Minnie Driver
‘My first book, 'Managing Expectations’ comes out on May 12th. It is memoir-ish; stories from my life about how things not working out, was my life actually working out in unexpected ways. To celebrate the launch and discuss the book, I will be taking part in a live event with The How To Academy at Conway Hall on the 9th of May. 'How To' is a programme that invites cultural thinkers and influencers to discuss insights and ideas. The brilliant, Hannah McInnes will be interviewing me. https://howtoacademy.com/events-calendar/
I'll also be onstage at The Hay Literary festival ( Woodstock for the mind!) in Hay-On-Wye in May, if you've never been, it really is the most charming , wonderful and creative experience for the whole family. Plus there is excellent wild swimming!'
Minnie Driver - Actor, Singer and Song Writer
Exhibition: Pip and Pop
Kicking off at Kew Gardens this month is a brand new ethereal exhibition by internationally-renowned artist Tanya Schultz (a.k.a. Pip & Pop). Inspired by mythologies and folklore, When Flowers Dream explores themes of consumption, wish-fulfilment, and seemingly endless abundance, using eye-popping candy colours and a playful sense of perspective to immerse audiences in a uniquely wonderful world. Part of Kew’s exciting new Food Forever summer programme, this is the debut London exhibition for Australian artist Pip & Pop to create immersive installations from an array of materials, including sugar, modelling clay and sweets, as well as objects sourced on her travels all over the world. The exhibition will also include a brand-new installation, created in close collaboration with scientists at Kew that explores the idea of a food utopia for the future. The hand-assembled, technicolour installation will be filled with foods identified as neglected and underutilised species. The reason for this wondrous and colourful extravaganza isn’t just for visual delight but also to highlight the fact that 2 in 5 plants worldwide are estimated to be threatened with extinction, and at present we are overly dependent on only a few species for food. This has left the global population vulnerable to malnutrition and climate change but with more than 7,000 known species of edible plants which we could be eating, crop diversity is key to feeding the world’s growing population.
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Event: At Home Farm
If you make a short trip out of the city to the county of Hertfordshire you can find Home Farm in Elstree, a countryside haven that puts on a summer of intimate events and residencies where guests dine under trees amid the long grass, or wander through the fairy lit woods to a secret woodland stage. Their summer series boast dates from some of the UK’s finest chefs, renowned musicians and innovative theatre troupes. Home Farm was set up in 2014 as a glamping site and was transformed from a sleepy bean field into a pretty meadow of 12 beautifully furnished yurts and bell tents, sleeping up to 50 guests in comfy beds and luxurious warm bedding. From there its purpose has continued to evolve into the popular escape that it is now. This month you can buy tickets to Woodfired Canteen who are famed for their long table feasts cooked over fire. From the 8th to the 12th of the month you can indulge in a foodie experience like no other, with purpose at its heart and fire in its belly. Dishes on offer include Line caught ceviche with salsa fresca and habanero butter onions, confit duck leg with smoked duck ham and Labneh with fenugreek. Delectable delights to enjoy while basking in the summer evening. And you don’t even have to worry about travelling back that night as you can get cosy in one of the 12 bell tents to make the most of your time in the wild. Tickets start at £37 and include a 3 course dinner and a welcome drink.
Food: Arcade Food Hall, Centre Point
Arcade Food Hall in Centre Point was very nearly an unfortunate fail thanks to the pandemic after it reopened and was then forced to close its doors mere months later. However, like a phoenix from the ashes it’s risen again with a new name and is bigger and better than ever. Backed by the legends behind places like Bao, Hoppers and Gymkhana, the renewed site has brought in some new restaurants to get the space bustling with atmosphere and punters once again. There are nine kitchens, with food ranging from Michelin-starred Saborcito to Japanese sushi and omakase from Sushi Kamon and American diner-style food at Manna. In addition there are three Thai inspired kitchens from chef Luke Farrell who has been inspired by his travels across southeast Asia. These include Plaza Khao Gaeng which pays tribute to southern Thai cuisine, with the restaurant inspired by an old Thai cinema and Bebek! Bebek!, an Indonesian street food kitchen whose menu will focus on traditional smoked duck and chicken from Javanese island Yogyakarta. If you fancy a lighter bite then we’d recommend the in house deli where you can pick up an exclusive sandwich line called Margot's Pride, which will be made fresh each day. Keep an eye on the website and social for news of their events. The first of which you can book into now is Sushi Kamon’s omakase experience. Omakase – meaning ‘I’ll leave it to you’ – is a revered Japanese dining experience in which master sushi chefs prepare a bespoke menu in front of their guests, talking through each dish as it is served. Lasting 45 minutes you can book one month in advance for up to 8 guests here. Timed slots are at 6pm, 7.30pm and 9pm.
Bar: The Lucky Club Camden
The Lucky Club Camden is a brand new destination roof terrace opening in Camden Market this month. The flagship site in The Lucky Club’s cocktail bar portfolio, the 5,600 sq foot roof terrace will specialise in Margaritas and Mezcal cocktails, served alongside contemporary tacos, offering an exciting new addition to North London’s skyline. Taking inspiration from Mexico City, a true melting pot of all the regions in the country, menu heroes will include The Cheeseburger Taco, a Pulled Lamb BirriaTaco and the Lobster Taco (poached in butter and served with a Truffle mayo and Bacon pieces.) Vegan options will also be available and boast a banging Oyster Mushroom Taco and the Coconut Ceviche Tostada.With no less than 7 Margarita serves, cocktail highlights include the Frozen Naranjarita (tequila, mandarin, lime & agave) and the spicy Pica Pica (Mezcal, mango juice, lime, agave, chilli). Keen to promote positive vibes and random acts of kindness, the new opening will continue the brand’s popular Lucky Hours. Every Monday - Thursday between 5-6pm, guests will be invited to roll the die before each round. Roll a lucky number 7 and your cocktail is on the house. The brand new roof terrace has been installed with a state of the art Function One Sound System which will placate your ears with the perfect summer playlist as you soak up the evening sun. You can;t beat summer in the city!
Street Food: Lalaland
OMG we love street food a little too much here at Halpern HQ and it’s one of the thing we missed most during London lockdown so we are beyond excited by the announcement that this month (12th) Lalaland, a brand new street food operation from the Soho Restaurant Group, is opening up in Shoreditch on Great Eastern Street. Yasss. You enter into Lalaland through a tropical neon 20 foot high entrance to be greeted by 25,000 square feet of food stalls, bars, fire pits, greenery and a waterfall….yeah you read that right. So far eleven street food brands are in situ including Fireyard BBQ serving up exactly what you would imagine including veggie options, Saga-Boy with his rural Trinidadian dishes, the Little Pasta Co and their fresh perfect pasta plates, GuaBao with delectably mouth watering soft pillowy bao buns and more. Four different bars will keep your thirst at bay and help you water down the foodie treats and they also have resident DJ’s and a surprise line up of live music events that are soon to be announced. Gather your troops and get yourselves over to Shoreditch ASAP Rocky.
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Book: Yinka, Where is Your Huzband
London life can be busy, exciting, confusing and all consuming and many young people can struggle to balance it all and maintain relationships, friendships, careers, finances, faith and more. We’ve all battled to have it all whilst keeping our heads above water with a smile on our faces. This fight has been cast spectacularly accurately into this debut novel by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn who has just released ‘Yinka, Where is your Huzband?’. The title character Yinka is battling with all the above and has the added pressure of a family who want nothing more than for her to find a partner and put an end to her long-term singledom. With a high spirited but mildly overbearing Nigerian mother who leads the family in prayer to help her “fix” Yinka, she takes matters into her own hands and determines to find herself a partner before her cousin’s wedding in six months time. However, as we all know too well, its difficult to focus solely on one area of your life without others falling flat or failing. So Yinka may be on a loe mission but what will have to suffer while she does so? With so many insanely relatable moments this romantic comedy novel is an amusing, enlightening and eye opening journey of self-discovery and the importance of staying true to yourself.
Festival: The Last Word
The Roundhouse in Camden is a hub of inspiration where artists and emerging talent create extraordinary work and where young people can grow creatively as individuals. The team there believe in the power of creativity to change lives. By giving young people the chance to engage with the arts through music, media and performance projects, they are inspired to reach further, dream bigger, and achieve more. Kicking off on the 3rd May is The Last Word Festival which returns for a two month programme of compelling stories and perspectives from some of the capital’s most vital voices. With spoken word, theatre, live podcasts, conversations, workshops, music, film, exhibitions, masterclasses, workshops and the iconic Roundhouse Poetry Slam. The heats of the Poetry Slam are on until the 6th May with the final then taking place on the 9th June. This is a chance to watch emerging spoken word artists aged 18-25 battle it out to be crowned the winner of this prestigious title. Make sure to check out the website for the full programme of events so you don’t miss out on a vast array of creative extravaganzas.
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Charity of the Month: RNID
The RNID (Royal National Institute for Deaf people) make life fully inclusive for deaf people and those with hearing loss or tinnitus. Did you know that In the UK, 1 in 5 adults are deaf or have hearing loss, and 1 in 8 have tinnitus and so many of those affected face the stigma of being treated as stupid, shouted at, or made fun of thanks to a frustrating lack of patience, empathy and understanding. Barriers to work, travel, socialising and communication take a toll on self-esteem and mental wellbeing, and cause social isolation. Day-to-day life is more difficult – and this needs to stop.Well from the 3rd to the 8th May, the UK marks Deaf Awareness Week which is why we wanted to bring the work the RNID do to your attention, so you can show your support. They work tirelessly to connect people to practical advice and pioneer new treatments for hearing loss and tinnitus. They do this by funding research to find a cure for hearing loss, and drive the development of new technology. They campaign to change public perception and policy and they provide day-to-day support as well as accessible information to help the people they support manage their condition and access their rights. There are several ways you can show your support online
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App of the month: Ablo
When was the last time you truly connected with someone for the first time? Do you remember the first time you talked to your best friend? Or that first wink from your crush? Meeting someone for the first time can be the most incredible thing. If you agree then Ablo could be the app for you. It was created to help ignite those first-time conversations, between new friends or even flirty more-than-friends. You aren’t limited to mere kilometres from your location either as you can use Ablo to chat and connect with people all over the world. It’s a modern day pen pal platform! In addition to the video and text chatting you can watch millions of livestream shows, join one as a Guest, or even start broadcasting yourself. Sign up and broaden your relationship horizons.