New Year's Eve travel info from Transport For London

Click here to down TFL's New Years Eve travel information leaflet.

Click here to download TFL's New Year's Eve information leaflet - cover.

Daily Photo - Finished

Finished
Photograph by Tiki Chris © 2006
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Daily Photo - December was a blur

December was a blur
Photograph by Tiki Chris © 2006
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Daily Photo - December night at Exmouth Market

December night at Exmouth Market
Photograph by Tiki Chris © 2006
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Daily Photo - Fairy Lights

Fairy Lights
Photograph by Tiki Chris © 2006
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Daily Photo - We Three King

We Three King
Photograph by Tiki Chris © 2006
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Daily Photo - Santa's day off

Santa's day off
Photograph by Tiki Chris © 2006
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Happy Christmas from ontoLondon

Christmas at Spitalfields
Photograph by Tiki Chris © 2006
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Daily Photo - Xmas Bazaar

Xmas Bazaar
Photograph by Tiki Chris © 2006
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Daily Photo - And a partridge in a peartree?

And a partridge in a peartree?
Photograph by Tiki Chris © 2006
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Daily Photo - Spitalfields Nativity

Spitalfields Nativity
Photograph by Tiki Chris © 2006
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Daily Photo - Crib Service at Our Most Holy Redeemer

Crib Service at Our Most Holy Redeemer
Photograph by Tiki Chris © 2006
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

London's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Fairy Tale of London
Posted by Emiana
Emiana
Thursday, December 21, 2006

How do you know it’s the Christmas season in London? Other than the calendar and the lights on Oxford Street, there are a few telltale signs. I want to share the most important ones with you.



















Photograph by Emiana © 2006

Click here for complete post.

Legendary record shop to close - scavengers take note

Record collectors' shop faces the music
After more than 30 years in business, Europe's biggest second-hand record shop is in the throes of a huge closing-down sale.
By Robert Plummer, Business reporter
BBC News
Published: 2006/12/20 23:19:11 GMT

Beanos, in the south London suburb of Croydon, sent shockwaves through the world of music collecting when it announced in July that it was no longer profitable and would have to shut.

Click here for complete article.

Londonist post sums up "radioactive saga"

Wednesday Night at the London Polonium
Posted by Mike
Londonist
December 20, 2006

The radioactive saga continues with news bouncing all over the Internet this evening, but none of it seeming to get us any closer to who done it.

Click here for complete post.

ontoLondon Weekly Photo to be Daily Photo!

Recently, I've been having a problem with ontoLondon's Weekly Photo - Too many photographs from which to choose! So starting tomorrow, the Weekly Photo will be the Daily Photo. You can expect the same standard of photography, just now on a daily basis.

And as with the Weekly Photo, I welcome reader contributions. If interested in submitting a photograph of London to this blog, click here for details.

Thank you,
Tiki Chris
Administrator
ontoLondon

How was the Pogues concert?

Last night's Pogues concert - the first of three nights at London's Brixton Academy - was good fun. The band was tight and at ease. The audience, a jolly lot of drunks. Shane MacGowan, toddling and mumbling between songs, delivered as heartfelt and gritty a performance as only he could.

Honestly, the sound was terrible. But, no one seemed to mind as virtually everyone in the sold-out venue knew all the lyrics. Of goosebumpy noteworthiness was the crowd's sing-along drowning out the band during "Dirty Old Town," a song which (along with "Fairytale of New York") I have been whistling and humming all groggy morning.

Click here for information about Brixton Academy and the Pogues tour.

Viet Hoa: authentic Vietnamese food in Hoxton

I recently had dinner at one of my all-time London faves - Viet Hoa on Kingsland Road in Hoxton.

When I lived in London from 2001-2003, I visited Viet Hoa quite often, even though I lived on the other side of this sprawling town. Now, that I live a short bus ride away, it's taken me half a year to get back. Much of the reason it's taken so long is that there's a perfectly adequate Vietnamese place near my flat (I'll save it for another review).

Despite having a great local, I'm nevertheless shocked it took me so long to make my way back. Viet Hoa is an exceptional restaurant and well worth a trip of nearly any length. Of particular note are their yummy spring rolls. Generally, I'm not a big fan of springrolls, but these deep-fried morsels really hit the spot with Viet Hoa's distinct and subtle mix of flavours. Their sizzling pork dish is a winner too!

Viet Hoa is a huge but very humble restaurant. Service is adequate but nothing special. It should also be noted that Viet Hoa gets packed to the rafters practically every night - rather amazing considering the abundance of Vietnamese restaurants within earshot on Kingsland Road. Still, I must recommend Viet Hoa even if there's a wait involved; some time back in '02 or '03, I tried one of the nearby competitors, an act which left me feeling like a traitor and regretting that I had eaten a sub-excellent meal when I was so close to phenomenal Viet Hoa. Also, many of the regulars are night prowling Hoxton hipsters. So if you go on the early side of the evening (note: they close after lunch and open again around 5:30pm), you might have the place to yourself.

Old Street is the nearest tube stop, but it's still a hike. However, there's a bus stop right outside Viet Hoa, providing quick and easy access from Old Street and Liverpool Street stations.












Viet Hoa
74 Kingsland Road
E2 8DP
Phone: 020 7729 8293
Fax: 020 7729 8293

How was the Frost Fair?

Emiana and I took a stroll through the Frost Fair last night, had mulled wine, heard some nice tunes. Nothing extraordinary but with all the fairy lights and festive atmosphere it was kind of nice.

Here are some pics:














Photography by Emiana © 2006

Which way to Brick Lane?

Bid to name Tube stop Brick Lane
Aldgate East Tube station should be renamed Brick Lane, a local councillor has said.
BBC News
Published: 2006/12/15 15:50:28 GMT

"It would be a fitting tribute to one of the most recognised landmarks in Britain ... a haven for immigrant communities, from the French Huguenots to Jewish people to today's mainly Bangladeshi community."

Click here for complete article.


Making some cash [on Brick Lane]
Photograph by Emiana © 2006
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Frost Fair 2006

This weekend's Frost Fair - London’s largest free winter event - will be held outside the Tate Modern and Shakespeare's Globe. This will be Southwark Council’s fourth Frost Fair along the Thames.

Festivities include:
Husky Dog Sledding
Thames Cutters Boat procession
Adult and children workshops in Mongolian yurts

Other attractions include ice sculpting, a winter market with 40 stalls selling food and gifts, street entertainment, bands and choirs singing favourite Christmas tunes, and a beer tent selling festive food and drink, such as roasted chestnuts and mulled wine.














Opening Times:
Friday 15 Dec 4pm - 9pm
Saturday 16 Dec 10am - 9pm
Sunday 17 Dec 10am - 6pm

Click here for more details.

Weekly Photo (14 December 2006)

Tis the Season
Photograph by Tiki Chris © 2006
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Beyond Covent Garden

Outer London 'needs more tourism'
More should be done to attract tourists to places outside central London, a London Assembly report has said.
BBC News

Published: 2006/12/14 08:26:38 GMT

"Outer London is home to a range of attractions that are less obvious but just as worth a visit as those that central London has to offer. If the outer London boroughs are promoted, visitors will come."

Click here for complete article.

Mandatory reading for London's expat community!

Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour by Kate Fox is mandatory reading for any non-English residents of England - or anyone who plans to be here for an extended stay. I wish I'd read this years ago!



Really I don't see why anthropologists feel they have to travel to remote corners of the world and get dysentery and malaria in order to study strange tribal cultures with bizarre beliefs and mysterious customs, when the weirdest, most puzzling tribe of all is right here on our doorstep.
- Kate Fox

Wave and pay with Barclays

Barclays eyes Oyster credit card
A new contactless credit card combined with a London transport Oyster card, is to be launched by Barclays.
BBC News
Published: 2006/12/13 14:46:53 GMT

The idea is that users will be able to use the "wave and pay" card to in shops with special new card readers, such as newsagents, pubs, and coffee bars, as well as car parks and vending machines.

Click here for complete article.

How was the Velasquez exhibition?

Fantastic ... except for the large crowd of other admirers with the same idea to see the first UK exhibition that traces "the career of one of the very greatest painters - Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velázquez (1599-1660)."

For 10:30am on a Sunday, I was overwhelmed by the number of people crammed into the four large rooms featuring 46 paintings from Velázquez's beginnings in Seville, to his move to Madrid and appointment as court painter to Philip IV, to his two trips to Italy, and to his final days and knighthood. Of course, it's good to see people eager to view great art and, honestly, negotiating the maze of humanity was a small price to pay to see these works under one roof.

Thumbs up!

Click here for more information from the National Gallery's Velázquez webpage.

Weeeeeeeeeeeeee at the Tate Modern

Finally made it over to the Tate Modern to give Carsten Höller's slides a whirl. Too much fun and totally worth queueing up for.

Photography by Emiana © 2006














Click here for more info on the Tate Modern website.

Naughty Santa sacked from Harrods

Father Christmas sacked over offensive remarks
HARRODS sacked a Father Christmas for his offensive remarks, the world-famous London department store said.
From correspondents in London
Courier-Mail
December 07, 2006 12:00am

He had asked one family of South Asian origin whether they should be shopping at a less prestigious supermarket instead ... He also asked in a lewd fashion whether their teenage daughter fancied staying and sitting on his knee.

Click here to read the complete article.

Liquid doughnut in a can

Last week, I mentioned how a visit to Clark's Pie and Mash confirmed that I seem to be adapting well to local ways. Well this week, I must confess that full acculturation is still not imminent.

Most times that I've been to Clark's, there's been someone ordering a cream soda with his meal (and it is invariably a his sort of thing). And more than a couple of times, I've overheard nostalgic conversations about growing up and going to the local pie and mash and having a cream soda.

So, during my last visit to Clark's, I requested a cream soda with my large pie and mash. What I got was a twelve-ounce can of Ben Shaws'. I popped it open and took a sip. To my recollection, I don't think that I had ever tasted such a concentration of sugar - especially in liquid form. Ben Shaws' Cream Soda tastes like a cream-filled doughnut.














Now, before you start with Homer Simpson-style drooling at the thought of a liquid doughnut, allow me to state that it's not as appetizing as it may sound. Something about that taste paired with that texture really threw me off and, at least to my inexperienced taste buds, did not complement my savoury pie and mash at all. Oh well, I gave it a try. Next time at Clark's, I'll stick with having a cup of tea.

Weekly Photo (7 December 2006)

Naughty Winter Wonderland
Photograph by Emiana © 2006
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Tornado in Northwest London

Six hurt as tornado hits street
Six people were injured and about 100 houses were damaged when a tornado swept through a London street leaving a trail of destruction.
BBC News
Published: 2006/12/07 14:28:08 GMT

Rooftops were ripped off and cars were badly damaged as the freak weather hit Kensal Rise in north-west London.

Click here for complete article.

Artistic Vandals II at Sartorial Contemporary Art

Artist Vandals II ...
Curated by James Jessop

Sartorial Contemporary Art

December 12-23, 2006 and January 16-20, 2007
Open Monday to Saturday 1:30pm-6:30pm

The work of these artists is rooted, to some degree, in their common motivation: graffiti. It’s also bound by the vision of Jessop himself, a graffiti artist with Saatchi credentials. But Artistic Vandals isn’t a genre show, or a political show, or a cult show. It could be said it’s a show unified by its very diversity. Whatever it is, it’s very definitely a show of work that’s energy is carrying it to new places.

Click here for more information.

How was the Morricone concert?

Saturday's second and final night of Ennio Morricone's rare appearances at Hammersmith Apollo Theatre was brilliant! Lots of flare. Plenty of encores. Standing ovations from a full house of appreciative fans (many of whom were Italian and ecstatic).

Although his music is so closely associated with the films he scored (more than 300!), his pieces stood on their own without a cinematic backdrop and allowed this listener's mind to roam a range of moods from solemn circumspection to impending doom to raw courage.

Conducting the ninety-plus member Roma Sinfonietta Orchestra and the seventy-plus Crouch End Festival Chorus, which featured soprano Susanna Rigacci and pianist Gilda Buttà, Morricone was in full command and appeared fit as a fiddle at his 78 years of age.

Trafalgar Square Christmas tree to be lit 7 December

HRH The Crown Princess of Norway to light Norwegian Christmas tree in London
The 60th Norwegian Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square will be lit on Thursday 7 December by HRH Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway. The Mayor of Oslo and HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway will also be present at the ceremony.
Norway (the official site of Norway in the UK)
Viewed on December 5, 2006

The ceremony, which starts at 5.45pm, will include carols sung by the Choir of St Martin-in-the-Fields and renowned Norwegian boys choir Sølvguttene (Boys of Silver). The tree will be lit by HRH Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway in the presence of HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, the Mayor of Oslo and the Lord Mayor of Westminster.

Click here for more details.

Box Bears

Just in time for the holidays ...

















At the Clerkenwell Green Association's recent Made in Clerkenwell event, I met Sharon McCormack and her little creations - the Box Bears, which seem like sweet gifts to consider for newborns and collectors.

All Box Bears are original designs and made od the finest English or Schulte Mohair with English glass eyes, wood wool, poly-fibre, and pre-bagged steel shot and either cotter pins or nuts and bolt joints. Each is named after a city, town or place in the UK and comes with a “box bears” label sewn in and a swing tag with the bear’s name and edition number, signed by McCornack and contained in a lovely wooden gift box.

Box Bears are not suitable for children under 14 years.

Visit BoxBears.co.uk for more details and more photos

Christmas Food Festival at Whitecross Street Market

Christmas Food Festival
Whitecross Street Market
7-9 December

Click here for more details.

Very ... Nearly ... Almost ... #2

The second issue of Very ... Nearly ... Almost is now out and available.
Click here for more info.

Local Pie and Mash

I've gotten in the occasional habit of grabbing lunch at a nearby restaurant called Clark's, where ordering the standard fare of one large pie and two mash covered in liquor (a non-alcoholic clear sauce with parsley) is one of the most filling and homey ways I've found to spend £2.85. In addition to the foodie satisfaction, it's worth paying such a small price just to sit in Clark's austere tiled setting, which some long-time Londoner friends have confirmed is a real deal, old school pie and mash establishment (I'd love to take my camera to Clark's but the place is so Englishly quiet and reserved that I really don't want to make a scene and disturb the owners or their clientele, but one of these days I'll muster the courage).

Last time round, I was asked by the kind lady behind the counter (Mrs. Clark?) if I wanted "sauce" with my pie and mash - I guess she figured that, with my American accent, I wouldn't know what she meant by liquor. My response - 'Oh yes, and plenty of it' - took her a bit off guard. She lifted her head with a slight look of alarm and declared, "You're starting to sound like a local!"

All I could say was "thank you" as she handed me my plate nearly overflowing with liquor. Finding an empty bench, I sat down and doused my lunch in ample vinnie ... and savoured every bite.

Clark's

46 Exmouth Market
London EC1R 4QE
See on a map
Telephone 020 7837 1974
Open Monday-Friday 10:30am to 5:30pm

Saturdays 10:30am to 5:00pm

Weekly Photo (30 November 2006)

Mulled Wine
Photograph by Tiki Chris © 2006
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Now open: Mahiki

Click here to visit Mahiki online.

How was Manga Day?

Saturday's Manga Day at the Cartoon Museum was fun and - judging from the crowd - very successful.










The folks from Umisen-Yamasen, London's own Japanese comics collective, were particularly busy.



The museum (very near the British Museum) is definitely worth a visit and hosts a variety of cartoon and comics oriented events.

Share your Christmas with the Pogues

UPDATED 21 December 2006: Click here for a review of the Pogues 17 December performance at Brixton Academy.

The Pogues to perform two shows at Brixton Academy this December:

For the fourth year running, Christmas means the return of The Pogues to the live circuit. The perfect start to the festive season, this show is like having St. Patrick’s Day in December. The Pogues remain a huge influence to musicians and fans; they are for sure, one of the greatest live bands you are ever likely to see.
(From Carling Academy Brixton's website)

SUNDAY 17TH & MONDAY 18TH DECEMBER

Carling Academy Brixton
211 Stockwell Road
London SW9 9SL
Tel: 020 7771 3000
Fax: 020 77384427

CUSTOMER INFORMATION LINE
0905 020 3999 (25p min)

Ticket Sales
0870 771 2000 24 hours

For more info visit the Brixton Academy online or the Pogues official website.

How was Thanksgiving dinner at Bubba's?

How was Thanksgiving dinner at Bubba's?

Yummy and ample ...

































... and very downhome.

It's Manga Day!

The Cartoon Museum
35 Little Russell Street
London WC1A 2HH
Telephone 0207 580 8155

More info:
http://www.bestnewmanga.com/
http://www.cartooncentre.com/

Clean service, dirty logo

Multiple times a week I walk by a van with a logo for A Total Kleaning Service. Ironically, the business's logo seems to be rather dirty (at least in my mind anyway). Maybe next time I'm out with my camera, I can get a good shot of the side of the van.

Weekly Photo (23 November 2006)

Autumn on St John St
Photograph by Tiki Chris © 2006
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Camden Passage Christmas Open Evening

How to post comments

Last Friday, during a social gathering, a few folks had some really kind (unsolicited) things to say about the Tiki Chris blogs. That was cool to hear! Thanks.

What was also mentioned was that at least one reader wasn't sure how to leave comments on the blogs. The reader said he had tried and was unable to do so. Other folks have mentioned the same problem to me in the past.

Of course, I'm all for more comments and hate to think that readers eager to communicate are giving up in frustration. So, here are a few steps,which should explain how to leave comments on any of the Tiki Chris blogs:

1. Click on the word "comments" in the white field directly below the post you want to comment on (if there are no comments for the post, there will be a "0" in front of the word "comments." If there are already comments for this post, there will not be a "0" but a number reflecting how many times people have commented on the post).

2. Upon clicking, you will be directed to a new page. At the upper right side of this page, you should see the words "Leave your comment" with a blank field beneath it. The blank field is where you can type your comment.

3. Beneath the comment field are three identity options:

- Blogger username:
Your display name will appear, along with a link to your profile and your photo (if you have one).
- Other:
You can enter your name and a link to your website, without having to have a Blogger account.
- Anonymous:
No identifying information is displayed. The comment is credited to "Anonymous" without a link.

After choosing an identity, click "PUBLISH YOUR COMMENT" to have it published or "PREVIEW" to see what your comment will look like.

If you click "PREVIEW" you must then click "edit comment" or "publish this comment" to continue.

That's it! However, please note that your comment will not appear immediately on the blog. All comments must be approved by me before appearing. I'm usually pretty speedy with most comments appearing well within 24 hours of being submitted.

Click here for more help.

Thanks,
Tiki Chris

Weekly Photo (16 November 2006)

The Thames from Oxo Tower
Photograph by Tiki Chris © 2006
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Rare Vulture spotted in London

Rare sighting of vulture in park
There has been a sighting of a vulture in a London park, according to the Royal Parks Agency (RPA).
BBC News
Last Updated: Wednesday, 15 November 2006, 15:25 GMT

Bird watchers who have seen the bird in Richmond Park, south-west London, have identified it as the endangered Indian white-backed vulture.











Click here for the complete article.

A brief survey

Click here to take a quick (one page, eight easy questions) survey about this blog and others administered by Tiki Chris.

Exceptionally delicious regional Indian food at Exmouth Market

Ever since the recent return of a Friday/Saturday street market to Exmouth Market (giving this street's name some meaning), forgaging for yummies in Clerkenwell has markedly improved (and it wasn't bad to begin with). Among the savories available at the street market is Gujarati Rasoi's "100% Authentic Vegetarian Gujarati Food." The idea behind Gujarati Rasoi is "to present food that is authentic, a true taste of Indian food from Gujarat ... As we say to our customers, Its exactly what we eat at home."

Soon after my first bite, I became an avid fan and am now a lunchtime regular. In particular, I've come to love their Samosa Chatt, which consists of the following:

One samosa served combined with delicious chick pea & potato sakh dressed with sev momra, chopped coriander, onions and two chutneys (date and tamerind), sweet and sour yoghurt, and coriander - fresh and cooling.

Not only is the Samosa Chatt delicious, it's also one of the most filling meals I've ever had. I can eat one of these for a late breakfast/early lunch and not even think about food until well into the evening. Very impressive considering the Samosa Chatt is under £5!














The Exmouth Market street market is every Friday from 11am - 6pm and every Saturday from 9am - 4pm.

Gujarati Rasoi vends at Exmouth Market on Fridays and most Saturdays. According to their website, they also vend at Broadway Market in Hackney and are available to cater events and private parties.

Click here to check out Gujarati Rasoi's website.
Click here to visit the Exmouth Market street market's website.

Weekly Photo (9 November 2006)

Reach for a Better Standard

Photograph by Emiana © 2006
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.

Gavin Nolan's Unnatural Selection at Sartorial Contemporary Art

Unnatural Selection
Gavin Nolan - solo exhibition
November 9 - December 1
Private view November 8 (6:30 to 9 pm)
Sartorial Contemporary Art
101A Kensington Church Street
London
W8 7LN

Click here for more information from the Sartorial Art website.
Click here for photos from the opening of Unnatural Selection.

Weekly Photo (2 November 2006)

Peeled Away
Photograph by Tiki Chris © 2006
Interested in contributing a photograph of London to this blog? Click here for details.