Countdown to Christmas 2012

Love it or loathe it, with Halloween and Guy Fawkes well behind us, the gallop towards Christmas has well and truly begun. Personally, this is my favourite time of year, so even if you're feeling a bit more Scrooge than Santa hopefully this run-down of all the fun we'll be having in Fulham over the next month will get you into the spirit.

December sees party season really kicking off in earnest, and this year there are PLENTY of options to choose from.

If you just can't wait until the advent count down begins, you can get into the spirit early with Tales Under The Tree at Barts. This location is the perfect cosy hideaway for mulled wine, warm cider, carols and of course a bit of Christmas culture with the speakeasy's book club. Once story time is over, join the regulars in Secret Santa and an Xmas team photo. It all kicks off from 7:30 on November 28th.

Next up,  on Saturday December 1st, the Brompton Bar and Grill have teamed up with Bloodshot Vodka to host the Bad Santa Brunch. Your £10 ticket will keep you entertained from 12-5pm, with DJs, live acts, a christmas gift market, and a very merry Christmas feast followed by carols in Santa's grotto. Don't forget the dress theme: anything that glitters and glows.

The Brompton Bar & Grill
243 Brompton Road
London SW3 2EP

If you're looking for a truly kitsch Christmas, there's only one place to be and that's celebrating Buon Natale with Bunga Bunga. Throughout December, there'll be karaoke carols, turkey pizzas, fiery Italian mulled wine and potted Christmas tree cocktails to get you feeling festive - plus guests can send complimentary cheesy Christmas postcards to their friends - much better than the usual M&S fare!

Throughout December

Bunga Bunga
37 Battersea Bridge Road
London SW11 3BA

It may be pretty frosty outside, but that's all the better when you're visiting Elk Bar's Winter Wonderland. They've transformed their garden into a veritable mini Lapland, replete with icicles, Christmas trees and even a few of Santa's reindeer friends. They'll be serving up a special festive menu from the smoke pit (the venison Deer Porker sounds delicious) to be washed down with some wintry cocktails such as the Butterscotch Schnapps Hot Chocolate. Sounds like an ideal way to ease yourself into those cold December nights.

Elk Bar
587-591 Fulham Road
London SW6 5UB

If memories of last year's office party have got you off the sauce throughout December, there are plenty of low-key festive options in the borough for shoppers and culture vultures alike.

I can't think of a location more suited to traditional Christmas cheer than the beautiful Fulham Palace. They've got a full schedule of events to look forward to including a pantomime performance of Sleeping Beauty on December 9th, a Carol Service in the Chapel on the 14th and kids can visit Santa in his Grotto on the weekend of 1-2nd December. The grade-1 listed Palace also provides the perfect picturesque backdrop for a traditional Victorian Christmas, from 7pm on December 11th. There will be carols, 19th century songs and a traditional Mummer's Play - the forerunner to the pantomime. Good, old-fashioned fun for all the family!

For some unique last-minute gifts and a much more civilised shopping experience, pop by the Andara Christmas Fair being hosted at The Durrell on December 17th. From noon to 9pm, entry is complimentary, and inside you'll find a carefully curated selection of beautiful gift options from up and coming businesses, ranging from handmade home accessories, to gorgeous jewellery, fashion, lifestyle and pantry items.

And finally, if even the thought of the C word is making your skin crawl, you can still pass a perfectly pleasant evening without being subjected to fairy lights and over-sung carols. Del Aziz are continuing their Thursday jazz  and bossa nova evenings, for example. Settle in with one of their legendary tagines and listen to the warm and soft tones of Mel Pashova as she sings jazz standards mixed with a hint of Latin on December 6th, or perhaps take in some authentic Brazilian flavour with Jandira Silva on the 20th. On the 13th, Helen Burnett graces the stage with a mix of recognisable and lesser-known jazz tunes, whilst for some post-Christmas cheer you can pop in to see Josephine Arthur on the 27th. Her voice has been described as like 'bathing in chocolate' - the perfect thing to enjoy with Del Aziz's beautiful selection of desserts then!

Del Aziz
22-32 Vanston Place, nr Fulham Broadway
London SW6 1AX

SW6 Fright Night

The evening's are getting darker, the temperatures have plummeted, and although summer never really arrived, winter is most definitely here. But, instead of getting depressed and hibernating, the run up to Christmas gives us lots of opportunities to party. First up: SW6 gets all spooky for all hallows eve. Here's a run down on some of your options for the freakiest day (make that week) of the year.

The folks over at Bikeminded RKBC are putting on another one of their much acclaimed cycle tours on Wednesday the 31st itself. This time they've teamed up again with Exquisite Folly theatre and invited us to solve a creepy mystery in their wartime whodunnit, whilst cycling around Notting Hill by moonlight. If the last cycle theatre tour I went on is anything to go by, this should be an entertaining and original way to spend Halloween itself - the acting is always surprising and engaging, and it's a fantastic way to explore the borough, whether you're an expert on your wheels or a teensy bit wobbly. Just don't forget your costume! Tickets available here. The early bird price is just £5, going up to £7 is a few days time.

The Brompton Bar & Grill have teamed up with Bloodshot Vodka to offer a suitably gory "Bloodshot Brompton Brunch" on Saturday the 27th October, from 12-5pm. With a personal 'bloodbath' on each table (it's a DIY Bloody Mary Bar, so much less hideous than it sounds!!), live music, top DJs and all sorts of delicious and devilish snacks available, the £10 ticket is worth every penny - plus there's plenty of time to continue the party afterwards! Bloodshot eyeball eggs, anyone?

The Brompton Bar & Grill
243 Brompton Road
London SW3 2EP
www.bromptonbarandgrill.com

Once you're suitably warmed up, there are plenty of options to give yourself an authentic fright night. Notting Hill's supperclub, for example, can always be relied upon for a decadent party. On the 26th and  27th, guests are invited to visit their Disco Slaughterclub, where the whole venue will be turned into a haunted house, full of spooky surprises and gory scenes. Explore if you dare, or simply lie back on your bed and let the disco maids and butlers serve you the "bloody corpse" menu whilst you dance to the beats of DJ Sancho Panza (Friday) and Femi Fem (Saturday). Tickets are available here

Supperclub
Halloween: 26th-27th October
12 Acklam Road,
W10 5QZ
http://www.supperclub.com/

If the journey to Notting Hill makes you quake in your boots, Maggie's Monster Mansion is a ghoulishly great options (sorry!) closer to home. Staying true to their 80s theme, Maggie's is promising a 'hair raising halloween fancy dress party with a retro twist'. Hosted by Beetlejuice, there will be ghostly girl dancers, deadly decor, toxic cocktails and a "Dead and Buried" dress code to match (No prizes to guess which recently deceased celebrity will feature most heavily!).  Entry is £20, and the night goes on until 3:30am.

MAGGIE’S
Saturday 27th October 2012
10:30pm – 3:30am
Entry £20
Maggie’s, 329 Fulham Road, London, Greater London, SW10 9QL
www.maggies-club.com

If you're still not inspired, the Barts Gruesome Twosome might get your beetlejuices flowing. Champagne will be the poison of choice at the Bart's Yelloween Party, on Saturday the 27th October. In association with Veuve Cliquot, this promises to be a decadent evening of dramatic décor  creepy costumes and fantastic fizzy deals.

On the night itself, head back to SW3 for an evening of twisted tales and spooky secrets. The Barts Book Club have hooked up with Roger Clarke, the author of 'A Natural History of Ghosts' for a reading, shocking tales of history's most gruesome hauntings and some bedtime stories certain to give you the shivers. With a Waterstone's voucher for the guest with the spookiest story to tell, you could give yourself nightmares all the way through November. 

BARTS GRUESOME TWOSOME

Barts
YELLOWEEN
Saturday 27th October 2012
FREE
6pm-1:30pm

TWISTED TALES AT BARTS
Wednesday 31st October
FREE
6pm - 1:30am

www.barts-london.com



If good old fancy dress and some devilish deals on Halloween grog is more your idea of a night well spent, the celebrations at Elk Bar could be just the ticket. Kicking off the festivities early, you can get the Green Candy Floss mojitos in for just £2.95 this Thursday, whilst the best fancy dress costume wins a bottle of champagne - guaranteeing that frightful feeling will last well into Friday morning! If you can handle it, head back on Saturday 27th for the big event. This time, your costume skillz could win your a £50 tab, and with a whole host of cocktail and shooter specials, free entry, and DJs from 8pm, the night will not only be great fun, but wickedly good value.

Elk Bar 
587 Fulham Road
London SW6 5UA

If the only thing giving you nightmares is your love life, Halloween at the Bluebird can help you find romance amongst the cob webs with their Halloween themed Speed Dating night. With plenty of punch and other spooky treats, even if you meet more Frankeinstein's than Prince Charming's you're guaranteed a great night. Tickets are £25 each, and include a complimentary glass of bubbles. Grab your entry now by emailing emilyb@danddlondon.com before they sell out!

The Bluebird
http://www.bluebird-restaurant.co.uk/
350 King's Road
Chelsea SW3 5UU

Lastly, but definitely not least -you can always rely on The Jam Tree for a good party. Their Halloween bash is taking place on Friday 26th October, when DJ Greggy G will be on the decks for an evening of house music, frightening fancy dress and ghoulishly good drinks. Entry is free all night and the beats go on until late... Definitely a brilliant start to a big weekend

The Jam Tree
541 Kings Road
London SW6 2EB

Whatever you get up to, we hope you have a great night! Let us know how you get on....

Dates for your diary: late August & September

The weather's perked up (for now, at least) and it seems at long last a slice of summer may have arrived. Here's our run down on the top Fulham events that will help you make of the Bank Holiday and beyond.

Take in some basement bar blues in the infamous absinthe bar at the elegant Brompton Bar and Grill, this Thursday 23rd of August. In collaboration with Nova Music, the wonderful Heard and Story will be performing a soulful mix of jazz, blues, soul and funk. With performances at 10pm, and 11:45pm, entrance is free, meaning many more pennies and pounds for champagne, and absinthe... if you're brave enough.

Drink, dine and dance the night away in style with a weekend of Carnival Chaos at supperclub, Notting Hill. There are 3 nights of top DJs, risque entertainment, and dining on decadent day beds, on Friday. Saturday and Sunday, and tickets from just £15. This is definitely the classy way to finish a day at Carnival. For more info and to get your tickets click here.

Get a double dose of culture, and enjoy the balmy late summer evenings (fingers crossed) and take in a movie at the beautiful Fulham Palace. The Nomad Cinema is bringing their 'Love in the garden' series to Fulham's most historic and picturesque venue throughout September, with open air showings of the classic Casablance on September 6th, Romeo + Juliet on September 13th, and The Artist on September 20th. Tickets start at £8.50, and don't forget to pack a picnic! For more details and tickets click here.

Many of you will have already been to one of the amazing Dayzed and Confused rooftop parties at Broadway House. We thought they might be done for the summer, but due to popular demand they've squeezed in one more event on the 8th of September, promising more balearic beats, plenty of champagne and a true holiday feel. With their two beautiful roof terraces high above SW6, Broadway House is an ideal location for a day long party, and not surprisingly tickets are selling out fast. Make sure you grab yours here.

Close your eyes, take and bite and you could (almost) be in Morocco. The tagines and Mediterranean fare at Del Aziz, in Fulham Broadway, are gorgeous, and taste even better when accompanied by live music. Thursday is the night to drop in for an evening's entertainment, and supper on the cobble stones, as each week a different artist treats diners to an eclectic mix of world music. This Thursday Aimee Penman treats us to easy listening pop, whilst on the 30th Helen Burnett shows off some vocal jazz. Artists featured in September include Josephine Arthur (smooth and classic jazz) on the 6th, and Jandira Silva (bossa nova) on the 13th.

Comedy Chops is the fab monthly comedy night hosted at The Hurlingham pub, and after a summer hiatus the session on September 6th promises plenty of belly laughs. There are usually 3/4 acts, live music and plenty of food and drinks deals to boot. The entertainment starts at 7:30, so sit back with a drink, tuck into their traditional pub grub, maybe have a game of ping pong (my favourite thing to do at the Hurlingham) and prepare to have a good giggle.

If, like us, you've been feeling just a little inspired by the Olympics, but this late onset of summer has caused you to somewhat overindulge, Lush Escapes may have just the thing for you. On September 2nd they're hosting a 'Raw Food and Yoga for Athletes' workshop in Parsons Green. From 10:30am you'll enjoy a blissfully relaxing day full of stretching, smoothies and scrumptious raw food recipes and nutrition lectures to help kickstart your training programme the healthy way. Hosted at the beautiful Cupcake Mums, the session costs £95 and tickets are available here.

If your business is hosting an event this September, or you think there's an event you think our readers would like, don't hesitate to drop us a line.

Dates for your Diary: June and July

Although it may not feel that way, summer is upon us and there's plenty of fun to be had in Fulham over the next 6 weeks or so. Here's our round up of events you won't want to miss.

Eurovision madness at Bunga Bunga - from 22nd June:

The excitement of Jedward, the Dink and all at Baku may feel like a distant memory, but you needn't wait for Stockholm 2013 for your next Eurovision fix. Bunga Bunga, best known for its exquisitely kitsch Italian theme, is opening up its second floor to host the The EDC - Euro Disco Club, an entire nightclub dedicated to the world’s most kitsch competition: The Eurovision Song Contest. The walls will be covered with memorabilia from this annual institution, including gold discs, photographs of Jedward and Terry Wogan, and oversized blinds embossed with Abba, Scooch and other Euro Hall of Fame legends. 

Open each Friday and Saturday from June 22nd

Bunga Bunga

37 Battersea Bridge Road, London SW11

                              

Jazz nights at Del Aziz - Thursdays and Del Aziz Fulham Broadway

Thursday nights at Del Aziz are fairly eclectic. Whilst you chow down on their legendary Middle Eastern fare, treat your earbuds to their live performances of global pop and jazz. On June 21st, Aimee Penman will take to the stage to show off her versatile voice, with an act comprising of easy listening pop, folk, jazz and and classic. On June 28th, it will be Mel Pashova's turn to perform, with her act of jazz standards and modern classics. 

                                            

Celebrating Fulham Festival - Saturday June 30th to Sunday July 8th:

A whole week dedicated to celebrating our favourite borough, what could be better? Highlights include:

‘Elizabeth to Elizabeth’ - Tuesday 3 July, Great Hall, Fulham Palace, Bishops Avenue, SW6, 7.30pm

Concert trio ‘In Voice and Verse’ celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. Actor Lance Pierson, soprano Belinda Yates and pianist Heather Chamberlain present a pageant of readings and music from across the centuries to celebrate the Nation’s Monarchs and highlights of our history.

The music includes pieces by Handel, Beethoven, Purcell, Holst and Britten, as well as ‘Rule Britannia’ and the National Anthem. The words will include poetry by Queen Elizabeth I, Shakespeare, Milton, Tennyson and John Betjeman. Tickets £12.00 available from the Lyric Theatre Hammersmith, 0871 22 11728,or http://www.lyric.co.uk/whats-on and view Events Elsewhere or type Fulham Palace into the search box.  Further information  020 3080 0655 or info@fulham.society.org

The Fulham Swish  - Thursday  5 July, Durell Arms, 704 Fulham Road, SW6 5SB, 6.30pm

Swishing is a fantastic way for you to breathe new life into your outfits for free and involves a group of people together to swap unwanted clothes. 

Bring between one and five items of clothing, pairs of shoes, bags or accessories. Items must be clean, good condition and something that you are proud to hand on. No children’s clothes please. Booking is required as places are limited. Email  swishing@lbhf.gov.uk 020 8753 1888

Fair on the Green, Saturday, July 7,  12 noon to 5pm

A fabulous day out for all the family. Two live stages of music and entertainment, over a hundred stalls, a food court, bouncy castles, Punch and Judy, carousels,  magician’s, climbing frame, fun fair,  and much much more. Call 020 7731 3964 for more details

Paggliaccio Cup, Sunday, July 8, South Park, Fulham

This youth football tournament is free for youngsters between the ages of five and 16. For more information 02073715253, www.paggs.co.uk

Bat Walk, Sunday, July 8 Fulham Palace, Bishops Avenue, SW6 6EA, 9.00 pm

Bat Walk around the Gardens of Fulham Palace, led by John Tovey of the London Bat Group.  Meet at the pedestrian entrance to the Palace Grounds. Wear solid footwear and bring a torch! Please ring 020 3080 0655 to confirm your attendance. This is a free event but donations to the London Bat Group are welcomed.

                                    

Concours D'Elegance - The Hurlingham Club, 4th/5th.6th July

This yearly event is pretty much Fulham's most glamorous luxury event. If you like champagne, powerboats, helicopters and sweet cars, Concours D'Elegance will more than likely float your boat (excuse the pun). Enjoy the Hurlingham's beautiful gardens, attend lectures from the world's leading style authorities and learn about the heritage of these fine goods whilst you browse, and maybe even treat yourself. Buy your tickets on their website here.

                                                      

Dayzed and Confused at Broadway House - Saturday July 14th, from 3pm - 10pm:

Held on the roof terrace of members' club Broadway House, soak up the sunshine (hopefully), New York vibe and plenty of champagne whilst you party to the sounds of DJ duo LIV3 RAT (billed as DEAD MAU5's evil twin) and DJ Optimus Times. May's event was a massive success, so July's event is sure to sell out quickly: snap up your ticket here before they're all gone.

                                     

Alice in Wonderland, cycle theatre tour - Chelsea, 18th to 22nd of July

RBKC Bikeminded have already brought us a plethora of interesting cycle tours, themed around things as diverse as Bond, Music and Cupcakes. This July they have teamed up with the Exquisite Folly theatre group to create an innovative and interactive storytelling concept. Follow Alice's adventures around Wonderland (aka Chelsea) on your bike and rediscover Lewis Carroll's classic tale in a way you won't have seen it before. Tickets available here.