A Harveys Half Hour is the perfect way to take a moment out just for you. When we’re all so time poor, there are few chances to relax and unwind. Whether you enjoy gardening, reading or catching up with friends, make sure you dedicate half an hour to do doing something you love and enjoy a glass of chilled Harveys Bristol Cream® served over ice with a slice of orange.

Visit our vintage garden, stand 1E46 in Ideal Gardens and revive yourself with a Harveys Half Hour and a refreshing sample of Harveys Bristol Cream.

For inspiration on how to take your Harveys Half Hour and for some delicious cocktail recipes visit www.harveyshalfhour.co.uk.
Enjoy Harveys responsibly.

For your chance to win one of ten pairs of tickets, just answer the following question:

What is the perfect accompaniment to Harveys Bristol Cream over ice?

A. a slice of orange
B. a slice of lemon
C. a slice of pineapple

Simply email us on comp@kensington-chelsea.com with your answer – it couldn’t be easier!

All winners will be notified by email and supplied with a ticket before the start of the Ideal Home Show.

The Ideal Home Show returns to Earls Court from 16th March to 1st April 2012 and will feature over 600 quality exhibitors from the worlds of interiors, home improvements, gardens, gadgets, food, housewares and more.

Parallax AF, also known as P(AF), also highlights and integrates theories of art history on contemporary art and collecting, meaning that the event is also of interest to acamdemics. Event curator Dr Barlow explains:

Each P(AF) is a poetic metaphor, not just an event. There are many assumptions about the art object that affect every aspect of any fair, such as selection committees for example and how they function in relation to objects and knowledge. Where P(AF) differs is that we identify the problem and then rather bravely put it ‘out there’ for public debate. Far from being stuffy or highbrow, the point here is to emphasise a further democratisation of contemporary art so that more people can feel confident about collecting and commenting on visual art culture.

Highlights of this year’s event include Wizard of Ozama by Skope, who is known as the “godfather” of Singaporean art and who will be making his debut in the UK. His canvas, shown below, links together the politics of the Middle East and President Obama.

Bente Christensen-Ernst, an artist who is based on the border with Syria and whose work covers the Arab Spring, will also be exhibiting; below you can see her Young Century and If Eye Could Kill.

Another must-see is French artist Vicent Fichard’s Vampires piece, a work which involves flowers an his own blood.

All artwork exhibited at the fair is for sale ranging from £50 to £2000, with full prices going to the artists.

Entry to Parallax AF is entirely free. A series of lectures and talks will also take place during the three days of the fair. An onsite restaurant is available for refreshments.

Full information about Parallax AF and the artists exhibiting at the event can be found at www.barlowfinedrawings.com/parallaxaf.html.

Parallax AF
10am – 6pm, Thursday 16th February
10am – 6pm, Friday 17th February
10am – 5pm, Saturday 18th February
Chelsea Town Hall
King’s Road
SW3 5EE

The concert programme will be:

Fauré Duet Puisqu’ici bas toute âme (Hugo), Poème d’un jour (Grandmougin) : Rencontre, Toujours & Adieu
Duparc Le Manoir de Rosemonde (Bonnières), Chanson triste (Lahor), Soupir (Sully Prudhomme)
Chaminade Mots d’amour (Fuster)
Boulanger From Clairières dans le ciel (Jammes) : Nous nous aimerons tant, Vous m’avez regardé
Roussel Réponse d’une épouse sage (Giles)
Satie Je te veux (Pacory)
Ravel Deux Epigrammes de Clément Marot
Debussy From Chansons de Bilitis (Louÿs) : La chevelure, La flûte de Pan
Tailleferre Six chansons françaises
Poulenc From Chansons gaillardes: La maîtresse volage, Madrigal, Invocation aux parques, L’offrande, La belle jeunesse ; Les chemins de l’amour (Anouilh)

Tickets cost £15 (concessions £12, students £8) and can be booked online at http://www.institut-francais.org.uk/music-events/lamour-a-la-francaise-part-2, on where you can also find more information about the concert.

L’amour à la française part 2
8pm, Tuesday 7th February 2012
Institut français
17 Queensberry Place
SW7 2DT

Songs by the “King of Sophisticated Pop” that will feature on the night include gems such as Anyone Who Had A Heart; Close to You; Alfie; Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head; This Guy’s in Love With You and his other classic songs written for a string of very well-known artists including Dusty Springfield, The Carpenters, Tom Jones, Dionne Warwick, Herb Alpert and many more.

Lead by conductor Richard Balcombe – established as on of the most versatile musicians of his generation – the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra will be joined by soloists Graham Bickley and Mary Carewe, as well as Cat Simmons (star of Family Affairs and The Bill) and Sarah Lark, who appeared in Andrew Lloyd Weber’s I’d Do Anything on the BBC in 2008.

Soprano Sarah Lark

Tickets cost £45, £35, £25 or £15 and can be booked online or via the Cadogan Hall Booking Office on 020 7730 4900. RPO Friends’ and Groups’ discounts apply.

The Music of Burt Bacharach
7.30pm, Tuesday 14th February 2012
Cadogan Hall
5 Sloane Terrace
SW1X 9DQ

Parry Ray grew up in a traditional British Indian family in north London, with an eclectic soundtrack – from Elvis to Ravi Shankar, Chaka Khan to Dolly Parton – playing an important part. She started her own career at the age of 3 by singing along to the radio; at 5 she was starring in school choirs, and by the age of 16 she was bunking off revision to audition and perform at the clubs of Soho. A full scholarship to St Paul’s Girls’ School saw her deviate from her singing plans, and she went on to study Biochemistry at Bristol University. Post the MSc, however, she abandoned science (to the horror of her family!) and became a cabaret singer!

Getting together with top latin pianist John Crawford, bassist Richard Sadler and Simon Pearson on drums, the Parry Ray Trio debuted at the renowned Ronnie Scott’s and have also performed at venues including the Royal Albert Hall, The Barbican, Pizza Express Soho and at the Edinburgh and North Sea Jazz Festivals.

Parry’s debut album is due for release in summer 2012, for which she has been busy recording and writing with award winning songwriter Andy Murray, whose writing and remix credits include Leona Lewis, Natasha Bedingfield and Alicia Keys.

Tickets for the concert start at £10, and can be obtained by emailing marial.fowler@hotmail.com.

Parry Ray and Trio
Doors open 7pm, concert 7.30pm
Saturday 28th January 2012
Kensington Roof Gardens
99 Kensington High Street
W8 5SA

Run by Anna Clare Lees-Buckley, the 8-weekly life class runs on Manresa Road, in Chelsea, alongside the scholarly term. A maximum of ten students can enrol per term, allowing constant one-to-one teaching. A selection of books are always available to look at, and students are encouraged to use them, applying the techniques or poses to their own drawings, whilst working from a nude model.

Anna Clare, after winning the Art Scholarship at Stowe School, continued her studies abroad. In search of a more academic and rigorous approach to drawing and painting than seemed to be available in England, she enrolled at the atelier Charles H Cecil Studios in Florence. During four years there, she practised the tradition of sight-size, which is thought to date back to the Renaissance. In more recent times John Singer Sargent used the technique in his portraiture. You can read more about Anna Clare on her website at www.aclb.co.uk.

SPRING TERM 2012 dates
26th January 2012 – 22nd March 2012
(excludes Half term week, 16th February)

Thursday evenings 6.00-8.00pm

£200 for the eight-week term, materials provided

Places can be booked by emailing Anna Clare at annaclare@aclb.co.uk.
Please note that places are only confirmed upon receipt of payment.

]]> http://www.kensington-chelsea.com/index.php/life-drawing-classes-in-chelsea-in-2012/feed/ 5 http://www.kensington-chelsea.com/index.php/winter-wonderland-201-in-hyde-park/ http://www.kensington-chelsea.com/index.php/winter-wonderland-201-in-hyde-park/#comments Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:58:21 +0000 Anna http://www.kensington-chelsea.com/?p=1386 Seeing as we’re so close to Christmas, I decided to put on my festive hat and pay a visit to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park today – having greatly enjoyed my visit there last year. (See my photos from last year’s event.) Attending later in December this year, today – only four days before Christmas – was incredibly busy; of course, schools are out but so it seems are colleges, universities and even some workplaces (or perhaps it was just people skiving off work!) given the crowds of all ages there.

Crowds at Winter Wonderland 2011

An overcast and slightly wet day evidently didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits. I noticed a sign at the entrance (near Hyde Park Corner) saying that ice skating tickets for the day had already sold out (this was only about two hours after opening) and there were quite some queues at some of the rides. Mulled wine and German sausages (red, white or my favourite – curry sausage) were also clearly popular, given the amount of people I saw wandering around enjoying these items, and Angels Market – where many of the crafts stands are – had many, many people around each stall.

Giant wheel and Santa Land at Winter Wonderland 2011

The year’s event seems much larger than last year’s, with a significant number of additional rides and areas. The ice rink has also moved to a different location – it is now towards the centre of Winter Wonderland, located round a bandstand. This is great for two reasons – not only can visitors now properly go “round and round” on the ice-rink, but there’s also live music playing as skaters whizz by. (When we were there, there was a talented young guy playing an acoustic set including a great rendition of Ed Sheeran’s The A Team.)

Ice skating at Winter Wonderland 2011

Winter Wonderland is open daily 10am to 10pm every day until 3rd January 2012 (except Christmas Day) and is well worth a visit! Entry is entirely free, although you do have to purchase tickets to go ice skating or to travel on the giant wheel, and also for the circus. (You also need to purchase tokens to go on any of the rides.) However, it’s also great fun to just walk through Winter Wonderland, looking at all the stalls selling gifts and food & drink, as well as watching kids and adults alike enjoying themselves on the assorted rides. (Or getting scared by the “talking tree” near the Serpentine!)

There’s still time to go this year, or right at the beginning of the New Year, and I would highly recommend it. Given there’s no entry fee, it’s also a very budget-conscious activity – although you may like to treat yourself to a few rides or a nice glass of mulled wine!

A friendly snowman at Winter Wonderland 2011

Helter Skelter at Winter Wonderland 2011

A fun ride at Winter Wonderland 2011

Colourful German Lebkuchen at Winter Wonderland 2011

The talking tree at Winter Wonderland 2011

A friendly squirrel to say goodbye to us as we leave

Aubaine Kensington

The Kensington restaurant – the largest amongst all in the Aubaine group – features stylish floor to ceiling windows on two sides of the restaurant, providing a great view over the High Street. Step inside the venue, however, at any time during the day or evening and you can escape from the bustling street outdoors, joining workers or locals whilst they enjoy a spot of lunch, or diners enjoying a more relaxed evening meal accompanied by something from the extensive wine list or a cocktail or two. The restaurant is also perfect for a calm afternoon tea (or other beverage!), and as an accompaniment you can choose a little something from their wonderful patisserie. (It’s very hard to resist any of their cakes, although I found it equally hard to resist their beautiful macarons!)

The boulangerie at Aubaine

At Aubaine Brompton Cross, renowned in the local area, there’s a wonderful outdoor terrace that’s popular year-round with those looking to enjoy some alfresco dining. Once again, there’s a wonderful choice of options throughout the day from their regular menu and their patisserie, although their boulangerie also offers a fantastic choice of freshly made breads for customers to take away. Don’t be surprised to see a famous face or two if you dine here!

Both restaurants are also ideal for weekend brunch, which includes a range of classic dishes, salads and mains. Given its popularity, booking ahead for brunch at either venue is advised – see contact details below.

For those looking to celebrate the Christmas season in a special way this year, Aubaine have two wonderful 3-course set menus (which a choice of three dishes for each course) on offer. Their £38 menu includes ham hock, foie gras terrine and spiced plum chutney as a starter and roast pheasant, bacon, red cabbage and bread sauce as a main (my eye was naturally drawn to those two dishes!) whilst their £45 menu features crab, broccoli, bitter leaves and shellfish bisque for a starter and beef Bourguignon, Alsace bacon, mash as a main; both menus, of course, include a choice of sumptuous desserts.

Aubaine on Kensington High Street is also offering a complimentary bellini for any group bookings of six people or more during the festive season. The restaurant has also a special private room that’s perfect for small groups looking to hold a private Christmas celebration! (It is also possible to host parties of up to 100 people in the main restaurant itself.)

Finally, for anyone looking to indulge in Aubaine goodies at home, they sell a wide variety of seasonal delights including their famous Buche de Noel (chocolate log), shown below. Who could resist?!

Buche de Noel

Aubaine Kensington
37-45 Kensington High Street, W8 5ED
To book, call 0207 386 0950 or email Charlene.jinguenaud@aubaine.co.uk

Aubaine Brompton Cross
260-262 Brompton Road, SW3 2AS
To book, call 0207 386 0950 or email Charlene.jinguenaud@aubaine.co.uk

Further details on the restaurants (including full menus) can be found        at www.aubaine.co.uk.

That’s something I completely agree with, and I am of course very happy to feature or list any independent shops and businesses (and tradesmen and women) on this site – if there’s anything you readers would like me to include, please email me on webmaster@kensington-chelsea.com.

To kick things off, my father recommended a local barbers which he discovered only a few months ago. They are Cut & Go (13a Kenway Road, SW5 0RP, opposite of Nandos on Earls Court Road). Dad is full of praise for their friendly service and great value – a haircut is only £9. Checking out a few other review sites (and similar), it seems he’s not the only one that’s very happy with them! As the reviewer (Matthew B.) on Yelp says:

“THE most minimalist barber shop in West London. Why? Because you want a haircut, not a fashion show.  I have been there three times now and every time I’m out in five minutes with a great haircut, by someone who wants to be a barber.”

Any comments or suggestions, please do get in touch via email (as above) or in the comments section below.

As a special event on Monday 5th December, playwright Richard Bean will also be giving a talk on his career, new writing and how he views the dynamic between actor, director and writer in developing new work. His highly-acclaimed latest play, One Man, Two Guvnors, is currently on at the Adelphi Theatre in London (until 25th February 2012) and he was awarded the 2011 Evening Standard Award for Best Play for two of his plays – The Heretic and One Man, Two Guvnors.

The PapaTango Theatre Company was founded by Matt Roberts, George Turvey and Sam Donovan in 2007, with the aim of finding the best and brightest new playwriting talent in the UK and bringing it to the stage. The company has produced eight pieces of new writing in venues such as the Tristan Bates Theatrein Covent Garden, Islington’s Old Red Lion Theatre and the Pleasance London. Their playwriting competition was launched in 2009 and this year received over 600 entries. Further information on the PapaTango Theatre Company can be found on their website at www.papatango.co.uk.

More about each play, performance times, ticket info can be found on
www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk/productions/2011/production-papatango.php, where you can also book tickets for all of the plays.

The PapaTango Playwriting Festival 2011
Tuesday 29th November – Friday 23rd December 2011
Finborough Theatre
118 Finborough Road
SW10 9ED