London Farmer's Markets - Friday Favourites

This weekend we can think of nothing better to do than hit a Farmer’s Market and peruse locally sourced products, taste some delicious foods and hopefully enjoy a little bit of sunshine. As such, everyone at The Amazing Blog has pooled their collective knowledge and selected a few of our favourite Farmer’s Markets in London.

First on our list is the Farmer's Market in South Kensington. Nestled between three fabulous museums (the V&A, Natural History Museum and Science Museum) this is a fantastic way to enjoy a Saturday. Located 5 minutes away from South Ken tube station, on a little street, this market is bursting with delicious local produce. Pick up some vegetables from Ted's Veg, organic eggs from Rookery Farm, free range meat from Beatbush Farm and purchase some utterly delicious bread, cakes and pastries from Oliver’s Bakery. You can easily buy your week’s grocery shop from here. However, if you don’t fancy that, then why not spend a few hours soaking up some culture or history in one of the fine museums before heading to the farmer’s market for a delicious lunch. We highly recommend The Parson's Nose and their sausage sandwiches.

Open every Saturday from 9.00-14.00; you can see more information about what to expect and how to find this gem of a place here.

If you want to combine your Farmer’s Market experience with a bit of shopping, then head to Pimlico Road near Sloane Square, which sits in leafy Orange Square under the watchful eye of Mozart’s statue. It is asparagus and strawberry season at the moment, and this is definitely the place to pick some up while they’re at their freshest and sweetest. We love this market and think it’s the perfect place to stroll around after a long shopping session; it can be hard work finding that perfect summer dress. With plenty of room to sit and soak up the atmosphere, you’ll be hard done by not to find something delicious to take home with you. We highly recommend this market if you’re looking for some fabulous and fancy artisanal bread and cheeses or seasonal fruits and vegetables. While you are there, you simply must stop by Favourite Stall winner of 2017, Moreton Mushrooms. Their selection is to die for, and they will greet you like old friends. 

Open every Saturday from 9.00-13.00; this market holds a special place in our hearts. For more information have a read here and thank us later.

If what you look for in a Farmer’s Market is diversity and a vast array of options, then look no further than the weekly market held at Alexandra Palace. Large enough to serve the 3000 people who visit every Sunday, this market has anything and everything you could dream of. From Smoked meats and fishes to jams and relishes to handmade pies, this market is an amazing way to spend a happy Sunday sipping freshly pressed juices while tasting homemade cakes, Mediterranean dishes and smelling exotic spices. What’s more is that, alongside the delicious food stalls, the market hosts an array of artists and craftsmen selling ceramics, books, prints and jewellery.   

This is the perfect example of what makes London such a magnificent city. After all, there aren’t many places that showcase such diversity, beauty and community.  So take the kids or head over with a group of friends, soak up the sun and enjoy the best of what London has to offer. If you get bored, which seems impossible, you can also soak up the beauty of Alexandra Palace and the surrounding grounds. For further details, such as the best entrances and particular stalls click here. 

So what are you waiting for? Text your favourite person and spend a day enjoying one of these great market’s and discover or remember the amazing things London has to offer – we hope to see you there.
 

London Festivals - Friday Favourites

It’s that time of year again, festival season. If you are anything like us at The Amazing Blog, you put off purchasing tickets to the biggest festivals of the year because you had “plenty of time to get them!” But yet once again, the festivals are rolling in and you haven’t a chance in hell of getting to Glasto. Well, never fear, because that’s why we are here! We’ve put together a great list of festivals taking place in London over the next few weeks. Whether you couldn’t get the time off work or needed to save money, we have the perfect solution to you festival yearnings.

The first on our list is Love Box. Taking place on the 14th and 15th of July, which is a Friday and a Saturday, the weekend festival is held in East London’s very own Victoria Park. This festival is open to everyone and allows you options - so If you can’t go on the Friday because of a pesky job, then you can purchase a Saturday day ticket. This means that missing work isn't an excuse to avoid having fun at this music-filled extravaganza of a weekend! With musical stars such as Frank Ocean, Jess Glynne, Solange, Chase and Status and more to be announced the festival offers a couple of days of pure music bliss.

A joint day ticket will cost you £126.25 from here and a day pass will cost £72.25 here - We can't wait for what will undoubtedly be one of the best music filled weekends in London this summer!

If you don't want the weekend to end and want to keep the festival vbes flowing, then we present Citadel. This festival is taking pace on the 16th of July AND in the same Victoria Park as Love Box!

Foals, Laura Marling, Sylvan Esso, Bombino, Twin Peaks, Jake Isaac and many more of your favourite bands and artists will be playing at the remarkable event, letting you get close to some of the biggest names in the music industry.

However, if the long list of names isn't enough to sway you then let us tell you what we love about this festival; Citadel combines our passion for music with a host of fun and unique activities that help the day stand out, as such giving you a chance to create some lasting and uniquely special memories. With the city's tastiest food and drink, as well as talks and debates, workshops, fashion boutiques and so much more, there is something for everyone to enjoy and we don't know about you but we love that level of inclusivity!

You can get your tickets here from £55.25.

If the idea of massive crowds is what puts you off festivals, then Bushstock will probably appeal to you as it combines the great music that festivals pull in with the intimacy that gigs offer. Throughout the Shepherds Bush area, this annual festival is becoming a firm favourite for locals and remains a relative secret amongst those in the know. Compared to your typical festival where you are looking at crowds in the tens of thousands, Bushstock will have around 1500 people. Don't think its small size will have an effect on quality, though! The festival has a reputation for being the place to see the 'next big thing' with previous years showcasing Bastille, George Ezra, Hozier, Daughter, Michael Kiwanuka, Nick Mulvey and many many more incredible artists.

One of the best things about this festival, besides it being a Shangri-la for new music in London, is that it takes place in multiple locations in the Shepherds Bush area, which means that your experience of this event will be wholly unique to the experience of everyone else. It also means that you can chop and change what you see. If you're at one venue and the music isn't your cup of tea you can move to another location and then come back later! A single wristband will grant you entry into all of the venues.

This is an exciting and unique London event that demonstrates the beauty of Shepherds Bush, as well as presents electrifying and inspiring new music. We can't think of a better way to spend the day with our friends. Purchase a ticket here for £30.00 and thank us later!

So, if you were anything like us and you too put off buying those big festival tickets until it was too late, you now have a second chance to redeem yourself and have a music filled summer! We can't wait to go to these events, we just need to find a few festival chic outfits.... life's hard isn't it?

The London Original Print Fair - Friday Favourite

We, here at The Amazing Blog, are always on the hunt for fabulous, unique and special events around the capital for you to enjoy and this week is no different. For four days only (!) The Royal Academy of Arts is hosting the London Original Print Fair, London’s longest-running art fair. It is full of beautiful, whimsical and thought-provoking prints that you won’t be able to tear your eyes away.

This fair offers a remarkable opportunity to experience and appreciate works from every period of printmaking. From the earliest woodcuts of Dürer to the silk screens of modern contemporaries, this fair gives insight into the evolution and changing fashions of the print world. Allowing, the seasoned enthusiast, curious viewer or budding collector to all share an experience and develop a greater understanding and appreciation of this artistic method.

The exhibition is an eclectic mix of styles and artists, as renowned pieces are placed alongside new names. The variety in this print fair is breath-taking and if you don’t believe us or want to have a sneak peek then just check out their exhibitors. What's more, if you love fall in love with one of the prints, then you may even be able to purchase it for yourself! So whether you want to add to your art collection, are thinking of starting one or just want to go for a look, you will love this exhibition. With it closing on Sunday you can purchase tickets here! They are free for Friends of the RA, £12 for adults and free for under 16s!

The Other Art Fair - Friday Favourites

Here at The Amazing Blog, we could not be more excited to hear that The Other Art Fair is returning to London. Taking place at the historic Victoria House on Southampton Row, this year will mark the 6th year and the 15th time the fair will be returning to London and promises to be an unforgettable event.

London is the first of five worldwide stops before the fair moves on to Melbourne, Sydney, Bristol and New York. Presented by SAATCHI ART, the fair will feature 130 artists and programmes! Each artist has been carefully hand-picked by a pannel of judges to bring you the highest quality of art while showcasing London’s up and coming artists.

The Other Art Fair is an amazing way to bridge the gap between the art and artist and provides an unbelieve opportunity for the public to interact with the artists directly. This year, the fair will begin on Thursday the 30th of March at 17:00 and will continue throughout the weekend ending on Sunday the 2nd of April at 18:00.

Tickets run from £7.04 - £15.40 depending on the level of entry that you would like to purchase. For more information or to purchase tickets visit The Other Art Fair’s official website.

Women of the World Festival

Here at the Amazing Blog, we love to hear about the powerful things women can do and advocate for women to become their strongest selves. Therefore we are delighted for the return of WOW - the Women of the World Festival at the Southbank Centre in London.

The festival is designed to champion gender equality, celebrating the wonderful achievements of women all over the world. The event started in 2010 and has since grown into a global gathering of people who come together to inspire women and girls everywhere. Although its base is in London, the festival will be hosting events in other locations such as Cambridge, Hong Kong, Ethiopia, Australia, Iceland, New York, Sydney, and Egypt.

Over these next few days, you will be able to hear from influential and diverse speakers, take part in mentoring and workshop sessions, and see some of the greatest female comedians, musicians, performers, and writers around.

We know that this year's WOW Festival will be fantastic, and past incarnations of the festival have included speakers such as Annie Lennox, Caitlin Moran, Vivienne Westwood, Sandi Toksvig, Grayson Perry, and Gordon Brown. There are various events that you can buy tickets for, such as 'Louder Voices', a project where women over 60 can take part in a singing course, and 'Polari', celebrating LGBT women's writing.

We are sure that you'll be able to find something special to take part in at this year's Women of the World Festival. It is taking place from the 7th - 12th of March, and you can buy day and weekend passes, as well as one-off events here.