Abi McIntosh is a writer and producer who has covered music, culture and the LGBT+ community for publications including The Guardian, The Independent, Stylist and Gay Times. Her credits include the Channel 4 documentary 'Where Have All The Lesbians Gone?' and the podcast ‘Black and Gay, Back in the Day’.

Abi McIntosh

Abi McIntosh

Articles (1)

Black History Month Events in London 2024

Black History Month Events in London 2024

October, the month of pumpkin spice lattes, darker days, longer nights and thinking about your Halloween costume for weeks and then panic-buying a pair of cat ears on the way to a party. But October is also Black History Month and as usual there’s a lot going on around the capital to mark the occasion. The theme of this year’s  Black History Month is ‘Reclaiming Narratives’; here’s everything you need to know about Black History Month in London. What is Black History Month? Black History Month is an annual month honouring the history, traditions, arts and contributions of Black people both in the UK and across the globe. Founded in the United States in 1970, it was first celebrated in the UK in 1987.  When is Black History Month 2024? Black History Month takes place in October in the UK and Ireland, with screenings, festivals, exhibitions and talks as well as loads more events taking place nationwide throughout the month. Don’t get it mixed up with the US and Canadian version, which is celebrated in February. Yes, it’s another one of those needlessly confusing disparities between our calendars, just like Mother’s Day.

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Black Cultural Archives Black Futures Month: Reclaiming Narratives

Black Cultural Archives Black Futures Month: Reclaiming Narratives

The Black Cultural Archives is a centre in Brixton that aims to collect, preserve and celebrate the histories of people of African and Caribbean descent in the UK. They celebrate Black history all year round but during October have a series of events including partnering with Black-owned creative agency Dark Matter to host an exclusive preview of the award-winning Dahomey at the Ritzy ahead of its UK release on October 25. Directed by Senegalese filmmaker Mati Diop, the documentary Dahomey focuses on on the first major return of looted treasures from Europe to Africa. You can also head down to the centre to check out the exhibition ‘Race Today: Black History is British History’ which explores the legacy of the Race Today journals which is running all month.
Classically Black at Kings Place

Classically Black at Kings Place

If you’re a classical music fan, Classically Black at Kings Place should be on your radar. Brought to you by Black Lives in Music, an organisation set up to address racial inequality in the music industry, the full day event will celebrate the contributions of Black classical musicians past and present. The groundbreaking event will include panel talks, an emerging talent showcases, and performances by members of BBC Symphony Orchestra. British Black composers Pete Letanka and Jason Yarde will also be previewing newly commissioned work.
Black History Walks

Black History Walks

Walking tours are an exciting way to see a city. No matter how well you think you know London a tour will always offer up a way to see the city through fresh eyes. Black History Walks offer a series of specialised walking tours all year round but October is the perfect time to discover Black British History. Walks on offer in October include an exploration of areas you might think you already know so well like Soho and Dalston. With over 16 walking tours to choose from and over 3,500 years of Black History to unpack, you might look at the city you love to hate to love a little differently.

News (6)

How to watch the London Marathon 2024 on TV and live stream

How to watch the London Marathon 2024 on TV and live stream

The world-famous London Marathon is taking place this weekend. Yep, on Sunday, April 21, around 50,000 brave souls are expected to take part in the huge 26.2-mile run across the city streets. Impressive stuff.  RECOMMENDED: Here’s the full guide to the 2024 London MarathonCheck out the 2024 route here The atmosphere is set to be pretty electric, but even if you don’t fancy braving the crowds and tackling the road closures, you can still tune into all of the live action from the comfort of your own home. So what are you waiting for? Here’s everything you need to know about watching the London Marathon 2023 on TV and online.  How to watch the London Marathon 2024 You can watch the marathon live across BBC One, BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and BBC Sport mobile app and online. The coverage will start at 08:30 before the first race and it will be presented by Gabby Logan. What time does the London marathon start this year? The marathon kicks off on Sunday April, 21. Tune in at 09:05 BST for the wheelchair races, 09:25 for the elite women, and 10:00 for the elite men and masses.  What is the London marathon route? The 26.2 mile marathon route starts south of the Thames at Blackheath and finishes in front of Buckingham Palace. If you’re watching at home you’ll be able to see famous London landmarks like Cutty Sark, The Tower of London and Big Ben. ICYMI: everything you need to know about the 2024 wave times Plus, all of the celebrities running in the 2024 race
The ‘Only Fools and Horses’ car is up for auction

The ‘Only Fools and Horses’ car is up for auction

If you’re an ‘Only Fool and Horses’ fan (or maybe your dad is,) you can get your hands on a piece of legendary British comedy history. One of the most recognisable cars on British television is up for sale.  The iconic duo Del Boy and his younger brother Rodney, portrayed by David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst, were the masterminds behind Trotter's Independent Traders and now their iconic yellow Reliant Regal is up for sale. The car is actually believed to be what the wheeler dealers used to cart themselves around south London.  The 1972 vehicle is being sold by auction house Classic Car Auction and the car is coming from a private collector who has owned it since 2021. According to the  auctioneers ‘it was previously owned by John Mansfield of the BBC who also owned another example, which was successfully sold in 2017 for £41,625.’ The car isn’t being sold on its own. The lot includes the roof rack, complete with the market suitcase, fluffy dice, ‘Tax in the Post’ sign and an inflatable doll in the rear, paying homage to one of the show’s most popular episodes ‘Danger UXD’. You won’t be able to plan any fast getaways, however. The car has a top speed of 55 mph and 97,000 miles on the clock and has a top speed of 55mph. In any case, if you've got a couple hundred pounds lying about this piece of three-wheeled television history could be yours.  Want to go to Cross the Tracks? Win VIP tickets and a £50 bar tab! When is the London tourist attraction strike?
These are the films Keanu Reeves thinks everyone should watch

These are the films Keanu Reeves thinks everyone should watch

Keanu Reeves is famously the nicest guy in Hollywood. When negotiating his contract for the Matrix sequels, he arranged for a percentage of his cut to go to employees in the special-effects department, costing him – wait for it – $75 million. He’s also the kind of A-lister who will up at your local for a beer and shepherd’s pie and be friendly to everyone there. But Reeves also knows a thing or two about film. The actor has been in his fair share of iconic films including The Matrix, Point Break, Speed, the criminally underrated Constantine, and latterly the John Wick movies. Some might argue is the perfect person to recommend some other movie bangers.  Carrie-Anne Moss, aka Trinity from The Matrix, is one of them. As reported by Esquire, she asked Reeves for a list of movies she should watch with her teenagers – and the great man did not disappoint.  There are a good mix of cult classics, like A Clockwork Orange, and comedies, like Raising Arizona. These are the films that made the cut:  The Neon Demon A Clockwork Orange Rollerball The Bad Batch Dr. Strangelove Seven Samurai Amadeus Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead The Evil Dead Raising Arizona The Big Lebowski La Femme Nikita  The Professional (Léon) Young Frankenstein Blazing Saddles Monty Python and the Holy Grail The Outlaw Josey Wales The Road Warrior: Mad Max 2 How many of them have you seen and what would be on your list?The 100 greatest films ever made. The 100 best comedy movies: the funniest films ever made.
A ‘Dalmatian Cafe’ is coming to London

A ‘Dalmatian Cafe’ is coming to London

If you've been desperate for a white and black spotted dog ever since you watched ‘101 Dalmatians’ but can’t commit to being a full-time animal parent then you’re in luck. London is getting its very own Dalmatian cafe.  Pop+Bark calls itself ‘the world's first mobile Pupuccino Bar for dogs’ and the company behind it has been doing dog experiences since 2017. So far they've done pop-up events for Golden Retrievers, Corgis, Cockapoos and now they're bringing us a Dalmatian cafe.  The Doggy cafe will allow you to hang out with some extremely pampered Dalmatian pups, with a bar and bakery to keep you refreshed. Oh wait, did we say ‘bar and bakery’? We meat ‘pupuccino bar and doggy Barkery’. The latter will be serving tasty ‘pupcakes’ and ‘dognuts’. There will also be canine-sized furniture, and loads of fun props to help elevate your cute pup pictures.   The  cafe will be a ‘safe, off-lead experience where Dallies can roam, explore, and play with others,’ according to founder Anushka Fernando. ‘Breed-specific events are known to be the perfect way to socialise your dog whether they’re an excitable puppy or older pet.’ So if you've had a stressful day at work or you're feeling fed up with your dogless life you'll be able to pop to the cafe and cuddle and play with some adorable dogs. The dotty Dalmatians at Pop+Bark will be at London's Devonshire Terrace, EC2M 4WY, on Sunday July 23. More dates to be added. The best coronation events this weekend in London The coronation fly past
People are starring in their own Wes Anderson films on TikTok

People are starring in their own Wes Anderson films on TikTok

You’ve heard of romanticising your life but have you ever heard of Wes Ander-fying your life? In the latest TikTok trend, users are making the mundane of the everyday, everything from train journeys and lunches, into cinematic masterpieces borrowing from the film director's famous aesthetic.  Every Wes Anderson film has a distinctive style. From The Grand Budapest Hotel, and The Royal Tenenbaums to Fantastic Mr Fox and The French Dispatch, you can spot the director’s films from the striking curated colour schemes, music and typography. And now TikTok users are embracing the auteur’s signature style and creating videos using the colours, music, framing and camera moves that Anderson is famous for to romanticise their lives.  TikTok user @avawillyums is credited as the originator of the trend. Shot on a train journey to New York, it has over 11 million views and has influenced lots of other videos.   @avawillyums With a good imagination, everything is symmetrical. Let a girl day dream! #wesanderson ♬ Obituary - Alexandre Desplat The hashtag #WesAnderson currently has over 554 million views on TikTok and we’ve rounded up some of the best ones below:  @keithafadi I’ve recently discovered Wes Anderson and his films so here’s a quick & fun little video for this trend ♬ Obituary - Alexandre Desplat  @verdeflowerco I couldn’t resist this trend, so i put on my best outfit and turned an afternoon of picking tulips for a big delivery, into a Wes Anderson inspired short. Enjoy,
How to see April’s ‘pink moon’ in the UK this week

How to see April’s ‘pink moon’ in the UK this week

Every moon in the lunar calendar has a name. Some are pretty and allusive, like the ‘strawberry moon’ in June – a good time to harvest strawbs – and others are more prosaic, like December’s ‘cold moon’, because it’s cold at that time of year (in the northern hemisphere, at least). This month’s name is the ‘pink moon’ and it will be the first full moon of spring in the northern hemisphere. Here’s everything you need to know. Why’s it called a pink moon and what does it mean? Although April’s full moon is called the ‘pink moon’, it doesn’t actually relate to the colour of the moon. ‘Pink’ refers to the pink blossoms that emerge during the spring. The moon is believed to have been named after a species of early blooming wildflower by Native Americans. What’s the best time to see the full moon? The pink moon will reach peak illumination at 5.34am on Thursday, April 6, according to Greenwich’s Royal Observatory. How can I see April’s pink full moon from the UK this week? Although the moon will be at its brightest early Thursday morning, you don’t have to worry about getting up super early to see it because it will visible from the evening of Tuesday, March 4 until Friday, March 7, according to Nasa. When is the next full moon in the UK? After this month’s ‘pink moon’, the next full moon in the lunar cycle will be on Thursday, May 5. It’s called the ‘flower moon’ and represents all the flowers that appear in spring. The ‘flower moon’ will also be a lunar eclipse. ICYMI: England’s s