Celebrating generations of Black Creative Pioneers, the new exhibition at Somerset House, right in the heart of London, will put on a showcase of art, film and photography. There’ll be 100 artists represented, whose work will be presented to articulate and address the black experience and sensibility from the post-war era to the present day. The whole collection will showcase works and new commissions alongside items from personal archives, much of which has never been seen before. The whole thing has been curated by acclaimed artist Zak Ové, who’s invited each artist to exhibit on account of their significant contribution to shaping the cultural landscape. You’ll see works from the likes of Zak and Horace Ove, Armet Francis, Charlie Phillips, Sonia Boyce and Steve McQueen and many more. See more of what’s on at the Somerset House website.
Abram Games was one clever dude. Talk about a guy that knew the medium, smashed the message and did so with creative, desirable, artistic flair that very few possess. There’s a brand new exhibition of him and the artwork and posters he created while he was a poster artist for the Public Relations Department at the War Office from 1941 until 1945, and it’s seriously good. Thing art deco-like posters done with taste, muted 40s/50s colour palettes and messages delivered so effortlessly, they’re hard to forget despite their nowadays irrelevant message. He was the father of wartime graphic designers and just a straight-up genius. It’s a must-see exhibition – and the National Army Museum in general, as well – that will reinvigorate your appreciation of what a horrid time WWI and II were. At a time of immense social unrest, after the ‘war to end all wars’ had left hundreds of thousands of veterans and civilians on the poverty line, the country was to embark on a second world war with National Service an unthinkable necessity. Games made the message the hero and turned some small part of it around as best he could. See the exhibition at the National Army Museum London until 24 November 2019. Head to National Army Museum,Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea, London SW3 4HT.
Queen Victoria was a boss. She took the throne at age 18 and made it hers from the get-go. A lot of that revolved around her moving into Buckingham Palace right in the middle of London. Three weeks into her reign, she moved into Buckingham Palace, despite the building being incomplete and many of the rooms undecorated and unfurnished. The Palace had been empty for seven years following the death of Victoria’s uncle, George IV, who had commissioned at great expense the conversion of Buckingham House into a Palace to the designs of John Nash. The King never occupied the Palace, and his successor, William IV, preferred to live at Clarence House during his short reign. The Queen’s ministers advised her to stay at Kensington Palace, her childhood home, until Buckingham Palace could be brought up to a suitable standard, but Victoria wanted to move immediately and begin her new life. Artist Thomas Sully then painted Victoria shortly after she moved in. Then after that, a whole bunch of other works were created, items and changes made that typified her reign. To celebrate, Buckingham Palace is putting on an exhibition, Queen Victoria’s Palace, curated by the historian and biographer Dr Amanda Foreman and Lucy Peter, Assistant Curator of Paintings, Royal Collection Trust. It’s all part of a visit to the Summer Opening of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace, 20 July – 29 September 2019. The exhibition is accompanied by the publication Inside Queen Victoria’s Buckingham Palace by Dr Amanda Foreman and Lucy Peter. It… Read More
If COYA in London at Angel Court isn’t hosting bottomless brunch or throwing a white party, they’re putting on something they’ve dubbed Noche de Cigarros. It’s all about Peruvian cocktails and cigars and will go down on 11 June. They’re putting their own spin on alfresco drinking by hosting the whole shebang in an informal evening soiree, kicking off with a welcome drink, before guests sit down for a cigar – voluntarily – and cocktails. For the first event, you’ll be given the chance to smoke a Montecristo Open Master cigar while enjoying two of COYA Angel Court’s signature cocktails, The Nut Nut and El Capitan. COYA comes complete with its own terrace, which they’ll be throwing to do on every other Tuesday of the month. For the refined smoker, it’s the kind of thing, lovers of flavour could easily get used to. Noche de Cigarros will happen at COYA London from 11 June, then every second Tuesday of the month. Drinks start at 6pm with the guided tasting starting at 6.30pm. Score your tickets here.
They’ve got eight new balls, each one more delicious than the last and they’ll have you gagging with glee. Regardless of whether you’re after beauty, a protein snack or more energy, Health Lab‘s range of new balls will do it. And deliciously. They take the edge off hunger, are conveniently tiny making them perfect for daily everything and help to save you from yourself before you binge on other things. All the balls are made from ingredients that promote happy skin and positive gut health, too. But, ‘What flavours?‘ you ask; why, these of course: Thrive: Choc Brownie Protein Balls Game changer: Salted Caramel Protein Balls Power: Peanut Butter Choc Hemp Energy Balls Pick-me-up: Espresso Hemp Energy Balls Happy skin: Choc Sea Salt Collagen Balls Skin hero: Choc Cherry Collagen Balls Gutsy: Mixed Berry Gut Health Balls Glow: Choc Matcha Gut Health Balls
There’s at least one place you should know (amongst thousands) in London and it’s COYA. They’ve started a bottomless, boozy brunch recently, but it’s their annual white party that really puts them top of the must-visit list, The annual summer time COYA white party right in the middle of London is coming around soon, on 20 June. They call it La Noche Blaca and it’s all about a transformation of the rooftop garden at 1 Angel Court into the back streets of Lima where guests can taste the flavours of Peru and enjoy COYA’s signature cocktails looking over the city skyline. It’s a dress-in-white thing, all part of the party vibe. Just be careful when it comes to gorging on Peruvian stalls’ street-style dishes of their popular Atun Chifa ceviche, pork tacos and the irresistible Churros con Chocolate. They’ll be pumping out pisco sours and Perrier Jouet champagne, the DJs will turn up the volume as the sun goes down and special performers will immerse guests throughout the evening, basically transporting them to Lima. If drinks are your thing and chic outfits in white also do it for you, this is for you. Head along to La Noche Blanca at COYA in London on 29 June for £25 per person. Get tickets here. Find them at Rooftop garden, 7th Floor, 1 Angel Court, 31-33 Throgmorton Street EC2N.
Fish and chips, prawns, chip butties and more; Applebee’s Fish is bringing all the best of the English coastline right to Southbank in London this June for its very own pop-up. For four months, the fish masters will be pumping out the best the coast has to offer with a dedicated champagne and oyster bar, games sandpit, live music from some of the best buskers in London, cocktails on tap and boat-fresh seafood. What, though, is a seafood fest without drinks? Hardly a seafood fest, is what, so they’ve even teamed-up with Hingston & Co who’ll be providing the cocktails on tap including Aperol spritz, negronis while Hallgarten Wines are in charge of the vino. The pop-up will be open to everyone from 14 June at Underbelly, 30 The Queen’s Walk, Lambeth, London, SE1 8XX. See more about Applebee’s Fish at their website.
Over an exclusive four nights from 24-30 June, Strazzanti – London’s Italian restaurant haven – will host an homage to the humble Negroni; the drink of champions. 100 years ago, the drink was concocted for the first time, cementing itself in the history books as a drink of refinement and taste and the prime use for Italy’s most renowned export (other than pasta), Campari. Chef Emilia Strazzanti has collaborated with Campari and Gin Ondina to coincide with Negroni Week (24th-30th June 2019) in east London’s drinking den TT Liquor, where they’ll host an Italian-inspired supper club, complete with a four-course dinner, cocktail pairings and bespoke Italian installations. From 26-29 June, The Sicilian Supper Club will be an intimate and relaxed setting to celebrate the evolution of the Negroni, amongst decorations by McQueens Florist that’ll transform the space into a botanical wonderland, filled with delicate trailing foliage, potted herbs, prickly pear plants, and a window display of lush greenery. Menu for the four days includes the best of this season’s produce along with showcasing the fresh, diverse and yet the simplicity of mediterranean flavours from Italy. Think, an assortment of Aperitivo and Stuzzichini, including Zucchine with Almonds, and heavenly deep-fried Primo Sale cheese, with honey and Sicilian oregano, which will be enjoyed with an Ondina Basil G&T. Other antipasti plates will include crowd-pleasing wild fennel, pork belly and mozzarella croquettes, Capulitatu & fresh tomatoes with Sicilian oregano & fresh buffalo Ricotta cheese; served with E5s Hackney Wild Bread. The sharing plates will be served with an… Read More
If there’s one thing the world needs more of, it’s bees. So when Tim Etherinton-Judge and Stephanie Jordan discovered a world where orchards, cows, birds and bees work in perfect harmony, they knew they could do something that improved the sustainability of the world of alcohol as well as the world of bees. Together, they’ve launched the new, sustainable brandy label Avallen Calvados; purposed to be delicious and drinkable, as well as promote the message to #beepositive. Born out of a shared passion for traditional spirits and sustainable products, it’s been founded with the intention to re-ignite Calvados, one of the world’s great brandies, and have a positive impact on the wild bee populations in the markets where it is sold. Their program helps bee populations around the world with their #BeePositive message by donating €0,50 of profit for every bottle sold to organisations dedicated to restoring and protecting the most important of insects as well as a commitment to plant 100,000 wild flowers over the next 3 years across the globe in aid of helping our forever declining bee population. The new batch is fresh, fruity and proudly apple forward in its flavour profile. Aged in French oak barrels for two years and bottled at 40%, it’s a drop made from nothing but real apples, water and time. See more about Avallen Calvados at their website or head to sustainable London bar, Nine Lives to try it for yourself.
The Geffrye Museum might be shut until next year because of extensive renos and upgrades, but that doesn’t mean everything comes to a halt. On Saturday 1 June from 10.30am – 4pm (free entry), the gardens out the front of the museum will come to life with the Feel Good Festival, a free event for anyone who’s into wellbeing and feeling fine. The festival will encourage people to feel good moving, making, eating and relaxing and celebrating primarily Turkish, Cypriot and Vietnamese culture especially as it champions working in partnership with the local community. On offer will be activities for everyone like building up an appetite doing tai chi, yoga or Zumba; origami, Turkish marbling or planter making, outdoor games or just chilling out with something tasty on hand. The event has been programmed in collaboration with the museum’s local community partners: Centre 151, Derman, Hackney Cypriot Association, and Islington & Shoreditch and Lien Viet Housing Association. Head over to the Geffrye gardens at 136 Kingsland Road, London, E2 8EA.
