Everything London

Sometimes, just sometimes magic happens. By absolute chance I came across this free exhibition on the walkway in an area thats been pedestrianised, by Kings College London and Somerset House. It really spoke to me because it is quite literally what I've been thinking about for some time now, and I love stories, fantasy and fiction too, the idea of creating other worlds and other realms, it's magical. The Quiet Enchanting. And it was. Quietly there on the wall, almost, out-of-the-way, not shouting out, not in the bustle of walkways or near the road; you might miss it if you didn't look up. Enchanting with the images, the stark questions on the walls with imagery to suit something from dreams. I just submitted a story to Hodder & Stoughton yesterday, fantasy fiction about the world we live in and people's intentions based on my observations when I worked at the UK Department for International Development, now defunct, and got rid of by the current UK government. S...

If you're in London there are some wonderful Art museums and galleries to go to, that's not a secret some say they are the best in the world and tourists from all over ear mark coming to the National Gallery to see Monet, Manet and Van Gough masterpieces. Titan is my favourite, but that aside, there are also pieces of modern art to be found all over the city.   Right Above Selfridges, Right now, go see him in action with his burning flame!   Take for instance this gandiose and magnificent piece right on Oxford Street/ Bond Street, it hangs brazenly infront of the classic Selfridges clock, this masculine figure has fragments of hair that blow in the wind and the flame from the broken burnt block of wood comes on intermittently.   Its a very striking piece as you step onto the shopping metropolis pavement. the The man is based uncannily on a man called Rick Owens* a designer who hails from LA whose created special products for Selfridges to...

 This is what the Christmas Shoppers look like.. and January Sales are not much better... CROWDS of shoppers So instead of shopping go on a  Chocolate walking tour , I did this a weekend in December with a friend run by 'unreal city audio'. Its full of entertainment and actors in costume add variety and performance, mostly based on the history of the back streets of Piccadilly.  Expect to be taken down little alleyways and huge squares, while being entralled by the music and  the energy of this group, trust me, it's fun, and even though it's loosely based on Chocolate, you get a little cuppa of the hot stuff part way through included in the tour. havent seen a triangle since school! It details olde London life, and the main tour guide Matthew would know while he talks to you with a spoon and a musical Triangle in his hand, because he's done a PhD at Oxford and teaches on the subject, just not keen to work in academia- and who can blame ...

Terrorism, regimes and rebel fighters and war make torture stories in this day and age mainstream media news. But the truth is of course people have been tortured and persecuted for their beliefs for centuries. One organisation FREEDOM FROM TORTURE refuses to deny the problem and instead help those affected held an Art Auction this month, curated by Christies. Right- Malin by Johan Anderson. Center-Untitled (JUG) Bruce Williams.Left- The second Letter- Robert Mason.  Edmund de Waal, Jake and Dinos Chapman, Michael Craig-Martin, Antony Gormley, Julian Opie, Cornelia Parker, Paula Rego and Lisa Ruyter donated pieces for auction to support Freedom from Torture’s work with survivors of torture who have fled tyrannical regimes around the world. Mayfair's Alan Cristea Gallery the largest publisher of contemporary editions and prints, also donated works by Sir Peter Blake, David Hockney and John Hoyland to be auctioned. The auction was silent and a bid...