Thursday 30 August 2007

The Trafalgar Tavern (3/5)

I shan't give you all the hype you'd expect to hear about this place. Most of you know that it is possibly one of the oldest pubs in the area, that it commands the best location on this side of the River Thames is a no brainer, and that it has this element of history further enhanced with General Nelson's statue cutting a fine figure by its entrance. A picture beside the statue and voila you've got yourself free promotion on every tourist's photo package.

No I shan't elaborate on all that. Really. Because personally the allure of the place ends here for me. Part of the Inc group I am so disappointed at the standard of the place. Hygiene is at its worst. Most of the times you go there, the tables are sticky with someone else's ketchup or other grub you'd rather not come into contact with. The main hall, where the pub is, has a faint smell of urine to it (that's where the toilets are located) which makes you wish again for the smoke filled pub of not long ago.

We started our afternoon at the pub where not one single glass I ordered of wine arrived 'sans' fingerprints. It was incredible. At least you know they are quite well staffed judging by the variety of those prints. We later moved to the restaurant inside. I must admit the decor of the place takes a twist to the better here. Obviously someone there figured out that it would be a good idea to add some ambience to the place. The walls are heavily decorated with memorabilia and the views to the outside are unbeatable at any place in Greenwich. It could have been the scene outside, the candles, or even the wine but we were really starting to have a good time.

The service was quite efficient and our waiter was extremely nice and professional, the orders were taken promptly, and there were no delays. I had the fish and chips which was superb whereas my partner chose the steak which was not too great unfortunately. But all in all I must admit that we did have a wonderful time. Again the place has so much potential but is really left without a guiding hand which frankly is quite sad.

Saturday 25 August 2007

Gruffalo's Child Comes To Greenwich Theatre

One wild and windy night The Gruffalo's Child ignores her father's warning and tiptoes out into the snow. After all, the Big Bad Mouse doesn't really exist, does he?

Tall stories return bringing Julia Donaldson and Axel Sheffler's British Book Award 2005 winning sequel to life in a brand new magical, musical adaptation.

Tuesday 1:30pm & 4pm
Wed & Thurs. 11:30am & 2:30pm
Adults: £8.5m, children: £7, Groups 10+: all tickets £6

Greenwich Theatre, Crooms Hill, SE10 8ES, Box office, 020 8858 7755, http://www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk/



Spotting Sunspots at Greenwich Observatory

Who's it for?
Family (over-5s); Adults
Dates:
Saturday 25 & Sunday 26 August
Times:
11.30–14.30
Fee:
FREE
Event type:
Planetarium & Observatory
Booking:
Booking not required
Description:
Join volunteers from the Flamsteed Society, who will be running a 'Spotting Sunspots' solar viewing session on the Astronomer's Lawn, Royal Observatory Greenwich this weekend.


Visit the
Flamsteed Society website for more information.


La Boheme at Greenwich This Bank Holiday!


The Garden Opera Company presents Puccini's La Boheme in the open air, a play of romance, joie de vivre and heartbreak this Monday 27 August, 2007 at 3pm at The Old Royal Observatory Gardens, Greenwich Park, SE10. Tickets £15-£22. To book call Greenwich Theatre box office: 020 8858 7755. www.gardenopera.co.uk

Friday 24 August 2007

Greenwich Burgers to Restore the Cutty Sark!

The Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK) which has recently opened in Greenwich Village is reported to have been devastated and shocked when the famous Cutty Sark ship burned down that it instantly donated 500 pounds of its days earnings to the Cutty Sark restoration fund (applause for generosity).


Now GBK continues with its pledge to help out with the rebuilding of the vessel by donating 50p from the sale of every Kiwi Burger to the restoration fund of the Cutty Sark until the end of the project. This burger is made of 100% Aberdeen Angus Scotch beef, beetroot, egg, pineapple, cheese, salad and tomato relish. It may seem too much but we gave it a try at The Greenwich Gazette and our only comment is to have it on an empty stomach because it is as heavy as any burger can get but actually quite tasty in spite of its unlikely ingredients. For the calorie conscious this may not be the optimal choice but the things we have to do for a good cause! That said, we did wash it down with a diet coke.


The Cutty Sark website reports that the fire has added an extra ten million pounds to the Cutty Sark's restoration costs, so we're not sure how far 50p will go. So our headline may be a bit of an exaggeration! But in all honesty it is charitable acts like these that end up making the difference in the overall picture.


Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK) 45 Greenwich Church Street, Greenwich, London SE10 9BL, Telephone (020) 8858 3920 (Open Monday to Friday 12pm to 11pm, Saturday 11am to 11pm and Sunday 11am to 10pm).
Burger Cost: £7.65


Thursday 23 August 2007

Indian Summer at Canary Wharf

Today, Thursday 23, August, 2007:
August Jay Kumar's Dance Asia: Kumar is renowned as one of London's top Bollywood dance entertainers. The group will perform an energetic dance routine that even has a chance for the audience to participate in. (6-8pm, free), Cabot Square, Canary Wharf

Tomorrow: Friday 24 August, 2007
August Bollywood Grooves: The performers will execute a fast paced and exciting "Bollywood movie" style performance to the backdrop of Bollywood songs with influences from Folk to Jazz with some Dhol beats. (6-8pm, free), Cabot Square, Canary Wharf

Slavery Remembrance Day

What Is It?
Walks and talks for adults and children exploring the history of London's role in the slave trade.

Where?
Museum in Docklands, West India Quay, E14 4AL (0870 444 3855) www.museumindocklands.org.uk, West India Quay DLR


Wednesday 22 August 2007

The gDA Cabaret in September!

Greenwich Dance Agency, The Borough Hall, Royal Hill, Greenwich, London SE10 8RE
Box Office: 020 8293 9741

gDA
Greenwich Dance Agency

presents a new season of
The gDA Cabaret
its unique monthly cabaret event
Friday 14 September 2007
Doors: 7.30pm; Start: 8pm

Tickets: £15/£10 concs
Special offers:
Offer one: 10% off when you book a table of six
Offer two: £10 for Early Bird bookings (applicable up to three weeks prior to performance)

The gDA Cabaret is back! The new season kicks off with a typically varied and exciting bill including acrobatics, 20 tubas, a poetry-spouting Scottish Elvis, and some fantastic contemporary dance.

The gDA Cabaret is a unique addition to the dance world featuring an intriguing line-up of dance and performance acts, work-in-progress, excerpts and snippets: a place for the experimental and the tried-and-tested to dance together cheek-to-cheek. The event celebrates the social side of dance, and makes for a fantastic night out. Enjoy table service in the magnificent setting of the art deco Borough Hall, plus comedy introductions, and a line-up featuring artists and companies from the worlds of contemporary dance, acrobalance, film, breakdance and music.

The gDA Cabaret dates for 2007 are: Friday 12 October (a Black History Month special); Friday 9 November (Remember November theme), and Friday 7 December (xtra special exams extravaganza)

September’s Cabaret features:

Wendy Houstoun
Wendy creates work which exploits the tension between language and movement, and her work has been called both 'sophisticated and multi-layered' and 'hilarious and ludicrous'. She creates work in many formats (theatre, video, site specific) and is interested in communicating directly, honestly and with humour. A recent winner of the Jerwood Award, Wendy has made a number of solos: Haunted, Daunted and Flaunted, Happy Hour and The 48 Almost Love Lyrics all of which toured Europe, USA and Australia. She has collaborated with artists: David Hinton (filmmaker), Tim Etchells (writer), Jonathan Burrows (dancer), John Avery (musician) and recently with performers: Narelle Benjamin, Julie- Anne Long, Brian Carbee and Michael Whaites on a new piece In The Dark which premiered in Sydney this year.

Bedlam Dance Company
Under the direction of Jerwood award winner Yael Flexer, Bedlam Dance Company has been creating critically acclaimed contemporary dance for the past 11 years. Originally formed by Yael as Choreographer in Residence at The Place Theatre, the company has gained a considerable reputation for producing work that is honest, humorous and human as well as technically sophisticated. Bedlam values a rigorous and democratic approach to collaboration with performers and artists of other disciplines, fusing idiosyncratic movement, contemporary music and new technology.

Array/Darren Johnston
Darren Johnston is a choreographer, performer, sound and video artist whose distinct, whose innovative productions have won him wide recognition across Europe and beyond. He is founder and Artistic Director of Array.

So & So Circus Theatre
So & So is Lauren Hendry and Kaveh Rahnama, recent graduates of Circus Space. Described as ‘daring and dramatic’ by The Stage, and ‘outstanding’ by The Observer, So & So specialises in using theatre and circus to create highly visual, acrobatic pieces. Its first full length show, The Hot Dots, will premiere at Hoxton Hall in December, and tonight you can catch a preview of the piece featuring two characters from the world of 1930’s Vaudeville.

Elvis McGonagall
Stand-up poet, armchair revolutionary and recumbent rocker, Elvis McGonagall is the sole resident of The Graceland Caravan Park somewhere near Dundee where he scribbles verse whilst drinking malt whisky, listening to Johnny Cash and throwing heavy objects at his portable telly. Elvis is the 2006 World Slam Champion, the compere of the notorious Blue Suede Sporran Club, and is one of the poets occasionally in residence on BBC Radio 4’s Saturday Live.

Oren Marshall
Dubbed ‘the Jimi Hendrix of the tuba’ by The Guardian, Oren Marshall is a pioneering player of acoustic and electric tuba who, crossing between classical, jazz, improvised and world music, has collaborated with the likes of Derek Bailey, Keith Tippet, the Pan-African Orchestra and the London Philharmonic. Oren was a member of the seminal 1980's jazz collective Loose Tubes, as well as outfits such as London Brass, Jazz Warriors, Microgroove and Mervyn Africa’s band. Tonight he assembles a cast of 20 tuba players.

Shabari Rao
Shabari completed her undergraduate degree in Kathak and Choreography in India before gaining a Professional Diploma in Dance Studies from Laban. She worked with Natya-STEM, a South-Asian contemporary and classical company from 1999 to 2004 and since has been involved with creating and performing for independent dance projects.

gDA
Since its inception in 1993, Greenwich Dance Agency (gDA) has built an international reputation for quality and innovation. Based in the historic former Borough Hall, gDA is a meeting place for professional dance artists and the local community. gDA hosts and produces a vast array of activities from cutting edge contemporary dance events to a comprehensive programme of youth projects, tea dances, classes and courses. gDA also provides activities such as school dance clubs, youth collectives and chair-based movement sessions for older people in a range of other venues throughout the borough. gDA's extensive professional development programme for dance is recognised as one of the most important and valued resources for emerging and established artists in this country. Many of the UK's brightest choreographic talents - amongst them Michael Clark, Akram Khan, Jonathan Burrows, Fin Walker, and Russell Maliphant - have chosen gDA as their rehearsal and research base for creating new work.

gDA’s director, Brendan Keaney, was presented with the prestigious Dance UK Industry Award at the 2005 National Dance Awards, held at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in January 2006. The Dance UK Industry Award honours an individual working in dance who has made an outstanding contribution to the art form beyond the scope of their usual role. This special award aims to highlight the many important but often unacknowledged contributions that make a real difference to how dance is created, supported and seen.

gDA is funded by Greenwich Council and Arts Council England.


Press enquiries to: Helen Maleed
tel/fax: 020 7732 4624 mobile: 07986 235 855


Tuesday 21 August 2007

My Summer Break: Embracing Bad Weather!

by Whimsy ChiChi

Well, some summer holiday that was! A sunless, rainy, and cloudy one. However, I shall not be the one to point out the ridiculousness of the forecasts as Diamond Geezer has done it so brilliantly (I can't possibly top that even if I tried, so I won't). Yes, I spent my holidays here at home, on lovely UK soil. And I loved every minute of it. Here's a list why a holiday at home made me feel wonderful (attention: the following rationale could be upsetting to some -- you have been warned):


1. Knowing some of my friends (and those I don't like) were rushing to work while I slept in and on.
2. Knowing that I didn't have to struggle with what to wear to work in this horrible summer weather.
3. Bad Hair Day? No mascara? No knickers? who cares ... I was on a break.
4. Meeting my mates for a drink after their day at work and having a bit too much because I could sleep it off next day (better yet, I could start the drinks earlier ... I was on a break).
5. Playing the tourist (I was Italian this time!)
6. Catching up on my favorite shows and watching day time TV (It is absolutely amazing how many DIY shows there are out there and by the way, The Clothes Show 2 is on each morning at ten on UKTVstyle.
7. Food shopping on weekday mornings is divine.


Coloured Lights At Greenwich Playhouse

Director Tim McArthur brings to the stage a night of passion, drama, romance and fun with songs from Chicago, Cabaret, The Rink and Kiss of the Spiderwoman plus more unusual repertoire.


21 August - 9 September 2007
Tickets: £11, (£9 concs)
Box Office: 020 8858 9256


Greenwich Playhouse, Greenwich Station Forecourt, 189 Greenwich High Road, SE10 8JA (www.galleontheatre.co.uk)

Tuesday 14 August 2007

Summer Break!

Well, The Greenwich Gazette is taking its summer holiday. We're off to do things here and there. But I've left you all with a few events that are coming up this week. See you back here on Tuesday 21 August, 2007!

Will bring back tales of my travels. Maybe!

The Greenwich Gazette Guide to Events This Week:

Wednesday 15 August, 2007:

Docklands Old & New: Family walk explores Docklands and its buildings. For families with 6 year olds. 11am, 1:15pm. Advance booking essential. (0870 444 3855)

Thursday 16 & Friday 17 August, 2007:

Indian Summer at Canary Wharf: 6-8pm. Free event: Angel Dance Academy have dazzled audiences around the world with their exotic Bollywood dance moves. Routines include a mix of Eastern and Western steps, perfectly integrated and stunningly produced. Angel Dancers have appeared on stage, TV and in films including Bend It Like Beckham and Bride and Prejudice(Thursday) and August Bollywood Grooves who will execute their wonderfully fast paced and exciting "Bollywood movie' style performance to the backdrop of Bollywood songs with influences ranging from Folk to jazz with some fantastic Dhol beasts. (Friday). For more go to www.canarywharf.com

Saturday 18, August, 2007:

Jacobean Cosmetics and Make-Up Workshop, Charlton House, SE7: 10am-11:30am and 12noon - 1:30pm. Come along to this lively workshop and find out what was used 400 years ago. Recreate the 17th Century face for yourself using safe modern products. (020 8856 3951)

Sunday 19 August, 2007:
Invicta Concert Band: 2-3:15pm and 3:45-5pm. Bandstand at Greenwich Park.

Monday 20, August, 2007:
Pekko's Puppets at playground at Greenwich Park: Performances at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm.


Friday 10 August 2007

The Greenwich Gazette WeekEnd Guide

Saturday August 11, 2007

Market at Cutty Sark Gardens: See here.

Pirates at Greenwich: Activities, themed trails & performances. 11am - 3pm. For ages 5+. Free. Painted Hall, Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, SE10.

Ruffs & Cuffs Workshop: Find out about the clothes worn by the people who lived in Charlton House in 1600s. Create your own Jacobean 'look'. For accompanied children of all ages. 10am - 11:30am & noon - 1:30pm. Free. Charlton House, SE7, (020 8856 3951)

Meet Grace O'Malley: Twice widowed, twice imprisoned, condemned for piracy but finally pardoned in Greenwich by Queen Elizabeth I. Hear about her exploits and life on the ocean. Suitable for all the family. Free. Noon, 1pm, 2:30pm, 3:30pm. Painted Hall, Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, SE10.

Yoruba Festival: Royal Arsenal Gardens. 12 - 9pm. Food, music and culture showcase. (www.yorubafestival.co.uk)

Hospice Garden Party: Cream tea & live music in tranquil setting. 12 noon - 6pm. 6pounds in advance only. Greenwich & Bexley Cottage Hospice, 185 Bostall Hill, Abbey Wood, SE2. Tickets : 020 8312 2244 or email: appeals@gbch.org.uk

Greenwich Playhouse: Nest of Evil (until August 19). Greenwich Station Forecourt, 189 Greenwich High Road, (020 8858 9256). boxoffice@galleontheatre.co.uk

Sunday August 12, 2007

Military Games Fair: Firepower, the Royal Artillery Exhibition, is hosting the Military War Games Fair which will feature traders, artillery displays, games and memorabilia. There is also the chance to look around the Firepower permanent museum, which tells the story of artillery, scientific discoveries made through warfare and human stories of courage and endeavour. Firepower, The Royal Artillery Museum, Woolwich, SE18 (www.firepower.org.uk).

Greenwich Park: Suffolk Phoenix Concert Band: The Bandstand, 2pm-3pm & 3:45pm - 5pm. Greenwich Park, SE10.

Tilda Jerk Cookout Festival: In association with The Write Thing. Sample the finest jerk in South London from the competing stalls. Listen to salsa. 2pm -6pm. Free. The Bandstand in the gardens of Honiman Museum, 100 London Road, Forest Hill, SE23 (020 8699 1872).


Greenwich: Art & Craft Stalls At Cutty Sark Gardens Start This Weekend

Arts and crafts traders will showcase their wares at a new market in Greenwich this summer. The specialist markets will be open on weekends in Cutty Sark Gardens from August 11. Stalls will be up for business from 11am - 6pm each weekend until early September.

The markets have been organized by Greenwich Town Centre Management in partnership with Greenwich Space Management, and will be an added attraction to the covered market which will open as usual.

While shopping, you'll also be entertained by a host of performers. This Saturday (August 12), they'll be free entertainment to keep children amused including face painting and a puppet show, followed by a craft workshop on Sunday (August 13).

Follows is the program of events to look out for:

Weekend of August 18 & 19: Entertainment Market: dancing demonstrations by the Manor Majorette Youth Dance Troupe and the Divine Steel Band along with the sounds of the Samba Corvocado Music Group.

Bank Holiday Weekend (August 26-28): Children's face painters, crafts and workshops for children (free) and various dance demonstrations.


Weekend of September 1 & 2: Local artists' market displaying work from the Blackheath Arts Group and the Greenwich Arts Collective.



Thursday 9 August 2007

Greenwich Today: Fancy A Ghost Exhibition?

Ghost, an exhibition of photographs and hand made books by Keiko Yamamoto, launches today and carries on until September 8 at the Viewfinder Photography Gallery. Mon-Fri 9am - 5pm. Sat & Sun: 12 noon - 4pm.

Viewfinder Photography Gallery, Linear House, Peyton Place, Greenwich, SE10. (020 8858 8351) or visit www.viewfinder.org.uk


Wednesday 8 August 2007

St Alfege Church Recitals & Concerts For August

Thursday 9 August

Catherine Leonard (piano): 1:10pm. Free.

Saturday 11 August

Aquilo Trio (flute, clarinet, piano): 1:10pm. Free.

Location: St. Alfege Church, Church Street, Greenwich, SE10

Tuesday 7 August 2007

Dance Umbrella 2007: Mark Your Calendar for October!



Greenwich Dance Agency, The Borough Hall, Royal Hill, Greenwich, London SE10 8REBox Office: 020 8293 9741

gDA

Greenwich Dance Agency

gDA presents the UK premiere of

Andreja Rauch’s

Weavers

part of Dance Umbrella 2007

Thursday 25, Friday 26 and Saturday 27 October 2007

7.45pm £12/£9 concs

Meet the Artist: Friday 26 October; free to ticket holders after the performance.

In its ninth year of collaboration, gDA and Dance Umbrella host another unique event in the Borough Hall. This year, award-winning young Slovenian artist Andreja Rauch stages the UK premiere of Weavers, a creative mix of installation art, film and dance. Five dancers, four stories, two spaces... bound together like the warp and weft of a carpet.

This atmospheric and subtle performance begins its narrative in the heady heights of the Borough Hall balcony with a short film featuring Andreja and British-based dancer, Henry Montes (a mainstay of Siobhan Davies Dance). Then, guided to the main performance space, the audience is immersed in the action and surrounded by the choreography. Andreja and her dancers subtly weave together the four stories with gentle, mesmerising movement.

Andreja Rauch has been a regular Dance Umbrella performer with Charles Linehan Company. Trained at the London Contemporary Dance School, this Slovenian-born dancer/choreographer has been a notable presence in such Linehan pieces as Grand Junction, New Quartet and Happy Days. She now makes her Dance Umbrella choreographic debut with Weavers, which earlier this year won a special jury prize at the Gibanica - Moving Cake Festival in Ljubljana. According to journalist Donald Hutera: ‘In terms of performance, Rauch has been one of the best reasons to watch British dance during the past five years or so’.

gDA
Since its inception in 1993, Greenwich Dance Agency (gDA) has built an international reputation for quality and innovation. Based in the historic former Borough Hall, gDA is a meeting place for professional dance artists and the local community. gDA hosts and produces a vast array of activities from cutting edge contemporary dance events to a comprehensive programme of youth projects, tea dances, classes and courses. gDA also provides activities such as school dance clubs, youth collectives and chair-based movement sessions for older people in a range of other venues throughout the borough. gDA's extensive professional development programme for dance is recognised as one of the most important and valued resources for emerging and established artists in this country. Many of the UK's brightest choreographic talents - amongst them Michael Clark, Akram Khan, Jonathan Burrows, Fin Walker, and Russell Maliphant - have chosen gDA as their rehearsal and research base for creating new work.

gDA’s director, Brendan Keaney, was presented with the prestigious Dance UK Industry Award at the 2005 National Dance Awards, held at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in January 2006. The Dance UK Industry Award honours an individual working in dance who has made an outstanding contribution to the art form beyond the scope of their usual role. This special award aims to highlight the many important but often unacknowledged contributions that make a real difference to how dance is created, supported and seen.

gDA is funded by Greenwich Council and Arts Council England.

Dance Umbrella

Dance Umbrella celebrates and champions contemporary dance and is dedicated to the development of choreography, choreographers and dancers; it has been doing this successfully since 1978. Dance Umbrella’s annual London festival now ranks highly among Europe’s leading international dance festivals and the organisation is recognised as one of Britain’s most adventurous dance promoters presenting a year round programme of work in and across the UK.



Review tickets available on request

press enquiries to: Helen Maleed


tel/fax: 020 7732 4624 mobile: 07986 235 855email:
helen@greendesk.demon.co.uk

Monday 6 August 2007

Free Kiddie Fun Starts at Greenwich Park Today

The Event: Gingercat Productions offer park and garden themed drama, storytelling, games and arts and crafts.

Price: Free.

Place: Greenwich Park Playground.

Dates & Times: Monday 6 August - Friday 10 August, 2007/ 12noon - 3:30pm

Contact: 020 7298 2006 or 020 7298 5298


Friday 3 August 2007

The Circus Comes To Canary Wharf!





Why you should make an effort to go to Canary Wharf International Clown Week Festivities this weekend (see here):

1. Lots & lots of games for the kids with very very cool prizes (we are the proud owners of a cool looking Hulk!)
(the games are FREE).


2. The kids juggle, spin plates, and get to do a lot more with really friendly clowns and very talented acrobats.
(participation is FREE).


3. An insane amount of candyfloss and popcorn up for grabs.
(eat as much as you want and it's all FREE).


4. Balloons in all shapes, sizes and models.
(FREE throughout retail malls).


5. Crazy mirrors that make you laugh (and maybe weep).
(emotional roller coaster comes FREE).


6. Face painting
(you guessed it, that's FREE as well).

And Finally...

It makes the kids happy and that's PRICELESS!


The Greenwich Gazette WeekEnd Guide!

Saturday 4 August & Sunday 5 August 2007

The Michelob ULTRA London Triathlon. Open to all levels & 15-16 year olds with Super Spring, Spring & Team races on Saturday and Olympic & Elite racing on Sunday. 80,000 pound prize fund. Free to spectators. Royal Victoria Dock, E16. Info: 020 7559 2929. Also the Michelob ULTRA London Triathlon Expo. Over 60 exhibitors representing the health and fitness industry, interactive features plus seminars and talks. Free. ExCel London, 1 Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, E16. Info: 020 7654 0604. (www.thelondontriathlon.com).

A Midsummer Night's Dream: The perfect introduction for children to Shakespeare. Part of Rainbow Shakespeare season at Royal Observatory Gardens. Bring a picnic, rug and chairs and come and enjoy the show (no glass or metal utensils/cutlery). Tickets: adults 15 pounds, Under 16s: 7 pounds. Matinees on Saturday only at 2pm. Evening performance for Saturday and Sunday stars at 6:30pm. Gates open at 5:30pm for picnics. Tickets at Greenwich Theatre or at the gate from 5:30pm for evenings and 1pm for matinees. (www.rainbow-theatre.com).

Summer fun at Canary Wharf for International Clown Week. Click here for details.

Saturday 4 August, 2007

Summer Fun at Greenwich Heritage Centre: summer activities are lined up for 5 - 12 year olds. Celtic art and jewellery is the focus. 10:30am - noon. Free. Greenwich Heritage Centre, Artillery Square, Royal Arsenal, SE18 (020 8854 2452).

Saturday Family Fun at Royal Naval College: 11am - 3pm: throughout August families are invited to drop in to the Painted Hall for free activities, trails and character performances themed each weekend. This week it will be Nasty Naval Day. 020 8269 4799

Sunday 5 August, 2007

Greenwich Park: Fulham Concert band. 2pm; 3:45pm. Free. Bandstand, Greenwich Park, SE10

Thursday 2 August 2007

3 Days of Free Children's Summer Fun At Canary Wharf

To celebrate the summer holidays and International Clown Week, Canary Wharf will be hosting Children's Circus Activities on the 3rd ,4th and 5th of August. There will be various circus themed activities for children and entertainment from performers from the circus. Performers include clowns, magicians, jugglers, unicyclists and an acrobatic duo!


Children eager to get involved are invited to learn all the skills of the circus in workshops where they will be able to try their hand at step stilt walking, juggling and Diablo throwing. There will also be free balloon, popcorn and candyfloss giveaways.


Activities will take place daily throughout Canary Wharf’s shopping malls from 11am – 4pm and are all FREE. For more info, go to
www.canarywharf.com

Sailor Chic!

The print of a nautical Ballet costume 1887 / The 'Pirate' Outfit, Vivienne Westwood, 1980

For those interested in fashion, Sailor Chic at the National Maritime is a must-see. But only if you're fond of fashion. The entrance fee of 5 pounds may not seem too much but if you're expecting to see a whole lot of items of clothing on display then you'll be disappointed but if you're there out of a passion to see pieces by some of the most famous houses of fashion then you'll feel right at home and totally grateful.

At the door you're handed a very stylish guide explaining that the popularity of 'sailor style' can be traced back to the royal family in the mid 19th century, who inspired a trend that soon permeated the British male and female wardrobe and was imitated everywhere. Its influence continued to re-emerge in art and advertising, on stage and cinema screen, the catwalk and the high street up to the present day.

As you enter, you see a display of various garments from the conservative (even stuffy) to the beautiful but impractical to the downright modern, trendy and eccentric One of the items, a bathing costume with a nautical style, dating back to about 1900 is absolutely impractical. Made out of wool it would have been wretchedly heavy when wet. Other items include a sailor style hat that belonged to the celebrated British ballerina Dame Margot Fonteyn (1919-1991), a 'Pirate' outfit by Vivienne Westwood (1981), even an outfit worn by Adam Ant in 1982 for his debut solo single "Goody Two Shoes" amongst other items by Yves Saint Laurent (apparently the Godfather of the nautical look on the catwalk). His famous jacket with anchor embellished buttons (1966) continues to be a classic look to this day.

The blue and white striped sweater has its origins among 18th century Breton fishermen. This look was popularized in the 1920s by the French designer Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel.

To be honest, I was happy that I'd visited. I've always been keen on fashion and not being the expert, I had never really given the nautical look much thought. I always thought of it as just blue and white striped T-shirts to be avoided if you were slightly overweight as they made you seem even wider. However, I can now declare that there is more to the look than just the stripes. It's more about flair now, easy dressing, and lots and lots of embellishment (think gold buttons, anchor prints, gold chains, and pirate attire in general). It's all about drama baby.

The new Sailor style outfit, 2006 (Antonio Marras for KENZO). Note the striped jersey and blazer, the pom-pom cap worn by French sailors, wide-legged trousers, and stylized anchor buttons. Designers have translated the once serviceable working clothing into luxurious haute couture.

The gallery hosts a large screen that runs various runway shows that carry the nautical theme. The music that accompanies is reminiscent of World War London as the nautical look took on a more patriotic connotation. It was lovely sitting in the darkened gallery and watching clip after clip (some in black and white) of events and people long ago.

The show runs until December 2. For more, click here.


Wednesday 1 August 2007

Our Picnic at the Thames Barrier Park

By Whimsy ChiChi

The Thames Barrier is a likely place to visit particularly if you live in the area. I had never been there and after clicking into their official website I came upon the Thames Barrier Park. The site promised "stunning views" and a park that was "A jewel in the crown of London's parks", "An excellent children's play area", "5 a side football/basketball court", "Great places to picnic and play", and the ultimate highlight: "A fountain plaza where 32 jets spring from the ground to provide a cooling and entertaining delight for children to splash and play". With promises like that, our party of 3 adults and six children set off.

The Green Dock (the Thames Barrier is visible in the horizon)


To get there you take the DLR from the Cutty Sark to Westferry where you hop onto another DLR that is bound for King George V (a 20 minute journey in total). You want to get off at Pontoon Dock where as soon as you walk out of the parking lot you come across the Green Dock, where supposedly if you want to train for the 2012 Olympics is the place you should be as a complete circuit of the boundary paths totals 1 km. At the start and finish of your trek you get to lounge on the deck of the Visitor Pavilion Coffee Shop. This we found to be useful for two reasons: our java fix and the toilets (they could do with more maintenance). There are no other toilets on the premises. You have been warned. But the coffees were freshly brewed and wonderful. You could keep the kids happy with a whole range of cakes, biscuits and ice creams as well.

Anyway, we checked where the play area and the water jets were to be located and tucked away our cameras as the sign read that filming was prohibited anywhere near there unless by consent of management. Great we thought, well-organized. Off we went only to find to our amazement that the fountains were no longer there. They had been vandalized some time back (according to our source from the coffee house) and they since removed them but she wasn't sure whether they were being repaired or were gone for good. That was our first disappointment of the day. The day was still young though and there were to be a few more surprises up ahead.

The Thames Barrier

After appeasing the kids, we assured them that all would be OK and promised them the joys that awaited them at the "excellent play area". On the way there, I must credit the park's architects. The landscaping had been done by renowned International horticulturalist Alain Cousseran and Alain Provost who had selected colourful flowers and shrubs in a spectrum of tints, shades and shapes creating a climate infused with an abundance of butterflies and crickets (they provided background music for our picnic all day). The kids were highly amused by it all and spent a good time searching the shrubs for a glimpse of them. Things were looking a lot better until we were hit with the next discovery. The playground was shut for renovations.

Now it was the adults' turn to be furious. We all have our limits. But we had promised the kids so much and so far we hadn't delivered a single one of those promises. We just couldn't explain to them that it would all have been avoidable had the park's management posted something on their website. Anything! But you just can't explain anything really when you've got a bunch of kids who've been wound up to expect something and then don't get it. Add to that the fact they were getting hungry and tired from their trek. So we laid out the picnic, and things just got better from there.

The view from our picnic site of the Thames Barrier.

We picnicked on the lawn facing the Thames Barrier and very close to the Thames Barrier Walk. The view is stunning, relaxing and the sci-fi look of the barrier itself is enough to spark any imagination. The Children took turns guessing what it was all for until my Junior brought all their wondering to a halt by stating the simple fact that they were from space and that they were brought by aliens (for those of you worried about our children's education we did eventually tell them what the barrier was for but they still preferred the alien theory).

In all, the day was not a loss. The playground did finally open its doors and the kids played on the roundabout and slides but the swings were off limits as they had some digging being done around them. The football area remained shut as well. But the kids still managed to throw a ball around in the picnic area, so our tip would be to bring a ball, a Frisbee and possibly some bubbles for the kids, and when they're bored with that have them look at the water, roll down the grass slopes and chase the butterflies. If all else fails, there's nothing like an old game of hide and seek behind the trees.

What you realize is that it really doesn't take a lot to please the children. It's just giving them the space and freedom and just sit back and watch how creative and imaginative they can all be. It always helps to pack enough food to go around (A hungry kid is a nightmare simply put). But our trip was fine in the end and we did get to go somewhere we hadn't been to before. As for the park being a "jewel', it leaves us wondering what type of jewel they had been referring to in their ad.

Adult DLR return ticket (zone 2 & 3): 3 pounds.
Coffee: 1.5 pounds.
Thames Barrier Park website: http://www.thamesbarrierpark.org.uk/