Wednesday 2nd August: Notting Hill Carnival 2017 launch

August signifies the final count-down to Notting Hill Carnival, which is my favourite weekend of the year!  Friday night was the official opening party with performances from Ebony Steel Pan with Eternity Percussion, different dance routines and costume display by Sunshine Arts .  Here you can see the traditional mas characters including The Midnight Robber and Pierrot Grenade, made using the Trinidad tinsel braiding that I LOVE.  A theme to the night was honouring the recent events to the local Grenfell community with a Calypso tribute by Alexander D Great.

Follow the Carnival Arts & Masquerade Foundation on Instagram to see my photos from Trinidad Carnival earlier this year and what will follow in London later this month.

Tuesday 1st August: Rinkoff Bakery

 Since writing my own guide to London, I have discovered a couple of things that I wish I could edit back in.  One of these jewels is Rinkoff Bakery in Whitechapel.  It came to my attention via Instagram that the Beigel shops in Brick Lane were selling sub-standard rainbow beigels and the original was infact from up the road.  I made a pilgrimage on the quest for the perfect spectrum swirl and found exactly that!  Their rainbow not only has more hues in the mix but it twists in a beautiful whirl rather than just being hap-hazard blobs in the bake.
BUT this is not the only exciting eye-opener!  The family business which has been running since 1911 also bakes traditional Challah breads, Sourdoughs, cheesecakes, muffins, croissants, Danish pastries and an extensive array of crodoughs (croissant / doughnut).  I went a little crazy and bought many, many things including accidentally both a pain au raisin aswell as a Chelsea bun - I LOVE raisins!  Everything was fresh, massive and the best I've had in the city.  This includes a salmon and cream-cheese beigel made to order.
I keep finding reasons to go back, so I thought I'd just share this revelation with my readers!