What To Do This Weekend 16.01.21

ENJOY A CONFIDENCE BOOST, COURTESY OF: Speak Your Truth by Fearne Cotton

Whether it's through television, radio or on her Happy Place podcast, beloved presenter Fearne Cotton has made a career out of her voice. So, when her doctor told her she was at risk of needing a throat operation followed by two weeks of being unable to speak, she found herself facing a period of unexpected contemplation. As she considered what silence would mean, Fearne began to think about other times her voice had gone unheard – as a young woman, as 'just the talent', as the foil to louder, more dominant figures. She found herself wondering, at what point do we internalise this message, and start silencing ourselves? When do we swallow down our authentic words to become pleasers and compromisers at the cost of our own happiness or wellbeing? This new release dives into all the ways we learn to stay quiet for the wrong reasons, and explores how to find your voice, assert yourself and speak out with confidence.

Available at Waterstones.com

TUCK INTO SOME DELICIOUS FOOD WITH: Hide At Home

If you’re lucky enough to live within a seven-mile radius of famed London eatery Hide, it’s well worth checking out its at-home dining service, Hide At Home. With the options changing relative to the availability of fresh, small batch ingredients, we have it on good authority that the weekend set menus are well worth the money. This weekend’s menu includes a celeriac salad to start, barbecued pork for the main and Yorkshire rhubarb crumble to finish. If you fancy it, head chef Ollie Dabbous has suggested a range of wine and champagne to accompany the meal, all of which can be purchased for an additional fee. Alternatively, check out the restaurant’s hideaway packages, which act like a breakfast or working lunch subscription, which can be ordered in advanced and delivered to your home while we’re all WFH.

Visit Hide.co.uk

ENJOY AN ONLINE NIGHT OUT WITH: Sherlock Holmes: An Online Adventure

The home secretary, foreign secretary and the Lord Chamberlain have all been found hanging, in their own chambers. Each victim died on their birthday, and on that day had received a card with a mysterious quote written in it. But what does this mean? Where’s Sherlock? And what will you do next with 75 minutes left to solve the case before the murderer strikes again? Due to popular demand, Les Enfants Terribles’ new Sherlock Holmes immersive online adventure, ‘The Case of the Hung Parliament’, has been extended until the beginning of March 2021. That means you have a further three weeks to enjoy an innovative online experience that blurs the lines between theatre, gaming, escape rooms and board games. In collaboration with virtual reality company LIVR and suitable for anyone aged 12 or over, audiences are invited to follow in the footsteps of the great detective himself as they encounter live actor performances, immersive 360° technology and more than 100 clues to discover and solve.

Buy your tickets here

BAG A FRONT ROW SEAT TO: The Royal Ballet’s Alice in Wonderland

At a garden party on a sunny afternoon, Alice is surprised to see her parents’ friend Lewis Carroll transform into a white rabbit. When she follows him down a rabbit hole, events become curiouser and curiouser… Available to stream until 21st January, global audiences can enjoy this acclaimed ballet production of Christopher Wheeldon’s lively Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland for just £3. Transporting audiences into the world of Carroll’s characters, including a tap-dancing Mad Hatter and a comically wicked Queen of Hearts, the show is packed with clever choreography – from the memorable croquet scene, complete with flamingos and hedgehogs, to a parody of the Rose Adage from The Sleeping Beauty. Family entertainment at its best. 

Visit ROH.org.uk

TUNE INTO A COMPELLING PODCAST: Death of a Starlet

In August of 1980, Playboy playmate Dorothy Stratten was found dead at just 20 years old. She was the girl next door with the shy smile and whispery voice who didn’t know her own beauty. Hugh Hefner called her the next Marilyn Monroe. She was the muse to famed director Peter Bogdonovich. To her husband, Paul Snider, she was his ticket to fame and fortune. All three ambitious men adored her. Only one of them murdered her. How did Dorothy’s Hollywood dreams lead to her death? A new series from podcast maestros Wondery, Death of a Starlet is a tale of love sex and wonder. We suggest you add it to your playlist – stat – and use this weekend to binge the lot.

Listen here

HELP THE KIDS STAY ENGAGED WITH: Science Museum

To ensure youngsters remain curious during a new lockdown – and while the museum’s doors have been forced to close – London’s Science Museum is bringing a variety of resources right to your home, with a wealth of digital content on offer. The free learning resources offer a host of fun and educational activities for home-schooling parents and carers, teachers, and children to learn on their own, with activities ranging from science experiments using ingredients from the kitchen cupboard, to arts and craft activities including making your own periscope and pinball machine. The Science Museum has also joined forces with BBC Bitesize Daily to bring the thrills of science into living rooms across the country – whether it be making instant ice-cream to using water to defy the laws of gravity, and spectacular demonstrations from the Science Museum’s Wonderlab: The Equinor Gallery. Meanwhile a range of free games and apps have been designed to encourage children to think like a scientist, with the newest addition – My Robot Mission AR – being a fun skills-building app created in partnership with Factory 42, where budding engineers can use augmented reality to build their own robot to help overcome future world problems, all within the backdrop of their home or back garden. 

Visit ScienceMuseum.org.uk

STICK TO THE DIET WITH: Vegan Dough Co

Vegan Dough Co has launched restaurant kits – all of which are available for nationwide delivery, allowing pizza lovers across the nation to enjoy a healthier take on a classic from the comfort of their own home. Originally created in London in 2019 to prove to the world that ‘vegan’ and ‘delicious’ can go hand in hand, grabbing a slice of the brand’s signature vegan pizza during lockdown had been impossible – until now. Choose from two different options; the ‘Godfather’ pizza comes complete with spicy vegan nduja, broccolini and green olives on top of a rich tomato sauce, melted vegan mozzarella and a soft and doughy base; while the ‘Mistletoe’ pizza comes with a creamy alfredo sauce paired with a sweet and tangy cranberry sauce, melted vegan mozzarella, shaved brussels sprouts, acorn squash and shiitake crisps on top. 

Available to order here