Frame Rave starts on Friday 10 January 2013, between 7.30pm and 8.30pm, and runs throughout January at Paradise, 19 Kilburn Lane, London W10 4AE. For more info, click here.

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For more info, visit: billetto.co.uk/events/speedlisteningforbeginners

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As for the eats and drinks, The Tamale Shack will be dishing up the Mexican classic aplenty, while  Stav B will be hosting the bar, knocking out bourbons with the creative skill and precision this pop-up liquor bar has become known for. Just make sure you sign up for membership  at Kansas Smitty’s ASAP so this weekend you can let the good times roll.

Apply for Kansas Smitty’s membership at: www.kansassmittys.com
For tickets visit: www.billetto.co.uk/kansassmitty

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As central London’s largest rooftop bar, if you’re for looking for somewhere a bit special  – perhaps for a date or celebration –  just take the lift up to the sixth floor and stop by for a drink. Fitting in with the impressive surroundings is a drinks menu which of course features champagne and cocktails (though the usual bar drinks are all available). My favourite was the Gin Mary, a Bloody Mary given an update with bacon (!) infused gin.  It gives it an extra kick that somehow works and makes you wonder why more drinks don’t have bacon added to them.

It’s certainly not the cheapest bar in the capital but considering the location it is the perfect place if you’re looking for something special and areas can be hired making it great for a birthday celebration. As for  food, the menu is a relaxed mix of nibbly bits, salads and snacks perfect for picking and even includes caviar if you really want to go all out.

Despite  the chilly winter months ahead,  Vista plans to cover the roof and put on extra heating for comfort, so it’ll be worth the visit – just note  it gets busy and is often used for private events – plus there’s a £5 entry charge after 4pm, though they do donate a £1 to charity.  (Words: Lucy Palmer) 

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Co-led by Cory Malcolm-Wharton (aka @bitbeefy on Twitter) and Ellie Wood, RDC West has inspired novices to run all sorts of races – from local comps in Peckham to cross-country 10 milers out of town (like Dorking?) – and last Saturday, they debuted RDC Mission Imposssible, their first citywide treasure hunt for “runners, walkers and joggers”.

Trafalgar Square

We started from The Water Poet in Spitalfields and the challenge was to get to 50 known landmark in 3 hours with a team of up to 4 people. Oysters weren’t allowed and all team members needed to be in the snap holding up an RDC sign while a member of the public took the photo (word of advice: never ask a pensioner to take your photo with an iPhone – it ain’t happening!)

Buckingham Palace

We were completely knackered by the end of it, having ticked off 34 out of 50 landmarks (and clocked over 13 miles, nearly the distance of a half-marathon!) – but it was such a brilliant day. We got to explore the capital, there were medals, t-shirts and goodie bags for everyone, the deserving winners won a great trophy and it was novel way to spend a Saturday with likeminded people who understand that running can be a very cool (and fun!) thing to do. Now on to the next mission!

To keep up with the Run Dem Crew, visit www.rundemcrew.com

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For those not already in the know, Hidden City is a text-message-based game that allows players to explore the quirkier parts of their local surroundings. Each hunt has a number of clues, which send you on a trail through various locations as you text in the right answers. You can take part with friends or group off into multiple teams, depending on how competitive you all are. There’s also the added joy of being timed throughout, which somehow immediately propels you into a sense of urgency.

At first, the texts fly back and forth between our mysterious phone friend and ourselves. Soon, the gap between texts is more extensive, as we huff and puff our way over Waterloo Bridge, make a few incorrect detours up some stairs and through some gardens, before ending up near Nelson’s Column. A sidestep into St Martins-in-the-Fields results in an unexpected string quartet concert, which provides a lovely musical accompaniment to the rising stress levels of not being able to solve the next damn clue…

If you get stuck you can ask for help, but be warned: each ‘hint’ adds 20 minutes to your overall time. However, after traipsing through three floors of an art gallery and still not finding our requisite answer, we were happy to begin ruining our score.

Our result? Officially, we scored 2 hours 26 minutes, but due to excessive use of the ‘hint’ service, this became a demoralising 4 hours 26 minutes. Ouch.

Hunts range from cryptic clues in Covent Garden to spotting street art in Shoreditch, and there’s even a West End warm-up to a group night out. The ‘hunt’ can last anywhere from 2-4 hours and costs £16 per team. Local London knowledge isn’t necessary, but taking an A-Z is a good idea. See www.inthehiddencity.com for more info. (Words: Flora Baker) 

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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)

 

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The first rule of Hip Hop Karaoke is that you’ll need to pick a song on a first-come, first-serve basis, as there’s usually a small crowd of eager show-stoppers signing themselves up. The second rule of Hip Hop Karaoke is that no booing or heckling is allowed, which is a relief if you momentarily lose track on the lyric sheet. The third rule is to let your rap fantasies run wild! Performances by the girls to Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s “Hey Dirty” and Ludacris’s “Move Bitch” have been encored with massive props, so you don’t need to stick with Missy Elliot or Nicki Minaj if you don’t want to!

Hip-Hop karaoke The Social © Ben Rowe www.benrowephotography.com

The friendly crowd doesn’t just stand around  either as everyone is up for getting down to old school hip-hop and RnB. The host, Bobby Champagne Jnr, is a sight to behold in his silky gold bomber jacket, but he’s not just there for decoration! He keeps the crowd all in check and make sure they show nothing but love. Performers receive a free beer, standing ovation and a ground stomping that could cause a small earthquake and, if you’re really lucky, a rewind to do-over the best bits.

Hip-Hop Karaoke takes place every Thursday at The Social.  For more info, visit the Hip Hop Karaoke Facebook group.  (Words: Lamiat Sabin)

(A special thanks to www.benrowephotography.com for the pictures!) 

Here’s Hip Hop Karaoke in action:

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We love it too, so we thought it best to let you know that from the October 17th to the 23rd, ‘the Queen of Hoxton’s younger sister’ will be celebrating its birthday in style with a weeklong calendar of activities, including some old favourites.

Draw the seven deadly sins at a lifedrawing session with a twist, battle others at ping pong, learn about the history of perfume at Scratch + Sniff or create a winning volcanic explosion at Monday’s Science Fair. But if that all sounds a bit too much like hard work, just come for a boogie and a slice of birthday cake on the Friday or Saturday to the sounds of resident DJ Filthy Duke plus special guests.

Expect streamers, party poppers, happy young people and frivolous fun times – Happy birthday Book Club!  (Words: Aoife Moriarty) 

For more details on events taking place, go to: www.wearetbc.com

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By 10am, crowds were packing out Tube stations like Notting Hill Gate to make their way to Children’s Day, which is known for being the more family-friendly alternative to the main event on Bank Holiday Monday.

Still, the Sunday was fantastic.  Paint and powdered-covered festivalgoers  – who’d took part  in the honoured “J’ouvert” tradition in the morning  – sauntered around the various roads, threatening to smear up anyone in sight, while adults and kids had their pick of some of the best spots to simply hang about for most of the day.  TCé’s highlights were Mau Mau Bar at 265 Portabello Road, which was constantly surrounded by a lively crowd of revellers getting down to dancehall, while further up outside 318, you had the chance to pair up with a willing partner  to dance salsa at the Latin Rave Street Jam soundsystem.

[stextbox id=”custom”] Check out our Notting Hill Carnival photo gallery HERE [/stextbox]

It was also great to see Oxford Street’s busking star Jo Bucket and friend putting on an outstanding drumming performance – purely with paint buckets – under the Westway, despite competition from another drumming collective merely metres away.

As previously announced, the infamous Rampage soundsystem was notably absent for the first time in 17 years, along with Norman Jay’s Good Times street party, which was a shame – but thankfully, the legendary King Tubby didn’t disappoint as his infectious set of reggae, dancehall and bashment on Clydesdale Road continued to represent, two decades on.

Food was plentiful and varied as usual – but  prices for a jerk chicken meal were steepish at £7 (and anything cheaper came off dodgy to say the least). However’s Levi Root’s “Rasta-raunt” on Westbourne Park Road  looked reputable – further sealed by the fact the good man himself was even around, taking pictures with fans.  (Advice: there’s a series of food stalls along Westbourne Park Road which seem better than the closer Portabello Road options in terms of price and quality of food – it’s worth the walk!) 

The weather was temperamental with regular rainfall forcing festivalgoers to temporarily seek cover, and the procession finished earlier than usual. But Monday’s event is expected to be dry and warm – and of course, 10 times livelier!

If you’re attending carnival today, share your thoughts, pictures or videos  @culturalexpose  on Twitter or info@theculturalexpose.co.uk. Look out for our carnival tips which we’ll be tweeting throughout the day. 

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