Best Alternative Halloween Parties

Here at London After Work we're always looking to do things a bit differently and so I was thrilled to discover that there are quite a few alternatives to the traditional Halloween shenanigans going on.

Everything from a Zombie Beach Party at Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes to Sud Electronic's first Halloween Party for 5 years!

It's time to do something a bit different so for more ideas on what to get up to over Halloween then check out the Best Alternative Halloween Parties.

There is an overwhelming amount of choice in the capital this Halloween - but whatever you do, dress up and have fun.

Daunt Books

Now I don't get much time to go shopping for books during the week. A quick nip to WHSmith during my lunch hour is never very satisfying and I tend to order a lot of stuff on-line from Amazon. But all that is about to change as I've just discovered London's legendary Daunt bookshop is open until the healthy time of 7.30pm Monday-Saturday.

Daunt Books is the oldest purpose built bookshop in Britain and is a brilliant place for bookworms to mix and mingle or share their latest finds. Rather uniquely, the books are arranged by geography rather than alphabetically or by genre - and I find this really helpful. Last time I went to pick up a Dostoevsky novel and walked out with a book on the Russian Royal family too.!

Daunt Books also host plenty of talks, accommodating an audience of 150, and tickets are generally£5 and include a glass of wine! What's not to love?

One Magic Summer

Ah, summertime. There's no better month than August to get out into the city to have a bit of an explore and with so many free events and festivals going on there's no excuse not to!

From today until the end of the month there are performances, magic acts, comedy, tennis and even free deck chairs to have a lounge around in.

These events are going on all day, so handy to nip down after work or soak up a bit of culture and fun in your lunch hour.

Full details or all the events at the Trafalgar Square website. I think a lot of people will be surprised to find out it's not all about the Fourth Plinth!

The Lost Art of Palmistry

I must confess to being at least a little superstitous. I mean, I don't walk under ladders and I'm an avid reader of my horoscope but I never really thought I would want to look into the murky unknown very much, at least not for fun.

However, last week my friend told me about this really great event that happens once a month which talks all about the lost art of palmistry and not in a showy fairground ride way either!

On the first Wednesday of every month the LAP Meet Up Group get together to talk about an experience Palmistry.

You can also experience palm readings yourself for the cost of £500 and the 60 minute talk remains completely free!

The event starts with a little mingling party at 6pm and is also a good opportunity to meet some new friends.

More info here

Keep Bees! The new eco-friendly after work activity

Believe it or not, the new craze that's sweeping the nation is bee keeping! Recent studies have shown that the common English bee is not so common anymore because pesticides and confinement to specific areas is contributing to their demise.

A new initiative has been launched that hopes to quell the coming extinction of our furry friends, which encourages those living in urban areas, particularly London, to take up bee keeping. Natural England, the government's advisor on the natural environment, wants to encourage homeowners to install their own mini hives to help with the decline of almost all of the UK's 250 species of bees.

A new easy-to-use beehive called 'beehaus' has been released today from the company Omlet. It has a contemporary design and comes in an array of colours to encourage people to purchase it.

Apparently hives are easy to use and can be placed in your garden or on the roof of your accomodation. Advisors say that you need only spend one hour a week with your bees and as they hibernate during the winter months it's not a full time ocupation.

I think this is a great evening activity once a week and bee keeping is an extremely relaxing vocation. And let us not forget that, aside from the benefits to our environment, they'll be benefits to you as well! An endless supply of honey? Where do I sign up?

It's....Karaoke Time!

Now I may not be much of a singer, but I do love a good sing-song now and again, and to my delight I've discovered that karaoke is having something of a moment in the London scene right now.

After not much digging around I found that plenty of pubs and bars around London host their own karaoke nights. To beat that even, there seem to be lots of dedicated karaoke venues where you can even rent out private rooms by the hour for you and a bunch of mates.

This is a great winding down after work activity and I'm going to try to set something up with a group of colleagues from work in the next few weeks. I like the look of Lucky Voice the best so far, but I'm open to suggestions...

Hate Art?

Not a fan of art? Get annoyed by pretentious art types? In fact, do you downright hate art?

Well of course not but occasionally you need to vent at the whole art scene which is why after work this week we recommend taking a look at National Art Hate Week at L-13 in Clerkenwell. It's devoted to all types of art hate and there are going to be protests, propaganda and all variety of anti-art going-ons.

So get your claws out, stash the paintbrushes and visit National Art Hate week, 13-20 July until 6pm at L-13.

Antony Gormley's Fourth Plinth project

Summer is a lot of people's favourite time of year. I like it because it's warmer, lighter, and there are lots more things to do which makes finding things to do after work a doddle! Tonight I'm taking what I imagine will be the first of many trips down to Trafalgar Square to sample a bit of open-air art and culture with Antony Gormley's One and Other exhibition! It opened yesterday and has already caught quite a few headlines with protests and the very addictive live stream of the goings on. I can't wait to take a look for myself and judge if all this fuss has been worth it.

Light Nights

With the recent great weather London has seen, it's clear that summer is well and truly here! Bearing that in mind it's clear that being outside on a balmy summer's evening is one of the best ways to relax after work and I for one can't wait to try out some outdoor theatre.

Watching a play outside in the evening has all my favourite elements for a great evening out. There's food (in the superior picnic form) wine (possibly out of a box) a blanket of stars and buckets of culture to boot!

I'm particularly excited about the programme from the Open Air Theatre and will be making a few trips here over the next few months. My advice is to book early though, this is an unsurprisingly popular activity for urbanites.

Fore!

I've already written about the ups and downs of my after-work exercise routine. I love working out once I get to the gym but a lot of days the thought of going from my office desk to the treadmill gives me a shudder of dread.

So, I love opportunities to get a bit of a work out and have a little fun at the same time. I've recently got into a habit of stopping by Urban Golf in Soho (although they also have another place in Smithfield)

This isn't only about hitting some balls at an indoor driving range, oh no, you can play at 52 of the world's greatest golf courses without even leaving Central London. This is a great after work activity, no matter what level of golfer you are, because even if you don't know your bunker from your bogey you can prop up the 'club-house' bar and try some of their tasty treats.

This is virtual golf at it's very best!

Strike!

Last night I soaked up a truly retro American experience, right in the heart of London. Instead of hitting the pub with the usual Monday night rabble I went with a few friends to the fantasticBloomsbury Bowling Lanes. We had some food, drinks and a really good bowling session - the latter activity I haven't done in years. Although we didn't have to wait very long for a lane, I imagine it's worse on a Friday or Saturday night. 

If I was planning on heading there over the weekend I would probably consider booking a private party which they do for a reasonable fee. Top notch service all round - and next time I'm going to hit the karaoke too!

Now that I'm into the retro swing of things I'm looking forward to trying the All Star Bowling Lanes which, although a seemingly garish chain, I've heard some fab stuff about. 

Speed dating in the City

Busy city slickers often don't have time to stop and smell the roses, let alone find their soulmate so it's no wonder that dating services in London are so popular. Once the realm of only the most ugly and desperate individuals it now seems like everyone is at it! A quick look at the site My Single Friend shows you that online dating is now open to all. Bearing that in mind, it would be rude to not get involved!

It seems as though speed-dating events like this one from Speed Dater are pretty cheap and well organised. If nothing else I'd suggest signing up with a few mates and having a laugh with some nice people over a drink and you never know, you might meet the love of your life. So my after work tip for this week is to try your hand at expanding your social circle, and let's face it, the people there can't be any worse than the blokes and girls who frequent my local boozer!

Museum Lates

A new series of events is taking place at London's Science Museum. The scheme called Museum Lates is the exciting adults only event, held once a month, that invites you to experience the Science Museum after hours.

Opening times are 18.45 - 22.00 (free entry)



The first event was last Wednesday night and I was lucky enough to go along and meet some really great people. Each month the event will centre on a different theme and for May's inugral event they offered a range of activities full of female charm to celebrate women and science.

There was a varied mix of entertainment, with live music, top DJ’s and plenty of giggles courtsey of Punk Science.

Here are some of the events they had on at their first late night opening:
Speed dating
Pub quiz
Punk Science
Shellac Sisters
Entry to Wallace & Gromit present A World of Cracking Ideas
Silent disco
Free oysters
Exclusive gallery tours

It was a really fantastic event, so if it sounds like your cup of tea then don't miss out on the rest of the upcoming events.

Here's a list of the future Lates events, all of which will have a different theme!
Wednesday 24 June
Wednesday 29 July
Wednesday 26 August
Wednesday 30 September
Wednesday 28 October
Wednesday 25 November

See you there next time!

For more info, check out the official page on the Science Museum Lates website

In Conversation with John Cale

As I mentioned in a previous post, I love the National Gallery, and particularly the late night events they run. This particularly late, but nonetheless facinating evening featured John Cale of the Velvet Underground as the guest speaker.

Now establishing himself as an artist, Cale will soon be representing Wales at this year’s Venice Biennale. But far from leaving music behind, he entered into a very interesting discussion about the connections that art and music share.

I was very excited to hear about his plans for the festival in Venice and his much-anticipated mixed-media installation.

It was a really enjoyable and eye-opening experience that to top it all off was completely free of charge!

For more information on upcoming Late Nights at The National check out the gallery's website or Museums at Night 2009 programme for more great goings on after work

Alternative London Tours

If like me, your busy work schedule leaves you with little time to explore London then you might be interested in a great site which takes your on virtual tours of London like this one about Brick Lane.

It's also an alternative of East London, which you don't get from the major tour guides and don't really have a chance to pick up from just wandering around yourself.

It's not as good as being there, but at least it gives you some good ideas of planning your next day out! I've found quite a few good virtual tours of London like this from LondonByClick, which have inspired me for quite a few post-work activities.

A brew ha ha!

Even though it's a Friday, today's after work activity is going to be treated like any other work day because I've got to get up shockingly early for a Saturday.

Even though I haven't' packed yet this isn't going to stop me seeing some great live comedy. After work tonight I'm off to The Funny Side Comedy club in Covent Garden.

Before that kicks off I'll probably pop along to Wahaca for some tasty Mexican tapas and if I didn't have to get up at the crack of dawn I would normally finish it off with a few cocktails at Bunker. Oh well, next time eh?!

Feeling patriotic

I love art, and the National Gallery is one of my favourite galleries in London. It has a beautiful exterior which dominates Trafalgar Square and the treaures that await you inside are unrivalled in their slendour and history.
My only bugbear about the place is that they only do late openings on a Friday, which slightly cramps my social life but I have to say that it's completely worth it. They have live music, and talks going on till 9pm and even a late night guided tour that is no where near as packed out as it is on the weekends.

If you're not busy or at work on Thursday, the National Gallery is celebrating St George's Day with several special talks in honour of the Patron Saint.

More information can be had at the National Gallery's official website.

After Work Exercise

A few years ago, I used to join one of my colleauges for a quick gym session after work on Thursdays, but once I moved to my current job I dropped out of the habit and I think I've even gone off the idea of plodding down a treadmill for an hour after a long day at the office.

So tonight I've brought my gym kit but decided to get a good work out and have fun after work at the same time! There is a great community arts centre in Hackney called Chats Palace which has many colourful events going on. This evening they've got a beginner's Belly dancing class which I'm very excited to go to. Not quite as risque as the burlesque dancing I watched last week, but my friends tell me it's lots of fun and gives your stomach a great workout too!

The Red Balloon

Today, I'm heading back in time. To my early childhood to be exact. Watching the Red Balloon in my pyjamas next to my sister in our cozy family living room is one of my favourite memories so now I'm thrilled to be off down to the Linbury Studio Theatre in Covent Garden with my niece.

While some of my other colleagues will be celebrating the start of the Bank Holiday weekend by hitting all night raves, I will be happily sheltered from the cold watching this classic silent film by Albert Lamorisse being brought to life.

This adaptation is directed by award-winning choreographer Aletta Collins who has a strong background producing accessible dance for young audiences, most notably as the choreographer for His Dark Materials at the National.

I hope you have a great Easter whatever you're doing.

Feeling risque today

The poetry reading last week went really well, in fact I've booked to attend another reading next week, I'll let you know about that when it happens.

But today, it's almost clocking off time on a Friday and I'm so excited to get out to some over work activities. Today I'm heading to a special event at Scala which is a little bit more risqué than I'm used to but is sure to be a hell of a lot of fun. It's the London Burlesque Festival! Tonight is a beginners competition and I can't wait to see the ambitious show girls and boys fight it out to glory.


Here's a link to their main website for more information on other Burlesque events going on throughout the festival. Let me know if you make it down there and what you think of it.

Culture Club

After a crappy wet Monday evening with some mates in the pub I woke up this morning all prepared to give up on joining the crusade to have fun after work and crawl up with some chocolate and Hollyoaks. However I've realised that tonight is another on of the British Museum's poetry nights and this time we'll be exploring the fantastic Ballad of Reading Goal by Oscar Wilde.

I can't wait! They often sell out in advance so make sure you plan ahead for next time.

Metal Tribute to the Bee Gees

Did you ever listen to the Bee Gees and think, 'wow, I'll bet a metal tribue to these guys would be awesome!'? Well, no matter what you thought, someone decided it would be a good idea and that's what's on tonight at the Academy Islington. But it sounds like it'll be more"power metal" than your class hardcore shriek outs.

So get down to the O2 Academy Islington tonight at 7pm. Tickets are £6 so it's a cheap evening of the most unique fun you'll hear in a long time.

Still Human, Still Here

Today I'm looking at this amazing art exhibition at HOST gallery about people in the UK who have been denied asylum in the country. The exhibition is called Still Human, Still Here and it's a combination of photos and testimonials from the individuals and promises to be a real eye opener.

Check out
HOST Gallery
1 Honduras Street
EC1Y 0TH
Tel: 020 7253 2770

The exhibit is free to attend and open from 10am to 6pm every day except Sunday all through March.

Welcome to London After Work

In a city like London, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by everything that's on in the city and either party too hard or not go out at all, especially during the work week. I've decided to start this blog to find the best events on in the city during the week, the ones that will give you a great, and most importantly cheap, night out but won't wreck the next day.

To start things off, here's the scoop about a new comedy night called Freeze! with Tom Basden and legendary comic poet Tim Key. The venue has been a secret until today for tonight's show and it's only £6 to get in on the funny. Head to:
The Invisible Dot Ltd
099F Camden Stables Market
Chalk Farm Road
London NW1 8AH

and be sure to arrive before 19.30 as latecomers won't be admitted.

It's the perfect post work, laugh therapy!

Cheers,
L.A.W.