September

How is it September already?! If the news is anything to go by we’re in for an Indian Summer and I’m all for that as I’m not quiet ready to welcome Autumn. If you’re looking for some inspiration of what to get up to this month then look no further. Here are a few of our tops picks from all over the UK for you to check out. Enjoy x

Disco Carbonara by Martino Gamper at Coal Drops Yard

London Design Festival - London

14th-22nd September

London Design Festival celebrates and promotes London as the design capital of the world. The Festival returns to venues and institutes across the city from 14-22 September 2019. There are lots of installations, projects and events taking place all around the city, a lot of which is free and fun for all the family. During the festival there is also the London Design Fair located in the creative heart of East London, the London Design Fair is a four-day event that brings together 550 exhibitors from 40 countries, including; independent designers, established brands, international country pavilions, features and exhibitions.

Words and Source: The Design Festival for more info click here.

Photo : Matt Clayton

Open House Weekend - London

21st - 22nd September

One of our favourite events in the London calendar, Open House Weekend is a chance to go behind the scenes, on roofs and inside London buildings which are usually off-limits to the public. The full programme of over 800 buildings for this year was announced on the 20 August. The more exclusive openings need to be booked in advance and sell out almost instantly — for others, it's a case of perusing the programme, turning up during the opening hours, and being prepared to queue for your peek inside.

Source/Words Open House London for more info click here.

The London Standard - London

Now Open

Housed in the former Camden Town Hall Annex in London’s thriving King’s Cross neighbourhood, the 1974 Brutalist building has been meticulously restored and sets the perfect stage for The Standard’s first hotel outside America. The Standard, London has 266 rooms in 42 unique styles ranging from Cosy Core rooms to terraced suites with outdoor bathtubs overlooking St Pancras station. The lobby lounge, with a carefully curated library pays homage to the building’s original use, with a Sound studio hosting weekly live music and talks. Executive Chef Adam Rawson’s street facing bar, Double Standard, offers lunch, happy-hour and casual drinking and dining, while his garden restaurant, Isla, features a seasonally-driven, coastal inspired menu. Board the street level, exterior red lift directly to the 10th-floor where Chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias’ forthcoming restaurant will showcase his live fire cooking and the building’s 360-degree views of London.

Source/Words The Standard London for more info click here.

Coworth Park - Instagram

Dine under the stars - Coworth Park - Buckinghamshire

Now - until mid September

Until mid-September, country house hotel Coworth Park is hosting an al fresco summer dining concept in collaboration with Dom Pérignon. ‘Dining Under The Stars’ is a pop-up private dining concept held in Coworth Park’s Lime Grove, devised by executive chef Adam Smith. Here, guests can dine under a starry night’s sky in a geodesic dome, where the menu perfectly pairs with a hand-picked selection of Dom Pérignon. Dinner packages offer three or five courses, offering best-of-British dishes such as langoustine with tomato, kimchi and ginger; Kentish lamb kebab with buttermilk, salted cucumber and mint; BBQ veal cutlet with garden salad, pickled tongue and truffle; and Kentish mango and coconut sorbet with lime and chocolate mint. An afternoon tea is also on offer, and a telescope will be on hand during the evening sessions to allow guests to explore the galaxy.

Words and Source from Sheerluxe. For more info visit DorchesterCollection.com

York Food Festival - Instagram

York Food and Drink Festival

20th-29th September

One of the biggest foodie festivals in Britain, York Food and Drink Festival celebrates the best local and regional food and drink.

Make sure you call by for some of the best street food the region has to offer along with a huge range of product traders throughout the ten days. Festival bars will be well stocked to grab a drink from on the way to check out demonstrations from some of the best chefs York and Yorkshire has to offer.

We’ll again be hosting our Food Factory to give you the opportunity to learn more about how our food is produced, this will again feature a strong community element that engages with many local schools.

Entry to demonstrations and the Festival is free but we’ll also be putting on some exciting ticketed events in conjunction with many of our favourite local food & drink businesses.

Words and source from York Food and Drink Festival. For more info click here.

Turner Prize 2019 Nominees - Turner Contemporary Website

Turner Prize 2019 - Margate, Kent 

28 September 2019 – 12 January 2020

One of the best known prizes for visual arts in the world, Turner Prize 2019 is coming to Turner Contemporary in Margate. Every other year, the prize leaves Tate Britain and is presented at a venue outside London. Four of the most exciting artists working right now are shortlisted to win the prize based on an outstanding exhibition that has taken place in the previous year.

Words and Source Turner Contemporary for more info click here.

Mahe Padstow - Instagram

Mahé Cookery School, Cornwall

Now Open

Paul and Emma Ainsworth have opened their fourth Padstow venture, Mahé Cookery School and Chef’s Table. The cookery school, which can host up to five guests at a time, offers a space for students to develop their kitchen skills while learning how to master a selection of delicious dishes from their chosen course. Each class has been designed to ensure each student receives one-to-one time with exec chef John Walton and leaves with expert skills and know-how from his wealth of experience. Courses throughout the year include ‘Dinner Party Secrets’, ‘Sugar and Spice’, ‘Pasta Masterclass’, and ‘Bistro Cooking’. Seating ten guests, The Chef’s Table element of Mahé offers visitors the chance to witness the creation of restaurant-quality food from start to finish – and then sample it.

Words and source Sheerluxe. Visit Paul-Ainsworth.co.uk for more info.

The Gin Society - Instagram

The Gin Society Festival - Multiple locations throughtout the UK.

From the 31st August- Onwards

Friendly and sociable Gin Festivals for gin-lovers. The Gin Society brings you the opportunity to discover over 120 different Gins in a friendly and sociable environment in a beautiful venue near you. Our dedicated and approachable staff will be able to make recommendations, whilst local and national distillers will showcase their expertise and share their knowledge in masterclasses. The Gin Society brings you not only unique gins but also amazing entertainment and street food, making it the perfect night out. Source and words by The Gin Society - Eventbrite

What you can expect:

*Free Gin! A voucher for your first Gin & Tonic
*Your own Copa Glass and booklet to take home
*Access to over 120 gins, plus selected cocktails, Rums, prosecco and ales
*Gin sampling and Masterclasses from Distillers
*Live entertainment
*Street food and snacks to purchase separately
*Festival Gin Shop
*Environment friendly festival: biodegradable straws, glass and cardboard recycling.

January

Happy New Year! We love this time of year! With a fresh start and renewed optimism, we have a feeling 2019 is going to be even better than 2018. As we wrap up the festive season and get stuck into winter, we have some great suggestions of what you can get up to. Whether you’re off the booze for dry January, looking to adopt a healthier lifestyle or you just want to explore some new spots we’ve got some great ideas for you.

Secret Cinema

Secret Cinema - Sign up quick

We love secret cinema - their lastest offering is Casion Royale. The first round of tickets might have sold out but they’re releasing more in the new year. So sign up to be the first to get your hand on them. Not sure what to expect ? Well …

The world of espionage has changed and they need your help more than ever. Should you accept, you will receive your mission briefing, including; alias, target location and further classified information. Are you ready to enter a world of high stakes, sophistication and deception? Operate in the shadows or be in the heart of the action where the risks are great, but the rewards are greater. The time has come to find out if you have what it takes.

Lino

Lino - New spot to check out

Housed in a converted Linoleum factory in the square mile, Lino are taking a new approach to drinking and dining in the city. They re-use, re-love and re-imagine. From salvaged light fittings to sustainably sourced materials – they give overlooked pieces a chance to shine. They bake, ferment, pickle and cure onsite. They mix old classics and shake up new combinations. They make the most of seasonal shrubs, herbs, fruits and veg - everything they serve is inspired by what’s available.

Alcotraz

Escape Alcotraz

Inspired by Hollywood Movies and TV that have brought to life America’s most infamous prison, Alcotraz is London's first immersive theatrical cocktail bar. From the orange jumpsuits upon entrance, to the real metallic cells, Alcotraz becomes the perfect backdrop to enjoy a drink within an epic yet intimate environment. When convicted to Alcotraz, inmates are taken into an exciting world of mischief as they are instructed by notorious bootlegger, Clyde Cassidy to smuggle-in liquor to be used to make delicious, bespoke cocktails. You won’t find a set menu of drinks here…after all, it is prison! Alcotraz creates a range of tailored cocktails every night based on the liquor you bring and your tastes. Just make sure The Warden doesn’t catch you. Luckily, our Guards are on your side and have creative ways of hiding contraband.

Lose your mind in a million balls

The incredible Ballie Ballerson is like no other bar you’ve ever been to. A world famous venue featuring over ONE MILLION balls, it will magic you right back to the fun of the playground like a ball pit time machine. Whether you’re being a baller in our VIP section, drinking Dibbie Dabbersons on the dance floor, or making a name for yourself in one of the ball pits, it’s an experience that will keep you smiling for hours and have your Insta feed begging for more.

The nudge

Open fire realness

Nothing beats an open fire at this time of year. And if you don’t have one of your own, why not head out and explore some great pubs that have roaring fires at the ready. The Nudge has put together a list of pubs across the capital to check out. Find the perfect spot to warm up in after an afternoon walk in some London’s parks. A couple of our favourites are Richmond Park and Primrose Hill.

Design Museum

Learn a new skill - how to make fermented and naturally preserved foods with artist and food-designer Inês Neto dos Santos.

Can eating bring us closer to our bodies? Can it help us engage with the world? What can it teach us about who we are, where we come from or where we’re going?

Led by artist and food-designer Inês Neto dos Santos, this one-day workshop provides a hands-on introduction to the art of fermentation and other natural preserving methods. Over the course of the day, you will be introduced to the history, health benefits and methods of these techniques, before using a range of ingredients to create your own edible stories to take away at the end of the workshop.

Participants will also have the opportunity to visit the Design Museum’s current exhibition Home Futures and to learn more about Inês’ ongoing project Fermen-Tour.

Pscyle

Get in gear for 2019

Psycle is a premium boutique fitness brand that offers a collection of class based workouts across London. Their immersive, energetic workouts are designed to help clear your mind and transform your body alongside a passionate community of like-minded individuals. With four different workouts and a team of highly knowledgeable instructors, Psycle classes harness the transformative power of movement to help every individual optimise their fitness and wellbeing.

December

Let the silly season commence….. The skies are sparkling with Christmas lights, ears are ringing with sleigh bells jinglin’ and best of all it’s time for Christmas parties and overindulging. And with the final countdown of 2018, here is our round up of what to squeeze in to the rest of the year before we ring in the New Year.

Cosy up in an igloo on the South Bank

Jimmy’s Lodge is Back! This time with a bigger, sleeker and chicer upstairs covered dining room, the cosiest winter warmer bar on the river and the return of newly customised private dining glass igloos! Situated on the river along the Queen’s Walk, Jimmy’s Lodge offers the perfect place to soak up the festive atmosphere!

Watch a Christmas Classic.

The UK's #1 Open Air Cinema. Luna Winter heads inside for a festive season in London and Liverpool this December.  The ultimate festive cinema experience, bringing Christmas classics to the big screen in some stunning indoor (heated!) spaces. From Elf, Love Actually (which turns 15 this year) to classics such as It’s a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th street there is something for everyone.

Winter rooftop fun

Back for good with a brand new high up in the sky Pergola rooftop location, in an incredible new venue! Never before has the historic Olympia London had a venue built on its roof, until NOW.... Explore their new botanical bolthole located on the top of Olympia London. Drink, dine and escape the city with us amidst the lush vegetation of their new home! And don’t worry it’ll be heated and fully enclosed for the winter months, with a clear roof so you can see the sky without the plummeting temperatures. 

Dance the night away on a Christmas rooftop.

Come party the night away under the heated covered terrace (so no chance of freezing). On the 15th December Byday Bynight reach their final show in Brixton this year and welcome back their friend Maxxi Soundsystem to headline the main room and sprinkle festive cheer and Deep House goodness on a busy main room. With a plethora of huge releases under his belt over the past decade, Maxxi has developed a solid reputation of ensuring dance floors stay filled with deep grooves and pumping disco.

Explore the Christmas lights at Kew

As twilight falls, the magic begins. Now in its sixth year, Kew’s 2018 winter trail will be bigger than ever before, with over a million twinkling pea-lights and thousands of laser beams. Walk under welcoming arches into a world festooned with seasonal cheer and wander beneath unique tree canopies drenched in Christmas colour.  

Winterville - London’s Alternative festive experience

A completely different festive experience! Expect live DJs, comedy, musical bingo, roaming magicians, kid’s raves, Mexican wrestling and a family Christmas show on a double decker bus.

Elsewhere in our pop-up town you can skate on our outdoor Ice Rink, enjoy sensational food from Street Feast, lose yourself in Backyard Cinema’s Christmas maze, catch club nights in the Roller Disco, play crazy golf on a UV-powered course, ride the Big Wheel, enjoy cocktails and craft beer in themed bars and find unique gifts in Solo Craft Fair.

Looking for something a bit different to do this New Years Eve ?

Channel your inner-party animal and send off 2018 by dancing beneath the largest creature ever to have lived, at the Natural History Museum. Hosted in collaboration with experiential events company It's Unknown. We're not lying when we say this will be an unforgettable night, packed with animal-themed activities. Pick up your complimentary drink before trying your luck at Musical Bingo, sampling edible insects, or having a hoot in the silent disco. There will be the opportunity to make animal masks, roam free in the galleries, submit a song request to the Love Cats, or simply dance the night away with the Massaoke band and DJs.

We hope these give you some fun ideas to round off 2018.

Have a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

x