activities – The Cultural Exposé

My weekend in pictures: December 5

Matilda — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 09:00:27 +0000

I checked out the new Good & Proper Tea tea shop near Old Street station (it’s so cute – and they do crumpets!) and that Ann Veronica Janssens yellowbluepink installation at the Wellcome Collection. Real talk: I nearly had a panic attack in that misty room. My advice? Go with a trustworthy friend who you don’t mind clinging on to…

All pics shot on a Canon 5D Mark 1 with a 24-105mm.

My first time visiting the Wellcome Collection on Euston Road. What a quirky venue!

The post My weekend in pictures: December 5 appeared first on The Cultural Exposé.

Somewhere you should go… a hula-hooping masterclass

The Cultural Exposé — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 10:00:00 +0000

It’s cold outside, and all you want to do is hibernate under piles of blankets. But after a few rounds of mulled wine, mince pies and chocolates, you know that you need to do just the opposite. But instead of another boring gym session, Fitness-Freak.com has a pop-up event that will make you want to throw off all the covers.

Enter Marawa the Amazing and the latest in her Hula Hoop Hurray sessions. The Queen of Hula herself is going to be leading a class where the evening is all about having fun while sneakily burning hundreds of calories away. On Monday, December , she’ll be leading an evening of Christmas-themed entertainment and exercise that will see your abs burning from the workout.

In a series of three 45-minute classes, participants will find themselves walking away able to shake their mid-section like never before. Marawa, who has hooped for royalty and celebrities around the world, knows how to make even a total beginner feel comfortable with a hoop; after all, she once hooped 133 hoops at the same time!

Hoops are provided for all participants. All you need to do is show up ready to shake your midsection and have a great time burning away those pre-Christmas calories!

For more info, visit: Fitness-Freak.com/HULAHOOP

The post Somewhere you should go… a hula-hooping masterclass appeared first on The Cultural Exposé.

What we’ve been up to… All Star Lanes, Victoria House

Matilda — Mon, 20 May 2013 10:00:49 +0000

When a friend invited me to celebrate his birthday with him at All Star Lanes in Holborn yesterday, I was quickly reminded that a) I haven’t been bowling for AGES and b) I’ve actually never been to ASL, which in the last 7 years has earned a rep for being one of the best hangout spots in the capital. They’ve got special deals on Mondays, club nights on a Saturdays (and their cocktails are said to be legendary), so if their upmarket, retro take on 10-pinning has been good enough for royalty (Google Prince Harry and All Star Lanes), it was gonna be good enough for our crew on a Sunday afternoon.

The Holborn branch isn’t an obvious find, but I liked that it was quite cosy with only four lanes and you can play off-peak for just £7 a person. The food was also a major plus – so after playing a quick game (where I remarkably came in 3rd place!), we sat down to a varied American menu, and ordered everything from a full rack of BBQ baby back ribs with coleslaw and fries (£18) and mac & cheese (£10.50) to a veggie burger (£11) and an 8 oz rib eye steak (£18). The mains are obviously not cheap, but sandwiches like the fish finger with fries (£8) are generous enough and there’s the option of tucking in on small plates such as chicken wings, popcorn squid & aioli or mac and cheese croquettes which are all well under a tenner. I also loved the fact that you can order floats – sprite, root beer or coke with ice cream – cream sodas, deluxe milkshakes and mixed juices – and for afters, there was cherry pie on the dessert menu (and I love cherry pie!)

Bowling tends to be put on the back burner in Spring but we all had a really great time – so I can’t recommend it enough!

For more info, visit: www.allstarlanes.co.uk

The post What we’ve been up to… All Star Lanes, Victoria House appeared first on The Cultural Exposé.

What we’ve been up to… circuit driving at Silverstone, Northamptonshire

Matilda — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 10:00:16 +0000

Considering it took me seven attempts to get my driving license – four years ago, I might add – the thought of racing at ridiculously high speeds strapped in a tiny F3 car with a vague recollection of how to find the biting point made me a little nervous about taking on this particular challenge. But with British Grand Prix just merely weeks away and figureheads like Lewis Hamilton providing decent PR for the sport, I let my curiosity get the best of me and spent a day learning what it takes to be a motor racer at its legendary home, Silverstone.

The session began with a briefing from instructor Colin, who immediately pointed out that the sport is dangerous yet addictive, but we should have a healthy respect for the speeds we’re travelling and that we’d start with a pace car to help us familiarise ourselves with the circuit. Despite a general lack of prominent female motor racing drivers in the sport, he also said women were able to pick up the skills of motor racing alot quicker – and I hoped he was right!

Our group would be going on the Stowe circuit (originally a part of the Grand Prix circuit), and we were soon briefed on the best way to approach Stowe’s straightforward but tricky corners. The idea was to apply a firm break, step off the break and accelerate mid corner – and practice this technique over and over again during our practice laps.

Dressed in overalls and fitted with a helmet, getting into the beginner F3 cars felt like sitting in the bath but not as relaxing; the first priority was making sure we could comfortably push the clutch down leaning back at a 70 degree angle, then Colin’s assistant Richard strapped us into the full harness seats belts, making me feel a little bit too attached to the lightweight vehicle.

Thankfully, I didn’t have any major issues on the track. On my very first go, I stalled about 7 times before setting off as there’s no smooth pulling up of the clutch when you’re driving these bad boys. They go hard from the jump, and you’re soon switching between third and fourth gear (3rd on the corners) – but easily going as fast as up to 100mph. During my second set of laps, I started getting into the speed, but also got sloppy on my corners, knocking down cones, sliding onto the grass and killing my gears.

Yet for my final attempt on an international circuit, I drove alot faster, feeling more confident with each lap, going hard on the straights and sticking to 4th gear as much as possible. And though I ended up being the slowest in my group with a time of 94.42 seconds on a 1.1 mile circuit (the fastest time was 66.48), not alot could compare to the thrill of burning rubber, pushing my natural limits and leaving the stresses of London living on the road (which means I’ll probably be back sooner than later!).

This experience comes courtesy of Acer UK. Check out the Acer Intel U-Experience team on our journey and discover more about the challenges at: https://www.facebook.com/AcerUK/app_329103610497351

The post What we’ve been up to… circuit driving at Silverstone, Northamptonshire appeared first on The Cultural Exposé.

Something you should do…… The Great Spitalfields Pancake Race

The Cultural Exposé — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:00:57 +0000

The annual Great Spitalfields Pancake Race is taking place on February 21st (Shrove Tuesday!) , so put together a team of four pancake loving friends, grab a frying pan (pancakes are provided!), and hot foot it down to the Old Truman Brewery. Get on your marks and get ready to race (whilst flipping the pancake!), with the coveted prize being an engraved frying pan at stake for the winners. Make sure you wear your best pancake-related fancy dress too as there are prizes for the best dressed team.

Expect to be cheered on by crowds of spectators and maybe even the odd clown or two (yes, really!). Live music from the Lost Marbles String Band will spur on the contestants, who will be rewarded with pancakes for taking part. The race raises money for the London Air Ambulance, so take along a donation or convince your friends to sponsor you! If you still haven’t had your fill of pancakes after the race, you can stop by The Breakfast Club nearby for stacks of American pancakes, berries and syrup or visit Crêpeaffaire for a classic French savory or sweet crepe.

The Great Spitalfields Pancake Race takes place on the 21st February 2012 at 12.30pm at Dray Walk, The Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane. Further info can be found here: http://www.alternativearts.co.uk/events (Words: Clare Ebberson, Pic: © Alternative Arts)

The post Something you should do…… The Great Spitalfields Pancake Race appeared first on The Cultural Exposé.

Somewhere you should go… WigWamBam at the Queen of Hoxton

The Cultural Exposé — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:00:53 +0000

Overlooking the chaos of the city is a lovely little rooftop with a difference. You can now escape from the winter weather and warm up at WigWamBam, a cosy, heated wigwam on top of the Queen of Hoxton. Of course no domed dwelling would be complete without a bar and grill, so you can enjoy a hot mulled cider and chargrilled snack while snuggling up under the twinkle of fairy lights. The wigwam is in residence for three months, with themed nights and eccentric events taking place throughout. So head down and enjoy live readings, ukelele jam sessions, acoustic music and sing-a-longs under the stars.

WigWamBam is at the Queen of Hoxton, 1-5 Curtain Road, and is open Monday to Friday 4-10pm and Saturday 6-10pm until March 2012. More information can be found here: www.queenofhoxton.com (Words: Clare Ebberson)

The post Somewhere you should go… WigWamBam at the Queen of Hoxton appeared first on The Cultural Exposé.

Something you should do….take an unseen tour of London

The Cultural Exposé — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:00:41 +0000

Here’s a very unique take on walking tours; led by homeless or previously homeless guides, you might learn about local history and architecture, see some street art, or discover new parts of London. But what makes Unseen Tours different is that the guide also shares with you their story and experiences of being homeless in the capital. This takes the tours off the beaten track, giving a glimpse into the city from a totally different perspective.

There are five unseen tour routes – Shoreditch, Brick Lane, Covent Garden, Mayfair and London Bridge, and each ends with a stop in a pub or cafe so you can get to know your guide (and the rest of the tour group) better.

Training and support for the tour guides is provided by Sockmob, a volunteer network who work with homeless people (using cosy socks to break the ice!). Most of the profits from the tours are also kept by the tour guides, providing a valuable source of income.

Unseen tours take place on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays weekly, so click here for more details. (Words: Clare Ebberson)

The post Something you should do….take an unseen tour of London appeared first on The Cultural Exposé.

Somewhere you should go… True Stories Told Live

The Cultural Exposé — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:00:06 +0000

True Stories Told Live is a simple concept; a group of strangers gather in a pub and share a true story from their life. So far, so normal. In fact, you might think this sounds like any other night out. But there’s a difference.

First of all, there is a strict 10 minute time limit to each story (wafflers need not apply!). Secondly, no notes are allowed, ensuring people are willing to share their most personal and sincere tales. And it can be on any topic, as long as it’s happened, and stories don’t have to be funny (but they often are!).

Past anecdotes have covered brain surgery, spending time in prison, irish dancing, earthquakes, relationships and strangers on trains. To round things up, there’s also one speaker at each night that performs their story by singing (as you do!).

This isn’t an open mic night (so you can relax in the audience and not rack your brains for a story!), although many of the speakers haven’t told their story in public before. Some of the more experienced storytellers have referred to themselves as Bards however! (yes Bards do still exist allegedly, although it did conjure up images of a man in pantaloons strumming a lute in my mind).

Rumour has it that everybody has at least one true story about their life to be told, so if listening to others’ stories isn’t enough for you, maybe the microphone at True Stories Told Live awaits to tell your tale…. (Words: Clare Ebberson)

True Stories Told Live is held monthly at The Compass in Islington. Further information visit: www.truestoriestoldlive.com

The post Somewhere you should go… True Stories Told Live appeared first on The Cultural Exposé.

What we’ve been up to… The Bad Jumper Jingle Bell Rock at The Book Club

The Cultural Exposé — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:30:09 +0000

To celebrate the season of eating, drinking and being merry, The Book Club held their “Bad Jumper Jingle Bell Rock” on December 9th. Shoreditch hipsters were invited to don their most cringeworthy jumpers and get ready to rock around the Christmas tree. Well, dodgy jumpers were aplenty, while reindeer, snowmen, santas and snowflakes all made a knitted appearance your gran would be proud of.

However the festive knits weren’t enough to stop a “disaster” during the night. News reached the Club that Rudolph (the reindeer, of course) had broken his nose and a replacement was needed urgently. Guests saved the day by taking part in “reindeer testing activities” to recruit a replacement reindeer, with challenges that included:

– demonstrating your galloping
– braving arctic conditions (holding an ice cube against your nose)
– being able to unwrap a present with your hooves
– finding food in a bale of (glittery) hay
– showing off your reindeer socialising skills
– steer the sleigh without going off course
– Being able to identify everyday sights from a flying reindeer’s perspective in the sky (well maybe not “everyday” sights – one of them was a man in a sombrero riding a bike!)

The reindeer recruitment was overseen by “Santa’s helpers” who played the panpipes and rewarded good skills with Christmassy goodies, candy canes or cinnamon shots. We recovered from the reindeer activities with some quirky cocktails, such as the Don’t Go to Dalston and The Angry Pirate. The celebrations continued with The Bikini Beach Band – who were in fact wearing flares and fez’s – and their funky take on an eclectic range of music got even the dodgiest-dressed punters on the dance floor, before the night was wrapped up with a brilliant set from DJ Sean Rowley. (Words: Clare Ebberson)

The post What we’ve been up to… The Bad Jumper Jingle Bell Rock at The Book Club appeared first on The Cultural Exposé.

Something you should do…learn photography in London

Matilda — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 10:00:17 +0000

(This post was updated on November 22nd, 2011)

Confession: before I bought my very first SLR in 2008, I thought those suckers were MAGICAL. The sheer size of them, the changeable lenses…the power of having one in your hands. I truly believed once I owned an SLR, I’d be up there with RANKIN.

Wrong.

The first picture I took with my Canon 450D was the ugliest picture I ever shot in my life. Dull. Boring. And that was on AUTO mode. I could hear my discarded Samsung point and shoot mocking me, “it’s not the camera that makes a good picture, you fool” – and I soon learned that this was very true. So I did a few short courses and learned how to use manual mode…I understood how to compose…I learned the difference between aperture and shutter speed (easy things people, trust me), and I went from being an SLR novice, to being endorsed by top photojournalist Edmond Terakopian, and this month, receiving a commendation by the Sony World Photography Awards(!). So with all that I’ve acquired over the years, I’ve been inspired to organise photography workshops around London to help people take great pictures and get to grips with their camera too.

The workshops are from 1 to 4 hours and by the end of it, you’ll become a more confident photographer, learn how to take great shots outdoors and never struggle with your camera again. Lastly, you don’t need an SLR to take part – just a camera and a weekend (or weekday evening) to spare! (Words: Matilda Egere-Cooper)

For more info, visit The Culture Club photography workshops website.

The post Something you should do…learn photography in London appeared first on The Cultural Exposé.