Face Painting

Grown up face painting...an example of the art at the Ben & Jerry out door movie pop-up event (see yesterday's post). 

Ice-Cream and the Planet

Eating Ice-cream, watching movies and saving the planet?  My life is hard sometimes.

This was Ben & Jerry's ice-cream pop-up outdoor movie theatre and fun games parlor at Clapham Common over the weekend.  I was lucky enough to go on one of London's sunniest days, just look at that lovely blue sky!  And how appropriate to go and see "Little Miss Sunshine."
Eat as much ice-cream as you like, lounge about in deck chairs or grassy sofas (yes really).  Face painting, coconut shy, all the things that go with a summer fun fair.

We could all feel good about the event knowing all those cyclists weren't just fitness freaks, their pedalling was actually proving the power for the event.  Yup, I jest not, how cool is that!

Underlying all of this however, is a serious message.  This year is a critical year for climate change.   At the UN climate change conference to be held in Paris later this year, world leaders will finalise a global climate agreement.

Ben & Jerry have a goal to encourage 500,000 "ice-cream fans" around the world to join the climate justice movement, and put pressure on global leaders to take action on climate change.



Time for another ice-cream!

Date Like The Movies

London is a city of culture, history and charm, and has been the setting for a huge number of films of many genres. However, when it comes to romance, London provides that special something – be it a stunning historic backdrop, cosy tearooms or busy streets where two people fall in love. Here at Lovestruck.com, we thought we’d look at the best London scenes from our favourite romantic flicks:

Love Actually (2003)

This classic rom com, from Richard Curtis, outlining the complex love lives of eight different couples living in London, is always a huge hit. The film opens and closes with real footage from Heathrow Airport and features many London hotspots throughout. At the start of the film, Peter and Juliet, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor and Keira Knightly get married at the Grosvenor Chapel in Mayfair, while later Peter’s best friend Mark (Andrew Lincoln) later declares his undying love with cue cards at the couple’s house at 27 St Luke’s Mews in Notting Hill. Mark’s ‘South Bank’ gallery was an empty house on Great Sutton Street. Selfridges is the department store where Harry, played by Alan Rickman, goes to buy his assistant a present and is served by Rowan Atkinson and almost all the characters attend a nativity play at Elliott School in Putney.

Top Quote: “True love lasts a lifetime.”

Date Idea: Head to one of the regular lunchtime recitals at the Grosvenor Chapel (www.grosvenorchapel.org.uk).

One Day (2011)

This adaptation of David Nicholls bestselling novel follows the lives of Emma (Anne Hathaway) and Dexter (Jim Sturgess) who meet at Edinburgh University and after becoming firm friends, eventually fall in love. The plot sees the characters in the same day every year and was shot across 50 locations, including London. Landmarks in the film include the Lady Chapel at Westminster Cathedral and the nearby Big Ben, the West End's Sanderson Hotel and the Parliament Hill Lido in Hampstead, where Emma swims and the Rio Cinema in Dalston, where Emma goes on a date with boyfriend Ian, played by Rafe Spall.

Favourite Quote: “Whatever happens tomorrow, we had today.”

Date Idea: Sunday matinee film at the Rio (www.riocinema.org.uk), followed by a follows by a meal at Mexican restaurant Mezcal Cantina, in memory of Emma’s doomed job at the “graveyard of ambition.”

Sliding Doors (1998)

This British-American comedy sees Gwyneth Paltrow playing Helen, who follows two parallel story lines after catching – or missing – the tube one morning. When she makes the train, she falls in love with James, played by John Hannah after learning her boyfriend is cheating on her. When she misses the train, she only finds out about the infidelity much later but fate leads her back to James.

London underground features heavily and it is at London Embankment that Helen misses the tube, although they were shot at Waterloo and Bank stations. There are also scenes from Fulham Broadway and by the Thames, near Hammersmith Bridge.

Favourite Quote: “James: What are you doing Saturday?
Helen: Probably killing myself.
James: Excellent. What time does that finish? Do you like boats?”

Date Idea: Head to Dine On The Tube, an underground supper club at Basement Galley (www.basementgalley.com)

Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)

The film adaptation of Helen Fielding’s book, features Bridget at 30-something Londoner set on self-improvement. Her love life sees her embark on a romance with handsome playboy Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant), while eventually landing the gorgeous Mark Darcy (Colin Firth). Bridget’s flat is above the Globe Pub in Borough Market and the fictitious Greek restaurant that Mark and Daniel comes to blows is Bedales, a wine shop nearby. Daniel’s Cleaver apartment is on Clink Street a minute or so away and Bridget gets advice from her date at the Maghreb restaurant, which is now Momo on Heddon Street. Bridget has two embarrassing career moments in the film, one at the launch of Kafta’s Motorbike, which was filmed at The ICA on the Mall and later she reports from court outside the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand. However, romance is always on the cards and her romantic kiss with Mark in the snow is outside the Royal Exchange Buildings, near Bank.

Favourite Quote: “It is a truth universally acknowledged that when one part of your life starts going okay, another falls spectacularly to pieces.”

Date Idea: A look around Borough Market (www.boroughmarket.org.uk) followed by a wine-tasting evening at Bedales (wws.bedaleswines.com).

Notting Hill (1999)

No list of romantic films set in London would be complete without Notting Hill, another gem of a film from Richard Curtis. The story sees the famous actress Anna Scott (Julia Roberts) walk into the bookshop of William Thacker (Hugh Grant). After a second chance encounter, they meet again and romance begins to blossom. In the opening scene, William is seen walking down Portobello Road Market and Hugh’s house in on Westbourne Park Road and Bella and Max’s house is on Lansdowne Road, nearby. Opposite the tube station is the Coronet Cinema, where William sees Anna in sci-fi short, Helix and it is in the communal Rosmead Gardens, where Anna and William break into after having too much to  drink at a dinner party. Anna stays at The Ritz in central London, while the press conference for her film takes place at The Savoy.

Favourite Quote: “I’m just a girl, standing in front on a boy, asking him to love her.”

Date Idea: Check out Portobello Road Market (www.portobelloroad.co.uk) and map out the film’s main spots.

Have you got other favourite London-based films that you think deserve a mention? Tell us @lovestruck

Ice-cream?

It may look like a science lab but this is ice-cream being whizzed up in front of your eyes.  A new pop-up at Somerset house making ice-cream with liquid nitrogen.  Just in time for the summer outdoor film season.  What a way to settle down and watch ET.

7 years and 007

Seven today.  Yup it's the 7th anniversary of aglimpseoflondon today.

So how to celebrate.....how about a trip in this classic rolls driven by agent 007 in Goldfinger.

The real agent 007 was John Dee (1527-1608), English mathematician, philosopher, astrologer,  advisor and spy to Queen Elizabeth.  He used the code 00 when corresponding with the Queen to indicate "for her eyes only".  The two circles were protected by a sign that was somewhere between the square root sign and an elongated numeral seven.  For Dee the number seven was lucky and he believed it had magical properties.  Thus 007 would let the Queen know this was a secret message from Dee that only she should read.

Now this is the real car used in the Bond movie, no copies on this blog, especially on such an auspicious day.    To take a glimpse of this and many other original vehicles from the Bond movies over the decades take a trip to the London Film Museum in Covent Garden.

Ritzy

One of England's purpose built cinema's, the Electric Pavilion, as it was known then, opened in 1911. It seated 750 people and had an organ.  Of course all the movies shown in those early days were silent. The first talking movies were shown in 1929.

In the 1950's the organ was removed and the theatre was given a bit of a face-lift, fortunately the council retained the original facade.

It became an art house theatre in the 1970's and was renamed the Little Bit Ritzy.  Known at this time as a political and cultural centre showing documentaries, and also a centre for holding discussions on issues facing the black communities, feminism and homosexual rights.

Now it is simply known as the Ritzy, it has five screens, a cafe and a bar. It is still a very cool place to hang out.

James Bond - 50 years

Fifty years of Bond movies! All those gadgets and designer clothes plus trailers from some of the iconic movies they're all on exhibition at the Barbican "Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style".
While standing in the queue to get in we debated how many movies could we name and how many actors played James Bond. How many can you name?
What about many of the other big name actors who also appeared - Robbie Coltrane as
Zukovsky? Diana Rigg as Mrs Bond? etc ...
Who could forget Q's futuristic (at the time) super spy gadgets and accessories ... the car phone, underwater breather, the radio active homing pill, and the Bell Textron jet pack being just a few.

This is a great exhibition that shouldn't be missed. It finishes 5 September so get down there.

Valentine

Fans queued in sub-zero temperatures in Leicester Square for the premiere of "Valentines Day" with the star studded cast including Ashton Kucher who plays opposite Jessica Alba.

Judging by the reviews the fans love this romcom and the critics hate it. As one put it 'like eating fudge with the cellophane wrapper still on.'

Perfect night for the Movies

A sudden an unexpected downpour at Leicester Square. Seemed like the perfect time to go to the movies.

Wolfman Preview

Fresheyes brings you a movie preview. How about that. Always on the lookout for something different, the other day I saw these carriages arrive on the back of a trailer. The horses arrived soon after. The movie company was setting up for a night scene in the 'Wolfman'. The scene was to be shot along Embankment. The movie will star Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt and Hugo Weaving.