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Category Archives: Books
Win Grillstock Cookbook, Sauces & Festival Tickets
Want in on some fun with a chance to win a stacked high and smokin’ hot Grillstock prize including sauces, cookbook, and even a pair of free tickets to this summer’s Grillstock Festival in Bristol? Keep reading. Continue reading
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Posted in Books, Competition, Drink, England, Food, Freebies, Music, Recipes, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel
Tagged BBQ, BBQ sauce, books, bristol, Bristol Harbourside, competition, cookbook, Drink, england, FESTIVALS, Food, free, freebies, grillstock, Grillstock book, Grillstock Festival, Grillstock: The BBQ Book, music, music festivals, recipe book, recipes, restaurants, RT to win, Shopping, Travel, twitter competition
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Good Stuff #51
Good stuff and lots of it! Here’s the low down on some fine things to see, sip or savour – all of which I’ve recently come across and thought were worth sharing with you. Enjoy. Continue reading
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Posted in Bars, Beer, Books, Chocolate, Coffee, Drink, Food, Good Stuff, London, Recipes, Restaurants, Shopping, Valentine's Day
Tagged 808 pureview, BARS, beer, books, Bread Street Bar Sessions, BREAD STREET KITCHEN, chicken wings, chocolate, coffee, cookbook, Cooking for Geeks, Cru Kafe, Drink, Food, good cause, good stuff, Häagen-Dazs, Häagen-Dazs Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream, ice cream, Jeff Potter, Lavolio, London, mocha, recipes, reviews, Shopping, Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream, street food, Toast Ale, Tristram Stuart, Valentine's Day, Wingmans, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Good Stuff #50
Good stuff and lots of it! Here’s the low down on some fine things to see, sip or savour – all of which I’ve recently come across and thought were worth sharing with you. Enjoy. Continue reading
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Posted in Books, Food, Good Stuff, Hotels, London, Photography, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel
Tagged #SingaporeLive, Anthony Yeoh, books, Cocotte, Food, good stuff, hotels, London, Marc Riboud, Nutrii, olive oil, Photofile, Photofile: Marc Riboud, Photography, Pomora, Pomora Olive Oil, Quark, Shopping, Singapore, Thames & Hudson, Travel, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Good Stuff #47
Good stuff and lots of it! Here’s the low down on some fine things to see, sip or savour – all of which I’ve recently come across and thought were worth sharing with you. Enjoy. Tacopedia: The Taco Encyclopedia Published … Continue reading
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Posted in Books, Drink, Food, Good Stuff, London, Luxury, Restaurants, Shopping, Wine
Tagged Armand de Brignac, Armand de Brignac Blanc de Noir, Blanc de Noir, Bolney Wine Estate, books, champagne, chunk pies, cla, claw pop-up, cocktails, Drink, ENGLISH WINE, Food, french wine, harrods, Kitchen Trotter, London, luxury, mexican food, pinot noir, POP UPS, pubs, restaurants, Shopping, sparkling wine, tacopedia, tacos, The Life Negroni, the three compasses, wine, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Good Stuff #44
Good stuff? Great stuff! And so much of it I’m having trouble keeping track and sharing the best of it in a timely manner. But don’t let my inadequate ability to blog efficiently get in the way you having a wonderful time. Have a look a this list of fine things to see, sip or savour – all of which I’ve recently come across and thought were worth sharing with you. Enjoy. Continue reading
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Posted in Books, Drink, Food, Good Stuff, London, Restaurants
Tagged #LargestOnlineWardrobe, BARS, books, Crystal Head Vodka, Drink, Food, good stuff, ice cream, Introduction to Japanese Cuisine, japanese food, Little Moons, London, Mirabeau, Mochi, restaurants, rose, The Japanese Culinary Academy, The Japanese Culinary Academy’s Complete Japanese Cuisine, vodka, wine, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Re: Joyce! It’s Bloomsday! (OneTravel)
Considered to be Joyce’s masterpiece and a seminal piece of 20th century literature, the modernist novel Ulysses is known for its dense and dialect rich text and tells the story of a day in the life of Leopold Bloom. Bloomsday … Continue reading
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Choccywoccydoodah: Enter a Chocolate Wonderland with their New Book
Maddie Salters pays a visit to ChoccyWoccydoodah, Carnaby Street’s infamous chocolatier, for a look at its long-awaited cookery book, Chocolate, Cake and Curses. Continue reading
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Posted in Books, Chocolate, Drink, Food, London, Shopping
Tagged books, cake, carnaby, carnaby street, Choccywoccydoodah, chocolate, Chocolate Cake and Curses, cookbook, FOUBERT'S PLACE, London, Maddie Salters, recipes, Shopping, soho, W1, W1F 7PS, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
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My Simple Italian by Theo Randall – Book Review (Great British Chefs)
Fellow alum of the kitchens at Hammersmith’s fabled River Café, Jamie Oliver likes the book and reckons it’s the “most deliciously gorgeous Italian cookbook I’ve seen in a long, long time.” Enough said? Maybe. But please indulge me in my own humble rave about this book featuring “100 inspired recipes from one of Britain’s best Italian chefs.” Continue reading
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Posted in Books, Food, Great British Chefs, London, Recipes, Restaurants, Shopping
Tagged books, chef, cookbook, Food, GREAT BRITISH CHEFS, London, My Simple Italian, recipes, restaurants, Shopping, theo randall, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Alexander McQueen: Inferno
Stepping off the elevator into The Gallery on the fifth floor of Foyles booksellers at Charing Cross, a curiosity awaits. The usually timid space that shepherds people off to the uptempo cafe and wine bar beside it has grown into something remarkable. A landscape of gargantuan black and white photographs with irrepressible imagery that commands attention. Enter the Inferno. Continue reading
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Posted in Art, Books, Fashion, London, Photography
Tagged ALEXANDER MCQUEEN, books, charing cross road, fashion, Foyles, Kent Baker, London, Maddie Salters, Ollie Walker, Photography, soho, WC2, WC2H 0EB, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Best Travel Photography Blog in the UK? Your Vote Decides.
It’s always nice to discover folks are paying attention to my blog and liking what they see, especially when they then take their appreciation a step further and rank tikichris as one of the best travel blogs in the UK. Recently, DFDS Seaways listed tikichris as a contender for 2015’s Best Travel Photography Blogger. Fun. Thanks. And wow. Continue reading
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Posted in Books, Photography, Travel
Tagged 2015 Travel Blogger of the Month, Blogs, DFDS Seaways, Photography, Travel
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Good Stuff #40
Good stuff and lots of it! Here’s the low down on some fine things to see, sip or savour – all of which I’ve recently come across and thought were worth sharing with you. Enjoy. Morty & Bob’s Pop-Up at … Continue reading
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Posted in Books, Celebrities, Chocolate, Drink, Food, Good Stuff, Pubs, Restaurants, Shopping
Tagged books, chocolate, Food, Freekeh, green & black's, Hat & Tun, James Wong, London, Merchant Gourmet, Morty & Bob's, pop-up, pubs, restaurants, Shopping, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦
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1001 Restaurants You Must Experience Before You Die – the Book (Including a Few of My Own Selections!)
One of the coolest projects I worked on this year was contributing to 1001 Restaurants You Must Experience Before You Die – an “essential reference guide for anyone who adores food and eating out” compiled by experts of fine cuisine and edited by the delightful and extremely knowledgeable Jenny Linford (with forward by Jay Rayner). Continue reading
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The Hunt London Features Some of My Favourite Independent Businesses in London
The HUNT Guides are city guidebooks highlighting “authentic eating, shopping and lifestyle experiences” in a range of popular destinations with listings that are all independently owned. I contributed to The Hunt London, Third Edition which came out earlier this year. It was a delight to write about some of my favourite indie enterprises in London. Continue reading
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Posted in Art, Books, Discounts and Special Offers, Drink, Food, Hotels, London, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel
Tagged Drink, Food, guidebook, hotels, Hunt London, independent retailers, London, restaurants, Shopping, The Hunt Guides, Travel, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Innocent Drinks and the Art of Good Taste
I’m a fan of Innocent Drinks. The London based brand makes some of the tastiest juices available on the supermarket shelf. I reckon its orange juice is the best on the market, and I really like those veg pot meals too. Flavour’s the main reason I’m all for Innocent, but I’m even more enthusiastic than usual about how Innocent does its thing because there’s no added crap to any other the products. More and more, it’s getting harder to buy food and drink that’s not loaded with additives and preservatives for longer shelf life or a shinier look. I applaud Innocent Drinks for keeping its products and its message simply – and for being able to do it on a grand scale. Continue reading
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Good Stuff
Good Stuff and lots of it! Here’s the low down on some fine things to see, sip or savour – all of which I’ve recently come across and thought were worth sharing with you. Enjoy. Continue reading
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Posted in Books, Chocolate, Coffee, Drink, Food, Good Stuff, London, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel, Wine
Tagged artisan wine, biodynamic wine, books, borough market, brick lane, cafe, chocolate, Cocoa Runners, coffee, crème brûlée, Crème Brûlée Yoghurt, E1, east london, elliot's, elliot's cafe, Food, Isabel Legeron, London, London blog, NATURAL WINE, Natural Wine: An Introduction to Organic and Biodynamic Wines Made Naturally, organic wine, Pacari, pacari chocolate, Shopping, shoreditch, tea, tearoom, that crazy french woman, The Collective, The Collective Dairy, The Hawkhurst Vault, Travel, travel blog, wine, wine book, yoghurt, Yoghurt Drinks, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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5 Great Authors to Take with You on Your Next Trip (OneTravel)
Text messages, emails, tweets, status updates – when’s the last time you read something more than a few paragraphs long and solely for the sheer joy of reading it? Got a long haul flight or some time lounging by the … Continue reading
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Posted in Books, OneTravel, Travel
Tagged authors, bill bryson, books, Earnest Hemingway, james michener, mark twain, novelists, novels, OneTravel, Paul Theroux, Travel, travel authors, travel blog, travel writers, writers
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Win a Free Copy of Hilarious Children’s Book for Adults: GO THE F**K TO SLEEP!
Parents with small children, are you in need of a good honest laugh and a moment’s peace? Adam Mansbach’s “children’s book for adults” – Go the F**k to Sleep featuring funny colourful illustrations drawn by Ricardo Cortes helps to soothe an excited child to sleep*, while humour the annoyed parent! And guess what? I’ve got a copy to share with one lucky reader. Good luck and sweet f*****g dreams 😉 Continue reading
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Posted in Books, Competition, Freebies
Tagged book, books, children's book, children's book for adults, competition, contest, F word, free, freebies, Go the F**K, GO THE F**K TO SLEEP, RT to win, WIN
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Having a Dickens of a Happy Christmas with Attractiontix
Attractiontix got in touch with “seven of London’s most influential bloggers” to come together and create a special Festive Tube Map “highlighting the most fabulous feasts, seasonal shops and glorious grottos” in London. One-seventh of the map was my own Christmassy creation, the Dickens Express Line. Continue reading
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Posted in Attractiontix, Books, Christmas, London, Shopping, Travel
Tagged a christmas carol, charles dickens, christmas, christmas in london, dickens, festive season, festive tube map, London, London blog, london blogger, tube map, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Win a Free Signed Copy of Camilla Stephens’ The Higgidy Cookbook: 100 Recipes for Pies and More!
Last week I had a delectable pleasure of getting to meet Camilla Stephens, founder of Higgidy, a “little company of piemakers creating pies, quiches, tarts and slices in the seaside town of Shoreham-by-Sea”. Camilla was in London to meet with a small crew of food writers and get our opinions about a few upcoming pies (I loved her sweet potato offering!) and to give us a sneak peek at her new book. Keep reading for your chance to get hold of a copy of The Higgidy Cookbook: 100 Recipes for Pies and More! Continue reading
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Posted in Books, Competition, Food, Freebies, Recipes, Shopping
Tagged books, british food, camilla stephens, competition, contest, cookbook, Food, free, freebie, freebies, giveaway, higgidy cookbook, pie recipes, pies, quiche, recipe book, recipes, retweet to win, Shopping, tarts, The Higgidy Cookbook, twitter competition, win a free cookbook, win a free higgidy cookbook
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Review: Sincerely, Mr Toad at Greenwich Theatre
Last night I caught the London premiere of Sincerely, Mr Toad at the Greenwich Theatre. Having toured around the UK with a well received stint at this year’s Fringe, the new musical examines the life of The Wind in the Willows author Kenneth Grahame, his icy relationship with wife Elspeth and the tragic early death of their son Alastair – and how these and other factors shaped Grahame’s imagination and writing. Continue reading
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Posted in Books, London, Music, Theatre
Tagged Adam Venus, author, books, Crooms Hill, david hutchinson, David Wilson, design, Frog and Toad, greenwich, greenwich theatre, kemey lafond, kenneth grahame, London, music, musical, new musical, play, review, Sarah Borges, SE10, SE10 8ES, sincerely mr toad, south london, stage, the wind in the willows, theatre, theatre review
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Win a Free Signed Copy of Chef Neil Perry’s Rockpool Bar & Grill Cookbook
Neil Perry is one of the world’s top chefs. When he’s not in the kitchen at one of his seven Australian restaurants, cooking up a storm on TV or working as lead consultant to Qantas Airways, Neil somehow manages to find the time to be an author. Keep reading for your chance to win a signed copy of his Rockpool Bar & Grill book. Continue reading
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Posted in Books, Competition, Food, Freebies, London, Recipes, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel
Tagged air travel, australian chef, australian food, books, chef, competition, contest, free, freebies, giveaway, London, michelin stars, neil perry, qantas, qantas airways, recipe book, recipes, restaurants, retweet to win, rockpool, rockpool bar & grill, rockpool bar & grill book, rockpool bar & grill cookbook, rockpool group, rockpool restaurant, steak, steakhouse, the square, twitter competition, win a free cookbook
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Theatre Review: Ayndrilla Singharay’s Unsung at The Rosemary Branch Theatre
British-Bengali writer Ayndrilla Singharay’s premiere play Unsung re-imagines Rabindranath Tagore’s short story Punishment in a contemporary London setting. The result is effectual theatre for the audience and an especially impressive first attempt by Singharay. Continue reading
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Posted in Books, London, Pubs, Theatre
Tagged Avita Jay, Ayndrilla Singharay, bengali, british-bengali, east london, fringe theatre review, London, Lucy Allen, N1, N1 3DT, Nadia Nadif, Niall Ray, play, pub, punishment, Rabindranath Tagore, REGENTS CANAL, Rez Kabir, Shepperton Road, the rosemary branch, theatre, theatre pub, theatre review, unsung
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The Picture of Dorian Gray at “Dorian Gray’s Townhouse” in London (OneTravel)
Recently, I caught a performance of the Oscar Wilde classic The Picture of Dorian Gray. An immersive piece of theatre set in an actually lived-in Georgian townhouse, the play served as an excellent opportunity to enjoy a piece of great literature brought to life while getting to snoop around a bit in someone else’s home. If you’re planning to visit London before the end of September, this adaptation could prove a quirky and cultured item to your itinerary. Continue reading
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Posted in Books, London, OneTravel, Theatre, Travel
Tagged books, dorian gray, feix and merlin, feix&merlin, georgian townhouse, greenwich, immersive theatre, immersive theatre review, jason orange, literature, live performance, London, London blog, OneTravel, oscar wilde, play, review, river hawkins, sam orange, samuel orange, south london, take that, the alchemic order, the picture of dorian gray, theatre, theatre review, Travel, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Win a Free Copy of the Pocket Beer Book 2014
Pocket Beer Book 2014 is the definitive and most up-to-date guide to the world’s best craft and traditional beers. I’ve just scored a handy copy for myself along with three extra copies to share with my readers. I reckon the book is an indispensable resource for any connoisseur and a fantastic gift for the beer lover in your life. Continue reading
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Posted in Beer, Books, Competition, Drink, Food, Freebies, Shopping, Travel
Tagged beer, beer blog, beer book, beer guide, beer reviews, beer writers, book, book review, books, competition, CRAFT BEER, Drink, Food, free, freebies, REAL ALE, Shopping, Stephen Beaumont, Stephen Beaumont and Tim Webb, Tim Webb, traditional beer, twitter competition, win a free book
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Immersive Theatre Review: The Picture of Dorian Gray at “Dorian Gray’s Townhouse”
Over the weekend, I caught a press night performance of The Alchemic Order’s production of the Oscar Wilde classic The Picture of Dorian Gray. An immersive piece of theatre set in an actually lived-in Georgian townhouse, the play served as an excellent opportunity to enjoy a piece of great literature brought to life while getting to snoop round a bit in someone else’s home. Continue reading
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Posted in Books, London, Theatre
Tagged books, dorian gray, feix and merlin, feix&merlin, georgian townhouse, greenwich, immersive theatre, immersive theatre review, jason orange, literature, live performance, London, London blog, oscar wilde, play, review, river hawkins, sam orange, samuel orange, south london, take that, the alchemic order, the picture of dorian gray, theatre, theatre review, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Win a Free Copy of Omar Allibhoy’s New Book: Tapas Revolution
Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the launch of Spanish chef Omar Allibhoy’s cookbook, Tapas Revolution. It’s a great read and to be sure I headed home with book in hand. Keep reading to find out how you too can get a free copy of this practical and fun-to-read cookbook. Continue reading
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Posted in Books, Competition, Drink, Food, Freebies, London, Recipes, Restaurants, Shopping, Wine
Tagged bar, blue water, book review, books, competition, contest, cookbook, cookbook review, free, freebies, London, London blog, omar allibhoy, recipe book, recipes, shepherd's bush, Shopping, spanish, spanish bar, spanish cookbook, spanish restaurant, tapas, tapas bar, tapas recipes, tapas restaurant, tapas revolution, twitter competition, westfield, westfield london, win a free book, win a free cookbook, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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1356: Bernard Cornwell and the Greatest Unknown Battle in British History
Check out the official book trailer for by Bernard Cornwell’s epic new novel, 1356, and join the greatest unknown battle in British history with the master storyteller. Continue reading
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Posted in Books, England, Video
Tagged 1356, battle, bernard cornwell, book, books, britain, british history, england, harper collins, official book trailer, SPONSORED POST, trailer, Video, war
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Good Stuff
Here’s a quick little list of good stuff I’ve recently come across and thought I’d share with you. Enjoy! Brindisa: I wandered by their Borough Market shop en route to a meeting last week and could not resist stocking up on … Continue reading
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Posted in Art, Books, Food, Good Stuff, London, Restaurants, Shopping
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The Breakfast Bible | Seb Emina & Malcolm Eggs
If you love breakfast but haven’t read this newly published work of delicious dedication by Seb Emina and Malcolm Eggs (of The London Review of Breakfasts fame), you should. The book is written with dry wit, authority and spread thick with useful knowledge and quirky fact. Continue reading
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Posted in Blogs, Books, Food, London, Recipes, Shopping
Tagged biscuits and gravy, blog, bloombury publishing, books, breakfast, Food, London, malcolm eggs, recipes, review, seb emina, the breakfast bible, the london review of breakfasts
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Good Stuff
Here’s a quick list of good stuff: things I’ve come across lately and really liked but for whatever reason weren’t featured in a dedicated blog post here or on one of my client blogs. New Pies at Vintage Inns: Lunch … Continue reading
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Posted in Books, Celebrities, Design, Food, Good Stuff, London, Movies, Pubs, Shopping, Video
Tagged book, cookbook, ephotozine, james martin, Jez Fenwick, meatballs, mobile phone, pies, pubs, recipes, sony, sony xperia z, stewart fawcett, the bowler, the bowler's meatball cookbook, vintage inns
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New West End Play Brings Hemingway Novel to the London Stage (OneTravel)
As you might expect, Helfrect couldn’t cram every page – or even many characters – onto the stage for her adaptation. Still, Fiesta stays true to the spirit of Hemingway’s first novel. In particular, the language is economic and punchy, resulting in a compelling and enjoyable play that shouldn’t leave many ardent Hemingway fans hankering for more. Set design (Rachel Noel) is equally restrained yet effective with key elements of the story honed to accentuate the dialogue and decisions of the characters. Continue reading
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Posted in Books, London, OneTravel, Theatre, Travel
Tagged bullfighting, ernest hemingway, fiesta, fiesta (the sun also rises), Gideon Turner, hemingway, jack holden, jake barnes, jazz, josie taylor, jye frasca, lady brett ashley, London, novel, OneTravel, play, rachel noel, review, the sun also rises, theatre, theatre review, trafalgar studio 2, trafalgar studios, trio farouche, west end
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Hemingway on the Stage: Fiesta (The Sun Also Rises) at Trafalfar Studio 2
Fiesta (The Sun Also Rises) is a distilled and spare adaptation of the Ernest Hemingway novel, The Sun Also Rises. Adapted and directed by Alex Helfrect, the play is set in 1920s Paris and Pamplona and follows stoic – and often drunk – American journalist and bullfighting aficionado Jake Barnes as he examines the wounds and memories from his time served during WW1. Continue reading
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Posted in Books, Design, London, Theatre
Tagged bullfighting, ernest hemingway, fiesta, fiesta (the sun also rises), Gideon Turner, hemingway, jack holden, jake barnes, jazz, josie taylor, jye frasca, lady brett ashley, London, novel, play, rachel noel, review, the sun also rises, theatre, theatre review, trafalgar studio 2, trafalgar studios, trio farouche, west end
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Michel Roux Jr Breakfast Event at Whole Foods Kensington, Monday 28 January
BBC 2’s Masterchef: The Professionals presenter, Michel Roux Jr, will appear at the Whole Foods Market in Kensington on Monday morning for a cooking demo, Q&A and book signing. Michel will be joined by Gerry Beck, head chef at Whole Foods Market. … Continue reading
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Posted in Books, Celebrities, Food, London, Shopping
Tagged BBC, BBC 2, celebrity, chef, cookery, cooking, crushed garlickly potato skins, demo, Food, gerry beck, high street kensington, kensington, Kensington High Street, London, masterchef, masterchef; the professionals, michel roux, MICHEL ROUX JR, one-post casserole, preview, The Barkers Building, W8, W8 5SE, whole foods, whole foods market kensington, wholes foods market
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Good Stuff
It’s been six hectic weeks since my last Good Stuff post, but things have settled down and the rest of 2012 promises a smooth and gentle coast to the finish line. I hope the year ends on a pleasant note … Continue reading
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Posted in Art, Blogs, Books, Food, Graffiti, London, Recipes, Shopping, Television
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