Over 100 firefighters were called out to a blaze in Soho's Dean Street this afternoon. Much of eastern Soho was cordoned off, including the westbound side of Oxford Street. Latest word is that the fire was caused by a faulty air conditioning duct at 76 Dean Street. No one is thought to have been injured in the fire. All images and video by M@.
Ah, British cherries. Some of the tastiest fruits on earth we reckon. And now’s the time to eat ‘em! But did you know that in the past 50 years, Britain has lost 90% of its cherry orchards and that we actually import the vast majority of cherries from abroad? FoodLoversBritain.com hopes to change those sad statistics with CherryAid, a campaign to unite all cherry lovers to save the British cherry. Throughout the summer, the plights and delights of the cherry will be highlighted with celebrations around the country.
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Image / Matt Brown
The droopy economy has done a done a lot to perk up local loving this year. Staycationers are keeping busy spreading the local love by organising and attending fairs, fetes, festivals and fiestas all over the capital. This weekend sees a bit of a knees up on Hackney Downs in aid of Kids Company.
Hot from an encounter with a bag thief and Sharon Osbourne at the Dorchester, "It-boy and socialite" Emmanuel Ray was a picture of fabulousness with cheeky cocked hat presiding over a packed but compact Avista Bar at the Millennium Mayfair hotel. We went with no expectations and surprisingly had a lovely time. The socialites were hugely diverse in age as well as personal and professional background. We met a personal stylist, actors, Margot Fonteyn's chauffeur, representatives from the Gay Business Association and the Eccentrics' Club, photographers, fashion, media and eventsy types. There were beautiful dresses, modish haircuts, bar peanuts, cravats, cameras flashing, a Tiger Lily singing and business cards changing hands at a rate of knots.
a href="http://www.myspace.com/wewerepromisedjetpacks">We Were Promised Jetpacks are younger than Ghostbusters, as they tell us on their MySpace page. Lucky, then, that age doesn’t stop you from hitting the jackpot in a combination of punishing guitar noise, catchy riffs and heavily accented, sophisticated lyrics.
In the pantheon of breakfast cereal critters, the Honey Monster always held a cherished place in our childhood hearts. Cockier than Coco Monkey, tougher than Tony The Tiger, and quite frankly a creature whose single-minded savagery was more captivating to the impressionable young mind than the effete jousting of Messrs Snap, Crackle, and Pop -- and all this despite the cereal he fronted, Sugar Puffs, behind nigh on inedible. Fast forward a couple decades, and it seems that far from settling into a relaxing retirement, the Honey Monster is still out there working his finger to the bone: he's appearing this weekend at Harlequin shopping centre in Watford, quite literally pimping a new cereal that goes by the name Honey Waffles. Can't his employers just let him grow old gracefully?
London is the seventh largest French city, according to a certain Monsieur Carla Bruni, so it should be no surprise that there will be a few Bastille Day celebrations around town over the next few days.
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This is the winner of RIBA's competition to redesign London Bridge, a crossing so bland that passing a turd on the carriageway might count as making an improvement. But how fantastic would this be? A kiss-my-glass canopy of gardens and farmers' markets, like a hippy version of Superman's Fortress of Solitude. Crystal spires that recall the days when the heads of traitors were raised above the bridge on spikes. And all kinds of imaginative shipping hazards randomly strewn along the Thames. Fantastic.
Some swine flus, yesterday. Dig the porky pink colour.
England's Chief Medical Chap, Sir Liam Donaldson, has described the number of swine flu cases in London as 'approaching epidemic levels', with around 180 in every 100,000 people seeking medical attention. Nationwide, 14 people have died of the 10,000 known to have contracted the virus. Globally, that puts us into an unwelcome bronze medal position, behind Mexico and the USA. The situation is clearly getting more serious because at least two celebrities have been affected. Meanwhile, The Times suggests muddled thinking is threatening emergency plans.
Nicholas Penny, Director of the National Gallery, has unleashed an extraordinary broadside against Anthony Gormley's Fourth Plinth experiment. Speaking to The Times, Mr Penny berates the idea as symptomatic of Britain's shift away from artistic and architectural appreciation. He blames the Square's demise on its part-pedestrianisation a few years back. People are now too noisy and enjoy themselves far too much:
Now here's something a bit different. An art exhibition entirely devoted to eels.
Following what it euphemistically describes as "ongoing debate" over the right to take photographs of the police - a debate that saw hundreds campaign earlier in the year - the Met today issued a document offering photography advice to the concerned citizen.




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