New song by Lethal Bizzle (ex more fire crew) Pow 2011 – out February 6. When I watched this on YouTube, it’d had already clocked up 870k views. That’s MASSIVE! This song is going to be MASSIVE! Definitely a two-foot-off-the-floor dancefloor filler!

Time to get your fella a new tie (or yourself a treat)?

Then get yourself down to the Hermes sale this weekend for up to 60% off!

Hermes Sample Sale: London – January 2010

When: 15 January 2010 – 16 January 2010

Time: 8.30am – 7pm Fri, 10am – 6pm Sat

Where: Music Rooms – 26 S Molton Lane, London W1K 5LF

Nearest Tube: Bond Street

more information at viewlondon.co.uk

ACT and I saw the dreamy Cinematic Orchestra at London’s Royal Albert Hall a few weeks ago (Sunday 14 November, to be precise). We had great seats in the 7th row! I’ve been a fan for ages, with the song All That You Give up there in my most played… until this one, To Build a Home, came along as the opening track on Ma Fleur. Since the fist listen, I can’t stop listening to it, and it still gives me chills. Love it.

Please enjoy this live recording of
‘To Build A Home’
from their show with the London Metropolitan Orchestra, at the Royal Albert Hall, London.

More about the show on the Cinematic Orchestra website.

A sweetly sized 39 room hotel in the centre of bustling Soho, the Dean Street Townhouse pretty much covers everything in my hotel wish list. It’s small – check, central – check, low key – check, good food that’s not stupid expensive – check. The Cowshed spa around the corner is an added bonus. Ever had one of their pedicures? if you haven’t you should – for the foot sanding alone!

The location is great – walk up to Chisou in Princes St for lovely Japanese food (restaurant ££, cafe £), catch a film at the lovely art deco Curzon cinema in Mayfair, splash some cash around at Liberty – the options are endless!

One of the more recent offerings from Nick Jones (Soho house, Cowshed), I can’t wait for the day where I’m a visitor in London so I have a legitimate reason to stay there!

Looking for something to do this weekend?

From today Friday 5 November through to Sunday 7th, the Real Food Market decends on London’s Southbank. La Fromagerie will be there serving up delicious cheeses (usually reserved for visitors to Marylebone), along with 40 other producers including the Flour Power City Bakery for great brownies and Woodward Farm for free-range beef and eggs.

I’m keen to check out the goods from Cafe-on for what is decribed as “French Patisseries with Asian flavours”. The macaroons on the Cafe-on website look delicious, and are gluten free!

Image borrowed from Cafe-on website

Opening times: Fri 11am-8pm; Sat 10am-6pm; Sun 12 noon-6pm

For more information and the complete list of producers: Real Food Market website

Another reason to be happy about my recent move to the South East of London – the London Particular. I read about this on the lovely Scrambling Eggs blog, and I can see it becoming a brunch favourite. Nice!

I’ve not yet had the chance to try this out, but it’s a great idea. Marky Market sources the best meat and fish from various markets around London, and then delivers it to your door. Prices are reasonable, and the produce no doubt tastes a million times better than what you’ll find in your local supermarket.

More info over at www.markymarket.com

Want, want, want. I would probably get extremely frustrated trying to build it, but it’s very cool!

Available to buy at Lego.com from 1 October 2010.

I had a very London experience yesterday….

For the past five years or so, my fella has been getting his suits made-to-measure from Gresham Blake. So I joined him on his  visit to their London fitting rooms. Not only did I become a little obsessed with Gresham & Fal’s (the couple behind the fabulous suits) gorgeous pug dog, but I kind of fancied being a man for a day so I could dress up in all the fineries!

According to Quintessentially, high-profile fans of their edgy suits include Jimmy Page, Norman Cook, Nick Cave, Tracey Emin, Steve Coogan and Christian Slater. Nice!

Check out their ‘Off the Peg’ range in the Brighton store – 20 Bond Street, Brighton BN1 1RD – Ph: 01273 609 587

London taxis are world-renowned, but this is usually referring to the fact that drivers are knowledgeable, safe, and friendly.

Once in a while you get one that’s even better… and last night, the lucky one ferrying me and my curry coma back home from dinner at Lahore Kebab House (great food = amusingly unfriendly service. dinner for 4 = £55)  had Joan Armatrading on the stereo. I couldn’t quite remember what I was listening to… so I asked the driver, and not only got the song name, but the full story about how one of his mates played guitar in her band, and that she’s actually an exceptional electric guitarist. He was proper excited about my interest in the song. So there you go… enjoy!