June Angelides
I half feel like a traitor for saying this seeing as my name is June, but really I do love September. It has meant various things over the years and this year in particular it represents freedom and clarity. My eldest starts year 6 and my youngest starts reception. After 10 years of being a mum, they are all at a new phase of independence and I feel like I get a chance to rediscover what makes me tick. I have trips planned to Los Angeles and Lagos. Both places that inspire me and are filled with family. I plan to spend a lot of time reading and meeting interesting people and soaking it all up. The cup of inspiration is ready to be filled and I am excited about trying lots of new things - I have a list! So here's to more firsts!
June Angelides - FT columnist and Entrepreneur
Food: Peggy Jean @ Riverside Green
If you missed out on some luxury yacht dining on the med this summer then do not fear because you can seas the day and have a reel-y good time aboard the Peggy Jean at Richmond Riverside. The eleventh in the Daisy Green collection (they must be doing something right to go over double digits, heck they’re doing loads of things right). It will be the mast fun you’ve had in a while as you tuck into brunch classics, wood-fired pizzas and seafood deliciousness on what used to be a Jesus College Oxford barge. The revamp job is knot too shabby with fairy lights and greenery accentuating the beautiful decor. Some of the dishes that caught our attention included the Summer Greens of Asparagus, tenderstem broccoli, french beans, wafu dressing and the Aussie pizza with Cured leg ham, organic tomatoes, BBQ pineapple, London mozzarella, Clarence Court egg and pink pickled onion. Finish it off with a Mars Bar cheesecake and wash it down with a coupla icy margaritas and well it really is the best place to celebrate love and friend-SHIPS. Ok ok we’re done.
Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
Film: Secret Cinema
Audiences and Marvel fans alike have an exclusive opportunity to step into the incredible world of Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy this summer, as Secret Cinema brings audiences a new type of space adventure. This unparalleled cinematic experience will transport fans on an intergalactic adventure like no other. This venture marks the first of three anticipated collaborations between Disney Studios Content and Secret Cinema and is one of the most ambitious immersive experiences the UK has ever seen from the leaders of the immersive industry. The audience will use transparent screens and touch pads to collect units in competitions, challenges, and other interactive games to help save the galaxy, but that’s not the only high-tech element to star in this first-of-its-kind immersive experience. A whopping 112 million pixels and some cutting-edge LG OLED display technology will host perspective-bending scenes. There are intergalactic dance-offs to be won, planets to be explored, and a galaxy to be saved.Prices start at £35+ booking fee and tickets are available now at secretcinema.org.
Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
Opera : Don Giovanni
Don Giovanni is one of the Royal Opera House’s most acclaimed recent shows and we are thrilled to say it returns this September as we’ve been dying to see this performance. The Kasper Holten production offers a glimpse inside the mind of one of opera’s most notorious seducers. Serial womaniser Don Giovanni barely stops to draw breath between conquests, not even when one of his seductions ends in a murder. But time is running out for the Don and his servant Leporello, and they are about to receive a dinner invitation they simply can’t refuse. With a spectacular revolving set by award-winning designer Es Devlin and striking video projections by Luke Halls, the production gives audiences an experience of Mozart’s daring drama in all its wit, glamour and darkness. With its showstopping arias, dazzling ensemble pieces and twisting storyline, Don Giovanni is a power-packed night at the opera. Tickets are on sale now via the website.
Culture: Elizabeth Line Late
A bit like the recent rain storm that felt like it was never gonna come during the heatwave, the Elizabeth Line is finally here and what a welcome and exciting arrival. It’s purple for our Lizzie, it’s air conned, it goes for 73 miles from Essex to Berkshire and it’s having a late night party. The London Transport Museum is celebrating the Purple Train with a Friday late dedicated to its arrival where we are invited to listen to talks, sip on purple cocktails, “drive” in an Elizabeth Line train and undertake various activities inspired by her Majesty’s reign. Have you ever wanted the chance to stay after hours in the Covent Garden museum? Well we have and we can also thank Francis Bourgeois for his train enthusiasm for inspiring us to get all hyped for this event. As Kylie would say, let’s do the locomotion.
Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
Bar: Milk Beach Soho
We’re clearly channeling the Aussie vibes this month at Hotlist HQ as this is the second Aussie based entry and both centre around food and drink…naturally. Opening up on the 12th of this month on Greek Street, is a new all day dining restaurant and bar- Milk Beach Soho. This is the second opening after the success of the Queen’s Park original from coffee aficionado founder Eliliot Milne. He’s set up his own roastery to supply both sites so you know coffee is going to feature as a main event. Head Roaster is Matthew Robley-Siemonsma who is a two-time UK Coffee Roasting Champion and his life passion is a quest for uncovering great tasting coffees. For something a little stronger then peruse the list of 65 low-intervention wines and additional cocktails that represent both the season and the coastal vibe of Sydney. Food wise Milk Beach Soho will serve brunch all-day and a menu of seasonal sharing plates in the evening - inspired by the diverse cultures that make up modern Australian cuisine. White washed walls with pastel highlights and extensive tropical greenery make for a calming environment and wonderful insta backdrop.
Instagram | Facebook
Festival: FT Weekend Festival
Do you fancy putting the work out gear to one side and doing a little brain exercise instead? This weekend at Kenwood House you can get your mental synapses firing on all cylinders through engaging talks, debates and more covering topics like politics, data, art, interiors, food, history, war, literature and so much more. FTWeekend Festival will feature over 100 leading authors, scientists, politicians, chefs, artists and journalists including Robert Harris, Monica Ali, Nadiya Hussein, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Jeremy Hunt and Nuno Mendes pumping out intelligent conversation and thought provoking discussions. Events include “Can tech save our planet”, “How to deal with Putin” and “How do we police our children’s lives” Head to the website to register and take a pen and paper and get writing!
Event: Planted
We all know we need to pay more attention to the environment and sustainability, that’s a given. And our obsession with plants continues so let’s combine the two. Coming up this month there’s two days of talks about how we can use plants and nature in designing buildings, food systems and outdoor spaces to improve sustainability and protect the environment for future generations. And this is all for FREE. If you head to Kings Cross on the 23rd and 24th September then take a seat at Planted for some seriously green fingered education. The six-part talks programme led by biophilic design expert Oliver Heath and Planted co-founder Sam Peters, will explore themes around designing buildings, food systems and outdoor spaces for the abundance of nature while reducing waste in packaging, food and energy consumption. Talk 1 (just to give you a flavour) centres around Biophilic Design. But what is this we hear you shriek. Well it’s fast becoming the must have multi-faceted approach for urban developers to soften and enhance appeal of developments whilst offering solutions to the climate crisis and biodiversity loss. So how can it help enhance urban spaces? And what are the human benefits of designing spaces with nature in mind? One way to find out! We’ll see you there.
Instagram
Charity of the Month: Lady Garden Foundation
It’s that time of year again - Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month and the chance for the Lady Garden Foundation to shout even louder than normal about the five gynaecological cancers and why they need our help to raise both funds and awareness! We can show our support by starting our own fundraising campaign, tracking symptoms for the month of September or schedule an all-important check in with a friend or professional. To do some fundraising this GCAM why not try a bake sale, raffle or quiz? Get together with friends, colleagues and host your own garden party, or discussion group. Or, in the spirit of the Lady Garden Challenge, set yourself a physical fitness goal and fundraising target. Here is a link to a handy setup guide to get started and create your own fundraising page via Just Giving. You can also download the gynae fact sheet to share with your donors and friends throughout the month to help raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of all five gynae cancers. So what are you waiting for?
Instagram | Facebook
App of the month: Parcel - Delivery Tracking
Ok so parcel tracking may not exactly sound exciting but we are pretty sure that in the last few years, the amount of parcels you are receiving and sending has no doubt gone up? And with Royal Mail, Evri (or Hermes), Yodel, DPD, Parcel2Go, Gophr, ParcelForce, Amazon….you get the picture, it’s frustrating that you can’t just track everything you have coming and going, in one place….well you can, thanks to the Parcel app! You can promptly access tracking information for 300 delivery services including all the major ones and all you need to do is input the tracking number or even simply scan a barcode and all the tracking info will be there. Simple and just very handy.
Twitter