Sinéad Burke
"I live in a world that was not designed for me. I live in a body that provokes a reaction and one which has required the kindness of strangers for my independence. My advocacy is rooted in the notion that the world should change for disabled people. The disabled community should not transform to fit within the world. This lived experience has cultivated an unparalleled empathy, one that allows my podcast, 'As Me with Sinéad' to be a space for intimate conversations with people about what it is like to live as them. This podcast exposes us to the realisation that we are not alone, and connects us to the people we admire in human ways. This radical empathy will tilt the lens on how we view the world and make it an easier place for all of us to fully be ourselves. "
Sinéad Burke
Restaurant: 14 Hills
14 Hills is the latest restaurant from D&D London that will be situated up 14 hills...no not really, but it will be up 14 floors of 120 Fenchurch Street in Aldgate, thankfully with a lift and no hiking poles. Opening on the 11th November, 14 Hills is a plant-themed all-day restaurant open from breakfast until dinner, with a modern British menu, including Saturday brunches, Sunday roasts and a fast-serve deli counter all from executive chef, Thomas Piat, whose previous experience includes Bar Boulud at the Mandarin Oriental. The heavenly nature themed restaurant sits one floor below the building's free and very popular roof garden which opened earlier this year but you can admire the real trees and plants within the restaurant if you don’t want to go up a floor! As with being up high you get a great view over London too which is always an appeal, especially when you can watch life travelling down the Thames and the assorted landmarks of London Bridge. Dishes to devour include Beef tartare- black angus fillet, pickles, game chips, Langoustines - three scottish, split, grilled, garlic & parsley and Alba truffle - 63º rare breed egg, mushroom ragout and shaved white truffle, but the whole menu looks too good to be true. We can’t wait to get there and check it out.
Bar: The Lost Alhambra
Step aside ‘Tonight Josephine’, for the latest Instagrammable hotspot is here to kick you off the top spot. The Lost Alhambra has just opened its doors in Leicester Square, the latest in a long line of hugely successful bar sites from Adventure Bar’s. The venue is the site of the old Alhambra Theatre, which in part explains the name choice but legend has it the ballerina’s of days gone by used to finish up their performances and then head to secret parties in a bar under the theatre. ‘The leading ladies of the stage would descend underground after their performance, declaring, “Come, won’t you bring me my liquor?”. They would flirt, eat oysters, drink Champagne and make eligible acquaintances.’ Yassss girls. What better way to relax after tossing aside your ballet pumps and tutu! As expected from Adventure Bars, the interiors is a feast for the eyes and a guaranteed way to rack up the social media likes with pink velvets, neon lights, mirrored walls, colourful and trippy floors and let’s not forget the decadent and exquisite show stopper cocktails on offer. Dip and Flip provide the food but you may find you’re too busy snapchatting to eat!
Music: EFG London Jazz Festival
Anyone who loves their jazz music needs to get themselves tickets to the EFG London Jazz Festival between the 15th and 24th of this month. The aim of the festival since its inception has been to celebrate the place of jazz in a city which is at ease with its rich cultural diversity, drawing in a multitude of venues across London who present the music, week in, week out, throughout the year. The festival was created in 1992 by live international music producers, Serious, and it emerged from the long-standing Camden Jazz Week which was created in 1970; with the active support of the Arts Council England. Serious - who had for some years produced the Camden Jazz Week - engineered a transition that saw the evolution of the festival into what is is today. Taking a mix of international and British artists and a commitment to education activity, the London Jazz Festival has something for everyone from toddler age and up across a multitude of venues. There are also some free shows if you’d like to dip your toe into the scene without a financial commitment! The full guide is listed on the website but it’s incredible to see the festival continue to take jazz to a massive audience, in one of the UK's landmark music events.
Art: 24/7
Let’s face it, it’s nigh on impossible to ‘switch off’ in 2019 unless you literally lock yourself in a room without wifi and throw your android phone/ipad/iwatch/blackberry/laptop/pager into the Thames before you head in. Social Media and technology don’t sleep and they are fast persuading us to do the same. It’s frankly frightening. If you want to explore this more and see how today’s artists are interpreting this lifestyle then Somerset House’s new exhibition 24/7 does a pretty spectacular job at doing so. With every moment seemingly an opportunity to connect and work, unrelenting pressure to produce and consume, sleep itself monitored and commodified, how we cope is one of the most urgent contemporary issues affecting us all. 24/7 takes visitors on a multi-sensory journey from the cold light of the moon to the fading warmth of sunset through five themed zones and contains over 50 multi-disciplinary works that will provoke and entertain. So look, take it in, digest it from the outside and hopefully it may encourage us all to reflect and reset…..without the aid of an app.
Area: Islington Square
The newly transformed Islington Square, is steeped in history and brimming with opportunity and appeal for 2019. In the early 1900s the site was home to a huge sprawling sorting office for the General Post Office. Since that closed down the site has been eagerly anticipating it’s reincarnation as something new and that something is now here. Islington Square is a place to discover; whether it be an independent restaurant, a concept bar or an unexpected boutique store. It’s home to a luxury health club and a subterranean six-screen cinema, as well as having a tree-lined boulevard and several theatre spaces and also residential homes. The stories that once passed through in the form of letters and packages come to the fore once again, in a vibrant programme of workshops and events such as botanical markets, pop-up bookshops and experimental theatre. The space oozes vibrancy and creativity and it’s amazing to see somewhere where the whole neighbourhood and community can explore and discover in one space. Here’s hoping more of these pop up across disused buildings in the city.
Winter: The Winter Forest
We’re over halfway through the November Hotlist and we are only now mentioning Christmas for the first time. We hope you appreciate our restraint. The hats and gloves are on, the ice rinks are popping up and Oxford Street is soon to twinkle under a bazillion lights, so yes, Christmas season is undeniably here. With that in mind, please allow us to tell you about The Winter Forest at Broadgate Circle, which from Wednesday 6th November and for six weeks, will be filled with snow-covered pine trees and ready to douse you all in the Christmas spirit, whichever your choice would be...gin, whiskey...vodka? The Winter Forest’s events calendar includes live music, a new Everyman Cinema, workshops, lectures, gin tastings, pub quizzes, fantastic food and of course, a chance to meet SANTA. My goodness we love Christmas, we just want to do it all- We’ll see you there and here’s hoping we’re all on the nice list...
Show: La Clique
La Clique, c’est fantastique. This multi award winning show filled with music, comedy, acrobatics and erotica is back at the Leicester Square Hippodrome from next Friday 8th November until the New Year. Born at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2004, this original and trailblazing Spiegeltent cabaret show has gone on to tour the globe to international acclaim and now returns to the beautiful Leicester Square Spiegeltent with a magnificent collection of extraordinary new artists and unmissable favourites. La Clique is the alternative Christmas show featuring the crème de la crème of the worlds of circus, comedy, cabaret, subversive performance and contemporary Vaudeville – promising a night of laughs and non stop entertainment. La Clique is just one part of ‘Christmas in Leicester Square’ which sees the area transformed into a wonderland including traditional Christmas markets with hand-crafted goods and delicious food and drinks and a Santa's Grotto. Holiday’s are comin’...
Charity of the month: Hands On London
If you ever find that you want to do more philanthropic work (everyone should say yes to this) but aren’t sure how to get involved then please look to Hands on London. Founded in 2010, they are an intermediary charity between not-for-profits, charities, community groups and volunteers like you. Their aim is to be the first point of contact for Londoners who want to get involved with community service. Many Londoners would like to dedicate some of their time to charitable activities and giving back to their community – Hands on London’s uniqueness stems from their ability to offer flexible, diverse and high impact volunteering opportunities that leave a lasting effect on the communities and people that you help. They partner with local charities and community groups to develop their volunteering needs and help them create opportunities which add impact to their core work. They can offer a wide range of volunteer projects including activities with children, assisting in soup kitchens, working to improve the environment, helping the elderly and people with disabilities. Please visit their website to find out more and sign up!
‘App’ of the month: Kindred
Kindred is here! An exciting and innovative new charity based app which enables the user to find great deals from the brands they love and share them with their friends. You do all this and get to earn commission for yourself as well as donating to a charity of your choice. No brainer?! Everyone is an influencer and more importantly everyone can be a brand advocate and it’s now effortless to be an authentic and conscious consumer so download the free app and start your Kindred story today.
Be Kind, be Kindred.