The welovelocal Blog

It’s Christmas time, the hot toys are flying off the shelves. Do you want to know where to get those Go Go Pets or Ben Ten goodies?

We love Christmas. It’s great isn’t it? Christmas spirit, goodwill to all men, dazzling lights and… erm… rampant consumerism. Amidst this rapacious desire to part with hard-earned cash in December, we can’t help but be utterly fascinated by the race to crown this year’s ‘must-have’ Christmas toy.

This closely fought battle is already in full swing with our favourite, The Go Go Pets, already flying off shelves around the country. And what are the Go Go Pets? Small, furry robotic hamsters that run around the house in a blue exercise ball. It’s likely they’ll be packing out landfill sites this time next year, but right now, and with a recession-friendly price tag of £10, they’re as good as it gets.

Other big toys this year are the Ben Ten Action Cruiser, Princess Peppa’s Palace and the Bakugan Battle pack. There’s loads of them out there, far too many to mention in fact, but what’s most important is knowing where to get them. Stand by, then, for a list of welovelocal’s favourite toy shops.

The daddy of them all is Hamleys in London. Sara B agrees, “Of course this is not a toy store for the faint hearted and you are unlikely to find many pound sale specials here but if you are feeling flash and want to find the perfect gift or simply just want to have a gander at what you could buy if you were mega rich then you won’t be disappointed”.

In the Midlands, The Entertainer in Birmingham gets Richard P’s vote. “If you are looking for a popular item or just want somewhere to pick up a present or gift for a child then this is a good starting point if you are in the city centre”.

For something a touch different, Anita M recommends the Early Learning Centre in Exeter. “I love the fact that all of the toys are learning tools, incorporating good old fashioned fun as well. My kids love this place”, she says.

And finally, Marie E tells us to stuff it, but in the nicest possible way. Writing about the Build A Bear Workshop in Brighton, she says, “You pick the bear (or whatever animal) you want, choose a heart, stuff it yourself and then kit it out with all the latest togs. Perfect for a gift for the little one in your family… nice for the bigger ones too!”

So there you have it. We’ve flagged up the toys, told you where to find them, time to go forth and spend like a maniac! It’s what Christmas is all about, right?

Yes, we’re going off-piste. No, we don’t care. Come on the twins, say we!

It’s been the biggest upset since… ooh… Sharon got a bit miffed at Dirty Den’s death on Eastenders. Those terrible twins, John and Edward Grimes, saw off the challenge of Lucie ‘Bookies Favourite’ Jones on X Factor last night and everyone’s been crowing about it endlessly since. We thought we’d wade in to the debate by shouting quite loudly, COME ON THE QUIFFS!

Sure, they can’t sing, they can’t dance and, for the most part, they look awful. For those of you who are old enough to remember the Kit Kat advert, that means they’re ‘going a long way’. Oh yes.

X Factor is not a singing contest. Don’t get hoodwinked by Simon Cowell who is desperate to use the programme as Danyl Johnson’s launch pad (it’s a done deal already – you’ll spend worse fivers at the bookies). The X Factor is all about staying in on a Saturday night, getting entertained and, if you’re really lucky, getting entertained by potential pop stars.

Let’s have a reality check here, folks. Not all pop stars can sing. Not all of them are even good looking. Sometimes even their songs are rubbish. Great pop stars, however, are a little bit different, they’re beamed down from another planet and they’re always entertaining. See where we’re going with this?

The rest of this year’s contestants are bland, rubbish and look like the boy/girl next door for a very good reason – it’s because they are. John and Edward are brilliant. They write in huge letters with dayglo spray paints. The others use Bic biros. Yawn-mungous. Bow down and kneel at the alter of Jedward’s genius!

Before we wrap this up, we should also pay some respect to our second favourite contestant – the vanquished Lucie Jones. If, like us, you fancy getting involved in the futile attempt at getting her re-instated, her local radio station Red Dragon is having a go here.

If you’re not that bothered and fancy a laugh, why don’t you have a look at Paul B’s wearied review of ‘Clothes Shop’.

You’ve had a big night, you need to kick start your day. What to do? Where to go? The best local café for a great breakfast, obviously.

We’ve all been there. Eyes widen gradually as a harsh morning contrasts wildly with the previous night’s misadventures, tomfoolery and ill-advised antics. The head is banging, movement is snail-like and painful. The words ‘never again’ are frequently uttered at this point. After another ice age passes, you decide to get out of bed and think about your next move. And it’s an obvious one: you go for a good breakfast.

We’ve all got our favourite cafes, each one filled with hazy memories of a greasy plate bringing you back to life. Egg, bacon, (veggie) sausage, fried tomato, black pudding – what’s your poison?

Welovelocal is stuffed with great places to get an amazing breakfast. We’ve ventured into every single one of the places below and can confidently state that here be the ‘Greatest Hits’ of the breakfast world. If you disagree, you can pop us a suggestion below…

Regency Café, London

Old skool in look, old skool in delivery. It’s likely you’ve seen the Regency in many a fashion photoshoot, but unless you’ve been there, you’re unlikely to have tasted as great a breakfast. Kyra K from Nunhead loves the ambience.

“The most memorable thing about this place is the sheer volume at which the owner/ proprietor, Marco ‘The Voice’ Schiavetti, bellows out the orders to customers as the dishes arrive piping hot from the kitchen”.

Ramon’s, Cardiff

A favourite of the local student population, this is cheap eats served with lashings of grease and a side order of lard. It is amazing. We’ve seen queues snaking out of the door on a Sunday because you just won’t get a cheaper and tastier breakfast anywhere in the UK. Or further afield if you believe Ben: “A Stellar Greasy Spoon without comparison in Cardiff, Wales, UK, Europe, the World, even the UNIVERSE!”

Bunters, Nottingham

Welovelocal has been known to large it at Nottingham’s Rock City on occasion. When we do, and when we’re suffering the next day, we’ll always go to Bunters. Compact and cosy, Bunters has seen many a human emerge from a hungover fug. Sideshow knows exactly where we’re at: “Probably the best greasy spoon in Nottingham. It’s perfect when you’ve nailed 18 pints at Ritzys the night before”. Quite.

City Cafe, Edinburgh

Far more refined is this little eaterie. Between Cowgate and High Street lies a little oasis of calm with the slightest hint of 50s glam. Offering much more than just a breakfast, City Café is a great little place to while away a few hours. According to Alisa it has a “lively atmosphere, pool table and great music”. What else do you need when you’re feeling sorry for yourself?

So that’s our advice. What’s yours? And where else should we visit when we feel like we’re shuffling dizzily off this mortal coil? Tell us below folks, please…

Summer is officially over (like it ever began!?!), but we love autumn and think it’s about time to make the most of a great season.

It’s the autumn equinox today, which means summer is officially over. Yes, we know, it didn’t really get started did it? We love autumn though. Seriously. We absolutely LOVE IT.

For starters, there’s less expectation on autumn than summer. It never promises so much, which means we’re less crushed by disappointment when it doesn’t deliver. When it does deliver, though, everything just feels right with the world.

Waking up to a sunny day with a fresh breeze is one of the greatest feelings in the world. There’s something about the autumnal light that makes everything look a little magical. There’s also the wonderful feeling of being cosy under a big coat with a slight chill hitting the face. Throw in a few trees showing the red, yellow and brown of its changing leaves and you might as well be in heaven. It really doesn’t get much better than that.

Seeing as the greatest season in the world is upon us, we thought we’d highlight a few activities that will help you make the most of the coming months. For us, there isn’t a better time to get out and about than now – it’s getting darker and the days are getting shorter, so get out there while you can.

OK, so boating is an activity you’d ordinarily associate with the summer. Unless you’re particularly inept and frequently go for unplanned swims when you’re lolling about on a lake, we think that autumn is the best time to hit the park pond. Think about it! You’re in a wide green space, the scenery’s great, the local hoodlums aren’t throwing eggs at you because they’re hot and bothered. What’s not to like? If you’re in Cardiff, a visit to Roath Park could be for you.

For some of you, the extra nip in the air may be a little too much. Worry not ye folk of delicate dispositions! How about getting in the car and heading to one of the UK’s fab safari parks. You get it all – animals, scenery and the car heating cranked to bikram yoga proportions. Result! We can’t say for certain that these locals enjoyed it in the autumn, but Woburn Safari Park has been a big hit.

Mark Twain called it ‘a good walk spoiled’, but welovelocal calls the game of golf ‘a fantastic way to see the changing seasons providing you can keep a lid on your frustrations as the ball shanks into the lake for the fifth time’. Granted, it isn’t as punchy as Twain’s phrase, but we’ll work on it. Are you in the Reading area? What about Mappledurham Golf & Health Club. Folk love it.

So we’ve had a boat, we’ve mentioned a walk, we’ve also appealed to the petrol heads amongst you. While it isn’t exactly planes, trains and automobiles, the next on our list is pedal power. If you don’t own two wheels with reliable brakes, what about hiring a trusty steed and hitting the road? There isn’t a better way to see London, that’s for sure, so why don’t you take a short stroll to Go Pedal before dodging renegade taxi drivers around the capital. Do it!

Any more suggestions for us? What do you like about the autumn, and where do you go when it’s a heavenly day? Let us know…

London fashion week hits the capital, so we thought we’d tell you where the big designers go when they love local.

It’s upon us again, isn’t it? London plays host to fashion week, and with it celebrating 25 years of British fashion, this year is set to be best year ever.

Britain has always been innovative in the fashion industry and it’s here that designers unveil their collections to a select industry audience who visit the capital from around the globe.

Let’s be honest, not many of us will be attending the shows, so we thought we’d celebrate this wonderful fashion-fest by letting you know where some of Fashion Week’s featured designers shop.

British designer and ex Vogue journalist, Luella Bartley, who studied at Saint Martins College before launching her eponymous fashion label, had this to say about Rough Trade Records in Notting Hill:

“I love it here because it’s like an educational experience - you always learn something. After a quick chat I get an idea for the collection…”

Henry Holland of House of Holland, who made headlines with his wordplay T-shirts that both celebrate and poke fun at the fashion crowd, absolutely loves The Button Queen in Marylebone.
“It’s an amazing store. Whenever I visit, I feel like I’m on the film set of Mary Poppins or Harry Potter.”

London’s rightly got a reputation as a hotbed for emerging design talent. Erdem is a great example. After the Canadian-born designer studied at the Royal College of Art, he set up his own successful label. Celebrated for his unique take on elegant prints and color, he is one of fashion’s big rising stars.

“Harvey Nichols is a great store”, he says. “It’s always supportive of young talent, which makes the shop floor mix inspiring. I particularly love the menswear department and I never leave without visiting the Fifth Floor food hall.”

From a newcomer to an old hand. Vivienne Westwood has been a groundbreaking force for years now and her Red Label fashion is up there with the best of her work. If she needs to nip out and pick the best vegetables, however, there’s only one place to go: Chelsea Farmers Market.

“It has the most delicious, locally produced, organic food”, she says enthusiastically.

London Fashion Week, of course, starts this Friday (18 September). If we’ve inspired you enough to take a peak, we’d recommend having a look at the fash-pack’s closes guarded secrets – London Fashion Weekend. Check out Somerset House and 180, The Strand, London, from 24-27 September.

And remember what a wise man* once said:

“Dress cute wherever you go, life is too short to blend in.”

*OK, so ‘wise man’ is wide of the mark on a few fronts. It was Paris Hilton.

Close to the heart of a real foodie lies a favourite delicatessen. We pick out some of your favourites.

A great deli offers a true assault on the senses. It tantalises the taste buds with the promise of wonderful foods, it ambushes the nostrils with exotic smells and wows the eyes with shelves stacked to the rafters with the weird and wonderful. Coupled with knowledgeable staff (remember them?) and great customer service, a deli is a place that could comfortably give your bank manager sleepless nights. Us Brits have been blessed with great delis for some time now, so we thought we’d pick out a few of our favourites.

Peckham’s, Edinburgh

This proudly Scottish establishment will keep its doors open until midnight to make sure you can get your hands on the best food and drink. Priding themselves on sourcing quality ingredients and selling tasty food, they’ve been building a solid fanbase north of the border for over twenty five years. Alisa from Edinburgh is one of their enthusiasts: “A fantastic little deli with a cafe. The range of exquisite delights you can find is amazing.”

Wally’s Delicatessen, Cardiff

Wally’s is an institution in Wales’s capital city and has been sitting pretty in the Royal Arcade for almost fifty years. If the smells don’t grab you, the selection of Italian, French and Spanish cheeses, hams and salami will. If that doesn’t grab you, the Greek olives and Eastern European delights will. If that doesn’t grab you… well… erm… we’d guess you’re lying six foot below ground level. Ed J from Roath certainly isn’t lying motionless: “since growing up and becoming a bit of a pretentious foodie, I love wallys more than anything”

Rosie’s Deli Café, Brixton

It may be a fairly new arrival on the Deli scene, but Rosie’s has quickly gained a committed following south of the river.  It dwells at the heart of Brixton’s covered market among the area’s usual food fare. Rosie’s, however, brings a distinctly 50s British approach to proceedings with its impeccable food selection and wonderful attention to detail. Sarah from Brixton is a committed fan.
Presentation is everything in this shop and if you order takeaway sandwiches they come wrapped in grease-proof paper, tied with string and fastened with pretty Rosie’s stickers

Kendall’s Of Earlsdon, Coventry

The Independent newspaper is of the opinion that Kendall’s is among the best deli Britain has. We wouldn’t disagree, and neither would you by the sounds of it. Family run, and proud winners of the Godiva Award for shopping experience, Kendall’s is staffed by sweethearts and stocked with goodies. Helen from Cov loves it: “Good place to get lunch and then spend a stack on things you never knew you wanted”

Lina Stores, Brewer Street

Step in to Lina’s and you step in to an Italian-made piece of foodie heaven. Its wonderful old-fashioned exterior leads to the most amazing selection of traditional Italian basics and some of the greatest fresh pasta this side of the Mediterranean. Throw some amazing breads into the mix and you’ve got a real delight at the heart of London. Robin from Kenington has been a convert for quite some time:
“Their fresh ravioli is amazing, especially the pumpkin one. It’s instant dinner party material - boil for 4 minutes and serve with butter and some of the fresh sage they sell.”
Robin, Kennington

So what have we missed? Drop us a line below and tell us…

And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/welovelocal

It’s August, we’re in the final few days of summer, how are you going to round off your favourite season? How about attending one of the UK’s great music festivals? You’re going to need to be quick because there’s only a few left – Notting Hill Carnival in London, the Reading and Leeds festivals, Bestival on the Isle Of Wght etc.

If standing in a muddy field listening to music at an ungodly volume is not for you, how about re-creating a music festival in your own home? Don’t worry, we haven’t just taken some funny pills, we just thought it might be fun to distil the essence of a Great British tradition while ensuring you can get into your own bed at night,.

Music is at the heart of Notting Hill Carnival, with traditional and contemporary sounds filling the air for miles around. Historically steel bands Soca & Calypso are the sounds of the carnival but in recent years anything from Reggae to R&B, Funk, House, Dub is accepted. So to get your party started what about visiting a local record store to get some crucial tunes.  Beatdown Records in Newcastle are particularly adept at kicking things off

One of the best things about a festival is the freedom to wear clothes you wouldn’t ordinarily touch. Seen those comedy hats at Glastonbury? Exactly. Colour is the key and vintage is essential for recreating the indie look. Angels in London and Vintage in Birmingham will sort you right out.

Usually, food isn’t too high on the agenda if you’re getting stuck in to a festival. Look around, however, and you’ll see all sorts of stalls offering up all sorts of weird and wonderful delicacies. To bring a little flavour of that into your own home, try something a bit more exotic from your locale. Café Caribben in Covent Garden is a fine example. Lovely!

An important part of any festival is the spectacle, the decorations and use of colour. Why not get all Laurence Llywelyn-Bowen on your house and hang things out the window, on walls and from ceilings. Any number of party shops will be able to help, like Bash in Leeds.

So there you have it. A great way to enjoy the August Bank Holiday without the crowds, the racket and the overcrowded public transport. Over to you…

The lovely picture is from goomauk on Flickr

And why not follow us on Twitter here.

We call time on our iTunes competition and announce last week’s three winners as well as the lucky devil who’s scooped the grand prize.

I remember when it were all blogs around here. You know the vibe – pithy observations on moderately important events that have shaken our world for one reason or another. The type of observations that we could crowbar a few reviews and welovelocal businesses into. Remember those days? The good old days? Well, they’re about to return because our big iTunes promotion is now officially over.

You’ve reviewed businesses in your droves. Some have positively rocked your world, others have irritatingly needled you into delivering negative reviews. We’ve loved and appreciated them all. Even those that we had to delete very quickly because they were a touch rude. So… (cue moderate, yet impressive drum roll)… we have the final three winners from last week, all of whom will be dancing to ten* free songs on iTunes.

MC celebrated his birthday at Saffron Pink’s in Dudley and was blown away by the food and service. And MC, for the record, you don’t look 46 at all. In fact, you look more like a cat to us.

James H returned with a great review of The Kings Arms in London. He’s no idea how he found it, but he’s glad he did. As are we – a great review, sir.

And finally, Molly was really impressed with her nails at Gigi. Well done, Molly. Here’s some codes for ya’.

And finally to the grand prize winner. To be fair, we knew she was something special when we first read this review and, despite the many number of great reviews she’s written since, we couldn’t help but feel there was something special about this one.

And so… (cue massively impressive drum roll on the biggest set of drums in the world)… the winner of 50 free songs on iTunes is…

Dawn W with her review of Captin Jaspers.

Congratulations Dawn!

So, with a small dewy tear in our eye, we declare the competition over. Normal blog-type service will resume very shortly. We will say that there’s a bit of a surprise on the way, but we can’t divulge any further secrets. You’ll know soon enough…

And, finally, here’s some Ts and Cs for those who’ve won this week. Huzzah!

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.

*Still reading? Wow, that is impressive. We just wanted to say that we quickly discovered we were giving 20 songs away to winners rather than 10. No, we don’t want them back. Yes, we are generous folk.

The image is by Stefan on flickr

This is it… your last chance to swap a review for some iTunes codes and to bag the biggie - 50 free songs!

A young band from New York in tight trousers (The Strokes) named their album ‘This Is It’* and they may well have been talking about this moment. This is the final week of our iTunes promotion, the last time we’ll be giving away ten free songs to lucky reviewers and the last chance you’ll get to try and win 50 free tunes.

OK, so the eagle-eyed locals of welovelocal, and those of you with some concept of time, may have noticed we messed up a little bit. Last week should have been the final week, but we went on holiday instead. Don’t be angry! We all have to get away occasionally, even if we do love our job as much as we do here on welovelocal, right?

So, this final round will include all reviews in the two week period dated 27 July to 10 August. As before, the final cut-off period is midday.

So who wrote the three best reviews between July 20 and July 27, I hear you ask? Folks, iTunes codes for ten songs will be winging their way to the following:

Dawn W is back with a constructive review of the hotel she visited having been put off by her original choice (you should read that one, too – note to self, don’t get Dawn angry).

Claire D’s review of The Woodbine also made us laugh. It sounds like it isn’t just the beer that helped her enjoy the pub. Is that wedding bells we hear? And do we have to buy a hat? Ooh, we feel like Cilla Black. Surprise, surprise, Claire – here’s some codes.

Isabel’s review of Zushi in Cardiff was also great. Hope all’s well in Wales’s capital city, Isabel. Have some free tunes on us.

So that was this week’s winners (sorta). 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.

The picture is courtesy of tigerplish on Flickr

*PS OK, so The Strokes album was called ‘Is This It’. Grant us a bit of artistic license, eh?

Two more weeks, two more sets of iTunes codes to give away. Now’s the time to tell us about your favourite places!

We’re coming to the end of out iTunes giveaway. Twelve of you have already won ten free songs each, one lucky pup will walk away with a code for fifty. Until we decide the grand prize winner, there’s still two more weeks to go. Like we’ve said before, there’s three weekly winners and one grand prize winner. It’s time to tell us about your favourite places…

Last week’s winners were among the best we’ve had all competition.

Thais D seems to be on a mission to big up her local ‘hood and singled Tapastry (another great name) out for particular praise. “We’re very lucky to have this restaurant just a few steps away!”, she says!.

Sara B told us she was up for snogging a waxwork at Madame Tussauds. We thought it was such an odd thing to say, we thought we’d better send her some iTunes codes to keep her on the straight and narrow. Seriously though, it was anotehr great review.

Curt N also told us about his new local in Exeter. Seems like the Royal Port Inn is a real winner. Maybe see you down there for a pint, Curt!

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.

The pic is by arvindgrover on Flickr