the launch of the iPad and iPhone4, can we continue to resist?

The iPad is an ingenious product, a larger version of the iPhone, not that one actually needs one but it looks so good! Everyone in the family could have one or simply share it like a magazine or book – it has that easy to pick up and put down feel to it and offers everything at your fingertips.

And of course, the iPhone4 is being launched in the UK today and even the most loyal Blackberry fans are finding themselves being drawn to the other side! Blame it on the apps…but will this spell the end of PCs and Blackberrys?

Ladies Day at Ascot

Royal Ascot is one of London’s summer highlights, a quintessentially British occasion.  The five days of horse racing attracts over 275,000 visitors every year and awards over £3 million in prize money.  It began in 1711 when Queen Ann founded Ascot Races and today, the Royal family is actively involved, leading the procession from Windsor Castle to Ascot.

Royal Ascot is renowned for its Gold Cup meeting, also known as ‘Lady’s Day’ which sets the scene for fabulous outfits and interesting, often outlandish hats.  The press are always in attendance and it is a media frenzy with photographers vying to find ladies with the most unique outfits and hats.  The exhilarating horse racing almost takes a back seat on Lady’s Day when prestige, luxury and style emanate from the stands.

Although there is no dress code for Royal Ascot, other than being appropriately dressed for the occasion, if you plan to enter the Royal Enclosure you will need to adhere to the famously strict dress code. ‘Off the shoulder, halter tops, spaghetti straps and dresses with less than one inch and miniskirts are considered unsuitable.’

To experience royalty, tradition, fashion and sporting excellence mixed with fun and a fantastic atmosphere, attending Royal Ascot is a must!

Royal Ascot runs from Tuesday 17 – Sat 19 June 2010 for further information visit www.ascot.co.uk

Princesses Beatrice & Eugenie

Joan Collins

Images courtesy of the Dailymail.co.uk

Elephants in Trafalgar Square

The streets of London have been taken over by an array of multi-coloured elephants. 250 life size elephants designed by famous artists, celebrities and fashion designers including Isaac Mizrahi, Julien MacDonald, Lulu Guinness, Tommy Hilfiger, Matthew Williamson, Sir Paul Smith and Sir Terence Conran as well as HRH Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and HH Maharaja Ranjitsinh Gaekwad. There’s even a Boodles and Cartier elephant.

Each elephant in the parade is imaginative, creative and unique – leading you through London on a treasure hunt to find your favourite elephant.  They are strategically placed around many of London’s tourist sites from Tower Bridge to Trafalgar Square to Oxford Street and Greenwich and all the way to Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport.

The Elephant Parade is an ingenious art display run by the Elephant Family in support of the endangered Asian elephant. The charity aims to raise £2 million this summer when it auctions the artworks at Sotheby’s Auction House.  Mini elephants are also available for purchase at Selfridges, Greenwich Central Market or online.

Don’t miss London’s biggest outdoor art event on record. The Elephant Parade is here until July. 

For further information visit www.elephantparadelondon.org

Image courtesy of http://www.elephantfamily.org/

James Bond Vintage Poster - Dr No

Do you have an avid appreciation for film?  If so, you might have an interest in The Reel Poster Gallery for its original vintage movie posters. 

The premiere international movie poster gallery and the first of its kind in London, The Reel Poster Gallery is set on Westbourne Grove near trendy Notting Hill.

Established by Bruce Marchant and Tony Nourmand in 1991, The Reel Poster Gallery is designed as an art gallery with hard wood floors, sparse furnishings and life-size framed original vintage movie posters of King Kong and Sean Connery as Bond adorning the walls.  

This is no ordinary shop, as you buzz to enter the premises you begin to realise how film posters have been elevated to works of art.  It is difficult not to appreciate the design and skill that has contributed to these vintage posters.

Their collection is hand-picked based on aesthetic criteria and therefore offers a diverse range of imagery. Clients of The Reel Poster Gallery include a few avid collectors, wealthy clients and A-list Hollywood actors. 

Tony Nourmand is the author of sixteen books on film posters. Titles include James Bond Movie Posters, Audrey Hepburn: The Paramount Years, The Godfather in Pictures, Stars and Cars, Hitchcock Poster Art as well as series of books on movie poster art by the decade and movie poster art by genre.

If you have a love of cinema, you will truly enjoy the experience and if a vintage movie poster proves too costly, you could always walk away with a fabulous coffee table book to take home.

For more information visit www.reelposter.com

Whiteleys Pop Up Boutiques

Not to be missed!  Opening to the public on 26 March 2010, Whiteleys shopping centre in Bayswater will be transforming the 1^st floor into the World’s first Pop Up Boutique Floor.

Brainchild of Brian MacShane, the Pop Store is an eclectic mix of designer boutique labels with new and unique brands that transform shopping centres, creating excitement and buzz in spaces that have become vacant.

Alongside Whiteleys’ permanent boutique Fussy Nation which opened end of last year, there will be five pop-up boutiques on continuous rotation.  The first Pop Store will be FrostFrench, the devine clothing line by Sadie Frost and Jemima French – both of whom will be attending the launch party this evening.

Retro American t-shirts by Junk Food, womenswear by New York’s Christopher Lee Sauve and vintage-inspired brand Wild Fox will all be on offer.  There will also be a ‘Transit Lounge’ which will host a series of shops, galleries and installations.

The launch party is tonight and is strictly by invitation only. The evening will kick off with DJ sets from The Voguettes and The Queens of Noize as well as Alice Dellal’s band, Thrush Metal.  Meg Mathews, Assisi Jagger, Gizzy Erksine, Kasbian and more are said to be attending. 

So put the fun back into shopping with this cosmopolitan mix of exclusive brands and limited edition items at Whiteleys now!