It's Jumper Day Today

Expect to see a lot more Xmas jumpers today as it is the official Xmas Jumper day today.  I did prepare you for it in an earlier post here.  What features on yours?

Christmas Woollies

Do people really buy and wear these jumpers?  Well yes they do.  When I first moved to the UK the things that really stood out for me is the Brits capacity and love to dress up.  Any occasion and any outfit.  The Xmas jumper is one of the more tame dress up days.  This year it will be December the 18th.  Expect everyone from kids in prams to business executives to be wearing a jumper like these.

It is not all crazy, they will also be raising money for charity.  This year is Macmillan Cancer support, Make-A-Wish UK and Save the Children.  If you want to take part get your kit here.

Help the Homeless

A banner going up on the fence of Southwark Cathedral advertising their annual event "sleep out".  On the 27th of November they are holding a sponsored sleep out in the grounds of the church to raise funds for robes for the winter night shelter. 

The Woods

A secret woods in central London.  Just a block away from the busy Cally Rd (Caledonian Rd), the gate was open and we were invited in as part of the "open gardens for charity."
NGS (National Gardens Scheme) was founded in 1927, that first year 609 people opened their gardens to the public charging them a shilling each and raising £8,000 for the nursing institute.   The organisation has grown as has the number of people who generously open their gardens throughout the year, with £23 million raised over the past ten years for various charities.

Punk Bus

Remember that dress?  How about the King and Queen of punk... Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren.  Or is it Sid and Nancy?  All these questions raced around my head when I stumbled upon the Punk Bus.

One of the twenty-eight  bus arts commissioned by transport for London to celebrate the year of the bus, although that was last year now, and I'm a bit late in discovering these gems.  However, there are still a few more days until they are auctioned off for charity.

Bus Art

Look what popped up in my absence.  Twenty Eight of them is seems.  The bus sculptures are all part of Transport for London's year of the bus......and I find it on the last day of the year!  Luckily I still have eleven days to zip around the city to find them before they are auctioned to raise funds for charity.

Art for Charity

"Art is Charity" and during the design festival you could watch artist Ricardo Cavolo create this mural, without any risk of getting paint on your clothing or in your hair.  The finished piece was to be divided into sections and auctioned off with the proceeds going to the charity Kids.

Pearlies

The other royalty of London.  Dating from 1875 the costermongers sewed shiny buttons down the side of their trousers to stand out in the busy market streets.  A young orphan street sweeper named Henry Croft went one step further and sewed the buttons on his hat.  From there it grew until now the entire cloth of their garments are covered in buttons.  Don't be filled into thinking anyone can become a Pearly by donning a shining coat, no to be a real Pearly your title is handed down from generation to generation.  There are 28 distinguished Pearly families, one for each of the London boroughs.
Twenty first century Pearlies spend their time raising money for charities.

Pop-up 38

Pop Up 38 in Caledonian Road, the store where you can buy anything and at the same time fund a school in Afghanistan.

World Zombie Day

 Hordes of zombies had gathered at Marble Arch in the middle of the day.

Why were these creatures of the night attempting to terrify the masses in broad daylight?

The answer is, it was world zombie day, an international event originating from the first zombie walk day in Pittsburg in 2006.  This year zombies in around 50 countries are holding similar zombie walks, all raising money for charities that deal with hunger and homelessness.  The London zombies chosen charity is St Mungos. 

Ultimate Endurance

Warning to all couch potatoes, you will find this extremely stressful!

London’s Air Ambulance pilot, Captain Neil Jeffers, and doctor, Dr. Tom Konig, are soon to complete the ultimate endurance test, seeing them run 8 marathons in 6 days through the deserts of Jordan, in a bid to raise money for the charity. On 3rd September 2011 the London’s Air Ambulance duo will be running 200 miles (360 km) through Wadi Rum, a protected area covering 720 square kilometres of dramatic desert wilderness in the south of Jordan, and will finish at Petra.

Thanks to London's Air Ambulance service you will be rescued without having to show an insurance card or a bank card. Their medical expertise at the scene of an accident may be critical in saving your life. This is a charity.

On their days off they run 8 marathons in the dessert to fund saving you're life!

Londoners and anyone who has ever visited or intends to visit London find a few £'s to support these guys.

Support their txt campaign. To donate Text LAAM26 £(1,5,10,) to 70070
For further information and to support Neil and Tom visit:
www.laajordanultra.com

Who wants to go into the Edible Gingerbread House?

Roof tiles made of chocolate, a cupcake garden, the chimney is popcorn, a marshmallow pond. Who wants to go into the gingerbread house? ME.
Lily Vanilli will show you how to make and decorate your own gingerbread house. Storytelling, singing and dancing.


What fun if you're a kid. The gingerbread house was installed at the Brunswick centre in Bloomsbury over the weekend. All to raise awareness and funds for the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity.

Ayoka Gig

A very different evening from yesterday's post. At the charity shop Ayoka, see my previous post about this worthwhile charity, last nights guest was the incredibly talented Josienne Clark, accompanied by Ben Walker.
She describes her music as folk dipping into blues. I found her hauntingly beautiful voice reminded me of the great Celtic singers. Mary Black comes to mind.
However she is described this duo is one to watch.
Her new album One Light is Gone an absolute must buy.
To see other songs check this youtube.

Ayoka Gigs

Ayoka is a vintage boutique store in Bethnal Green, selling clothing, books, records and CD's.
On the last Thursday of every month they hold in-store gigs with both established and up and coming artists.
The store and the funds from the gigs is to raise money for the African Women's Welfare Association (AWWA). This organisatoion aims to raise awareness of sickle cell and Thalassaemia, both are inherited blood disorders.

The very talented Rhiannon Eglin is playing hauntingly beautiful instrument called a Hammered Dulcimer.

Ayoka opened in July 2010, they need more good quality goods to sell in their store, so Londoners time to cull your wardrobes and donate those clothes that are very glam but you no longer wear.

Allsorts

Captured this giant liquorice allsort on a charity run at st Pancras station. Raising funds for Harry's million.

Helping the Kids

When you're trying to raise funds for a worthy cause the last thing you need is for the rain to bucket down. Well that's what happened to the London taxi drivers trying to raise funds for their Christmas appeal. They do a fantastic job taking under privileged kids on outings to the seaside, parks, circus and the like.

Every January, together with the Grosvenor Hotel, celebrities and entertainers, they organise a fantastic tea party to some 650 disadvantaged kids.
Just pop one less bauble on your Christmas tree and give the equivalent to their fabulous tea party here.

Philanthropic Bulldog

The building of the Bulldog Trust.

Tweed Run

Yesterday was the second annual event for the tweed run through the streets of London.
Dress code required according to the publicity blurb:

"Proper attire will of course be expected, so dapper gents and elegant ladies, polish off your lugged steel beasts and prepare your best outfits. Suggested attire: woolen plus fours, harris tweed jackets, flat caps, fair isle jumpers, alpaca coats, merino wool team jerseys, cycling skirts and perhaps a jaunty cape for the ladies, cravats or ties for gentlemen, and of course a hip flask of brandy."

All for a good cause too:

"There will also be a spiffing tombola draw for some lovely prizes benefiting bikes4africa, an organisation that refurbishes bicycles and gives them to rural African schools so that students who live far away can get to school"

Comments in italics from blogger London fixed gear and single speed

The Fans

A few days ago I posted the kick4life mascots running around Trafalgar Square. Today is a glimpse of some of the supporters.

Kick4Life

Running around Trafalgar Square a multitude of costumed characters. Behind all this craziness is a good cause. The World Cup Song is to be released 24.04.10. with the proceeds from sale going to kick4Life who deliver HIV education and health testing to orphans and vunerabel children in southern Africa.