The Time Out London blog
Your up-to-the-minute guide to London life, news, culture, pop-ups, and openings
'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' first preview: your reactions
Last night was the first preview of the long-awaited 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' west end play. Well, the first part, at least. We went down and...
There's a singing hologram at Holborn station trying to enforce the 'stand on the left' rule
A video posted by Simon (@simonbenhaus) on Apr 18, 2016 at 6:26am PDT TfL is now well into its controversial six-month standing-only escalator...
Instagrammer Kristina Kashtanova chooses her five favourite photos of London
Kristina Kashtanova, aka Instagram’s icreatelife, has been photographing London for the last five years. The Russian-born photographer describes her work ‘as...
Six FREE things to do in London this week
Put your money away! Here are the week’s best free events Yayoi Kusama So big it’s across two sites – Victoria Miro galleries on Wharf Road in Old Street...
In pictures: the 2016 Serpentine Gallery Pavilion is now open
We know what you're thinking and you’re right: a pavilion is not a very very big number. It’s actually a kind of building. And the Serpentine Gallery picks a...
High rollers: soon you'll be able to do a spin class at the top of the Shard
If you’re looking to take your fitness game to new heights, we’ve got just the thing. Boom Cycle has teamed up with Santander Cycles for a bunch of free...
There's a Muhammad Ali mural in Turnpike Lane
A photo posted by Christian 🚀 (@timeconsumer) on Jun 5, 2016 at 9:44am PDT After the sad news broke last week that boxing legend Muhammed Ali had...
The new Routemaster buses will all have windows that open by September
London's finally getting some sunshine, which is good news for everyone, unless you happen to be on one of the new Routemaster buses. These sauna-like...
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This interactive map showing London's murder hotspots is a teeny bit terrifying
We love a map – tube maps, interactive maps, Harry Potter maps – we're into all of them. But this may just be the creepiest map we've ever come across. A new...
In pictures: the 2016 London Marathon
The London Marathon took place yesterday, with almost 40,000 fundraisers taking to the city's streets – and our community of photographers were there...
12 reasons to go to Peckham Rye & Rye Lane, SE15
Few roads in London smell quite like Rye Lane. It’s one of the few streets in the city where you can truly experience sensory overload; a great place to...
35 fun things to do in London this week
Get crafty this week with laser cutting lessons in Peckham, find out more about the world of independent magazine publishing at the magCulture shop, or...
Winner winner Chicken (Town) dinner: here’s a deal worth crossing the road for
London’s paltry poultry landscape took a turn for the better when Tottenham’s crowd-funded, non-profit Chicken Town opened up in November. We gave its...
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Instagrammer Kristina Kashtanova chooses her five favourite photos of London
Kristina Kashtanova, aka Instagram’s icreatelife, has been photographing London for the last five years. The Russian-born photographer describes her work ‘as an exploration of movement' and believes movement has the ability to solve all the stresses and anxieties that come with London life. Kristina’s epic feed features still lifes, polished headshots and sick landscapes, starring beautiful shots of ballerinas and performers springing into action in front of London landmarks like Big Ben and St. Paul's. Here are five of her favourite shots. St. Paul's Cathedral with Kai Tomioka A photo posted by Call Me K (@icreatelife_) on Jul 6, 2015 at 11:56am PDT 'Sometimes things just work. See the bird? It was there at the right time, which is why I love this image – everything fell into place perfectly when Kai jumped up into the air and the bird soared towards the cathedral. I firmly believe that if something is meant to happen, it will.' Rooftops A photo posted by Call Me K (@icreatelife_) on Nov 16, 2015 at 11:00pm PST 'I photographed Brazilian hand balancer Miguel Santana when he visited London last year. I remember a friendly policeman coming up to us and asking if what we were doing was safe. I said, "Well that's what Miguel does for living – he teaches people the art of hand balancing around the world". The policeman said it was very impressive. I love the policemen here, they are always very polite.' Dreams of an office worker
Ten struggles you'll probably face after graduating in London
You've survived the game of loans. Now cue the game of dodging job seekers allowance. Whether you’re a student in your final year desperately looking for a graduate job or a recent grad with a thousand unpaid internships under your belt, you’ll know the struggle is real when it comes to finding a job in London. Here's what to expect. 1. You’ll need at least 40 years experience, possess superpowers, be an astronaut, have 9,000,000 LinkedIn connections and the blood of Christ running through your unemployed self before you even consider applying for a job in London. Looking for a post grad job like pic.twitter.com/3mGtaOcYld — Vicki Tozer (@_vicksolo) December 7, 2015 2. You'll also need to speak a minimum of 20 languages – skills that are not essential but are highly desirable for your application to that entry-level tech startup job on Old Street. via GIPHY 3. You'll begin to hate interviewers as you have to deal with recruitment questions like this: 'So why do you want this internship/job?' via GIPHY (Your response: 'Well I have always been really passionate about not starving to death in this city, so applying to this job just made sense really.') via GIPHY 4. You’ll always be poor. So say goodbye to your usual weekend piss-up in Soho with your mates and say hello to begging for an out-of-date canned chicken at the local food bank. via GIPHY 5. You'll consider moving back in with the fam wh
Three ways to get a free workout in north London
There are a few things that really stand out about north London. It has really good beer gardens – The Flask, the Edinboro Castle and The Faltering Fullback among them. And north London has hills. Many steep hills. Here are three ways to exercise for free in a short space of time, so you can get back to the beer garden. Hill sprints I asked my north London Facebook fam what they thought was the absolute worst hill to run up. It’s been over a week now and the debate is still raging strong, but the results are in: Highgate West Hill won. This monster is approximately two miles long and will make you feel angry, elated, depressed, euphoric and very nauseous. Running up it is so tough it will make even your fingernails and eyelashes hurt. It is that amazing. Get from the bottom to the top in whatever way you can – jog, sprint, walk quickly, crawl if need be and earn yourself a gin and slim at The Flask, which is usefully positioned at the HWH summit. Step jumping at Alexandra Palace The last time you jumped up and down for a considerable amount of time was either a) as a toddler or b) at the Dome in Tufnell Park in the late '90s when Weezer came on. Well, my friend, it’s time to put on some House of Pain and... well, you know the rest. Jumping pretty much burns more calories than all other aerobic activity so head to Alexandra Palace where there are various sets of 26 steps. Get from the bottom to the top by hopping, sprinting or jumping. As long as you are
Five market stalls in London that do sugar-free cakes
Too much refined sugar in your diet is big news these days. From toffy clean-eaters telling you to lose weight for the beach bod to those nasty tabloids pushing the next z-list celebrity smoothie diet, it feels like everyone wants to come between you and your beloved sugary friend. But there's light at the end of the piping funnel. A string of independent, gluten and vegan-friendly street cake stalls have set-up all over London to make you feel less guilty about that next slice of cheesecake, with their NATURALLY sweetened treats. Here's where to find them: Mr Prempy’s, Alexandra Palace Farmer's Market A photo posted by Mr Prempy's (@mrprempys) on Aug 7, 2015 at 11:01am PDT Mr. Prempy’s is all about that unbaked raw food lifestyle and is the only little business we know of in London where every single ingredient used is certified organic by the Soil Association. Started by Nottingham uni besties Shadi and Suminder, Mr Prempy’s rustle up insane raw cakes and chocolates that are free from all the nasty stuff. They use natural sweeteners like dates, raw acacia honey and organic maple syrup to replace the bad sugars. You'll find seven different whole cake flavours, plus quirky little versions of their take on popular chocolate bars like Ma’s Bars, Snackers and Bouncy. However, their lime and ginger cheesecake (they’ve lovingly called him Gerald) is an amazeballs standout. Hornsey Gate off Muswell Hill, N10 3TG. Sundays 10am–3pm. Cupcakes and Shhht, Camden
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Quit your job, become a... street food seller
Andy Parsons Evi Peroulaki 38, market stall owner and co-founder of Souvlaki Street What the hell is souvlaki? ‘It’s a Greek wrap. We use Greek pita, tzatziki, salad and either pork, chicken or halloumi.’ Why set up a street food stall? ‘Pure greed! Both Conor (my partner) and I love souvlaki, but we couldn’t find good souvlaki in London. So we turned up at our local market in Clapton one day with a disposable barbecue from Sainsbury’s to see how it went. We brought enough to make 20 wraps and they all went within an hour.’ Can anyone turn up and do it? ‘No, we had an audition with the guy who runs the market. It was a bit like “MasterChef”. After that, we started turning up every other Sunday and it got really popular.’ What's an average day for you now? ‘Early morning starts to get to the market by 8am. If I can get up at 6.30am, it’s a lie-in! Then we set up and start serving. I don’t get to sit down again until 9pm. By 10pm, I’m dead.’ How do you fit in a social life? ‘What’s a social life? We don’t have any friends any more! It’s very hard, especially in the summer because we do so many festivals. It’s like having a child: it takes every single moment of spare time you have.’ It sounds awful... ‘It’s our baby! The fact that it’s ours and we can take it in any direction we want is definitely the best thing about it. No matter how tiring it is or how much it sucks the life out of you, it’s your thing. We watch it grow every day and it makes us proud.’ Do
Find all the art deco buildings in London on this handy map
Love maps? Love architecture? It's your lucky day. The folks who created the Brutalist London map have stepped back even further in time, this time turning their attention to London's art deco buildings. The era is known for its geometric shapes, chevron patterns and bright colours, which were a big hit in the 1920s and '30s and the inspiration behind many tube stations, cinemas and theatres in London. The map features more than 70 art deco buildings in London, inculding Eltham Palace, the Hoover building and the Adelphi theatre. The two-sided map features information on each building including the address, the architect and details of its listed status, as well as an art deco-styled map on the other side, which pinpoints the location of each building. The Art Deco London map is £8 – buy it here. Want more cool maps? This incredible hand-drawn map of London is now on show in Notting Hill This interactive map showing London's murder hotspots is a teeny bit terrifying Someone's created a map of places where you can get cheap sushi
Top five London neuroses
1. Everyone has more money than you You have your suspicions about Alice. Like you, she's meant to have a pays-barely-enough-to-afford-food-this-month-but-is-occasionally-quite-fun job, but over the last year you've noticed that her Instagram feed tells another story: daily green shakes, regular burritos and, wait for it... tickets to fucking Secret Cinema. It looks like Alice is getting a bit of parental help. That's cheating, Alice. CHEATING! 2. Your commute is killing you You never used to worry about your black snot or the persistent itchy feeling in the back of your throat. But then you read that article on air pollution in the Guardian, followed by a 10,000-word feature in the Ecologist and then three different research papers from the Journal of Humans Destroying the Planet and you've come to the only logical conclusion possible: you've got about six weeks left to live. 3. Your boss hates you Back in 2011, you shared a short lift ride with the big boss. She was unusually cheerful - even tried to start up a conversation. You were so hungover you thought it best to keep your mouth clamped shut for fear the smell of last night's mai tais would fill the enclosed space. Suffice to say that eager newcomer and eternally chatty Christina recently got promoted to the position that was without a bloody doubt destined for you. And you know exactly the reason why. 4. Your flatmate wants you out Three times this week your flatmate Mike has decided to do the washi
11 things we learned about London from a 116 year-old guidebook
Time Out has been keeping you abreast of the best things to do in London since 1968. Back then, the city was swinging, (which is basically a nice way of saying that everyone was boning each other and listening to cool music) and our editorial team could barely keep up with all the great stuff going on. It’s been the same ever since (boning and all). But people have been travelling to London for absolutely bloody ages, since long before apps and the internet and magazines. But with the London Eye decades away from being erected and selfie sticks still the stuff of science fiction, what exactly did the tourists of yester-century get up to? To find out, we had a rifle through a knackered old edition of ‘Baedeker’s Handbook for London’ from 1900, which we found on a dusty old shelf. Here's what we gleaned from its musty-smelling pages. It’s always been an expensive place to have fun ‘The cost of a visit to London depends, of course, on the habits and tastes of the traveller. If he lives in a first-class hotel, dines at the table-d’hôte, drinks wine, frequents the theatre and other places of amusement, and drives about in cabs or flys instead of using the economical train or omnibus, he must be prepared to spend 30-40s. a day or upwards.’ 30-40 shillings a day? That’s £160–£220 in today’s money – and that's BEFORE the invention of craft beer. The tube has come a long way ‘An important artery of ‘intramural’ traffic is afforded by the Metropolitan and Metropolitan Distr
Check out these ace photos of Londoners on the River Thames
The Thames might have been dubbed a 'dirty old river' by The Kinks, but one man's trash is another man's treasure, and photographer Matthew Joseph has spent the last three months using the famous waterway as his muse. Matthew has captured how different people use the river for leisure or work, with photographs of rowers, anglers, and a yoga instructor. The photographs are now on display in a free exhibition at the library of One Great George Street in Westminster. Check out more photos from the exhibition: Until June 10. Free. 1 Great George Street, SW1P 3AA. Fancy exploring somewhere off the beaten track? Check out the Woodberry Wetlands.
In pictures: an exclusive look inside Swingers, London's first permanent crazy golf bar
Crazy golf pop-ups are everywhere in London at the moment. But you know how many permanent crazy golf drinking venues there are in the city? Zero. Zilch. Zip. UNTIL NOW. This week, Swingers, the fore (Arf) father of London’s crazy golf-pop ups has followed up its successful run in Shoreditch last year with the city’s first dedicated crazy golf venue in the heart of the City. There are two nine-hole courses, four street food stalls and loads of amazing golfing action to be had (including a tree that lights up at the ninth hole when you pot the ball). Don't take our word for it. Just check out these photos. We think you'll find that it's it’s looking very good indeed. You could, in fact say it was: ‘above par’. [All photos: Andy Parsons] One hole features a shot you have to play underneath a fully-working lighthouse (well, the light at the top rotates anyway, although it's unlikely to save any distressed sailors): There's a loop-the-loop that you have to fire your ball through (which you may remember as a feature of the previous Swingers course): See those tanks in the background? Yep: that's 3000 litres of Meantime beer that they'll be serving on tap: There's even an on-course bar for you to get drinks from (although caddies will offer you drinks as you play): At the start of the other course there's a golf club-stuff buggy parked there, which is where you get your putter from: One hole features a
13 reasons to go to St John’s Wood High Street, NW8
The writer GK Chesterton once said: ‘I have never been to St John’s Wood. I dare not. I should be afraid of the innumerable night of fir trees, afraid to come upon a blood red cup and the beating of the wings of the eagle.’ Unfortunately, if it’s fir trees and eagles you’re looking for, St John’s Wood is not the place for you. But if you’re after a London oasis with the perfect mixture of beautiful period buildings and quirky pop culture, then yeah, you might enjoy it. Quite a bit, actually. The original London suburb, St John’s Wood became the favoured place for Victorian love rats to stash their mistresses in the 1800s. It was near enough to town but far enough from their well-to-do Mayfair homes to avoid any suspicion from their wives. Even the exiled Napoleon III was known to have lived with his lover Harriet Howard at a secret residence just off the High Street. Since then, it’s become home to some of London’s richest residents. Yep, SJW is fancy as hell. Recent years have seen the area explode with independent shops, delis and restaurants, so whether you’re seeking a quality caffeine kick, some fine wining and dining or just the most famous zebra crossing in London, St John’s Wood has it all. There are even some truly beautiful green spaces too. No woods, though. Drink this A photo posted by nat (@nat_oregon) on May 9, 2016 at 5:53am PDT The best cup of coffee in the area at Fego Caffè, a little slice of the Continent in NW8. A glass of top-qu
Secretly brilliant bits of London: Fee Fee La Fou HQ
In our new series 'secretly brilliant' we shine a light on all the new, hidden or just straight-up amazing spots in London that deserve a big high-five. Next up: N16's Fee Fee La Fou HQ: In a nutshell... It’s a dazzlingly colourful gallery-cum-shop that makes Rainbow Brite look normcore. Where is it? Just off Kingsland High Street, a mere stone’s throw away from gloriously grotty club The Alibi. © Gareth Hacker What can you buy? Everything you could possibly want and nothing that you strictly need, which makes it perfect for picking up presents. Probably London’s greatest gift shop, it is chock-a-block with the kind of plates that are way too pretty to eat off and the kind of jewellery that would garner you concerned looks from fellow tube passengers. It also does a lovely line in interesting soft furnishings – embroidered Thomas the Tank Engine cushion, anyone? © Gareth Hacker What's the vibe? If a ringmaster retired in order to fulfil his lifelong ambition of owning a gift shop, he’d probably open somewhere a lot like Fee Fee La Fou HQ. Artist Fee always dreamed of running away to join the circus but instead created her very own big top, complete with circus-themed wallpaper. Inhabiting the space where galleries and shops meet, everything in the emporium is for sale, from the chaotic crockery to the prints lining the walls. This is not the place to go if you’re into restrained style; it celebrates bad taste and guffaws
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