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!