LAST WEEK!! Get down here!…read more It's the pop up that popped up in May, then why and how have I only just visited? I wish I had gone earlier so it couldn't been my summer haunt. This is an elaborate venue. All the fun of the fair with a circus/freakshow feel about it with olde posters donning every wall. Candy floss, sweets. fair ground rides, actual freak show, theatre and lots and lots of bars. There's ample outside and covered seating. Subtly lit in the darkness you could see couples making out in some of the outside booths and friends perching together in stationary bumper cars. The atmosphere was chilled and upbeat. On a date night with the mrs, we booked ourselves in for Fasinating Aida. I would highly recommend you all do the same. Book yourself in for this topical musical comedy and enjoy the quirky atmosphere before it disappears at the end of the month.

Well, we booked in to see The Tiger Lilies and we didn't really get it. All around us were people…read morewho had come to worship at the feet of their heroes...and us. We didn't really get it ....however the spiegeltent is fab and the south bank is the place to be on a Saturday night! It's good to try something new...even if you don't get it!

The Great British Beer Festival is THE event for lovers of good beer and real ciders in the UK…read more Organised by CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) every August, in the last year it has moved to the Earl's Court Exhibition Centre in London. The event is huge: over the week, the festival gets over 65,000 visitors, drawn by the prospect of over 450 real ales, and a growing selection of the very best ciders, and specialist lagers from Germany, Belgium and the Czech Republic, to name a few. New in 2007 is a stand featuring ales for vegetarians, coeliacs and others with specialist dietary needs. There's plenty of food available, (with the emphasis on good-value pub-type grub, rather than gastronomy), and a selection of bands (mostly jazz, but including classical!) for entertainment over the week. There are also stalls selling ale-related memorabilia - beer glasses, beer towels, books, t-shirts and the like. The event draws a huge range of people, from all walks of life and all ages. It's not just a male, middle-aged event by any means - about a third of attendees are women, and there are also meetings for CAMRA's different groups, including LAGRAD (lesbians and gay men). The whole thing is very good humoured and enjoyable. ************************** An update for 2008, having just attended on the first day! It's still as big as ever, with over 450 real ales again this year. The layout is also improved on last year so it is easier to move around, and there are plenty of seating areas, too. There are some excellent discounts on CAMRA merchandise, and a slightly wider range of food, with Indian food stands adding to the mix this year. The Champion Beer of Britain was named yesterday as Alton's Pride brewed by Triple fff Brewery in Hampshire - a small, independent craft brewery which has won several prizes before, but not the big one! Well worth a visit before its ends on Saturday 9th - otherwise you'll have to wait for next year!

Just awesome. More beer than you could shake a stick at (who would want to?). The finest…read moreopportunity to indulge in a cornucopia of ales you'll find in this city of ours. Lasting from the 3rd until the 7th of August (yes, there's still time) in Earls' Court CAMRA are showcasing their stocks for all (over 18s). The evenings are busier and the £10 entry fee is a little high but it's the biggest beer festival on these shores so I'd suggest putting it on your to do list. There's plenty of food available from regular stuff to Ostrich burgers. I had some over-priced (£6.50) but brilliant Haddock and chips. I'll squeeze in one more visit before it's all over and start counting the days until the next one. farewell, Ian

Having spent the afternoon celebrating the Year of the Rooster in ChinaTown we were looking forward…read moreto our visit to The Magical Lantern Festival. However the heavens opened and many saved days of rain poured out of the sky. Were we dispondent? NO WAY. The gardens had been transformed into a fairyland which took us back to childhood. A childhood where rain mattered not. Footpaths, with direction signs, laid out so nothing was missed. Beautiful, artistic exhibits with well signed descriptions. Wonderful. Along the way, places to drink and eat. I felt sorry for the guys in those stalls because the rain made people walk past. Likewise the entertainment area at the end. A fantastic evening out for, we felt, a very reasonable price. A tip.....wear waterproof boots as the way can get rather muddy.

Absolutely not worth £20 a head…read more "Nice" was the word to describe it. Thoroughly meh about it. If had paid for a family night out with my nieces and nephews I would not be a happy camper. No ambience, no music or sounds. Just beige. Won't be going back.

HANDS DOWN, Notting Hill Carnival was considered the best festival in the world. Preparation for…read moreCarnival is imminent, the award-tour going to Shaggy for his marvelous rendition of positive alchemy and alternative, until further notice. This year, like every other year, remains fast-and-furious with celebrity acts, past and present, returning to the world stage. There will be no stopping as the procession continues through West London and out into the suburbs of England. Alongside the love and support I get from family and the community, I also get a lot of love from Carnival. The black community in addition to oversea carnival goers create a homecoming atmosphere for me always. Thanks again to everyone who joined me over the years and who will continue to join me in helping make carnival that more - it is a special weekend for everyone and a special way to celebrate tradition and culture forever.

I heard a variety of things ranging from Eugh to Awesome and 'you'll get robbed/stabbed' to…read more'everyone is incredibly friendly'. So happy I went. In my opinion it's a must do at least once. It's apparently the largest street festival in Europe and it certainly feels like it. There's some sort of parade route, and every float is filled with sights and sounds (people dressed colourfully and without fail, excellent sound systems). A tonne of people kind of just wander along the parade route (I'm not even sure if there's one route or multiple) and just take it all in. Beyond that, there's a lot going on on pretty much every side street in the area. An abundance of food, people just chilling and drinking/smoking (NHC has a reputation for reefer and it's not unwarranted. There's the unmistakable scent pretty much everywhere at the festival), and a lot of areas set up with sound systems and people dancing. We bought drinks from various corner shops at prices of varying ridiculousness (one store was charging £4 for a GnT and £12 for a pack of Marlboro Ice Blast. Another was charging a more bearable £3 for the same GnTs). There were actually a fair number of porta loos set up, and the queues for them were reasonable. Phones of course don't work, and in the process of looking for a friend, I lost everyone I came with. Fortunately I managed to locate said friend and we still had a blast. Also, leaving the festival area was kind of confusing due to the crowds and road closures but there were police stationed everywhere and they were extremely helpful. As far as the you'll get robbed/stabbed bits, there's no doubt that you need to keep a close watch on your belongings as given the sheer amount of people, there's bound to be an opportunistic few. That aside, also given the sheer numbers and the tightness, there are a few idiots in a hurry who occasionally push or shove, and you can see tempers flare. I didn't actually see any fights break out but while dancing at one of the areas, heard the MC telling a group to break it up so evidently scuffles occur. Bottom line - don't be deterred and just go and have a blast! The vast majority of people there are incredibly friendly and overall it's just the sort of environment with incredible energy and positive vibes. Still felt good from it for a few days after.

Back again for 2016 and like the previous year totally enjoyed it. They made some changes this…read moreyear with regards to the layout which worked well. Lots of food choice, pub games and also a VIP area. Over 900 beers / ciders etc to choose from. I hope to get back for a 3rd year in 2017

If you have a free time go and visit the German Market, you may find some good ideas for Christmas…read morepresents.Also there is delicious food and drinks.

Even before I started working on the Ealing Summer events, I loved them. You can bring your own…read morepicnic, your own drinks (no glass bottles please though - put your wine/champagne in a plastic bottle!) and most of the events are only £1, so its great for a cheap day out. Me and my friends have spent many a summer's day sprawled out on a blanket listening the music and sunbathing. Oh, and when you run out of your own food and drink, there's plenty of stalls to buy from too!

Not sure if it's sad to admit this but the Jazz Festival is one of the highlights of the year for…read moreme. Yes it's lazy, I live a 3 minute walk away, but hey I grab some folding chairs,make up copious amounts of pimms and laze in the park for 3-4 nights with friends getting squiffy and letting the music and ambience wash over me - what's not to like ? Been going for 20years or so now,and already booked in friends again for 2009..bring it on !

British Summer Time (BST) Hyde Park is an outdoor concert series held over a two week period in the…read moresummer at the beautiful Hyde Park located in Central London. Each annual line-up has had a wide range of musical genres, historic events, and legendary headliners. In 2013, the Rolling Stones had a triumphant return with two concerts which they had also performed at Hyde Park forty-six years prior in 1969. Sign-up for the newsletter to get advanced tickets and concert information in March. This is a great way to spend a summer evening with friends! Grab your favorite libation and go blow your skirt up! Get the most up-to-date information and tickets at www. bst-hydepark.com.

I had such an AMAZING time at this festival. We went on yesterday (Saturday) and highlight was…read moreseeing Take That! We were fortunate enough to have premium view wristbands which gave us a closer view of the stage. However, there are huge screens so if you're not wanting to see every wrinkle on the performers face, general admission tickets are still fab. We actually spent most of our time outside the premium view pen as there was lots of cool things to do and plenty of space to mooch about. There was things like free customised tote bags by the Barclaycard stage, free Coke Zero treats, smaller stages with live acts and even small intimate indoor music events too, silent disco, funfair ride and even sky dining experience! You are spoilt for choice when it comes to food and drink - pizzas, burgers, hot dogs, wraps, fried chicken, Mexican, waffles, ice cream, beer, wine, cocktails, gin bar!! Everything was between £5-£8 food wise and around £6-£10 drink unless you go for bottles of wine £20 ish. Only downside was the queue for the loos. Best times to go is when performers are on, otherwise make sure you plan your visit!! Saying that, the loos are the best loos I've ever seen at a festival - proper cubicles, not dreaded port-a-loos!

Here's a date for the diary, for classical music lovers in West London. Judging by last year's…read moreconcerts, you'll be in for an affordable and enjoyable treat. 26th-28th September sees the sixth Little Venice Music Festival. It might be a short programme, running over just three days, but it is renowned as a high quality artistic addition to the London music scene, and takes place in two local churches, providing intimate and reverberant concert venues. Organised by Sylvia Rhys-Thomas as artistic director, part of the takings will be in aid of local charities, including the St Mary's Hospital Stroke Unit, Paddington. Concerts take place in St Mary's Church, Paddington Green and St Saviour's Church Warwick Avenue. Friday 26th September sees the Galamian Quartet open with an evening concert of Haydn, Mozart, Mendelssohn and Dvorak. Saturday follows with a late afternoon of the Young Artists Cello Recital (4pm) playing Boccherini, Brahms and the ever-popular Samuel Barber. Saturday evening is the highlight of the programme, with an evening of Opera Music, including pieces by Mozart, Rossini, Verdi, Richard Strauss and Benjamin Britten. (This takes place in St Saviour's Church, next to Warwick Avenue tube station). Finally, on Sunday, the Young Artists Brass Recital play music by Allegri, Bach, Bruckner, Defaye and Serocki in the late afternoon, and the programme finishes in the evening with the Lichfield Cathedral Chamber Choir performing the Petite Messe Solennelle by Rossini. Tickets are a very reasonable £10-£15, depending on the performance, some of which includes a drink as well. Tickets are available on the door, or in advance from The Winery, 4 Clifton Road, W9. Further details can be found on the website.

While in London we wanted to check out a show, since we were a mixed group - we decided on a…read moreacrobatic dance show. This place is free to enter, but the tickets for the shows are extra. The show was very fun, but what I didn't expect is how cool this place was. It's like a beer garden with several different booths offering sweets, cocktails, beer and food. We found a lovely picnic table under a large tree, relaxed and enjoyed a couple cocktails before the show. People were everywhere sitting on the fake lawns, packed to tables and all having a pretty good time. They also had pretty decent restrooms for an event venue that is open to the public. Pretty fun for all ages and a nice place to relax while chilling on the South Bank.

If I had kids and wanted to take them somewhere in London that I could enjoy as well - Udderbelly…read morewould probably be that place! There's a decent range of beers to choose from at standard London prices, plenty of places to sit - both covered and uncovered for that 1 hour of sunshine, and plenty of activities going on (some ticketed) to entertain the masses! Something for everyone really!