Super Swim, Super Singers, My Secret Munch & Mr.Chinawhite

Hannah Rose performing live

Super Singers
Last night, I went to the Pigalle Club on Piccadilly Circus. I went there for their weekly live music night. There were 4 acts performing their own songs including the talented London based singer Hannah Rose, with a jam session after for random singers to go and perform. The singing rocked. My fave part was when the hosts paid tribute to Isaac Hayes and Bernie Mack who passed away recently.

This video is of some amazing woman getting on stage and singing Natural Woman with the house band.

Super Swim
I'm trying to get in some sort of shape for the Fashion Week's as I don't wanna turn up a tubby when surrounded by everyone in the fashion world and tons of photographers around snapping away! So excited as I'll be hanging out in NYC, London and Paris attending all the shows. I'm not sure about Milan as yet but I've got a couple of week's to think about it.

Messy Mohawk. Me by the pool in Shoreditch House

Anyways, I've been trying to tone up going to the gym and swimming. I had a cool swim at a local gym but swam in style the other day by swimming in a heated swimming pool, on a rooftop no less at Shoreditch House.

Shoreditch House is a Private Members Club in East London. It has a really homely feel there. It's kitted with a sitting room, gym, pool table, house kitchen and of course the swank, heated swimming pool. Although it's a Member's place, the people are really chilled there. It wasn't busy that evening which meant I had the pool pretty much to myself until some gyals and dudes got their trunks and bikinis on and swam too. Around the pool was busy but I didn't care who was watching.

Speaking of water, I was at Georgia's house the other day and she had just the washing machine on in her kitchen. I went to have a drink of water from her tap and somehow the sewage stuff went into my glass and I drank a huge gulp of drainage water!! So disgusting.

Rebecca Cella and I by the pool after swimming

I went to Shoreditch House with Stylist Jay "The Pinxie", knitwear designer Rebecca Cella and her little sister Katie Cella who is the member and works in the City. I've known the Cella sisters for years as I went to Central Saint Martins with Rebecca. Katie and Rebecca are like best friends and have the coolest relationship.

It was all business with me doing lengths of the pool in my ivory and black pinstripe swimming shorts. I must've spoiled my hard work by having a cheeky cocktail by the pool. Twas well fun though.

Designs by Rebecca Cella. Photo courtesy from Hugh O'Malley of Somaphotos

Rebecca and I don't catch up too often in person but when we do it's great. She is doing so well at the minute selling all over Ibiza where she is based (as well as London) and is getting so much press. Not long ago were her dresses featured in the Daily Mail.

My Secret Munch
So there's this restaurant Laura Burns introduced me to and we've been eating there at least once a week for the last few weeks with friends. It's a Chinese restaurant just off Carnaby Street called Cha Cha Moon. The service isn't all that great but every meal is £3.50. The portion is just a little smaller than a proper meal but if you're not that hungry, 1 meal will do. 2 meals will fill you up proper. Because it isn't that expensive, we all got 2 meals each and shared. Works great for me because I love grabbing other people's food. The best is the duck dish.

Monika Vaskelyte and Becca Majerus at Cha Cha Moon with me

I was there the other night before I hung out at Paper with womenswear designer Hayley Nye and jewellery designer Becca Majerus. Model Monika Vaskelyte and Laura joined us too and were both covered in catwalk make-up from doing a fashion show earlier on that evening.

Monika Vaskelyte

Monika and I met over dinner through a mutual friend a few months ago and keep bumping into each other around London. When we first met I remembered her face instantly because she was on the front cover of Carnaby Magazine during London Fashion Week that was given out at all the shows.

Mr.Chinawhite
After I sent my last piece, I had an E-mail from the owner of Chinawhite, John Stephens, commenting on the scooter charge in Westminster. The E-mail wrote:

"Dear Albie,

I would like to correct you about your Parking Charge and Boris Johnson...WCC are a law unto themselves and as far as I can see are an anti-social body that has scant regard for this City. They make the parking limitations in Westminster not Boris Johnson, who in fact is trying to undo some of the damage that his predecessor Red Ken has caused in London...I hope he will start to limit WCC or at least enlighten them as to London being one of the leading cities in the world and stop them trying to make it into a third world one! If you disagree with me then let us meet up for a discussion.

Regards John."

I didn't want to reply or get into a discussion about something I knew hardly anything about so I wanted to do some homework first on the subject. Plus, "China's" is still one of my fave places to hang out and was an honour to have someone like John E-mail me personally. So the response was never going to be half-fast. Before I could do any homework though, I ran into John Stephens in the foyer of Paper! Random.

The first thing he asked was, "Where is my E-mail?" All I could say was "oops". We talked about the E-mail and how Boris Johnson sincerely wants to make a better London. On the scooter charging, I did find out it was Ken's idea in the first place but I still seriously hope Boris Johnson changes it. Boris is still in my good books!

On parting, he said he likes the blog and said "you have more influence than you probably know"...which is a good thing I think?

Cheeky Monkey

Anyways, I met Gesche's friend from Germany the other night and she had the funkiest tattoo. I don't normally like tattoos on girls or even most guys but I loved this one. She did it proper.

xx

Albie!!

P.S. I'll be hanging out at Paper both Friday and Saturday if anyone is around? I'm also having a canape and free drinks reception from 9pm if you wanna come down. I want everyone to dress up proper funky so dress up yum cos I'm gonna be writing about this and taking loads of piccies!