For those of us who need to re-establish their feet back upon the ground after the glitz heights of London Fashion Week, the timeless Vintage Fashion Fair at Primrose Hill is perfect. Vintage anything is an obsession in this country from Gowns, to textiles, jewellery and everything in-between, it can all be found at this fantastic event.

Each year the Vintage Fashion Fair attracts thousands of visitors with its the bespoke ensemble of world-class dealers and general high standard of the goods on offer keeps visitors returning year after year. Let the designs and trends of the past inspire your wardrobe today and with tickets at only £3 on the door there is no reason to deprive yourself of this fantastic event.
19th Feb, 18th Mar, 15th Apr, 13th May, 10th Jun, 8th Jul, 9th Sep, 14th Oct, 11th Nov and 2nd Dec ‘12
Primrose Hill, 2 Regents Park Road, London NW1 7AY

4th – 5th February

A feast fit for a king is what’s on offer at Tudor Cookery in London Hampton Court Palace. And let me tell you the Tudors knew how to throw a dinner party, the Tudor kitchen chefs of Hampton court will guide you through the preparation of a vast array of traditional Tudor dishes to enjoy. Authenticity is the name of the game here, you will use only traditional recipes, ingredients and cooking methods to create century old delicacies which are the true taste of the Tudor period. For the last % years the kitchens of Hampton Court Palace have been home to the Tudor Cookery Research project, serving up main courses from as little as £6.50. This February take your taste buds back in time at the Tudor kitchen.
For more information on Live Tudor Cookery at London Hampton Court Palace, please phone +44 (0)20 3166 6000.
Hampton Court Palace, East Molesey Richmond, KT8 9AU

From Wednesday 11 – Sunday the 29th of January, London plays host to the International Mime Festival. must confess my naievety in my mind a mime was  a person dressed in black and white pretending to be in a box or such like. Thank goodness The International Mime Festival is in London to open my eyes.  The International Mime festival is Europe’s foremost showcase of circus acts, performance art, puppetry, psychical and objective theatre not to mention a plethora of other events that effortlessly deny categorisation.

Hosted by six of London’s most prestigious venues, venture into the beautifully bizarre world of mime.  A show that particularly appeals to me is  the Invisible Thread production  – Plucked at the Roundhouse Studio Theatre. The show is being put on by Liz Walker, who for the last 20 years has explored surreal nightmarish lands inhabited by puppets. Her works have been compared to that of David Lynch and Samuel Becket. Drawing inspirations from myth and life alike,  the muted colours of strangely  and animated figures creates an aesthetic, a mise en scene not disimilar to the German Expressionist film movement .

Liz Walker invites exploration of the human condition ,human fragility in a conjured world of mechanical sets, real time art projections and  ofcourse haunting dolls.

Leave your preconceptions of puppetry at the door, Plucked will string you along to a fairy tale world,a perfect show for brave adults and even braver childen.  Haunting, funny and tragic, a must see.

11th Sep,

Cecil Sharp House, 2 Regents Park Road, London NW1 7AY

Vintage fashion has been at the heart of many designers collections as well as celebrity wardrobes over the past couple of years. Us Brits in particular love the vintage look with celebs such as Kate Moss, Lily Allen and Alexa Chung all embracing the oldies is a goodie rule.

Our obsession with vintage fashion has become so huge over the summer, there could not be a better time to visit The Vintage Fashion Fair at Primrose Hill. The event attracts thousands of visitors throughout the year and hosts an assortment of gowns, textiles, jewellery, and accessories to keep people coming back for more at! The event runs at various times throughout the year and so there’s plenty of opportunities to head back and grab something that catches your eye this time. Although there’s no guarantees that it’ll still be there so remember than sometimes a spontaneous splurge is the key to bagging that special item!

There’s stands by world-class vintage dealers offering the finest collections of vintage fashion items like clothes, hats, handbags, shoes, jewellery and textiles from 1800’s – 1980’s. The London fair also offers a fantastic mixture of new vintage fashion material. As well as the genuine vintage pieces there’s loads of tips and advice on how to give your high street fashion a vintage twist. You too can get a signature vintage inspired style simply by adding one or more vintage components; it doesn’t need to be costly either!

London Vintage Fashion Fair is held several times a year due to its high appeal. Organized by Marilyn Tye it provides an array of first-rate vintage fashion to Londoners, the Vintage Fashion Fair ‘11 in London is highly popular amongst all fashion designers so who knows you may even spot a famous face.

You can discover many wearable vintage pieces at reasonable prices and various designer labels at the Vintage Fashion Fair in London. There will also be a collection of tasty home-based food and snacks at very affordable prices.

For more information on the Vintage Fashion Fair 2011 in London, please visit www.vintagefashionfairlondon.co.uk.

Visiting the Vintage Fashion Fair ‘11:

Cost: £3 on the door

Time: 11am – 5pm

Age Restrictions: N/A

Nearest Underground Station: Camden Town

From the 29^th of June to the 3^rd of July the river Thames will become a hive of activity. Founded in 1839 The Henley Royal Regatta is set to enjoy its 172^nd year, making it a truly British event seeped in history.

Since Prince Albert first became a patron in the 1050s the event has been a beacon attracting royal visitors from around the globe. This year it is expected that the newly wed Prince William and Catherine Middleton will attend.

When it began the event was a small local rowing competition, but now respected rowing teams come from all over the world to compete. One thing that hasn’t changed over the years is the format; the teams are split into pairs and battle it out head to head until only two teams remain for the final.

This event epitomises the Great British summertime, the perfect opportunity to have a glass of Pimms by the river whilst wearing a gorgeous summer dress and perhaps even an ostentatious hat!

The 5 day event will feature 19 races, culminating in a grand final on the 3^rd of July. The great thing about rowing is that unlike rugby and football there aren’t so many rules to try and understand. It is simply a case of the fastest team wins. What better way to spend away a summer afternoon than drinking on the river bank and cheering on your favourite team.

Truly an exciting sporting event to watch, this is the perfect event for a summers day.

For more information on Henley Royal Regatta 2011 in London, phone 01491 572153

From the 10^th to the 25^th of June, London will be taken over by a very different type of festival fever.

Spitalfields Mid-Summer Festival features an eclectic array of music from around the world. With evening concerts, family weekends and lunch time open air concerts in the market.

The music festival with a difference features folk and opera acts. You may still need to wear the obligatory wellies though as many of the activities take place at Spitalfields City Farm. There’s the Family day ‘Folk On the Farm’ on the 18^th of June featuring clog dancing and Bengali singing and then as the evening draws in stick around for the family Ceilidh. The Irish form of barn dance is being served up with an Indian twist this year as the traditional folk music is fused with a Bengali band.

The launch of this, the 35^th, year of the festival promises to be spectacular as hundreds of buskers invade the space of the market. There will be a cacophony of sound with the challenge being to see if you can find all of the buskers!

This is the perfect event for family fun and who knows you may even get to try your hand at a new instrument and discover a hidden talent whilst you’re there.

I watched on intently (and rather sleepily) as this years Academy Awards unfolded in Hollywood, as for the first time I had decided to stay up and watch the whole thing, from red carpet to credits rolling.

The red carpet and opening ceremony, and indeed the choice of hosts, were blighted by a seemingly crass attempt by the organisers to ‘modernise’ and ‘appeal to a youthful audience’. Stars were asked questions from viewers that had been sent in via twitter and the opening skit seems more MTV movie awards than the Oscars. Perhaps this is too traditional a critique, and certainly the pomp and ceremony should be juxtaposed with some tongue-in-cheek humour and light entertainment, such as John C. Reiley’s hugely entertaining song and dance number a few years ago, however these efforts were essentially not funny.

The other criticism that has been levelled at the organisers is that the tragic death of Corey Haim was not included in the ‘in memoriam’. Corey was one of the most in demand and highest paid actors of the 80’s following films such as ‘The Lost Boys’, and it was felt that this snub was perhaps offensive to his memory.

Criticism aside, let us not ignore the fact that a range of incredible films were represented at this years Academy Awards. From the visceral direction of Black Swan, to the sparkling wit of The Social Network and harrowing subject matter of Animal Kingdom, I enjoyed so many of this years offerings and genuinely thought a great diversity of films, film makers and talent were represented.

It was a triumph not only for British film, with the King’s Speech winning several major awards, but also for independent film making, with Black Swan and The Fighter, which both struggled for many years to raise finance, getting suitable and deserved nods from The Academy.

It was also a good year for speeches, none appearing too sycophantic, with the right balance of humour and humility. Colin Firth shone in particular with his moving dedication.

All in all it was a different year for the Awards, and some of the changes were not always welcome, but the films we saw taking home the golden statues definitely were.

www.simonleegallery.com

Controversial film maker and photographer bring his unique brand of photographs, collages and experimental film to the small Simon Lee Gallery, positioned a short walk from Green Park Tube.

The infamous director of ‘Kids’ is well known for his shocking imagery and provocative subject matter, the sexualisation of teenagers by the media and fetishisation of the aesthetic of youth. This latest exhibition, a collection of works old and new, is no exception, and proves to be challenging and thought provoking viewing. Not recommended for those who are easily offended, the exhibition runs until the 2nd of June.

Ceramic Art London 2011 is the major selling fair for contemporary studio ceramics at the Royal College of Art 25Th February-27Th February.
Ceramic Art London provides a unique showcase for contemporary studio ceramics featuring work from leading national and international makers.

Discover and buy work from over 75 leading contemporary ceramic artists.

Enjoy an integrated education programme of talks, demonstration and film designed to enhance your understanding and enjoyment of studio ceramics.

Talent spot young emerging ceramic artists from the Royal College of Art.

Whisky Live London the world’s premier whisky tasting show will soon throw it’s doors open to a new exceptional and thoroughly unexpected city venue. This honourable Artillery Company Army is an historic 18th Century Mansion set in a six acre garden located just a stone’s throw from moorgate in the heart of the city of London.
Whisky Live prides itself on bringing together the finest whiskies, great food and a range of education and entertainment to make learning about whisky both fun and stimulating. 2011 promises to be entertaining interactive event offering both expert and novice alike the chance to experience all that is best from the world of the dram.