Fun at the Fair

Who could resist an invitation to the fair and with a pocket full of pennies thrown in.  (Thanks bgo) The Carters steam fair lets you step back in time to the way the fun fair was in Victorian times.  The penny arcade, the rides and games are all beautifully hand painted and offer good old fashioned thrills.

Try your luck on the slot machines.

Feel the tension mounting trying to control that ball around the barriers.

Then just have fun on the dodgems.

Impress passersby with your strength.

Jolly Good Fun

The "Chap Olympiad" was held yesterday in the beautiful Georgian Bedford Square.  It's an annual event of jolly good fun.  A certain standard of dress is required and picnics from wicker baskets are the order of the day, with plenty of Pimms and G&Ts to sup upon.
Games include umbrella jousting where bicycles replace horses and umbrellas replace lances, and tug of moustache (use your imagination).  This year one of the new games is Bounder Chasing, a game for the Chappettes, as they chase a Bounder using a large butterfly net.

No Hope Left

Sweeny Todd, the infamous barber who turned his clients into pies, crossed my mind, when, yesterday I ventured into a macabre pop-up butchers in Smithfields that had human limbs on the menu.
Not for the feint hearted but if flesh eating zombies are your thing, I guess you will be excited that the reason for this store is to promote the launch of the game Resident Evil 6.

And if you are one of the excited ones you can get a sneak preview on twitter #nohopeleft.

I'm thinking of becoming vegetarian.

Olympic Houses - Switzerland

During the Olympic games many countries have set up hospitality houses, several are open to the public. I've decided to visit as many as possible and bring to you the atmosphere of the Olympics that you wont be shown on the tv.
The House of Switzerland is located in and around the Glaziers Hall, near London Bridge, and this weekend they are holding the Bernese Games.

This is the sport of "Schwingen" a type of folk wrestling originating in the 17th century. The contestants are only allowed to grab each other by the funny breeches they are wearing to try and throw their opponent to the ground.
They also have cheese rolling (of course), horn blowing, stone putting and discus throwing, and for the kids they have rock climbing. If you are in London pop down there, it's a lot of fun.

Shadows

This reminded me of the childhood game of making animal shadows on the wall. Did you play it? How many animals can you make?

Volley Ball Trial Complete

The trial run as an Olympic venue for the volley ball is now over and deemed a success. Next year just six weeks after the trooping of the colour, tonnes of sand will cover the courtyard of the Horse Guards Parade. Seating for 15,000 will be erected. However the best view will be from 10 Downing Street (the Prime Minister's residence).

Let the Games Begin

Fun and frivolity or blood and guts? Just one year until the 2012 Olympic games will be played in London. To mark the occasion the museum of London hosted gladiator games at guildhall, where a real Roman amphitheatre lies beneath the current courtyard.
The gladiators are in two teams, Londinium and Camulodunum – London and Colchester. We have learnt how to shout for mercy or demand death to the losing gladiator. It is rather scary how often we demand death.

Museum of Childhood

Not just for children. The museum of childhood shows so much about the lives of those growing up in earlier periods. Grand doll's houses, puppets, games. Do you know what a zoetrope is? Children's clothing and cots. They've certainly changed a lot.
Rocking horses from several centuries, beginning with a wooden horse believed to have belonged to Charles I in 1610.

Countdown to the Games

The first of many sets of the Olympic rings was unveiled at St Pancras rail station the other day.
Just 508 days until the 2012 games begin in London.

Thanks to the games many of London's buildings and parks are getting a make over. Expect London to be in her finest gowns next year.

Chap Olympiad

An eccentric gathering of chaps and chapettes held annually since 2005 in Bloomsbury. Plenty of gin & tonics, martinis, moustaches, cucumber sandwiches and of course chap games.
Jousting with brollies, moustache wrestling and the three trousered limbo for starters.