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Category: Review

  • CAR REVIEW | Mercedes E220d convertible AMG line

    CAR REVIEW | Mercedes E220d convertible AMG line

    ★★★★★ | Mercedes E220d convertible AMG

    Mercedes are masters at creating luxurious and stylish convertibles. They have a long and distinguished history of making beautiful and timeless convertible cars.

    One of their latest is the E Class convertible. We were fortunate to have been given an E220d AMG line recently for a week of effortless and stylish cruising in the lap of luxury.

    Mercedes currently offer 3 convertible models. The C class, E Class and S class. The E Class sits right in the middle with a starting price of £45,960.

    Our test car was the E220 convertible diesel, which means it was powered by a 2.0-litre diesel engine producing 194 hp and 400 Nm. 0-62 mph takes 7.7 seconds and the combined mpg is quoted as 57.7 mpg. I wouldn’t dispute this, it was great on fuel, particularly at motorway speeds. For the company car users, the E220d emits 126 g/km of CO2.

    A modern Mercedes is a very nice place to be and with ours being the AMG line with a few of the optional packages ticked; Premium package, parking package, driving assistance package, night package.

    It was very well equipped and particularly well appointed car. 

    Premium package includes; memory package (Memory package allows the driver’s seat, front passenger seat, steering column and exterior mirrors to all be electrically adjusted & stored), parking package (searches for a suitable parking space for you and then helps you with accurate parking) including 360° camera, comand online (media interface, widescreen 12.3-inch cockpit display and touchpad), multibeam led intelligent Light System (To ensure the best possible vision, the LED Intelligent Light System adapts automatically to the prevailing weather, light and driving conditions) and wireless charging. 


    We also had the benefit of the driving assistance package, including: active brake assist, active distance assist distronic, active speed limit assist, active lane keeping assist, evasive steering assist and pre-safe plus (initiates occupant protection measures if a rear-end collision is imminent).

    Our car was the AMG line and in addition to the AMG bodystyling had the night package, which included: 20-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels painted high-gloss black with high sheen finish, diamond radiator grille with integral, Mercedes‑Benz star and a single louvre and some high-gloss black exterior highlights. 


    A really neat feature of the E220d Cabriolet AMG line is the way the multi-layer acoustic fabric roof can be folded down on the move. It can be operated at speeds up to 31 mph and opened or 

    closed in just 20 seconds. It’s great if you’re in traffic and the weather takes a turn for the worst.

    Mercedes airscarf neck-level heating and aircap are standard on this car and another welcome feature for when the sun doesn’t have his hat on. 

    How does it drive? 

    There are a few engine options across the range; In the diesels the E220 that we had, had the 1,950cc, 4-cylinder diesel which produces 194hp/143kW. There’s also a 2,987cc, 6-cylinder diesel producing 340hp/250kW in the E400

    In petrol form there’s a 1,991cc, 4-cylinder petrol engine producing 245hp/180kW in the E300 or 299hp/220kW with EQ Boost of 14hp/10kW in the E350, and a 2,996cc, 6-cylinder petrol producing 367hp/270kW in the E450. If this doesn’t quench your thirst for power, there’s a 2,999cc, 6-cylinder petrol, 435hp/320kW with EQ Boost of 22hp/16kW in the AMG E53 4MATIC+.

    Our test car also had the the excellent 9G-TRONIC PLUS 9-speed automatic gearbox which was great, particularly when cruising and so smooth.

    Mercedes make beautiful cars with stunning interiors and this is no exception. Our AMG line car had a black artico leather/dinamica microfibre upholstery and black open-pore ash wood trim on dashboard and centre console. Brushed aluminium highlights and accents such as the air vent nozzles, door handles and seat controls.

    Ride and handling are superb as you would expect. The AMG line has AMG ride control sports suspension, based on air body control air suspension. The multi-chamber air suspension system with a sporty spring/damper set-up continuously adjusts damping to ensure excellent driving dynamics and a high level of ride comfort. 

    In combination with AMG dynamic select, three pre-set modes (Comfort, Sport and Sport+) are available to deliver a tailored driving experience. 

    In summary, the E220d convertible is a beautiful, stylish and very well engineered car. It’s great to drive, looks amazing and is a practical 4 seat car with the added bonus of being a stunning convertible when you want it to be.

    Prices for the E class convertible start at £45,960.00

  • Shakespeares Sister. The Singles Party 1988- 2019

    ★★★★★ | Shakespeares Sister. The Singles Party 1988- 2019

    Shakespeares Sister blasted onto the scene back in 1988. I’m a lover of the 80’s and yet this passed me by. The whole of the Sacred Heart album was off my radar.

    When l did notice Shakespeares Sisters on TOTP, it was with their third single, ‘You’re History’. I was puzzled. Was that Siobhan Fahey from Bananarama? I knew she had left and was replaced by Jacquie O’Sullivan but until now, I had no idea where she had gone.

    Fahey was always a little left field in the Rama. You hear stories about the 3 girls getting up to no good, and yet Fahey always looked one step ahead.

    I knew nothing about the other woman with the mesmerising soprano shrill of a voice screeching out “YOU’RE HISTORY” from that song. This was all pre-internet days so I had to wait for the latest Smash Hits magazine to find out. She was an American, born in Michigan and went under the name of Marcella Detroit.

    Here then are 2 women from widely differing areas of music, coming together and making music like no other music out there. Fahey’s deep tones (sometimes with menace in them) blending in with the soprano pitch beautifully of Detroit’s.

    It wasn’t until their second album, Hormonally Yours in 1992 that l really took notice albeit not from their biggest hit ‘Stay’ but from ‘I Don’t Care’. I rushed out and bought the new album and Sacred Heart from 1988.

    Suddenly I’m crazy about the Sisters. The tunes, the stories within the music take you all over the place. Little did a 17 year old Stuart know that there was rot building within the Sisters and suddenly the party was over. No third album.

    Actually there was a third album released, titled #3 in 2004. Some 12 years after the Sisters split. I have it (I like back catalogues of artists I like even if I’m not keen on an album) and it’s nothing like what we had heard before. Without Detroit’s voice, Shakespeares Sister is missing the edge.

    And then comes 2009’s Song’s from the Red Room. There is a good vibe about this album that took almost 7 years to release with 3 songs released since 2002 – 2005 and the final to promote the album, the surprisingly genius “It’s a Trip” in 2010. Reviews for this album were mostly favourable.

    But just when the Sisters were at their height, it stopped and nothing since was as successful for Fahey. Detroit did release the excellent though moderately successful ‘Jewel’ in 1994.

    And so to 2019 when I spotted the Sisters talking on breakfast TV. Their vicious split, a thing of the past. Fahey, it would seem had put the demons (whatever they really where) behind her and both she and Detroit had started working together. I was excited.

    And so to the ‘Singles Party’ album. It is a bit of a greatest hits album. There are 18 songs on CD1 from all the albums Shakespeares Sister released and 2 new songs. CD2 is full of 14 remixes.

    It’s ‘All the Queens Horses’ where we find the Sisters kissing and making up and the accompanying video is typical with a hint of irony and malice thrown in. It’s not quite the same kind of music that should have followed from 1992’s seminal album ‘Hormonally Yours’ but it’s a start and to be honest, the Sisters have 27 years of catching up to do.

    The CD does include a booklet with an interview about how they reconciled their differences but you are left wanting a bit more dirt. However, I’m just glad they are back together. Long Live the Queens.

    Available now.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Falsettos, London

    THEATRE REVIEW | Falsettos, London

    ★★★★| Falsettos


    A dysfunctional Jewish family is at the heart of the new show Falsettos.

    Now playing at The Other Place theatre near Victoria Station, Falsettos is a funny, toe-tapping, well-acted and sung musical set in NYC in the late 70s and early ’80s. But later in the show reality kicks in and the show takes a turn.

    The show opens with the hilarious song ‘Four Jews in a Room Bitching.’ The four Jews include Trina (a wonderful Laura Pitt-Pulford), and Marvin (a very good Daniel Boys), who were married with a young son Jason (various actors play the part but on the night I saw it it was a fantastic George Kennedy).

    However Marvin turned gay when he meets, and falls in love with, Whizzer (Oliver Savile), and they move in together, leaving Trina single. But the family is recommended to go see a shrink Mendel  – (Joel Montague) to accept their new circumstances. It all becomes very confusing for Jason, who spends most of his time alone in his bedroom with no friends to hang out with. Jason and Whizzer become very close and it’s Whizzer who tells Jason to see the shrink as well. Trina and Mendel soon fall in and all seems fine with everyone, but suddenly Marvin and Whizzer break up, and then Whizzer starts getting sick.

    As it’s the early 1980’s in NYC, it’s no surprise what disease Whizzer is struck with.

    The show then unexpectedly turns very dark, so unlike the first half which was hilarious and fun!

    When Falsettos first premiered on Broadway in 1992 theatre audiences (a lot of them gay men) were just getting over the multitude of deaths from the 1980’s AIDS crises, a chapter in LGBT history that is dark and grim. But through its storytelling via music (Pit-Pulford brings the house down with songs ‘Trina’s Song’ and ‘Holding to the Ground’), and a wicked sense of humour (the funniest moment is when the second half opens and Mendel points to an audience member and says ‘you are a homosexual.’)

    Falsettos will set the right notes for your theatre-going experience. The cast is all wonderful (give Pitt-Pulford an award pronto).

    This show, directed by Tara Overfield-Wilkinson, succeeds in it’s first showing in London in a venue where every seat is good, and with a very good cast.

  • FILM REVIEW | The Shiny Shrimps

    FILM REVIEW | The Shiny Shrimps

    ★★★★ | The Shiny Shrimps

    A gay water polo team struggles to compete amidst personal dramas on their way to the Gay Games in the fun, camp and hilarious film The Shiny Shrimps.

    In French with English subtitles, and directed by co-directors and co-authors Cédric Le Gallo (a real-life Shrimp) and Maxime Govare, ‘The Shiny Shrimps is a cross between Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Pride, with a road trip film interspersed with lots of melodrama!

    When straight world champion swimmer Matthias Le Goff (Nicolas Gob) makes a homophobic remark on television, he tries to redeem himself, at the direction of the swimming federation, by being tasked to train The Shiny Shrimps – a Parisian gay water polo team (and purely not athletes) who are in the sport purely for the social aspect of it as well as to be able to perform dance routines and dress up in competitions. So Goff has a huge task ahead of him. all the meanwhile trying to impress his young daughter.

    Other men on the team have their own issues; Cédric is married with two kids and his partner says the water polo team is taking him away from his family, while Jean has health issues he’s yet to divulge to the team, and another team member is newly out and is about to have the time of his life. We are too when the Shrimps travel, by bus, to the Gay Games in Croatia.

    It’s a road trip like no other; they camp it up to the extreme while love, and sadly homophobia, comes into play. And once they get to the games they’ll attempt to make their mark in any way they can.

    The Shiny Shrimps is so much fun to watch it’ll make you want to join some sort of sports team to experience what you’ve just seen in the film. And the cast are having lots of fun, with each actor perfectly suited for in roles. The Shiny Shrimps is une joie.

    ‘The Shiny Shrimps’ is out now in UK cinemas

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Jidori, London

    RESTAURANT REVIEW | Jidori, London

    ★★★★ | Jidori, London

    £72 for 10 dishes, with one dish better than the next, with cocktails? Where does one find a restaurant like this? Japanese restaurant Jidori, that’s where.

    Now with two branches, one in Covent Garden and one in Dalston, Jidori is a yakitori restaurant (skewered chicken) whose name is taken from a special breed of free-range chickens renowned for their flavour and freshness – and after having eaten there, I can attest that Jidori’s chicken is just simply flavourful and delicious. But Jidori is also more than just chicken, they have lots and lots of other incredible dishes, starting out with their House Pickles dish. How can pickles be so good and different? Well, Jidori’s comes beautifully presented and also includes mushrooms, cauliflower, white radish and carrots – a very good selection and a steal at only £5.

    On our visit, I and my dining companion had bits and pieces from the varied menu, including the Karaage from the small plates menu. These were four nicely-sized chicken wings (more meat and less bone) which were deep-fried in sake and ginger, cooked with katsu bread crumbs, and were just absolutely sumptuous, with a mustard and mayo dip that only added to the flavour. These were absolutely delicious (£7). Another star dish that was so unlike anything I’ve ever had before (no chicken here!) was the Tuna Tostada. It consisted of tuna, avocado and jalapeño on top of a crispy fried rice shell, and where the tuna was not very tuna-tasting, but overall it was an amazing blend of food and flavour in a small package – highly recommended (£9). Dish number 4 was the Gyoza (prawn or vegetables) dumplings (£6), onions sprinkled on top, with a black vinegar dipping sauce. These were your standard run of the mill dumplings and the least overwhelming of the 8 dishes we tasted, a bit pricey at £9 but they were still very good.

    From the Kushiyaki menu (poultry and non-poultry items, skewered and grilled) we had the Nasu – Miso glazed aubergines on a stick, with sesames and onions sprinkled on top, were gentle and good and a nice dish to have in between the chicken dishes (£4.5). Dish number 6 was the Tsukune (Yakitori) – minced chicken with egg yolk as a dipping sauce. The chicken here (two pieces – both on sticks) tasted like meat as it was in the shape of a sausage – very good and very different, and very hardy (£5.5). Also from the Yakitori menu, we had the Momo – 6 small chicken thighs – 3 on each stick – which were flame-grilled and had a distinctive flavour and were just absolutely juicy, moist and the miso and coriander added quite intensely to the flavour – these are highly recommended at a bargain price of £5.20. Dish 8 was a side of the Rice, egg yolk, sesame & nori.

    Desserts were not to be missed! For something a bit different go for the Ginger ice cream with miso caramel and, to give it a twist, sweet potato crisps and sesame seeds on top – very yummy – and I was a bit jealous as my dining companion had ordered it :(. We didn’t try the Milk pudding, strawberries, shiso and cucumber granita but I had the Yuzi & lemon sorbet with unpasteurized sake – very refreshing on what was a very very hot day.

    Also refreshing were the drinks. The Ginger Ninja was what was desperately needed on that hot day – it was a blend of gin, fresh ginger juice, yuzu and Asahi beer. Yellowish in colour, the mixture of the ginger juice and beer was just perfect (£7.5). My dining companion had the Umeshu Spritz. He likes wine so he enjoyed it which included Japanese plum wine, Aperol, gin, ume bitters and soda. For me, it had a strong wine taste but for him, it was just perfect (£6.50).

    Also perfect is the restaurant itself and the waitstaff. As we didn’t know what to order as most of these dishes we had never heard of before, the waiter gave us his suggestions and we went with them, and we were glad we did! The restaurant is cosy in a Japanese sort of way with several rooms and floors (in Covent Garden) with plenty of space for singles, couples and larger parties, with a Karaoke room that is available to hire for groups of 8-12 where Jidori offers a tasting menu which covers a lot of the Jidori classic dishes, plus use of the room, powered by Lucky Voice (for 2.5 hours) all for £40 per person. On weekends they offer 2 sittings per evening of 6.30pm – 9pmAND 9.30pm – midnight. On weeknights, they offer one sitting per evening.

    The Dalston branch has a bit of a different menu but no doubt the quality of the food, and the prices, are just as good as Covent Garden. Jidori is excellent value for the money, and where the food is different yet delicious.

    https://www.jidori.co.uk

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Rouge, London

    THEATRE REVIEW | Rouge, London

    ★★★ | Rouge

    The final headline act the 2019 Underbelly Festival Southbank is the Australian circus cabaret act Rouge. The award-winning group is in a long line of acts that have played at the famous Southbank venue, the most memorable of them Little Death Club – a naughty but nice cabaret act from Berlin that tore the house on fire. While Rouge doesn’t quite attain this level of scandal (and nudity), they give the audience what they want: jaw-dropping acrobatics, skin, and lots and lots of chairs.

    The cast includes the mind-bending Cyr wheel action and the phenomenal fire routines of Jessie Mckibbin, astonishing acrobatic feats from Lyndon Johnson, Liam DeJong and Madison Burleigh, aerial antics and more than a little cheek from dancer Paul Westbrook, plus the powerhouse operatic vocals of Issie Hart (who had laryngitis the night we were there).

    The sexy Westbrook is the emcee for the evening – all he really needs to do is just stand on stage and that would be enough! But he’s got a job to do – not just to emcee but also to perform in some of the acrobatics – and perform he does!

    Rouge is 60 minutes of twirling (the acts) and slurping (you – from drinks at the bar). And at the end of the show, you can meet the cast at the bar outside – what other show lets you do that? So go on and experience a naughty night – at the hands of Rouge!

    Rouge plays at Underbelly until Sunday 15 September 2019. Book tickets here 

     

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | The Hayden, London

    RESTAURANT REVIEW | The Hayden, London

    ★★★★ | The Hayden, London

    There are lots of pubs in London that serve food but only a small handful where the food is excellent. The Hayden is one of these.

    The Hayden is serving classic pub and is well worth the trip to Westbourne Grove. Their menu is a superb take on many classics, but of higher quality.

    The slow-cooked BBQ Ribs were perfect! 2×6 pork ribs (12 in total) where the meat literally was very easy to tear off from the bone with a fork (no need to get your fingers messy), was very succulent, tender, and came with sumptuous bourbon BBQ sauce (tasty and yummy), and were the best ribs I’ve had in years. The ribs came with a large bowl of skin-on fries and a small salad for a bargain £17. I have been craving ribs for a long time and these filled the bill! My dining companion had the Pan-Fried Sea Bass. They were two smallish chunks served over tomato & mascarpone sauce, with asparagus and saffron braised fennel, and for him, it was a nice summer dish – not too heavy and no bones which made it easy to eat (£17.50). A man at the table next to us had the mouth-watering looking Sirloin 8oz steak – it was nicely grilled and nicely sized – and he looked like he was enjoying it (£19.50)!

    We actually started the meal with, I failed to mention, starters, and both were just perfect. The Original Popcorn Shrimp, well cooked and plentiful, served with sweet chilli sauce, is highly recommended (£9). Very tasty and very good quality. The Pulled Chicken quesadillas – four, nicely-sized, browned all over and not too cheesy (mature cheddar), with a few jalapeños (not spicy), and a side of guacamole was a large portion, (and cheaply priced at £7), and was also very very good.

    At times cocktail menus at pubs all blend into one, however, The Hayden has a special cocktail that will satisfy your thirst and knock your socks off! You have to, have to, try the Chora (it’s NOT on the online menu but on the drinks menu at the pub). It’s a beautiful-looking vodka drink made with lime juice, egg whites, cinnamon & almond syrup (producing a luscious foam froth) with Skinis Mastiha Liqueur (white Greek spirit made from resin). The Chora was just divine. The little flower on top of the foam added to the beauty of the drink (it was almost, I say almost, too beautiful to drink). Very sweet, beautiful burst of colours, delicious, refreshing and superb to say the least (£10.50). I also had the Watermelon Refresher (£7.50) and it tasted more icy and watery then watermelony (is that even a word)? My companion had the Red Pinot Noir with his dinner, he said it was fine, and a small glass is nicely priced at £7.25).

    Now on to the desserts. My companion is an expert at cheesecake – and he simply devoured his. It was light and lively and a nice size, served with raspberry jam (£5), while I had the Eton Mess which had chunks of strawberries and chunks of meringue. It was cream heavy which I find most desserts are (£6). I long for the days when I will see healthy desserts (fruit dish & sorbet anyone?). Desserts are always creamy, dairy, and very full of chocolate, but the desserts at The Hayden were again, very good.

    The Hayden has a cool pub look; dark interiors, with plenty of tables, a nice size fireplace – and a private area if you have a semi-large party and want some privacy. The night we were there there were lots of customers with American accents – I guess being in the vicinity of Notting Hill it’s a bit of an American enclave. But the pub is not just for locals. It’s on a strip where there are lots of cheap dining options (Nando’s is next door, Tinseltown Diner a block away, and a Gourmet Burger Kitchen across the street). Just bypass these and go directly into The Hayden.

    I guarantee you The Hayden will have better chicken (Half corn-fed Rotisserie Chicken @ £16.50), better burgers (various types at between £14.50 and £16.50, with skin on fries), and The Hayden will sure beat the diner food they serve down the road.

    And if you go to The Hayden Mon-Wed, you get 30% off your food. Or there is a set menu Mon – Fri until 7 pm where you get 2 courses for £16.50. And there are 2-4-1 cocktails from 5-7 pm Mon-Wed and Thurs & Friday 12 noon to 7 pm.

    There is plenty on the menu at The Hayden to keep wanting to go back for more. It’s a cool pub that’s also a perfect spot for drinks at the bar – but eating there is a must. With very staff, a trendy but not too trendy vibe, and great food and drinks – what more from a pub could you ask for?

    https://www.haydennottinghill.com

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Bōkan, London

    RESTAURANT REVIEW | Bōkan, London

    ★★★★ | Bōkan, London

    Three floors of great food, drinks, and a spectacular view is what Bōkan is all about.

    Located across the water from the Heron Quays DLR stop in the Southwestern section of Canary Wharf, Bōkan is on top of the Novotel hotel building – it’s a bit hard to find and a bit in the middle of nowhere, but once you arrive you will be rewarded.

    Bōkanis on the 37th, 38th and 39th floors of the hotel, and as you can imagine, the views facing west (and south and north) are simply stunning, with the Thames almost literally at the foot of the hotel, and the buildings of the Shard and the City, along with Tower Bridge, straight ahead, and the new high rises of Vauxhall in the distance. The views are superb in either cloudy or sunny weather, day or night. The early evening we were there it was still light on a cloudy day but as it got darker the clouds added a cool effect to the view.

    Start your evening with a cocktail in the bar (38th floor). Their cocktail menu is limitless. We had two amazing drinks – the delicious Flying Dutchman (orange in colour, with unique ingredients including mandarin with ginger beer, and Peroni, with lime and corn wine topped with a cherry and a lemon skin twist), and the other was the Dark Whale – which was a notch better than the Dutchman and included rum, lime, mandarin, mint, ginger beer, and aromas of cinnamon, dark chocolate and unmistakable Angostura aromatic bitters for an explosion of flavours. Their cocktails are unique and tasty and very affordable in a bar that is laid back and not stuffy at all – very cool, just like the drinks!

    We were given a filo pastry over a mix of beetroot and apple as a pre-meal treat – it was interesting and inventive and tangy. One starter was a chilled dish, light and fresh: steamed organic hen’s egg which was well complemented by fresh tomatoes and creamy goats cheese and perfect for a summer evening, and was a beautiful looking and very colourful dish, while the courgette cannelloni with a small slice of watermelon was adventurous and quite different, but the bisque foam sauce did not enhance the dish.

    Dinner was a struggle to chose. Bōkan offers a sunset menu (£37) and an a la carte menu. We chose the Sunset menu (served before 6 pm every night) and we were glad we did as it’s excellent value with three courses. My main course of Osso Bucco (Short rib) was just perfect. Tender and succulent meat was accompanied with perfectly cooked mash and was topped with gorgeous baby carrots and strips of lemongrass. Every bite was mouthwatering. My dining companion had the Josper grilled cod with vegetables. The sugar snap peas contrasted perfectly with the saltiness of the samphire, all further enhanced by the rich butteriness of the hollandaise sauce. The dish was chunky, juicy and very flavoursome.

    As one would expect desserts were fantastic. The creme brulee with fresh blackberries and ice cream was one of the best – a thin caramel shell to break over the creamy brulee filling combined with a fruity coulis and the burnt toffee flavour of the sugar shell made it special. Meanwhile, the Ivory chocolate mousse, crunchy coconut, pineapple & ginger compote with coconut sorbet was a perfect way to end a dinner – it was not heavy and the crunchiness was a nice change – and it was not that filing.

    With Bōkan being an upscale modern European restaurant, the wines are très fabuleux! We were served the Asiato wine – Portuguese wine – which was a bit sweet but not too much – it went down very well and was a great accompaniment to our main courses. Other wines Bōkanserve include wines from every region imaginable – UK, Italy, New Zealand, Spain – the list goes on. The Graham’s port is a great way to end the meal – they have several so pick one – anyone!

    After our dinner, we retired to the 39th floor which is the outdoor space, and the very top of the building. It’s nice and cosy and, as you can imagine, it’s all about the views. If you do nothing more when you go to Bōkan and just have a drink in the outdoor terrace then you’re missing out on a great experience of both the 37th and 38th floors.

    Executive Chef Guillaume Gillan (protégé of the late Joël Robuchon) succeeds in bringing delicious dishes to Canary Wharf, with the added pleasures for cocktail lovers to enjoy the 38th-floor bar and 39th-floor rooftop terrace for a tranquil escape from the buzz of city life. Bōkan is a true experience in dining and drinking, with each floor a destination in itself. It is a place I want to experience again.

    Bōkan
    Floor 37-39, 40 Marsh Wall, London E14 9TP
    T: 020 3530 0550E: hello@bokanlondon.co.uk

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Girl On The Train – Birmingham

    THEATRE REVIEW | The Girl On The Train – Birmingham

    ★★★ | The Girl On The Train – National Tour / Birmingham

    Based on the best selling book by Paula Hawkins, The Girl On The Train stars Samantha Womack (Eastenders) as Rachel Watson, a troubled woman who romanticises about a couple she sees from her commuter train window every day, as she imagines the life she could have had. When one of the couple goes missing, she finds herself drawn into the mystery; but the gaps in her memory and her inability to separate out reality from her fantasy leads to her becoming a suspect in the woman’s disappearance.

    Samantha Womack is entertaining as Rachel and she is ably supported by a small but proficient cast. The set changes are fairly slick, the set is sufficiently detailed, and the lighting and sound design all compliment the mood of the piece.

    But for a thriller to work, it’s the story that counts, and over the course of the first act, the plot developed nicely and pulled in the audience, with a narrative which blurred fact and fiction, and imagination and reality; but as the second act unfolded the story became increasingly convoluted with a few too many red herrings and clumsy plot twists for it to maintain its momentum.

    Having not read the book or seen the film, I’m not sure whether fans of either will find enjoyment or disappointment in this play, but as a standalone piece of theatre, it is competently presented and entertaining enough, but not a show which I would imagine will go on to become a classic.

    The Girl on the Train is at The Alexandra, Birmingham until the 31st August 2019. Book tickets now

    This review was taken from a showing at Sheffield and does not account for any cast changes or changes to the direction since then.*

  • MOTORCYCLE REVIEW | Ducati 1100 Scrambler Sport

    MOTORCYCLE REVIEW | Ducati 1100 Scrambler Sport

    ★★★★★ | Ducati 1100 Scrambler Sport

    With the decline is sports bike sales, manufacturers have had to look elsewhere. They have had to find more creative ways to sell motorcycles and one of the ways has been to develop categories such as adventure and retro bikes. That’s brilliant for me, I love both.

    Ducati has arguably one of the most distinctive retro models on the market at the moment with the scrambler range of motorcycles. They have created a stylish, alluring range that is modern with a provenance that can be traced back to the Ducati Scramblers of the ’60s & ’70s, for many of us these were the bikes of our youth. It’s all in the genes.

    The Scrambler 1100 range consists of; standard 1100, the Special and the Sport. Our test bike was the sport which means it had fully-adjustable Öhlins suspension all ‘round, very sexy.

    Ducati has fitted fully adjustable 48mm USD forks at the front and a fully adjustable Öhlins unit at the rear. Both are superb and needed little or no adjustment apart from a sniff more preload at the rear as I am probably best described as ‘well built’.

    For the Sport, Weight is up very slightly from the standard bike’s 186kg to 189kg, probably due to the Öhlins suspension which is well worth it.

    Brakes are excellent, very progressive and incredibly capable. They lack a bit of initial bite but this is typical of modern bikes with ABS. Ducati has fitted twin 320mm discs with Brembo radial monobloc callipers at the front and a 245mm disc, with single-piston at the rear. As you would expect, cornering ABS is standard equipment.

    Styling is a real focus of this bike, we’ll come back to this point shortly. A steel teardrop fuel tank with interchangeable aluminium side panels dominates your view. It’s unique and looks great in my opinion. Wheels are machine-finished 10-spoke, flat-track style and really work for me.

    With the comfortable, flat seat, wide bars and retro styling, the Scrambler is gorgeous. It’s thoroughly modern but beautifully retro. Simply, the best of both worlds.

    I even found myself wearing different riding gear to suit the style of the bike. Tucano Urbano Sneaker Marty motorcycle boots, Richa Infinity 2 jacket and Richa black motorcycle jeans. This definitely suited the style of bike and riding and was really comfortable.

    Ducati has used the 1100cc (1,079 cc) air-cooled L-twin engine which has been around for a while now but is dripping with character and is a punchy engine.

    As is usual with modern motorcycles, there is a full suite of electronics to keep us safe. Traction Control, 3 Riding Modes (Active, Journey and City), Ducati Safety Pack (Cornering ABS + DTC- traction control), RbW (fly by wire throttle).

    I never changed the rider modes. It doesn’t make crazy power so I just left it in the top mode, Active.

    Off-road I think it might help to soften the power to gain traction. By the way, the underside of scrambler sport is completely unprotected, so if you do go off-road, be mindful.

    Power is a relatively modest 85bhp and 88Nm of torque. This coupled with the retro styling did concern me a little before I picked the bike up. I was worried it could be a little form over function. I didn’t need to bother, it’s a great bike.

    I’m not sure how Ducati have done it. Or even if it is intentional, but the Scrambler is dripping with character. In the morning, when you first fire it up, it has a reluctance that our bikes of old used to have. After a few moments it’s perfectly on song but, first thing, it’s like waking a grumpy teenager. This is not a complaint. In a world where everything works perfectly all the time, it’s a welcome characteristic and makes the bike feel alive.

    While we’re on the subject of character, Ducati has done a great job with the standard exhausts. They bark and pop and generally make a lovely noise. I don’t know how they have done it with ever-tightening legislation, but good for you Ducati.

    What’s it like to ride? It’s really good fun. The gearbox is excellent, with easy clutchless up changes through the ‘box. The suspension is very good and the bike loves to lean.

    Brake hard for a roundabout, pitch the bike on its side in 2nd gear and accelerate hard out again and you’ll be smiling from ear to ear. Leant over, under power, it’s very sure-footed, even on the Pirelli MT60RS semi knobbly tyres. The bike doesn’t move around or feel twitchy at all. This is a very friendly bike to ride at any speed.

    On a motorway, it’s fine up to the legal limit or a bit above. On a private road we got it up to 120mph but after about 90mph, with no wind protection, it gets a bit hard work.

    Where this bike comes alive is everywhere else! B-roads, A-roads, city centres, everywhere. It a hooligan but is made to make you smile.

    The throttle response is excellent and nicely progressive and the wide bars felt a little high at first, but after a few miles, you feel completely at home.

    One of the key features for me is that It’s very friendly. The Scrambler 1100 Sport doesn’t have massive power, but easily enough to have a lot of fun. It is great at low-speed manoeuvring, it’s comfortable, it’s a bit of a hooligan but completely predictable and it looks amazing. What’s not to like. This is a massive win in my book, I’m a big fan.

    Power: 85bhp@7500rpm
    Torque: 65ftlb@4750rpm
    Weight: 189kg (dry)
    Fuel capacity: 15 litres
    Front suspension: Öhlins 48mm USD fully adjustable forks
    Rear suspension: Öhlins fully adjustable single shock
    Engine: 1079cc air-cooled 4 valve L-twin
    Front brakes: 2x320mm discs, 4-piston Monobloc Brembo calliper with cornering ABS
    Rear brake: 245mm disc, single-piston calliper
    Seat height: 810mm
    Price: Scrambler range starts at £10,795

  • The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: Nissan Micra K12 2002 – 2010

    The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: Nissan Micra K12 2002 – 2010

    An irrelevant look at a certain car: Nissan Micra K12 2002 – 2010

    PHOTO: NISSAN UK

    If someone said “Nissan Micra” to you, you’d visualise a queue of traffic. At the front would be a little Micra either being driven by a learner or old lady. In this third guise, Nissan stuck to its guns and refused to invest in dynamics.

    It continued to make the Micra easy to drive. It also made it easy to repair with big plastic bumpers and with those came bodging. Big plastic bumpers covering the majority of the front, made repairs to a smacked in the face Micra easy to disguise. And good job too. Judging by the number of folded in bumpers, parking accidents were quite rife. And why? Because the Micra had grown in size. In doing so, easy to judge extremities of the little hatchback had become lost.

    This was a bad period for Nissan and even worse for the Micra. Quality was lost. I mean, the Micra was never a quality product in the touchy-feely kind of way. You’d never shut the door with your eyes shut and think “sounds like a Golf”.

    Given time, that absurd notion of that idea would completely evaporate anyway when the central locking unit became vocal. VW’s would have just stopped working. Nissan’s just shouted about it in an audible growl of plastic and electrics.

    PHOTO: NISSAN UK

    FYI, You could get some Nissan Micra merchandise. Just thought I’d let you know. To be honest, I’m trying to find some more words for this GBU.

    In the driving of the Micra, I’m trying to think of a descriptive word to save on word count. Foul is pretty good but then so too is mind-numbingly dull. It was a car that was wasted on good tyres. Forget the standard-fit Continentals, fit remoulds! The vague steering could make even the stickiest racing slicks feel lifeless. Imagine a date with a cast member of Love Island that involved trying to make conversation.

    The previous mach of Micra: PHOTO: NISSAN UK

    Inside it was just as bad. The light Nissan standard grey plastics made way for European blacks. Even the white heater control buttons couldn’t lift the spirits of the coffin. Sorry, cabin.

    I’ve never seen a dead person drive a Micra yet, even though some have looked pretty close. You see, unlike Micra K10 and K11, this new model was avoided by the young.

    You’d never look at a Micra and think what a fun funky car it was. Even the CC with its metal folding top couldn’t lift you desire like a Ford StreetKa did. You just wouldn’t look back at it, the K12 is that ugly.