Valentines Day Gift Guide 2013

Above (Clockwise) L-R:  Topshop Iris Print Dress - RRP. £42.00, Rosie for Autograph Rose Bra and Brazilian Knickers - RRP. £22.50 & £12.50,  REN Moroccan Rose Bath Oil at ASOS - RRP. £30.00,  Fabulous Frocks at Waterstones - RRP. £14.99 £13.49, Miu Miu Sunglasses - RRP. £225.00,  Harvey Nichols Valentines Hamper - RRP. £70.00

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Wahaca's Day of the Dead Festival at the Old Vic Tunnels

Last week the delicious ‘street food’ chain Wahaca brought Mexico’s Day of the Dead celebrations to London, holding a brilliant four day Dia de los Muertos festival in the depths of The Old Vic Tunnels. The extremely emotive and vibrantly visual festival is an annual holiday celebrated throughout Mexico to honour and remember loved ones who have died.

With a traditionally painted face (above, with Jessica Pownall) which left me resembling a little zombie-panda, I indulged in the tantalising Wahaca tacos and far too many jasmine margaritas which fuelled my exploration of the vaults where an array of spooky artwork, macabre films and a hypnotic puppet show by the Theatre of Dolls awaited me. FANTASTIC music was later provided by Rodrigo y Gabriela, a Mexican duo whose vibrant energy was completely contagious, followed by the Communion DJs who both guaranteed (perhaps alongside the copious amounts of tequila served) a dance floor filled with skeleton-faced revellers dancing with wild abandon. An unforgettable night. 

Above (L-R): Theatre of Dolls and photography by Graciela Iturbide.

Above:  With the Director of The Old Vic Tunnels, Hamish Jenkinson.

Wilderness Festival 2012

Last weekend I went to the idyllic Cornbury Park in Oxfordshire to enjoy the  funshine at Wilderness.  Organised by the team behind the Secret Garden Party and Lovebox, the two-year old festival is distinctly original and unlike any other I have been to.

With an emphasis on ‘feasting, lounging and partying,’ Wilderness attracts a diverse, family-friendly crowd (there were as many beer-hungry ravers as there were milk-hungry babies) as it combines music, food, talks, debates, outdoor pursuits and late-night parties in equal measure.

With a beautiful boating (and for the more brave/buff, skinny dipping) lake, horseriding, fly-fishing, a spa sanctuary with hot tubs, yoga classes, massage tents, screenings by Secret Cinema, theatre, talks, debates, an array of craft stalls and an exceptional array of delicious food, the whole occasion is both creative and relaxing.  Tim Harvey, who organises the festival said, “Wilderness is more than just a feast for the eyes and ears… It’s a place to indulge the senses, relax, and eat well.”  And Indulge I certainly did....

Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Lianne La Havas, Spiritualized, Crystal Fighters, Temper Trap and Wilco were all playing at the festival, but the real headliners were the celebrated chefs Yotam Ottolenghi, Fergus Henderson and Valentine Warner who all staged decadent banquets across the weekend.  There was also a very popular Moro Souk Tent (below) and the Thyme Cookery School were at the festival offering some excellent classes. 

The copious, delicious food stalls spread generously around the park were certainly not offering the usual greasy festival fodder… With Fin and Flounder, Poco Loco, Churros Bros, Annie Mae’s, and my favourite chilli wraps from Arancini Brothers ('World Famous in ALL Posh Towns!') I could have been rolled home on Sunday.

​​Below: Festival Style - I loved these unfussy, simple and chic looks.  

This year Wilderness joined forces with The Vintage Festival (previously held at London’s Southbank.) So, admist the more usual festival attire (flower garlands, hotpants, colourful Hunter wellies) there was fantastic retro and sexy pin-up fashion in abundance (left and below).

Adding to the eccentricity of this festival, there was an immense vintage market (which I had to be dragged kicking and screaming to vacate), a 1950’s beauty parlour, a roller disco, and a stunning swing/jazz club offering dance classes.

Below:  Not a festival trend I EVER wish to see again... Leave the tails to the children!

​Below:  I felt like Joan of Arc in this incredible Prangsta Costumiers Head Candy.

Love. Want. Need. Please. 

Below:  The wonderful Jack Savoretti
Watch my video of Jack singing 'Take Me Home,' one of my favourites, here.

The highlight of my weekend however, was The Old Vic Tunnels Masked Ball. An enormous masked crowd were led by an African percussion troupe in a midnight procession, from the Wilderness Stage into the Wychwood forest, for a magical extravaganza which had three DJs playing throughout the wood into the wee hours.


(Above: With You Magazine's Amy Williams and Old Vic Tunnel Director, Hamish Jenkinson.)  Amidst the corsets and stunning venetian masks I found myself, in a leopard print catsuit and cat mask, dancing alongside an array of heroic Batmen, a Skeletor, various furry faced animals, several morph suited revelers, and some bloke in a mankini…

Below: The Old Vic Tunnel's Masked Ball certainly put the 'Wild' into the Wilderness.

Early Bird tickets are already available for Wilderness 2013 here.
Sign. Me. Up.

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The Lomax Way

I was recently invited to Lomax Victoria to experience ‘The Lomax Way’ - a combination of bespoke fitness, tailored nutrition and holistic wellbeing...

Step One: Podular Training

Founder and personal trainer Jonny Lomax’s concept of Podular Training consists of you exercising (either alone, with a trainer, or in a class) in one of their eight fully equipped personal fitness pods, each offering several different work out options, including spinning and circuit training. With no monthly fees or contracts – the pay-as-you-go rates for Podular Training range from £20 - £65 (or if bought in bulk, £10 - £55.)

Daunted by my 40 minute personal training session with Jonny, I felt obliged to mention that not only am I NOT a gym-bunny (worse, I haven’t moved quicker than a strut in over a decade) but I am also seriously mal-coordinated and that this whole ordeal could be really rather embarrassing. After some confidence boosting and a motivational pep talk, I was soon spinning away and circuit training (“Sets” and “Reps” - evil, evil little words!)

Apparently I am not as unfit as I think and I even began to enjoy my 'Gazelle Jumps' (soon renamed 'Giselle Jumps') as I eagerly hopped up and down onto a high box without any complaints or squeaks... Unlike my turn with the weights... Unfortunately my frequently used excuse of ‘not being built for lifting’ did not get me out of that particular exercise!

Apparently if I were to do this twice a week, the results would come fast and furiously – and after 2 days of various muscles I never knew that I had mercilessly aching, I felt bouncy, energetic and ready to do it all again.


Step Two: Nutritional Consultation

If I had previously felt apprehensive in revealing my lack of natural athleticism to Jonny, that was nothing compared to the anxiety I felt over my meeting with Zoe Copesy, the nutritionist at Lomax.

However, sitting in the Lomax cafe with Zoe (left, a gorgeous, glowing example of what she preaches) whilst we sipped on Vita Coco and munched protein Bounce Balls, she showed no judgment whatsoever over my daily diet (ummm... chocolate, Cheerios and cupcakes) but instead gave me some brilliant, accessible, advice on how I can fit better eating habits around my lifestyle. I was then given a freshly prepared foodbox from the Lomax café, based upon my own health goals and protein, carbohydrate and fat requirements.


Step Three: Wellbeing

At Lomax, professionals from around the world aim to help you achieve a physical and emotional balance, offering physiotherapy, osteopathy, massage, holistic facials, acupuncture, homoeopathy and meditation.
I was spoiled with a relaxing massage, combined with metatronic healing, leaving me feeling more refreshed and balanced than I had felt in weeks – I believe I could also benefit from two of these sessions a week!

Thank you to all at Lomax Victoria!

I am now very excited to see the new Lomax Chelsea venue which opens in February at 293 Fulham Road... With even more fully equipped pods and an expanded class roster they will also be offering sit in/take away nutritionally balanced meals and snacks, a juice bar and delicious Monmouth coffee. There will be 5 treatment rooms and also a studio for pilates, yoga and barre classes. If you pre-register with them at Lomax Victoria now, you will receive 50% off all services during your first month in Chelsea… Sign. Me. Up.

Best Of London - Humphrey Ker

Acclaimed comedian. History geek. Brilliant storyteller. Fantastically funny. Toweringly tall.

Humphrey Ker is one third of the Victoriana-themed comedy troupe ‘The Penny Dreadfuls,’ a featured talent on BBC2’s ‘Fast and Loose’ and more recently, a solo performer in ‘Dymock Watson: Nazi Smasher!’ for which he recently won ‘Best Newcomer’ at the Foster's Comedy Awards.

Based on the experiences of his grandfather, ‘Dymock Watson: Nazi Smasher!’ Humphrey comically portrays a series of heavily accented characters, including Nazi soldiers, a Texan Belle, a Romanian musical theatre actor, a foul mouthed Scottish spy chief, and of course, the hero himself – Dymock Watson - a naval officer parachuted into Romania on a secret mission in 1943.

The piece is jam packed with laughs and drama and I implore you to book your tickets now! In the meantime, London based Humphrey shares with us his London favourites...

My Pint – A pint of coke. Can't afford to get into alcohol as I have a heavily addictive personality. That + Booze = NO FUN.

My Date Night – My girlfriend Carrie and I love a trip to the theatre followed by a late night Chinese at The Four Seasons on Gerrard St.

My Sunday Brunch – Nobody does a better roast than my friend Sam Collins. Everyone reading this should make friends with him. If that proves impossible, Kerbisher & Malt on Shepherds Bush Road for a fishy alternative.

My Building – The Tower of London. Bad ass.

My London Shop – ‘The Orcs Nest’ on Cambridge Circus. I am a dork and they don't come dorkier than this shop.

My London Extravagance – Chateaubriand and Potted Haddock at Hawksmoor.

London's Best Kept Secret – It's probably me isn't it?

My London Icon (Past or Present) – Samuel Pepys. He wrote well and he ate well... What more can any man aspire to?


Humphrey Ker's 'Dymock Watson: Nazi Smasher!' is showing at the Soho Theatre on 26th Jan-4th Feb, 13th-18th Feb at 9.30pm.

Del'Aziz - Vanston Place

I regularly go to Del’Aziz. A delicatessen, bakery and café set in the middle of Fulham Broadway’s bustling Vanston Place, Del'Aziz is a veritable treasure trove of foodie delights.

Surrounded by a plethora of pastries, Turkish Delights and over-sized meringues you cosily settle down at chunky wooden tables adorned with fresh flowers (and shisha pipes upon request.) The service is slow at times but the delicious menu offers a diverse collection of tantalizing dishes from the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean – but for me, it is all about the chocolate gateaux…

A boyfriend once bought me a huge slice of this cake as an apology – clever move – everyone knows a girl is faaar more likely to be forgiving after chocolate...

"All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt" - Charles M. Schulz.

Best Of London - Celina Teague

Below: The Hive

At artist Celina Teague’s last exhibition I overheard one man reveal, "I feel like I’m on acid in the 60’s again…!" Celina’s mesmerising paintings are vibrant, dramatic and seriously hallucinatory – they affront you with their boldness, unsettle you with their absurdity and completely delight you with their passion and colour.

A graduate in Fine Art at Central Saint Martins, Celina also trained at the Universidad de Bellas Artes in Oaxaca, Mexico and has lived in Berlin and Shanghai.
Although still hugely inspired by these countries and their cultures - and always itching to explore the world and its beauty further - it is London where Celina now lives, loves and paints.

Whilst preparing for her second solo show, ‘My Bunny is all Teeth and Other Stories’ which opens next week, Celina shares with us some of her London Favourites….

My transport – Bicycle

My Cocktail – A Bloody Mary at Shoreditch House.

My Date Night – Worryingly at the moment it seems to be Westfield’s! A Snog (frozen yoghurt) and the cinema with my husband Dom.

My Sunday Brunch – In Hyde Park. A stop off at Crussh to pick up a smoothie, then a walk (via Speaker's Corner) to the restaurant on the Serpentine. Alternatively, Saf on the Curtain Road in Shoreditch has the best food in London – and its vegan.

My Boutique – The recenty closed Hoxton Boutique was amazing for original designs and jewellery – luckily, their online boutique will be available in November.

My High Street Store – Waterstones. I always arrange to meet friends outside it - how late they are directly corresponds with the amount of cash left in my bank account.

London’s Best Kept Secret – Speaker's Corner, hardly a secret but this is my favourite place in London - it attracts some of the most weird and wonderful characters. People heckle and boo and throw out insults but it's all done in good humour. Last year my friend Marthe Sophie and I organized a group show there.

My London Icon – Having watched ‘Hugh's Fish Fight’ it is currently Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. He's very charming, very persistent and won't take no for an answer.

Above: The Rape of the Honey Bee

‘My Bunny is all Teeth and Other Stories’ at the Roa Gallery, 4th - 9th October.

Matthew Williamson's Macaroons

After seeing his new SS'12 collection this London Fashion Week have you been left lusting after a little Matthew Williamson of your very own? Fear not - This little taster may satisfy your fashionable cravings... For now!

Celebrating London Fashion Week, Parisian macaroon makers Ladurée have undertaken a stylish collaboration with celebrated British designer Matthew Williamson.

The limited edition box – in Matthew’s iconic kaleidoscopic butterfly design – filled with 8 sumptuous, light-as-a-feather, macaroons are available at Ladurée London branches Harrods, Burlington Arcade and Covent Garden until the 26th September.

RRP. £13.40

I got mine from Harrods yesterday...

Megan's Restaurant

I recently went for Sunday brunch at Megan's Restaurant...

This restaurant/café/delicatessen on the King’s Road is a breath of fresh air in its surrounding area; calm, relaxed and friendly.

If you can make it past (unlikely) the delicious home made cakes, cookies and gluten-free brownies at the entrance, head down the stairs to their romantic little courtyard – full of naughty gnomes, flowers and fairy lights - I had the most frothy of cappuccino’s and wonderfully carefree, lazy Sunday brunches reading the papers.

As well as offering catering (from weddings to birthday cakes) Megan’s homemade jams and flavoured oils are also available to buy.

Best Of London - Chris O'Dowd

31 year old Irish actor Chris O’Dowd is used to playing affable nerds and the sweetest of slackers, becoming well known for his role as the hapless Roy in The IT Crowd and for playing Simon in 2009’s ‘The Boat That Rocked.’ This summer however, Chris was catapulted into the ‘Leading-Man-Eye-Candy’ category when he played Officer Rhodes in the whopper blockbuster hit ‘Bridesmaids’ - eclipsing seasoned screen hottie Jon Hamm by a mile.


Taking some time out from being swamped with marriage proposals (to say the least) via Twitter from swooning women all around the world, Chris shares with us some of his London favourites;

My Pint – A pint and a whiskey in the Toucan in Soho with my best mate, Jamie.

My Date Night – With my beautiful lady friend, Dawn, at a French place called La Brasseriein South Kensington.

My Sunday Brunch – We host a roast at our place in Bermondsey for a big bunch of our mates 2/3 times a month.

My Building – I love the Art Deco Tesco headquarters on the M40 on the way to Pinewood.

My London Shop – I love the stuff A.Sauvage makes. Sweet, classic suits with an African twist.

My London Extravagance – High tea at The Dorchester. Nothing quite like it.

London's Best Kept Secret – I really like L'Entrecote just off Marylebone High Street.

My London Icon (Past or Present) – Richard Harris. I loved that he spent his final years livin' it large in The Savoy...

Below: A recent picture on set of 'The Sapphires' in Australia. Set in 1968, four young, talented Australian Aboriginal girls learn about love, friendship and war when their all girl group entertain the US troops in Vietnam.

Below: With Meghan Fox and Jason Segal on the set of the Judd Apatow's new film, 'This is Forty' which follows Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd‘s 'Knocked Up' characters. Chris says, “it’s an in-depth look at relationships, marriage and parenting in this kind of post-boomer generation."

Follow Chris (or tweet marriage proposals) @bigboyler