Rhian Daly

Next year, London will get a new monument dedicated to the Windrush Generation and the design for it has been unveiled.  Jamaican sculptor Basil Watson’s proposal has been selected from a shortlist of four potential sculptures by an independent Windrush commemoration committee chaired by Baroness Benjamin.  Londoners and visitors to the city will be able to see the 12ft high sculpture at Waterloo Station from June 22 2022 – aka Windrush Day. The tribute piece, which is being paid for with £1m of government funding, will show a man, woman and child dressed in their Sunday best, standing on a pile of suitcases.  While this will be Watson’s first piece of public artwork in the UK, he’s no stranger to creating celebrated monuments. He is the artist behind a sculpture of Usain Bolt, displayed in Jamaica, and Atlanta’s statue to Martin Luther King. In 2016, he was also awarded the Order Of Distinction (Commander Class) by the Jamaican government for his achievements in the art world. In a statement, Watson said that he is ‘truly honoured to be chosen’ and feels ‘privileged that I now have this opportunity to express the aspirations, vision and courage of my parents, who took the long sea voyage to England in 1952’.  ‘I look forward to bringing my design to life because I know how much this means to the Windrush community,’ he added.  Baroness Benjamin said of the sculpture: ‘This Windrush monument represents the past, present and future and I hope it will be the catalyst fo

Arcade Food Hall Centre Point – formerly known as Arcade Food Theatre – had something of a false start when it opened back in 2019. Less than eight months after it began welcoming diners to its fancy take on a food court, the pandemic hit and forced it to close.  Now it’s regrouped, changed its name and JKS Restaurants (the group behind heavy hitters like Bao, Berenjak, Hoppers and Gymkhana) have brought in some new restaurants to get the central London space buzzing once again. They’ve finally announced the full restaurant line-up and have an official opening date on Friday April 22. Look out for nine kitchens, with food ranging from Michelin-starred Sabor’s little sister Saborcito to American diner-style food at Manna from Bake Street’s Feroz Gajia and Japanese sushi and omakase from Sushi Kamon and heaps more. Alongside all of that, chef Luke Farrell is to open three spaces at the Arcade Food Hall. His inspiration? Fifteen years living in Thailand and experience of working in kitchens across southeast Asia. Plaza Khao Gaeng will pay tribute to southern Thai cuisine, with the restaurant inspired by an old Thai cinema. Its menu will be based around fresh curry pastes from small producers in Thailand, while the curries themselves will be set out on trays filling the ‘box office’ area.  Among Plaza’s offerings will be gaeng tai pla – smoky mackerel with fermented fish innards, bamboo shoots and Thai aubergine; southern sour orange gaeng som curry with garcinia, among other puc

The Docklands in E16 might not be a must-visit cultural hotspot right now, but a new open-air venue is hoping to change that. Later this year, the team behind some of London’s best venues and festivals – including Printworks, The Drumsheds and Field Day – will bring us Dockyards, a new space to get our fix of music and culture.  Located by the waterside in Silvertown Quays, the 400,000 square-foot open-air venue will provide a new home for a dynamic range of cultural events, all year round. Inspired by the flow of imported goods and the role the Royal Docks have played in London’s history, Dockyards will be a place where ‘all forms of culture converge at the gateway to the capital’.  So far, the new space has two massive events booked to close out the summer, with more to be announced soon. There’s a two-day Defected London spectacular from the renowned label Defected Records on September 3-4, while leading electronic music group Above & Beyond are putting on their Group Therapy weekender will bring a banging line-up of dance music’s finest to the venue on September 10-11. As more events get locked in, the venue aims to work with both the world’s best artists and promote local, homegrown talent.  The Dockyards team is also committed to having a positive impact on the area it is making its new home. They will work with the Royal Docks to ensure it delivers a good social, economic and cultural impact in Newham, whether that’s guaranteeing inclusion and representation of the bor

The Queen’s upcoming platinum jubilee isn’t just a time to reflect on Liz’s last seven decades as head monarch, but a chance to look back on British life in those years too. The Museum of Youth Culture is doing just that with the People’s Pageant, which will take place as part of the jubilee celebrations in June.  The museum is helping to curate the pageant and says it wants to ensure that the parade ‘showcases an authentic history of British people covering the past 70 years’, particularly in the areas of music, style and youth culture. To achieve that goal, it’s calling on the public to get involved.  If you sign up, you could find yourself immersing yourself in the roles of various musical subcultures from the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. The museum says no acting or performing experience is necessary and full support will be given for the ‘final performance’.  The roles it’s looking to fill are incredibly varied, with the ‘90s represented by subcultures like Britpop, Girl Power, skaters, indie kids and baggies, Bhangra and the Asian underground scene, and ‘90s garage and hardcore. In the ‘00s, the search is on for emo kids, nu-metal fans, cybergoths and more, while the roles for the ‘10s include grime fans, queer clubbers, young activists and others.  ‘We're looking for people who are passionate about British subcultures and are/were involved with these movements,’ the museum says. To take part, register your interest on its website and you could be walking down The Mall on Ju

The Queen’s platinum jubilee is all fine and dandy, but there’s another anniversary we’re equally jazzed about. We are of course referring to 20 years of indie-electro pioneers LCD Soundsystem.  This June and July, James Murphy’s New York gang will hold a residency at London’s O2 Academy Brixton for five nights to mark two decades since their first-ever live shows. Those gigs also took place in our great city, way back in 2002 at Arthur Baker’s Return To New York and Erol Alkan’s Trash nights.  The new dates will be the band’s first UK shows in over four years and will be the only chance you’ll get to see them headline in the whole of Europe this year. LCD will make south London their home on June 29 and July 1-3 and, if their recent 20-show NY residency at Brooklyn Steel is anything to go by, they’ll be bringing all manner of rarities, covers and little-played bangers to their sets.  The announcement follows the logo of the band’s label, DFA Records, appearing on the streets of London – including outside the O2 Academy Brixton – alongside the words “You are here”. The cryptic message referred to LCD’s debut single ‘Losing My Edge’, which features Murphy listing historic events he was at to prove his cool to a younger generation. Tickets for the residency will go on sale today (March 11) at 10:30am and can be purchased here.  The best music festivals in London in 2022 There’s a shiny new festival coming to Alexandra Palace

There’s bad news in store for your bank balance if you’re a black cab user – London taxi fares are going up this spring.  It’s been a tough few years for London’s Hackney carriage drivers. They’ve had to contend with the rise of cheaper, ride-hailing services like Uber, rising fuel prices, the pandemic, more taxes on driving in the city via the ULEZ zone and increased Congestion Charge prices.  It’s no surprise, then, that a lot of cabbies have decided to call it quits of late. The number of cab drivers navigating the capital’s roads fell by 2,693 between March 2020 and February 2021 – a drop of 12 per cent. While the number of black cabs in the city is also currently at its lowest level for nearly four decades: down 24 per cent in the last two years.  To try and steady the exodus from the profession, Transport for London has announced an increase to taxi fares in the city, with prices set to go up by 5.5 percent. The new fares will come into effect on April 30 and will apply to journeys taken between 5am and 10pm. If you’re waving down a black cab in the small hours, you don’t need to worry – those rates will be frozen.  The current minimum black cab fare will go up from £3.20 to £3.80 and meters will ‘tick over’ more quickly. A surcharge for passengers headed to Heathrow will also increase by 80p, while drivers will add £5.20 to the fee if they enter the airport’s drop-off zone.  A Transport for London spokesperson said the fare increases acknowledged ‘that taxi drivers’ co

It feels like a long old time since we last got to watch a bona fide superstar put on a show for us and tens of thousands of other people, but those times are slowly returning. This summer, Lady Gaga will be one of the first massive names to serenade us in a stadium, with two new London shows.  After a whole host of Covid-related delays, the pop star’s worldwide Chromatica Ball tour will finally take place this summer and Gaga will be headed to London as part of it. As well as a rescheduled date at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on July 30 (two years to the day of what was the original date), she’s also added another concert the day before, giving us more chance to be wowed by her. Yes, Gaga.  The gigs will see the star perform tracks from her 2020 album ‘Chromatica’ in front of live audiences for the first time, though there’s currently no word if any of her superstar collaborators like Elton John and Ariana Grande will join her on any of the dates (not that she needs them, she is Gaga). Elsewhere, the setlist will be packed with ‘fan favourite hits’, according to the announcement on the Spurs site, plus, of course, a full-scale production befitting of one of music’s biggest and boldest names.  The July 30 show is on sale now, while tix to the July 29 date will go on sale on Friday (March 11), both from here.  The best music festivals in London in 2022 The London music and nightlife we’re most looking forward to in 2022

It’s been three years since the latest season of ‘Top Boy’ but, finally, the hit show will return to our screens. To help us get even more excited for its long-awaited comeback, a new exhibition and panel series exploring the culture behind the show is coming to east London.  Top Boy Live will take over Brick Lane’s Truman Brewery for one day only on Friday (March 11), celebrating the imminent launch of season two on March 18. The event will include an exhibition titled ‘This Is For Us’, which will delve into the early ‘00s street culture (expect grime and the fashion of the time to feature) that informed the series.  Some of the show’s actors will also be present on the day to take part in a series of panels. Subjects and talent haven’t been confirmed at present, but with a stacked cast including the likes of Ashley Walters, Little Simz, Micheal Ward, Kano, new addition Adwoa Aboah and more, it seems unlikely to disappoint.  One workshop that has been confirmed is a session titled ‘Dress The Part’. That portion of the event will feature the show’s costume designer Connor Gaffe, who will give budding stylists tips and advice on telling stories through clothing, making moodboards and getting your foot in the industry’s door.  Top Boy Live will run from 9:30am to 7pm at the Truman Brewery. Tickets for the whole event are free, but need to be reserved via Dice to guarantee entry. Tickets for the ‘Dress The Part’ workshop have been snapped up already, but you can join the waiting

It’s the most wonderful time of the year – not Christmas, but cherry blossom season; a time when we all lose our minds over pretty sprigs of sakura brightening up the city.  Although the flower doesn’t usually bloom until late March or April, it’s made an early appearance in London this year in places like Clissold Park. If you’ve been out and about lately, you’ll have noticed the wintry barrenness of some of our trees is starting to be replaced by pastel-pink petals, quietly reminding us that spring is just around the corner.  It's cherry blossom time in London. pic.twitter.com/kpsjrSEJrd — A Beautiful Culture (@ABeautifulCult1) March 7, 2022 It’s a sight we can expect to enjoy until the end of May, at which point the petals will line the streets like a candyfloss-coloured carpet. Expect your social media feeds to be crammed full of photos of the pink stuff, because there’s nothing we all like more than snapping aesthetic shots of the city getting a floral glow-up.  Although cherry blossom might be more commonly associated with Japan, the great news is there are plenty of places to soak up the sakura without having to leave London. Greenwich Park and Kew Gardens are usually awash with the stuff, while you’ll also likely be able to spot it on day trips further afield in the UK. Just make sure your phone’s charged and your picnic’s packed.  23 places to spot spring flowers in London Bring the city’s spring bouquets inside with London’s best florists

This spring and summer, the London Transport Museum is inviting us to join them underground for a new look at the city’s abandoned subterranean transit network.  The Kingsway tram tunnel might have been closed for 69 years, but this once buzzing stretch of track will reopen for tours in May. The museum calls the subway ‘probably the most important stretch of tram track in London, so it’s a rare opportunity to get a glimpse into a once integral part of the network.’ Built in 1906, the tunnel was part of a renewal programme for the areas of Holborn and Aldwych, but then closed just 46 years later. On the tour, you’ll explore what’s left of the tunnel and track – more than half of it remains, including its original features – as well as the former tram station, and learn about how the tram system was a vital part of London life.  The tours kick off on May 25, they run from Wednesday to Sunday each week until July 24, and last for approximately 60 minutes, with slots throughout the day. Tickets go on sale this Friday (March 11) and will cost between £45 and £49. We’d recommend setting a reminder now – the London Transport Museum’s tours usually sell out faster than Glastonbury.  The Kingsway tram tunnel tour is part of a new season of the museum’s Hidden London tours, which will also give the public access to disused stations and tunnels like Clapham South, Churchill’s ‘secret refuge’ at Down Street Station, the derelict Aldwych station and more. Virtual Hidden London tours will

If you look at a map of London Underground, you’ll be hard-pressed to find many stations named after women. Two are fairly obvious (Seven Sisters and Victoria), while a third will only be clear to those with detailed knowledge of Queen Victoria (Lancaster Gate takes its name from one of her royal titles). That’s part of the reason why acclaimed British journalist Reni Eddo-Lodge is calling for more tube stations to be named after female and non-binary figures. It’s also why she’s got involved with a new project to create an alternative tube map where each station pays tribute to such a person.  As announced last week, Eddo-Lodge, American author Rebecca Solnit and actor Emma Watson have teamed up on the City of Women map. The interactive and print versions of the map will officially be launched today – aka International Women’s Day – and will highlight some of the non-male figures who have had an impact on the city.  Among them are the likes of punk fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, Black feminist and journalist Claudia Jones, transport worker Belly Mujinga, and feminist organisations like Awaz and Owaad. In a piece for the Guardian, Eddo-Lodge explained that the names chosen for the stations on the new map centred ‘different values’ compared to our more familiar station names, which are often taken from men in powerful or wealthy positions (for example, Leicester Square was named after the second Earl of Leicester, Latimer Road was named after the merchant Edward Latymer).

There are many ways we’d predict food delivery services would develop and grow in 2022, but one of them opening its own restaurants wouldn’t have been one of them. Head to Swiss Cottage, though, and you’ll find a brand new pizza parlour run by no less than Deliveroo.  Pizza Paradiso is the first fully operational restaurant to be opened by the delivery giant, following the launch of eight ‘Editions’ sites – ghost kitchens with no restaurant seating – worldwide. It boasts indoor and outdoor tables, a front-of-house pizza oven and a full kitchen in the back.  The menu prices its pizzas between a very reasonable £5.95 and £9.75, while its starters – a small selection of garlic bread and dough wedges – cost between £3.95 and £4.95. It also offers desserts in the form of a vegan brownie, tiramisu and cheesecake.  In January, a spokesperson for Deliveroo told the Wall Street Journal that the delivery company was launching an IRL restaurant as a way to ‘understand restaurants’ pain points with the aim of solving them. The company hopes that actually running a restaurant will give the organisation and its staff ‘a deep understanding of restaurant owners’ mindsets’. Currently, though, there are no plans to expand beyond this one location. ‘Deliveroo was born from a love of restaurants and we are always looking for new ways to support them and help them grow their businesses,’ the company said in a statement to Time Out. There’ll be no special treatment for the pizza parlour, either,