What To Do This Weekend 12.08.21
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LISTEN TO THIS NEW PODCAST:
Sista Sister
New from author Candice Braithwaite, Sista Sister is a podcast all about friendships, family, finances and everything in between. Each week Candice is joined by different guest to delve into the lessons they've learned the hard way, so you don't have to. Based on her bestselling book of the same name, recent guests have included journalist Pandora Sykes and author and money expert Otegha Uwagba. Our favourite? The episode with cook Rachel Ama is a must-listen, as the two delve deep into the complex issue of hair.
Listen here
DROP BY:
Cutter & Squidge’s All-Day Café
Situated in Soho, Cutter & Squidge’s central London store is set to reopen its doors again after a long closure and refurbishment programme. With a new design inside and out, Cutter & Squidge has transformed into a beautiful, cosy café and tearoom with a selection of homemade treats, bakes and classics. From its signature afternoon tea experience to freshly made specials, savoury bites, brunch and ‘fantasy’ drinks, the café will be open all day offering a selection of never-seen-before savoury and sweet treats.
20 Brewer Street, Soho, W1F 0SJ
Visit CutterAndSquidge.com
ESCAPE NORMALITY: W London's 'Advena' Island Experience
Luxe hotel W London has teamed up with artist Georgia Tucker to create ‘Advena’, a virtually immersive island getaway. A paradisal landscape of tropical fauna, colourful architecture, opalescent orbs and warm beaches, the Advena Island Escape integrates the virtual with the physical, creating a totally immersive experience through a mixture of projections and vinyl, brought to life through VR headsets. The installation creates the notion of ‘island life within the city’ and was conceptualised by Tucker when travel was put on hold during the pandemic. A multi-sensory experience, guests can also enjoy an exclusive dessert and cocktail after the virtual getaway, while those looking to fully immerse themselves within the world of Advena can opt for the full package, designed to be enjoyed from the comfort of the W’s luxury rooms and suites. Guests will be welcomed with cocktails and dessert, before being taken to their room where they will be greeted with a VR headset, soundscape, cocktails and sweet treats.
10 Wardour Street, Soho, W1D 6QF
Book your tickets here
VISIT THIS EXHIBITION:
David Hockney: The Arrival Of Spring, Normandy
Opening this weekend, this seminal exhibition captures David Hockney’s unfolding of spring – a series of pictures he put together on his iPad in praise of the natural world during lockdown. Throughout his career, Hockney has investigated new technologies and explored different ways to make art, beginning with his iPhone in 2007 before adopting the iPad and Stylus in 2010. This new body of work – 116 works in total – has been ‘painted’ on the iPad and then printed onto paper, with Hockney overseeing all aspects of production. As Hockney himself notes, working on the iPad requires the ability to draw and paint. Each work – which has been printed far larger than the screen on which it was created – allows you to see every mark and stroke of the artist’s hand. Opening exactly a year after the works were made during the global pandemic, this exhibition aims to be a reminder of the constant renewal and wonder of the natural world.
Royal Academy, Piccadilly, W1J 0BD
Visit RoyalAcademy.org.uk
BOOK AHEAD FOR:
The Hand & Flowers x Gusbourne Estate
Critically acclaimed English vineyard Gusbourne Estate has partnered with Tom Kerridge’s two-Michelin-starred pub, The Hand & Flowers, for an exclusive dining experience of seasonal ingredients, flavours and English wine. Bringing the glamour of a fine-dining experience to the beautiful surroundings of the Gusbourne Estate in rural Kent on Friday 27th August, The Hand & Flowers head chef Jamie May will be serving a special three-course menu of seasonal food overlooking the estate’s celebrated vines. All guests will be treated to an Gusbourne aperitif on arrival before taking a short stroll into the vineyard to soak up the atmosphere. The full menu is still under wraps, but will be available as a lunch package (£105pp) or dinner (£120pp).
Appledore, Ashford, TN26 2BE
Visit Gusbourne.com
TREAT YOURSELF: Harrods Hair & Beauty Salon
Harrods has opened the doors to its new hair and beauty salon, offering guests a serene and tranquil beauty space, with unrivalled access to exclusive treatments and ‘must-have’ products from some of the world’s most innovative beauty brands. Whether you’re looking for a fresh cut, colour and blow dry, or a next-level mani-pedi, Harrods’ expert stylists and technicians will leave you feeling your best. The salon marks the final phase of Harrods Knightsbridge’s beauty business transformation, led by Director of Beauty Annalise Fard, to become one of the world’s largest beauty destinations. That includes the transformation of the Harrods Beauty Halls, which now span an impressive 9,000sq m.
87-135 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, SW1X 7XL
Visit Harrods.com
PICK UP A NEW HOLIDAY READ: Heatwave by Victor Jestin
Leonard is an outsider, a 17-year-old uncomfortable in his own skin who is forced to endure a family camping holiday in the south of France. Tired of awkwardly creeping out of beach parties after only a couple of beers, he chooses to spend the final Friday night of the trip in bed. However, when he cannot sleep due to the sound of wild carousing outside his tent, he gets up and goes for a walk. As he wanders among the dunes, he sees Oscar, one of the cooler kids, drunk in a playground, hanging by his neck from the ropes of a swing. Frozen into inaction, he watches Oscar struggle to breathe until finally his body comes loose and falls lifeless to the ground. Unable to think straight, he buries Oscar in the sand and returns to the campsite where, oppressed by the ferocious heat and the weight of what he did and did not do, he will try to spend the remaining hours of the holiday as if nothing had happened. Told over the space of a long weekend, this intense and brilliant novel is the story of an adolescent struggling to fit in.
Available at Waterstones.com
ENJOY LUNCH OR DRINKS:
Bluebird Chelsea
Bluebird Chelsea on the King’s Road is continuing its summer celebrations with a slight French twist. The famous destination has partnered with French aperitif brand Lillet to create a spritz cocktail menu and floral installation for the duration of the summer. Bringing elements of the French riviera to the Chelsea bar and restaurant, the two have worked together to infuse plants, dried flowers and French twists into the quintessentially British venue and al fresco terrace. Guests will also be able to enjoy dishes such as gazpacho and burrata with nectarine, chilli, pine nuts and basil; baked seabass with fennel salad, aubergine puree, tomato and olive dressing; and lobster spaghetti with datterini tomatoes, chilli, parsley and garlic.
350 King's Road, Chelsea, SW3 5UU
Visit Bluebird-Restaurant.co.uk
TUNE IN TO WATCH: Don Giovanni
Don Giovanni is the ultimate seducer – but when he murders the father of one of his victims, he unleashes a power beyond his control. This weekend, the Royal Opera House will be live streaming its production of Don Giovanni – Mozart’s great opera of seduction, betrayal and retribution, featuring two of the theatre world’s biggest stars, Erwin Schrott and Adela Zaharia. Kasper Holten’s inventive and visually stunning production explores the creative and sensual appeal of one of opera’s most elusive protagonists, and the powerful effect he has on all who meet him. Tickets cost £13.33 per household.
Watch here
GET INTERACTIVE: Yofest
Yotel London, the innovative hotel for smart, tech-savvy travellers, has announced its August programme of summer events to keep guests and visitors entertained throughout the month. With a month full of interactive experiences and more, it’s encouraging guests to grab a drink and get lost in the tunes at Disco Aperitivo every Friday night, create your own cocktails with the help of East London Liquor’s cocktail masterclass or if you fancy something a bit more zen, treat yourself to a Sunday reset with resident yoga instructor, Alicia. Mark your diaries for 13th-20th August, when the hotel will join forces with the creative bartenders at the hotel’s Komyuniti bar to create some delicious, must-try cocktails, all of which start from just £6.50.
96-100 Clerkenwell Road, Clerkenwell, EC1M 5RJ
Visit Yotel.com
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