Friday 19 February 2016

Coot


Just check out those awesome feet! These strange aquatic chickens are called coots and they are incredibly prevalent in London parks. In fact I could guarantee a 100 percent success rate at finding them on any day and at anytime of the year, you just need to know where to look.
Obviously as a waterfowl they enjoy being in and around lots of water.
Best places to spot them would be Victoria Park, Regent's Canal (where I photographed the pair in the photo above), St James' Park (which really is an absolute treat for watching birdlife, including pelicans!), and really anywhere with a good supply of water. Everywhere apart from the Thames that is, where I have rarely seen them, probably due to it being a bit too rough and fast flowing for them. They can however also be sighted around the docklands area.
They are extremely quirky, fascinating little birds and I love watching them. They're often seen in pairs and can be heard calling to one another with an array of noises. The most unique being a weird kind of whistle-click sound made by both calling and snapping the beak shut at the same time.
My favourite spot to watch them would have to be the West Boating Lake at Victoria Park; preferably whilst sitting on the decking by the Pavilion café with a mug of their delicious Sri Lankan Chai! Here you can spot them diving down to the bottom to return with beakfuls of green slimy stuff to happily snack away on. In the warmer months you may see them with babies which have bright crimson heads and look like tiny fuzzy vultures!
Keep your eyes pealed for this interesting resident to London's green spaces and let me know when and where you've seen them!
Here's more info on coots from the RSPB.

 Bliss!

Thursday 18 February 2016

The Sky Garden at 20 Fenchurch Street

Forget the Shard, as far as I'm concerned 20 Fenchurch Street aka "the Walkie Talkie" is the London skyscraper of the moment; controversial, garish, and hyper-postmodern. The building seems to have attracted more negative attention than positive since its completion, something which I really don't understand, but personally think adds to its mystique rather than detracts. I quite like how opinionated everyone is about it! Of course, we can't easily dismiss legitimate complaints which have already tarnished the building's reputation somewhat. For example, the solar glare issue which arose during its construction; during a two hour period per day direct sunlight bouncing off of the Walkie Talkie's highly reflective surface was concentrated into a kind of death ray with tempratures in the streets to its south reaching 117 °C! This meant that within this two hour timeframe the building was basically transformed into a colossal magnifying glass, frying passersby like ants and earning it the nickname the "Walkie Scorchie!" The building's architect Rafael Viñoly blamed the phenomenon on global warming and the glass has since been covered with a non-reflective film. 
Many have also complained that the Walkie Talkie has created a wind tunnel effect at street level with the City of London Corporation receiving an increased number of complaints about draughts after the building's completion.
It was also awarded the Carbuncle Cup in 2015 for the "ugliest building in Britain completed within the last twelve months" but honestly I just don't see it! I think its an incredibly aesthetic building... 
It stands a little way apart from its bros, buildings like 122 Leadenhall Street "The Cheesegrater" and 30 St Mary Axe "The Gherkin", and is one of the latest highrise constructions in London's skyscraper boom, which is currently reinventing the city's skyline. Although the Walkie Talkie is not the tallest tower in London it somehow manages, for the moment at least, to completely dominate the everchanging cityscape through sheer weirdness; its like some kind of giant chunky wombat leaning over you. It was originally planned to be a lot taller, 40m taller in fact, however heritage groups expressed concerns, stating that its visual impact would compromise nearby St Paul's and the Tower of London and so it now stands at a respectable 160m - which is certainly tall enough to make an impression!
Personally I adore the way in which London is developing visually. I find it all very exciting, and love to see the old and new complementing, as well as contrasting and even clashing with one another; ideas bouncing back and forth, constantly inventing and reinventing the surroundings. This is exactly what the Victorians did when they decided to build Tower Bridge slap-bang next to the Tower of London; I'm sure it was meant to both complement and compete with the older structure. Both of these buildings were architectural statements of their day; the Normans were saying one thing, Queen Victoria another, both wanted to create a lasting impact on our city; shaping its present and its future. I'm not mad at the latest developments like some people are, I can appreciate the old and the new, and I think 20 Fenchurch Street is absolutely stunning; the curvature of the glasswork, the sheer scale of its flanks... What's more its open to the public, free of charge; all that's needed is a little foresight in selecting a date and time, and a small amount of queuing, although apparently walk-in tickets are available too, and you're free to explore the phenomenal Sky Garden. 


I've heard complaints about the "garden" element of the Sky Garden being little more than a glorified rockery with little to write home about, and although this may be true to a certain extent I really enjoyed my recent visit and let's be honest the view of London is its main draw. When the lift opens up, you round a corner and are greeted by an incredible sight; the city in all its glory! London is certainly a weird looking place, not really beautiful but somehow impressive, enduring and well put together; the Shard stands proud like a towering, immovable sentinel, the Tower of London sits squat like some bold, regal mushroom and a far off glint reveals itself to be the clock face of the Elizabeth Tower. From up here the city is laid bare before you and it's possible to actually appreciate how it really looks like never before, without distraction; something along the lines of Game of Thrones meets Bladerunner, old and new, modern and postmodern, layers upon layers of history and ideas - a sight to behold! Its an incredible sensation to walk level with the tops of skyscapers, and to look down onto the millions of oblivious metropolitanites swarming like insects in the streets below. This experience comes for free courtesy of 20 Fenchurch Street, "the Walkie Talkie". Regardless of your opinion on the structure itself, make sure that you don't miss out on the opportunity to soak in that incredible view from its Sky Garden during your time in London! Plan ahead and book it in - it'll be worth it. 
Tip - plan to go half an hour before sunset to witness the city in both daylight and darkness; seeing all of those millions of lights begining to turn on at dusk is something quite magical.


Monday 15 February 2016

Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium

Revamped with a bright mural in Summer 2015 after some knucklehead sprayed Free the Cats, Free the $ across its shutters, whatever that was supposed to mean... Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium is a hugely popular independent café and something of an East London institution.
Located on Bethnal Green Road right on the edge of Shoreditch, the Emporium was able to open in 2014 thanks to a massive crowdfunding response from local residents and offers a truly unique dining experience.
Booking ahead is advisable as it is incredibly popular, although apparently there is a walk-in service available as well. 
I booked for my girlfriend's birthday treat and would definitely recommend this quirky little café to any lovers of animals and/or quaint English tearooms; for us it ticked both boxes! 
The decor is very cute, and the ambiance is warm and restful; every inch is covered in cat paraphernalia and the walls are covered with cat pictures and knick-knacks. For me it was like being at my Nan's house, albeit a more tasteful and less cluttered version! The cats pottered about indifferently or simply snoozed away on specially made fuzzy sleeping shelves, doing what cats do best. One decided to run like a maniac for a time on a large custom-made hamster wheel (cat wheel) which was certainly different! The atmosphere was so calm and relaxing that time seemed to slip past at a different pace to usual; an hour flew by without us even noticing. 
The food was really good too. I was delighted to see that bagels were on the menu; harking back to the area's Jewish roots. We both demolished sloppy, relish smothered cheese and meatball bagels, which were served with a sprig of salad and a side of crisps, and followed by a traditional cream tea, properly served with loose leaves in the pot. They also sorted my girlfriend out with a birthday pack, available from the website, containing a tote bag, card signed by the cats and a sugary little cupcake with a candle. 
The staff were friendly and well trained; one girl tried hard to energise the cats with treats and toys. Do bear in mind that cats will be cats... in other words don't expect them to put on a show for you, they aren't natural entertainers! Don't let this put you off however, they were certainly adorable and were clearly well loved and looked after by everyone involved with their wellfare. I really can't recommend this original little café enough; get yourselves along and soak up the satisfaction of some serious feline down-time! Cats, bagels and scones; what's not to love!


Purrfect!

Sunday 14 February 2016

Chinese New Year 2016 - Year of the Fire Monkey, Chinatown, London


Be sure to check out Chinese New Year in London's Chinatown next year if you get the chance; a brilliant, if crowded, day of colour, music, and street food!


 Floats on Shaftsbury Avenue


 Dragon float


Heart of Chinatown, Gerrard Street


Soho Fire Station was open to the public


Anyone know the name of this artist? I see his/her work all over town... Inside the fire station


Parade regalia out the back of the fire station


Fireman Sam with hipster moustache?


Dragon dance in Newport Place, Chinatown


Shaolin Fists 


Leicester Square, seeming spookily empty after the crush of Gerrard Street

Saturday 13 February 2016

Chinese New Year in London

London is going all out for Chinese New Year!

London is celebrating Chinese New Year big time in 2016 (or the year of the monkey, as it has been since Monday)! There is a Magic Lantern Festival at Chiswick House, which has been going on since 3rd February and will be continuing until 6th March (closed Tuesday 23rd Feb & Monday 29th Feb), and a parade will be snaking its way through the west end on Sunday 14th February, starting at 10am at Trafalgar Square and finishing in the heart of Chinatown. There are performances and activities being held today at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, and in my neck of the woods; at both the Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green and in Shoreditch.


So, what exactly is Chinese New Year?

Chinese New Year, is also know as Lunear New Year, or the Spring Festival, which is actually the most accurate translation from modern Chinese. It is an important event on the calendar of countries with traditionally significant populations of Chinese people including Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mauritius, the Philippines and of course mainland China. It is basically a period of celebration to mark the first fifteen days of the Chinese lunisolar calendar. Although the Gregorian calendar, the Western calendar, is in official use in China, the traditional Chinese calendar plays an important role, and public holidays to mark the event of the Chinese New Year are observed in many of the aforementioned countries. 

How does the Chinese Calendar work?

The Chinese calendar is split into sixty year cycles, and each year is given two distinctions known as an Earthly Branch and a Celestial Stem. There are twelve Earthly Branches, each represented by an animal; the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, cockerel, dog and pig. There are ten Celestial Stems, originating from an ancient belief in ten seperate suns, which are themselves linked to five elements; wood, fire, earth, metal and water which alternate every two years. So each year is defined by both an animal and an element; this year, 2016, as of Monday 8th February, is a Fire Monkey year - which sounds pretty badass!
The calendar is further divided into twelve lunar months, each month begining on the new moon and lasting one lunar cycle (either twenty nine or thirty days). Occassionaly a leap month needs to be added for the calendar to keep adding up to a full year. 
The calendar does not traditionally number years continuously, however outside of China it is often counted from the reign of the Yellow Emperor in the 3rd Millenium BCE, although the exact date is disputed by scholars. A good estimate would be that as of 8th February 2016 we entered the Chinese year of 4714.


Why are the Chinese significant to London?

Firstly, the Chinese make up London's forth largest Asian population, after Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis respectively, and are fairly well spread across the city; numbering around 114,800 in 2007. London has also been twinned with Shanghai since 1996, and entered a sister city relationship with Beijing in 2006. Despite this, Britain and China actually have a very complicated political relationship. Although the Chinese President, Xi Jinping, was hosted here in London late last year on a state visit where he signed over £30 billion worth of trade deals, MI5 actually cite Chinese espionage as one of the greatest threats to UK national security, and public outrage at China's poor human and animal rights record is widespread. 
China and the UK have had many historical disputes including over the status of Hong Kong, choosing opposing sides during the Cold War, and outright conflict during the First and Second Opium Wars. Despite this somewhat bad blood between the two nations, China and the UK forged "a strategic partnership" in 1997 following the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong, and the UK government recognised Tibet as an integral part of China for the first time in 2008. The Tibet issue had long been something of a touchy subject. The Dalai Lama has stated that he and Prince Charles are "best friends", and the future king's abstention in joining his mother, the Queen, in hosting a banquet in honour of President Xi's last visit was seen by many as a strategic snub for this very reason. 
Modern politics aside, the history of Chinese populations in London is long and complex; Chinese people first arrived in the city as sailors during the 19th century. These first populations were concentrated in the Limehouse area of the East End, which was the original area to be given the name of Chinatown in London. This Chinatown, which was mainly known for its slums and opium dens, was severely damaged during the Blitz in WWII. After the war, due to an influx of immigration from Hong Kong and a rise in the popularity of Chinese cuisine, many restaurants began to spring up elsewhere. Most notably the present Chinatown, which occupies the area in and around Gerrard Street in the West End, began to develop during the 1970s. 
Today this area, which is a very distinct corner of town, instantly recognisable by its huge decorative gates and statues, and bustling, vibrant atmosphere, boasts over eighty restaurants and houses the London Chinatown Community Centre which claims to have helped 40,000 people since its foundation in 1980. 
Chinatown is well worth a look during your visit to London and is an integral part of the unique cultural blend that modern London has to offer. If you don't have time to dine out then why not dip into one of the Chinese supermarkets and pick up a bag of authentic smoked tea or traditional snacks to take away with you? Locals will be interested to know that a quick side step down Dansey Place just off of Wardour Street, offers you the chance to buy deliciously fresh, homemade noodles at £1 a bag from Lo's Noodle Factory! 

I hope that you found this interesting and informative, and if you are Chinese living in London, or indeed visiting London, I would love to hear from you to find out what you thought of our city, of Chinatown and the Chinese New Year Celebrations!

Happy Year of The Monkey!