I was coming on the tube home tonight (well the bus and the two tubes, working in Staines sucks), reading the London Paper as usual. I have for the last week or so tried to delude myself that there is NO finacial crisis and everything is NOT going to get more expensive by reading various books on the way to work; however having stayed at the Boys house I was today without any books and therefore having to deal with reality.

Why is it that whoever writes in to do the columns, no matter who they are, they are griping? About the tourists, the grumpy barmaids and the cyclists… The men who WILL stand up for women and the whatever else it is happens to piss them off. I just think its kind of weird that if you have only 400 words to represent your point of veiw that you would spend it griping. Theres so much nice things going on.

For example there is the Optimists Society. these guys are a bit kinda freaky - I discovered them at a Pirate Party, where they gave me a card and told me that they’d spent the majority of the Day on Southbank in Pants and Babygrows - this is before becoming pirates. They also charged people cash to have their piccies done with the panted people and gave all the money to Charity!!! On further investigation I found that these guys do regular events promoting a “glass is fuller” attitude - I’d love to tell you more but the Dude never replied to my email, however you can find the facebook here

OOOH And the Pirate people are having another Party by the way - but more of that another soon…

An easy one to start with…..

Oooh Ooooh! Pirate Party Alert!

Of all my favourite things to do, dressing up as a pirate has to be to be top on my favourites list. Pirates are simply the best, striped tights and pantaloons or wench blouses with buckled boots you cannot fail to look super cool and dangerous when you are a pirate.

Even better is doing so whilst having access to a boat - and best has to be while you are partying on a boat, no? You cannot imaging my joy when I learnt that Bring Stuff are having a Pirate Party on a PUB BOAT!

The best thing about this is that it’s free (before 10pm)… OK the second best thing. The best thing has to be the fact that you get to be a part of the Biggest Bestest Pirate take-over on the River Thames this (pitiful) summer!

Bring Pirates is being held on the Tattershall Castle on the 20th September. Full details can be found on the Bring Stuff Website, or the Facebook event page. There’s going to be games like Yarr’ing at the police boats and prizes for Best Pirate and Best Pirate Jig - you know what you are even encouraged to be rude and piratey!! this is my kind of party!

If you needed anymore reasons to be there, I’d tell you to take a look at last years photos. But I think we all know this is not an event to be missed - I’ll see you all there me Heartys!!

Ok i admit it I have a gambling problem…the problem is that I love it way too much. My poison is No-Limit Texas Hold’em poker, and everything about it. For example it is 12.34am and i am writing this post while playing online and watching a tournament on the telly. You catch my drift?

Well I am very excited that this Friday evening and Saturday daytime London is holding a Poker festival with a difference. And most importantly it is free to go along to!

Poker in the Park is taking place in Leicester Square in the small park area right in the middle of the square. It will have all kinds of top pros giving great advice and you can buy merchandise and helpful books etc.

One of the pros is fellow Englishman Dave “Devilfish” Ulliott…what a legend this guy is check him out here.

If you are interested in getting into the game then I reckon it would be a great place to go along and mix with other amateurs. There are even free tournaments to enter which you can win prizes.

Now being a lucky devil I will be living it up on the balcony of the Empire casino flashing my press pass and having some free booze with some showgirls (apparently) so there is even the chance to catch a peek at my ugly mug..if you’re lucky. (I am the one with the haircut similar to that of a German dictator)

These kind of free events are often round London but you never find out about them until it is too late. So I am spreading the word.

So come and become an addict like me….well no, don’t do that, but do come and have a great time with loads of fellow Londoners…and the odd hundred tourists.

So I got invited to a particularly posh awards to do in beautiful London town the other day. The usual free champagne, wine and beer flowed all night long and by 11 o’clock the night is going well (or so I thought) I decide to meet up with some friends around Liverpool street… and the next thing I know I am asleep on a night bus and it is 3am.

How did this happen, well quite obvious really, I got on and fell asleep.

Now most people who live in London will know that a London night can be particularly chilly at the best of times so the comfort and the warmth of a bus came as a huge relief and surprise when I first awoke from my slumber. The emptiness of the bus was also appealing to my inebriated self, so instead of getting off and hailing the nearest black cab and going home as any sober person would have done, I simply went back to my ZZZs.

Now buses do come to the end of their line eventually so when I was turfed off I can recall simply hoping on the next one that came along, oyster card in hand and finding a new corner to snooze in. Where the bus was going or where I picked it up from I do not recall or indeed do I care, but the warmth and cosiness of that seat once more led to me having a good hours snooze or so.

Soon after I was given orders by the driver to leave my seat with a depot fast approaching and once more a new bus was quickly located. Tactics began to be formed, as I headed back towards central London from where I think was the Finchely area.

I managed to time my journey on the final bus of the night as it arrived in Trafalgar Square at 5.30am and as the pigeons looked on in slight confusion and suspicion of this man still wearing a tuxedo from the night before I hopped on my first train back to my non moving home. Just in time for a few more hours sleep before jaunting back in to work as fresh as a daisy (that might be a slight fib).

So the next time you find yourself stranded with the final tube gone and no money for a cab, look for the nearest double-decker and get yourself the comfortable cheap alternative to a dodgy B&B.

This may shine a certain light on my person, as someone who A. enjoys a good hearty drink and B. doesn’t really care about what other people think.
Indeed I may easily offend or disgust you with the above revelations, but I say there are loads more people like me out there in the city and aren’t we the most interesting…I’ll let you decide that!

Mack is leaving us this week, so were having a VERY last minute meet up tomorrow at Armanos cafe Tower Bridge….

“The bread is fantastic, contributing to sandwiches that blow the likes of Pret a Manger out of the water.” Flavour Magazine

With a reveiw like and a riverside veiw that i doubt we can go wrong - then we have the company of one Blogging LA’s finest to ice the cake!

image by discoverlondonbridge.co.uk

so why don’t you come down and join us at around 10.30am and sample the Brown Cow for yourself?
The full details can be found on the facebook event page, but while your there why don’t you join our facebook group and become a fan of Metroblogging London!

See you there!

I found this on the BBC Blog and think we should be carrying it on our site, so until its added as a link or until Alan is released please click the button above to show your support.

Sean

Brighton is so last year. Too crowded, too touristy and full of all the same shops that you get in London. I just spent the day with the most fabulous photographer, the a href=”http://www.strawberry-seductress.com”>Strawberry Seductress. Based in Worthing, just down the road from Brighton and a hop, skip and a jump to the super hip town Hove, the Seductress takes beautiful erotic pics of women and couples. Her home based studio is a haven of relaxation and sensuality and the perfect pitstop for anyone on a weekend break. Not only do you get a chance to hang out in a cool seaside flat but you’ll go home with some fabulous pictures of yourself.
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Londoner Allen Carr died yesterday of lung cancer, aged 72.

Allen Carr wrote a book about how to quit smoking called Allen Carr’s Easyway to Stop Smoking. In it, he talks about seeing smoking as a burden rather than a treat, and about how quitting is a release rather than a sacrifice. For reasons not fully understood by other anti-smoking groups, his method works very well for a lot of people.

He was born in Putney, South London and his website says that the Allen Carr Clinic in London treats more than 4,500 smokers per year.

He helped countless thousands of people quit smoking, including Richard Branson, Johnny Cash and Anthony Hopkins. He also helped my beloved partner and several of my dear friends, who passed a dog-eared charity-shop copy of his book between them until they all quit. So, he helped me too.

Doctors were unable to say whether the disease was linked to his habit or his clients, who were allowed to continue smoking during their treatment. “I estimate I’ve cured 25 million smokers over the years,” Mr Carr said in a recent interview. “And if my illness is the price for that, it’s worth paying.”

What an amazing legacy.

Crazy tattooed (in face paint) lady on the side of the river thames….
Dressed in forties style clothing, I did wonder if she was waiting for a ship to come and get her.

But the face art put me off asking.