BABBLE JAR

Babble Jar have taken up residence at the top end of Stoke Newington Road and replaced what was a rather dodgy restaurant (La Sera) with a new artistic revolution in the already trendy Stokie social scene. The upstairs bar and kitchen provides an informal space to hangout, sip coffee, send the occasion email, people watch and of course eat. What do those hipsters do on their laptops all day we wonder?! The bar serves brunch, lunch and dinner with the likes of the Babble Burger and Fish and Chips on offer to soak up the booze, to drink there’s your usual tipples and a long list of cocktails too. The kind of place you can whittle away a whole night without even realising its last orders...

But what interested us most is the basement, yes you guessed our dark mind has wondered into the underground. Babble Jar is run by people who know how to create a buzz around certain things and teaming up with Artrocker to run a series of events showcasing the newest kids on the scene as well as established acts has done just that. We simply gleamed on hearing this, a beacon for new music in our hood...this can only be good news. The downstairs venue will be home to many a night out exploring the new and current musical talents of the nation we are sure, but it’s not just music, there is everything from comedy to theater going on. To find out more just visit their site.

Drop in, hashtag an instagram or something...

Babble Jar
176 Stoke Newington High St, N16 7JL
www.babblejar.com

THE FUTURE CINEMA PRESENTS...

The theatrical experiences from Future Cinema are pretty unforgettable and that’s why their rendition of the a true classic is going to be really something. The iconic love story of Casablanca could be the perfect Valentine’s Day date. Running from the 14th Feb to the 3rd of March you can truly get involved in the ‘Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine’ and even gather round the piano and join in the chorus of the Marseillaise. Taking place at Troxy which is set to be transformed into a 1941’s style set you will be able to relive the story like never before; dine at the Blue Parrot Cafe, dance to Benoit Viellefon and his orchestra and search for the secret bars and bands. Just check out the last event these guys done. Pretty god damn spesh we can tell you...



Tickets are £25 a pop from here and are on sale right now.

Casablanca
14th Feb to 3rd March
490 Commercial Rd E1 0HX
www.futurecinema.co.uk

FREE BREAKFAST CLUB SCREENING...

With Valentines day looming it's inevitable that some of you will be sweating about what to do, or in most cases not sweating at all and leaving it until the last minute (I have been warned) so here's a fail safe option and what's more it won't cost you a penny.

The Starlight Cinema is back and showing a FREE (you like the sound of that don’t you) screening of The Breakfast Club over in Canary Wharf on Wednesday 13th February. Who doesn't like The Breakfast Club right? So tell your loved one Valentine's Day has come early and head on down, or ditch the date and take a mate it's your call.

First come, first served!

Starlight Cinema: The Breakfast Club
Wed 13th Feb 7pm (Doors open at 6.15pm)
East Wintergarden, 43 Bank Street, Canary Wharf, E14 5NX
www.canarywharf.com

NEWS: DALSTON NITES ROUND TWO...

Following the success of the first Dalston Nites, we are massively looking forward to some more dance floor antics in round number two. We have also, in a roundabout way got the nod of approval from Mr Noel Gallagher who was at our last DJ set, so we took the opportunity to ask him what he thought of the music...'Yeah, it's alright' so there you have it, Gallagher thinks we're alright. We are back at Tipsy where more dirty rock n roll shall be screaming from the speakers, let the good times roll. Anything you want us to play hit us up on here and we’ll play it...as long as it’s not shit.

Fri 15th Feb
Dalston Nites, 20 Stoke Newington Road, N16 7XN

TWEAT UP X HARD HAT PARTY

Fans of Tweat Up will be happy to hear that tomorrow they will be holding a Hard Hat Party. What that means to you is cheap booze as they sell of back stock with cider for a quid and wine for three quid. Bonus. There will also be Dogtown Hot Dogs and Yum Buns on site to make sure people line their stomachs - we'd hate for any embarrassing accidents. The event kicks off at 7pm and runs until 1am or when stock has sold out. There's no charge to get in, just head down and drink up. Who said January was going to be a dry one?

Sat 26th Jan, 7pm - 11pm
70-74 City Road, EC1Y 2BJ

WEST END FILM CLUB X ARGO

The West End Film Club are turning Century, the secret members club on Shaftesbury Avenue, into a pop-up cinema on for one night on Monday 4th February as they screen the Ben Affleck film ARGO. Tickets which are priced at just £5 will not only get you into one of the two screenings of the film but you'll also get exclusive entry into the club before and after the film too.

If you haven't seen it the film, which was nominated for 7 Oscars, it’s the story of a secret CIA operation in Iran...very Homeland for all of you who are, like us, gagging for series 3!

The screenings will take place at 7.30pm and 11.00pm and there's a bar inside serving food and drinks to your seat. If you can get down early you can try bag yourself one of the sofas (all seats are unreserved) and have dinner on your knee in front of the box. Nice. Or if you fancy something a bit more sophisticated there's also a pre or post ARGO menu where you will get two courses in £20 in the Century restaurant but that’s only if you make it down before 7:30.

Tickets are available from here
Mon 4th Feb, 7:30pm and 11pm
61-63 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 6LQ
www.centuryclub.co.uk

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM

The popular Dino Snores returns at the Natural History Museum where you can spend the night in the actual museum just like in the movies. Finally you can get to see what happens when the doors close at one of the world’s most famous sites dedicated to natural history...don't get scared now. Imagine sleeping under Dippy, the much loved Diplodocus skeleton, in the famous Central Hall? Plus there's loads of stuff to do like an all-night natural horror movie marathon, insect porn...we mean a science show featuring gruesome forensics and a fascinating insight into the sex lives of insects. Plus lots of food and a breakfast.

Sounds mega right, well tickets are sold out for this months. Dont give us that look, it is back again on 8th March, 29th June, 16th August and 19th October. but be quick, tickets sell out fast. Get them here.

From £175pp
Exhibition Road Kensington, SW7
www.nhm.ac.uk

PING PONG LEAGUE

Here is a bit of healthy competition to ping you out of the January blues. The Hoxton Hotel are launching a Ping Pong League, so if you and your colleagues fancy yourselves as table tennis whizzes get involved and tweet @thehoxtonhotel #PingPongAtTheHox and you could be in the running to take on your rivals and win a crate of Tsingtao. The battles will commence in the meeting room on customised table tennis table with a match taking place every month. Think you could be top of the table, ping your tweet people.

The league kicks off on Monday 28th January with two local tech companies Yammer and Huddle going head to head and runs monthly from then on...

81 Great Eastern Street, EC2A 3HU
www.hoxtonhotels.com

SPONSORED POST: LONDON ON STAGE

There's no denying it London is a great place to go to the theatre, and with the cold winter months comes plenty opportunities to hide away from the snow and see some great live performance. Even as Londoners ourselves, there’s nothing like making the city feel like a holiday destination – or treating the misses, and booking a hotel for the night.

Get back a bit of that Christmas-treat tingle or take the family on a trip to the West End: make like a tourist once more, but with more and more excellent websites specializing in hard-to-find online deals, you can find yourself a London hotel for local prices...

We recommend fellow London insiders LondonTown.com for some top tips on where to stay, and when to get a good price for it all. That aside check out our Theatre picks for January and February featuring West End openings, top-rated fringe pieces and the latest spectaculars on the London stage...

Monkey Bars
Currently running at the Unicorn Theatre, Chris Goode’s verbatim theatre piece which stages the real words of eight to ten year olds in the mouths and bodies of adult performers, has been a critic and audience hit.

The off-the-cuff snippets of candid kid conversation are represented in adult situations – from the office to bars. Revealing both the innocence and the old-before-their-time wisdom of kids, the show suggests that we never really grow up – we just learn smarter, longer words for the urges and worries that drive us.

The Book of Mormon
This is the big one – the show the West End has been waiting for, since the first musical creation of the men behind South Park opened on Broadway to almost embarrassingly enthusiastic reviews.

It tells the story of two naïve young Mormon missionaries sent to spread the word in Uganda. Sharp, definitively different from your average saccharine musical, yet still genuinely fascinated by its subject matter and with catchy songs (so we’ve heard), it’s got everyone all in a tizz.

We’re yet to see whether the UK press go as crazy as the US writers and critics did – but you can be sure that fans will already be hyped up. You’ll want to scream and shout to get tickets for this show – previews begin at the end of February, but you’ll be hard pressed to find tickets before May.

Tatyana
From one of Brazil’s leading contemporary dance companies comes this interpretation of Pushkin’s much-loved verse-novel, telling the tale of the intertwining relationships of its titular hero and three acquaintances.

The show runs at the Barbican from 31st January until 9th February, and promises some beautiful colours and breathtaking moves. Plus, a striking, asymmetric set and the appearance of a fifth character – Pushkin himself – makes this a piece to put in the memory banks.

This is a sponsored post

LIMITED EDITION PORTER...

Craft beer is certainly having it's day in 2013, not only have we told you about a pub crawl and a two day festival devoted to it, we now have word of a limited edition porter available for one day and one day only! Collaborating with the world famous and leading craft beer innovators the Weyermann brewery, Meantime have create a super exclusive limited edition Porter available only at The Greenwich Union on Friday 25th January (until stocks last!).

A must for Beer aficionados, this collaboration between brewer’s from Meantime and Weyermann has resulted in a very strong and dark beer. Created using a unique recipe that incorporates three different pale malts for flavour, richness and body; two different dark malts, for greater depth of colour without too much harsh roast flavour, and a secret ingredient – 10% beechwood smoked malt. The smoked malt provides a link between brewing traditions in Bamberg and London, reminiscent of Eighteenth Century London Porter which is known to have been somewhat smoky, much like Bamberg’s famous Rauchbier

Impress the other half with a trip before Valentine's Day and ensure you get a BIG present.

Fri 25th Jan
The Greenwich Union, 56 Royal Hill, SE10 8RT

www.greenwichunion.com

ULTIMAT BIG GAME PARTY

So one of the world biggest sporting events is just around there corner...We know what you think, the Olympics were last year, well that might be right but the Super Bowl is almost here. What, you didn't know about the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens? COME ON. Well neither did we really, and that's not we're telling you about to be honest, it's more to do with the The Ultimat big game screening party.

An all American themed day taking place at Skyloft with huge screens, over-sized American food, Ultimat Vodka cocktails, foosball tables and an interactive American football pass game, the Ultimat Vodka Big Game screening party sounds the nuts.

Tickets are £15 and include complimentary cocktails. Get yours here.

The Ultimat Big Game Screening Party
Sun 3rd Feb, 10pm - 3am
Skyloft, 28th floor, 21-24 Millbank, Millbank Tower, SW1P 4QP

CRAFT BEER RISING FESTIVAL...

January is usually when most people give their livers a break after the Christmas binge, but February is time to get back on it and remind yourself how great beer is. So where better to remind yourself what you've been missing during your detox than at the Craft Beer Rising Festival at the Truman Brewery.

The last weekend in February will see the brewery, based just off Brick Lane, host two days of fun with over 40 craft breweries demonstrating their products. It's not just about beer though, with food, comedy, DJs and live music providing entertainment all weekend. Don't expect this to be like the usual large scale beer festivals however, the small, historic setting of the Truman Brewery will help create an intimate atmosphere.

The event takes place over two evenings and one afternoon, opening between 7pm - 11pm on Friday 22nd Feb and 11.30am - 4.30pm and 5pm - 11pm on Saturday 23rd. Friday evening and Saturday afternoon tickets are £10 each with Saturday evening tickets costing £12.

As younger, more discerning drinkers are exploring craft beers, the range and choice is growing all the time. The beers available here will undoubtedly be of the highest quality, made with the finest ingredients by people who have a real passion for creating great beer. All this beer should make you feel like dancing, with legendary DJ Norman Jay and a top secret line up of bands on hand to help you cut some shapes on the dance floor.

Fri 22nd - Sat 23rd Feb
91 Brick Lane, London E1 6QL
www.craftbeerrising.co.uk

CARNABY BOOK EXCHANGE

With things getting so frightfully cold and helicopter explosions to avoid, getting lost in a book curled up on the sofa sounds quite appealing this time of year. So if you’ve already worked your way through the books you got for xmas head down to the Book Exchange on the first floor of Kingly Court where you can swap it for another FREE. The Carnaby Book Exchange is a place where you can relax, take your time, skim through potential interests in a none threatening, none helicopter exploding environment. Now that’s sounds pretty sweet to us.

Mon – Sat 8am – 6pm, Sun 12pm – 6pm
1.10, First floor, Kingly Court, Carnaby, W1 9PY
www.carnaby.co.uk

COCKTAIL MASTERCLASSES AT 69 COLEBROOK ROW

If you've ever been down to 69 Colebrooke Row aka 'the bar with no name' then you'll know what we mean when we say this place is the BOMB! Serving bespoke and seasonal cocktails created by the original mixologist Tony Conigliaro aka the cocktail version of Willy Wonka - it's no bloody Wetherspoons we can tell you.

Now the bar is giving you lucky people the chance to learn the tricks of the trade with a series of masterclasses ranging from beer based cocktails to mad men drinks - sign us up baby! Participants will learn the history behind some of the all time favourite tipples as well as how to make the classics like the old fashioned Daiquiri, Tuxedo, Margarita, and champers cocktails.

The Masterclasses have been personally devised by Tony Conigliaro himself so you can expect something special. Each class costs £40 per person and you can drink what you've made afterwards. You'll also be given a list of cocktails and the recipes for each so you can create your own at home - Your next bash is going to be awesome!

RSVP: maria@69colebrookerow.com

69 Colebrooke Row, N1 8AA
www.69colebrookerow.com

THE VIEW FROM THE SHARD

The View From The Shard opens in just over two weeks and we got a sneak peek of what promises to be one of London's busiest visitor attractions. Love it or hate it The Shard has certainly been getting plenty of attention and we can confirm that the view is pretty bloody special.

Located 800ft above ground you need two lifts to get up there and your ears pop on the way to the top. There are two viewing platforms, inside and out which benefit from 40 mile (64km), 360 degree views of the city - provided it's good weather of course. Looking down it reminded us of a Hornby train set, the kind of thing we dreamt about as kids. The Tell:scopes are pretty impressive too, not only do they provide info on the various buildings in London they also have pre-recorded views of the city in day or night-time just in case the weather doesn't behave and can zoom in pretty far so you can spot your house or office if you live nearby. 

Tickets and visiting Tickets are pre-booked, timed and dated, providing a queue and crowd free experience with no time limit in the attraction. Tickets cost £24.95 and The View will be open from 9am - 10pm. The first two days have already sold out so if you do want to bet your mates to the top you better book sharpish.

Opens 1st Feb 2013.
Joiner Street, London, SE1
www.theviewfromtheshard.com

E2 PUB CRAWL...

This is one for all you beer fans out there, the East London and City branch of the Campaign for Real Ale is hosting a pub crawl - and we all love a good pub crawl. The pub crawl, led by Ray Wright, will be based around E2 and will visit six pubs starting off at the Sebright Arms and ending at the Royal Oak. It's free to join, just sign up to the facebook event and head along, at the very least you'll be merry after six pints...

7.30 Sebright Arms, 31-35 Coate Street,
8.15 Albion, 94 Goldsmiths Row,
9.00 Marksman, 254 Hackney Road,
9.30 Nelsons Head, 32 Horatio Street,
10.00 Ravenscroft, 4 Ravenscroft Street,
10.30 Royal Oak, 73 Columbia Road

Tues 22nd Jan, 7:30pm
www.pigsear.org.uk

NEWS: DALSTON NITES

It's 2013 and we've got BIG plans this year, the first of which is to kick off our monthly club night 'Dalston Nites' where we will be raising the rock n roll, indie and alternative pulse in the East end. On the third Friday of every month in Tipsy we invite you to come and have a slightly riotous evening drenched in good music, old and new. Further more its bloody FREE so brave the cold and come out to play...

 Dalston Nites, 20 Stoke Newington Road, N16 7XN

TOP STORY AT THE OLD VIC...

Copyright Foteini Christofilopoulou

Top Story is an apocalyptic comedy written by Sebastian Michael which opens at the Old Vic Tunnels this week. We went down to check it out and firstly we have to say, we LOVED the venue. The dark of the basement together with the open brick walls and the sound of the trains passing through Waterloo station above creates a great atmosphere for any performance, not least one which is based on the destruction of the world as we know it!

For the performance, you should picture the scene….as you turn on the TV you are hit with the news that a giant meteor with the power to wipe out the entire human race is heading for LA and you now have to decide how you will spend your final days. OK so eating a raw cabbage and playing chess may not spring to mind as the most exhilarating of activates to peruse but for two students Talfryn and Gus, who's experience forms the basis of the play, that’s pretty much how it pans out.

Watch on as the guys, who reminded us of our younger brother's geeky geology mates, ponder over the meaning of the life and with a comedic twist consider how two humble tax dodging students can make their mark on humanity! Bringing a bit of glam to the show Chrissie Craven, the sassy news reporter, provides updates on the status of the meteor and a welcome break from the sofa in the student pad (which we noticed was missing the empty tins of beans, cans of Stella and stolen traffic cones!). She gave the performance of the night in our opinion, although the nutty professor who looks like he's just nipped off the set from filming of Back to the Future 54 wasn’t too bad either! If you too fancy a bit of comedy to ease the January blues then check it out. Running until 2nd February.

www.bookings.oldvictheatre.com

FUTURE CINEMA X SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION

Future Cinema returns this month and it looks like it's going to be an absolute belter. The experiential cinema experience has transformed Cardinal Pole School in East London into a prison to host some extra special screenings of 'The Shawshank Redemption'. Yes that's right you will be spending time in prison and if the trailer is anything to go by it looks pretty scary.

The first round of tickets flew off the shelves but there is another batch released Tuesday 8th January at 1pm sharp.

Thurs - Sun, 10th Jan - 20th Jan,
Cardinal Pole Roman Catholic School Kenworthy Road London E9 5RB
 www.futurecinema.co.uk