Sharmadean Reid MBE
“The thing that I am most excited about this month is the Thames Tide Path. I recently moved to Clerkenwell and I’ve been really enjoying a walk towards the Thames at low tide. My 10-year-old son and I go down to the Thames Path at Blackfriars’s Bridge and we walk down towards Millennium Bridge. When the low tide is out we go down to the beach and start collecting shells and I taught him for the first time this month to skim stones. When he did it for the first time he was so pleased with himself! We then walk all the way down the Thames beach and there is a section where there are animal bones from hundreds of years ago and we look at these bones that would have come down from the butchers at Smithfield’s market who discarded their carcasses in the Thames. It’s a wonderful piece of old London. It’s silent and eerie and I have absolutely made it part of my routine”
Sharmadean Reid MBE
FOOD: FLOWER BURGER
Plant based burger chain, Flower Burger, has landed in London after its huge success across Europe. It’s food that looks almost too good to eat and will jazz up your insta grid for sure. Launched in the heart of Milan in 2015, Flower Burger is the “original” vegan burger treat destination. They took the Flower as a symbol of positivity, joy and love and in rainbow form they found the perfect hippy inspired positivity combo. The burger buns are the standout component which range from the yellow colour made by turmeric, to the black of the vegetable charcoal and the violet tones of the cherry and beetroot extract. Tofungo, Spicy Chickpea and Cherry Bomb are just some of the burgers that are paired with potato wedges, edamame or patatas bravas. Soybean sprouts, tofu, chickpeas and quinoa are their daily bread and Flower Burger knows how to combine them to make people fall in love with their explosive taste. Until we can dine in, you can order from their ‘Burger, Sides and Sweets’ menu via Uber Eats but stepping inside the actual store will transport you to a multicoloured, 70’s inspired dreamscape. You can find Flower Burger London located at 43 Charlotte Street in the heart of Fitzrovia.
EXHIBITION: ALICE - CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER
A real life exhibition but based on one of the most famous fantasy tales of all time, is excitingly opening this month. Oh how we have missed being able to wander round an exhibition like this! The V&A is opening up Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser in the Sainsbury Gallery which explores the origins, adaptations and reinventions of Alice in Wonderland, over 157 years. This immersive and theatrical show charts the evolution of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland from manuscript to a global phenomenon beloved by all ages. Tickets are £20 and the exhibition opens on Saturday 27th March and the subject matter spans everything from film and theatre to art and even ballet. Sketches by Salvador Dali and Walt Disney will be a highlight for us. Did anyone ever tell you ”You’re mad, bonkers, completely off your head. But I’ll tell you a secret...all the best people are.”
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INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY: WOMEN OF THE WORLD, DIGITAL FESTIVAL
March is now synonymous with International Women’s Day which falls on the 8th of the month each year. We have long talked about the incredible Women of the World festival that’s hosted at the Southbank Centre but due to reasons we do not need to explain, this year the festival is going virtual...of course! Their special digital programme will still feature the ground breaking conversation we have come to love about their line up and they will “explore everything from mental health to sex in lockdown, radical childcare to #SayHerName, and being everything from a grandmother to an artist in a pandemic (or both!)” Tickets to their digital programme start at just £1 and names involved include everyone from Ruby Wax to Kimberlé Crenshaw, Avni Doshi and Bryony Kimmings. The full programme list is available here. Make sure to tune in for yet another inspiring and empowering day of conversation and workshops.
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CELEBRATIONS: ST PATRICK’S DAY
As well as inspiring and celebrating women, March is also known for the big Irish celebrations around St Patrick’s Day! As with the above, a virtual celebration will take place in London to mark this year’s festivities. On Wednesday 17 March there is a programme showcasing the very best of Irish talent, hosted by the London Irish Centre. The programme will include an afternoon community celebration of creative workshops, music and storytelling, a film festival with a selection of short films, feature films, animations and music videos, as well as a number of special events with screen talent and filmmakers from the Irish filmmaking community, all followed by a programme of live celebrations hosted by Angela Scanlon and friends. Musicians between the ages of 12 and 25 from across the city will perform music from the repertoires of past masters of traditional Irish music on the London scene and the ‘trad gathering’ will be performing a series of tunes, reels, jigs, polkas and barn dances in this intergenerational performance - all performed virtually. There is just so much going on it’s hard to get it all into one paragraph! So don your finest emerald attire and slow pour a smooth Guinness before viewing the celebrations at the London Irish Centre website.
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ONLINE THEATRE: BARNES’ PEOPLE
In the 1980’s, English Olivier Award-winning playwright and screenwriter, Peter Barnes, wrote four monologues for Radio 3 which have now been lovingly developed by the Original Theatre Company for filmed adaptations that are available to view now via their website. Their original radio incarnations attracted a variety of recognisable names including Judi Dench and Jeremy Irons who were drawn by the quality of the writing. This time round, directed by Philip Franks and Charlotte Peters, and starring Jon Culshaw, Matthew Kelly, Jemma Redgrave and Adrian Scarborough, the newly imagined telling of the tales translates pretty well according to critics who have seen the performances already. The four separate performances split loosely into pairs, with two showing Barnes writing in the recognisable social context of Eighties London, and two which move in different directions. It’s also fun to see some household names you would quickly slip into the comedy category, actually taking on more serious roles. You can stream all four of the performances online until the end of July and prices for the digital programme start at £30. You can also find a synopsis for each performance at the website.
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POLITICS: TURN THE TABLES
Inspired by the plight of hapless politicians harassed and castigated by journalists, Turn The Tables is an event from Cancer Research UK that gives politicians the chance to wreak revenge on their journalistic foes in front of a live audience. This event is returning for 2021 in a virtual format on the 15th March from 6.30pm. A year ago, Jacob Rees-Mogg joined the alumni of participants by coming straight from his COBRA meeting to tell everyone to wash their hands whilst singing happy birthday. So much has happened since then!! The global pandemic has put a huge strain on cancer services and hit Cancer Research UK’s fundraising hard. Cancer Research UK was forced to cut its research funding by £45m, which means dozens of potential life-saving projects won’t receive the funding needed to support their world-class research. But they will never stop working to make progress for people affected by cancer. This year for their virtual edition of Turn the Tables, they have just one very special interview planned, they announced today that participants this year will be Health Secretary Matt Hancock & BBC’s Nick Robinson. There will also be a small auction and an opportunity to ask the participants questions during “Cash for Questions”. Tickets are priced at £50 per household. To book your ticket, please register and pay here. You will be sent full information and a joining link to the event the week commencing 8th March. We can’t wait!
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CHARITY OF THE MONTH: LADY GARDEN FOUNDATION
It’s a double header for the Lady Garden in Hotlist but it’s a cause we are so passionate about here at Halpern and we wanted to remind you once more that you can still sign up for their 2021 Challenge. It launches officially TODAY and runs for the entire month of March which also marks Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Sign up to the 2021 Challenge and complete a certain distance over the month in whatever way you want to- walking, running, swimming, cycling, horse riding, on the scooter - the choice is up to you! Adults and children can take part and it’s free to enter. All you need to do is get your friends and family to sponsor you along the way and raise some funds for this excellent cause to help them stop gynae cancers in their tracks! Also keep your eyes peeled for some new exciting partnerships also launching this month.
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APP OF THE MONTH: DAILY RANDOM FACTS
A simple initiative but one that will ensure your mind is anything but simple. The Daily Random Facts app basically does what it says - generates and provides you with a daily random fact. You can choose the topics you want to learn more about or simply allow the app to hit you with the facts they deem most interesting. So if you didn’t know that sharks existed before trees or that human thigh bones are stronger than concrete- then you soon will. This app will certainly add some fun to your pub chat (when they open again soon) and you’ll be the boss of quizzes in no time at all.