Home » Archive by category "London" (Page 18)

You have six weeks to make me money. Ready, Set, Go!

10 Apr 2009

I had the opportunity today to meet up with another American expat here in London, the multi-talented Kate Matlock who is here doing a masters in design studies.  She was great fun to talk to, and of course it’s always nice to spend time with another American while abroad. We had decided to meet up so that I could hear a bit more about a wonderful food-related event she is planning that sounds very exciting.  I’m planning on having plenty of other opportunities to blog about Kate’s event however what really intrigued me was the way in which this event came about.  One of her classes, she explained, had a professor who set a group project over the course of about two months which required the students to plan, develop, create, release, promote and make profitable a product, service or event.

Now, I am all for speed when it comes to startup projects.  In fact, without it, and a drive that keeps things moving a breakneck pace, it’s easy to become bogged down with details, loose momentum or miss opportunities.  But even at my most optimistic I doubt I even considered turning an idea into actual profit in six weeks (give or take).  Kate and her classmates must have felt the same way.  It’s an assignment that approximates an episode of The Apprentice – but without the professional design and concept team to put together an actual product.

But after we chatted for a while about the concept she and her team had created, the enthusiasm with which she was met by experts in the field and the goals she had set and met already over such a short span of time, I’m beginning to wonder if the professor might not have been on to something.  The problem doesn’t seem to be time, necessarily, for Kate and her group, but in coming up with an idea that catches the imaginations of those around them enough to make people drop what they’re doing and get involved.  Whether that involvement is signing up for a website, buying a product in a store or, in Kate’s case, giving an impromptu lecture on what raw foods can keep you healthy, the key seems to be getting people involved with something they can be passionate about.

I would love to organise an event based on the idea that it is possible to take a concept to profit in 6-8 weeks.  Small teams could brainstorm, assign internal roles and compare contact books beforehand but all work on the actual product, service or event would fall within that two month window.  Difficult? Unlikely? Of course.  But, as Kate is hoping to prove for a grade, for fun and for profit – certainly possible.

Holland Park Heaven

8 Apr 2009

We’ve been enjoying an unseasonable bout of good weather complete with gloriously sunny weekends, a distinct lack of rain and the inkling that it will be properly warm in a few short weeks.  Last Saturday I took advantage of the weather to take a stroll through the nearby Holland Park as part of my ongoing efforts to explore the neighbourhood.  I couldn’t have picked a better place for my outting and spent a happy few hours exploring Holland Park.

I had been in the park once before, at the end of the summer.  I had originally been tempted into the park to inquire about their evening opera performances which take place at a beautiful open air opera house in the centre of the park but had unfortunately missed the last scheduled date.  Despite the lack of performance, I spent some time wandering the paths and was immediately impressed.  Upon my return this weekend, I wondered why it took me so long to get back.

Holland Park was absolutely packed with visitors enjoying the sun but the diversity of the park’s offerings meant that people were comfortably spread out through the grounds.  There are a number of different areas.  The entrance I used led into a long, shaded walk along a series of sports fields but at the end of the path, the real charm of the park becomes apparent.  One direction leads to the opera house, the Orangery – a small art gallery showcasing local work, the Ice House – the park cafe, and the most incredible flower gardens and promenade.  Although the roses won’t be in bloom for a while, the majority of the beds were absolutely alive with colours and full of daffodils, tulips and greenery.  The promenade which leads between the Ice House and the Orangery has one wall covered with a mural depicting men, women and children enjoying the park in Victorian style clothing.

However should one turn the other direction from the top of the entrance path, mini trails lead to short shaded walks that loop around the park.  Throughout my walk, I kept coming across hidden patches of grass where couples were picnicking, secluded benches, and amazingly beautiful flower beds.  The trails looped back towards the centre of the park with the tended flower gardens, Ice House and Orangery but not before passing by two playgrounds for toddlers and children and possibly the best secret of Holland Park, the Kyoto Gardens, complete with Zen sensibility in planning, Koi fish and, on the day I happened to visit, a set of enthusiastic anime fans in impressively complete costumes doing a photoshoot.

I’ve already made tentitive plans for a Holland Park picnic later this week in the hopes I can enjoy the spring flowers again in the nice weather.  Regardless, now that I have the opportunity, I’ll certainly return for the summer opera series and to enjoy the wonderful little park hidden away in my side of London.

Cut&Paste Digital Design Competition

7 Apr 2009

Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to attend Cut&Paste, a really fantastic live digital design competition, for Spoonfed.  My review went up on the site yesterday.

I enter the Coronet Theatre to a whir of technological activity. On the main stage, computer equipment draped in wires waits patiently for the competition that is about to ensue. On the ground in front of the stage, four more desktop setups are being put through their paces by some rather frantic-looking designers who are steadfastly ignoring the crowd growing around them.

I am at London’s second annual Cut&Paste Digital Design Tournament where graphic designers compete against each other and the clock to create designs from scratch in front of a live audience….

Read more from my article Cut&Paste on Spoonfed.

The Queen’s Head Pub

6 Apr 2009

One of the things that I regretted about my time in the UK prior to going back to California for Christmas, and something I have happily changed since my return, was how little I knew about my immediate neighbourhood.  I live in a very residential area of London but like the rest of the city, numerous surprises can be hidden just a few houses away.  I took advantage of some recent nice weather to explore the surrounding area.  Hopefully I’ll be able to post about a number of my favourite nearby finds but I’d like to dedicate this post to a local pub with all the charm one might expect of a British pub and all the negative reviews of a New York bar.  I can’t for the life of me figure out why it’s been so thoroughly bashed in nearly all of the reviews but in my opinion, The Queens Head on Brook Green is a top notch London establishment.

I first visited the Queen’s Head with Ann not too long after moving into the Top Floor Flat – it’s a few blocks away and a nice walk when it’s a warm evening.  The most striking thing about the pub is its ginormous garden in the back which could easily fit our flat three times.  This might not sound like a huge selling point but with space at a premium in London, a garden of this size is certainly cause for celebration, especially in the summer when outdoor pubs space is always overcrowded.

I’ve also been consistently impressed with the friendly staff and had no arguments with the food (although perhaps I’m less picky than most as that seemed to be the main gripe amongst those who complained about the place).  The indoor atmosphere is as cozy as the outdoor one is festive and summery.  A number of separate rooms all offer plenty of seating by the best spots by far are the cushy chairs and couches by the front windows.

So the Queen’s Head may not have the cheapest of all chips or the most central of all locales but as far as pubs go, it’s certainly one of my favourite in London.

The Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race

2 Apr 2009

Lest you believe it’s all been riots and bank crisises, I’d like to add that the absolute antithesis of these events occurred along the River Thames last weekend – the annual Oxford and Cambridge boat race. Their top rowers (only six of which, between the two teams were actually English) raced between the banks of west London and I, along with my friends Sarah and Steve, headed down to watch.

The weather was cooperating and so there were thousands of people, all in their Oxford and Cambridge gear, converged along the riverbank. It was an area that I was at least passingly familiar with as I had gone on a few walks there when the weather was nice, but I had never seen it like this, swarming with people, food stalls, beer gardens, and posh British accents (well, ok that last one had always been there).

We wedged our way in between the other spectators just in time to see the boats approaching. The two rower’s boats were nearly neck and neck (and to be honest I wouldn’t have know which was which anyway) but amusingly, behind them were nearly two dozen other boats, all filled with either fans, video equipment, medical staff and police.

The boats were in our view for about 30-40 seconds (the entire race is around 15 min long) before disappearing through the bridge. With nothing but empty river in view, we fought our way through the crowd to a busy park with people out enjoying the sun where we gathered through various cheers and shouts that Oxford had won that year.

I’ve never been to a car race (actually I don’t think I’ve ever been to any sort of race, to be honest) but I think it would be similar. A moment of thrill as they pass then just wondering what’s happening for the rest of the time. All the same, it was a quintessentially British event that I’m glad I didn’t miss. Next up, the Royal Ascot!