“The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they’re going to have some pretty annoying virtues.” – Elizabeth Taylor 1932 – 2011

Nike X Liberty third collaboration dropping April 1st at Liberty London. Top of the wish list.

Hello everyone, how has your week been so far? Personally, I think the weather has been an improvement on last week. However, it is still pretty chilly so do keep yourself wrapped up.

This week is the last week that you will be able to go and see Anish Kapoor’s installation at Kensington gardens. The installation named ‘Turning the world upside down’ was constructed from highly reflective polished stainless steel. “The giant curved mirror surfaces create illusory distortions of the surroundings and are visible across large distances, creating new vistas in this famous and much-loved setting”. Kensington Gardens is open from 6am daily until late. The installation will be taken down on Sunday 13^th March, so you have until then to see it. As the installation is in a public place it is free to see, but try not to get too close or security will take you down. Enjoy!

Are you heading over to the Brick Lane/Spitafields area this week? Have you had enough beigels to last you a lifetime? Prefer not to try another below par Lamb Bhuna?  Then why don’t you try out Poppies, East London’s newest, but still authentic fish and chip shop. Located on Hanbury Street, Poppies is run by local Pat ‘Pop’ Newland who came out of retirement to open this restaurant. Heavily influenced by the fifties era, the restaurant, where you can either take away or eat in, has a friendly atmosphere and is a welcome retreat from the bustling streets of the surrounding area. Poppies is open from 11am-11.30pm Mon-Sat and are open 11am-10.30pm on Sundays. Prices are reasonable but the quality of the food is undeniable.

My pick of the week:

The London drinker Festival celebrates the resurgence of brewers in London, with 8 local brewers pitching against each other. In total there will be 80 different types of beers on offer and 25 different types of ciders so there will be plenty to choose from. The festival takes place from 9^th-11^th march, at the Camden Centre, admission is free Wednesday and Thursday lunchtimes, £3.50 (£2.50 members) at other times. *Drink responsibly.

Hello you lovely people, it’s time for my picks of the week again. It has been quite cold of late but do not let that deter you from enjoying your week as there’s an awful lot that you can be doing.

First of all get yourself down to the Alexia Goethe gallery where there is a very interesting exhibition on at the moment by Jacques Villeglé, showing his décollages’. Villeglé is French artist, born in Brittany in 1926. He’s best known for what he calls ‘décollages’, unlike a paper collage he un-sticks layers of fly posters and tears them before mounting them and framing them.  He has been making décollages’ for over 50 years.

The Alexia Goethe gallery is exhibiting his larger scale works drawn from the past decade or so. The posters mostly relate to musical events like album releases and concerts. Be sure to check it out. The exhibition runs until the 25^th March the gallery is open weekdays 10am-6pm and weekends 11am-4pm.

Meeting friends for lunch this week? Why don’t you meet them at Goodman’s steak restaurant situated on Maddox Street W1. The food is to die for and they have an amazing set lunch menu where you can get 3 courses for only £19. Goodman’s is open from 12-10.30pm Mon-Sat, closed on Sunday’s and booking is advisable.

My pick of the week:

The Streets at Brixton Academy, Saturday 5^th March 2011.

Mike Skinner returns to play his first gig in London since last years tour. Mike Skinner recently announced his retirement from his alias the Streets so could this be his last ever gig in London but who knows?

Hi guys! Pardon me for my absence last week I was recovering from an amazing TOTR if you weren’t there you really missed out.

Anyway, the Museum of London has a great exhibition on at the moment, London Street photography.  Photographs from 1810 – present day showing the development of the streets of London and its nature. It’s a free exhibition and is running at the museum of London all the way until September 4^th 2011,  so there’s no excuse not to go and see it!

Fancy a bite to eat this week then get yourself over Canteen, serving the best in British cuisine you cannot go wrong. With restaurants all over London there’s plenty of opportunities to indulge yourself with great food. My favourite location is Spitafields and I am a sucker for the Haddock, chips and tartare sauce it goes down lovely with a beer. Canteen (all locations) are open from 8am-11pm weekdays and 9am -10pm weekends, booking is advisable.

My pick of the week:

Tinie Tempah and Katy B at The Hammersmith Apollo, Fri 25^th Feb 2011. Tickets are £17.50 and can be bought from here

Allo, allo it’s me again with my picks of the week and despite the cold weather I hope you all had a fun packed week last week. I know I did. For those who were at Mindie on Sunday what a cracking night that was too.

Are you a beer lover? Fancy drooling over an impressive selection of craft beers? Then get yourself over to Mayson & Taylor (above). Recently opened and at a fine location in-between the bottom of Redchurch St and the top of Brick Lane, Mayson & Taylor is a great addition to the already buzzing East-End social scene.

Brought to you by the same people who run the Duke of Wellington in Dalston, all the beers are independently brewed and direct from their country of origin. Mayson & Taylor also offer food during the day, with a roast on Sundays and they also have a late license.

Not into beer or have given up alcohol like me as a new years resolution? Then get yourself over to the National Portrait Gallery. There are a couple of weeks remaining to see the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize.

“The Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2010 presents the very best in contemporary portrait photography, showcasing the work of talented young photographers and gifted amateurs alongside that of established professionals and photography students.”

The Taylor Wessing Prize started on the 11^th November 2010 and will be ending on the 20^th February 2011. So, get yourself over there pretty soon.

Saturday sees the LRR intra league Grand Finale: Lust For Blood. For those who are unfamiliar as to what this is, this is the Roller Derby final between The Voodoo Skulls Krushers and Goldie Lookin’ Chain Gang.

The venue will be York Hall, 5 Old Ford Rd, Bethnal Green. Doors open at 4pm with the battle commencing 5pm sharp. There will also be half-time entertainment.

My pick of the week

J Dilla Changed My Life, Sun 6^th Feb, The Scala CLICK

How’d folks, I hope you had a great week last week and went and sampled some of my picks of the week. I plan to offer you some great finds on a weekly basis and hope you guys use them as an alternative to your usual.

Fancy a bit of culture in your life this week? Then get yourself down to the White Cube at Masons Yard SW1. Gilbert and George currently have an ongoing exhibition there, The Urethra Postcard Art of Gilbert & George.

“In 2009, nearly four decades after their first exhibition of POSTCARD ART, and twenty years since their last group of pictures to be made in the medium of postcards, Gilbert & George returned to the form to make the epic and dazzling group of 564 new pieces that comprise THE URETHRA POSTCARD PICTURES.”

The exhibition runs until the 19^th February at The White Cube (mason yards) and is open from Tues-Sat 10am – 6pm.

Not really into Art and want to get your grub on, then visit one of my favourite restaurants in London ‘Cubana’. Situated just of Waterloo road this restaurant serves up the best in South American cuisine. Their cocktails are mighty good too and cheap as well starting at just £3.95, I highly recommend Cubana Passion.

Cubana is open Mon-sat (times vary) I recommend hitting this joint at the weekend when you can experience live salsa and Latin music, although the weekdays are just as lively.

If you’re a fan of  “old’ skool” gaming then get yourself down to Nintendisco this Thursday at 93 Feet East from 7pm. Expect Mario Kart, Classic Street fighter plus more…you won’t be disappointed.

MY PICK OF THE WEEK:

MINDIE at The Old Blue Last, Sunday 30^th Jan from 7pm onwards.

Mindie is one of London’s dopest live music nights, fresh from its beauty sleep and after a brief appearance last year it’s back and here to stay. Performing on the night: Mikill Pane, Kay Young, The Kemsitry, and Abiade. Plus DJ’s OrdioKid, Bare beats and Jarvsky. Oh, and it’s free entry. See you there. CLICK

Are you out and about in London this week? Fancy doing something a little different?  See below for Darren Richards’, the man behind Turn Off The Radio, picks of the week.

Are you a lover of the classic movie then get yourself down to the BFI on the Southbank. For the next two months the BFI are celebrating the works of one of Hollywood’s most respected directors Howard Hawks. The Howard Hawks season gives movie buffs the chance to see some of the filmmaker’s earliest work, as well as his most highly regarded. Throughout this week there are a number of his movies on show but my pick this week is ‘The Big Sleep’.

‘The Big Sleep‘ stars Humphrey Bogart is in his element as a private eye hired by a general to sort out the mess of his daughter’s life. This film will be shown on Wednesday 19^th at 6.10pm and tickets for this showing can be booked here.

Don’t fancy Humphrey Bogart then how about drugs? ‘What is a drug?‘, this Thursday 20th January 7-8.30pm at The Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road. Over the last century, the West has medicalised or banned many plant drugs that still occupy traditional roles in other societies. How did the contemporary category of ‘drug’ come into being, and how do attitudes differ across other times and places? Well, panelists discuss the shifting definitions of drugs in culture and history.

Want to attend? Well it’s free but booking is recommended, book here now to receive E-ticket.

Not interested in any of this? Food more your thing? Then get yourself over to Franco Manca in Brixton for some quality pizzas. Made from slow-rising sour dough and baked in a wood-burning oven Franco Manca brings the taste of Italy to Brixton.

‘Franco Manca’ is situated in Brixton, Unit 4, Market row SW9.

My pick of the week

Giles Peterson’s Worldwide Awards 2011-01:

Giles Peterson and his label Brownswood hold their annual extravaganza with a diverse line up and the man himself hitting the 1’s and 2’s.

Venue: Koko £15 on door!

Words by Darren Richards

Salt N Pepper shot by Mark Seliger

Nas shot by Christian Witkin

Lil Kim shot by David LaChapelle

Mobb Deep shot by Mark Mann

I went to the Hip Hop Immortals exhibition years ago when it was on at the old Proud Gallery and I vividly remember wanting to buy the book at the time but not having the dollar. Out of the blue I was given it for Christmas by someone who too had gone to the exhibition, bought 2 copies and waited all this time to give it to someone who’d appreciate it. I am that lucky lady.

If you don’t fancy the slightly time consuming, and tad childish task of googling images of your favourite rappers and kicks (see above post), printing them out, cutting them out, sticking them to cardboard and stapling thread to them, then fear not, there is a solution.  To celebrate the countdown to Christmas Adidas have come up with a printable version of the Adidas Superstar trainer that you can cut out to create your own Kicking Superstar Christmas ornament. Have a look at the adidas facebook page for more info: www.facebook.com/adidasoriginals

Download: http://www.adidas.com/content/facebook/adidasOriginals_Holiday_Ornament.pdf

A&G recommend youlisten to some Run Dmc to stir up your creative Kickmas juices