IMOGEN EDWARDS-JONES
“This glorious April I shall mainly be painting the town orange, which is the colour of the cover of my new novel, ‘Have You Got Anything Stronger?’, a satirical comedy about the joys of love, marriage, friendship, and waking up one day and thinking: ‘Is this it?’. This is the first comic novel I have written in a while, having spent the last decade writing Hotel Babylon, Fashion Babylon etc and it’s a whole new ball game out there. I’ve done blog tours, podcasts and I have turned Notting Hill’s blue Travel Book Shop orange for a day. But obviously, most of my time is currently spent staring at the book sales charts!
Easter is approaching, but having just interviewed the brilliant Henry Dimbleby about his new book Ravenous, on the evils of processed food, I shall be laying off the chocolate eggs and, on April 22nd, joining the fragrant Jenny Halpern Prince on the Lady Garden Foundation Family Challenge for my sins (actually, for my dear friend Anne, get well soon, darling). Those who know me well are only too aware that I only really run to the bar for last orders, so I shall be taking the 5km/10km slowly, at a chatting and emailing pace, if anyone would care to join!”
Imogen Edwards-Jones, author, writer, journalist and podcaster
Restaurant: Nessa
Nessa is a new neighbourhood bistro and bar located in London’s Soho, on the corner of Brewer and Warwick Street. Names after Vanessa Bell, the painter, interior designer, muse and co-founder of the Bloomsbury Group who also happened to have a very famous sister- Virginia Woolf. But this is all about Nessa. Inspired by the rich history of Soho, Vanessa Bell and other artists and creatives of the Bohemian movement, Nessa’s menu has been shaped by the seasons, using produce from Britain and across the channel. Executive chef Tom Cenci has worked in some impressive kitchens including Duck & Waffle, Mortimer House and Noble Rot to name a few. At Nessa he has created classic dishes that champion seasonality with an inventive, playful twist. Early leaders on the menu include the Celeriac Carbonara that has replaced the pasta with ribbons of the root vegetable topped with chunky pancetta, winter truffle and a confit egg or the black pudding brioche, which features a slice of boudin noir sitting in a hunk of soft bread, all fried in brown butter noisette. The bar at Nessa has an expansive wine list and lively cocktails to be enjoyed both day and night, 7 days a week. In terms of the interior, the restaurant is homed in a 1910 neo-baroque building and has space for 98 covers. Brushed oak, banquette seating, creams and greens, foliage and marble fixtures all make for a mid-century modern comfortable vibe.
Bar: Lucy Wong
We love discovering the best new bars, restaurants, cultural activities and more when we pull together the Hotlist for you. So it’s a bonus treat when we find a jewel on our own doorstep! Situated mere moments from the Halpern offices is brand new bar and eatery - Lucy Wong. At 33 Rathbone Place Lucy has set up camp to bring us a basement cocktail bar and restaurant serving cocktails with an Asian twist alongside Cantonese-style small plates. Lucy Wong comes from the minds behind Opium. However, where Opium transports drinkers to 1920’s Shanghai, Lucy Wong serves up a taste of 1950’s Hong Kong in Central London. Inspiration has largely come from the 1957 novel, The World of Suzie Wong by Richard Mason. But The Breakfast Group founder Eric Yu’s own memories of growing up in Hong Kong have also influenced the affair, providing nods to the 60’s through to the 80’s as well. For the late night ravers there is a late licence to stay open until 3AM on Fridays and Saturdays as well as a hidden outdoor terrace for when the weather warms up. Live music complements the buzzing vibe. As for the main event, you can sip and savour a fine selection of Chinese inspired tipples, leading with a signature and classic cocktail menu created by award-winning Mixologist, Dré Masso. Intriguing cocktails from their menu of 8 signatures include the Eastern Sour, Kowloon Krush and Cherry Blossom Manhattan. Their strong selection of 25 classic cocktails includes lesser-known favourites such as the Manhattan via Hong Kong, Vieux Carré and Mint Julep. The food takes the form of “quintessential Cantonese cuisine”, so diners can chow down on everything from succulent roasts all the way through to Dim Sum platters. But they also serve up snacks and nibbles for the not-so-hungry.
Market: Black Owned Hackney Market
London’s finest Black-owned eateries, craftspeople and artisan traders will be congregating in Hackney for day and night iterations of their popular markets on the 7th, 8th and 9th April. You can shop for everything from skincare to sustainable clothing and handmade trinkets, before scoffing delicious snacks from Black Eats LDN. Cocktails will be shaken and vibes will be provided by DJs from The Hackney Social. There will be over 60 food and retail traders each day with vegan friendly options available. On the Friday night stay for the late night party until 2am with DJ Oaktree, Chidera Ota, Savs Sounds and many more. The weekend days are pet and children friendly and there’s face painting available for the kids over the weekend from Black British Face Painters. So head over to Bohemia Place Markets opposite Hackney Central Station to support and champion the vibrant market best in the biz.
Children: London Children’s Ballet
From Thursday 13th to Sunday 16th April 2023 London Children's Ballet presents a brand new production of the much loved story of Snow White with a full orchestra and exciting new choreography. With a cast of 50 talented young dancers aged 9 - 16 this classic children's story is brought to life after months of rehearsals. Over the years there have been many versions of Snow White which was first formally authored by the Brothers Grimm in a collection of fairy stories published in Germany in 1812. Originally the seven characters were not so charming, forcing Snow White to wash, cook and clean for them. It was the Walt Disney film of 1937 that created the characters audiences have grown to love. All versions of Snow White relish the villain, the Evil Queen and her direct opposite, the vulnerable innocent Snow White who is banished to the forest as punishment for her own vanity perhaps? For the sake of drama and feeling the Evil Queen has her come-uppance whilst Snow White finds ultimate love in this 80-minute story ballet. Tickets are priced from £18 to £55.
Museum: Gilbert & George
Name something more iconic than opening an entire museum dedicated to yourself. Because that’s what legendary Gilbert & George have done and we are so here for it. The Gilbert & George Centre opens today in Spitalfields. The mini museum encompasses a gallery space for them to show their own art, a film room for their own films and even an education centre devoted to themselves. For decades, they have been at the forefront of British art with works that are naughty, satirical, funny and uniquely recognisable as theirs. Gilbert & George see the modern human condition. Acceleration, religion, politics, business, dullness, leisure, celebration, violence, money, history, poverty, age, sex, work, hope, newness, sickness, desire, intoxication, beauty, dereliction, love, despair; the radicalised world; the virtual world. They see the daily routines and feelings of their fellow citizens, from all backgrounds: the fast modern multicultural and multi- technological world. Office workers and junkies. They see the spectrum of human behaviour. They observe the constantly changing life of our world the way one might observe the weather, or study the ceaseless current of a vast river. The centre opens with a show of ‘The Paradisical Pictures’, massive, classic Gilbert & George works comprised of photos the duo have spliced together with bright images of dates and foliage. The film room, meanwhile, features a series of text-based – and very rude – works, emblazoned with phrases like ‘I’m Straight’ and ‘Fuck ’Em All’. So head on over and celebrate this duo as much as they celebrate themselves!
Games: Now Play This
London plays host to the London Games Festival in April - a multi-day celebration of the art, culture and business of video games. Back for its eighth year, the premise of the festival is simple: the organisers pick 30 to 40 games that highlight the capital’s range and diversity in the gaming sector and showcase them with panels, online profiles and in-person meet-ups. One such event that we wanted to spotlight is Now Play This at Somerset House. This year’s festival explores one of humanity’s most fundamental experiences through the lens of playful art: love. From family, friendship and romance to self-care, consent and grief, different forms of love will be explored through games, installations, activities and workshops. Inspired by American scholar and activist bell hooks’ seminal book All about Love, which insists on an ethical definition of love rooted in care and the championing of personal growth, Now Play This asks how we can treat each other in more loving ways. At the heart of the festival is the interactive installation Cushion Commons, created by artist and professor Valentina Karga in collaboration with a group of her students from University of Fine Arts of Hamburg. The installation is made up of handcrafted cushions, created from recycled materials and natural dyes, for festival goers to sit, lounge and play on, as well as providing a calm space for games, workshops and conversations. This year the festival will extend outdoors with Australian artists Helen Kwok and Chad Toprak transforming the outdoor spaces of Somerset House with their installation Rainbow Paths, creating unique play spaces out of colourful branching paths filled with mini-games, hidden objects and winding routes. Gaming isn’t all about holing up in a dark room with a headset on. Now is the chance to discover how this pastime truly is for everyone.
Book: In Memoriam
Everyone seems to be in shock that In Memoriam is a debut novel and its being compared to fiction giants like A Little Life and Birdsong so we cannot wait to pick up our copy. Alice Winn brings us a gripping, heart-shattering love story between two soldiers in the First World War. It's 1914, and talk of war feels far away to Henry Gaunt, Sidney Ellwood and the rest of their classmates, safely ensconced in their idyllic boarding school in the English countryside. At seventeen, they're too young to enlist, and anyway, Gaunt is fighting his own private battle - an all-consuming infatuation with his best friend, the dreamy, poetic Ellwood - not having a clue that Ellwood is in love with him, always has been. When Gaunt's German mother asks him to enlist as an officer in the British army to protect the family from anti-German attacks, Gaunt signs up immediately, relieved to escape his overwhelming feelings for Ellwood. The front is horrific, of course, and though Gaunt tries to dissuade Ellwood from joining him on the battlefield, Ellwood soon rushes to join him, spurred on by his love of Greek heroes and romantic poetry. Before long, their classmates have followed suit. Once in the trenches, Ellwood and Gaunt find fleeting moments of solace in one another, but their friends are all dying, right in front of them, and at any moment they could be next. An epic tale of both the devastating tragedies of war and the forbidden romance that blooms in its grip, In Memoriam is a breath-taking debut.
Charity of the Month: Lady Garden Foundation Family Challenge
As Imogen, our Hotlister for April, mentions above, the Lady Garden Family Challenge 2023 is here and taking place in Hyde Park on April 22nd. Hosted by Davina McCall this is the most brilliant morning out with friends and family- a chance to be a part of the Lady Garden Foundation community, raise funds in the fight against gynaecological cancers and spread awareness and education around these diseases. Join us for a 5 or 10k route around Hyde Park with your friends and family. You can run, jog or simply stroll with a coffee and enjoy a fabulous morning of fundraising. All funds raised from the Lady Garden Family Challenge 2023 will go towards research and spreading awareness of the 5 gynaecological cancers. Sign up now HERE.
App of the month: Just Press Record
How often have you been caught in a meeting struggling to keep up with taking notes and not missing vital snippets of information. Well help is here in the form of Just Press Record. Does what it says on the tin by making it so simple to record voice conversations that are instantly transcribed to text. Just Press Record is the ultimate audio recorder bringing one tap recording, transcription and iCloud syncing to all your devices. You can edit your audio and transcriptions right inside the app and even start a new recording completely hands-free with Siri! Life is full of moments we would rather not forget so capture these moments effortlessly on iPhone, iPad, Mac or for ultimate convenience, Apple Watch.