Dancing till Dawn to the sounds of DJ Dan Browne

If you have been on a dance floor in West London and felt that euphoric elation as song after song and remix after remix is played, each infinitely better than last, you were probably listening to Dan Browne. Dan Browne has the ability to blend the most contemporary remixes with sublimely infectious beats and mould any dance floor into a hub of activity, electric with energy. Combine Dan’s X factor with what is arguably the most established and well loved nightclub in West London and an instant recipe for success is formed.

We jumped at the chance to head to W8 and sample some of Dan’s magic in the luxurious and sexy surroundings of Kensington Roof Gardens last weekend. No other club suits a summers evening better and following a hot London day it was the coolest place to be in London that night, in both senses of the word. Kensington Roof Gardens is celebrating its 30th Anniversary this month, an impressive feat in London; a city known for having a high turnover of re-branding and ever changing faces in terms of nightlife. Is it Crazy Larrys, is it Public, Mamalanji, Tuatara....it’s sometimes difficult for an SW6 girl to keep up on where she needs to be. However, Roof Gardens has always been a reliable constant and with the injection of Dan’s expertise it just raised its game again.

With 2 girlfriends in tow, Jess and I spent the evening glued to the heaving dance floor like sweaty drug addicts getting our fix. Every time we felt the need for some fresh rooftop garden air another inspired remix of a chart topping anthem would come on, enhanced brilliantly by Russ Cowie’s proficiency on the drums. We eventually succumbed and accepted that even if we should leave the dancefloor to avoid severe dehydration, we didn’t want to because we were having the time of our lives. As a double act Russ and Dan worked the crowd like Richard Branson himself working another business deal...Branson may own the club but the boys undoubtedly owned the night.

Another reason why we champion Dan is that he is a SW6 local and loves all things Fulham. We grilled him not only about his life as a super cool DJ but also about his existence as a Fulhamite and were surprised with some of the responses:

What inspired you to start DJing?
Ha ha everybody always asks this question. Music aside. The honest truth was when I was 15 I thought it would make me cool. Everybody needs a DJ at a party and it was the perfect way to avoid ever having to expose the fact that I was an awful dancer. No one judges a DJ on his dance moves.
Which other DJ's in the industry do you respect/love?
I'm a massive fan of Pete Tong. I always listen to his R1 show on a Friday. (well normally on demand, during the week because of work) A true pioneer of new music.
Why do you like DJing at Roof Gardens?
Roof Gardens is like no other club in London for obvious reasons. Over the past year the management and promoters have worked hard to get a really cool crowd in each week, which makes for a great party and in turn gives the club an amazing energy! In fact I'm struggling to think of a night I haven't enjoyed working there. I guess that’s why it’s been around for 30 years.
How much do you adapt your set throughout the night depending on the atmosphere/crowd response?
My set is constantly changing as new tunes come out and old ones get over played. It's the same on the night. I work really hard to keep my set sounding fresh with new tunes and remixes. Sometimes things you think are going to work don't and you have to flip the set to keep the party going. That’s all part of reading the crowd.
Where do you love to eat out locally?
I love Sophie’s steak house on the Fulham Rd, you just can't beat it! I am also really looking forward to having dinner at Megans next week, I hear the food is amazing. And if your ever looking for a good curry in SW6 KishMish on Fulham Broadway is delicious.
What's your favourite SW6 spot to relax during your down time?
Eclipse in South Ken is great little bar. Amazing cocktails and really great atmosphere. The bar tenders are incredible and will make up drinks on the spot if you tell them what flavours you like.

Check out Dan’s latest mix here: http://www.mediafire.com/?1kmztl2cv98z8y5

And more information about him here: http://www.djdanbrowne.com/London-DJ/

http://www.roofgardens.virgin.com/en/the_roof_gardens

A glimpse of riverside living in SW6

So we have been telling people for months and it seems that others are finally coming round to our way of thinking, Fulham is trendy again. Ok so it’s never going to be Shoreditch and it’s unlikely to become home to super cutting edge bands and artists but it is offering more and more great pubs that are worth travelling for. A prime example is the newly refurbished ‘Waterside’ pub in the super swanky Imperial Wharf complex. The development is becoming increasingly more convenient with a selection of restaurants and the overground rail service with an extended timetable at weekends. There is also the holy grail of conveniences...a Tesco Metro with a cashpoint! Ok so maybe we would have preferred to see a local family run supermarket emerge but one cannot deny that it is very handy.

Anyway back to The Waterside, there is nothing more civilised than sitting by the water on a summers evening sipping something cold and enjoying an alfresco experience, especially when it is in sw6 and two minutes walk from home. Last Thursday saw just this happen when we headed to The Waterside post work for their launch party. The space itself its vast and is split on varying levels with multiple bars and a Moroccan themed decor as you enter. It is also worth noting that this is not a few dirty, sticky pub benches outside- there is some very funky outdoor furniture and a selection of canopies creating a contemporary yet comfortable space . We were treated to a refreshing cocktail and grabbed a pew outside by the river to enjoy the sunset and general buzzy ambiance, slowly winding down from the day at work.

As with all post work parties once everyone has had a drink the appetites kick in and people dive on the canapés like vultures with tactical expertise. Thankfully we were not left hungry and all felt extremely satisfied thanks to the sizeable selection and efficient delivery of canapés. A feast of miniatures from their menu were handed round which ranged from the classic burger and fish and chips to the more sophisticated foie gras on toast and crusted French onion soup.

The location is really exceptional, so much so that I returned on Sunday evening for a drink in the sunshine and saw the Sunday lunch menu in full swing which was appeared to be doing a roaring trade. Jess and I will no doubt be returning to experience their dinner menu and report back on the experience but so far so good in my opinion, we are thrilled to have such a great local.

http://www.watersideimperialwharf.co.uk/

Namaste P.Green!

With summer basically already here and holiday season also well underway, Sarah and I decided it was time to stop using the blog as an excuse to drink and eat constantly and see what the area had to offer in terms of stripping off a little excess 'wobble'! We both try our best to hit the gym regularly but had realised we weren't really flying the local flag in our exercise choices. So, as part of our new local 'sweat and tone' SW6southwestsix initiative, we were pretty smug when we stumbled across Manuka, on the New Kings Road.

Those of you who have already discovered your inner yogis might recognise Manuka as the brand that has been selling yoga and pilates gear in John Lewis (and many other retailers) for the past few years, and their products have developed a healthy following. Sarah and I were fairly oblivious to all this (I'm a bit more  Primarni than Peter Jones) but we were drawn to the shop for it's simple but comfortable designs. Everything looked easy to wear and flattering and the fabrics were soft to the touch. I also love anything with an eye catching layout, and the mannequin in the window doing gymnastics in a suspended hula hoop certainly got my attention!

Manuka's flagship store at 275 New Kings Road also offers yoga and meditation classes (timetable at the bottom of this post) and so we decided it was time to discover a little local inner Zen and signed up for an hour's class. Like I say, I do try to exercise regularly but I must preface this post by saying that I have always been hideously inflexible - even my Grandmother can touch her toes, but I seem to have stretch and physical range of an ailing elephant. Hence, I've always found yoga it's own slow, aching, special kind of torture and only remotely considered it after reading in the Daily Mail (don't judge!) that Gisele Bunchden does it daily!

However, I can honestly say that whilst I still ached and strained throughout the class, this time I really enjoyed it. Manuka's studio is small, softly lit and intimate - Sarah and I's class only had one other participant. All the products, from the mats to the seating blocks (actually plush thickly stuffed cushions) and stretchy bands felt pretty upmarket and the relaxing playlist hit all the right notes. Colby, our teacher for the class (you can follow her on Twitter at @kineticlondon), was hugely upbeat and enthusiastic about all the benefits of yoga, and she was constantly on her feet correcting our postures and encouraging us to stretch that little bit further. She was really involved, totally down to earth, oozed personality and made the class really fun. It all meant that I got so much more out of it than I have when I've tried yoga before and I definitely found myself stretching more - even during those painful 'hip opener' exercises! Previously I have found yoga classes all too serious (and perhaps a little preachy on the whole accompanying philosophy thing) but Colby was great on explaining the physiological benefits, which do all make sense - I even found myself Ohhmming without feeling too silly!

Anyway, we left feeling really relaxed, a little longer, a little leaner and totally refreshed - we even skipped the planned recovery glass of wine in the White Horse (very virtuous), and picked up a few Manuka products to get our little yoga bunny on back at home. I thought the yoga towel (a thinner textured yoga mat) was really cute (great colours too, with good grip) and the wooden massage roller and eco hand massage balls came home with me too. A percentage of profits from everything in the Manuka eco range go to help plant clean bio-fuel producing Jatropha trees in Mozambique (and Manuka currently has a sale on!) so all these gains were totally guilt free!

Whilst the classes at Manuka certainly aren't bargain basement, I think paying a little extra for the smaller class size, the extra attention, and the beautiful, relaxing surroundings is definitely worthwhile. Yoga is all about relaxing, getting the postures right and coming out feeling stretched yet totally content, so I think all those things really count to getting the most from the experience - at least, it really made a difference for me. I'll definitely be going again - Gisele Bunchden watch your back!