About Town

Welcome to Islington: Exmouth Market, London EC1


Exmouth Market is a classic story of urban gentrification: a one time run-down area whose old warehouses and factories were colonised by publishing, design and architecture firms in the 1990s, now one of London’s most desirable streets, situated nearby the Sadler's Wells theatre, with a trendy vibe, as demonstrated by the variety of stylish independent businesses in the highly pedestrianised street, including some of the city’s most appealing restaurants and places to drink, too many for me to mention.

Which restaurant or bar you try will depend greatly on your personal taste and inclination on the day; whatever it is, you will be spoilt for choice and you can always come back and try something else next time. My recommendations are below.




Recommendations this week:

Food and drinks
Sweet Boulangerie & Patisserie brings the flavors of France to London in its fabulous sweet and savoury creations, Love, love, love...
La Ferme, french restaurant and delicatessen which offers a wide selection of the finest produces from France. Truly yummy rest.
Exmouth Arms, traditional pub (and cocktails).


Theatre
Paco Peña Flamenco Dance Company — Patrias. Legendary flamenco guitarist Paco Peña brings new work to Sadler’s Wells, exploring through music and song the emotional, physical and cultural impact of the Spanish Civil War on his country’s history. Last show tonigth.

Shopping
Botanique , a lovely artisan store and flower shop

Borough Wines offering handpicked wide range of wines and a diverse selection of local and international craft beers and boutique spirits

About Town Re-post

Welcome to Islington  

 Welcome to Islington, the first in a series of blogs about my lovely borough with a bit of history thrown in, things to do and my recommendations for the week.

Islington lies to the north of the city centre and is the second smallest London borough although very densely populated. It started as an overcrowded London suburb transformed into a neighbourhood of high-class status, home to the vibrant Upper Street, Camden Passage and Chapel Market and the residential areas around Angel tube station.
Islington is home to approx 200,000 people, a vibrant and lively part of the world and benefits from a wealth of restaurants, clubs, fringe theatres and community events: buildings that began as inns and defunct social houses have since been re-emerged as fashionable gastropubs, wine bars, and boutiques all very well serviced by many bus lines and nearby tube stations.



Some interesting facts:

• The escalator at Angel station is the longest of all London stations, at 60m, with a vertical rise of 27.5m.
• Tony Blair, Colin Firth, George Orwell, Lily Allen and Boris Johnson have all lived in Islington.
• The licensees for the board game Monopoly used to meet for tea in the Lyon’s Corner House in Islington. That’s why The Angel, Islington has a spot in the game.
• Islington was the first London borough to receive fresh water via an aqueduct running from Hertfordshire to the New River Head reservoir. This is now the path of the New River Walk.
• Many suffragettes, including Emmeline Pankhurst and Emily Wilding Davison, spent time in jail at Holloway prison
• The Camden Passage antiques market has been supplying Londoners with collectibles and bric-a-brac for over 50 years, and is always busy with bargain hunters at weekends.
• The Islington Farmers’ Market, London’s oldest such market has some 30 stalls every Sunday on Chapel Market, selling a variety of fresh produce, local delicacies and organic foods. 

 

Recommended this week:
Food and drinks
Fredricks - family run restaurant since 1969, has a lovely conservatory and garden at the back, perfect to enjoy the nice weather and the delicious food.


Amorino Ice Cream Shop, 110 Upper St - delicious artisanal ice-cream. My favourite flavour - pistacchio.

The Bar with No Name, 69 Colebrooke Row, N1 8AA, has shed its previous mysterious reputation and is now packed out every night with people dying to sample the expertly crafted cocktails

Art
The Experience of Colour Astrazione Oggetiva - exhibition exploring a little-known movement in Italian painting, with colour as the focal point of the artistic practice, exploring its optical and perceptual effects. NOW CLOSED :-(
Imagine Islington - an exhibition or art inspired bu objects from Islington Museum

Theatre
Ugly Lovely by Ffion James, fringe theatre at its best, showing at the Old Red Lion in St John's Street.

 

About Town

Welcome to Islington: Upper Street 

Pic from bbc.co.uk

Islington is not just for the champagne socialists, whichever way you lean, it offers something for your weekend:
Welcome to Upper Street.



Upper Street is Islington's high street. There is an abundance of restaurants and bars, many fashionable shops, pubs, and theatres.

The hilltop village of Islington originally consisted of two streets in addition to the High Street: Upper Street and Lower Street, which diverged from the High Street at Islington Green and both date back to at least the 12th century.Henry VIII hunted duck in the ponds off Upper Street, while Walter Raleigh lived in Upper Street and owned a pub in Lower Street, since renamed Essex Road.

Pic from hospitalityandcateringnews.com

St. Mary's Church, Islington, was rebuilt in 1754 and dominates the Islington skyline and is still in full use today.
The Little Angel Theatre is a children's puppet theatre in a former Temperance hall, behind the church.
Directly opposite St. Mary's Church is the King's Head Theatre, founded in 1970, the first pub theatre in the UK, located in the back room behind the bar at the King's Head pub.

In the 18th century Upper Street started to be redeveloped from an agricultural to a residential area and it became later notorious (late ninetheen century) for its night-time entertainments. In 1870, Charles Dickens described the area as "amongst the noisiest and most disagreeable thoroughfares in London."

How things have changed; if I say so myself, Upper Street is now a vibrant cafe culture/art scene/entertainment island to rival the West End (did I say I love Islington?).

You must come and visit, what are you waiting for?

Recommended this week:
Food and drinks
Practically every other door in Upper Street is either a pub, a restaurant or some kind of eatery, a mix of well know chain-brands and smaller independents, too many to mention; there is certainly something for all tastes and price brackets.
A couple of gems worth mentioning for me:
Casa Manolo , a tiny bit of Spain in the heart of Islington, offering eating-in as well authentic products for sale ( jamon iberico, Yum :-p ).

Udderliscious Ice Cream, an independent ice-cream parlour toward the Highbury end of Upper Street, making utterly deliciously scrumptious ice cream; they often experiment and they even do flavour requests ( yes, that's right). You have to try it.




Entertainment

Pic from www.list.co.uk

Screen on the Green, love love love this "experience" cinema, offering a mix of independent, foreign language, culture, classics and the latest blockbusters movies (and you can drink a nice glass of red whilst enjoying the movie too, priceless). Star Trek Beyond is showing now.

The Kings Head with Noel Cowards and Friends live in Las Vegas (31st July) and Festival46.

The Little Angel Theatre , 3 Little Pigs currently on.

Shopping
Twentytwentyone , new and vintage meet in this design store beloved by architects, designers and other trendies (or people who want to be trendy). Quality, beautifully-designed homeware is carefully sourced and advice on investing in classic retro furniture available.
Little Paris, for the lovers of French home deco, Little Paris offers a time trip through an eclectic range of vintage and unique furniture, curiosities, contemporary fashion and home accessories directly sourced from France. The shop is constantly restocked, so it is worth popping in regurlalry.

About Town

Islington Farmers' Market 

Sunday is my au marché day, up and about Islington Farmers' Market, London's first ever and most established, which takes place on Chapel Market between Baron Street and Penton Street every Sunday between 10.00 and 14.00.

The market is Certified by the Farmers’ Retail and Markets Association which guarantees we are buying food from the farm and not a wholesaler, all products are grown and produced within 100 miles of London. 


I prefer to shop seasonal and local and here I can find a selection of seasonal flowers, a great choice of fruit & vegetables (some organic) and a selection of free range and organic meat and poultry; it is a bit windy today but it is worth the outing....

You have to try this experience at least once and you won't go back: it is colourful, nostalgic, mostly cheaper than supermarkets and you are supporting hard-working local farmers and food producers.


I'm sure you can find a farmers' market near you if you live far from London, Islington;

go on, you know you want to....

About Town

Friday night at the movies: Screen on the Green, 83 Upper Street, London, N1 0NP

Screen on the Green is part of an independent network of boutique cinemas (Everyman Cinemas), an iconic 100 year old building in the heart of Islington.
The beauty of this venue (beside of course showing the latest blockbuster movies together with some independents, old classics, and foreign movies) is the plush comfy seats, including some amazing sofas and the service of food and drinks in the theatre, it is an "experience" cinema:
you can comfortably relax with a glass of wine and some nibbles (or tea and biscuits if that is more your choice) as you are watching your chosen movie, stretch your legs, forget you are sitting in a theatre and get transported into the story, live the story whilst sipping your beverage of choice, kind of like a plushier, more gentrified version of Googlebox without someone watching you (it is in the dark after all) and you have actually gone out ;-).

The movie is almost incidental ..

Bits and bobs

Pic from fr.pickture.com

A week in review

Happy Sunday, Bon Dimanche, Buona Domenica!!!
Looking back at this week, once again we are faced with horror, a new boundary that human beings have crossed; the slaughter of an innocent and defenceless person in a place of worship.
To call it barbaric it would imply there is some kind of human spirit behind this, non.
To call it animalistic it would frankly be an insult to animals.


I don't think there are words appropriate to comment beside the ones of a very wise man:
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that". Martin Luther King Jr.





My posts this week:
Monday blog

Pic from www.amazon.co.uk

Rest day :-)

Tuesday blog

I was curious about the use of tapping to clear money blocks so decided to buy a copy of the Tapping into Wealth book by Margaret Lynch.

Lynch has produced a very good book , a must-ready must-keep.

Wednesday blog

The key to making an Apprentice feel welcome is a good induction process that offers continued managerial support.

Pic from

Thursday blog
Many managers don't "get" pregnancy, they are afraid to engage with pregnant employees because they are not sure what "employment law"minefield they are stepping into.

Pic from www.maternityleavecoach.com

Friday blog
In the third film in the new Star Trek franchise, the USS Enterprise crew explores the furthest reaches of uncharted space, where they encounter a new ruthless enemy who puts them and everything the Federation stands for to the test. 



Saturday blog
Islington is not just for the champagne socialists; its boutiques,  bars and restaurants  offer something for the weekend, whichever way you lean; welcome to Upper Street.

Follow my posts also on:

Twitter: Laura@PeopleAlchemist

Instagram: @the_alchemist_about_town 

Bits and bobs

Pic from www.amazon.co.uk

Tapping into Wealth: How Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) Can Help you Clearing the Path to Making More Money by Margaret Lynch

Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), also known as Tapping, has become a popular tool for realising goals and/or clearing deep seated traumas & pain.
One very common aspiration is to flourish career-wise and (consequently) finances. Limiting beliefs and fears however keep people stuck in their current financial status. EFT uses the fingertips to tap on acupuncture points while emotionally tuning in to negative attitudes and past experiences, allowing people to transform their thoughts and feelings.


I was curious about the use of tapping to clear money blocks so decided to buy a copy of this book. It took me a while to work my way through it and then complete the exercises in every chapter (a LOT of tapping!).


For a “non-author” Lynch has produced a very good book with the assistance of D. D. Schwartz.
Lynch teaches people how to harness the power of Tapping to identify and clear the blocks to prosperity and is clearly very very passionate about helping people; this comes across clearly from both reading this book and watching her in action.

Pic from www.eftuniverse.com

She clearly demonstrates in this book (and videos) that she can communicate difficult messages that are both challenging and inspiring to the general average reader to address their personal money paradigm which are not serving them well.

There are tapping scripts throughout, and free-to-access accompanying web videos for each chapter.



If you do pick up a copy you really do need not just read it but complete the exercises, possibly more than once. Take your time, undertake the exercises and go back as many times as you need to, until you absorb the messages and insights fully.
Remember, knowledge is not power, it only potential power until you use it :-).
Keep the book close-to-hand, and keep tapping; you and your bank account will thank me for it (well Margaret really).

Bits and bobs

A week in review

Pic from www.healthtwit.com

Happy Sunday evening and Happy Father's day to all hardworking dads.
Looking at back at the week gone by with a nice cup of tea.

Monday blog
Globalisation is the economic story of the last half century. The world keeps getting more and more interconnected in terms of people, money, trade and knowledge

Pic from

Tuesday blog
The most valuable asset in any company is its people (it is difficult to find good people and expensive to hire and train them). A good merger and acquisition strategy needs to take people into
consideration.

Wednesday blog
Outsourcing has helped companies grow while shrinking, handling bits of their operations to third parties and focusing on in-house activities on what they are good at. But can the  customer see the difference?


Thursday blog
The number of over-50s in the UK workforce is set to rise by nearly 800,000 by 2022 like most advanced economies while there are less and less younger entries in the workplace. What is the solution?

Pic from www.npg.org

Friday blog
For an alternative evening every Thursday and Friday until 21.00 enjoy drawing classes, talks and discussions, live music, DJs, films and performance in middle of central London.

Saturday 
Day of rest :-)

In the news
This week the news were unfortunately all about the horrific murder of Labour MP Jo Cox. There are no words to describe this act except horrendous, unacceptable, dis-human, whatever the reason. My thoughts and prayers are for the family and friends of this remarkable woman that spent her life serving her community and fighting for what she believed in.

Feel-good story of the week
We always need something to celebrate and be happy about; for me this week was Andy Murray 5th win at the Queen's Tennis Championship, congratulation to Andy and I'm looking forward to watching him winning at Wimbledon too :-)

Follow my posts also on:
Twitter: Laura@PeopleAlchemist
Instagram: @the_alchemist_about_town

Reflection

A Week in Review

It is Sunday late afternoon sitting down relaxing and thinking back at the week just gone by.

Monday blog
It comes a time in the life of an entrepreneur/small business owner where growth leads to more staff and the consequent need to have someone else helping with managing staff. So how do you support a new manager?

Tuesday blog
Is your company flexible? Non? Then you are missing out ...



Wednesday blog
European employment regulations and the free movement of labour have shaped the UK economy for decades now, so the implication of a potential Brexit are big. What if we left?

Thursday blog
While labour productivity in other countries has grown in the last few years, UK businesses aren't as productive as they should be and it is still lower than it was before the recession. So how do you improve it?

Friday blog
The corporate tax system is becoming more intertwined with employment  and it is likely to increase.

The OECD) has come up with proposals to fix tax avoidance, big part of which is that an organisation's tax should be paid where there is economic activity e.g. where the key people are employed.

Saturday blog
An exciting weekend full of sport with the start of the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament and the Queen's 90th birthday weekend celebrations.

This week in the news
The Brexit debate is hotting up now with more live debates and speculations from all side which unfortunately are contributing to wobbles in the pound.
Mohammad Ali's funeral was a great example of interfaith unity and a clear example of how one man, with determination, can change the world. We can all take example from "The Greatest" and do our bit in our everyday life.

Feel-good story of the week
The Queen's weekend celebrations especially the Patron's lunch and parade were an amazing spectacle, truly quintessentially British, a great tribute to an amazing woman, sovereign who has devoted and continues to devote her life to serving her Country and the Commonwealth but also a tribute  to the importance of family, unity and all that makes Great Britain well Great.


Follow my posts also on:
Twitter: Laura@PeopleAlchemist
Instagram: @the_alchemist_about_town

About Town

An exciting weekend of sport and celebrations

It is an exciting weekend full of sport with the kick-off of the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament.
The opening ceremony last night in Paris Stade de France was full of joie de vivre,  especially relevant in view of recent events.

La Marseillaise was sounding particularly defiant and France did a convincing job (2-1) after a nervous start in the first 45 minutes.
Today and tomorrow are jam packed with interesting features and a real feast for the footie aficionados.


However it is not all: in the UK this weekend we are also celebrating , beside England, Wales and Northern Ireland smashing victories ;-), the Queen's official and "special" birthday.


The 90th birthday celebrations are in full bloom with yesterday's Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral, today with the Trooping the Colour ceremony and tomorrow with the Patron's Lunch.
This year's Big Lunch, where people are encouraged to sit down to eat with their neighbours in streets and community spaces, is also taking place tomorrow, June 12.


It is a weekend for unity, for celebrations, for thanks and to be proud of.

Happy Birthday Ma'am and thank you for your service.

Reflection

Week in Review

Pic from idiotsmonkey.com

Good morning and
Happy Sunday everybody.

Looking back at this week whilst enjoying my morning coffee:

Monday Blog
Spring Bank Holiday was a day of relaxation for me; it is after all the last Bank Holiday-long weekend in the UK until the end of August, one must make the most of it.
Monday was also a nice afternoon spent at the cinema to see Our Kind of Traitor, an adaptation of a Le Carre' novel with Ewan McGregor and a stellar cast, an old fashion tense spy thriller.

Tuesday Blog
The "Is back pain all in the brain?"post featured how the new approach to back pain now seems to be an holistic one starting from the recognition that psychosocial factors play an important part and so does dealing with people's perception of pain.

Wednesday Blog
What benefits do employees really value? Majority of people opts for benefits that help then to combine work with quality of life, and the value of work-life integration cuts across different generations. This post covers what this means in practice for employers.

Thursday Blog
When  you are a SME, budgetary and resourcing constrains means you might need to be a little creative. The Creative recruitment for SMEs post covers practical ways how to achieve a low cost effective approach.

Friday Blog
A woman and an artist portrait: Yolande Letshou is a London based British Artist and entrepreneur with a passion and gift for all things fashion and art. She graduated in Journalism and worked in the media industry whilst continuing to paint and being commissioned for work from private clients


Saturday Blog
This year is the 110^th year anniversary of the opening of the Ritz Hotel in London by Swiss hotelier César Ritz and its popularity has not wavered since. As a matter it is getting better, a truly exceptional experience.

In the news:

Well, anybody in he UK cannot escape right now the Brexit debate and the comparison between David Cameron and Michael Gove handling the pressing and harrowing question from Sky political editor Faisal Islam and questions from the audience.

For me also worth mentioning the dreadful weather that affected the ATP Roland Garros tennis tournament in Paris. Perhaps it is worth start thinking about a roof , him hint... ;-)
 Jokes apart, the weather in France and the continent has been dreadful and some people have lost their lives, my thoughts are with their family at this sad time.



Follow my posts also on:
Twitter: Laura@peoplealchemist
Instagram: @the_alchemist_about_town

Did I mention I love coffee?

Bits and Bobs

A woman and artist portrait: Yolandé Letshou

Yolande is a London based British Artist and entrepreneur with a passion and gift for all things fashion and art. She graduated in Journalism and worked in the media industry whilst continuing to paint and being commissioned for work from private clients.

Yolande' s art journey started with landscapes and portraits, experimenting with abstracts techniques and mediums but evolved in time towards drawing and painting Fashion Illustrations which culminated in creating an art collection entitled ‘Love Genevieve’ (2007) that fused together her two passions: art and fashion.

This collection launched a series of fashion themed greeting cards that were quickly snapped up by mini design chain 'Lifestyle Bazaar'. After a successful launch at their Shoreditch branch, most of her card designs sold out within just two weeks.

Her greeting cards have meaningful, empowering messages to make women feel special, fabulous, unique with fabrics, bows, pearl beads, sequins and all things fabulous.

The latest collection –The Motherland greeting card range - is inspired by Africa incorporating a range of beautiful African print fabrics and are suitable for a wide range of occasions. 

If you believe in empowering women, you should buy her cards.

If you love fashion, you should buy her cards.

If you want to give something original and different and look cool at the same time, you should buy her cards.

What I like about Yolande is her passion for art and fashion which is palpable in everything she does, her gifted use of colour and the empowering message for women which is intrinsically linked in all her work. She is also an example in practice of an empowered woman who supports other women.

She has and continues to deliver workshops and talks at a range of Academic institutions via programmes such as the 'Aces Youth Project' and 'Inspirational You' regularly speaks at conferences and hosts special events to inspire and share her love of art with others.

This one is one to watch…