Pop Brixton

Stuck for something to do this weekend? Here at The Amazing Blog we think you should check out Pop Brixton, a new unique space focusing on supporting local enterprise. Pop Brixton plays host to some of the community’s most exciting independent start-ups across food & drink, retail, creative industries and the arts.

With Brixton already established as a go-to foodie destination in London, Pop Brixton is set to build on this success, creating London’s hottest new destination in the heart of Brixton. There is plenty to choose from, including the renowned Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen taking up her first permanent residency offering authentic Ghanaian dishes, through to Miss P’s BBQ bringing their juicy beef ribs and Baba G’s serving up an Indian and British food fusion. As well as over 20 mouth-watering food and drink vendors, Pop Brixton boasts a diverse selection of independent retail outlets. From vintage clothing sellers Make Do and Mend through to Japanese tea house, Kyonocha, Pop Brixton provides a unique shopping destination full of hidden gems.

Other initiatives range from Pop Farm – a garden and greenhouse area planted by the local community – to local artist exhibitions, workshops and an event space with a programme orchestrated by tenants. The 200 capacity event space will offer a chance to enjoy a wide range of events, including TEDx Brixton talks, gigs and cinema screenings.

To find out more please check out their website and Twitter page.

V&A Exhibition- Shoes: Pleasure and Pain

Christian Louboutin once famously said: “A shoe is not only a design, but it's a part of your body language, the way you walk. The way you're going to move is quite dictated by your shoes.” At The Amazing Blog we could not agree more.  From June this year all the way through to January 2016, the V&A will be home to a very special fashion exhibition exploring the transformative power of extreme footwear, our fascination and obsession with shoes as well as their agonising aspects.

 
In this exciting exhibition, there is an unrivalled collection of more than 200 pairs of historic and contemporary shoes from around the world. Some are as old as 2000 years and have never been seen before.  The collection includes shoes worn by high profile figures including Marilyn Monroe, Queen Victoria, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kylie Minogue and the Hon Daphne Guinness.  There is footwear for men and women by 70 named designers including Manolo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo and Prada.

Exhibition curator, Helen Persson, said: “Shoes are one of the most telling aspects of dress. Beautiful, sculptural objects, they are also powerful indicators of gender, status, identity, taste and even sexual preference. Our choice in shoes can help project an image of who we want to be.”

In addition, the exhibition reveals the evolution of shoes and how little style, material and shape are so much more symbolic than you realise.  This exhibition is a must for any fashion lover or someone passionate about history.  You can find out more about it here.

Friday Favourites - Easter Treats and Events

Easter is one of our favourite times of year here at The Amazing Blog. It symbolises the start of spring, when we can shed our winter coats and make the most of sunnier weather. Not to mention all of the chocolate and cute paraphernalia that comes our way! This year, we’ve put together a list of our favourite things to eat and do in the capital, in the hope that we can inspire you all to have a fabulous Easter weekend.

We all know that Easter wouldn’t be complete with a tasty treat or two, and for us, there’s nothing more indulgent than the delectable chocolates from Demarquette. Artisan UK chocolatier Marc Demarquette loves to experiment with flavours, but is a traditionalist at heart, and that is reflected in everything he makes. Among his delicious Easter sweets are beautifully crafted chocolate quails eggs in the style of hot cross buns. These Easter delights come in three delectable flavours - Strawberry, Passion fruit and Salted Caramel - and they’re the perfect decadent treat if you’re looking to spoil someone this Easter. Shop all of their Easter chocolates here, or get the hot cross bun inspired chocolates pictured here for £12.

Speaking of sweet treats, there’s nothing like having chocolate for breakfast, an activity that’s only really acceptable on national holidays. Choc on Choc have thought of the perfect way to disguise your chocolate brekkie with their Chocolate Egg On Toast - a delicious white chocolate egg nestled on top of a milk chocolate slice of toast. A perfect treat for children and adults alike, you can even have a nibble on the cutlery when you’re done! Grab your most important meal of the day here for £12. They did always say that brown bread was the healthiest kind…

If you’re looking for a way to work off the Easter weight, the London Dungeons have put together an event that will scare the calories off. Their ‘Bad Eggs’ trail will run from the 5th to the 27th April, and will have visitors hunt for bad eggs, hidden in the shadows of the dungeons, before meeting the ‘Eggsecutioner’ for a lesson in torture. If that wasn’t enough for a creepy Easter, there’s also Death by Chocolate – a Victorian sweet shop in the bowels of the dungeon, where the confectioner is a notorious poisoner. With flavours like mustard and chilli to risk, you’ll never look at chocolate in the same way again. Book your tickets online for a guaranteed spot and savings, with tickets starting at £20.50 for adults and £16.50 for children.

Just a bunny hop away in High Street Kensington, you can celebrate Easter the way it’s supposed to be with a good old fashioned Easter Egg Hunt. The luxurious Roof Gardens is owned by Virgin mogul Richard Branson, who will be hosting an exciting hunt for kids to take part in. One lucky attendee will win a deluxe egg courtesy of ChoccyWoccyDoodah. An event for children and adults alike, they will also offer an Easter tipple or two so that parents can relax while the kids play. The festivities kick off at 11:45am on Sunday 5th April, so head on down for an egg-stra special Easter. 

OhLaLa Macarons - "Macarons and Martinis" Event

Here at The Amazing Blog, we absolutely love having a fun girl’s day out. What’s better than spending quality time with your girlfriends over drinks and yummy food? When we heard about the Macaron and Martinis Events from OhLaLa-Macarons, we knew it would be the perfect venue for our next girl’s day.

The Macaron and Martinis Events are designed by the talented team at OhLaLa, where you’ll be delighted with culinary excellence in a gorgeous venue with amazing people. Each event lasts for two and a half hours, and includes unlimited macarons and martinis. The company hosts public events, as well as hen parties for soon-to-be brides.

During the class, you’ll learn how to make your own macarons, since you’ll be able to take home a box of 12 designed by you. After you’ve had your fair share of sweet treats, you’ll get to go behind the bar for a lesson in martini making. You can even make your own recipe with the ingredients provided, and the bartender will name it after you and will give you a card with the recipe on it to take home. Talk about fabulous!

The next public event is on 28th March, and you can book your spot for it here. Ticket prices are £65 each. If you’d rather have your own private event with your friends, you can email the staff directly via the email provided on the bookings page of the site.

ZSL Pooch Parade

Attention all animal lovers! The Zoological Society of London will be hosting its first Pooch Parade sponsored dog walking event in London on Sunday 22 March and this is also your chance to participate in a great cause.

The 2.5 km walk through Battersea Park is raising funds for ZSL’s Lions400 Campaign. The campaign aims to raise £5.7m to create Land of the Lions, a new state-of-the-art lion breeding centre and exhibit at ZSL London Zoo, as well as extend vital conservation work in India where only 400 Asiatic lions are left in the wild.

Heidi, Asiatic Lioness at ZSL London Zoo

To participate in this event, you can register your dog here for £10, plus a pledge to raise £40 per dog for the Lions400 campaign. Each dog can be accompanied by up to four walkers. Each participating pup will receive a special doggy bag and a medal to show off when they complete their walk. Places are very limited so that's why we at The Amazing Blog are giving you the 'heads up' at least a week in advance.

Even if you don’t have a four-legged friend to register, this is a great event to come out and watch. The event gets up and running at 10 a.m.