Author Archives: tikichris
Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway: Torino Unshrouded
Initially pursuing an opportunity to visit Torino (perhaps better known to some of my readers by its anglicized name, Turin) was what eventually led to me coming up with my the full blown “Ham Highway” itinerary. The city was (and I assume still is) keen to have bloggers visit to write about the city. There was a chocolate festival scheduled for when I knew I would be able to go, and I was pretty sure I could get a commission to write about it. The more I looked into Torino, the more I of a hunch I had that it would be the sort of “content rich” place that I’d enjoy checking out. Continue reading
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Posted in Art, Christmas, Coffee, Drink, Food, Italy, Restaurants, road trip, Shopping, Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway, Travel, Wine
Tagged ancient egypt, barbaresco, barbera d'asti superiore, barney's bar, bicerin, chestnut gnocchi, chocolate, chocolate festival, Cioccolato, coffee, Drink, egyptian museum, Food, gelateria pepino, gelato, hot chocolate, hotel, hotel victoria, hotel victoria torino, hotels, ice cream, Italy, lavazza, museo egizio, museum, museums, northern italy, Palazzo Madama, pepino, piedmont, Piemonte, pinguino, red wine, restaurants, Shopping, spa, swimming poll, swimming pool, Tabernalibraria, Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway, Torino, Torino+Piemonte Card, Travel, travel blog, travel blogger, turin, Италия, イタリア, 意大利
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Win a Neo Starter Kit worth £199 and Control Your Home Heating from Anywhere
Heatmiser’s latest Neo system delivers control-from-anywhere functionality via your smart phone or tablet, making it the most convenient and effective method for controlling your home heating and hot water – wherever and whenever you want. Keep reading for your chance to win a free Neo Starter Kit valued at £199 to help you start taking more control over your comfort and home environment. Continue reading
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Posted in Apps, Competition
Tagged £199, app, competition, contest, heatmiser, home heating, neo kit one, neokit1, retweet to win, twitter competition
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London Daily Photo: Clapton Station
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Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged clapton, E5, east london, hackney, LDP, London, London blog, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, photography blog, street photography, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway: a-MuSe-ing and Bubbly Trento
After an all too short sojourn in Friuli (God, I hope I make it back there before too long), I hit the autostrada heading west to the region of Trentino for an overnight stay to see what sort of wonders its scenic city of Trento had to offer. With a newly opened museum designed by a star architect; a distinctive sparkling wine with a rich tradition behind it; and an exquisite regional gastronomy that’s big on flavour, locally sourced ingredients and seasonality – the answer I soon discovered was A LOT! Continue reading
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Posted in Beer, Design, Drink, Food, Italy, Restaurants, road trip, Shopping, Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway, Travel, Wine
Tagged al vo', alpine, alps, antica birreria pedavena, beer, bellaveder, Blanc de Noirs, Bollicine su Trento, brewery, bubbles in Trento, cantine ferrari, Castello del Buonconsiglio, chef alfio ghezzi, design, dolomites, Drink, ferrari, ferrari spumante, ferrari wine, Food, hotel, Hotel America, Hotel America Trento, hotels, Italy, lager, Lager Chiara, locanda margon, mach, methius, methodo classico, michelin star, microbrewery, MuSe, MuSe Science Museum, museum, northern italy, Palazzo Roccabruna, Perlé Nero Pinot Noir, pizza, pizzeria, renzo piano, restaurants, science museum, Shopping, sparkling wine, spumante, Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway, tavern, Travel, travel blog, travel blogger, Trentino, Trento, trentodoc, wine, wine festival, Италия, イタリア, 意大利
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Wine of the Month by @willbedwards: Pol Roger ‘White Foil’ Brut
Champagne is a wine intimately linked to celebration and festivities, and Christmas is the one day of the year when the ‘wine o’clock’ rule is entirely disregarded. Wine, and particularly Champagne, makes a wonderful gift at Christmas; or if like me you are just choosing a breakfast tipple, then the Pol Roger ‘White Foil’ Brut is a perfect candidate. Continue reading
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Posted in Christmas, Drink, Social Media, Will Edwards, Wine, Wine of the Month
Tagged brut, champagne, pol roger, pol roger white foil, pol roger white foil brut, Shopping, sparking wine, white foil, Will Edwards, wine, Wine of the Month, wotm
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Italian Alps: Best Beer on the Mountain?
So if you’ve been following my blog at all over the past week or so, you’ve no doubt noticed the posts about my recent Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway tour of northern Italy. An alternate title for this … Continue reading
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Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway: Delectable Collio Goriziano
With the charming Udine as my base for a couple of days, I spent an afternoon in the nearby wine country of Collio Goriziano visiting a wine producer and cheese maker, both of whom had been recommended to me … along with finding out about a local ham maker whom I wish I’d had the chance to meet. Here’s the scoop on what makes this little nook of northern Italy such a yummy destination. Continue reading
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Posted in Drink, Food, Italy, Restaurants, road trip, Shopping, Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway, Travel, Wine
Tagged agriturismo, Agriturismo Borg da Ocjs, Borg da Ocjs, borgnano, cheese, cjarandon, Collio, Collio Goriziano, Cormòns, d'Osvaldo, d'Osvaldo ham, dairy, dessert wine, Drink, farm, farm stay, Food, Formaggi Zoff, fosarin, friulano, Friuli, Friuli Venezia Giulia, hotels, Italy, Lorenzo d'Osvaldo, milk, northern italy, pancetta, Picolit, prosciutto, raw milk cheese, restaurants, Ronco dei Tassi, Shopping, Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway, Travel, travel blog, travel blogger, Udine, vineyard, white wine, wine, winery, yoghurt, zoff, zoff cheese, Италия, イタリア, 意大利
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London Daily Photo: At the Window
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Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged LDP, London, London blog, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, photography blog, street photography, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Study of Russia by Annya Sand at Asia House Closes This Sunday: GO!
Ahead of the UK-Russia Year of Culture 2014, December 2013 will see Asia House host the exhibition Study of Russia by Annya Sand. Continue reading
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Posted in Art, London
Tagged annya sand, Art, asia hosue, asia house, contemporary art, exhibition, London, New Cavendish Street, russian art, study of russia, W1, W1G 7LP
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Win a Pair of Tickets to The View from The Shard
The View from The Shard provides unparalleled 64km (40 mile), 360 degree views of London. Almost twice as high as any other viewing point in London, it is the only place where you can see all of London – all at once – making it the perfect first stop for visitors to the city and a brilliant place to take anyone who loves this city. Stuck for gift ideas this Christmas? Why not give that special someone the whole of London – in one great big sweeping panoramic perch from atop its newest and sleekest icon? Keep reading for details about The View gift certificates and for a chance to win two free tickets to share or keep for yourself. Continue reading
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Posted in Christmas, Competition, Freebies, London
Tagged ARCHITECTURE, book tickets to the shard, christmas, christmas gifts, christmas shopping, city of london, cityscape, competition, contest, free, freebies, gift voucher, London, london bridge, london bridge quarter, LONDON BRIDGE STATION, retweet to win, river thames, RT to win, shard, skyline, skyscraper, skyscrapers, tallest building in western europe, thames, the shard, the view from the shard, tikichris competition, trainers, twitter competition
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Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway: Udine
Udine is the hub and historical capital of the small Friuli Veneza Giulia province of the same name. With a sizeable university, it’s a lively setting with an interesting mix of people and pretty decent nightlife. If you’ve been to your share of checklist-y must-see Italian destinations (such as … oh let’s say … Florence) or you simply get a kick out off veering off the beaten path in an attempt to see what real life in a foreign country is like then Udine is a brilliant town to keep in mind. Continue reading
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Posted in Art, Drink, Food, Hotels, Italy, Restaurants, road trip, Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway, Travel, Wine
Tagged ai frati, alps, Ambassador Palace, Ambassador Palace Hotel, collio gorizia, Do the Dolomite Loop, dolomites, Drink, Food, friulano, Friulguide, Friuli, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Giovanna Stringher, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, ham, hosteria, Hosteria Alla Tavernetta, hotel, hotels, Italy, mortadella, Museo del Duomo di Udine, northern italy, osteria, Osteria Pieri Mortadele, pieri mortadele, restaurants, review, reviews, San Daniele ham, Shopping, St Nicholas, tajut, Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway, Tiepolo, trattoria, Travel, travel blog, travel blogger, Udine, wine, Италия, イタリア, 意大利
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London Daily Photo: Red Cap
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TONIGHT: Seven Dials and St Martin’s Courtyard Christmas Shopping Night Out
Tonight, Seven Dials will be transformed into a pedestrian shopping haven with the entire area closed to traffic. There will be live music including performances by “vintage pin-up singer” Roo Savill and urban pop trio Mama Do as well as other bands and DJ in shops and around the area; street food from Urban Food Fest and sweets from Merinuqe Girls; free cocktails at St Martin’s Courtyard; a Champagne & Fromage pop-up bar; in-store parties; free makeovers; exclusive one-day offers; comps and giveaways; a festive spirit in the air and lots lots more … there’s even a tikichris special! Check it out. Continue reading
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Posted in Christmas, Discounts and Special Offers, Drink, Fashion, Food, Freebies, London, Music, Restaurants, Shopping, Wine
Tagged BARS, cambridge satchel company, champagne, christmas, christmas shopping, christmas shopping night, cocktails, covent garden, discounts & special offers, discounts and special offers, DJs, free, free canvas bag, FREE COCKTAILS, free drinks, freebies, g-star, joules and Orion London, live music, London, mama do, Meringue Girls, neal's yard, neal's yard remedies, peter werth, pop-up, roo savill, seven dials, Shopping, soho, st martin's courtyard, tikichris special, WAH Nails, WC2
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Vegetarian Delights at The Gate in Hammersmith
A few weeks back, I attended the reopening of The Gate in Hammersmith after it had closed for a refit. It had been a few years since my last (and only other) visit to stalwart of the vegetarian dining scene, I was pleased to discover the same high standards and a still tasty menu. Continue reading
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Posted in Food, London, Restaurants
Tagged HAMMERSMITH, London, Queen Caroline Street, restaurant, restaurants, review, the gate, the gate hammersmith, vegetarian, vegetarian cuisine, vegetarian restaurant, W6, W6 9QL, west london
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Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway: DOK Dall’ava Prosciuttificio in San Daniele di Friuli
Prosciutto made in San Daniele is protected by the EU as a PDO product. With the Alps to the north whipping the area with cold mountain winds and the Adriatic sending warm air up from the south, San Daniele has a distinctive microclimate which results in singularly sweet and savoury cured meats. Second only to Parma with respect to popularity and recognition (you decide for yourself which tastes better), San Daniele hams are pretty easy to come by in much of the world. One brand to look out for is DOK Dall’ava. Continue reading
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London Daily Photo: Untitled
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Doing Northern Italy’s Dolomite Loop (OneTravel)
This post is being written with a rear view perspective of a fantastic week I recently spent traveling across northern Italy. To be sure, I intend to blog plenty about my trip and thought I’d start out sharing a suggestion … Continue reading
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Posted in Beer, Drink, Food, Italy, OneTravel, Travel
Tagged alps, artisanal beer, bar varmost, beer, CRAFT BEER, Do the Dolomite Loop, dolomites, Drink, Foglie d'Erba, Food, Forni di Sopra, Friuli, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Gino Perissutti, ham, Italy, northern italy, Parco Naturale delle Dolomiti Friulane, proscuitto, restaurants, San Daniele, San Daniele di Friuli, sauris, Travel, Udine, Италия, イタリア, 意大利
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Barista Skills (espressoCrazy) #illyschool
Recently, I helped organise and host an intimate coffee tasting and training session for a select group of London bloggers. Leading the event was Marco Arrigo – Head of Quality for illy Coffee in the UK – who provided our guests with a hands-on chance to hone their skills making perfect espresso-based drinks, along with a fun and informative ‘beans to cup’ lesson about the history and chemistry of coffee. Marco has trained hundreds of baristas throughout the UK. His course usually takes three days, but he crafted this this one to be a three-hour crash course session especially for bloggers. Continue reading
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Posted in Blogs, Coffee, Drink, espressoCrazy, London, Shopping
Tagged #illyschool, Blogs, cafe, caffe, cappuccino, cappuccinos, coffee, coffee blog, coffee capsule espresso, coffee capsule machine, coffee capsules, coffee machine, coffee machine review, coffee machine voucher code, coffee maker, Drink, espresso, espresso crazy, espresso maker, espressoCrazy, espressocrazy.com, flat white, francis francis, Francis Francis X7.1 IperEspresso Machine, Fuss Free Flavours, Hot & Chill, illy, illy coffee, iperespresso, IperEspresso Machine, latte, lattes, London, London blog, marco arrigo, Sainsbury's Magazine, Swallower of Lives, University of Coffee, urban pixxels, Whatleydude, X7.1, Y1.1, Y1.1 touch, Y1.1 TOUCH IperEspresso Machine, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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London Daily Photo: Guards Museum, Birdcage Walk
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Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway: Speck-tacular Views and Smoky Brews in Sauris
Day two of my foodie odyssey had me saying goodbye to the Dolomite gateway town of Forni di Sopra and heading even higher (and deeper) into the Alps to the tiny Germanic enclave of Sauris for a taste of the local delicacies and to take in the sweeping views – all of which elicited some form of audible and involuntary whoa or wow from an overwhelmed me. Continue reading
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Posted in Beer, Drink, Food, Hotels, Italy, Restaurants, road trip, Shopping, Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway, Travel
Tagged artisanal beer, bacon, beer, CRAFT BEER, Drink, Food, ham, hotels, Italy, northern italy, proscuitto, restaurants, sauris, Shopping, speck, Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway, Travel, travel blog, travel blogger, Италия, イタリア, 意大利
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London Daily Photo: Parfums
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Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway: Forni di Sopra and the Dolomite Loop
Situated within the Parco Naturale delle Dolomiti Friulane, Forni serves as excellent base for outdoor adventure with plenty of nearby (and even in-town) opportunities for skiing, climbing and hiking. And as I discovered, It’s a fantastic place to have a drink as well. Here, the stereotypical Italian bella figura yields to a rugged and independent spirit. In Forni, I came across men with beards of mythic proportions and drank some of the finest craft beers I’d ever tasted. Aside from the snowy Alpine surroundings and the absolute quietude of the night, the scene was enough to have me wonder if I was back home in Hackney. Had I stumbled upon a secret hipster heaven? Continue reading
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Posted in Beer, Drink, Food, Hotels, Italy, Restaurants, road trip, Shopping, Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway, Travel
Tagged al gris, Albergo Taranda, alps, artisanal beer, bar varmost, beer, birreria, bombardino, Coton Hotel., CRAFT BEER, Do the Dolomite Loop, dolomites, Drink, Foglie d'Erba, Food, Forni di Sopra, Friuli, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Gino Perissutti, hotel, hotels, Italy, northern italy, Parco Naturale delle Dolomiti Friulane, restaurants, Shopping, Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway, Travel, travel blog, travel blogger, Италия, イタリア, 意大利
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Good Stuff
Good stuff and lots of it! Here’s the low down on some yummy treats I’ve recently come across and thought were worth sharing with you. Enjoy! Copas Turkeys 2013 saw the third Thanksgiving in as many years with a Copas … Continue reading
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Posted in Beer, Christmas, Drink, Food, Good Stuff, London, Shopping
Tagged apricots, beer, bootlegger, christmas, copas, copas turkeys, crazy jack organic soft apricots, Drink, Food, good stuff, London, Meantime Brewing, Meantime London Smoked Porter, pâté, Pâté in a Jar, spelt, Stress-Free Christmas Day masterclass, The Patchwork Traditional Food Company, turkeys
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London Daily Photo: Albert Embankment by @LONvistasbook
Photograph (taken by permission from Lord Jeffrey Archer’s penthouse on the Albert Embankment) by Graham Edwards. To find out more about Graham’s work and his newly published book, London Vistas, go to londonvistasbook.com.
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Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged albert embankment, graham edwards, jeffery archer, LDP, London, London blog, London Daily Photo, london photographer, london vistas, london vistas book, lord archer, lord jeffery archer, penthouse, Photography, photography blog, vistas, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway: Ciao and Grazie!
Over the next several days I will share highlights from my adventure in a Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway miniseries of posts featuring entries about the following phenomenal destinations – Forni di Sopra, Sauris, San Daniele, Udine, Collio, Trento, Torino, Parma, Modena, and Bologna – all with tips and suggestions to help you plan your own delectable itinerary. Continue reading
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Posted in Beer, Drink, Food, Hotels, Italy, Parma, Restaurants, road trip, Shopping, Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway, Travel, Wine
Tagged 7th chamber, bologna, Collio, Drink, emilia romagna, Food, Forni di Sopra, Friuli, Friuli Venezia Giulia, ham, hotels, Italy, Modena, northern italy, parma, Piemonte, proscuitto, restaurants, San Daniele di Friuli, sauris, Shopping, speck, SPONSORED POST, Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway, the 7th chamber, Torino, Travel, travel blog, travel blogger, Trentino, Trento, Udine, wine
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London Daily Photo: Battersea by @LONvistasbook
Photography by Graham Edwards. To find out more about Graham’s work and his newly published book, London Vistas, go to londonvistasbook.com.
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Georgians Revealed at the British Library in London (OneTravel)
A newly opened exhibition at the British Library in London – Georgians Revealed: Life, Style and the Making of Modern Britain – takes an in depth look at the lives of people living in Britain during the Georgian era (roughly the early 1700s to … Continue reading
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Posted in Art, London, OneTravel, Travel
Tagged british library, euston, EUSTON ROAD, exhibition, EXHIBITION REVIEW, EXHIBITIONS, georgian britain, georgian era, Georgians Revealed, Georgians Revealed: Life, London, NW1, NW1 2DB, OneTravel, review, Style and the Making of Modern Britain, Travel
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London Daily Photo: Untitled
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Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged LDP, London, London blog, London Daily Photo, Photography, photography blog, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Christmas Festivities and More in Edinburgh (CheapOair)
Things are getting hot up north this winter with seasonal celebrations already underway in the great Scottish capital of Edinburgh. Here’s the scoop on how to make the most of a Yuletide visit to one of Europe’s most fun and … Continue reading
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Posted in CheapOair, Christmas, Scotland, Travel
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Mamounia Lounge Mayfair Reopens: Swish!
About a year ago, I paid a visit to the then newly opened Mamounia Lounge in Knightsbridge. Just as it was launching, its sister outlet in Mayfair was closing down for a refurb. Last month, Mamounia Lounge Mayfair re-opened. With both Mamounias up and running, Londoners now have two swank reasons to enjoy a night out in Arabian style. Here’s a quick report from my recent visit to the re-opend Mayfair venue. Continue reading
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Posted in Drink, Food, London, Restaurants
Tagged bar, belly dancer, cocktails, Curzon Street, lounge, mamounia, mamounia lounge, mamounia lounge mayfair, mayfair, middle eastern cuisine, review, W1, W1J7TX
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London Daily Photo: Henry Winkler, OBE
Henry Winkler was in town last night to switch on the Christmas lights at the London Marriott Hotel County Hall. Best known for playing Arthur Fonzarelli on the long run American television series Happy Days, the 68 year old actor is in the UK at the moment promoting and supporting his My Way! campaign to encourage children with learning difficulties. Winkler was made an honorary Officer of the British Empire in September 2011 “for services to children with special educational needs and dyslexia in the UK”. Continue reading
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Posted in Celebrities, London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged Celebrities, christmas, christmas lights, county hall, hotel, hotels, LDP, London, London blog, London Daily Photo, London Marriott, london marriott hotel county hall, marriott, marriott county hall, Photography, photography blog, south bank, south london, southbank, street photography, The London Marriott, The London Marriott Hotel, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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London’s Top Christmas Markets (OneTravel)
December is a fantastic time to visit London, offering a healthy dose of Christmas cheer that’s unparalleled. Here’s a roundup of the city’s best Christmas markets to help you fa la la your way to an excellently English Christmas. Read … Continue reading
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Posted in Christmas, Drink, Food, London, OneTravel, Shopping, Street Markets, Travel
Tagged christmas, christmas markets, Drink, Food, London, OneTravel, Shopping, street markets, Travel
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Win a £150 Voucher from Zalando: UK’s Largest Online Wardrobe
Online shopping for top brands with guaranteed free deliveries and returns – that’s not just a Yuletide offer from Zalando, the UK’s largest online wardrobe, but what they provide to customers year round. With a great range of festive styles, a smart selection of Christmas gifts, and of course vouchers to give that friend or loved ones who might be a little more difficult to shop for, now is a great time to browse Zalando’s online aisles – especially since I’ve got a Zalando gift voucher worth £150 to share with one lucky reader. Continue reading
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Posted in Christmas, Competition, Fashion, Freebies, Shopping
Tagged #LargestOnlineWardrobe, £150, adidas, ben sherman, bench, Birkenstock, brands, Camper, christmas, christmas gifts, christmas shopping, Clarks, cocktail dresses, competition, contest, converse, Crocs, Desigual, Diesel, fashion, free, free shopping, freebies, French Connection, gift voucher, Guess, Jack Wolfskin, Lacoste, Levi's, Miss Sixty, nike, Oakley, Pretty Ballerinas, retweet to win, Roxy, RT to win, shoes, Shopping, Sisley, Ted Baker, The North Face, Timberland, Tommy Hilfiger, trainers, twitter competition, UK's largest online wardrobe, vans, win a £150 gift voucher, zalando, zalando gift voucher, zalando.co.uk
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London Daily Photo: Shelter
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Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography
Tagged LDP, London, London blog, London Daily Photo, Photography, photography blog, street photography, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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Thanks!
2013. This year has flown by for me. And yes that old adage about having fun definitely applies. More than ever – and to a much greater extent than the vast majority of folks I know can claim – I’ve … Continue reading
