Jubilee fever in Fulham

This weekend London is set to be humming with excitable locals and tourists celebrating the Queen’s Jubilee. You would have to have been living in a cave not to notice the Royal Britannia propaganda that adorns every shop, restaurant, street and magazine in sight. If the thought of heading into the West End fills you with fear, fret not- here is the rundown of celebrations in the borough, SW6 loves you Queenie! 

 

Fulham Road’s new Tiki-inspired bar Kona Kai, is getting ready to celebrate the Jubilee in true Polynesian Princess fashion. On Friday 1st June lucky ladies who visit Kona Kai will receive a free Tiara and leis to make you feel just like the new, slightly more exotic Kate Middleton. A themed cocktail has been created especially for the night, the Island Princess and sharing cocktails will also be on offer for all the Kona Kai princesses. If you’re feeling brave enough you can also get up and learn to hula with professional teachers! As the night goes on and the Jubilee celebrations keep flowing there will be live music from Rosie and The Hoppers and a late licence until 2am.

One of our local favourites The Hurlingham pub have secured the riverside facing part of PC world car park and are making the most of it with a huge Jubilee party from 12-8pm- it’s the place to watch the Queens 1000-boat flotilla pass under Wandsworth Bridge. There will be drinks bars, a champagne and Pimms tent, hog roast, pizza, a 1956 route master bar bus with a rooftop VIP area, 7 piece live Jazz band, street performers, Spanish tapas, thai street food, entertainment for the little ones and views of the whole Jubilee Flotilla. It is also worth noting they are encouraging fancy dress!

The Diamond Jubilee Big 50s Tea Celebration will take place at Fulham Palace on Sunday 3rd June 2012. The Drawing Room Café will be producing a special menu for the Diamond Jubilee Big 50s Tea Celebration, a themed garden party at Fulham Palace on Sunday 3rd June. There will be a barbeque and salad bar on the lawn and a traditional cream tea can be booked in the drawing room or on the terrace. Activities on the day include jive dancing (lessons given if required!), garden games, retro races, children’s craft activities, music from the Fulham Brass Band and a prize for the best 1950s costume (for the first 100 who arrive in vintage dress). The event is free and runs from 12noon to 5pm, guests are also welcome to bring a picnic or book a table for the barbeque and salad bar on the front lawn.

As bunting takes the streets and the red carpets take the walls of Harrods, Manuka is rolling out the mats to host a festive evening of all their favourite things, including you! This Friday the evening kicks off at 6:30pm with a complimentary flute of Champagne, then from 7pm they will be offering a festive yoga class in Manuka's luxury studio. Visitors can also browse the debut of Stella & Dot's Summer 2012 Collection.  RSVP to kineticlondon@gmail.com, or by phone (07590673733). £5 suggested contribution, Friends and children  welcome!

                                          

Right on the river's edge the Waterside Bar and Kitchen is a prime place to be on 3rd June. The pub/restaurant will have festivities all day; delicious food stalls, flowing bars and live music; including the likes of Funkshone, Marner Brown and Alix Live. To ensure you get a good view they are opening extra early at 8am to serve coffee, tea,  bacon baps and other breakfast goodies from their BBQ's.

                                            

Those with little ones will be pleased to hear that later in June, Haus Properties has sponsored Lady Margaret School as they are once again inviting the community to their annual garden party on Saturday 23rd June. Planning ahead for what is set to be a busy year for events, the school is making sure there is something for everyone in their tranquil courtyard garden.

                                             

Younger visitors will find fun activities including a teddy tombola, toys and games galore. Older children can try the inflatables, shop for crafts and gifts inside the school. Visitors can also enjoy the barbecue, strawberries and cream washed down with fresh lemonade. 

Visitors can also try to win-a-bottle, bid in the silent auction, buy vintage bargains and browse for plants, books and bric-a-brac. There will be delicious cakes and a special Jubilee tea on the terrace to toast the Royal anniversary! Proceeds from the day will go towards the school. All welcome.

Lady Margaret School, Saturday 23 June 2012, 11am-3pm with £1 entry (50p concessions).

***Don't forget if you want 15% DISCOUNT on Queen's Jubilee Party Supplies when you visit CIRCUS CIRCUS you just need to enter BLOG15 in the shopping cart at www.circuscircus.co.uk or when in store!***

Reach!...for some new abs

When it’s baking hot outside like it is at the moment, thoughts are likely to turn to one of two things. Firstly, how we can trade time in the office for time in the great, sunny outdoors. Secondly, how we can get in shape ready for our skimpier summer wardrobes. When the sun comes out, suddenly we all make a pact to be leaner, fitter, healthier. And we want results. Fast. I’m no exception, and with an early summer holiday looming only a few weeks away, I needed to up the ante on my farcical “fitness” regime. So, I did what any blogger would do: I sought advice on Twitter, and was promptly invited to Reach Fitness, Clapham, to have my ass whooped in their terrifyingly aptly-named ‘Warrior Workout’.

Reach Fitness is not for the faint-hearted.  It’s not a gentle, easy workout for people looking for a painless way to drop a pound or two. When I visited last weekend I was put through some serious paces. 60 minutes of intense circuits: burpees, mountain climbers, planks, kettle balls, AMRAP (as many rounds as possible of certain exercises in a certain time frame) and all things intense and sweaty. My companions for the session were without exception lean, muscular and pretty darn fit. Evidently, this hardcore method gets results, and is designed for people who are serious about getting results.  So, if you’re already a bit of a fitness machine, and are looking to push yourself further, you’ve found the right place. Rich Tidmarsh, who owns Reach, trains top athletes like international rugby player James Haskell, so rest assured you’re in good hands.

Yet, as terrifying as that all sounds, everyone was incredibly friendly, and encouraging, not least our instructor, Laurie. I’m definitely not lean, muscular or particularly fit, but I made it through the session with a lot of friendly encouragement and banter, and I did feel amazing afterwards (although come the following day, I definitely felt more sore than fantastic!). You are paired up throughout the session, so your buddy will always cheer you on, and there’s plenty of friendly competition, so even if you don’t mind letting yourself down, you’ll push yourself that extra bit harder so as not to let down your buddy. The session was definitely a bit of a jolt to the system, but only served to underpin how when left to our own devices in a gym, we probably don’t push ourselves as hard as we should. For anyone who is serious about pushing their body, and getting fit as well as lean, Reach is a bit of a winner. 

If you’d like to check out Reach for yourself, you can bag yourself a free trial session by signing up online. Let us know how you get on!

Reach Fitness

Unit 7B, Clapham North Arts Centre

London SW4 6DH

www.r4reach.co.uk

Image from Reach Fitness website at r4reach.com

Great wines, fine times at the Finborough Wine Cafe

Like most Fulham residents, I drink a fair bit of wine. Some of it fine, some of it... not so much. Yet only recently, having attended a few different tastings in the borough, have I really begun to learn the subtler differences between all those wines that lie between the 'epic' and the 'undrinkable' ends of the scale. As someone from Blur might have once said, it's only recently I've begun to know my Claret from my Beaujolais.

Having started on this boozy adventure, I'd been keen for a while now to check out the offering at the Finborough Wine Cafe. Promising a range of tastings from group sessions to a pretty appealing '10 wines for £9' deal (tasters rather than bottles, sorry folks!) and with a square emphasis on bringing you great wines that won't break the bank, I was looking forward to trying out some wines I could actually afford to take home with me (and show off to my friends about with my newly acquired knowledge!).

The Finborough Wine Cafe sits across two floors underneath the legendary Finborough Theatre. The ground floor cafe is bright and light, with a large central bar area and lots of welcoming leather sofas, all well spaced out to give a relaxed atmosphere, where we enjoyed a glass of sparkling whilst waiting for the tasting to begin. As you might expect, they offer a plentiful wine menu, helpfully organised by style and taste of wine, as opposed to by grape or region (which can be a little bamboozling, particularly when they are grapes you haven't heard of before), and range of snacks including delicious Firezza pizzas from an outlet next door... pretty handy after a whopping 10 glass tasting.

The tasting area is in an contemporary cellar space in the basement. The groups are intimate (our table was just 10) and you are completely surrounded by racks of wine, accentuated by appealing modern backlighting. The sessions are strictly informal, no charts or power-points, just a list of wines with space to make notes, plenty of banter and light hearted (yet still informative) commentary from our friendly, enthusiastic, yet totally unpretentious host. We learnt about how differences in temperature, grape, soil, gradient and even rot affect the taste of wines, the differences between Old and New world wines, and plenty more besides: and most cleverly of all, we never once felt we were in a lesson or lecture. Tastings at the Finborough make wine accessible, really accessible. Case in point, here's an anecdote I will always remember: "New World wines are like strippers, they reveal themselves quickly, where as the old world wines are more akin to a burlesque dancer - taking their time and with a more complex way of undressing."

With the emphasis on the best of affordable wines, the Finborough may not be the place you come to have a crack at the couture of the wine world (although there definitely are some bottles I wouldn't class as 'affordable'), but the range of grapes and provenances we tried was perfect for figuring out what suits your tastes, and it's definitely a plus to discover a bottle you wouldn't find in Sainsbury's that can become an affordable favourite. Sessions are fun, educational and won't break the bank. I'd definitely visit again.

Finborough Wine Cafe
118 Finborough Road
SW10 9ED
Bookings via finboroughwinecafe@gmail.com or 0207 373 0745

A Jubilee Jamboree in the Sands End

Dear Lizzie, 60 years on the throne and still looking peachy

These last few years have offered a bumper crop of bank holidays, moments for British pride and occasions to bring the community together, and it seems we have Lizzie Windsor and co. to thank for most of them. You'd have to have been living under a rock not to realise that this June we're celebrating the Queen's Diamond Jubilee (that's a stonking 60 years on the throne), and after their success with the Royal Wedding street party last year, the Sands End will be helping ring in the moment once more.



On Monday 4th June, in conjunction with Aspire estate agents, and in aid of Ray's Playhouse (a very deserving local non-profit that provides a much needed environment for local parents and carers to take their children for play sessions), the Sands End presents their Jubilee Street Party on Stephendale Road. The road will be closed off around the pub between Glenrosa and Kilkie Streets, including a short stretch of Byam Street, and the area will play host to children's entertainers, face painters, vintage fairground stalls, a barbecue, bar, and live music including a steel band. Local residents are being encouraged/bribed to decorate the outside of their houses and there will be a free meal for two at The Sands End for the residents of the best looking house - so the area should be looking pretty festive and British. If it's anything like last year's party, this is not one to be missed.




To help you celebrate in style and, if you're a resident, secure that coveted best looking house prize, we've teamed up with Fulham's best loved party store Circus Circus on the Wandsworth Bridge Road to offer you a fantastic discount on all your Jubilee essentials. To get 15% off when you buy your British bunting, flags, tableware and fancy dress hats and costumes, simply quote 'SW6 blog' in-store or enter the code BLOG15 when you check out your cart at circuscircus.co.uk. Happy shopping!

Circus Circus
176 Wandsworth Bridge Road
London SW6 2UQ

The Sands End
135-7 Stephendale Road
London SW6 2PR

What's on in May

Despite the obvious disappointment that April's mini-Summer was not here to stay, there's plenty of good stuff (indoor and outdoor) going on in Fulham and Chelsea this May. Here's our round up of dates for your diary - let us know if there's anything you'd like us to add.

This weekend (12th and 13th of May) marks the 8th birthday of King's Road favourite Austique. To celebrate there will be cupcakes and champagne plus 10% off both online and in-store for all customers. They've got plenty of beautiful pieces of clothing and jewellery, with brands from Alice + Olivia to Libelula so you're bound to find something you like, and get yourself a nifty little bargain to boot.
Austique, 330 Kings Road, London SW3 5UR.

Calling all music lovers. For an innovative take on an intimate gig why not check out Gibraltar born musician Guy Valarino in the first leg of his 'couch-surfing tour', hosted in a flat on the Fulham Road. Inspired by his first trip to London in which he tried to break into the music industry whilst living on a friend's couch, this unique event promises lots of soulful acoustic pop that speaks of life, love, sand and the sea.

Guy Valarino, 7pm Sat 12th of May. Email kirsty.band@gmail.com for venue details.

Spring is most definitely here, and all that rain we've been having does have one advantage if you've got a garden. If you're pretty green-fingered you may be interested in the regular events put on by the Fulham Palace Garden Centre, in Bishops Park. On Thursday 24th May (11am - 12pm) they're hosting a 'Growing Lavender Demonstration' featuring planting tips, recipe cards and free tea and coffee for all. You're bound to learn loads and remember all profits of the centre go to the Princes Trust so you can shop afterwards in their gorgeous boutique guilt free.
Fulham Palace Garden Centre, Bishops Avenue, Fulham SW6 6EE

One of the nicest ways to explore the local area is by bike, and RBKC initiative Bikeminded is committed to making sure we make the most of the borough on two wheels. May and June see the continuation of their popular local cycle tours. Each follows and different theme and lets you explore the history and culture of the Royal borough from a new angle. On Saturday 26th of May they'll be hosting their Film Tour, exploring locations used on the big screen and detailing the cinematic history of the area. The tour costs £7, and you can either bring your own two-wheeled transport or rent out a Boris bike. For more details of the Film tour, to book your ticket and also to peruse June's offering (Magical Musical Mystery and Alice in Wonderland tours!) you can check out their events listings here. And for those of you who like to look stylish whilst you ride, you may be interested in Bikeminded's latest Style the Cyclist Pinterest competition, in conjunction with Harrods. For your chance to win £150 in Harrod's vouchers, simply create a Pinterest board to help style two local celebrities. More details here.



Our favourite SW6 Middle Eastern haunt is offering plenty of musical delights this May with live jazz every Thursday evening. Del Aziz in Fulham Broadway (home of some of the finest tagines in SW London, I might add... reviews here and here) will be hosting musicians from across the globe including Brazilian bossa nova and jazz singer Jandira Silva on May 24th and West London based classic jazz artist Josephine Arthur on the 31st. The food at this popular Vanston Place bolthole is always superb, so for a truly cosmopolitan evening in the heart of Fulham look no further!

True Italian hospitality at the charming Casa Carlo

One thing we certainly don’t have a shortage of in Fulham is Italian restaurants. We have a plethora of outlets for pizza and pasta, ranging from the rough and ready delivery joint, through to truly authentic and high-end osterias, via the odd branch of Pizza Express and Strada along the way. However, the ones I like most, and derive the most pleasure from visiting, are none of the above (well, I do like some posh Italian too!) – I love the middle ground. The ones that are family run, packed full of character, and where the service is fantastic and comes with a cheeky wink and a smile. That’s why I can’t believe I was so late to the party on Casa Carlo, which Twitter informs me has long been a community favourite, albeit in their previous location in Fulham Broadway.

Casa Carlos occupies an enviable position on the edge of Eel Brook Common, boasting a sun-drenched dining room (during the rare occasions when the sun is shining), high vaulted ceilings, and some seriously fun decor. This place is covered head to toe in vintage ads, plaques, paintings and knick-knacks that give it bags of character, and the bar is fully stocked with a full range of Italian specialities (and covered in faux vines with light up grapes – what more could you ask for?!).

For a Thursday evening, Carlo’s wasn’t particularly busy but nonetheless our waiter could not have been more attentive. We kicked off with the lightly battered squid and courgette, as well as the mixed bruschetta. Both were delicious, and both enormous, so no need to worry about coming away hungry. Mains consisted of a gorgeous seafood risotto, packed full of crustaceans, and a crab linguine, which I’m afraid I found a little bland, but was well prepared and presented nonetheless. I also had my eye on the spaghetti al vongole, which appeared on the table next to ours and looked divine – next time!

We washed it all down with an excellent bottle of prosecco, and what Italian host would let his guests go away without an Italian digestif? Certainly not Carlo: we rounded off with a shot of limoncello, on the house.

Casa Carlo is charming, kitsch and welcoming all at once. The service is excellent, yet manages to feel laid back and casual (in a good way) at the same time. Carlo has been lending some Italian charm to SW6 for donkey's years and long may it continue - go check it out!

Casa Carlo

Eel Brook Common

New King’s Road

London SW6 4SU