Blood Rite at Guildhall Courtyard

The show was advertised as A spectacular, digitally-animated new outdoor dance show. Set on the site of London’s Roman amphitheatre, an explosive fusion of urban dance, music and video projection transforms the facades of Guildhall Yard. Using the latest technology in motion tracking, combined with live dance and cutting edge hip-hop music, Blood Rite shows an unforgettable series of provocative scenes that both reveal the horror of the arena and celebrate the perseverance of the gladiatorial spirit. Commissioned by the City of London Corporation.

We had watched other digitally animated shows at this location and were quite excited about it.

This year (20 & 21 October 2017), the animation was beamed across 3 sides of the square rather than just one and there was a large stage erected in front of the museum for the dancers.

The information we saw was that the show would last 20 minutes, so we expected the show to be repeated at every 30 minute interval. However when we reached there at 7:30, the show was half way through, so we caught the tail end of it.

The dancing was nice, but I don't know how much it added to the experience. Plus there was very bright light from the side near the church, so all the ambiance and the magical feel of previous shows here was kind of missing. It felt like you had arrived at the rehearsals of the show rather than the show itself, if that makes sense. The animation wsan't very informative either.

City of London puts up some amazing shows, but unfortunately this one, did not take our breath away like some of the shows that preceded this.

Rum Masterclass at Cottons - Vauxhall

When Joanne from Love Pop Ups London mentioned that Cottons at Vauxhall (the newest of four branches - opened last month) was looking for some bloggers to sample one of their Rum Masterclasses, I jumped out of my eating/writing ennui and applied.

Every single rum that we tried was amazing enough to be drunk on its own. The experience has forced me to rethink rums as just an alcoholic base which needs a mixer, to something that can be savoured on its own. They are great in cocktails and some rums go partuicularly well with certain specific mixers - like Ginger beer. But a lot of them can be slowly sipped on and enjoyed for just what they are.

Read the entire post on my Food Blog - Kim Eats n Blogs.

There's such a large variety out there, that an experience of a masterclass like this one really helps start you down a wonderfully interesting path. Priced around £20 per person for rum masterclass only or £35 per person which includes a 2-course dinner after the class, its money well spent.

Cottons -Vauxhall.
Unit 12 Flagstaff House,
St Georges Wharf,
Vauxhall, SW8 2LE
-
T: 0207 091 0793

Read the entire post on my Food Blog.

Peperami presents Beefsy: A Study in Sausage

I was very intrigued when I saw this event pop up on facebook. My favourite pork snack makers Peperami were launching their new beef snack and had a 2 day pop up art exhibition featuring this new product. #beefsy

The promos said "An art exhibition for people who like their culture a little meatier.

Unlike the pretentious rubbish peddled by so-called “modern artists”, BEEFSY: A Study In Sausage gets straight to the point with creations that actually mean something, at least to die-hard meat-lovers.

The world is suffering from an over-exposure to pictures of lentil lunches. This exhibition is an injection of unashamedly beefy brilliance."

This obviously tickled my funny bone and tantalised my meat lover palate.

It was a quick visit. We wandered around the area a bit before arriving at the venue at 15 Bateman Street, a small art gallery.

There were about 10-12 exhibits 'inspired' by famous art works and they are all up for auction. The proceeds all go to the Glass Door Homeless Charity. While the exhibition was a 2 day popup, you can still participate in the auction until 31st October at - https://www.beefsy.co.uk/auction/ for a great cause. Prices are currently at around £50.00

I also took part in the #beeflipschallenge and became a part of one of the art works.

"Hooray! I'm gonna be famous!"

It was quite fun, but I had the smell of beef sausage in my nose for the rest of the evening. hehehe.

There were plenty of free samples, but no rubbish bins. We were told to throw the wrappers of the ones we ate on location in the unmade bed exhibit.

It was a quirky exhibit and a fun 20 minute detour on our walk around Soho / Carnaby street areas. But I have to admit that my favourite is still the spicy pork peperami.

Graeme of Thrones @ Charing Cross Theatre

Avid ‘Thrones’ fan Graeme just wants to recreate his favourite fantasy saga on stage – aided and abetted by his best friend Paul and the girl he used to fancy at school – Bryony. He doesn’t quite have the same budget as the TV show, or as many cast members, or the performance skill required, but he’s sure George RR Martin would approve – and that’s what matters. But when news reaches them that an influential theatrical producer is in the building, Graeme decides that this could be his big break – as long as nothing goes wrong …

The reviews for Graeme of Thrones were great, the show had traveled to Chicago, Toronto and across Australia, the concept was alluring, we are HUGE Game of Throne addicts, and so without a second thought, I booked tickets for the show.

It was only after I had booked the tickets that I realised that the show started at 10PM! I have never attended a theater performance that started that late. But given that I had booked for a Friday night, I didn't foresee any trouble.

Let me mention right here, the post code to Charing Cross theater is WC2N 6NL. A lot of websites and links have it as WC2N 6NG and we wasted a bit of time getting lost. This location is behind Charing Cross Station and underground near a very popular nightclub.

By the time, we arrived at the theater it was 10:05, but the staff very kindly let us in and seated us in different seats than we had booked, so we wouldn't disturb any of the audience that was already in place.

We missed the first 5 minutes of the show, where the scene was being set, but we were able to follow on quite easily.However, you have to be a Game of Thrones fan to watch this play. If you aren't, you will not recognise the references or allusions and nothing will make sense. We saw a few people 4-5 people leave once the show started (in 10 minutes of us being seated) and I assume they were not familiar enough with the series / books to understand what was going on.

There is no interval. The show is quite funny in bits but not as hilarious as we expected from all the reviews. Ross Ali as Paul and the lady who played Bryony were really good. Sansa's first period was hilarious.

This show feels like more of a stand up comedy with oodles and oodles of props than a theater production per se.

Its still playing at Charing Cross Theater until November 11th. If you are a GOT fan with withdrawal symptoms, its worth a watch.

The theater itself is a very comfortable venue. Seats are much more comfortable than most theatres in London. Its a small theater and all seats have an unrestricted view of the stage. The sound booth is behind the audience. There's a good view of the stage, even in the 9th and 10th rows.

Be aware, that if you sit in front, you may get roped into some audience participation.

Charing Cross Theatre
10, The Arches
Villiers Street
London WC2N 6NL

Schweppes Laboratory Experience

Schweppes’ Alchemy Bar
21 Slingsby place
London
WC2E 9AB

The invitation to the Laboratory Experience said :  
"Schweppes Alchemy Bar invites you to explore the curious world of the original alchemist, Jacob Schweppe.

Coming to Covent Garden 2nd - 8th October to celebrate London Cocktail Week, the Alchemy Bar hides many secrets and is offering you the chance to delve into the wondrous science of cocktail making.

Dive into over 200 years of bubble-making expertise and book your place in the Schweppes Laboratory Experience. You’ll create your very own sparkling concoction and learn the secrets of flavoured bubbles from London’s revered experiential mixologists, Smith & Sinclair. From colour-changing gin & tonics to inhalable gin-based clouds, the Schweppes Laboratory Experience will take you back in time as well as giving you a glimpse into the future; that’s if you can find Jacob’s secret study of course. Schh!"

For £10, I thought this would be a great way to take a break, since I've gone back to studying for a bit and needed a rest. I thought I'd spend an hour listening to some interesting facts, maybe get to try some concoctions of my own and maybe meet a few new folks. To be honest I wasn't expecting much.

But when I got here, I realised that an entire full fledged bar had been set up at this spot. Once we registered, at the appointed time we were taken into a classroom with 5 tables where we could work in sets of two.

It was great fun, we donned leather aprons, inhaled alcoholic clouds, mixed some cocktails, bantered a bit, made some boba style bubbles (woohoo)and drank the coctails we had made.

I was quite happy with this itself, but then we were led to a secret bar - 1783, where we got to taste a couple of the new flavours that Schweppes is coming out with. I can't wait for the cucumber one to hit the market, it is amazing!

We also had a choice of cocktails mixed for us and got a chance to hang out and chat with other people in our group. I'm still curious about the group who popped in on their lunch break, did they get any work done after returning to office?

#ultimatemixer

Dino Spotting at Jurassic Kingdom in Osterley Park

Jurassic Kingdom has arrived in London!

A temporary exhibition (Pop-Up) of animatronic dinosaurs at Osterley Park, is what is on offer from the 1st to 17th of April in London, before it goes on tour across the country.

Thanks to Joanne at Love Pop-Ups London, I got 2 tickets to visit this show. When I took a look at their website, it seemed mostly geared towards kids and I was wondering if the trip would make sense for 2 adults. Having being there, I have to say a resounding "Yes!"

While this is Easter Break and the park was filled with kids, the path is very well laid out over a much larger space and was more relaxed than our visits to the Magic Lantern Festival in Chiswick or the Christmas lights at Kew which conceptually had a similar set up. However at Jurassic Kingdom we were able to amble at our own pace.

There was plenty of technical information about each dinosaur. So what you take away from each exhibit is up to you. The sound and movement would appeal to younger kids, but the descriptive details would be of more interest to adults and kids with passion for dinosaurs. We met an 8 year old kid who was rattling off facts that weren't printed out there. She definitely knew her stuff.

While the main exhibits are supposed to be hands off, (there were a few rule breakers), there are smaller size dinosaurs that the younger ones can sit on and push around the park for a bit. There was also an educational video playing under a tent around the half way mark.

There's even an excavation pit where you can let them get their hands dirty in the sand while uncovering dino fossils.

There are plenty of food and drink options on site. Osterley Park has its own Stables Cafe and the Jurassic Kingdom had food options at the start and midway through the circuit. We tried the hot dogs and milk shake at the half way point, for about three Pounds each. 

There are washrooms at each of these points too.

While you are here, do take a look at all the other wonders in the area. There is also a seperate Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt trail at the moment.

Osterley Park is a Georgian country estate managed by the National Trust. The House itself is worth a visit (we didn't have the time on this occasion). The grounds are extensive and throw up surprises like this nesting swan. We also spent time marveling at the antics of the fluffy white calves and the gorgeous horses.

We were lucky to be able to visit the Farm shop which sells produce from the Park. The vegetables were so reasonable and absolutely fresh and yummilicious when I cooked them at home. So much tastier than supermarket veg. We even picked up some fresh free range eggs and all at amazing prices.

If you are taking the tube, its a bit of a walk to the location (1 mile from Osterley Park station), but you can take a break at the lovely second hand Bookshop after the bridge.

Definitely wear comfortable shoes as it is a walk to the park and once you get on the trail, the ground is uneven and definitely not conducive to push chairs.

Chambers of Flavour V2 - The Gingerline Experience

So excited to finally get a chance to do this.

I'd heard about the Gingerline experience before, but their tickets are so darn hard to lay hands on. So, when Alex gave a couple of yelpers the opportunity to try them out, I threw as many hats in the ring as I could and was chosen for a 6pm slot on Tuesday. So much excitement to get into Version 2 of the Chambers of Flavour.

When they send you your ticket, they ask you if you have any food allergies / intolerance. A friend with me had a shellfish allergy and she was well catered for during the experience.

Now everything is kept super secret until the very end, including the location, until 4pm on the evening of. I received my text message at 4:30 and I just about managed to reach in time for my 6pm time slot. Thanks to the wonderful chaos of Oxford Street Station during evening rush hour in the midst of Christmas Shopping mania, making it a herculean effort to change lines.

You have to reach on time, given their format, if you reach late, they won't be able to accommodate you in the next lot. This is not the WB studio and they only take a maximum of 16 people in at a time. So plan to be around the Liverpool Street / Islington area by 5pm, if you have an early slot.

We were served a welcome alcoholic drink on arrival that was appreciated after the biting cold outside. A lovely machinist explained the concept to me and ran through a few rules (no photographs inside etc)

The pre-experience space includes:
- The bar which opens at 5pm.
- A complimentary coat check where you can leave all bags and purses (recommended to leave your hands free during the experience)
- Washrooms (best to use them here. There is one more opportunity mid way through the experience, but you will miss out a bit on the banter)
- Seating space with tables.

The bar had a nice variety of cocktails. Some could be consumed in the waiting area and there were 4 options that could be bottled for takeaway during the experience. (No other opportunity to buy drinks inside) They pack it in cooling bags and you can even choose a bottle of wine instead of cocktails. These drinks have to be paid for and are not covered in the ticket price. Prices are around 8-9 Pounds a glass. Mocktails too are available.

The experience flows through a story, each phase takes you into a new space where you meet new characters, enjoy a nibble or a drink. Each room was equipped with water bottles, glasses and napkins.

The performers were lovely, having so much fun. There's a lot of audience involvement at every stage. The food was much better than I expected (supper theater doesn't always have the best food, but ginger line has designed the experience around the food and that makes all the difference)

Tips:
1. Leave everything at the coat check and leave your hands free.
2. Buy drinks at the bar, before you handover everything to the coat check.
3. Use washrooms at the start to maximise your experience inside.
4. Arrive early if you can.
5. Flat shoes and comfortable trousers/jeans make it easier to move around.
6. When you finally arrive, you may not be certain that you have found the right door and there's no one outside that you can check with. Just read the instructions carefully and you will know when you are at the right place. As you walk closer to the doors, you will hear some muted chatter.

Have fun.

I did love the experience and if I'm lucky enough to get tickets for the next one, I'd definitely return.

Attending a Debate at the House of Lords

A friend of mine (a scholar) was one of the panel at a debate due to take place at the House of Lords. She invited me to come watch & I obviously jumped at the chance to view how things work behind the scenes. I had to register and "buy" a free pass for the visit, just so I was given a ticket of sorts.

The entry for debates in the House of Lords, is at the far end (almost at the park next door). So its at least a 5-10 minute walk from the station depending on how you catch the traffic signals.

Do budget at least 10 minutes for a security scanning. The staff are all very polite and helpful, but taking off jackets and belts and putting them on again takes time and there is normally a rush of people before a scheduled debate.

The room we were in was beautiful and cosy. Good acoustics, so as long as the speakers enunciated clearly at slightly louder than conversation volume, it was easy to follow the proceedings.

Most of the speakers and the audience seemed to be in agreement in general, it was the particulars that needed working out. But the debate was conducted so politely and articulately. I wish some other governments could take a cue from this style of functioning and debating.

This was an amazing experience and I feel privileged to have been able to witness it.

Yelp and Paint Jam London present: Newbie Street Art Night Walk

This was a SUPERB event. I have walked around the Shoreditch area a bit, and seen some street art. Occassionally, I have even stopped to take a picture or two of something that really caught my eye.

But Peppe our guide was a gold mine of information. Not only did I learn about a few more artists, I can now recognise their work, even if I don't remember their names *blush*

He showed us why it was important to look up the walls and not just at eye level, to see junked cars converted into art, mushrooms sprouting near drain pipes, pixelated pac man type gifs, modern deathmask 3D art, fossils and dinosaurs. It was truly a whole new world.

The group was a lovely size and very friendly. The weather was chilly, but all of us were having so much fun, that everyone persevered right until the end.

I'm not a big fan of bagels/beigels, so I've never walked into either of those famous shops in Shoreditch. But we stopped to take a break from the cold at the Beigel Shop -  a little sample of those instagram celebrities - rainbow bagels - had me picking up a bunch of them for brekkie.


My brother had just landed in London the previous day and absolutely loved this alternative perspective on the city.

Rating : 5 / 5

Yelp Mingle: Immersive Cinema with POP Picturehouse - Hairspray

Hard Rock Cafe
150 Old Park Lane
London W1K 1QZ

Fun, fun, fun.

We got to put on some 60's style makeup. Some of the yelpers were dressed for the appropriate time period.

A well stocked bar. Some decent nibbles - loved the chilli cheese fries and the cocktails were potent.

Seating was a tiny bit cramped, but better than most live theatre seating in London.

They had 3 actors who interacted with the audience a bit and performed some of the dances simultaneously as they were being played on screen.

A very different way of watching one of my favourite movies. Quite enjoyable.

Rating : 3 / 5

Yelp and Not Another Salon: Not Another Hair Event!

This event was so much fun. Loved trying out the wigs and seeing other yelpers in different colours. Never thought a blonde look could go with my skin tone.

In the food and drink - loved the tea and mini bite pairings from Tea Studio & Funzing, the bubble tea from Bubbleology and the White Russians with Pirates Grog Rum.

Chipotle Burritos are best assembled fresh and to taste, the pre-rolled standardised ones weren't as good.

We got to taste just 2 gins and were we too late to try the wine (second lot who entered at 8:30) or did they not show up? Anyway, the Bubble tea made up for it.
 

Small disadvantages of being in the second lot
- the nail bar had a really long queue and before we got to the front of the line, it was time for her to close up.
- we just couldn't get inside the secret room. It was a small space and the people who had found seats there had gotten quite comfortable
- the floor had gotten quite dirty with all the food on offer - but that could just be my semi dormant OCD cropping up.

Overall, it was a good event. Sophia and her team are awesome - they are so down-to-earth and not at all intimidating - (It was a complete surprise that Ross who fitted me with the wigs is a regular stylist at London, Paris and Milan Fashion Weeks!) I quite liked the vibe of the location and the attitude of the stylists. I think I would go back to them for my next colour treatment and maybe let them do something new with my hair.

It was great to meet Beth and Christoph, other known yelpers and some newbies too. Looking forward to a whole lot of events in this year.

London's First Mulled Wine Festival

I really got lucky with Yelp London's First Mulled Wine Festival. I had offered to help on the 12th in the first slot 12-3. Things were on the quieter side when I started out, as everything was being set up. So I got the time to figure out what was going on where, where the ATM's were, the wifi set up etc. I managed to meet the community managers from Birmingham, Manchester & Edinburgh and other yelp elite & chat with each of them.

At around 1pm, the lunch crowd started coming in & the action heated up a bit, helping people download the app, telling them what yelp was all about.

At 3, things had quietened, so I finally left the main booth (registration only) and actually headed to the food and drink areas. Since things weren't rushed, I had a chat with most of the stall owners and got to try everything for free with the nifty Yelp Elite VIP wristband!

I started with the Mulled wine at Chez Antoinette - a lovely sweet mulled wine with strong flavours. I absolutely loved this one. I also got to try half a duck confit baguette. I loved the duck but the bread was a little too crusty for me. (I prefer soft breads) They have a permanent location in Covent Garden, so I'd love to try more of their food there.

As I was munching on my baguette and sipping my wine, I headed over to the DJ booth being run by Phizz. They were handing out goody bags with pop chips & Phizz Rehydration tablet samplers to Elite. The music they were playing was really good, but at the main booth where I was stationed, we could only hear the opera being played from inside Covent Garden Market. The DJ's said that they only had permission to increase their volume later in the evening.

My next stop was Gosnells where I tasted mead for the first time (An alcoholic drink made from honey. I've read so much about it in historical fiction, but I wasn't sure how it would actually taste). It was lovely. Again, a sweet drink, so right up my alley. The mulled version was even better & my glass was fortified with a shot of rum.

With my baguette over, I headed to the Meat Liquor stall. I've been following them on instagram and been very tempted to head over to one of their locations, but hadn't got around to it. The dead hippie burger was FANTASTIC!. So I know that I HAVE to head to their restaurant ASAP. As I was chatting with the lovely lady here about food & meat, she offered me some of their Jagermeister Spice. Which was also amazing. I'd have loved to take some home with me, to sip on in the evening.

The final stop in this section was Morelli's Gelato which had 2 Christmas Specials - the mulled wine and the mince pie. They were also offering Irish Cream & another flavour. I had the mince pie, which was very good and later in the evening I had the chance to taste the Irish Cream & the mulled wine too. I think the mince pie was my favourite.

Corral one over and done with, I headed to corral two. I started with LIC Pops - Mulled Wine pop. I've had their pina colada & mojito pops before, so I knew I could expect something fantastic. It was delicious, but frozen (obviously!) These pops are better suited to be enjoyed at home in front of a fire or radiator, than in chilly, windy, nippy, Covent Garden on a semi winter night.

I quickly headed over to Heddon Street for a Hot Scot Cider, mulled with Drambuie, which warmed me right up again. I bought one of their lemon and honey madelines, just to balance the alcohol I was imbibing and they were warm and toasty, fresh out of a warming oven.

I skipped Thistly Cross as they were having some electric troubles which they were trying to sort out. She told me I could have lukewarm cider now or hot cider later. I opted for later and was really keen to try the marzipan & gingerbread mulls.

My final stop was L'atypique who offered me prosecco for a change, which was fresh and crisp.

The Christmas Cart wasn't offering samples and as I was stuffed & marinated, I promised myself that i would be back later for one of their pies (I tasted the venison & port from a friend - it was good.) &top it with some Thistly cider before I left.

Once I got back to the main booth, things started heating up, literally. We heard that the micropigs would soon arrive and the heater was turned on for them. And the moment the pigs arrived, was when the crowds really started.

Everyone wanted their pictures taken with those cute, squealing bundles & the registration area just exploded. I lost count of how many people I helped download the app that evening.

It was then time to suit up for the Santa flashmob, where we ran around the square handing out candy canes and yelp cards. By now it was around 7:45 and I was ready to leave.

Brajesh had arrived & I wanted to take him to all the stalls, but it was impossible to get through the coralled areas. The crowds were just piling in by 7:30. There were queues everywhere. The security got strict. They didn't want anyone taking glasses outside the area which just increased the number of people inside the small fenced areas. There was no seating and the stalls were on the smaller side. so it all ended up feeling very chaotic.


Yelpers were doing their best to manage the crowds the best that they could, but it was becoming unmanageable. People who arrived around this time would not have enjoyed the festival, the way that I had the luxury of doing so.

By now, it was crowded & chaotic. We managed to snag a dirty hippy & a jagermeister, before we left to find a quiet place for dinner.

I enjoyed the event, but I can see why people who came in very early or very late found the place too quiet or too chaotic. It was a great first event, but can be made even better next year with a little more planning and objectively looking at what could be done to improve the overall Festival.