Follow one Londonista trying to put the brakes on with Slow Club.

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Alistair Cameron, former Secretary of Borough Market Traders' Association, let us sample some of Borough Market's delights

11am on a Saturday morning. I’ve got a thumping headache from too much wine the night before. I’d usually be still in my pyjamas, making the most of a weekend lie-in. Instead, I am at Borough Market, drinking hot apple and cinnamon and sampling fine foods: not such a hardship, I suppose.

The irony of setting my alarm and dashing out to meet the group on time, in the name of slowness, is not lost on me. But, Tessa and Yvonne, of Slow Down London, very much believe that that the Club should have a social element, of slowing down together, meeting new people and getting support.

This is my first ‘group adventure’, and we’re an even mix of women and men, of different ages and backgrounds, talking dreamily of wanting to unwind, like it’s a near-impossible goal. It’s awful that these are things we feel we have to ‘sign up’ for, but the principle is probably the same as the gym - if we’re not paying for it, we won’t make the effort.

Our group is led by Alistair Cameron, former Secretary of Borough Market Traders' Association, and Shane Holland, Chair of Slow Food London. ‘Slow food’, Shane tells us, is about sustainability, fair wages and small-scale producers. But, most of all, it should taste GOOD.

It certainly does. There were ravings from the group about the cured meat at Gastronomica; and, being veggie, I got my own little ‘food gasp’ at the L'Ubriaco 'Drunk' Cheese stall (cheese aged in wine - what a genius coupling).

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Friday night was one of those dark drizzly, depressing nights that has you wishing you had stayed inside watching crappy Friday night TV. But for those who did make it down to the Borderline to witness Grand Archives first ever UK show, were certainly not let down. The night provided a perfect refuge from the depressing February weather, and showed us what it is that makes the Seattle indie scene so special. more ›

Every year on the second Sunday of February, a church service is held in East London to honour the father of present day Clowns, Joseph Grimaldi. Clowns from around the world gather in full 'motley and slap' to give thanks for the gift of laughter. A highlight of the Clown's International calendar, it's certainly the most colourful church service we've seen. more ›

New Malthouse Monthly Film Club

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The Malthouse
In the fizzing wake of the LIFT Molten Festival, Barking continues to emerge as a 'cultural hub' with the Malthouse. Home to some of the areas arts organisations it's also housing a monthly film club offering a series of genre-based screenings accompanied by speakers, shorts and refreshments. The big screen selections begin on 25th February focusing on animation and "Waltz with Bashir". Upcoming is the acclaimed "Fish Tank", Pan's "Labyrinth", "Laura", "Moon" and "West Side Story". To attend, join now: full membership for access to all six screenings is £24. Day membership £5 (£4 concessions). Doors open at 7pm with the main feature starting approximately 7.30pm. More info online.

Curated by James Hoff and Cary Loren, Hungry for Death showcases the archives of Destroy All Monsters, an artists' collective that was formed at a house party in 1973. Labelled "the world's first noise band" DAM created unorthodox music inspired by The Stooges, Albert Ayler, Sun Ra, Velvet Underground and Sci-Fi B-movies. more ›

The most Londony shows on TV and radio this week. more ›

In this apocalyptic play an outsider Jesus takes on Satan for the souls of a medieval prostitute called The Goose, her street-shaman John Crow, and the wicked people of Southwark through the ages... more ›

Queen Mary, University of London plays host to a quartet (dammit, one more and we could have called it a pentathlon) of Olympics themed lectures, starting tomorrow night: more ›

I'm lovin' it by noirchick73 via the Londonist Flickrpool. more ›

It contains over 60,000 bricks and four working clocks. It took eight weeks to build. This LEGO version of St Pancras was created by Warren Elsmore, Chairman of the Brickish Association (a society for adult enthusiasts of the plastic blocks). more ›

Hackney Empire Closes For Nine Months

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Photo / Chris 07
Last night's variety show performance was the last until November at the Hackney Empire, which has closed for what management are euphemistically calling a "period of reflection". As we reported last September, the former music hall, which reopened in 2004, has run into choppy financial waters, but despite the doom-laden rumours sloshing through the alleyways of E8 that the closure might be permanent, new CEO Claire Middleton has vowed that the venue will definitely welcome the public in for the annual panto nine months from now. Whether the inviting location can be protected from the rapacious clutches of property developers remains to be seen.

The boys from Bristol have found themselves on the receiving end of a ban from TfL over a poster showing the cover from their new album, Heligoland. The original artwork, painted by Massive Attack's own Robert del Naja, has had to be redesigned after TfL decided it looked too much like graffiti. more ›

In Pictures: Kinetica Art Fair

              

With a day that started off with a talk from East London collective 'Robots and Avatars' where we learned about the Uncanny Valley, EmotionA.I, pogoing robots and the sheer scope of what the future holds for our virtual selves and the mechanical company we'll keep, we were truly set for the awe inspiring digital wizardry ahead. more ›

Over 250 people took on the NSPCC's Step Change challenge yesterday to mount the 38 floors of 30 St Mary Axe and take in the view from the head of the erotic gherkin having raised plenty of quids for the kids. All good stuff but of course, it's a shadow of the event we're in training for, taking place on 25th February up what is, for a a little longer at least, the tallest completed tower in the city. Find out more and support Shelter at Team Londonist's JustGiving page. more ›

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