"I was dreamin' when I wrote this, so sue me if I go to fast…read moreBut life is just a party and parties weren't meant to last" Wow, just Wow!! Had an amazing time at the Hop Farm festival this weekend, with Prince being the icing on the cake. What a showman, he really knows how to rock a festival!! Hop Farm Festival is now in its 4th year and for the first time was extended to three days. Organised by the legendary Vince Power this festival looks set to grow and grow. The acts range from new bands to old legends, including The Eagles, Morrissey, Carl Barat, Newton Faulkner, Aloe Black, Ocean Colour Scene, Tim Booth, Imelda May, Frankie and The Heartstrings and many more. The festival has three stages, and and comedy night once the music has finished. The facilities were fantastic - the toilets were clean and 9 times out of 10 had loo roll and hand sanitiser (i know, at a festival!). The bars were numerous and well staffed meaning that you never had to queue for longer than a couple of minutes for a drink. For beer or cider you had to pay a £3 deposit for a plastic cup which was then refundable at the end of the night - a great idea to keep waste levels down. On this note, the area was cleaned on a regular basis which was fantastic. The food stands were numerous and a little hit and miss. Great hog roast, burritos and churros but the paella and Jimmy's Farm burger were a little disappointing. Camping facilities were good and not to far away from the arena. Could have done with a few more showers but at least they were hot. This is a fairly civilised festival which seems to appeal to people of all ages. A great starter if you don't feel quite ready for the madness of the likes of Glastonbury or Reading!!

Love box Festival isn't just a music festival, It's much more than that…read more It's an escape with all it's beery, sweaty glory. In the midsummer Victoria Park played host to a crowd of beery, sweaty, joyous, feeling the love group of people, coming to take in hours upon hours of great music performed live by some of the greatest artists and DJ''s around. A sweltering dustbowl of Victoria park was full of vivid colours, four stage, fun fair, food Stalls, merchandise. As we groove to the first tent heavy dancing and beats session was to tantalising to miss. Once that was finished, we tucked into a delicious Ostrich burger. Then stroll toward the fairground rides and after recovering from the rides and my organs had settled down from the ordeal we dancing our way into another tent where we bump into random people and started up a dancing frenzy and left.... hehehe....! Bopped over to the Main Stage in between, were Alunageogre D,anglo and Plan. B performed. Overall magnificent.

Pretty decent weekend offering in surprisingly lovely surroundings of Victoria Park, Hackney, East…read moreLondon. It pretty easy to get here (if you know the way from the station!!), just 20 minutes from Camden Road on the overground service, and only 1 pound! We had lots of fun on Saturday watching Manu Chao, Groove Armada, Lethal Bizzle, and possible Wiley! Can't give it 5 stars because of the really stupidly long bar queues, but the rest of the setup is pretty pleasant, and the atmosphere is chilled, no trouble at all.

The Burning of The Clocks is a Brighton tradition that has been going on for nearly two decades. It…read morecelebrates the winter solstice and ushers in the new sun. It's typical of Brighton that this event can attract a vast variety of people, from hippies, to students, families with young kiddies, to the elderly. The event starts with a lantern parade which commences in the centre of town and finishes on the beach, just to the east of the pier. Good viewing spots can be found on Madeira Drive and Marine Parade, but do get there early as it gets pretty busy. There is plenty of music and dancing to keep the crowds entertained until the procession arrives, at which point a large bonfire is lit on the beach, and the homemade lanterns, filled symbolically with hopes and dreams, are placed on the fire to "burn the clocks" and welcome the new sun. All this takes places to the sounds on banging drums creating an evocative atmosphere. The grand finale is a huge fireworks display, lighting the sky, sea and all of beautiful Brighton. This is such a unique event, it's worth popping along to experinence it. It's a little quirky, but yet again makes me happy to live in the eclectic, if slightly crazy, Brighton!

After initial futile attempts at buying tickets for a round of golf at Swingers, I was quick enough…read moreto grab some for a Saturday afternoon slot in an late release advertised on Twitter. I was swayed by the word of mouth and hype and £10 seemed reasonable for access to grounds and a round of crazy golf. It is a nine hole course that is advertised as a 30 minute undertaking, but in reality, the course gets bottlenecked very easily and it took us over an hour to play. It felt like good value for money, but there is quite a bit of queueing between holes (and thankfully a small bar situated in the middle). It's a fun and cleverly designed space with lots of obstacles and even a water feature on the last hole. In the spirit of crazy golf, you will be absolutely awful at it, but so will everyone else in your group, so it's fine. Just try not to get too competitive or you'll only end up frustrated! The staff on the course were dressed the part (luridly) and very chatty when we were asking about the few rules of the game. When we arrived, we were able to get on the course immediately (you are generally given a slot when you buy your tickets and you will be booked in at any time during it). The atmosphere is Hoxton-cool, lots of 20 and 30-somethings with beards and t-shirts. It's relaxed and everything is set up very professionally for a pop-up location. There is a large bar with ciders and craft beers and some resident food trucks at the back of the building. The bar overlooks the golf course, so you can park on a ledge and watch frustrated players hacking away at the Astroturf below. Once we finished our round of golf, we would have happily stayed into the evening for drinks, as the bar is trendy and there was good music playing. However the drinks were very, very expensive- we ordered a double gin and tonic and a pint of beer and it came to approximately £13. That was enough to encourage us to move on to a cheaper location for drinks. The prices for food seemed reasonable, though- about £7 for a pizza on the night that we were there. I would recommend that if you can get tickets to Swingers, you should definitely experience it. It's difficult to find the venue, so make sure you are equipped with GPS! I have never seen crazy club quite like this and it's a fun London activity that will have you laughing through tears of frustration as you watch yourself go over the allowed number of strokes because your ball is inconveniently wedged underneath a bridge obstacle...We were laughing, our neighbours were laughing and some of the more festive players were jumping up and down in good-humoured defeat. Everyone was chatting and enjoying the vibe, though.

After a few fruitless attempts I eventually managed to get booked in for an afternoon at Swingers…read morebefore they disappear again. I booked an afternoon slot on Valentine's Day which probably wasn't my best idea in the world! All in it was a really enjoyable afternoon although bad points would be the cost of the drinks and the burger I had. I can't remember the name of the pop up but it was probably the worst street food burger I've ever tried. As for the golf it was a good laugh but the 9 holes were very tame and it doesn't take long at all to get around. If you can get in I'd definitely recommend it but you'll have to be quick (and maybe take a hip flask!)

LONDON FESTIVAL OF JAPANESE ROPE BONDAGE 2009…read more REVIEW By David Kudish of http://www.kudish.com On a Thursday night in an unpromising-looking corner of the East End, a door was about to be opened into an entirely different world. The Resistance Gallery was hosting the inaugural London Festival of Japanese Rope Bondage and providing the opportunity to witness an art form widely famed for its intertwining of the sacred and profane but often only seen by those already in the know. The gallery is a modern, utilitarian space which had been dressed for the four days of the event as a temple to rope and oriental-influenced erotic art. Welcomed in by an immaculately-dressed geisha, a winding red cloth led into the main space, walls hung with a variety of photographs, prints and ceramics and a large stage, impressively framed in sturdy-looking bamboo, bedecked with intriguing-looking clips and rings. The first evening was dedicated to a drawing and photography session, led by well-known British expert Nawashi Murakawa, responsible for the ropes and red drapery which transformed the gallery. For some of the audience, this was their first live experience of Kinbaku and their intense concentration, as two models were tied together with a series of complex, beautiful knots to the sounds of live Japanese music was almost as fascinating as the display itself. This gentle introduction could not have been a greater contrast to the energetic, diverse evening which followed. The official opening of the art exhibition drew a full house, made up not just of old hands from the kink and fetish scene but complete newcomers, drawn by the festival's coverage in London's papers. Pleasingly, it was soon hard to tell who was who as the friendly crowd mixed and took in the artwork on offer. A video installation by Manuel Vason and renowned British performer and tutor Esinem showed a loop of a bound, suspended model being sprayed with a changing sequence of colours, providing a hypnotic counterpoint to the static pieces around the walls. A variety of styles were represented from the rare and still quite shocking antique Yoshitoshi print The Lonely House on Adachi Moor to the appealing, modern comic style of Ben Newman. Ceramics by Mark Boyce were drawing much attention, their apparently abstract repeated patterns revealing themselves to be clearly erotic images upon deeper inspection. This night set the tone for the rest of the weekend, with a continuing series of performances on the main stage which showcased every aspect of Kinbaku. Models, including the occasional man, were brought from a state of freedom and mobility to complete suspension, hanging from the bamboo frame with rope being used not simply to bind but to decorate, lead and, where necessary, control. It was constantly impressive to observe how a seemingly extreme and painful situation for the models, limbs held in a tight pattern of fibre, resulted in expressions of peaceful contentment on their faces, a fact which clearly reassured some of the newcomers in the crowd. Of course, some models, such as Jess, being tied by her partner Mark, from BeShibari in Belgium, were more feisty and with great humour demonstrated how rope does not always have to be about quiet submission. Saturday was time for learning. Attendees, clearly inspired by the previous two nights, eagerly picked up tricks and techniques from the tutors on hand. Looking about the gallery, the bar staff seemed to be the only people not actually tying or being tied; which was a good thing, given the numbers who came later for the party and filled the place to the rafters, with plenty of rope-work continuing into the night. Sunday saw more workshops and an evening of Japanese art bondage movies, bringing the weekend to a close. Gallery owner Garry Vanderhorne and co-organisers Esinem and Nawashi Murakawa looked exhausted but happy after their four-day marathon and were overheard already cooking up plans for 2010's festival. Judging by the response of this year's crowd, it'll be a sell-out.

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!

I went to thins last year and it rocked!!! I don't know if I'll be going along again this year…read morethough. .

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!

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.