Next to Waterloo Bridge (The Southbank Centre)

Outside the Southbank centre, next to waterloo bridge, the area has been renovated ready for summer, a man made beach has been made! 

They have added beach huts next to the river Thames to get the seaside feel. Each hut holds something different, in one you could take a seat and pick a book from a rather big selection and read for a while. There was a mosaic art hut, a fashion one and all sorts of others.

In the Southbank centreThere has been an Indian restaurant open in the Southbank centre, called the 'Dishoom', it's as if you were in a proper indian restaurant in India. Nicely decorated and friendly staff.

at the moment at the Hayward Gallery Tracey Emin has an exhibition on called "Love is what you want". Tickets are £9 with student discount.

There has been made a beautiful terrace garden on top of the Southbank centre, with a greenhouse, cafe and lots of different plants growing. 

If you fancy your portrait being painted go to Lady Lucy's portrait studio just underneath the Southbank centre...

www.beingll.com

Gabriel's Wharf

Gabriel's Wharf is a riverside square, with a mix of shops, studios, bars and restaurants. There are some lovely collections of jewelry, ceramics, fair-trade furnishings and affordable artwork. There are beautiful views of the river and St Paul's.

Shops such as Ganesha which sell re-cycled hand made goods, inspired by Indian design, there is also a shop at Covent Garden. this is the website: http://www.ganesha.co.uk/

Also in Gabriels Wharf there is the Southbank Printmakers

http://www.southbank-printmakers.com/

A fairly large collection of screen prints, big, small and all for sale. The shop is run by artists and printmakers themselves

The Bargehouse and The Oxo Tower

http://www.southbanklondon.com/attraction/bargehouse/

Bargehouse is an impressive 4-storey warehouse within Oxo Tower Wharf which presents a changing programme of art, design and photography exhibitions. The raw space is a blank canvas and can be hired for corporate events, shows and private parties.

The Oxo tower overlooks the Thames and is home to a unique community of design boutiques and studios. There are cafes and restaurants including the famous Oxo Tower Restaurant & Brasserie and exhibition spaces at gallery@oxo and Bargehouse.

I found A surface design shop, this is the website http://www.snowdenflood.com/

Here is an example of the work.

the big lunch

I went for a free lunch today organized by the bass player in the Blur, Alex James.

Next to Tower bridge, it was promoton for a "big lunch" which is set to be organised on the 5th. of june. The concept is to bring everyone together to spend lunch together outside in their area. So on the 5th of june, find out if in your area anyone is organising a big lunch, or you do it yourselves!

Bubblelogy

Tea Time ~ Craving for some hong kong/ taiwan tea ?
Bubbleology at 49 Rupert St. serve bubble tea that originated from Hong kong/ Taiwan. Bubble tea is flavoured
fruit tea and milk tea served with chewy natural tapioca balls! It's like a quirky snack and drink in one!
Try one now ! there is always a Q !
http://bubbleology.eu/about.php

中華街 chinatown

Chinatown, located at 27 Gerrard Street, London has plenty of chinese goodies and food.

If you love chinese food such as dumpling noodle soup, duck rice, char siew pao (bbq pork bun)

here is the place to go ! Perhaps its a tad too expensive, try making chinese dishes at home !

There are a few chinese supermarket here which are all stocked with all kinds of oriental ingredients,

spices, herbs and vegetables. If u are a poor student craving for noodle soup, get instant noodles or

cup noodles from these supermarket, it only cost 90p at most for a pack. Add an egg and some vegetable

with the noodles and voila ! you get yourself a cheap easy 'decent' meal. (not v.healthy, though) 

Not really a fan of chinese food ? Well, there is hanging ducks to see !

JERWOOD SPACE AND VISUAL ARTS

Excellent facilities for the Work of Art

Opened in 1998 as the first major capital initiative of the Jerwood Foundation, the Jerwood Space is now established as one of the best rehearsal spaces for theatre and dance in the country.  Young dance and theatre companies develop their work at a greatly reduced cost, working alongside established professional companies who pay competitive rates.  

A beautifully refurbished Victorian school also offers a contemporary art gallery, café and striking glazed courtyard; these are all open to the public and available for events.

Jerwood Visual Arts (JVA) is a contemporary gallery programme of awards, exhibitions and events at Jerwood Space, which then tours nationally. Jerwood Visual Arts promotes and celebrates the work of talented emerging artists across the disciplines of drawing, painting, sculpture, applied arts, photography and moving image. It also aims to make connections and provoke conversations within and across the different disciplines. 

LONDON TRANSPORT MUSEUM

The Piazza, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7BB

Admission charge of £10 for students but ticket is valid for a year!!!!

Discover the story of London's transport system and how it has shaped the lives of people living and working in London. Showcasing original artworks and advertising posters, historic vehicles including the iconic Routemaster bus and the world's first Underground steam train. There are train simulators and interactive exhibits too.

MUSUEM MILE

Dickens Museum, the British Museum and Sir John Soane's museum are part of the fantastic MUSEUM MILE...

A walk along Museum Mile provides a fascinating insight into London, past and present. From King's Cross to the River Thames, discover 12 of the city's most extraordinary museums and galleries and their equally diverse collections.

All are well worth a visit... or two... click on links below to discover more about each of them...

1. The British Library
2. British Museum
3. Brunei Gallery, SOAS
4. The Charles Dickens Museum
5. The Courtauld Gallery
6. The Foundling Museum
7. The Hunterian Museum at The Royal College of Surgeons
8. The Library and Museum of Freemasonry
9. London Transport Museum
10. Sir John Soane’s Museum
11. UCL Museums and Collections
12. Wellcome Collection

Download the podcast

Visit the Museum Mile website to download the podcast to enjoy a self-guided walk around Museum Mile. Voices include some of the passionate people involved with the museums, and local historian and tour guide Aly Mir, who pops in a fact or two about the historic area.

Museum Mile Walking Tour

Walk the Museum Mile with Inmidtown's Walks Guide, Aly Mir. There are half-day and full-day options and all walks are free.

Sir John Soane’s Museum

 

Sir John Soane’s Museum

13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields,  London WC2A 3BP
+44 (0)20 7405 2107

Step back in time with a visit to Sir John Soane's Museum – virtually unchanged since his death in1837. Behind an elegantly severe façade lie architecturally stunning interiors which contain world-class collections of art, sculpture, furniture, antiquities, casts, stained glass, books and models – all artfully arranged as Soane left them, 170 years ago.

Sir John Soane’s Museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday, 10-5pm when admission is free. 

OCTOBER GALLERY

October Gallery, 24 Old Gloucester Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1N 3AL

Tel: + 44 (0)20 7242 7367 Fax: + 44 (0)20 7405 1851

Artist Nnenna Okore returns to October Gallery, London for her second solo exhibition.

Okore continues to employ ordinary media like magazine and newspaper to highlight consumerism and excessive wastefulness in today’s society.

Along with the continued exploration of these themes in her work, Okore is also inspired by the concept of growth and metamorphosis.

Her sculptures explore rich earthly colours, textures and formations often resembling architectural structures and spaces. The application of various repetitive and labour-intensive techniques, like weaving, twisting, sewing, dyeing, waxing and rolling, only serve to further accentuate these elements and other visceral qualities embodied in these works.

BRITISH MUSEUM

http://www.britishmuseum.org/

Admission free and open every day from 10am till 5.30pm - loads of great artifacts, history and art from around the world plenty to be inspired by - 

What's On...12 May – 10 July 2011 "Objects in focus" in Room 3

Discover the secrets behind this shadow-and-light box installation by contemporary artist Xu Bing, inspired by a Chinese painting in the Museum’s collection.

Nearly 5 metres tall, Xu Bing’s artwork is made using materials such as hemp fibres, dry plants, corn husks, crumpled paper and debris sourced from sites across London, placed on a backlit screen. Seen from the front, the work looks like the brush strokes of a Chinese painting, but step behind and the illusion is shattered. The installation was created on site by Xu Bing and will only exist for the duration of the display.

The work is the latest in the series of installations by the internationally renowned Chinese artist. Background Story 7 is a direct response to a hanging scroll of a Chinese landscape by Wang Shimin dating to 1654 and is specially commissioned for the British Museum.

BRODIE & MIDDLETON - Old school extenstive Art and Theatrical Suppliers based in Drury Lane, Covent Garden

 They also encompass Russell and Chapple who specialise in supplying the highest quality Fine Art, Scenic, and Digital canvases, sourcing and importing our canvas fabrics from all over the world.

Guang hwa book shop

For chinese books and chinese culture, visit Guang Hwa Bookshop !
7 Newport Place, Leicester Square

Jen Cafe

Dumpling making performance at Jen cafe ! Everytime i walk past this
cafe a lady will be there making dumplings that looks so delicious !
If you crave for some chinese, try this cafe and let me know if it's good !

textures

Any Amount of Books

Another bookshop with a long history along 62 Charing Cross Road !
Any amount of Books is a secondhand bookshop with a range of affordable
old musky smelling book which i love ! http://www.anyamountofbooks.com/

more

dear friends,
my stupid landlord decided not to pay my internet/ phone bills or he just forgot !
so i am writting from starbucks now ... and i did more rubbings !

Got this from Prince Charles Cinema Building. Prince Charles Cinema is a

repertory cinema located in Leicerter Place. It shows a rotationg program of

cult, arthouse and classic films. I would like to go for the screening of my

favourite movie - Forrest Gump on 13th July. Prince Charles Cinema is also

rumoured to have a ghost that haunts the upper levels of the cinema !!!

Check it out if you dare ! :/ http://www.princecharlescinema.com/



PAUL STOLPER GALLERY

CONTEMPORARY ART GALLERY...features a selection of work from artists including Damien Hirst, Peter Blake and Susan Hamston.

*Odd opening times Wednesday – Saturday 10am – 6pm or by appointment but also has a store in New Bond Street which normal gets the show for a short run after being shown at Musuem Street...

PAUL STOLPER   31 MUSEUM STREET   LONDON WC1A 1LH   +44(0)20 7580 7001
paulstolper.com   info@paulstolper.com 

Love is What You Want...

HAYWARD GALLERY, SOUTHBANK CENTRE - TRACEY EMIN: LOVE IS WHAT YOU WANT 

WEDNESDAY 18 MAY 2011 - MONDAY 29 AUGUST 2011

Like marmite you either love her or hate her ....
On Wednesday I went to Tracey Emin's "Love is What You Want".... described as a major survey of one of Britain's most celebrated contemporary artists, the exhibition covers every period of her career and features painting, drawing, photography, textiles, video and sculpture...
some good some bad some just odd...but worth a visit just to see all her blankets in one place...

Since the early 1990s, Emin (b.1963) has used her own life as the starting point for her art, exposing the most harrowing and intimate details of her personal history. Sometimes confrontational or sexually provocative, her work resonates with the 'personal political' legacy of feminist art while at the same time speaking to relationships in general. Disarmingly frank and yet often profoundly private, much of Emin's art - as this show makes clear - is also animated by her playful and ironic wit...

Be warned this show contains works of an explicit nature...

oranges and lemons video...

The Oranges and Lemons graffiti in Rei's previous blog is by a prolific street artist called BEN EINES http://www.einesigns.co.uk/home.php and the link below is a video of him installing this ode to the walls of the London Graphic Centre in Covent Garden... really cool - check it out!

http://graffart.eu/blog/2011/05/ben-eine-oranges-and-lemons-painting-the-london-graphics-centre-mural-video/

London Film School

The London Film School is a private film school in Covent Garden, London. The LFS was founded in 1956 by Bob Dunbar as The London School of Film Technique. It is recognised as one of the best graduate film schools in the world and as a leading private film school in the UK.

website: http://www.lfs.org.uk/ 

typography

walked past London Graphic Center and saw this typography on the building.

COS

COS is one of my favourite shop in london. COS clothes are always in modern clean line style made with good quality fabric and comes with reasonable price tag !  If they are a tad high for your budget wait for their sales period, prices goes down by 50% at least !
browse their website now !  http://www.cosstores.com/gb/site/home__start.nhtml





The Art Workers Guild

The Art Workers Guild, 6 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3A

Is an independent charity and organisation that was founded in the 1880s and is closely associated with the Arts & Crafts movement. It now consists of roughly 100 architects and 250 designer makers, bound by good craftsmanship and design rather than style.

Visit their website to check out the wares of most of the designers in their fold - there are bookbinders, artists, sculptors, etchers, guilders and letterpress.

The Espresso Room, Bloomsbury, London

 A petite haven for artisan coffee...THE ESPRESSO ROOM: Open Weekdays 7:30am-5pm; Sat 9:30am-2:30pm - is a really efficient and cute little (little being the operative word!!!) coffee shop just opposite Great Ormond Street hospital.  

The cafe won my respect for being the only coffee house that I've visited (and there have been many...) that sells KeepCups!!!! - in all colours and combination's too. 

KeepCup was designed as an environmentally friendly alternative to replace the increased amount of disposable cups used by coffee houses. It's a stylish and practical lidded commuter cup that replicates standard takeaway sizes and fits under the group heads of espresso machines. They are BPA free and non toxic and they have pretty good thermal properties -  keeping beverages hot 20-30 minutes longer than disposable cups!!!

FYI: The paper cup is made from a composite of materials: kraft bleached paper sprayed with a polyethylene coating. Paper cups are often impregnated with toxic dyes which make them difficult to recycle. The plastic lining in disposable paper cups means they are not recyclable. Biodegradation of a paper cup can take 50 years or more. It’s not just the cup and lid that go into landfill. On average, each disposable cup contains 5% of the raw materials involved in the process of making and delivering it.

Small acts can make a big difference – for better and for worse.

People's Supermarket...for the people by the people

The Supermarket is a sustainable food cooperative that responds to the needs of the local community and provides healthy, local food at reasonable prices. They aim offer an alternative food buying network, by connecting an urban community with the local farming community.

Visions and Values:

• To buy British produce where possible, and produce local to London.
• Provide choice and information to our members to help them make healthy decisions.
• To create a community supermarket that highlights the possibilities of consumer power and challenges the status quo.
• To minimise wastage, by creating prepared dishes from food coming up to its sell-by date, and by composting all other waste material