Bug Salad!

I love living in London. There are so many fun places to go and to eat! I recently rounded off the late night Jack the Ripper tour of Whitechapel with a meal at Archipelago Restaurant in West London.

Archepelago specialise in exotic dining and they certainly mean it. The menu includes crocodile, kangaroo, zebra, scorpion and many other fantastic and unusual dishes! It was a great experience to try something different.

For my starter I ate crocodile. It tasted like chicken but had the texture of fish. It was delicious and I would highly recommend it! Just don’t think about it being a crocodile! For my main I had a wilderbeast curry. That too was out of this world! It reminded me of lamb or game and didn’t seem too hardcore really as it was kind of similar to stuff we have here. It was cool to say I gave it a try though! My side salad of locusts and crickets marinated in chilli and garlic was the most daring I got! Though, I drew the line at chocolate covered scorpions for desert.

However the atmosphere, setting and delicious delicacies have made me want to go back soon. I tried Mr One Piece’s zebra main and think I may order that next time... possibly with scorpion for desert!

Check out their website at http://www.archipelago-restaurant.co.uk

Also, if you haven’t been on the Jack the Ripper tour that is worth looking into especially if you love history and a bit of a fright! My tour was conducted by a Beefeater from the Tower of London so he was full of stories, facts and jokes too!

Check out their website at: http://www.jack-the-ripper-tours.com

The photo of my salad was taken by my very good friend Rene Ehrhardt. Check out his photos at http://reneehrhardt.com/ and http://reneehrhardt.com/blog/

Much love,

One Piece xxx

Road Train and Cemetery Junction DVD reviews on www.subba-cultcha.com

Hello, Check out new releases at Subba Cultcha!

I have done a couple of reviews. Follow the links here:

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/film-reviews/article.php?contentID=20911

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/film-reviews/article.php?contentID=20910

Much love,

One Piece xx

Rebellion Festival review on Subba Cultcha

This is me with Charlie, the front-man of legendary punk band UK Subs. I reviewed the old skool punk festival Rebellion in Blackpool at the beginning of this month, where I got to photograph and write about the original punk rockers as well as more contemporary artists including Vice Squad, Penetration, Big D and the Kids Table, F***ed Up, Citizen Fish, Star F***ing Hipsters, The Slackers, Dwarves, Agnostic Front, Gallows, UK Subs plus many many more.

This was one of the best festivals I have ever attended. The crowd were the friendliest bunch I have ever encountered, the organisation of the event meant very few bands I wanted to see were clashing and there was absolutely no trouble whatsoever.

Check out my review at: http://www.subba-cultcha.com/live-reviews/article.php?contentID=20793

GLOOMFEST

I have been having so many adventures of late that I nearly forgot to tell you about the day I manned a splat the teddy game, got my face painted as a psychedelic tiger and dressed up as a robot, or gloombot and played connect 4 with passers by!

All this took place at the wonderful Gloomfest, a night curated by my favourite party starters Cliff and Len from the Feeling Gloomy/Club De Fromage / Hairbrush Heroes / Down with Dating club nights.

The boys were asked to put together an area of fun and frolics in Brixton Village's indoor market which is just tucked behind the tube station. It was a little gem of a place with cool cafes and quirky restaurants as well as tasty markets and funky clothing stores. The atmosphere was great with punters embracing the fun of gorrilla twister, air guitar lessons, Morrissey poetry corner, cake stalls, Italian cooking classes, interactive theatre, teddy races, face painting and even a bit of live music.

As said the night is currated by Feeling Gloomy the world’s first club devoted to sad music. Luckily the boys this time were in happy mode so are threw together loads of interesting people in a fiesta of fun to open the very first of these late nights in Brixton. As promoter Mike Toller says, “It’s a great honour to kick this off. Its going to be a lot of fun and we are really pleased to be able to support Brixton market, which is still a real hub for the community in these days of chain shops. Though with only a few days to organize it there will be a touch of anarchy about the whole thing!”

Brixton Village is a superb example of 1930’s market which sadly had recently fallen in to decay with over a ¼ of its units empty. In the past 6 months Space Makers Agency has been working with the market's owners (London & Associated Properties), Lambeth council and local residents to bring life back to the deserted corners of the building. Empty shops were offered to temporary creative projects and new long-term businesses, attracting a range of new independent cafes, restaurants, fashion and design shops, as well as community-driven spaces. These initiatives have breathed new life in to the market so it will continue to be part of the beating heart of Brixton.

Check me out as the Gloombot for the night as well as other pics from the evening:

http://www.feelinggloomy.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=270&pos=15

Cemetry Junction Film Review

Ricky Gervais films can be a bit of a hit or miss gamble- Ghost Town and the Invention of Lying are two that pop to mind for being particularly irritating.
So when I heard that him and Stephen Merchant had co written and produced a new film it wasn't first on my "To See" list. I went to the Cinema last night with the full intention of seeing new Drew Barrymore project "Whip it"- fate was against it as the 6.15 showing had sold out. Pulling at straws me and my best friend Ellie decided to gamble on Cemetry Junction.

We were plesantly suprised whilst the film didn't ever punch in as many jokes as you would expect from a Merchatn/ Gervais project - it was overal pleasant and enjoyable.
This social comedy tells the story of three young men from a working class town called Cemetry Junction i nthe 70's. Faced with low expectations from their families and neighbours alike it follows them as they explore issues with their home lifes, work and of course ladies.
Particularly noteable was the performance of Tom Hughes and Felicity Jones who both shine in this film.
Well worth a mid week watch.
6/10