Santa Montefiore
I am preparing for the launch of my new book, An Italian Girl in Brooklyn, which comes out in July in a gorgeous, glossy hardback. It’s based on an extraordinary true story I gleaned from sitting next to a devilishly handsome man called Jonas Prince at a dinner party about twenty years ago. He shared his mother’s astonishing and heart-breaking story with me, which I have turned into a novel. Amazing what can come out of a dinner party! Lockdown was very productive for me because I had time to write the first two books in my Flappy comedy series and a novel called Wait for Me, which is based on a true story about reincarnation, which comes out in Jan. Truth is stranger than fiction and I’m lucky to have been given these amazing stories. As always, now writing another…
Santa Montefiore - British Author
Jubilee: Superbloom
From the 1st June until the 18th September you need to get yourselves over to the Tower of London to check out Superbloom. To celebrate the Platinum Jubilee year, they are flooding the moat with over 20 million seeds which will develop and morph over the course of the summer, to create a beautiful, new naturalistic landscape. Designed to attract pollinators, ‘Superbloom’ will bring a wonderful natural beauty to this urban space and introduce a new biodiverse habitat for wildlife. It will celebrate the value of nature for our wellbeing. As the months pass it will be an evolving display, moving from soft green hues in June to delicate whites, blues, pinks and oranges throughout the height of summer. You can enter the moat via a fully accessible visitor entrance, or arrive in royal style on the four lane Superbloom Slide! The one way route that winds along the willow-lined paths takes 30 minutes to explore and there is a specially commissioned soundscape with sculptural elements along the way. Pre-booking tickets is a must (approx £13 per adult and £6.50 for children aged 5-15) and in July/August there are some late night openings so you can soak up the summer evening atmosphere. It’s going to be spectacular!
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Theatre: Peaky Blinders
The Vanguard Theatre, Camden, is under new management, by order of the Peaky Blinders! A new immersive show based on the BAFTA Award-winning TV drama series will open there on the 24th of this month and is presented in collaboration with Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight. It’s time to don a flat cap, get fully dressed up and immerse yourself in Tommy Shelby’s world. It’s 1921 London and Tommy has taken the northern racecourses and eliminated his opponent, Billy Kimber. He now has his sights set on a London expansion. With the approval of north London kingpin, Alfie Solomons, Tommy personally invites you to a family meeting at the Shelby’s Camden warehouse. Tommy has a plan that could prove lucrative for everyone, and it promises to be a night of celebration. Whether you kick back in the Camden Garrison Pub with Arthur, advise Tommy on his business affairs in his office, or conspire with the Italians in the Eden Club, how the family meeting goes is for you to decide. However, you must keep your eyes open and your ear to the ground, Tommy’s enemies are closer than you think and they may want to make you an offer you’ll find hard to refuse. As the story unfolds you will experience live sets, unmissable character interactions, competitive game play and ultimately determine whether Tommy Shelby and his family succeed in their ambition to take London.
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Restaurant: Apricity
Apricity means ‘warmth of the sun in winter’ which is a poetic image for your mind to picture as we tell you more about this new socially conscious restaurant in Mayfair that goes by the same name. They say it best themselves “Apricity is a low waste operation. We have consciously reconsidered everything we do from displaying the menu, how we wash the dishes and who supplies us. British produce is championed, to promote our wonderful makers, growers and farmers, and to ensure flavour is paramount, as well as reducing our outputs.” The brains and the ideas behind this venue is multi-award-winning chef owner Chantelle Nicholson who aims to rejuvenate and enliven our taste buds in the most sustainable way she can. Foraged ingredients and produce from small scale farmers are transformed into dishes on the menu that include a Shio koji cured pollock with Shetland mussels, sambal butter and joi choi, a Devon pork belly with kale in Hollis Mead caramelised whey and kimchi and an Isle of Wight aubergine with zhoug and roasted almond butter. The menu of course changes seasonally. Drinks wise they offer an extensive list of low intervention wines from growers that care about soil and biodiversity while championing English vineyards and winemakers, alongside a selection of innovative zero-waste cocktails. Lastly, the decor is as you would expect with minimal fuss, bare plaster walls and upcycled nik-naks but a space flooded with light from the dual aspect windows. We predict huge success for Chantelle and Apricity as more of us are turning to a sustainable lifestyle each day.
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Photography: Rainbow by Joth Shakerley
Rainbow Gatherings are unique and free healing events held in the middle of wild nature, miles from the nearest road where everyone is welcome and everyone who comes is family. Rainbow by Joth Shakerley is a stunning coffee table book that celebrates 36 years of his photography at these gatherings all over the world. The launch of this beautiful fine art coffee table book coincides with the 50th anniversary of Rainbow Gatherings on the 4th July and its message is to promote mindfulness, freedom, healing and love in the beauty of nature. There is currently an active kickstarter campaign to produce a first print run of 1000 books and 5% of all sales will go to Survival International. The images are intended to inspire a positive healthy way of being, a deeper connection to our hearts and a reminder of the huge importance of our relationship to nature and how it can heal us. It all began in the summer of 1986 when Joth received an invitation at a Hare Krishna temple in L.A. to go to a Rainbow Gathering in the foothills of Big Sur, California. This invitation completely changed his life. He found a magical utopia in nature, an open healing space, where everyone is welcome, where there are no leaders or rules, where we all have a part to play, where we are all free and where we are all striving to be the most beautiful version of ourselves. High up in that forest, welcomed with love and long hugs, he sang and danced pure happiness under the stars. What followed has been an epic thirty six year journey of love and learning with the Rainbow Family, which has taken him to Gatherings all over the world - Hawaii, Thailand, Morocco, Russia, Guatemala, The Canary Islands, Australia, The Arctic Circle, Israel, Mexico and almost every country in Europe. His daughters have grown up at Gatherings and still sing the Rainbow songs. "Rainbow” will be a large hard-bound book filled with 180 photographs all in black and white, accompanied by some text, Rainbow songs and poetry to complement some of the photographs. Click here to be a part of the kickstarter campaign.
Bar: The Corin
Like moths to a flame, the sun comes out and Londoners head to a rooftop. The latest in our long line of recommendations is The Corin in Tooting. This premium bar located opposite Tooting Broadway tube, opened to queues around the block, proving there is still an appetite for such a venue and opening up in South West London saves many the journey into Central. What makes The Corin especially appealing is the range of Live Music on offer. They have everything from live jazz and blues to old school soul music, as well as varying DJ sets and more. Add to this the premium cocktails and food and it’s a winning combo. Food wise they have partnered with Birmingham-based restaurant ROZU that offers Pan-Asian cuisine that complements the house cocktails. The bar manager has used only alcohol distilled in London to make their drinks sustainable. This includes the likes of Graveney Gin, Southwest London’s award-winning gin and Sapling Spirits, who plant one tree for every bottle that is bought. Six of the nine house cocktails use alcohol from East London Liquor Company, who make gin, vodka, rum, and single malt whisky. There are plans in motion already to expand the rooftop by building outdoor dining pods where people are able to book a dinner. Fingers crossed for a long ol’ summer!
Art: Yinka Ilori
We have been constantly checking the website for news of an opening date for this next entry but sadly it still only says “Summer 2022”. That said, we didn’t want to miss the boat so we’re telling you about it anyway so you can have your finger on the button for tickets as soon as the date is revealed! London-based Yinka Ilori is a multi-disciplinary artist and designer whose bold visual language draws on his British-Nigerian heritage to convey new narratives through contemporary design. Drawing on Nigerian parables and verbal traditions, Ilori touches on a multitude of themes that resonate with a global audience. His work is underpinned by the belief that art and design should be accessible to all. Humorous, provocative and playful, his projects demonstrate how design can bring together communities and have a positive impact on society, evoking a sense of joy and optimism. Often using the city as his canvas, he reimagines spaces to encourage a sense of community and invites audiences to engage and participate in his work and its surroundings. So it’s great news for us that he’s going to be putting his works on display at the Design Museum…soon! His display will bring to the museum his distinctive aesthetic, inspired by the African fabrics of his childhood and capturing the colourful geometric patterns that feature in Nigerian design, with a nod to British postmodernism. Honestly, it’s a colour explosion and we can’t get enough.
Jubilee event: Roof East Jubilee Jaunt
Sorry yes this is another rooftop entry BUT this one is different as it’s specifically about the Platty Jubes weekender and the multitude of jaunts available at Roof East over the long bank holiday weekend. Celebrate dear Lizzie (yaaasss Queen) in the way she would want us to, with a huge classic street party style lunchathon in collaboration with Naughty Burger in London’s biggest adult playground. On top of all the bunting, corgi’s, themed cocktails and cake, there will be some drag-tastic entertainment from Queens of the London drag scene Kyran Thrax and Polka Dot. The roof is also jam (scone) packed with games including ping pong, lawn bowls, batting cages, crazy golf, archery and giant jenga as well as a carpark karaoke set up. You literally cannot be bored at this venue. Tickets for this are priced from £22 to £28 depending on the package you choose and are available to book NOW so don’t hang about as you need to get your weekend in order asap! Happy celebrating party people.
Charity of the Month: National Autistic Society
The National Autistic Society is the leading charity for autistic people and their families in the UK. Autism is a lifelong developmental disability which affects how people communicate and interact with the world. One in 100 people are on the autism spectrum and there are around 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK. Since 1962, they have been providing support, guidance and advice, as well as campaigning for improved rights, services and opportunities to help create a society that works for autistic people. The mission of the charity is to transform lives and change attitudes to help create a society that works for autistic people.As a charity they provide a wide range of services including adult residential services, diagnostic support and education and child services to inspire children with an autism diagnosis to reach their full potential. They also campaign tirelessly to champion the rights and interests of autistic people and their families, making sure national policy and legislation reflect their needs. Take a look at their website for all the ways to get involved including making a donation to help them continue their invaluable work. The 18th June also marks Autistic Pride Day globally, a day to recognise the importance of pride for autistic people and its role in bringing about positive changes in the broader society.
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App of the month: Sept
The Netflix of fashion is what the Sept creator envisaged when she launched this personalised fashion app. Sept uses algorithms to understand your style and makes new purchase suggestions from your favourite retailers based on those algorithms including the influencers, celebrities and friends whose style you idolise. In short you can scroll your phone and if you see a look you want to recer`te or an item you must have, then Sept helps you do this. Major retailers like Net a Porter are on board as well as fresh new up and coming designers who you may not otherwise discover. Join the Sept community and share what you're into, what's in your shopping bag, and shop alongside real or "virtual" friends.