Tag: UK

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Plate, London

    ★★★★☆ | Plate, London

    Who wants to have a heavy meal when it’s hot and muggy outside. Well, Plate restaurant offers a light menu that might satisfy you.

    Plate Restaurant, located on City Road minutes from old Street station and in the flashy M by Montcalm Hotel, Plate, the first restaurant by acclaimed Chef Arnaud Stevens, adds to the re-invigoration of the neighbourhood by offering classy French/English dishes in a classy venue.

    When you walk into the Montcalm, you enter into a world of elegance and sophistication.  Head to the restaurant, located upstairs, and it’s even more elegant, refined, and luxurious.

    With a long streamlined bar and tables facing both City Road, Plate has floor to ceiling windows and more tables near the kitchen in the back. We started out with cocktails from their lengthy cocktail list. My dining companion chose the Tom Collins, which was exactly what he wanted – a light and refreshing drink. My Mint Julip sounded good at the time, but the Makers Mark Bourbon in it was extremely strong and powerful – pow! But we were treated to an absolutely fantastic Plate’s Signature Bread Flight Platter. An amazing array of butters (caramelized onion, salted and balsamic), were coupled with three types of bread (marmite, mushroom – shaped like a muffin – and sourdough) – all the butters were divine! This dish is highly recommended. Also highly recommended is the Norfolk Asparagus dish – another amazing array of flavour, which includes bits of warm pork, shallots, and an egg on top, with yummy char-grilled asparagus. Also delicious and fresh was the Sourdough Chili Avocado – and both starters were priced between £7 – £8 each – bargain!

    The mains are a bit thin on the ground. My Creedy Carver Chicken Breast and Thigh consisted of two small pieces of chicken, coupled with two long carrots and lots of kale – with sumptuous gravy. My friend had the Salted Atlantic Hake – served with baby leek and courgette with vanilla mash. It was served in a bowl-sized plate – so all of the food was on top of each other. My friend said it was good, not great. Both dishes were £16 each, quite expensive for what they give you, so not great value for the money. British Isle Rump of lamb, or the Red Kuri Squash Gnocchi, might be better options.

    We were advised by the very nice and professional waiter Amman to order sides, and I’m glad we did. The Caesar salad was topped with a crusty parmesan crouton, and the Agate potatoes were smothered in Cremé Fraiche and dill, both under £4 and both very necessary!

    For dessert I had the recommended Coffee Brulee. It was wonderful, sexy and delicious. My friend had the Caramelised Chocolate Mousse, which was less mousse and more clumps of chocolate, served with a nice soft passion fruit-topped bread. And the topper, however, was the delicious coffee – Musetti – a hard coffee flavour without being bitter.

    For something more relaxed, Plate Bake and Bar – artisanal bakery by day, cocktail bar by night – is located just below Plate restaurant on the ground floor of the M By Montcalm. It is the perfect light and airy space to enjoy a coffee and cake or post-work cocktail.

    Chef, Director and owner Arnaud has worked with some of the world’s most renowned chefs, including Pierre Koffmann, Gordon Ramsay, Jason Atherton and Richard Corrigan, and his unique style at Plate stands out.

    Plate Restaurant is a lovely place to spend an evening with cocktails and food made with care.

    PLATE RESTAURANT & BAR

    At M by MONTCALM
    151-157 CITY ROAD
    SHOREDITCH
    LONDON
    EC1V 1JH

    T 020 3837 3102
    E reservations@platerestaurant.co.uk

    http://www.platecatering.co.uk

    RESTAURANT OPENING HOURS

    Breakfast:
    Monday to Friday: 6.30am to 10.30am
    Weekend: 7am to 11am

    Lunch:
    Daily: 12pm to 3pm

    Dinner:
    Tuesday to Thursday: 6pm to 10.30pm
    Friday and Saturday: 6pm to 11pm
    Sunday and Monday: 6pm to 10pm

  • Owen Jones is encouraging advertisers to drop this radio station

    Owen Jones is encouraging advertisers to drop this radio station

    “The far-right is being normalised by the media”

    Owen Jones
    CREDIT: By Miquel Garcia [CC BY 2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons
    Guardian columnist Owen Jones is urging advertisers to drop the Global radio station, LBC, after suggesting that the outlet is “normalising” the far-right. His campaign started after former UKIP leader, Nigel Farage, who has his own daily show on the station, interviewed former Breitbart co-founder and Donald Trump advisor, Steve Bannon.

    Taking to Twitter Jones wrote, “The threat of the far-right is growing. If fascists like Steve Bannon can be interviewed by his friend on national radio and call for right-wing uprisings and we do nothing – then calamity awaits”

    LBC are legitimising and making mainstream right-wing extremism and fascism, at a time when the far-right is on the march and poses a grave threat to this whole country.

    “And major companies are absolutely directly complicit in it and they have to be held to account”.

    Natwest, McDonald’s, British Gas et al

    The left-wing writer reached out to a number of advertisers, including NatWest, McDonald’s, British Gas and TK Maxx who currently advertise on the station.

    Jones, using Twitter, wrote,
    “…do you want your brand to be associated with right wing extremism? Stop advertising on @Global Radio which gives Nigel Farage his own show”.

    Natwest, who is also a sponsor of the British LGBT Awards and Gay Star News‘s Digital Pride, said that it had no plans to change its advertising strategy.

    In a statement, Natwest said, “We have no current plans to change our advertising strategy, but we will continue to take steps to ensure our advertising doesn’t appear alongside content which is obscene, illegal, or at odds with our values”.

    Jones’ campaign was met with both praise and criticism with some following his example and writing to the advertisers in question asking them to stop sponsoring LBC‘s output. Some, however, criticised the writer for clamping down on free speech.

    Last year Owen Jones fronted a boycott campaign to rid the station of one of its most controversial presenters, Katie Hopkins. Shortly after Hopkins and LBC came to an agreement for her to leave the station. Jones was given a guest presenting spot.

    LBC is a national radio station which encourages listeners to call in and air their views. It has a broad panel of presenters from all sides of the political spectrum. Subjects regularly discussed on the station include, Brexit, Donald Trump as well as gender and identity politics.

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Ceru, London

    ★★★★☆ | Ceru, London

    The sun is rising over D’Arbly street in the form of new restaurant Ceru.

    On a street that is probably best known for the street that houses The Breakfast Club and it’s never ending queues, Ceru brings fresh and new light to this street that was once just a pass through from Soho to Carnaby Street and Oxford Circus.

    Ceru, which means blue, is true to its theme in that when while you are sitting in the restaurant, it gives you a feeling of being in the Mediterranean, awash with bright colors and amazing food that mirrors the exact same type of food one can find from Cyprus to Syria and from Turkey to Jordan (Levantine – where the eastern Mediterranean meets the Middle East), with flavours that are literally out of this world.

    Just by having a look at the menu you can tell that you are no longer in Soho Dorothy! Lots of pomegranates, mints, amazing salads, and meat with many spices, not including the amazing vegetarian options will mean that there is so so so much on the menu and that it will require multiple visits.

    Our visit was on a hot and muggy night in July and we were ready for some fresh, and light, food. We had a sampling of all their dips – from the creamy textured and wonderful Hummus to the slightly zingy yet wonderful Ceru Hammara, and also the smooth Fadi (roasted zucchini, garlic, lemon and tahini), while the Pancar (Beetroot) is specific only to Beetroot lovers. Each dip costs £4.50 to £5.50 but please order the three dips in one dish at only £5.50 – a great deal to sample all of them.

    The amazing Crisp Apple, Mint & Pomegranate Salad was to die for – literally. With its tangy lemon and olive oil dressing, it was a dish that was fresh, crisp, cool and perfect for a hot day – brava, and a steal at £6.00! We weren’t too overly keen on theSpice Battered Squid (£7) – our portion, while quite big, was a bit too chewy and not as well cooked as we would’ve liked it. But the Lamb Shoulder more than made up for it. Slow roasted for 5 hours smothered in 12 shawarma spices – it’s a meat lovers delight. It’s one slab of meat covered in pomegranate, fresh mint and pistachio sauce – and every bite was tender, flavourful and totally delicious. And at £11.50 – it’s a steal because of its enormous size.

    If chicken is your thing, then, by all means, try either the Merguez Chicken (£10) or the Shish Tauk (£8.50), which was cubes of chicken breast, sprinkled with paprika and lemon, with herb yoghurt. While good, the paprika was a bit too spicey and the dish itself does not make a main meal. Luckily we also ordered a vegetarian dish – the Grilled Halloumi & Red Peppers with harissa dressing. We were told by the wonderful Karla to eat it as a sandwich, so we stacked up the pepper on top of the halloumi, and added a smattering of the dressing, and boom, it was delicious, bringing new flavours to our palates!

    We could not have overlooked the side orders. My dining companion loved the Spiced Polenta & Feta Fries, with coriander and chili (£3.50) while the Orez Ceru rice (Arabic fried rice with crispy onions, sultanas & parsley) was the starch for our meal, and it might’ve been a bit too much as its a big bowl of rice – but delicious and different nonetheless.

    In the cocktails department, we decided to go for unique and different. The Pistachio Meringue was definitely different – made with beefeater, pistachio, syrup, egg white, lime and cardamom syrup which my companion described as ‘liquid marzepan.’ I had the Turkish Delight – with Russian Standard, strawberry liquor, rose water and cranberry juice – it was sweet and berrylicious! And at only £7.50 each, these and all the other cocktails are good value as in most parts of Soho a £10 cocktail is the norm.

    We didn’t partake in too much of the wine but had sips of the red Kalecik Karasi Turkish wine (which, we are told, is the bosses favourite). it was very grapey, while the Vranec Special Selecti Macedonian wine was full bodied. Other wine regions on the menu include Lebanon, Greece, including whites, roses and more reds.

    And don’t worry about dessert as Ceru has got that covered. Dishes such as the Dark Chocolate Mousse (£4.50), Baklava (£5.50), Honey and Cardamom Panna Cotta (£4.50) and the yummy Galata Sundae (£4.50) are all delightful and yummy.

    Ceru also raises funds for the World Land Trust, of which Sir David Attenborough is a patron, by offering BRITA filtered water for a discretionary £1 per jug. Donations go to the charity’s work in protecting and expanding Armenia’s Caucasus Wildlife Refuge that looks after critically threatened species exclusive to the region like the Snow Leopard, Syrian Brown Bear and Grey Wolf.

    Ceru is healthy eating, with indulgent sharing dishes, an almost wholly gluten and dairy-free menu and lots of vegetarian and vegan options to choose from, in a setting that is rich and warm as it’s staff and food. It’s very very affordable as all the food and drinks we had came to a total of £91 – an excellent bargain!

    Ceru is open for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch.

    Ceru Soho is the Levantine’s brand second site. The first branch is located on Bute Street in South Kensington.

    CERU Soho

    11 D’Arblay Street, Soho, London, W1F 8DS

    020 3195 3002 | www.cerurestaurants.com

    soho@cerurestaurants.com

     

    T: @CeruLondon| I: @CeruLondon | F: CeruRestaurants

     

    Monday – Saturday: Midday – 11pm

    Sunday: 11am – 10pm

    Weekend brunch served 11am – 5pm, alongside All-Day Menu

     

  • Vandals leave Pride bench with “f**king queers” written in faeces

    Homophobes have left a public bench, which was specially painted in rainbow colours to mark Cornwall Pride, covered in sh*t.

    Organisers of Cornwall Pride have been left gutted after a bench, which had been freshly painted in the rainbow flag, was covered in what is assumed to be human excrement, with the words “f**king queers” written in it.

    The bench was due to be unveiled shortly to celebrate pride season in Cornwall, however, within 13 hours of the paint job completion someone had dumped on the bench and written a homophobic slur in the mess.

    Taking to social media the Cornwall Pride team wrote, “Why LGBTQ+ Pride? Last Night Someone Shit on our unfinished and spelt out “F***ing Queers” in shit. P.S Police have CCTV”

    PICTURED: The bench being finished by the Cornwall Pride team, before someone defaced the bench by defecating on it.

    The bench paint update was to do with a local project called DIY SOS Local a project which helps give Newquay’s Beach Parade a “sprucing up”. Cornwall Pride were gifted two benches on the Beach Parade.

    The bench will require scraping and repainting as the paint had not dried before it was damaged.

    A statement from Cornwall Pride said, “After all that hard work it was heart breaking to work through today knowing what had happened.

    This has been condemned by Cornwall Pride organisers the Newquay community leaders, council the Devon and Cornwall police as an obvious hate crime. It has been given to the Police as and they will be investigating as they have CCTV of the area. “A vile act of a individual or individuals that do not represent the feelings and support Newquay has for the community”

    “Please do not allow this to deter that Newquay is incredibly supportive of the LGBTQ+ community. Cornwall Pride our supporters and the whole LGBTQ+ in Newquay are in shock but are now stanging stronger against the hate, which is why Pride exists”.

    Last month Cornwall Pride became the world’s first touring pride. Stopping off at Wadebridge, Launceston, Bodmin, St Austell, Truro, Falmouth, Heartlands, Hayle, Marazion, Penzance and Newquay, the touring pride allowed thousands of people to take part and witness the pride event. Some of the towns, like Bodmin, had never hosted a pride event before.

    The tour bus took off just after 9:00 AM in Newquay and returned over 12 hours later.

    Cornwall Pride’s official pride is to take place on the 25th August 2018.  To find out more visit their website.

     

  • THEATRE REVIEW | It Happened in Key West, Charing Cross Theatre, London

    THEATRE REVIEW | It Happened in Key West, Charing Cross Theatre, London

    ★★★ | It Happened in Key West

    A true story of a man who dug up the love of his life is a musical called It Happened in Key West.

    Yes, it did happen in Key West. In the 1940s, Count Carl Von Cosel fell in love with a woman, Elena, he was treating for tuberculosis . She died, but von Cosel was so infatuated and in love with her that he dug up her body and, for over 7 years, lived with her, well not really with her but with her body, in his house, in Key West.

    Now playing at the Charing Cross Theatre, with book, music and lyrics by Jill Santoriello, book and additional lyrics by Jason Huza, and book and original content by Jeremiah Janes who all collaborated together to create this musical, while a bit on the funny side, is too morbid and too silly to be taken seriously, and not funny enough to be camp and over the top.

    Having said that, Wade Mccollum is great as the Count. He’s got a great singing voice, especially in a song where he pines for Elena (‘Undying Love’ and ‘I’ve Never Felt This way’) are two standouts. He commands the stage and surely belongs in the West End but in a better show. Alyssa Martyn is just fine as Elena, who surprisingly dies before the first half is finished – it might’ve made more sense to have her die after the first half, but she does sing ‘I Feel Love,’ while dead, in the second half, and comes ‘back to life’ at the very end to sing, beautifully, in the finale. Director and Choreographer Marc Robin doesn’t have a whole lot to work with, it seems like the same 12 boxes remained as the set the whole way through the show. ‘It Happened in Key West,’ billed as a New Romantic Musical Comedy, is not much of a musical nor a romance.

    http://www.charingcrosstheatre.co.uk

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Dusty: The Dusty Springfield Musical, Sheffield Theatres and National Tour

    ★★★★☆ | Dusty: The Dusty Springfield Musical

    It wasn’t just her voice that made Dusty Springfield so distinctive. In 1964, she was deported from South Africa for refusing to play to segregated audiences. She stood up against male musicians who wouldn’t be told how to play their instruments by a woman. She was the first singer to be open about their bisexuality and had a long-term relationship with a black woman at a time when both sexuality and race were incredibly sensitive social issues, and she championed black artists breaking into the UK mainstream. But behind the beehive and eyeshadow was a tragic individual brimming with self-loathing and doubt, and one who struggled with her mental health, sexuality and substance misuse.

    During one key scene, when asked whether she had any regrets, Dusty says “I wish I’d been more open”, and with her troubled private life, her own issues and guilt around her sexuality, and her willingness to stand up for what she believed in, it is easy to see why Dusty became, and remains, a gay icon. Written by Jonathan Harvey (Beautiful Thing; Gimme, Gimme, Gimme), the play nestles somewhere in between musical biopic and jukebox musical, and looks at Springfield’s life from her first solo hit to her death in 1999, without shying away from her darker years and the troubles which blighted her in private.

    Katherine Kingsley not only carries the show, but is quite simply outstanding, with a performance that captures the look, sound and emotions of the iconic performer to perfection, particularly in the show’s denouement, with a powerhouse performance of “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me”; whilst Joanna Francis stands out as Lois, Springfield’s long-term partner, with a voice which drips with pure soul. Harvey’s script handles Dusty’s bisexuality and lesbianism with sensitivity, and the show provides many touching scenes between Dusty and Lois. It is refreshingly pleasing to see such a positive and tender portrayal of a lesbian relationship in mainstream theatre.

    Harvey’s script is warm and instantly accessible, although a little clumsy at times in its integration of high drama and sitcom humour; and whilst the songs are undeniable classics and span the length of her career, they are perhaps not abundant enough. Whilst the set is over-reliant on projected images and the production values overall require a lot of spit and polish, the enthusiasm of the cast and some outstanding performances elevate Dusty to a suitably heartfelt and, ultimately, very enjoyable tribute to a classic artist.

    Dusty: The Dusty Springfield Musical is at Sheffield Lyceum Theatre until the 14th July 2018 before continuing on its national tour.

  • Disgraced MP Jared O’Mara quits Labour following on from exposed homophobic comments

    Apparently, Jared O’Mara was made to feel like a criminal during the probe into his historic online comments.

    Labour MP Jared O’Mara has quit the party after being reinstated following a suspension while historic homophobic and misogynistic online comments were investigated.

    The MP was suspended but was to be reinstated. He has now quit the party, saying “I am of the opinion that the Labour Party no longer shares my commitment to the true definition of equality and compassion,” he said.

    “There is no doubt that I made mistakes as a young man using distasteful language as a clumsy attempt at satire and sarcasm online. But that does not mean that is who I am today.”

    However, he seemed to suggest that he won’t be stepping down as an MP.

    He said, “I might be leaving Labour but I am still at your side”,

    Identifying himself as “the first autistic MP in our history”, he wrote: “I didn’t commit any crimes, yet I have been made unfairly to feel like a criminal.

    “Nobody should be made to feel ashamed for mistakes they make when they are young.”

    He added: “I would be lying to those of you whom I represent, and those close to me like my parents and sister respectively, if I continued under the pretence that I feel there is a place of acceptance and empathy for me as a working-class, underprivileged disabled man within the Labour Party.

    “I have experienced little to make me feel welcome, understood and accepted during this last year.”

  • Terrence Higgins Trust slams the Daily Mail for misinformation, myths and stigma around PrEP

    “we’d love to have a cuppa to explain”

    PrEP pills
    (C) marcbruxel Depositphotos

    Ooo the sass coming from the Terrence Higgins Trust’s Twitter feed, the UK’s leading HIV charity, was palpable and we love it. In the tweet, they slam the Mail Online for fuelling misinformation, myths and stigma surrounding the use of PrEP.

    So far the journalist who worked on a story nor the publication itself has replied to have a cuppa with THT.

    In the article, Mail Online columnist Ross Clark, reveals that after a recent visit to his GP for a suspected hernia, she was unable to refer him to have an operation or to a specialist due the fact that he wasn’t in pain and didn’t have any heavy lifting in his job, the GP told him he “wasn’t bad enough to qualify for funding under new NHS guidelines”.

    However, later on in the article, he draws comparisons between what the NHS could pay for and what they couldn’t. PrEP and transgender surgery was, it seems, central to his argument.

    He wrote, “There is the £22 million a year being spent on transgender surgery, at a cost of £20,000 per patient. There is £730 million a year being spent pumping drug addicts full of Methadone — a heroin substitute which is supposed to help wean people off that drug, but which is itself addictive.

    “The NHS has started, too, to prescribe PrEP — a drug which cuts the risk of HIV transmission in gay men who have sex without a condom.

    “It is prescribing the drug —which costs £400 a month for a single patient — in spite of warnings that it will be encouraging risky behaviour, and it could increase other infections such as syphilis and gonorrhea [sic], against which PrEP offers no protection.”

    “Cost-effective”

    Speaking to THEGAYUK.com Liam Beattie, PrEP policy lead at Terrence Higgins Trust, said, “There’s no place in the media for articles filled with misinformation, myths and stigma-fuelling. Ross Clark’s piece on PrEP is highly inaccurate and we would love him to come in to Terrence Higgins Trust to find out more about the realities of PrEP. Because there’s nothing controversial about PrEP – it’s highly effective at preventing HIV, cost effective and will ultimately stop many, many people from becoming HIV positive.

    “Currently PrEP is available in England via a 10,000 place trial but we want to see a national PrEP programme in England to ensure it’s made available to all who need it”’

    There’s been no evidence to suggest that users on PrEP are being any more “risky” than those who currently aren’t on PrEP.

    Losing Advertisers

    Recently the MailOnline lost a number of high-profile advertisers when companies started to pull out of contracts with the publication after a successful awareness campaign by pressure group, Stop Funding Hate. Eventually, the newspaper removed advertising from many of its columnists including Richard Littlejohn.

     

  • Five best musicals to see in London this summer

    London town is home to great theatre, famous across the globe for its treasured West End – second only to (maybe) Broadway in New York. So what is worth watching in this city, this summer?

    Chicago

    If you’ve never seen Chicago on stage and only know it from the Hollywood film then you’re missing out. It has to be seen in the flesh (and there’s a lot of flesh on show). The men are beefy and scantily clad and the women are Vaudevillian and slinky. The set and costumes are pared back with an on-stage orchestra belting out all those classic Kander and Ebb hits. The choreography is note perfect with all the shoulder shrugs, finger clicks and pelvic thrusts that you expect from Bob Fosse. Yes, it’s the same old show that we got in the 90s but who cares? It’s a veritable classic. With murderesses this stylish and camp who needs anything new.  Tickets reduced to £30 (some with no booking fee)

    Bat Out Of Hell

    Raven is a lonely girl – she’s not allowed outside at all – but she really wants to experience the outside world, to ride the subway, to meet a boy. In the outside world Strat (Andrew Polec) leads a gang of nomads and hangers-on, and he’s always dreamt of catching the girl – particularly Raven, but she’s not available. So all sorts of musical mayhem takes place including Strat trying to kidnap Raven so that he and her can be together. Meanwhile, one of the gang members (a fabulous Danielle Steers – returning) is slowly falling in love with another gang member, while she’s actually a maid in the Falco household. She knows their secrets, and lies.

    This is the story, in a nutshell, but the way it’s told is spectacular. Motorcycles, explosions, video projection, skimpy costumes, a convertible on stage that was formerly a dining room table, and said convertible plunging off the stage into the orchestra pit – it’s all musical mayhem – from a rock classic album, and it is just as good on stage as it is on the album and when it played at the Coliseum. The cast dance and prance on stage, and with most of the songs dealing with love, Bat Out of Hell is a love story set to rock music. It’s loud, it’s crazy, it’s superb! No booking fee on tickets available. Tickets are available from £15.00

    Wicked

    55 million people can’t be wrong, which is why Wicked is one of the world’s most successful musicals. Wicked is going into its 12th year in London and it’s still fresh, timely and defying expectations. Wicked takes you behind The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz story to find out about the two witches featured in the original story, “Wicked Witch”, Elphaba (you know the one – green and gets the bucket of water) – played by Alice Fearn and the “Good Witch”, Glinda (you know, the one that arrives by bubble) played by Sophie Evans. Tickets from £25.30

     

    Tina

    Playing at the Aldwych Theatre, Tina charts the ups, and many downs, of Tina’s life. Born as Ann-Mae Bullock, in 1939, we are shown, first hand, how, as a little girl, she was brought up in a violent household where her father hit her mother, causing her mother to move away with her sister (leaving Ann-Mae behind). Tickets available from £23.21

     

    42nd Street

    Mark Bramble, who originally wrote the book (along with Michael Stewart) directs this new production, and it’s a non-stop bacchanalia of fun! And with an amazing and flawless cast of over 50, 42nd Street has gotten better with time, even though it tells the same old time-trodden story of a young girl from a small town – Peggy Sawyer – who goes to the big city and dreams of making it big. She gets a job as a backup dancer in a new show called Pretty Lady, and the Pretty Lady in the title is Dorothy Brock (fabulously played by singer Sheena Easton). Brock is in love with Pat (Norman Bowman), who disappears off to Philadelphia. So Brock wants to follow him there, forcing the show to move to there. But Brock breaks her ankle, so after getting fired for causing Brock to break her leg, Sawyer is roped back into the show, this time as it’s lead, and she’s only got 48 hours to learn the part, to learn the dance moves, and is wooed and coddled by director Julian Marsh (Tom Lister). But it’s Billy (Stuart Neal) who really takes a liking to her. Will she be ready and rehearsed in time to open the show? Will the nerves get the best of her? I’m sure we can all figure out how it plays out – and plays out it does, much to our delight!  No booking fee and tickets are available from £15.78

     

  • 74 photos which show how epic Pride In London was

    74 photos which show how epic Pride In London was

    Were you there? Did you see it? It goes without saying, Pride In 2018 was EPIC on many many levels.

    Check out these photos from our photographer, Monty McKinnen

    *Please note that no assumption of gender or sexuality should be made by inclusion in this gallery.

    NEXT 10

  • Victim left with a fractured skull after “vicious” homophobic assault at London gay bar

    A victim has been left with a fractured skull after an alleged “vicious” attack at a London gay bar.

    homophobic attack london,
    An alleged homophobic attack happened at one of London’s most popular gay venues.

    A man was left with a fractured skull after an assault at the Eagle bar in Vauxhall. The alleged attack happened in the early hours of 2nd July 2018, when two men and a woman were asked to leave the premises.

    After the small group was ejected they became violent, according to the Met police. Two males, 42 and 30 and a female, 20-year-old, were taken into custody. They were released under investigation.

    According to a police statement, “It would appear that two men and a woman took umbrage to being asked to move from the smoking area, and were then subsequently ejected from the premises after making homophobic comments to staff at the venue”.

    Investigating officer, Detective Constable Phill Govett, from Lambeth, said, “This was a particularly vicious attack which stemmed from a minor incident and involved the use of homophobic language. Hate crime in any form will not be tolerated by police and we will take all possible action to bring perpetrators of these offences to justice.”

    This weekend, the UK’s capital, plays host to one of the countries biggest pride events, Pride In London. The Met have made policing the event a “priority”.

    Chief Superintendent Helen Millichap, Met spokesperson for the event, said, “As with any large event the Met’s priority is public safety and we are working closely with the organisers in the lead up to Pride to develop our policing plan. We want Pride to be a friendly, safe event for everyone to enjoy and to help us we need the public to take the usual precautions by remaining vigilant and reporting anything of concern to police officers or stewards at the event.”