Pretty Polly
London Calling is returning to an occasional theme this month with a restaurant review. Business took your columnist to Camden and Kentish Town, North London, recently with a lunch plan at an old favourite, The Oxford Tavern, in the High Street. But oh no, The Oxford was no longer there!
In its place, there was a new kid on the block, The Parakeet. The building looked very much the same in the style of a classic London pub from the outside but, on entering, it was clear a massive refurbishment and rebranding had taken place.
Bought by locals Riz Shaikh and Steve Ball in 2022, the pub has been transformed into a fantastic gastro experience. As owners of The Columbo Group, Riz and Steve have a successful track record with The Blues Kitchen and Jazz Cafe in nearby Camden and the Old Queen’s Head in Angel.
Local boy Ben Allen was recruited as Head Chef. With a great track record from top London restaurants and other top-end establishments throughout Europe, he has brought his love of fire-cooking closer to home. Everything is cooked on a bespoke wood-fired grill with a focus on fish and vegetable options. The menu is seasonal, and dishes, which use responsibly sourced ingredients, are changed daily to offer variety and yet maintain consistent high quality.
The Parakeet offers a warm, welcoming and inclusive experience and is well worth a visit.
Down by the riverside
London’s Southbank has become the major cultural centre of the capital over the last few decades. Many of the buildings date from the Festival of Britain in 1951, which, in itself, was one of the last celebrations of Britain as a World Power. It also marked the beginning of the end of wartime shortages and austerity.
Most famous perhaps is the magnificent Royal Festival Hall, but, nestling alongside, is the more obviously brutalist architecture of what was initially called The Telecinema, became the National Film Theatre and is now known simply as BFI Southbank.
The original building has been extended and improved over the years to incorporate bars, shops and performing spaces and, since 1957, the internationally renowned BFI London Film Festival has taken place each October.
Many new films premiere at this prestigious festival. There is, of course, the ubiquitous red carpet for the film stars and celebrity guests, but tickets are also reserved for the general public too, which seems to reflect the egalitarian intentions of the architectural style and original intentions of the whole complex.
The 68th BFI London Film Festival this year ran from October 9 to 20, promising an exciting range of new films, series and immersive storytelling.
Perhaps the biggest launch was for a new biopic about 60s Supermodel Twiggy. Produced by London-based Film Soho in partnership with the BBC, this fascinating insight to the life behind the face of the decade is extraordinary.
Dame Lesley Lawson DBE was born in London in 1949 and started her modelling career very early, at the tender age of 16. By 1967, she had modelled in France, Japan and the US and had appeared on the front page of Vogue and Tatler. The name Twiggy was adopted because of her long slender legs!
In this revealing film, Sadie Frost investigates Twiggy’s London roots, the road to success and her incredible down-to-earth nature which remains indomitable. It also takes an intriguing look at her singing and acting careers, which are perhaps better known in the US than in the UK.
There are contributions from other 60s icons including Joan Collins, Paul McCartney, Dustin Hoffman and Joanna Lumley.
Twiggy will be released in cinemas in March 2025 and is certainly one to watch.
Blitz
The word Blitz conjures up images of London under bombardment in the Second World War. The famous picture of St Paul’s Cathedral surrounded by smoke, flames and ruined buildings is perhaps one of the most iconic photographs of those dark times.
However, there was another Blitz. This was a very famous nightclub in Covent Garden, central London, in the 1980s. It was very much the hub of the new romantic movement at that time and now the London Design Museum has promised a new exhibit that will be a ‘sensory extravaganza’ of the era.
The so-called Blitz Kids, the most frequent visitors, have collaborated and the intention is to show how and where 1980s style began.
As the museum’s description says, “It’ll be an opportunity to revisit London’s clubland at the beginning of the decade, as the furious idealism of the 1970s gave way to the glossy individualism of the 1980s.”
The exhibit will run from September 19, 2025, to March 29, 2026, and will be a great opportunity to take a deep look at the club which was a favourite of Boy George, David Bowie and many other famous names of the times.
Koestler Arts
Koestler Arts is the UK’s best known and oldest prison arts charity. Their aim is to inspire prisoners and other people with experience of the criminal justice system to take part in the arts (including fine art, design, music, poetry, film and performance) through an annual awards programme.
Each year, the winners of the various categories have their work displayed in an interactive exhibition at the Royal Festival Hall in London. In addition to the main awards, which see the distribution of over £30,000 (€36,000) in donated prize money, some 7,500 special certificates are sent out to aspiring artists across the criminal justice system.
This year, the exhibition runs from November 1 to December 15 and is entitled ‘No Comment’, inspired by one of the entry pieces. The judging panel includes art and culture experts including the director of the British Museum and director of the National Portrait Gallery.
The award featured on the front of this year’s exhibition catalogue is called ‘Bag of Chips’ and is a handbag made of paint chips which has been sponsored by The Lamberth Foundation. Opening the exhibition on Friday, October 31 is Lord Timpson whose family business has a very proud history of employing ex-offenders in their shops throughout the United Kingdom. Lord Timpson was appointed as Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending by the newly-elected government this year.
Richard Lamberth leads parallel lives with homes and business interests in London and Portugal. He provides consultancy services to leading businesses in insurance and financial services, property and media sectors. He has four sons, two dogs and enjoys a busy family life. He likes swimming, keeping fit and an outdoor life.
londoncalling@portugalresident.com
