The British Museum- an unexpected surprise

I had been to the British museum as a tourist when I first came to London 5 years ago.

For some reason I remember not having that much time to wander around during this visit but I do distinctly remember the Egypt section blowing my mind. The age of the relics and the history of the religion in the country was unlike anything I had heard of. The mummies were of particular interest, they were creepy and beautiful at the same time. Also the fact that Egyptians worshipped cats was just strange.

I have subsequently returned since I moved here but mostly to see specific exhibitions such as the Picasso drawings and the South African garden- for some reason I felt I had 'done' the museum.

However a good friend of mine had never been and I was appalled by this fact given that they themselves are British. I mean this is your own countries museum, but like most Londoners, not many of the British have been to their own unique attractions. So on a recent public holiday we joined the crowds of tourists to spend 3.5 hours of our lives lost in history.

First up on the agenda, the was the watch and clocks area. The progression of the technologies of these products throughout the ages was fascinating, the fact that alarm clocks used to have built in coffee making machines is amazing- can someone tell me why they stopped making this? It would be so useful!

Next up was the history of money. Some of you might be interested to know that prior to the 1920's 'wall street crash' gold was the only currency used as money. The value of the coins was determined purely by its weight. During the crash gold become a rare commodity and so paper was introduced as a satisfactory substitute.

I had to laugh at some of these initial prints of money, there are notes in history that represent a trillion yen and others a mere 10 shillings! Clearly this paper system was very fascinating at launch.

After some lunch we ventured to the Enlightenment room. This room holds a collection of objects which have significant relevance to points of time in the history of the world.

Objects range from actual animals and fauna to those which try to explain astronomy, religion and philsophy. You could spend hours looking at every piece in this room and still be intrigued.

By 5pm we were exhausted but there was one last necessary object to see. The stand out piece in the museum is of course the Rosetta Stone.

This stone is found in the Egyptian sculpture section which is a definite favourite of mine. If only for the shear size of the pieces and the dedication of those who would have spent hours carving them. I have to remind myself that back in this era there wasn't proper tools in order to create these sculptures within a short time span, so people dedicated years of their lives to carving out these maginificant creatures.

Anyway I digress, the rosetta stone is an Ancient Egyptian granodiorite stele inscribed with a decree which appears in three scripts: the upper one is in Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, the middle one in Egyptian demotic script, and the lower text in Ancient Greek. Because it presents essentially the same text in all three scripts it provided the key to the modern understanding of Egyptian hieroglyphs.

There was as expected a huge crowd around the object with a lot of cameras flashing to try and capture its magnificence. I think the theory behind the stone is more interesting than the stone itself, it is amazing to think that item is the reason we are able to understand so much written in history. Further that people spent time trying to understand history all the way back in BC196, it makes me wonder did they know the significance of what they were doing?

I was so glad to have revisited the museum and if I am in the area again I will definitely pop in. I now know I am far from having 'done' the British museum!

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The List- 2011 version

I should start by saying Happy New Year! I hope your year ahead is full fortune and happiness.

Over the Christmas period I spent some time thinking about what I might like to achieve with the time I have left in London. As after much thought I have decided to head home in May for some very special events later on in the year.

I also started thinking about things I could do keep me busy when I return to Sydney at the start of winter. Yes I am chasing winter's, which if you know me is a silly thing to do given I react so badly to the cold!

Naturally, all this thinking has lead me to write to another list, that fingers crossed, I will be able to complete.

So now I present to you the List for 2011:

1) Bake a cake from scratch (yes unbelievable but I have never done it properly, only ever from a packet)

2) Watch at least 6 classic movies (so far I have down Casablanca, Some Like it Hot and La Dolce Vita- I am open to more suggestions!)

3) Eat at the Tapas place near Kylie Minogue's house (if its good enough for Kylie then its definitely good enough for me)

4) See something at the Royal Albert Hall (I've viewed it from the outside but ive heard its a London must see)

5) Learn to drive (clearly something to do back in Australia! Less complicated and busy roads!)

6) Visit more vintage stores in London/ Check out Vivienne Westwood's store (after reading many biogs of well known fashion bloggers I have concluded I am missing out by not being involved in the world of vintage fashion)

7) Have an ice cream sundae at the 1950's parlour in Fortnum and Masons (it might be £15 but I have been assured it is worth it)

8) See a play at the Old Vic (again a London institution to itself)

9) Go clubbing in Soho (I have one friend who is perfect for this mission! You know who you are ;)

10) Do fashion high tea at the Berkeley (food treats designed by McQueen, Fendi, Louboutin- what girl could resist!)

11) Go up the London Eye (to see London in all its glory)

Things that I didn't get to do in 2010 that are staying on the List:

12) Visit Whisky Mist nightclub

13) Have traditional Fish and Chips

14) Go Disco Roller skating

15) Go to an old school bowling alley

16) Attend a UK Football game

17) Go to Ireland

18) Check out more of England eg/ Cornwall or Manchester or Cambridge

As always I am open to any suggestions that are imperative for the London list or for that matter the Sydney return list.

I will conclude this post by saying that my NYE resolution is to blog at least once a week so I plan to be a lot more reliable- promise!

Lots of Love

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Final Summer day spent at Hampstead Heath

It just so happened that I probably picked one of the last proper London summer days to visit Hampstead Heath.

Word around town in Summer is that Hampstead Heath is the perfect place to have a picnic. I already knew that this area was special given its history, some quick internet reading informed me that it was registered in 986, further it is one of the highest points in London.

Walking through the Heath felt like I was walking through a mysterious part of old England. The bushes and paths made me think of BBC period dramas and it evoked this desire to dress up in a corseted dress and 'take a turn' with a potential suitor!

The open land spaces are lush and the foliage makes it feel a little chilly, like I was a bad character about to be discovered in a child's fable. I sat in one open area with a couple who had a dog and ate my lunch in the quiet- one could really get lost in their own thoughts in this tranquil atmosphere.

The park is so vast that after a few twists and turns I started to get concerned that perhaps I was getting lost and would get stuck (which I imagine would be quite scary at night!)

On my way out I discovered a huge patch of land which was obviously the main location where most people picnicked and playing games of cricket whilst drinking pimms in the peak of Summer.

Aside from the Heath itself the town of Hampstead is very quaint and quite posh when compared to its neighboring suburbs of Camden and Chalk Farm. There is the usual high street that runs through the centre of town but aside from the normal chains of shops there are boutiques, cute cafes and pubs. There are little side streets with vintage stores, ice cream stores, antique and independent coffee shops. Even on the walk from the main street to the Heath I passed a few old English pubs with friends and couples spilling out on to the streets in proper English style.

One of the other reasons for my visit was to have a coffee from my Timeout list at 'Ginger and White'. This tiny cafe served lovely homemade food and tasty looking treats. The coffee was smooth and my salad was delicious- I tried to savor every inch of my meal. The vibe of the establishment is organic, down to earth and family friendly.

I had a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon at Hampstead and would love to go back with a group and spend a whole day and night taking in everything this lovely suburb has to offer in terms of food and entertainment.

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A sunday musical treat

One of the main attractions of London for me was the fact that there are all walks of life here and no matter what interests you there is always someone else who shares your passion.

I have always loved the idea of having a few drinks whilst listening to Jazz music, Australia does have some Jazz music venues but it’s not a prominent music choice of a Rock loving nation.

I think I will accredit my interest in Jazz to my mother who used to play Harry Connick Jnr and Frank Sinatra around the house. Certain songs from the Red Hot and Blue Cole Porter tribute cd take me back to my childhood and evoke some great memories. At the end of the day I think Jazz is just so romantic and easy to listen to.

Upon my arrival in London I was so excited to read about all the legendary Jazz venues within the Soho area and I have been begging numerous people to come with me to any of them. I was in luck that one of my close friends agreed to come to a Sunday afternoon session at the one and only Ronnie Scotts.

The inside of the venue was exactly what I pictured a proper Jazz club was like. Dark, moody and sexy. The layout of the main area of the club is proper old school with allocated seating for couples (or in our case good friends!)and it is tiered so that we are all faced to the stage. Each tier is broken up with small red lamps indicating each table.

On a Sunday Ronnie Scotts runs a lunchtime session which varies its featured acts each week but our chosen week was Tony Bennett and Sinatra classics sung by Jeff Hooper.

Jeff is known as a big band singer who was for many years the featured vocalist with the Syd Lawrence Orchestra. For our performance he appeared with the John Horler Trio. The band and Jeff had fantastic chemistry, the banter was amusing and it was very entertaining to see older men still riling each other up!

Jeff had a fantastic smooth voice, he was a crooner and a crowd pleaser (he dedicated a beautiful track to a lady in the audience who was celebrating her 90th birthday!) Given that 90% of the audience was over the age of 40 and almost everyone was coupled up he was the perfect choice for a Sunday afternoon of love songs. The set was very intimate with the tiny stage allowing Jeff to walk around and sing close to people, this only added to the fantastic vibe of the concert.

My favourite tracks were played after the interval as the second session was dedicated to audience requests. Stand outs for me included ‘Fly me to the Moon’ and ‘It had to be you’- two sensational tracks that will forever stand the test of time in my mind.

Throughout the performance most of the guests treated themselves to a roast lunch (which looked delicious) as well as copious cocktails or glasses of wine.

I must say I was longing for more despite the fact we had been there for over 3 hours. It was very strange leaving at 4pm and re entering society whilst the sun was still up having consumed half a bottle of red wine- it made the tube journey home very entertaining!

I would go back to Ronnie Scott's in a second and I am happy to report that Frank has seen a few more replays on my ipod since!

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2010- A summary

So I admit I haven't been the greatest with updates the last few months.

There are a few reasons, mostly normal complaints for people of my age- intense work loads, socialising and general lazyness.

However I have also been dedicating my time to the Fashion Marketing course at the London College of Fashion. This was a truly fantastic experience. I absolutely loved opening my eyes beyond the world of media and stepping back to see the marketing environment as a whole. Studying has totally revitalised my passion for my career and intensified my interest in fashion- so much so that I am embarking on an internship in 2011.

I have started a marketing role at up and coming fashion magazine, 1883. This is a high fashion title which focuses on introducing new talent in the world of fashion focusing on up and coming designers, photographers, stylists, make up artists- basically every up an coming creative mind.

I am super excited about this opportunity and about sharing this experience with you all.

Back to 2010, I feel I owe it to you to list the other adventures I had that I didn't get around to writing to about.

In short I got to:
- tour around the opulent Buckingham palace and its gardens
- have a fanastic night at Guilty pleasures at Koko Camden- I forgot how much fun cheesy 90's pop music is
- see some amazing exhibitions of fashion genuises: Vivienne Westwood, Hussein Chalayan, Matthew Williamson, Horricks fashion
- travel to some very interesting and unique places: York, Scotland and the beloved NYC!
- saw priscilla the musical: Alf I love you, Sydney I miss you and your quirky charms
- visit Manolo Blahnik in Chelsea: the one thing that started my travels, my desire to want more and see more and the reason I am interested in Fashion in the first place

I hope you have all enjoyed reading my blog and I promise I will be returning in 2011 to update you on more crazyness and hopefully provide you with some inspiration.

Love to you all

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Amazing London Exhibitions

So I guess you can gather that Im a bit of a fan of exhibitions and given one of the reasons I came to London was to soak up the culture I dont like a weekend to go by without visiting an exhibition/gallery.

I have recently been to 3 very different exhibitons, all which have delighted and entertained me.

First up was the Deep Sea Exhibition at the Natural History museum. I have been wanting to go to this exhibit ever since it opened in late May. I know that some people find my fascination with the deep sea odd but the unknown and the strange creatures that survive at the depths of the ocean absolutely fascinate me!

I was lucky to meet someone at a friend's birthday who also shared this love so we went together one Sunday in late July.

The exhibition was damn cool. There was variations of fish, coral and flowers (believe it or not) on display that survive 1100 metres below earth. Some of the fish were just freaky looking with various tenticles, scales and ugly faces but the flowers were quite beautiful. A lot of the exhibits were copies however a few were real animals which made it a little scary!

The main feature of the exhibit was a full replica of the bones of a sperm whale. To be able to see its actual size in the sea really makes you think about the magnitude of the ocean and makes me love these gentle giants a little more! Other exhibits to note was the life size exhibit of a freaky giant spider crab and replica's of some of the oldest known 'fish' in the world.

Seeing this exhibition made me stop and think how vast the world is and how amazing the natural circle of life is.

The next exhibition I visited was centred on the fashion label Maison Martin Margelia and it was held at Somerset house. I really love this building/venue, it has a very old London feel and the permanent exhibition centre holds some fantastic artwork from Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, van Gogh and Picasso.

The Margelia exhibition was called '20' which stood for the last 20 years of their collections.

I knew nothing of the designer prior to attending the exhibit and I can say I left very informed and enlightened about inspiration behind fashion that I just don't understand.

It was amazing to have an explanation of what this designer tries to convey through their 'art' and to see how their vision has shaped the subsequent designs we see on the catwalk today, this seasons cape is a perfect example!

The way he used fashion to question and critic how we clothe ourselves and what we convey with clothing is fascinating. We were in the exhibit over 2 hours and that wasn't enough time to really capture the essence of this ground breaking brand.

The last and definitely not the least was the Picasso Mediterranean years exhibition at the Gagosian Gallery. Most of the work I have seen by this legendary artist I would describe as intense, moving and at times disturbing.

However this exhibition was full of light, colour and love. The pieces featured were from 1945- 1962 which was the time in his life that he spent with his children in the south of France.

The pieces were a reflection of the lifestyle of the Mediterranean area and were centred on bulls, beautiful women and a key focus on his children.

On display was a combination of paintings, drawings, sculpture and ceramics. The colours used were primarily bright and there was a lot of pastels- it was a delight.

I love Picasso for the depth in his work, for his inspirations and the way he viewed life. This exhibition merely wet my appetite and I want to see more of this genuis' work.

I'm sure there will be further updates on my exhibition travels but I hope you have enjoyed the above description

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Soho Burlesque delights

I have been fascinated with the idea of Burlesque ever since Dita Von Teese came into the lime light. The way she oozes class whilst being practically naked in a champagne glass is phenomenal.

I had heard about a club called Madame Jo Jo's from a friend (or workmate- I can’t remember!) and they had recommended it not only as a fun night out in London for drinks but also a good venue for Burlesque entertainment.

I had met my friend (who came to Bath with me) for a drink one Sunday evening in Soho- really if you are going to be drinking on a Sunday night Soho is the place to go. The streets are packed with lively campness and pop music which is sure to ease anyone’s sundayitis.

Anyway after our drink we decided to go for a little walk and it was then that we stumbled across the actual venue for Madame Jo Jo's. We were checking out the leaflets at the door when a mad lady rushed in screaming 'when is the next Kitten Club?' We were intrigued asked what this is was, her reply 'oh the best Burlesque show ever’- we were sold.

A few weeks later we returned to the venue with our tickets (bought cheap on lastminute.com) and high expectations. We settled in our seats with a bottle of Vino and I can honestly say that it was the most fun I have had in a long time.

The show wasn't so focused on nudity, in fact you didn’t really see that much nudity, but really it was just pure entertainment.

They had a hilarious MC/magician who was goofy and completely likeable who came on stage between the acts. There were 3 girls who took it in turn to sing, recite poetry (whilst pestering audience members to help), dance with fire (yes that was scary) and of course perform an obligatory seductive strip tease.

Despite preparing to see gorgeous girls nude for 2 hours I actually left with my stomach hurting from laughing so much and a smile from ear to ear.

All in all a thoroughly enjoyable and fun evening- everyone should see the Kitten club!

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