A fun night out at The Musical Bingo

I’ve been a very busy bunny of late, so sorry for the lack of posts. Recently I had the opportunity to experience a night out at the Musical Bingo at funky drinking venue The House of Wolf. For those of you who haven’t heard of Musical Bingo it is latest hip happening activity that is taking the capital by storm.

Traditional bingo and bingo online consists of numbers being called out and shouting Bingo! However, the rules of Musical Bingo are different; there are three rounds and each round when you hear music that you recognise on your bingo card you cross it off. There are prizes for the first person to get a line, then two lines then for the full house.

The first round for us was sounds of the noughties and even though I had a rubbish bingo card and won nothing, the atmosphere was infectious and we were all happily singing along and reminiscing about being at uni and listening to cheesy pop music in our bedrooms. The table that I was on was very lucky indeed! One particular lady just kept winning it must have been birthday luck!  I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to figure out what the tunes were but this was no problem because luckily lyrics are often part of the song title and my team was very knowledgeable.

The next round was sounds of the 90’s which I just loved, and I had to resist getting up on the table when Ride On Time came on! OOOHooo! The final round was sounds of the 80’s which was a cheese fest and they saved the best prizes for last which included drinks for your table and a blow up dolphin.

Overall I really enjoyed my night at the Musical bingo, it proved to be a really fun night out and I’ll be sure to trying it again sometime soon!

Afternoon Tea at The Sheraton Park Towers Hotel – Knightsbridge

Sheraton Park Towers Bar

My younger sister recently celebrated her 21st birthday and to celebrate I spontaneously decided to take her for a spot of afternoon tea last Sunday. Since I left it to the last minute to book all the usual options for afternoon tea like Claridges or The Dorchester were out of the question. However I was able to find that the Sheraton Park Towers Hotel in Knightsbridge was available for afternoon tea. Upon arriving at the hotel, unable to gain access through the front entrance we realised that the hotel was undergoing quite a bit of refurbishment. Going through the car park and into the building, I could see why, the interior of the hotel is definitely stuck in a bit of 70’s time warp so it will be interesting to see the changes when it is finished.

Afternoon Tea guests at The Sheraton Park Tower can choose from three very different tea rituals: British Afternoon, the quintessential British afternoon tea; Oriental, a delightful fusion of Chinese and Japanese traditional tea ceremonies; and Tisane, offering an array of herbal and fruit infusions.

As the lounge was closed for refurbishment we were led to a table in the Piano Bar which overlooked a pretty terrace.  We opted for the British afternoon tea which was made up of smoked salmon, cucumber and cheese sandwiches, scones and clotted cream and an assorted array of pastries. For tea I decided to play it safe by going for earl grey and my sister went for the oolong tea.

The bar was quiet and we were able to have a relaxed catch up while stuffing our faces. Our tea was kept constantly topped up and the staff were friendly. The afternoon tea itself was pretty tasty and by the time we arrived at the pastries I felt like a stuffed pig. Even though the hotel seems to be undergoing some refurbishment it didn’t really affect our time there and I look forward to trying tea again there when the hotel has finished its renovations.

Afternoon tea Sheraton park Tower

Hmmm..clotted cream and preserve

The Birthday Girl and her oolong

Lanky Girl and my cup of Earl Grey

It’s Gardening Week in London: 15-21 April 2013

Chelsea physic garden credit – Charlie Hopkinson

 

Just as we thought the winter would never end… spring is finally at our door and so is National Gardening Week. From the 15^th to the 21^st of April London will be blooming with gardening events. If you fancy giving your green thumbs a go, here are some suggestions to get involved!

Container gardening: Living in London, chances are your gardening options are limited to a rooftop, balcony or even a window box. Don’t worry, that’s plenty of space for flowers or herb garden. Pick a spot with lots of sunshine and use deep pots.

Secret garden adventure: Take advantage of the sunshine and explore some of London’s best secret gardens. For example, St. Dunstan-in-the-east is a little known piece of sanctuary located in between Monument and Tower Hill. Once a medieval church, it was reduced to ruins by bombing in the Second World War. Today, it is a lunch break office escape haven for hardworking Londoners.

Urban Oasis: If you enjoy getting your hands dirty, Providence Row charity will welcome you with open arms. They need as many pairs of hands as possible to make their dreams of flowers, home grown vegetables and ladybugs in Tower Hamlets come true this summer. Everybody is welcome on 20 April at 2pm, no experience is needed.

A blooming good pub: Locals love the Churchill Arms in Kensington for its ales and Thai kitchen as much as tourists love it for the incredible amount of hanging baskets with beautiful flowers outside. Enjoy your pint in the sun outside, or head to the dreamy butterfly-themed conservatory indoors for a lush meal.

Going compostal: Making compost isn’t as easy as it sounds. Whether you’re using a wormery, compost heap or bin, the experts from Chelsea Physic Garden can help you out during their compost clinic on 18 April at 10am. Access is free.

Gardening for wildlife:Would you like to attract more birds, hedgehogs and other wildlife to London? On 20 April at 2pm, the Dalston Eastern Curve Garden will be the scene for an introduction to gardening for wildlife. Access is free, no need to reserve places.

Monochrome is trending

So even though the weather isn’t very spring-like at the moment I am determined to introduce some new bits to my wardrobe. Apparently this season it’s all about monochrome! Celebrities have jumped on the wagon and on the runway at fashion week we saw, spots, line, stripes, it was all black and white! Anyone can pull off this trend and luckily for us gals the high street has followed suit.

 

MONOCHROME-TREND-SPRING 2013

Here are my picks from the high street this spring…brrr.. cardigan may be needed!

 

Left to right: Aldo Maria – two tone block heeled shoes – £75.00 With their glossy finish and block heel, these sandals are statement makers.

Cat shaped bag – Ebay – £19.99 – tres cute and just a little bit kitsch this  bag can be carried as a clutch.

Asos Bold stripe Midi dress – £32.00 – If you love the fifties then you’ll love the shape of this flared skirt. Swoosh!

Chiara Fashion – £ 8.95 – Monochrome Striped Print Long Sleeve Crop Top – this season it’s all about crop tops – only for the brave!

What do you think of my picks?

London Has Gone Cuckoo For Fried Chicken

Calling all you chicken heads! Following on from the successes of Tramshed, Chicken Shop and the Luck Chip’s Residency at The Grafton Arms are two more  fried chicken Pop up restaurants in London.

Hen Party By Check On The Endurance

From the guys who brought you Patty and The Bun comes a  chicken-themed Sunday Roast in Soho on afternoons throughout April.  The menu, created by ex-Hix chef Terry (Batman) Edwards – and costing £30 for 4 courses – consists of chicken dippers, tea and dumplings, spineless chicken and truffled chips before ending with some ‘good ole’ egg soldiers.

To book a ticket please visit: http://www.billetto.co.uk/en/events/henparty

 

Mother Clucker At The Endurance, Soho

Another set of guys are hosting a chicken pop up during lunch times and dinner during the week at The Endurance. Mother Clucker is the brainchild of a New Orleans-born chef, the deliciously named Brittney Bean, who aims to bring a bit of Southern fried chicken comfort to us Brits. The pop-up will be serving twice fried free-range chicken marinated in a sweet tea brine and coated in buttermilk. Hmm…yummy!

Mother Clucker is at The Endurance until Sunday 28 April. Lunch 12-4, dinner 6-10. Reservations accepted for lunch only.

The Dante Fried Chicken Experience

Dante Fried Chicken is back! The American chef – DFC comes to London to launch his new Book Ride or Fry: The Dante Fried Chicken Experience on Thursday 4th April, at 18 Hewett Street. The Book Launch will be followed by an Exhibition and After Party.

RSVP: kat.chan@proteinos.com
+ There’ll be Sock-it-to-me fried chicken with signature DFC apricot sauce on the night so make sure you get down early!

Dante Fried Chicken will also be collaborating with Shay Ola from The Rebel Dining Society and Death By Burrito with a guest chef residency at Death By Burrito, cooking up an exclusive dinner menu from Thursday 11th April to Saturday 13th April, with an all day brunch on Sunday 14th April to celebrate the closing day of the exhibition.

For more information please visit: http://www.dantefriedchicken.com/

 

Take a trip On The Regent Street Cocktail Safari This April

What’s your tipple? This month the Regent Street Cocktail Safari will be taking place at restaurants, cafés, bars and hotels along Regent Street, London W1. Shoppers will be able to enjoy multiple venues in one evening, tasting the signature cocktails and small plates each venue has developed. The Regent Street Cocktail Safari has been created as an extension of the internationally renowned Regent Street Food Safari.

Taking part in the 2013 Regent Street Cocktail Safari are MASH, Bar Américain at Brasserie Zédel, aqua, Gaucho, The Living Room W1, Sartoria, Courthouse Doubletree by Hilton, Le Meridien Piccadilly,Dirty Martini and Inamo.

To experience the Regent Street Cocktail Safari, visit Regent Street Online, plan your route, reserve a time at your chosen venues, gather your party and enjoy.