When I moved flat, I wanted to create an area that could double up as a chill zone and a functional home office where I could blog, work from home or do the life admin. It had to be light and airy (#noclutter) but bits of visual inspiration here and there was all good. I love black and white photography (in this case, the work of late Malian photographer Malick Sidibe) and of course, I love London – hence all the books! Here are few more tips I followed:

Go grey

 I fell in love with grey walls after visiting my brother’s revamped flat (thanks to my design savvy sister-in-law). I also stayed in this gorgeous room at The Laslett hotel in Notting Hill that had a thing for grey too. It’s totally the new white and not only is it a solid neutral basis, but it suggests sophistication and calm  (my modus operandi if I say so myself ).

Get plants

There’s something about greenery in a space that just gives it life, right? I plan to get a few more succulents, but in the mean time my plants keep my space feeling vibrant, and this helps me get into work mode when I need to.

Have an ‘optional desk’

I’ve got a “lampstand” in the corner of my room – but technically, it’s a sweet little laptop table from Ikea. I usually work spread out on the couch with Macbook on my thighs, but sometimes having the table helps me to be a bit more focused (and not doze off on the sofa when I’m working late).

Finally, I turned to brands like Made, Ikea, H&M to make it all happen. Who says you’ve gotta splash serious cash to have a nice space?

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Where to for your London staycation?

If that sounds up your street, the next step is to figure out where to stay – and sorry, but home doesn’t count. The city’s got a brilliant selection of hotels and I was fortunate enough to visit a few over the last few months through work. Here’s at least three in West London I’d recommend:

A post shared by La Suite West Hotel (@lasuitewest) on Jan 27, 2017 at 12:58pm PST

La Suite West, Baywater

It’s got a Japanese vibe going on and next-level tech in the rooms. The restaurant also offers a vegan afternoon tea that’s pleasantly surprisingly. Price-wise you’re looking at least £120 per night – but La Suite West have a £50 offer if you stay on a Sunday night (minimum two-night booking).

A post shared by The Laslett (@thelaslett) on Nov 21, 2016 at 10:05am PST

The Laslett, Notting Hill

The Laslett is inspired by its neighbourhood’s eclectic history with stunning, retro interiors to boot. A stay will set you back £169 per night – a small price, granted, for a gorgeous night’s sleep.

A post shared by The Ampersand Hotel (@ampersandhotel) on Oct 20, 2015 at 2:30am PDT

The Ampersand, South Kensington

Traditional luxury is the name of the game at the five-star The Ampersand, which is also home to a decent gym, a reading room and the slick Apero restaurant & Bar. For a single room, you’re looking at £222 per night (so perhaps file this one under ‘special occasion’).

Do you have a favourite place for a London staycation? Let me know in the comments!

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…occasionally forgetting I even own an SLR.

Not good.

Not good at all.

What’s happened? A lot, not least a dependence on my iPhone 5s to capture moments on the fly before whacking them onto Instagram –  rather than upgrading to a camera that has Bluetooth so I can sync the phone and present a world with alot more CLARITY.

2017 will be the year of the upgrade, believe.

Until then, I will cherish the moments when I do remember I own an SLR and have the time and mental space for us to just go out for a little wander together.

This went down a few weeks ago when I got an invite to look at Berwick Street with a fresh pair of eyes. I know this street well. When I used to work at Gap Oxford Circus in my uni days, Berwick Street was the spot where I could find one of those Chinese places that used to let you eat all you could for a fiver. It was also the place where I bought some fabric for a project that was way out of my budget. That’s still the same, but that feast for a fiver naturally left with the early noughties.

That’s not all that’s changed. Though stalwarts like the Sister Ray vinyl shop and Misan Fabrics are still reppin’, the Berwick Street Market is soon to be privatised, the Gosh! Comic shop commands queues and there’s a load of alternative clothing shops like Nudie Jeans (a dope Swedish company that will fix your jeans FOREVER) and slick cafes and restaurants like the wonderful Polpetto (which does the best tiramisu). But for now, the independent vibe still lives on, with the characters to match. Here’s a round-up of a pics from my recent visit:

Thanks to Sister London for the visit! 

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Did you make it to Afropunk London? What did you think? Let me know in the comments! 

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Like, the interviewer is seriously getting served and looks like he’s about to blow a kidney or something.

Now, I’ve seen this interview before. My final year dissertation was titled  “Black Power: from rhetoric to reality”, covering the period in the 60s to mid-70s where the concept of black power evolved from an emotionally-charged buzzword to real political activity. It started with looking at the Malcolm X legacy and the way it inspired the dawn of the Black Panther Party –  but the essay kinda stopped at the emergence of politicians like Jesse Jackson and didn’t really go beyond that, like anywhere near the 80s or 90s (there’s only so much you can do with 10,000 words, you know), otherwise I probably would’ve dedicated an entire chapter to Tupac Shakur.

Looking back at my teen-hood, I was here for Tupac  in as much as I liked the songs Keep Ya Head Up, I Ain’t Mad At Cha, California Love, All Eyez on Me and his breakout starring role in the film Juice. And yea, I’m not gonna lie, I appreciated the fact he was easy on the eyes. Shout out to Black Beat and those Thug Life posters.

Maybe that was enough to claim fan-dom back them. Like, how much did I need to know about gangbanging and bitches? Nor was I really trying to pretend to relate to it in any shape or form. But what I did clock was that when Tupac wasn’t spitting tales of that thug life, he was also coming from a place of black consciousness (and in a strange way, doing both at the same time). And of course he was – his mom was a black Panther. And on the interwebs, you’ll even find a speech he gave as a 20-year-old at a Malcolm X grassroots movement dinner in ATL, amongst many others engaging vids where he’s talking about issues within the black community with the same fervour and enlightenment as the man like Malcolm.

Tupac Shakur was totally THAT dude.

But if you’re not necessarily a hip-hop head and wanted to know more about that side of the legend, Rich Mix has got the best thing happening this weekend. It’s an afternoon of music, spoken word, discussions and lectures dedicated to the man himself, to mark the 20th anniversary (!) of his death on September 13, 1996. Dwell on that for a moment.  Tupac Shakur died 20 YEARS AGO. Twenty. Two. Zero. Where in the blazes did the time go?!? And why is his murder still unsolved? #thingsthatmakeyougohmmmm

Anywho, the event is being run by a group called the  Malcolm X movement which is devoted to celebrating the life of Tupac and Afeni Shakur, his mom,  so the aim of the day is to talk all things Tupac and explore his relevance today.

It’s just a fiver to go along and there’s not gonna be any freaky holograms or anything like that, so you can find out more about the event here.

Until then, I leave you with another  TUPAC CLASSIC that’ll get you all up in your feelings and make you call your mom today, guaranteed:

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Proper scones and cake

I was invited to try Little Nan’s new spot in the basement of the Rio Cinema in Dalston. As I said, there were all sorts of madness going on with the decor, but Instagram/Snapchat opps aside, the tea itself was wonderful: we’re talking proper scones with homemade jam, solid sandwiches, a choice of vicky sponge and carrot cake (both delish) and a very generous pot of those teapot cocktails we guzzled down with teacups.

As it happens, this ain’t the only place you can try this out 0n the East side at the mo. They’ve also popped up at the National Trust’s Grade-II listed Sutton House until the end of September, but they’ve toned things down a touch to include a tour of the house (it’s the oldest once in Hackney) and a bespoke cocktail with your name on it. Check out pics from my visit of the Rio Bar below – but for more info about Little Nan’s, head to www.littlenans.co.uk.

afternoon tea at Little Nan’s Rio Bar

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No Long Ting All Dayer Part 2, Pop Brixton, August 7th (2-11pm) 

I’ve wanted to hit up No Long Ting for the absolute LONGEST. It’s sort of like a block party / house party hosted by one of the capital’s finest hip-hop artists Ty and the good folks from the United 80 shop in the Market Village. I heard good things about the June event, so I’m expecting all of the best vibes.

Room4Movement, The Book Club, August 7th (7-midnight)

Fresh from killing another Jazz Re:fest at the Southbank last month, the Jazz Re:freshed crew is throwing the latest of their East London music jams this weekend. DJ Charlie Dark will be bringing the tunes, along with residents  Bunny Bread, Top Rock & Adam Rock. These guys always come strong, so no doubt it’s gonna be a lively one!

Are there any summer parties in London you’re looking forward to? Let me know in the comments!

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• Drunken Dairy
• Wavey Ice
• Callestick Farm
• Greedy Goat
• Blu Top Ice Cream Freakshakes from The Canvas Cafe
• … and loads more

You can get in for free via Yelp or for £10, which will be donated to the Islington Play charity. RSVP here. 

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So it was perfect timing when, a few months ago, Chris Plowman from Floatworks got in touch to let me know he’d just opened a new flotation tank spa in Vauxhall. He invited me down to the launch and here’s three things I learned from my visit:

1. Floating by yourself in a tank for an hour is really weird. But so amazing

   Before you go in, you’re briefed on how it all works and where to go for towels, hair dryers, the loo, etc. One of the staff members escorts to your own “pod room”, which has its own shower – swish. The session lasts for an hour and once you step into the pod it can take a minute to get comfortable. Like I said, it’s weird. But once you relax into the zen of it all, you’ll easily dose off.

   A photo posted by Matilda (@megerecooper) on Apr 9, 2016 at 7:28am PDT

   2. If you don’t cover every last graze on your body with Vaseline, you will feel the burn

   One of the things you’re warned about before stepping into the pod is that the water might sting, especially if you have any cuts. You’re given a packet of Vaseline to smear it on every possible knick. But I must’ve missed a few… ouch.

   3. It’s quite a swanky thing to do

   A one-hour float is £55 and that gets you time in the pod, plus bottled water, towels, access to hairdryers and  herbal teas afterwards in the chill room. It’s not exactly a bargain, but with health being wealth and all that, it is the sort of thing that doesn’t hurt to do once in a while. I slept like a baby afterwards.

   Have you ever tried a flotation tank experience? Let me know in the comments!

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One supporter is Berlin-based photographer Daniel Reiter, who met the community in 2015. He decided to create a photo series of the scene and you can now check out those pics in an exhibition at Rich Mix next month. Some of Reiter’s gorgeous snaps will be sold as limited edition fine art prints and all profits will go towards to the project, which hopes to raise enough cash to install the nation’s first skatepark.

The exhibition runs from April 6 to April 28 in the Lower Café Gallery. Find out more about Ethiopia Skate at www.ethiopiaskate.org.

Check out pics from the exhibition below:

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