Foy Vance – Indiscriminate Acts of Kindness
See on Scoop.it – Music for a London Life
Plenty of Foy fans at the Union Chapel to appreciate one of his classic songs!
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bestoflondonlife
a quirky look at London Life
Archive for the month “July, 2013”
‘Janey’ at Old Bushmills Distillery – Foy Vance
See on Scoop.it – Music for a London Life
Whilst in Ireland making the album, Foy and band performed a live…
See on www.foyvance.com
Tony Bennett & Amy Winehouse – Body And Soul
See on Scoop.it – Music for a London Life
Music video by Tony Bennett & Amy Winehouse performing Body And Soul.
See on www.youtube.com
PREMIUM SAKE TASTING AT HYPER JAPAN LONDON EARLS COURT 2013
See on Scoop.it – London Food and Drink
There was a very slow-moving queue for the sake tasting but the wait was worthwhile. There were 33 sakes to taste at eleven tables. Each table had at least two instructors to explain their brewing technique and also talk about which part of Japan the rice came from and how the sake was made. All the people in the queue really enjoyed this and were full of questions which was why things moved so slowly. But no-one was getting stressed – I think the Japanese instructors radiated a sense of calm and good nature and dignity which affected us all in an ameliorative way – or was it the wending our way through the 33 shots of sake that kept us all in such good spirits?
There were two delicious sparkling sake to start off with – Suzune Wabi and Sho Chiku Bai Shirakabeguta Mio. We were told they were only 5% alcohol but for all that they were a delight and would grace any dessert. Later in our instruction we were told that traditional sake is around 15-19 % alcohol and most of them were. All were high class sake and all were smooth to the palate and pleasant to the tongue – not like some of the cheap stuff I have encountered in the past. All were distinguished but none more so than the Gekkeikan Nigori Sake by appointment to the Japanese Imperial Household! Nor indeed the sake from Urakasumi responsible for producing the sacred sake for the prestigious Shiogama shrine, the Ichinomiya of Northern Honshu. It was interesting to learn that the name Urakasumi came from the words of a poem, ‘ura’ means ‘bay’ and ‘kasumi’ means ‘mist’; these were taken from the line:’The winds of Shiogama’s sea blow gently through pine trees, like a mist hanging over the bay. Has spring arrived to these numerous islands all at once?’
The penultimate and final tastings though was rather different – on these two tables there were examples of 40% alcohol sake which tasted rather like a single malt whiskey or the rice wine’s Irish equivalent – the potato wine, poteen used to be illegal actually!
Standing in the queue and looking around there were so many aspects of Japanese culture to take in – obviously lots of technology stands, but also evidences of the bizarre – boys dressed as girls, girls dressed as sailor-boys, tall transvestites (one beareded) – I don’t think he was Japanese – in fact I think I recognised him from Brighton! But all these young buzz kids were exotic and beautiful and my editor was doing a lot of stuff with her camera, instantaneously sending it all on to facebook and the kids were loving it, posing and laughing – in fact everyone at the expo seemed to be happy all of the time!
Shaun Traynor
Ursula O’Reilly Traynor‘s insight:
1927 London Shown in Moving Color
See on Scoop.it – Historical London
“Back during the 1920s, Claude Friese-Greene, an early British pioneer of film, shot The Open Road, “a series of ten-minute travelogues of Britain,” which were meant “to be shown before the main feature in cinema programmes,” according to the British Film Institute. Clips from that series have appeared for years on the BFI’s YouTube Channel. But, in recent days, the hive mind of the internet has focused on these five minutes of footage showing 1920s London in rare moving color. What draws us to this footage? Perhaps one Vimeo commenter put it best, saying: “Profoundly moving somehow. All those ghosts on film, foreshadowing our footsteps through the same city. Parts of London remain startlingly unchanged. The megalopolis was less corporate then, more imperial, certainly less suspicious of the camera. But, those pastel shades of people are shown dodging the traffic in the same way as we do, perhaps showing us a way through the labyrinth.” It’s hard not to stop and take notice when the past seems distant, yet so close and familiar.”
Ursula O’Reilly Traynor‘s insight:
This film comes from Open Culture, a great online resource, offering access to free movies, courses etc ..well worth a browse!
See on www.openculture.com
Music for a rainy day! Traveling Wilburys – End Of The Line
See on Scoop.it – Music for a London Life
*The guitar in the rocking chair makes me sooo sad . . and lovely George gone too now . . . these were the masters of their trade . . men at the top of their profession who still made music they loved – because they wanted to – and not just for money . . thank goodness they did .” Steve Coombs
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Johnny Cash – One and One Makes Two/ Nasty Dan
See on Scoop.it – Music for a London Life
tracks from the Johnny Cash Children´s Album (1975)
Ursula O’Reilly Traynor‘s insight:
for Hanaki, my fairy child
(and already a Johnny Cash aficionado! )
See on www.youtube.com
Music for a rainy day! Traveling Wilburys – End Of The Line
See on Scoop.it – Music for a London Life
*The guitar in the rocking chair makes me sooo sad . . and lovely George gone too now . . . these were the masters of their trade . . men at the top of their profession who still made music they loved – because they wanted to – and not just for money . . thank goodness they did .” Steve Coombs
See on www.youtube.com
Music for a rainy day! Traveling Wilburys – End Of The Line
See on Scoop.it – Music for a London Life
*The guitar in the rocking chair makes me sooo sad . . and lovely George gone too now . . . these were the masters of their trade . . men at the top of their profession who still made music they loved – because they wanted to – and not just for money . . thank goodness they did .” Steve Coombs
See on www.youtube.com
Last Week! Leandro Erlich: Dalston House
See on Scoop.it – London Life
Barbican – Leandro Erlich: Dalston House
‘ Internationally known for his captivating, three-dimensional visual illusions, Argentine artist Leandro Erlich has been commissioned by the Barbican to create a new installation in Dalston.
Resembling a theatre set, the detailed facade of a Victorian terraced house – recalling those that once stood on the street – lies horizontally on the ground with mirrors positioned overhead. The reflections of visitors give the impression they are standing on, suspended from, or scaling the building vertically.
Sited on a vacant lot on Ashwin Street, Erlich will design and decorate the façade to resemble the houses that previously stood on the block. Erlich’s installation will be accompanied by talks, workshops and live performances, exploring themes related to the project, including architectural history, urbanism, and perception, which will be developed in collaboration with local organisations.’
Ursula O’Reilly Traynor‘s insight:
30/07/13
This is the final week. I went to take a look yesterday and it is such fun! I got there too late to Q but that didn’t matter as you can get reasonably close to watch the (inter) action and to take photos. Be prepared to wait in line for about 1 hour 15 for your 5 minute slot. Check the twitter feed @DalstonHouse for the latest on the waiting times. I can’t imagine what it’s like in today’s downpours but I suspect it will not deter enthusiasts! That’s if it is deemed safe enough to open today. And round the corner of this intriguing back street, there’s the Arcola theatre and Cafe Oto where you can seek shelter from the rain! When you get there, you are given a handy booklet detailing useful information about Ashwin Street and the surrounding area. It’s the cool place to be!
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Leandro Erlich talks about Dalston House : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGTzLKp6MFQ
Dalston House Skaters: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGTzLKp6MFQ
Haven’t been yet. Plan to go soon..I hope the Q is not like the 3 hour wait for the Rain Room in The Barbican! At least this one is free and outdoors.
See on www.barbican.org.uk
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