Tag: London News
All the latest from London, the capital of the UK, home to the UK’s largest gay community.
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LBC Radio Presenter Iain Dale Slams Ivan Massow Mayoral Campaign Video
Long-time LBC presenter Iain Dale has slammed Ivan Massow’s latest mayoral campaign video as “buttock-clenchingly awful”.
The out LBC presenter Iain Dale tweeted his disapproval of Ivan Massow‘s latest mayoral campaign video calling it “possibly the worst campaign video” he had ever seen.
Comments for the video have been disabled on YouTube but that didn’t stop Iain Dale having at pop at Massow, calling the campaign “buttock-clenchingly awful”.
In an interview with THEGAYUK Ivan Massow told us: Having spent the last year “visiting various London institutions… hospices, meals on wheels, homeless shelters, tube digs…And every Housing Association in London…developers, [and] planning departments” and he is now keen to take this a step further, over the course of a month, he wants to spend each night staying with a different London-based family, to find out what bugs London about London.
In direct response to Dale, Massow tweeted: “the idea is to hear from Londoners directly about their own area.”
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Dannii Minogue To Make UK Return To Music Scene
Darlings… we are officially excited and usually that takes a lot. Dannii, yes of the Minogues is making a return to the UK.
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REVIEW | Supreme Fabulettes At Leicester Square 2015
Wigs at the ready, the Supreme Fabulettes are back…
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IVAN MASSOW: Video Hits 500K Views
London Mayor hopeful, Ivan Massow, has amassed nearly 500,000 views on his viral video.
Streaking ahead as a firm favourite for Londoners, the openly gay, self-made millionaire, has seen the video created for his campaign to make Londoners aware of Massow, uploaded a month ago, has reached nearly half a million hits on Facebook and 40,000 on YouTube.
The video has attracted over 2500 likes and 548 shares. In the video, Ivan tells the audience that he is gay, that he’s an activist, an ex-alcohol and that he has dyslexia. He mentions that he is adopted and that he is a disruptor. Along with Brighton born Ivan, 47, Andrew Boff, Sol Campbell, Simon Fawthrop, Zac Goldsmith and Stephen Greenhalgh are the Conservative candidates that have declared.Meet Ivan Massow. He wants to be the next Mayor of London, and here's why. Posted by Ivan Massow on Monday, 18 May 2015
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Naked Streaking For Tigers Makes A Comeback
Naked streaking across London Zoo is back… and it’s for Tigers…
This is the kind of story we love. People getting naked for a cause. Hurrah.
The Zoological Society of London an international conservation charity, is looking for men and women to get naked and streak through the heart of London Zoo to bring awareness and raise money for the endangered tiger. Over the last two years, the streak has raised a whopping £115K. The funds go towards helping ZSL’s work for wildlife and conservation projects.
Ali Corbett, Challenge Events Manager, at ZSL, said: “We can’t wait to welcome racy runners to ZSL London Zoo for the only official streak in London!
“Over the past two years the risqué run has raised more than £115k for tiger conservation, and we’re hoping this year we can inspire courageous cat-lovers to bare all and help us raise even more funds to continue our work for wildlife.”
The 300 places available are being pounced on fast, sign up at www.zsl.org/streak
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Fundraising Evening Raises Emergency Funding For HIV Patients
Over £1,000 has been raised to provide emergency nonclinical support for members of the Bloomsbury Patient Network at a Robert Grace Trust fundraising evening.
For the last five years donations from the charity have provided support for patients of the Bloomsbury Clinic – one of the largest HIV clinics in Europe.
The £1,100 raised will support patients in need at times of crisis and to help them engage in their care. Some items that have been purchased in the past include groceries, powdered milk for babies, school uniforms, beds, mattresses, fridges, cookers and hostel accommodation. The fund also subsidises travel and child care so that patients can attend the Bloomsbury Network’s events.
Christopher Sandford, Patient Representative at the Bloomsbury Clinic, said,
“The emergency fund is designed to help people when they have no-one else to turn to in times of crisis. If someone cannot afford to eat, or has nowhere to live, or can’t send their children to school, can’t afford the fares to attend the clinic, then you can’t expect people to take their medication effectively and stay healthy.
“We are grateful to the Robert Grace Trust for their continued support of our work. So many people’s lives have been filled with hope thanks to the fund.”
Attendees enjoyed wine and nibbles as the speakers – Patricia Pearson, Chair of the Robert Grace Trust; Dr Laura Waters, Consultant Physician at the Bloomsbury Clinic; and Christopher Sandford – discussed recent developments in HIV treatment and the difference the emergency fund has made.
Sean, a patient who volunteered at the fundraiser, said:
“I just wanted to say how moved and proud I was listening to the presentations. When I think back to that first year of diagnosis there was so much to adjust to and joining the Bloomsbury Network has meant everything to me in terms of keeping me healthy, stable and supported. That is thanks to the incredible work that the Patient Representative Team does, building a supportive welcoming community. It is truly one of my favourite places to be. I was so moved listening to the stories from the emergency fund and so inspired by the idea of how the patient representatives are empowering so many people and transforming lives, including mine.”
The Bloomsbury Patient Network, run by three patient representatives, offers peer support for people to live positively with their HIV diagnosis. They offer a range of social, educational and motivational events thought the year.
Robert Grace was a South-African architect and a patient of the Bloomsbury Clinic. The Trust was founded in his memory after he passed away in 1987 to provide emergency support for patients and carers.
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London Gay and Drag Pub Up For Sale
After a spate of closures on London’s gay scene Molly Moggs is up for sale.
The popular Molly Moggs pub on the corner of Old Compton Street and Charing Cross Road is apparently up for sale according to GayStarNews.
The Alan Sugar owned pub’s leasehold is up for grabs for £275,000, however, the pub’s staff has not been told about the pub’s future.Molly Moggs is set in a listed building so only the leasehold is available to purchase and it is likely to remain a pub because of the licensing conditions, this is not a guarantee that it will remain a gay venue once new owners are found.
According to GSN, the listing for the pub suggests, “An initial discreet viewing on a customer basis is required. Staff are unaware and should not be approached.”
The London gay scene has seen a number of venues close. The Black Cap, The Joiners Arms, Barcode, The Green Carnation are just some of the businesses which have been shuttered in recent years.
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THEATRE REVIEW | Bend It Like Beckham
★★★★★ | Bend It Like Beckham
Does a musical version of the hit film “Bend it Like Beckham” work? You bet it does!
The plot from the film is successfully transformed into a fantastic singing and dancing musical with a clever set, memorable songs, superb costumes and an excellent cast.
Natalie Dew is amazing as Jess, a young woman coming of age in a Sikh household in the Asian community of Southall, London in 2002. She loves the game of football, enough so that she’s got two large posters of David Beckham in her bedroom.
One day Jess is spotted playing football by Jules (Lauren Samuels, playing the Keira Knightley role from the film) who plays for the Hounslow Harriers team. Jess goes along to one of the team’s practices where coach Joe (Jamie Campbell Bowen) takes in interest in her playing, as well as in her, and Jess decides to play for the team, without telling her parents. She knows that her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bhamra (Tony Jayawardena and Natasha Jayetileke), will forbid her from playing the game that she absolutely loves.
Coach Joe feels that Jess is good enough to make the England team, and along with Jules, they urge her to stay in the game, even after her parents do find out. Meanwhile, Jess’s older sister Pinky (Preeya Kalidas) is about to get married to a man whose family thinks that Pinky is not suitable for their son. But all Mr. and Mrs. Bhamra want is the best for their daughters, they worked hard and have provided a good life for them and they want them to continue to live, and follow, their traditional Sikh life. But Jesse has a dream, and she wants to play for England, but will her parents stop her from fulfilling this dream?
To say Bend it Like Beckham is a feel good show is an understatement. From start to finish we are treated to a very vibrant and colourful spectacle, the likes which we haven’t seen in the West End in a long time. And the cast is perfect. Drew brings just the right amount of vulnerability and youthness to the role of Jess – it’s like the part was specifically written for her. Kalidas as Pinky brings the show punch, sass, and vavavoom. Jamel Andreas is very good as Jess’s best friend Tony who is perfect for Jess, perhaps too perfect. Other standouts include Sophie-Louise Dann as Jule’s blond mom, she’s sassy, funny and a blond bombshell. And Rekha Sawhney beautifully sings a traditional wedding song called, Sadaa Chardhdi Kalaa that will mesmerize you.
Gurinder Chadha, who wrote and directed the movie, which is set in the pre 9/11 era, also wrote (with Paul Mayeda Berges) and directed this stage version. She’s captured the spirit of Jess and her love of the game that most British people can relate to, and has given us a show that at no point gets boring or drags – it’s dialogue is very witty yet very dramatic. And the whole cast do wonders with it, and with the set that changes from a shopping street, to Mr. and Mrs. Bhamra’s living room, to an actual football field, all cleverly done. And the show wouldn’t have the name ‘Beckham’ in it if he didn’t make an appearance. The actual David Beckham is NOT in the show, but a lookalike is (along with a Victoria Beckham lookalike).
Let’s hope the real David Beckham goes to see it, he will absolutely love it.
Bend it Like Beckham is playing at The Phoenix Theatre.