Wednesday 10th May: The London Tweed Run 2017, Part 2

All Photos by Mitchell McGillvary

Wednesday 10th May: The London Tweed Run 2017

Many moons ago I remember walking thru Smithfields Market and a swarm of cyclists streamed past like a fox hunt on penny-farthings and tandem vintage bicycles.  It totally swept me off my feet and fascinated me at the same time.  Since then Ive had more annual sightings of the "Tweed Run" whilst out and about on my own two-wheel errands around the city.  This year I finally took part and traded in my retro Peugeot road bike for a beautiful Pashley.  They are the UK's longest-established manufacturer of hand-built bikes and the perfect upright position from which to experience the scenic route thru London's historic streets.  Now in its ninth year the ride has expanded to international destinations from Norway to Japan!   But for this very British affair I borrowed Tweed from friends and family to attempt authentic assimilation into the discerning and dapper crowd.  Dressing up for the day is a serious art-form with a prize ceremony for the best outfit, beard and bike.  Beginning and ending at Bourne & Hollingsworth HQ in Clerkenwell, the wrap-party took place at the Cycle Revolution Festival in the Spa Fields park just infront.  Pims and flutes of bubbly took over from tea whilst antique frames were dismounted for dancing the Lindy Hop. 

Highlights included meeting soft, soft, soft Alpacas who had travelled from Dorset as furry ambassador's for Wyvern Tweed Tailoring.  I am now longing to one day possibly have my own woolly pets to hug as they seemed to be the warmest, friendliest furry beasts ever.  Their little ears just need adorning with some pom-poms and I can create my own Peruvian menagerie............... I digress.  The other highlights included high-tea in the gardens of St. Pancras Old Church and a pick-nick lunch in the grounds of the Imperial War Museum.  Baskets and hampers were unpacked with Fortnum & Mason spreads whilst cocktails were mixed from optics on handlebar mini-bars!  Before there was time to get totally Tonto, the whistle was blown and dogs had to strapped back into their side-cars.   

I have taken part in many bike rides in and out of London in the past but this was the most hilarious and memorable for sure.  I cannot wait for next year and it's 10th year anniversary!

All photos by me, check Part 2 for more by Mitchell McGillvary

Wednesday 3rd May: My Paper Flower, Summer Headdress Workshop

Please join me for a fun creative workshop in how to make a paper flower headdress perfect for Summer festivals, weddings, parties and carnival!  I will lead the session with materials and equipment included in the ticket price of £15 (£12 Earlybird). All levels of skill welcome. Refreshments will be available from No.56 menu including a special cocktail and sharing platters.
Book tickets here!

Tuesday 2nd May: "Mycoocoon" chromotherapy

Colour dictates everything in my life, conciously but mostly subconsciously.  I think that I must sense it more deeply than the average person as I have a much stronger reaction to it in my life experience.  For example I only really like eating or drinking from white crockery so that I can fully appreciate the colour of the food and drink.  I also attribute memories to the colours I can recall in the way that smell is so vividly nostalgic - I might not remember key details but I'll know what I was wearing!  On that subject I have always worn colour in harmony with my mood each day.  Although my monochrome wardrobe has recently de-railed slightly, I'm still drawn to dressing in specific shades each morning.  This was confirmed when I went to visit the chromotheraphy experience of Mycoocoon.  

This "colour well-being" theory explores your own personal colour profile to determine what hue you are needing to balance your energy levels and stimulate your senses.  I was guided thru this test and as the outcome of Magenta appeared I took off my jacket to reveal the magenta jersey that I had put on before.  It was so weird - the exact same shade.  What followed was a a light bath in a cosy cocoon with a complimentary scent and soundtrack on headphones.  I was tucked into the snug and exposed to a morphing gradient of pinks from bio compatable bulbs (anti-flicker) that provided a soothing relief from every-day artificial lighting.  I imagine that it is the closest feeling to returning to the womb and for this, ultimately relaxing and meditative.  I wanted to stay in there for hours.  Luckily the technology is available as an APP so you can keep up the therapy at home without the Coocoon or larger scale cloud.  

MyCoocoon combines ancestral beliefs with modern technology to address and relieve the modern urban mayhem.   We not only become accustomed to grey concrete skylines living in cities, but also become detached from the shifting scale of seasons. This is something I bang on about ALOT.  I beleve its crucial to our core senses to appreciate the natural morph of sunlight and it's connected impact on the colours in the flora and fauna of the natural world and landscape.  This must be why Londoners have gone crazy Instagramming the Spring pink cherry blossom and lilac wisteria in a frenzy over the apparent magic of these frothy flowers.  Colour must be something we instinctively crave.  Pink is currently all the rage, but hey, forget the fashion industry's fads and reach for what you're drawn to.  

Purple = Protection

Blue = Harmony

Turqoise = Clarity

Green = Regenerate

Yellow = Optimism

Orange = Creative

Red = Passionate

Magenta = Emotional

Therefore, if you're feeling run-down and in need of an immediate little uplift, don't pour a glass of Rosé but bask in a beam of blush.  Colour is intrinsically and undeniably linked to our psyche and emotion.  The colour science that is used to manipulate us in advertising and retail environments is now being embraced for the better in holistic remedies.  This treatment incorporates physical, mental, emotional, social and environmental wellness via the energy transmitted thru colour.  I've tried and tested it to conclude =  Beam me up!

Watch the colour in motion here