Southbank and its festival of neighbourhood…

view of London Eye from the SouthBank Centre

view of London Eye from the Southbank Centre

This summer, there’s a Festival of Neighbourhood (translation:  a 3-month festival celebrating the concept of neighbourhood) going on at Southbank Centre.  Small niece turned 6 yesterday so Sis-in-law and I took all the Smalls we could lay our hands on to play in the sand, explore Beanotown and watch an excellent production of The Queen’s Knickers.

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the London beach at Southbank

the London beach at Southbank

Beanotown and some excited Smalls

Beanotown and some excited Smalls

 

our Bash Street Kids at Beanotown, Southbank Centre

our Bash Street Kids at Beanotown, Southbank Centre

Created in 1951 for the Festival of Britain, Southbank Centre is a world-famous arts centre – unsurprisingly on the South Bank of the Thames.

But we certainly didn’t expect to find a greenhouse full of herbs nor an urban orchard.

a greenhouse full of herbs

a greenhouse full of herbs

Beano Town is the iconic imaginary neighbourhood while the comic strip is also celebrating 75 years of print.  (pretty impressive when you think how many magazines have folded in this time period.

Small posing at Dennis

Small posing as Dennis

All in all, a great day out in the (slightly green) big smoke.

Check out everything that’s going on at the Southbank Centre here  including The Queen’s Knickers.

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BIG catch-up at Little Social

We all know that I am more than a little sociable.  But, as He will gladly point out, NOT all the time. There are the moments when all I want is to get dressed up and go and party… and then there are the other moments when I am proudly standing in my PJs (alongside the Smalls) as He walks through the door at 730pm.  In fact, sometimes little pleases me more than getting ready for bed, with my book and a mug of chamomile tea to hand.

Little Social, Pollen St

Little Social, Pollen St

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But last night I couldn’t wait to go out.  Months pass between girlfriend dinners and suddenly it becomes apparent that only frantic emailing and a little aggressive diary management can remedy the situation.  Last night’s girls (all ex-AOL) were a perfect case of long-overdue catch up.  (Northern friend had initially messed up her dates but yesterday afternoon, feeling a little impulsive, couldn’t resist jumping in her car to join us at the last minute. Yay!)

table debris at Little Social

table debris at Little Social

So we met at Little Social on Pollen Street.  Honestly, no one would even know where Pollen Street was if Pollen Street Social hadn’t flung open its doors to foodie fanfare more than two years ago.  Little Social, which opened earlier this year, is its little sister restaurant directly opposite.

round of cocktails at Little Social

a round of cocktails at Little Social

The NYC-style booths are always a winner for noisy girls.  And the French influence only adds elegance to this mid-Atlantic fine dining bistro.  I should add – perhaps a little harshly – that the food, service and atmosphere are relatively non-eventful.  I felt the whole evening lacked a little character (other than my beyond hilarious girls) and I wasn’t utterly sure what Little Social is meant to be.

wallpaper of French maps

wallpaper of French maps

I asked the restaurant’s PR agency for a press release about the restaurant – even if dating back to launch.  Apparently Little Social hasn’t ever had one.  Poor Little Social.  It’s big sister has a Michelin Star and yet this almost French brasserie isn’t even worthy of a press release.

Back to the girls.  And our conversation.  I’d say that there was little we didn’t discuss ranging from work to men to women to babies to boobs…. Until we noticed that Mr Selfridge (Jeremy Piven) was sitting behind us. Cue little giggling…

Jeremy Piven exclaiming:  I think Life of Yablon is sitting behind me...

Jeremy Piven exclaiming: I think Life of Yablon is sitting behind me…

Little Social 5 Pollen Street, W1 

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We Are Lucky at Chris Beetles Fine Photographs

The story goes that a man came into a lot of money.  And I mean A LOT.  He had initially thought that he wanted to spend some of the money taking a trip into space but he soon changed his mind when he realised how the equivalent cash could change 35 different lives.

Then all he had to do was find 35 worthy lives.

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We Are Lucky photographs at Chris Beetles Fine Photography

We Are Lucky photographs at Chris Beetles Fine Photographs

Each of the ‘chosen’ were given £1000 and instructed to do something positive with the money.

A selection of the recipients is documented (via a portrait and a bit of blurb created by the was-rich man) in a gallery off Piccadilly – for this week only.

each person chosen received £1000

each person chosen received £1000

I took the Smalls along.  Entitled We Are Lucky, it fits well with my constant preaching to my offspring.  We are all so lucky in so many ways.  Usually they roll their eyes at my mantra but they were actually pretty interested in these photos with accompanying life stories.

Mini was pretty interested...

Mini was pretty interested…

The creative might sound crass but instead I found the human-interest element intriguing as well as it being a truly unique way of distributing personal funds.

my mantra

my mantra

Until Saturday August 10 – hop along to Chris Beetles Fine Photographs, 3-5 Swallow St W1

 

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@lifeofyablon’s 10 unwritten rules of #instagram

As I’m verging on being an instagram junkie, I thought I’d share what I feel are some of the unwritten rules of this snap-happy playground:

1)   you are NOT a professional photographer and your snaps aren’t art.  take them, post them and accept all comments with a pitch of salt.

2)   Use hashtags by all means but once you have more than 10 in your strapline, give up.  It looks like you’re desperately seeking followers.

3)   Sunsets are over-rated – seen one seen ’em all.

10 unwritten rules of instagram

10 unwritten rules of instagram

4)   Edit, edit and edit again.  Instagram itself has a lousy editing tool but if you visit the app store, there’s plenty for inspiration: Camera+, PIP camera, Hipstamatic, DashofColor and CameraBag are just some of my favourites.

5)   Food: it always looks gross.  Eat it instead.

6)   Selfie: don’t get me started.  Just think – what does it say about you?

7)   Liking is tricky business.  Do you LIKE the photos or are you just liking your friend?  And what if you stop liking?  Maybe best to use when you really do think the pic is funny/different/impressive?

8)   Professional pictures taken on snazzy big camera with lights, tripod and assistant should NOT exist (in my opinion) on instagram.  We should all be on equal (point and click) footing.

9)   Facebook friends just don’t get it.  And we should probably leave them where they are.

10)   Twitter followers are a different shade.  Or they’re on a blackberry.  Or both.

 

 

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