The welovelocal Blog

We’re a month into 2010. How are the New Year’s resolutions doing?

If we were given some money for good intentions we’d all be millionaires on January 1st. I will stop smoking. I will stop drinking. I will lose weight. I will stop eating chocolate. The list, as I’m sure you’re well aware, is endless.

The question we have for you at the moment is how well are you doing? Have the good intentions slowly transformed into that familiar, comfortable malaise? If they have, we’re here to apply a size 9 to that gradually expanding derriere.

Call us Mr and Mrs Motivators with a broader use than just SHOUTING AT YOU! Not only can you find the addresses and phone numbers of gyms in your area at welovelocal, you can be convinced that the gym is a great place to go, too. Honest.

And don’t just take our word for it. Hear the wisdom of some of our other locals…

Tom B, for instance, is a huge fan of Paris gym near Vauxhall in London. “Paris may not be the poshest health club but it’s certainly the best equipped, best run and probably the cleanest gym I have ever seen”.

Patricia, who lives near Cardiff, is loving the city’s Esporta Health & Fitness Clubs. “I would highly recommend this fitness centre to anyone from gym bunnies to those who haven’t exercised in years”.

And Kate from Bebington is now a regular at the JJB gym in the Wirrall. “I have never been a big fan of the gym but I find myself wanting to go there. I have managed to fit back into my size 8 jeans now so I’m made up!!”

So what are you waiting for? The lifespan of a good intention shouldn’t be one day. 2010 is still in its infancy. Imagine how good you’ll look in the summer if you crack on now?

It’s Cherrrissstmass! Which means there’s loads of outdoor ice rinks springing up. Time to get your skates on, people…

It’s dark and bitterly cold outside. So why is bunging on a few skates and going bum-over-boob on a load of ice such an appealing prospect? We’ve no idea, but we’re not going to question it too much. It’s a magic thing and, as we all know, magic doesn’t hold up to close inspection.

These ice rinks – or arenas of wonderment as we’ll now call them – are everywhere. We thought we’d flag up a couple of our favourites because, when it’s all said and done, there’s nothing better to do and nowhere better to go when there’s bugger all on the box, it’s dark and depressing outside and you’ve a load of warm coats and a loved one to drag down on to the ice with you.

But where can you do an impression of a jumper in a washing machine while you perch precariously on two thin slices of metal? And where can you feel the terror of leaving somewhere with less limbs than when you arrived? Be sure to send us your suggestions below, but here are a couple of ours.

Winter Wonderland, Cardiff

Parked in the civic centre, right outside the National Museum & Galleries Of Cardiff, Winter Wonderland is a belter. Local radio station Red Dragon broadcasts from the site, there’s a cool little bar and fairground nearby and there’s a load of ice on which to make a complete prat of yourself. What else do you want?

Natural History Museum, London

Where else can you feel like a better person and a complete berk at the same time? The ice rink outside the Natural History Museum in London, that’s where. Fill up on a load of knowledge inside, lose your dignity on the ice rink outside. Brilliant!

The Ice Factor, York

Rumoured to be the final time the ice rink will appear in this picturesque setting, we strongly urge welovelocal’s York locals to make the most of this beauty. At the Ice Factor, skaters navigate their way around an oak tree (some more successfully than others), while the Law Courts, Castle Museum and Clifford’s Tower look on. Not to be missed.

Somerset House

The rest of the UK may balk, but Somerset House could just be the Daddy of all Chrimbo ice rinks. Set in the breathtaking surroundings of Somerset House, you’d be hard pushed to find a more beautiful skating backdrop in the world. It’s also the tenth birthday of the ice rink at the House, which means there’s even more reason to celebrate this wonderful city-centre staple.

So, you’ve heard our suggestions. Got any in return? The comment box is below…

Simon Cowell and his motley gang have inspired us to unleash our inner X Factor. Are you game?

Love it or hate it, Saturday night belongs to the X Factor. Call them wannabe muppets or the stars of tomorrow, we’re absolutely smitten by the  dozen hopefuls they’ve amassed for the live shows (it’s down to nine already! NO!). Bonkers John & Edward, lovely Welshies Lucie and Lloyd, Geordie Joe and the controversial Danyl… we think they’re all great. No, seriously.

Don’t read too much into this next segue, but we thought this was a perfect opportunity to big up that much maligned activity of the drunken. Oh yes people, we’re talking KARAOKE. Cha’mone!

Some of you will love it, some of you will think we’ve lost our remaining few marbles, but let us say this: we’ve shed a tear in a very hard East End pub because the landlady, who couldn’t hold a tune in a bucket, sang a massively heart-wrenching version of Elton John’s ‘Sacrifice’. For three and a half minutes, as dogs howled around Forest Gate, she was centre stage and the centre of attention, and we wouldn’t deny anyone that pleasure.

So, climbing down off our high horse, we thought we’d big-up some makeshift arenas where the common man (and woman) become megastars. Just like X Factor.

The Karaoke Box in Frith street is a controversial pick. Daniel C isn’t a fan, and Rob M isn’t a huge convert but, and in true karaoke fashion, “if you don’t have a good time, you’re doing something very wrong”. And that will do for us.

Next up is the Pad Thai Restaurant & Karaoke Bar in Birmingham. Is combining food and tuneless singing a good thing? Russ M isn’t so sure: “My tip - book a room. You can embarrass yourself in private”

And finally, we turn to a big advocate of mic swinging and alcoholic consumption. Theresa from Bristol is a huge fan of Karaoke-Me! “You can choose any song from a huge range, line them up and take it in turns to deafen each other whilst reading the lyrics from the plasma screen”. She wrote this while singing ‘I Will Survive’ and necking a Smirnoff Ice. Possibly.

So where do you go to scream your lungs out and annoy diners? Tell us below. You know it makes sense…

Football this, rugby that… are you sick of the new sports season already? Is it time to reclaim sports stadia for different uses?

We’ve only had a few weeks of the new football season and already it seems like it’s been grinding on for decades. Don’t get us wrong, we don’t mind a bit of footie or rugby, but sometimes it’s nice to not be bombarded by it. There is, after all, plenty of other things going on in your local area.

So this week, and like Graeme Swann skilfully did in the Ashes, we thought we’d spin the sports theme a little (see what we did there? *groan*). Plenty of you have written reviews of your favourite sports arenas, but we thought it would be nice to highlight those with alternative uses, too. Y’know the places where you can ‘SHOUT ABOUT THE REFEREE’S DUBIOUS PARENTAGE!!!’, and then take in something completely different at the same venue a few weeks later.

Call it a sports blog for those who aren’t particularly interested in sports, if you will. We’re not going to lie, it took us a bit of fine tooth-combing to come up with some of your faves, so we’d appreciate your help if you can think of any more (bung us a comment below).

So what have we got for you? Read on…

The Millennium Stadium, Cardiff.

The home of Welsh rugby is an intense cauldron of nationalistic fervour when the men in red hit the field. A great atmosphere is guaranteed at a sports event, but if you’re not too keen on hearing ‘The Men Of Harlech’, how about a few songs belted out by some of the world’s biggest acts when they swing through the Welsh capital city. I don’t mind revealing too much about my age here, but I saw Dire Straits with my Dad when the Millennium Stadium was called The Arms Park (it was amazing), and I saw U2 here a few weeks ago (it was OK). When the Monster Trucks roll through town, they’ll also stop here to mash up a few cars and generally bring the ruckus to Cardiff.

Steve M from Cathays reels off a list of the things he’s seen, and is of the opinion that there’s nowhere better: “This stadium is far and away the best I’ve ever seen. For ease of access, seating, acoustics, lighting and atmosphere, there really isn’t anywhere else like it!”

Twickenham Stadium, Richmond.

Across the Severn and down the M4 lies English rugby’s home: fortress Twickenham. Like the Millennium Stadium, it’s an intimidating place to play (if you’re not wearing a white shirt), but the atmosphere is second to none. OK, so it’s a little more genteel than its Welsh counterpart, but Twickers loses nothing in its intensity of feeling.

What Twickenham is less well-known for is its brilliant capacity to host some of the biggest gigs in the UK. REM, The Eagles and Iron Maiden have all filled this hallowed space.  Most of you prefer Twickenham as a rugby venue though (Bah! You traditionalists!).

“With a capacity of 80K the noise is superb”, says a slightly more deaf Adrian M from Willard.

Planet Ice Arena/Skydome, Coventry

For something completely different, how about the Skydome/Planet Ice Arena in Coventry? On the weekends and occasional weekday evenings you’ll be able to see The Blaze not give a puck as they smash up their opposition during a fast’n’furious game of ice hockey.

Far more relaxing, however, is donning a pair of skates yourself and gliding around the ice to some soothing music. Banish the memories of grizzled men beating each other with sticks by taking a partner and getting all romantic about it. All together now… Aaaaaaaah!

“Apart from falling over, everything about this place is just fantastic”, says Craig from Coventry. We couldn’t agree more.

So come on, we’ve started the ball rolling… suggestions please!

The image is by KTDEE on Flickr

Tell us about your favourite places, win some free songs from iTunes in return. Thinking caps at the ready? Hands at the keyboard? Go!

We read all of your reviews at welovelocal. From axe-grinding missives to gushing praise, we examine each and every one of your words. When we’re being generous and giving away ten free songs on iTunes to three lucky reviewers, it’s fair to say we spend a little more time with them than usual.

What are we looking for? That’s a funny little question. A well-written review is a good start, but we’re also looking for that something extra. A little je ne sais quoi. A bit of a vibe. Have a look at this week’s winners for inspiration. We all thought they were great here:

James H really likes The Opera Tavern in Covernt Garden, London. We’ve been there ourselves, but can’t help feeling that James summed it up a lot better than we could.

David E’s review of The Boat Inn at Monmouth was also a corker. A great description of what sounds like a lovely place. And that wafting garlic? We almost ordered food on the spot. It made us sooooooo hungry.

Finally, Mark N’s effusive words on Eastbourne’s Reef ‘n’ Beef (and what a great name, too) made us raise unanimous thumbs in his general direction.

So that was this week’s winners. Who’s going to bag free songs next week? The competition is now open…

Like last time, you need to bear this in mind to be in with a shot of winning:

• You must add a profile picture to your review
• As iTunes codes will be e-mailed to our winners, please ensure the e-mail address we have for you is correct!
• The weekly competition opens at midday on Monday and closes the following Monday, at midday. Our run of competitions ends on 3rd August, 2009.
• All reviews must conform to our usual terms of service

And here are a few Ts And Cs from iTunes…

This content code expires 31/08/09 and is redeemable only on the iTunes Store for the UK. To redeem the code you must have an iTunes account, subject to prior acceptance of licence and usage terms. To open an account you must be above the age of 13 and located in the UK. You will need a credit or debit card to activate your account.  iTunes 6.0 (7.0 or later for video), compatible hardware and software, and Internet access (fees may apply) are required. Not for resale. For full terms, see www.apple.com/legal/itunes/uk/gifts.html.  For more information, see www.apple.com/uk/support/musicstore.  Don’t steal music. TM and © 2008 iTunes S.à.r.l. All rights reserved.

Picture is by Shankar Shiv’s on Flickr.

Another week has begun, which means there are more free songs to win from iTunes. We’ve also got last week’s winners for you…

We had a great response to last week’s competition and had plenty of locals vying for our three bundles of iTunes vouchers. We’re very pleased to announce that the following will be jigging along to their favourite new tunes:

Our review of the week goes to Ben B’s review of Zuttato. Want to find a great Italian in central London that’s reasonably priced? Ben reckons this is the place for you…

Next was Judy H’s review of the Gipsy Hill Tavern. Good job they don’t do food, eh Judy? You would never have written us this great review!

And the final winner is Kitty N’s review of Headmasters. Kitty, we’re just glad you found a barber that could tame your “thick, voluminous hair”.

The iTunes codes will be winging their way to you now.

Did you send us a review and didn’t make the top 3? Don’t worry! There’s another load of iTunes codes to give away this week, as well as the grand prize winner who’ll be choosing 50 songs from iTunes at the end of our competition. Get scribbling folks – time is of the essence.

Like last time, you need to bear the following in mind to be in with a chance of winning:

• You must add a profile picture to your review
• As iTunes codes will be e-mailed to our winners, please ensure the e-mail address we have for you is correct!
• The weekly competition opens at midday on Monday and closes the following Monday, at midday. Our run of competitions ends on 3rd August, 2009.
• All reviews must conform to our usual terms of service

And here are a few Ts And Cs from iTunes…

This content code expires 31/08/09 and is redeemable only on the iTunes Store for the UK. To redeem the code you must have an iTunes account, subject to prior acceptance of licence and usage terms. To open an account you must be above the age of 13 and located in the UK. You will need a credit or debit card to activate your account.  iTunes 6.0 (7.0 or later for video), compatible hardware and software, and Internet access (fees may apply) are required. Not for resale. For full terms, see www.apple.com/legal/itunes/uk/gifts.html.  For more information, see www.apple.com/uk/support/musicstore.  Don’t steal music. TM and © 2008 iTunes S.à.r.l. All rights reserved.

Picture is by inkynobaka at Flickr.

Unblocking my drain this morning got me thanking the angels that come in and sort out the jobs from hell.

Have you ever wrapped your arm in a bin bag and rummaged in a blocked drain, nose millimetres away from the devil’s H2O? I have, this morning in fact, and you know what? I could do without experiencing it again.

After common sense prevailed and I’d got on the phone to Thames Water, a knight in shining boilersuit with a flexible joust turned up. Ten minutes later and the stench, the over-flowing and the damp bin bags were history. I couldn’t get the cash out of my wallet quickly enough (this is rare – ask my friends). Perhaps I was a little hasty in shaking him by his gloved hand (still wet), but that’s the impetuosity of youth for you… ahem.

So it got me thinking of the saints that tackle all of the jobs that, in an ideal world, just wouldn’t need sorting in the first place. These are the people that allow us to get on with our lives, blissfully ignorant of the nasty jobs that would put a small dent in our perfect world.

Keith E. from Gateshead is loving Stanley Thompson, a plumber and central heating engineer from the Northeast. Stan, apparently, is even dinky enough to fit into small, tight, spaces – an essential skill if you need a boiler fixed on the same day that the thermometer dips to record levels of freeze.

It’s not up there with my drain ordeal, but getting a nasty stain on your beautiful dry-clean-only frock is a proper nightmare. Especially if you need it turned around quickly for a formal bash with the Caravan Club (or someone) that evening. Ed N. knows what I’m talking about, and that’s why he’s bigging up Brum’s First Choice Dry Cleaners.

Gokhan H. was pulled out of a tricky situation by London’s Handy Removals. His wife was eight months pregnant and he needed to move house to Littlehampton – sounds like a very tricky, potentially explosive situation, right? In came Handy Removals and out went their belongings. Gokhan emerged from the incident with his back intact and Mrs Gokhan made the move stress free. What a result.

So come on folks, what have you got for us? Who’s intervened when you’ve gazed into the terrifying eyes of a nasty job? Your reviews and your comments please…

The lovely (?) picture is by wonderferret on Flickr

And why don’t you follow us on Twitter? Keep up to date with our special offers, reviews of the week and blog postings.

It’s time to give it up for business owners who’ve either put a bit of thought into their name or sought inspiration with a few swifties down The Noose And Monkey.

OK, so you’re casually walking down what you thought was a nondescript high street, possibly munching on some chips. Out of the corner of your eye, you suddenly see something that demands you take a second look. You turn around, scan a crudely painted sign above a shop and involuntarily spit a mouthful of fried potatoes over an innocent bystander. Comedy gold has struck when you’ve least expected, the author a shop owner with the greatest sense of humour in the world.

People, it’s time to stand up and pat those shop owners on the back. We’ve got a few highlighted below, but we need you to flag up the comic heroes that staff our local shops and businesses. Someone needs to give them props after all – the recession sure isn’t putting a smile on their face.

So what have we got for you? These beauties:

Alive And Klippin, Swansea: Tucked away on an average road between two fairly average towns (Neath and Pontardawe) lies this slice of genius. We’ve never been there (hence no review), but we’ve almost crashed the car on numerous occasions as we’ve struggled to keep our hands on the wheel while laughing so hard. We’re guessing they’re Simple Minds fans, though we’ve no idea where that ‘K’ came from – hopefully it’s some sort of hairdressing jargon we don’t understand and not bad spelling.

Buy The Book, Nottingham: This one works on so many levels, which is why it’s double genius. Obviously, it puns ‘By The Book’, but we’re particularly loving the (not so) subtle command that leaves you with no uncertainty what the owner wants you to do once you step foot in his shop. Splendid work, sir/madam.

The Frying Scotsman, Paignton: A brilliant pun made even better by the sheer randomness of it. OK, so it’s a chip shop, but it’s in Devon. Devon, in case you’re geography isn’t up to scratch, is about as far away from Scotland as you can get.

So what else have you got? Your comments and reviews ladies and gentlemen, please…

The picture was supplied by dev null on Flickr

And why don’t you follow us on Twitter? Keep up to date with our special offers, reviews of the week and blog postings.

For some of you, however, the holiday continues. And by some of you, we mean those of you who have been lucky (or is that un-lucky?) enough to have to keep control of your household’s younger element. The children are off school for half-term and you know what happens when children get bored? They invite all their friends around to have massive raucous parties and trash your house. Well… maybe that’s more the behaviour of a rock star, but when children get bored – and this is far worse than having to replace a tatty vase from Bognor – they resort to the idiot box in the corner of the room.

So how are you going to drive a wedge between your young’uns and their surrogate parent? Easy, you give them some far better options. Options that we’d rather be indulging in were we not writing this blog for you. That’s right, we are so good to you.

So where’s hot and hip? Where isn’t going to spark off rolling eyeballs? What’s going to fire the imagination? What about this little lot:

Take them to the leisure centre. Along with the usual smorgasbord of sports, there may also be swimming pools with slides, wave machines and all sorts of mad H20-related goodness. How about The Oasis in Swindon, which you can read about here…

From where we’re standing, it’s all High School Musical Part 5965 around these parts, so why not take them to the cinema for some big screen thrills? There’s plenty in every town and city around the UK and this one in Liverpool seems to be a particular favourite.

And what about a bit of bowling? As long as the bowling ball doesn’t stray into someone else’s lane, it will be a heck of a laugh. Well, the children will be doing all the laughing as you struggle to break double figures. Have a look at one of Eastbourne’s finest here.

So what have we missed? Got any suggestions for other caring parents? And what about letting us know how you decided to entertain your darling children in the long week ahead. Over to you, ladies and gentlemen…

The picture has been supplied by JaeYong on Flickr.

The bank holidays are coming thick and fast at the moment, aren’t they? It seems like every other Monday has an excuse to stay in bed and fester in front of Cash In The Attic. Or maybe that’s just us…

This Bank Holiday, however, we feel compelled to do something. You know, get out there and grab life by the scruff of the neck and drag it to a place called ‘My Life Is Actually Really Exciting’. It’s the last Bank Holiday ‘til August, so if you’ve already spent your holiday entitlement at work, you’d better make it pretty ruddy special.

Now we all know that the endless possibilities could leave you with option paralysis and have you reverting to the pants/sofa axis, so let us give you a couple of suggestions. Loads have been writing reviews about bicycle shops, so why not get on two wheels, hit the countryside and make like an advert for butter. How tranquil…

A few of you have also been bigging up large old buildings – or areas of historical interest as they’re officially called. There’s more of them than we could possibly shake a stick at in the UK and we urge you to get out there and soak in the architecture, the history and sheer blimmin’ brilliance of being around longer than Jimmy Saville.

And what about a traditional visit to the zoo? Dudley zoo is a jem and it’s certainly impressed someone. Having our face painted like a tiger? We are there with bells on, Jean.

See? There’s loads of things to do, so why don’t you have a rummage around We Love Local. We’ll be looking for your reviews on Tuesday. And no, we won’t be accepting your words of wisdom on Cash In The Attic.

Pic by chadmagiera on Flickr