Queenie's Diamond Jubilee

Yippee! Thank you your Majesty for your 60 years of reign and the mega long weekend it affords us. 

Lightness of Being - Chris Levine, 2007. Currently on show as part of the The Queen: Art and Image exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery

London is coming to life this weekend and it feels like we're spoilt for choice in things to do and see in and around the city. Here's what's on my hit list, not all of it as patriotic as p'raps it should be...

Friday night I'm off to God Save the Clam, a big seafood cook up on a rooftop out East organised by Rock Lobsta & Pitt Cue Co. Tickets for Friday's clam bake are sadly already sold out, but they're open for lunch and dinner over most of the weekend so try your luck. With DJ sets and an inevitably fun vibe, you could even just head over to sip a drink and tap your feet at the Banshee cocktail bar.

Saturday, I'm BBQ-ing at my darling Rosie's but, if I wasn't otherwise engaged, I'd be right on board the Field Day bandwagon. As festivals go, it's a good'un and this year's line up looks sweet as (mate). There are still tickets going, and if you fancy making a festi-weekend of it, you can get a good joint-ticket price that'll get you into Sunday's The Apple Cart too.

Sunday's main event is obviously the river procession that will be taking place from 2-6pm. But if boat's aren't your thing, there's a whole load of other delights to take you from day to night, starting with Bourne & Hollingsworth's Her Majesty's Party in the lusciously leafy Bedford Square. With a whole lot of bunting and a swing dance or two, this will be a perfect quintessentially British way to spend the afternoon. This week's Fourth Wall will also be resurrecting itself in the square for Friday and Saturday night.

If you're after a more rough and ready affair, The Book Club will be hosting their own Jubilee Street party which, whilst the priority wristbands are out, they're saying they'll get everyone into. Could be fun for a quick knees up with the fab Guilty Pleasures DJ's on the decks. 

Later on, I think I might head to the Secretsundaze Jubilee Bank Holiday Special at the House Club & Terrace in Greenwich. A neat way to see the boats go by without the mad crowds that will inevitably line the riverbanks. 

Monday will be delightfully un-manic, a long lunch leading nicely into an evening of live music at the Cable Street Electric Open Mic. It seems an elusive event, but I'll give the goss once frequented. Sounds a bit Sofar Sounds. In a good way.

If you're still going, however, and looking to keep the party alive, check out Coppafeel's Festifeel. Curated by Fearne Cotton, it's happening at The Queen of Hoxton and has a pretty impressive line up (Lianne Las Havas has just been announced). All proceeds from tickets go towards the worthy work of the charity, ensuring early diagnosis of breast cancer.

This will definitely be going in my cupboard.

Tuesday is the day of rest, and it's home time for me to see my beautiful Mamie. Good thing she's French, think I may have had my fill of our right royal Britannia by then.

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Blue Sky Drinking - London's Best Rooftops

As temperatures soar and the flesh comes out, I think it very well might be approaching Pimms o'clock and with that the eternal search for a spot at a sun soaked bar begins.

With funds as low as they are, this Summer looks set to be more staycation than holiday-nation. But with this line up of rooftop recommendations from friends, I'm embracing Summer in the City good and proper. Long may it last...

The Boundary Rooftop Bar & Restaurant

I've been wanting to go to the rooftop bit of The Boundary for ages, ideally cosied up to some nice chap by the wood burner as the night turns chill. Follow their Twitter for opening hour updates depending on the weather.

Dalston Roof Park

Dalston Roof Park has re-opened for another year and is set to host several fun and exciting events throughout the summer, from film screenings to hot yoga. I'm going to see my dreamboats Alpines perform on 13th June for the launch of their single Empire. As part of The See Hear Club, they'll be screening Baz Luhrman's Romeo & Juliet as their film of choice - all in the open air enjoyed over a drink or three. 

Queen of Hoxton

An obvious al fresco choice, but unfrequented by me as of yet is the Queen of Hoxton. With a new frozen cocktail menu and one of the larger rooftops in town, it's about bloody time I paid them a visit. 

The Rooftop Kitchen at Alfie's on Marylebone's Church Street

More café than bar, the Rooftop Kitchen at Alfie's seems a decent way to while away a Saturday - top tanning on the impressive sun terrace over scrambled eggs and smoked salmon.  Once revived by a Monmouth cappuccino and in search of shade, there's Alfie's Antique Market just below which certainly looks worth a browse.

Tamesis Dock

When sad not to be beside the seaside, riverside will just have to do, and Tamesis Dock between Lambeth and Vauxhall Bridge looks just the ticket. A live music venue and good val pub run off a converted Dutch barge, I really like the sound of this place. Get yourself a bottle of fizz, close your eyes and pretend you're at your boat party in Beefa. Sort of.

Frank's Cafe - snap from here

Last but not least, Peckham's infamous multistory carpark roof top bar, Frank's Cafe, re-opens for it's fourth year running on 30th June. I can't believe I've still not been. Grilled squid with chilli and garlic, a Moscow Mule and a view like that - could this be heaven?

Roll on 5.30pm...

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Buckingham Palace Tea Party

Summer arrived in the nick of time for this afternoon's tea party at Buckingham Palace. Don't ask me what I was doing there, but with a love of tea and cake and a hope for a (second) meeting with my-husband-to-be, Harry, it was with a skip in my stockinged step that I left the office and headed for Grosvenor Gate.

Sadly I can share few snaps of interest as my mother has banned me, claiming that 'it's just not what 'one' does'. But here she is, looking charming in the rose gardens

It was an amazing afternoon, so completely British and quietly classic - crowds of people hushed by the presence of royalty, with only the brass band(s) breaking the calm with their blustery show tunes. Aside from a few slightly more garish prints on ladies dresses, it could have been 1952.


The tea itself was unsurprisingly delicious - cucumber sandwiches with mint, little almond cakes topped with cream and raspberries and nutty fruit cake all taken on the startlingly green lawn before the Palace.


The Queen looked lovely in a full peach ensemble. She was escorted through the crowds of people, speaking to a selected few. My mother was adamant that I be presented, her mind set, her mission unstoppable. So out came the snap taken of me giving flowers to the Queen aged 3 and, cringe though I did, we were soon put in place to meet not HM, but HRH Prince Philip.

Nigel Luckhurst 1990

What the above photo doesn't show, is a cross little girl two minutes later when the Queen, having smiled and thanked me, turned away before I'd done my curtsy. Bear in mind, there had been weeks of practice for this moment with my mum - I wasn't letting it go. I grabbed HM's skirt, turned her round, and bloody well did my curtsy. 


Suffice to say, it wasn't quite the approach I took today and after a 'Your Royal Highness' and a painfully awkward leg bend (who has curtsied since baby ballet days?) we exchanged a few words before mum and I were ushered back into the crowd.


After a turn about the gardens and another cup of tea we stepped back out on the streets of London, just on the other side of the gates to the Palace but a million miles away.  


Now I just need to get to Harry... maybe his Gramps will put in a good word?

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Sofar Sounds

I spent yesterday evening in a nice man called Joe's front room, cross-legged on the floor with 30 other random folk (and my friend Claudi), listening to some amazing live music and drinking a can of G&T.

The genius idea of the charming Rafe, David and Rocky the musical movement Sofar Sounds is rapidly growing in notoriety. Tickets to its intimate and impressive invite-only gigs hosted in people's front rooms the world over are becoming more and more in demand - 600 people applying for last night's session in good ol' Joe's Clapton house.

But it's immediately clear why - welcomed into a warm embrace by a grinning Rafe, it's like arriving at an old friend's drinks party. Only this friend a) lives in a pretty sweet pad b) has a line up of four amazing up-and-coming bands for you to hear and c) has invited an eclectic group of only the most interesting of guests for you to meet. Nice.


And so, after meets and greets and a quick mosey around we sat, limbs intertwined and knees knocking with our neighbours' like school kids in assembly, ready for the show to begin. 

The Graphite Set

First up were The Graphite Set. The husky voiced Lilly a nice guy called Will on the trumpet captivating us with their folksy blues.

Melodica, Melody and Me

Melodica, Melody and Me were next, and we were in for another treat, the folksteppers from Brixton spinning the prettiest of tunes, with the lead singer's understated vocals making me fall a little bit in love with him. There was a nice reggae twang to their songs and the melodica got a big round of applause. My fave track was Ode to Victor Jara.

Spring Offensive

After a leg stretch and a quick flirt with the nice man to my right, Spring Offensive were up. A 5-piece guitar band from Oxford, their kookily swaying lead singer Lucas and preppy-dressed band were weirdly mesmerising. And my goodness were they good - the harmonies flawless and their considered lyrics neatly crafted. They reminded me of my much-loved Grizzly Bear - I shouldn't be surprised if we hear a fair bit more from them.

Jack Savoretti

Last, but certainly not least, Jack Savoretti was up. Having lost my heart once already, I lost it again - this guy is a hot PIECE. His rough, gravelly voice was a winner - bet you'll fancy him too: here.

The one rule of Sofar is that you don't leave before the end, but this was no issue - there was no dragging us away. One of the loveliest evenings I've had in a long while, I only hope I'll be invited back. In the meantime, there are four new bands on my need-to-go-and-see list.


Sign yourself up here and apply for some tickets - shotgun being your +1. 

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Babel

Hailed as 'the theatrical event of the year' it was with some trepidation that Em (dawg) and I headed to Islington's Caledonian Park for World Theatre's production of Babel last night. 

Welcomed by white-clothed cast members, we were straight in, and led through the winding paths of the park fizzing with expectation and crossing fingers for no rain. 


A variety of surreal scenes confronted us from a woman ironing up a tree to a man waltzing alone across an empty tennis court, played out in and around the foliage. 

The sound was impactful - A persistent beat overlaid with rhythmic breathing pulsing from somewhere out of sight, adding a hard-edged anticipation to our bemused wanderings. 

Ushered to the centre of the park, we found ourselves before the tower, around which a series of tents and stages had been set up. There was a real festival feel to the space - An incredible band kept up the magical feel, moving from husky-voiced blues to beat boxed garage with ease.  

Monologues were given from brightly lit bandstands, telling stories in all different languages.

The audience were spoilt for choice with things to see and do - encouraged to participate in the building of bamboo huts, or try a spot of knitting. As Em and I sat down to learn a lullaby in a cushioned tent, a sudden bang had us genuinely nervous and it was back to the tower again, where the play began.

I'm not entirely sure what happened after this... it was a little hard to follow, magnificent though it was in all it's musical and luminescent glory. The play itself was actually my least favourite part of the evening - the story told disjointedly, preferring drama to well written dialogue. A little read-up on Genesis' stories on the Tower of Babel would probably have helped. 


That's not to say, however, that I wasn't mesmerised. The choice of location, or indeed the raison d'être for the production was blindingly obvious - the tower looked phenomenal. Projected visuals were cleverly designed to work neatly with the structure - the clock face becoming a window out onto the crowd through which the baddies' eye peeped.

Whilst not the finest piece of theatre I've ever seen, the production is certainly an experience and has been filling my thoughts a fair bit today. With only 4 nights left, you'll have to be quick if you want to go, but I would. Definitely worth a view.

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Things I'd do if I were you...

Why do all the fun things always happen at once? I'm off to Morocco tomorrow for a week with my pretty Polly, but turns out there's a fair bit of fun going down in London town in the meantime...


Street Feast has got it's night market taking place tomorrow night in Shoreditch, with great food, art and cocktails. If you were sad to miss last week's StockMKT, this is the perfect op to get your foodie fill.

The fourth Land of Kings music and art festival is hitting up Dalston this weekend. Based on and around Kingsland high street, events will be happening in over 15 venues, from school halls to secret gardens. I'm most sad to be be missing Stoke Newington's International Airport's Live Art Speed Date - please go check it out for me.

I've been dying to check out The Big Red, ever since my friend Em (dawg) mentioned it to me a while back - top pizza joint on and around an old Routemaster bus, winner! And what better time to head down, than on Sunday (6th May) when they will be screening The Tunnel as part of the New X and Deptford Free Film Festival.


Tara Arts, the lovely South London based theatre company, are hosting a reading of a new play in progress, Reginald, on Friday 11th May. Written by EastEnders and Bend it like Beckham actor Shobu Kapoor, it will be read by the lovely Kris Marshall (Love Actually dude and star of the BT ads). The play consists of readings and interviews that look at the man behind the 1919 Amritsar massacre.

I like an early starting party and Fruit Palace's Rooftop event next Saturday (12th May) looks a good'un. Up on the roof of the Bussey Building, there'll be live acts and DJ's along with a nice bit of graffiti-time, so nab a ticket for a sun-downer and get there in good time, the views are meant to be ace.


This month's Wills-Moody jumble is happening on Sunday 13th May at The Lexington. I had a whale of a time when I went (see here) - with big bargain success.


After singing the praises of the delightful Wilton's Music Hall in my post on The Great Gatsby, I would urge you to head down there on Sunday evening (13th May) for Tea With Ruth. 'An evening of chat, songs and laughter' fundraiser in pirate costume - get your tickets quick.


And then I'm home again, hopefully mega bronzed and mega chulled, back to big-city-life. 

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Meat Liquor

I am certainly not quick off the mark in my first visit to this much-mentioned place, but I will most definitely be quick to go back. Opened last November, following the great success of their Meatwagon and #Meateasy pop-up, Yianni Papoutsis and Scott Collins' burger joint Meat Liquor is fast becoming legendary. 

Testament to this, my burger-loving friend Alice and I rocked up in Welbeck St last night to find a queue winding itself alarmingly far down the street - and that's 6 months on from it's opening.

Unfazed (we had been warned), we got in line and got chatting and half an hour later, caught up and properly hungry, we were at the door and on in to the grungy darkness of the joint.

This place is cool - an ornate, historical building tarted up with graffiti, a bit of grime and good tunes thrown in - Alice and I agreed it would make for quite nice little date venue.

Lit only by red strip lighting and tea lights in jam jars, we more or less felt our way to the bar and, on the recommendation of the mighty friendly barman (oi oi), I had a tankard of the 'House grog' in hand before I knew it. Slightly intimidating with it's '2 serves per person' limit, the grog packed quite a punch but it's Um Bongo sour sweetness was just the antidote to another 'Terrible Tuesday'. 

Settled into the swing by our cocktails, we were taken to our table - a nice 'breakfast' bar in the centre of the restaurant beneath the impressive domed ceiling. Perched on high stools, we debated the menu, settling for a starter of deep fried pickles, followed by a bacon cheeseburger each and a side of fries to share.

Oh mama - such fatty boum boum bliss! The battered pickles were heaven-sent. A pretty serious gherkin fan, I was almost more excited about these than I was about the burger. And they didn't disappoint: the batter was crisp and hot, almost sweet, the bite of the pickle bringing a delicious tang, not to mention the creamy blue cheese dunking dip. 

Appetites well and truly whetted, our burgers arrived in all their greasy glory. The buns were beautifully soft, with a nice glazed shine. The bacon and cheese generously layered. The burger was a hearty affair, a tasty hunk of proper meat - my one teeny gripe, that it could have been rarer, but then I am a French girl, meat could always be rarer. Anyway, we bloody nailed it, leaving behind only a couple of little chips we just couldn't squeeze in. 

Licking my sauce covered fingers and patting my tum I thought to myself, probably a good thing this wasn't a date. 

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Dress Obsessed

It's not often that I see an item in a mag, search it out online, call customer services when I can't find it and then write the date it will be available in my diary when I find out it's not out yet. But for some reason, this Mango dress had me hooked.

Sundress from Mango - £22.99

Maybe it's the dip-dye feel floral pattern, maybe it's the sunshine yellow, either way - I was a woman on a mission.


And now, with a sigh of relief, it's ordered and winging it's way to my open arms.


I want to wear it with these...

Nars matt red lippy (Vesuvio), Dominic Jones Verona ring and KG Medea sandals

Now I just need this rain to eff off.

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