Emily Brooke

“This month’s hotlister is Blaze founder, Emily Brooke who this month is excited to see the next batch of Santander Cycles roll out on London streets. Blaze co-designed the new bikes, providing them with lights, lasers, GPS, Bluetooth, sensors and all the tech on board.” Jenny Halpern Prince. “With the first sense of Spring in the air, I fall back in love with London. I start to look forward to a weekend in the city, spent mainly outside. I live, work and play in East London and so my dream weekend comprises a morning coffee at Albion on Redchurch Street, a bicycle to Broadway Market (if it's Saturday, Columbia Flower Market on a Sunday), maybe a few hours on the grass in Victoria Park or a yoga class at TriYoga and finish the day off with some sunset cocktails on Boundary Rooftop.” Emily Brooke

UNTITLED

No, we haven't just forgotten to input the name on this one. The name IS ‘Untitled’ and Untitled is a new bar and restaurant on Kingsland Road in Dalston. Everyone knows Kingsland Road is edgy AF, obviously, so this place is already set to be great! The bar is the creation of London mixology master Tony Conigliaro - yet another big tick, as he clearly knows a good drink when he...mixes one. Then add to that the fact that the drinks are perfectly accompanied with a Japanese-inspired food menu brought to you by Michelin starred global sensation Rob Roy Cameron and, well, that's the trifecta of trendy nailed right there. Do we even need to tell you any more? Ok fine we will - the decor is minimal with swathes of concrete, naturally. They have a host of events taking place at the venue, you can buy awesome artwork and clothing via the website and it’s possible to make reservations which is something we oh so miss being able to do these days. Our work here is done, see you there. Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

BINGO ACADEMY

Once the preferred activity of the over 65 and restless, Bingo is back and badder than ever, loved by millennials, the Gen Z’s, and all of us in between. A few different Bingo specialists have sprung up in recent years including Rebel Bingo and Steamy Bingo but this time it's the turn of the Bingo Academy who clearly take it very seriously too. Which is good, considering they are an “Academy” and all that. Every Thursday to Saturday throughout April they're setting up their Bingo cages at a pop up subterranean bingo bootcamp at the Vaults in Waterloo. Tickets are a bargain at just five pounds, or in Bingo speak- ‘Man alive, five’ pounds. Seriously, the numbers terminology is reason enough to go. Beginners will have the rules explained before you dive head first into the action and of course, there’s a bar as well as street food available to fuel the antics. It’s a night ‘Made in heaven, 67’ EAT. DRINK. LEARN. BINGO.

ANGEL EASTER FLOATING MARKET

When you find yourself filled to the brim with the excesses of Sainsbury’s 5 for the price of 3 Easter Egg offer (this is imagined before you hot foot it down to your local Saino’s), head to the City Road Lock in Islington for the Easter floating market courtesy of the Village Butty. Yes you read that correctly, floating market. Described as a village hall on the water, you can peruse the wares and buy yourself some new vintage threads, pimp up your record collection, adorn your limbs with some handmade jewellery or stock the bathroom cabinet with some new herbal remedies. And if the retail therapy on H2O isn’t appealing enough then there will be live music, as well as grub and cocktails...not that you may need any more sugar ;) Enjoy! Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

PROSECCO SPRINGS

So the ol’ trend for quaffing copious amounts of prosecco ain’t going anywhere fast, as April sees the return of Prosecco Springs - a four day long festival serving up the fizzy fuel. This masterful celebration of North East Italy’s finest export will include tastings, tanto cibo Italiano (loadsa Italian grub), masterclasses and of course, you guessed it, live music. Prosecco Springs takes place at the newly built outdoor park between Oval Space and The Pickle Factory in East London from the 26th to the 29th. Tickets vary in price depending on what level of involvement you’re up for, however they start at £40 and can be bought here. For those interested in the masterclass element of Prosecco Springs there are two options - a prosecco masterclass or a prosecco cocktail making class. In the first you will learn the core principles of wine tastings as well as guidance on what food to pair the bubbles with and in the second, in case it’s not clear from the name, you’ll learn how to make five different prosecco based cocktails...basically if you don’t like prosecco then this is probably your worst nightmare but those of us that love it are already on our way East. Facebook | Instagram

F45, STRATFORD

Anyone into their fitness and the latest trends will have heard of F45 - the gym that promises abs in 8 weeks and a range of cardio and strength-and-resistance-based classes that are all 45-minutes-long and aim to burn fat as well as tone and build muscle. The good news for East Londoner’s is they have recently opened their latest state of the art fitness studio at Here East’s Canalside campus. They are in fabulous company with others including Matches Fashion and UCL also opening up in the same place. F45 Stratford will be situated alongside independent bars and cafes meaning you can enjoy a work out at one of their many classes and follow it with a refreshing smoothie whilst overlooking the Lee Canal. It’s a one stop shop for so many of your needs and frankly just a great community, and we can’t wait to go and check out. Bring on the burrrrrn...and a bite to eat at The Breakfast Club after! Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

DEPTFORD BITES LIVE

This is a brand new, one-day food festival/street food market brought to you by Grace Dent, yes, that Grace Dent. I mean if anyone has the gravitas to pull off a decent new street market with delicious bites to eat then we challenge you to think of anyone more qualified that Ms Dent! On the 7th April from 10am to 3pm in the Deptford Market Yard, Deptford Bites will be serving up treats from faves such as Oyster Boy, Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen, KraPow LDN and Black Mylk Ice cream. In addition to the satisfaction of your taste buds, Grace will ‘curate and host a series of talks which picks apart Deptford’s new status as ‘up and coming’? Who are the faces to watch? What are the dishes and drinks to try? Why Deptford and why now?’ This whole day is free to attend but you need to book your tickets to the talks here so make sure you don’t miss out!Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

CASA BERTI

London, we love you, we really really do.... But forgive us, for we wish to take our Hotlisters away for a moment as our eyes have been distracted by olive groves, hillside views, a glimmering swimming pool and terracotta terraces. Ladies and gents, we bring you to Casa Berti, a private hill-top estate in Italy with expansive views, two houses, a yoga/art studio, gardens and more. (Now you see why we’ve been distracted eh). Located north of Pisa, Casa Berti offers the most heavenly escape from the hustle and bustle of London life as well as the chance to take daily yoga sessions, sculpture classes, wellness retreats, a game of early evening boules, a shot at the archery board or a dip in delectable swimming pool. Seriously, we’re in love, can you tell? Check out the website for more info, a gallery to whet your visual appetite as well the full list of classes and retreats you can book in to. Just be sure to let us know when you're going, so we can challenge you to a game of Boules in the evening sunshine with a glass of vino.Facebook | Instagram

AN EVENING WITH CHICKENSHED

We are HUGE fans of Chickenshed here at Halpern and have featured their wonderful work on the Hotlist before. For those of you who haven't heard of them, Chickenshed is an inclusive theatre company and registered charity based in North London who create theatre for all ages and run successful outreach projects, education courses and membership programmes throughout the year. We adore their productions and have been to many in the past which is why we thought you’d like to know on the 17th April we are all invited to join them for the evening at the ITV London Studios in Waterloo for an evening of wonderful performances. The evening has been organised by Professor Jonathan Shalit and David Walliams and a host of stars will be there on the night. You can buy your tickets for this unique event here and all proceeds will go to Chickenshed so that they can continue to provide opportunities for young people of all ages and backgrounds and access to the performing arts to create outstanding and inspiring theatre that changes lives. Champagne and canapes will keep you refreshed throughout the evening and £150 tickets include an exclusive VIP after party. Who doesn't love a VIP party ;) Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

OLIO

We’d like to think that bit by bit we are all making changes in order to improve our planet not only for us but for future generations. We’ve seen a surge in awareness around the use of plastic, veganism increasing in popularity and now we bring you Olio, an app that aims to connect neighbours with each other and with local shops so surplus food and other items can be shared, not thrown away. Food wastage is a huge problem and we can all do our bit to minimise this. Individuals and businesses can both join the Olio scheme and it could be to share food nearing its sell-by date in local stores, spare home-grown vegetables, bread from your baker, or the groceries in your fridge when you go away. You upload details of the item to the app and share away. The team behind Olio ‘believe that small actions can lead to big change. Collectively – one rescued cupcake, carrot or bottle of lotion at a time – we can build a more sustainable future where our most precious resources are shared, not thrown away’. So download the app and share away! Facebook | Instagram | Twitter