iPad is Here!

Apple's iPad has officially gone on sale this morning at the Regent Street store. Wandering down Regents Street on my way to work I was confronted with large patient queuing crowds snaking up around the corner into Hanover Square, lots of crowd barriers blocking the pavement complete with high visibility security guards and even more media snappers camped out the front! A lot of opportunistic app sellers were also advertising their wears in a range of creative outfits and vehicles loitering in the area.

All the people went crazy for the one person patient enough to queue for days to be the first to claim London's first iPad. Stephen Fry a self confessed Apple geek was one of the first celebs to emerge with the iPad thrust thriumpantly into the air!

I am sure the crowds may even grow throughout the day might have a wander past at lunch...

Read more...

London Marathon Sunday 25 April 2010

Read more...

#288 Grab a 3am bagel at the Brick Lane Beigel Bake

The perfect bagel topped with slabs of steaming salted beef with a mustard kick! Apparently the smoked salmon and cream cheese aren't bad either.

Perfect for any time of day or night. I have dragged countless visitors to this east London institution on Sunday morning and it never fails to hit the spot despite the queue that is often out the door.

Don't forget to grab a dozen for the road and bagel goodness through the week!

Read more...

#284 Sit in the Great Court at the British Museum & #553 Do the London Museum in your lunchbreak

On Saturday I entered the strange and mysterious world of Harry Jogger!

Virgin have taken over the organisation and sponsorship of this year's London Marathon and were hosting a Marathon day for Virgins - first time marathon runners.

It included tips on training, staying injury free, nutrition and how to get to the start line. While moments were a bit repetitive the general mood was lightened by a Harry Potter knock-off theme with Harry Jogger and Ron Walkersey providing the slapstick. It provided some invaluable pointers.

The talks being based just off Russell Sqaure gave the perfect opportunity to nip out to lunch to the British Museum.

The entrance features the largest enclosed courtyard in Europe designed by Fosters and Partners it is supposedly made up of 3,300 separate tiles. A quick bite to eat in the Great Court restaurant while watching the tourists hurridly scurry around was a surprisingly relaxing respite from a morning of listening about jogging.

A quick stroll through the Room of Enlightenment - the former home of the library of King George III. Numerous objects on display revealing the ways in which collectors, antiquaries and travellers during this great age of discovery - 1680 to 1820 - saw the world.

British Museum is well worth the price of admission - free.

Read more...

#834 Blog London

Done. Well a work in progress...

Read more...

#860 Sit between Churchill and Roosevelt

Read more...

#54 Have a drink at the Library Bar

Darling should I take the Bentley, the Porsche or the Number 16 bus?

The Five star Lanesborough Hotel at Hyde Park Corner is not a venue to be taken lightly. Upon arriving in the foyer we were instantly besieged by a sea of tuxedos and ball gowns. Immediately feeling underdressed and out of our depth we scarped through to the Library bar to meet some friends for a pre dinner drink.

The wood paneled bar is offset by exquisite table lamps, burgundy leather armchairs and walls laden with leather bound books. A waiter in a white tuxedo showed us to our table happily tucked away in a corner near the flickering fire and opposite the resident pianist.

The Library Bar, reminiscent of the gentlemen’s haunts of a bygone era, is like stepping into a world in which you do not belong but which is utterly fascinating to catch a glimpse. We found ourselves whispering in hushed tones to avoid being noticed or seeming out of place and were reluctant to drag out our anachronistic mobile phones vibrating with the standard string of Saturday night sms.

The menu arrived in an old library book along with a complimentary tower of nibbles. I had a mild panic that the first bottle of wine I laid eyes on was £1250 but recovered to find the cocktails were a more reasonable £12.50.

After the first few sips of my martini the formality and the furnishings started to fade into the background and we settled into our normal banter enjoying the ambiance and atmosphere of what remains one of the finest bars in London.

Read more...