Yes, London is sometimes drizzly and sometimes grey but it is also often very beautiful.
Pictures of Beautiful London
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Why a Silent Disco is an Awesome Evolution of Nightclubbing!
There are so many annoying and distasteful aspects of traditional nightclubbing. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that a silent disco ELIMINATES every single one of these aspects! Following is a list of all the things there are to dislike about traditional nightclubbing and how a silent disco is so much better! This is based on a silent disco event held in the crypt at St Martin’s In the Fields church in London.
Upon entry, everyone is issued with a set of headphones.
The music is too loud!
The headphones that everyone wears is equipped with personalised volume control. Each individual can turn up or down their music to suit their preference! This autonomy is something that is missing from a traditional nightclub and a massive plus of a silent disco!
I hate the music being played
Each headphone is capable of changing channels. On the day we visited, there were 3 different channels curated by 3 separate DJ’s. Each person can control the channel on their headphones depending on their mood and music tastes. The colour of the lights on the headphones show others in the room what music channel a person has selected.
In addition to a level of freedom that comes with having some choice of music, everyone can see which channel others are enjoying. This leads to a level of competition among the three DJ’s. It must be such a thrill for a DJ to see the crowd change colours on their headphones to dance to their channel. Their channel colour spreading contagiously through the crowd like a virus!
I can’t chat to my friends!
One of the best parts of a silent disco is the ability to slip off the headphones and chat to ones friends. The room is quiet and it is possible to have proper conversation.
Nightclubs = noise pollution
As the music is only transmitted via headphones, there is zero issue with noise pollution impacting neighbours! Brilliant!
The unexpected upside of no noise pollution is the flexibility to hold silent discos in all kinds of cool and unusual places. We went to an event in the crypt of an old church, St Martins In the Field. It’s a bit surreal dancing on a grave in this historic building. In London, silent discos are also held at the Natural History Museum, on the 72nd floor at The Shard building and on a boat cruise going up and down the Thames. There are even West End musical type silent disco walking tours around central London.
Nightclubbing is full of inebriated, sleazy people
On the night we were there, the vibe was about the joy of dancing and being with friends. There was none of the sleaziness normally associated with nightclubbing.
I have to get dressed up in uncomfortable clothing!
At the event we were there, this was not a requirement at all. It felt very wholesome and diverse. Everyone was just dressed comfortably to have a boogie!
Nightclubbing requires me to stay up way too late!
The event started about 8pm and finished at midnight! Perfect to head to with friends after dinner and then off to bed at a reasonable hour after releasing a whole bunch of happy endorphins dancing!
Clearly, based on one event, I was thoroughly impressed by the whole concept of a silent disco. If you like to dance, this is absolutely something worth trying!
10 Ways Theatre is Evolving to Engage Today’s Distractible Audiences.
Look around you! I bet most people you see are either looking on their phones or within a minute of reaching for it. The immense power of these handheld mini-computers have changed the way we operate in this world and impacted the way our brains work. If we have a question, we google the answer. We consume so much short-form content designed to be super catchy, addictive and engaging. When it comes to sitting down with a good novel for hours, it may not be as easy as it once was.
Ten Questions Answered about the Beautiful Thames Path
Walking the Thames Path from the source of the River Thames to the engineering marvel of the Thames Barrier is a flat, well marked, picturesque walk of about 300km. Here are some questions I had before starting and the answers learnt by actually walking it!
- Are some seasons better suited to walking the Thames Path?
- How far do I have to walk everyday?
- Do I need to walk it all in one go?
- Can I get food and water along the path?
- Do I need to pre-book my accomodation?
- What are the costs for doing the Thames Path?
- Will my phone have signal along the Thames Path?
- Will I get lost?
- What are the best tips for walking the Thames Path?
- Is it worth the effort?
What cannot be captured in a photo….
Living in London has been fun and whilst there have been many interesting sights to see (and therefore photograph for this blog), there have been many experiences that do not lend themselves to a photo. Here are a few…..and as I write these, I realise that many of these do not require necessarily the location of London to experience but only the openness to enjoy the many small joys in life.
Money Saving Hacks in London
London is a very expensive city to live or to visit but there are countless ways to save money. Some of these do require some time and administration on your part but it’s worth it for the thrill of knowing you got a great deal or the feeling that haven’t been duped into paying for too much. Even if the savings don’t feel like much, every little bit helps.
Continue readingAnother Dispatch from London
London is a major city and there are always fabulous events happening, something to feast the eye around every corner and the opportunity to see and do things which are quite special. These are but a few recent examples.
Grand Designs is a TV show where the host, Kevin McCloud follows home owners building their dream home from blueprint to completion. There are often elements of interesting architecture or design and lots of drama in the form of cost and schedule overruns. Recently, there was an event held called Grand Designs Live. We had the opportunity to peruse stalls related to all aspects of home-building and design but best of all, we could see Kevin McCloud himself! He looks and sounds just like he does on TV!
Continue readingTower of London
Considering the crowds, a visit to the historic Tower of London seems to be a “must do” for anyone visiting London. This building complex which dates back to 1066 has been used as an armoury, the Royal Mint, a dungeon, a menagerie, the home of the Crown Jewels and the site of a number of executions. Amongst the executions are some of the wives of King Henry VIII. Here are my tips for a good visit.
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