Nicosia, Cyprus has a seriously cool café called The Gym…

Truth is once you leave behind the small labyrinth of markets filled with tourist tat that greet you in Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, you’ll find yourself in what could be a high street anywhere in the world. The same old chain shops and eateries line the roads, there’s even a McDonalds right next door to a Starbucks and not far from there, one of many giant branches of Costa Coffee. But before you either start to rejoice at the familiarity of the options or sigh for the lack of independent businesses, keep going towards the end of the stretch of where most people venture, to The Gym, a ‘gastro bar’ which offers a sanctuary of chicness away from the main hustle and bustle of the town. It serves up an impressive drinks menu (including mocktails and dairy-free milkshakes) and has clearly been designed with Instagramability in mind. But hey, I’m not complaining.

Spacious enough to feel comfortable, cool enough to make you feel like you’ve stumbled on somewhere special and with both indoor and outdoor seating, you won’t have a problem making yourself feel at home.

Décor
From the outside The Gym looks pretty inconspicuous, like an ordinary café but once you step inside, the L-shaped bar that you spy on entering makes you instantly realise that this is The Place to be because it really is different to anywhere else in the vicinity. To make British folk like myself feel welcome, there’s even a display of Marmite jars about the bar, whether they serve it hot in a mug, I forgot to ask.

There are a few separate seating spaces that make up The Gym but if you head all the way past the bar you’ll find the most design friendly spot. There’s modern art on the walls plus props galore, most of which can be deployed into your own Instagram set ups. No one was in the garden when I was there two weeks ago, possibly because to Cypriots it’s too chilly but for Brits like me, the early 20 degrees is our dream temperature.

Food & Drink

Portions are generous I sadly couldn’t finish my main, the fish was huge and so filling. The menus are on the website if you want to plan your eating before your trip. I was more impressed with the drinks just because it was the most choice I’d seen of non-alcoholic drinks on my whole trip and in a region where wine is the most popular tipple, it was nice to find some decent alternatives.

As well as a glass of chocolate almond milk I had a local speciality iced tea – lemon balm, rose, lavender and cardamom sweetened with agarve.

Gallery and Shop

Why hello there! The bit that makes The Gym a definite place to seek out is that it also houses a gallery and shop where you’ll find the works of local artists for sale. Craft, fashion and art along side magazines and books give the gallery a creative flair and if you simply want to pop in and have a browse or a quick drink that’s perfectly acceptable. The only fail of The Gym (maybe it’s a future investment) was the loos), the sign upstairs to them was notably hip but the toilets themselves were ordinary and crying out for some DIY TLC. But that aside The Gym is well worth visiting.

The Gym, Onasagorou, 87-89, Nicosia, Cyprus.
www.thegymconcept.com

Holy Cow inspired money box

When I was in Pushkar, Rajasthan last year I spotted these donation boxes outside the temples, all handpainted with cows. I saw a lot of cows too. In fact one in particular had its eye on me the entire time I sat by the water’s edge.

It was absolutely blistering heat that day and the floors burnt my feet with every step.

There are a lot of tourist market stalls around when you first enter Pushkar, selling clothes, jewellery and usual touristy stuff but one thing they don’t sell which they should is a miniature version of their donation boxes. But hey I just found this instead…

Available from online store Scaramanga (£25) it’s the coolest home for spare pennies I’ve seen in a long long time.

And now for some real holy cows…

Cows of Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

Puskar images: http://www.craftandtravel.com

Daytripping in Winter: Dreamland Margate ticks the boxes

British summer time and seasides make for the perfect daytrip, but does it still work as a December activity?

Since it opened back in May this year following a £25 million investment, the oldest surviving amusement part in the UK, Dreamland Margate has become one of the most Instagrammable destinations for colour lovers. It seems to always be on my feed, colour-hunters, meet-up groups, crafters, bloggers, attending in their hoards to get selfies in front of the rainbow ‘Born Slippy’ slides and the retro themed roller disco. To say I’ve been suffering FOMO would be an understatement, I so wanted to visit but I never quite made it before it closed down for the summer season. Booo!

But then I heard it was opening back up for Christmas with a Frosted Fairground so I hotfooted it down to the Kent coast to see what all the fuss is about. Yes it’s winter. Yes it’s cold, but if you layer up (I had my thermals under all my normal clothes) there is much fun to be had.

My 5 reasons why you should visit Dreamland Margate in winter

Short days
Margate is highly Instagrammable during the day but a fairground really comes to life in the dark and in winter it’s dark by 4pm so the fairground lights come on quicker (plus there are extra Xmas ones too.) I call that a Win. It’s also really fun to be able to go on the rides in the daytime and at night to compare, especially the legendary Scenic Railway – the oldest rollercoaster in the UK which no matter how scared you think you’ll be, you have to go on.

Ice skating
Yes, you can go to the Roller Disco in all seasons but let’s face it, skating off- season isn’t the same. It’s best done in December. Can’t skate? Neither can I. Thankfully I found a guide to help me over the course: a plastic penguin!

Banish grey skies
Going to Dreamland on a grey day is no bad thing because there’s so much colour in the rides, signage, details that it eases the depressive nature of bleak winter days.

Good vibes
While other places you visit during this time of year (shopping centres, bars, restaurants) are all playing the same old Christmas pop CDs, Margate maintains its vintage vibes by playing golden oldies rather than chart music Xmas mash-ups. There’s also live DJs and a huge stage giving it a fun festival feel. Infact it’s good vibes all round. Compact in size, friendly staff dotted around the place, rides for all levels of bravery and yummy food carts, all of which create a perfect daytrip experience.

Xmas Shopping
Swap the high-street for the boutique shops of Margate and pick up something a little more interesting. Dreamland is just five minutes walk from Margate train station, five minutes walk to the beach and seafront and five minute walk to the old town shops. A destination couldn’t be better designed. And if you are down for Dreamland, Margate has much to explore. The Turner Contemporary Margate Art Gallery is free to visit and has a quirky gift shop which is also a fab place to shop, as is the colourful and curious A Little Bit Margate.

See, daytripping is not just for summertime. And if you’re one of those folks that wants to visit Margate but can’t hack the crowds it attracts on sunny days, winter is the perfect time to experience it.

Dreamland Margate is open every day from December 16^th until 3^rd January. (Closed Christmas Day). It’s also open weekend of 9/10^th December.

Entrance is free rides and skating are paid for separately.
Tickets available from dreamland.co.uk/events

 

 

Where to fulfill a chocoholic’s fantasy: Choccywoccydoodah’s Secret Garden is the stuff of dreams…

I don’t think any of the 15 girls present at my friend’s hen party actually thought there was such a thing as too much chocolate. Within just a few bites of the fantastical spread laid on for us at our private booking at Choccywoccydoodah’s Secret Garden however, we had fallen into cocoa comas. Never before had any of us witnessed so much of the brown gooey stuff (and I’ve previously worked in a chocolate factory!)

With the bride-to-be

Giant swing chair

The chocolate has arrived!

Thankfully the sundaes were for sharing

More chocolate coming up!

Every angle of the secret garden is Instagram gold

Secret garden shenanigans

Wash down the chocolate with champagne or strawberry smoothie…yum!

Plates of melt-in-the-mouth tiffin bars were served to us alongside brownies, sponge cakes, honeycombe, waffles, churros with pots of liquid chocolate, steaming mugs of hot chocolate, dipped strawberries, cookies and biscuits and huge ice-cream filled sundaes dripping in chocolate sauce, as well of course as chocolate in its purest form.. While you can find these utterly indulgent menu items at the legendary chocolate stores London café, just off Carnaby Street, the best was to immerse yourself in their joy is by booking their private Secret Garden, one of the most beautiful indoor gardens I’ve ever seen, located a floor above the public café.

Kitted out with an impressive Alice in Wonderland fairytale theme, there are heart shaped chairs, giant swings, a water fountain, colourful blooms, archways, rabbits and even a lamb, grazing on fake grass. Detail is everything and the entire space feels like the pages of a children’s story from every angle you look at it from.

The chocolate is special, but the design is what makes it well worth the booking and you only need nine other friends to make it affordable. Hire of the secret garden is available for two hours and is charged at £300 for 10, making it just £30 per person for an experience which involves eating to your absolutely fill of chocolate and spending quality time in gorgeous surrounding in your favourite company, (and let’s face it, just two minutes away is department store Liberty where you’ll struggle to find a box of confectionary that costs less than £30.)

Surreal and very naughty (this is an afternoon tea where there are no savoury dishes) and as because we booked our slot at 1pm, we ate chocolate, more chocolate and nothing but chocolate for lunch. Well it was a special occasion, though believe me, one couldn’t do it every day.

After all of us as reached our fill it was like we’d barely made a dent in the spread but luckily they hand out doggy bags sat the end so you can take the leftovers home with you, and while most of the girls declared they wouldn’t be eating chocolate in a long time, I confess that by evening I was ready for another munch.

Find Choccywoccydoodah’s Secret Garden at Foubert’s Place, off Carnaby Street in London. On the lower ground is their chocolate shop, and upstairs below the garden in their cafe. 

Colourscape is coming back to London: it’s a must visit for #colourlovers

Ever since I watched Pulp’s video for Lipgloss, back in 1995, I have been completely obsessed with inflatable tubes. There’s was called an ‘Eggopolis’ and consisted of four giant egg shaped inflatable rooms linked by inflatable corridors. I waited over 20 years (aka last year!) until I finally found my chance, at the Colourscape music festival in Clapham Common, which it turns out started in 1989, and remains the only musical festival to take place inside a sculpture.

Visitors enter an inflatable rainbow universe where they can get lost amongst a vibrant aerated world, while listening to live performances, taking place inside, the sounds which echo through the inflatable rooms, guide your way. The experience remains one of my highlights of my year as it was so much fun. Entrance is by a very reasonable priced ticket which gives you access to explore the rainbow labyrinth for an hour. There’s no need to worry about what to wear, before entering you need to remove your footwear and are given a coloured cape to wear – this enhances the experience especially as it makes other people you encounter inside less distracting, everyone seems to be part of the exhibition and experience.

Though you will see other people, I found that even on a busy Sunday afternoon it was still perfectly easy to find secret, quiet spaces with ample opportunity to take fun photos, have a lie down, a thorough exploration and still sit and enjoy the entertainment – I saw contemporary dance accompanied by live electro sounds. This year the line-up includes live music performed on experimental percussion instruments.

Colourscape takes place over nine days and consists of over 100 interlinked chambers, covering one acre of space. Every step you take is an experience, you never know what colour or colour combinations await you around each turn. I particularly like that there is such a universal appeal to the exhibition/festival/experience. It’s a captivating surprise for all ages and it crosses language and cultural barriers because it’s a physical space you can enjoy without any prior knowledge: simply step in and get immersed in the dream-like surroundings.

Afterwards there’s a temporary café outside in the park, serving home-cooked goodies like salads, quiches and yummy tea and cakes. I can’t think of a more fun way to spend some time doing something different (and of course getting lots of Insta-perfect photos with no need to use any filters – the vibrancy is real!)

Colourscape
Dates: 16^th-24^th September 2017

Location: Clapham Common, near the Long Pond boating lake and The Windmill pub, London SW4 9DE.
Cost: Weekends, Adults £10, Children £5 (family tickets available) Cheaper weekdays. Check the website for full programme of events which take place inside Colourscape.
www.colourscape.org.uk

 

A cool riverside café in Barking that even Instagrammers haven’t discovered yet…

There’s nothing quite like ‘discovering’ a new secret part of London that no one, not even Instagrammers are raving about. But then how far do all these famous London travel bloggers really go? You’ll see them at swanky events in central London and attending new openings, but what about exploring the ends of the line, in the outer zones?

London is a mega city. There’s so much to see, do and explore. I’m working my way through the tube stops but there’s still so many more to go. I’ve previously visited the ‘extreme East’ borough of Barking & Dagenham to attend their annual Folk Music festival held in the beautiful grounds of the derelict Abbey Ruins but it wasn’t until this weekend that I found out the area also has waterside views of the River Roding. In fact Barking doesn’t just have picturesque views, it has its own creative artist hub of art studies within Ice House Quarter where you’ll find the Ice House Court art studios by Bow Arts and next door, The Malthouse Building Creative Booths. Amongst these buildings you’ll find a hive of vibrant activities from the colorful studios of felt and textile artist Susanna Wallis to the sculpture artists that have huge open spaces in which to construct their handiworks.

In amongst it all is The Boathouse Café. Head up a flight of stairs to the side of Malthouse (which incidently currently has artist studio space available) and you’ll find the quirky bar and café that is now Barking’s hippest hangout. The walls are filled with colourful canvas art, there’s paper pompoms hanging in the windows, vases filled with fresh blooms decorate all the tables, the bar is so beautiful it looks more like a library and on it sits the coolest lamp you’ll find in a London café: an upcycled diver’s mask.

A 10-15 minute walk from Barking station, this café is well worth the trek for its charm, warmth and very friendly atmosphere. Seats are available indoors and alfresco and if you’re lucky enough to visit on an Open Studios day you can also take a peak inside and see the latest works from some very talented East London creatives.

Barking Bites:
Other things to see and to while you’re in Barking

Get scared at Eastbury Manor, inside this manor house turned museum and event space they often host murder mystery evenings and community crafting events such as children’s crafts for Diwali.

Valence House Museum, another unexpected architectural wonder in Barking is this quaint museum which also has events and a herb garden.

 

Hotel review: Why I want to live inside Haymarket Hotel

Is Haymarket Hotel an art gallery or a hotel? I’m going with both. A colourful, creative, oasis of sheer delight, Haymarket Hotel (run by the Firmdale group) takes sleeping away from home to a whole knew level. Comfy? Yes Welcoming? 100%. Clean? Absolutely. Spacious? Totally? Good food? Hands down. The tick box elements are easy to complete, but where this London retreat gets its Wow Factor and personality is in the design and décor. We’re not talking ‘finer details’ either. Character is in the every essence of every  decision made, whether that’s with centering the Brumus Restaurant around a striking, colourful painting of an African woman with her sparkly shoe collection, the fish print toilets in reception, with a felt elephant parade on the walls, or in the giant lamps that stand at the foot of the magical, sunset themed indoor swimming pool, where it actually feels like you are wadding into another world.

(Haymarket Hotel library)

If you’re after somewhere to hang out, to take a break from the craziness of Piccadilly Circus, in Central London, the public conservatory allows visitors to be enveloped by the beauty of this visionary space…but if you’re staying here overnight the treat really begins.
There’s a chic art lounge library filled with handcrafted furniture and furnishings, and of course, the chance to experience your own slice of creative heaven inside one of the boutique hotel’s bedrooms or suites…where basically I nearly died from delight.

Haymarket Hotel: One Bedroom Suffolk Suite
There are three of these suites within Haymarket as well as a number of two bedroom suites but what struck me on entering is how on earth they managed to get me a room that so immaculately matches my current hair shade?
What are the chances of finding a bedroom in shades of pink, blue and white? That was my initial shock. After that I was overjoyed by stumbling into a beautiful living room filled with colour.From the mannequin in the corner through to the framed fabric wall hanging and rose print cushions: this suite was Everything. The vision of Interior Designer Kit Kemp MBE (imagine going to her house for tea?), the Co-Owner and Design Director of Firmdale Hotels, has a book called Every Room Tells A Story, where shares her inspiration behind designing the hotel rooms, which include working with artisans and crafts people from all over the world, making every room completely different.

Yes. Firmdale Hotels are the ultimate places to stay for fans of Craft and Travel.
That pool!

One of the most thoughtful touches in the room was a shelf of records and a record player to play them on, so of course I did just that before heading down for a dip in the pool, which temporarily, while the hotel’s new bar is being fitted, has a poolside cocktail bar adding to the ambience. I also had a peek inside the hotel’s meeting rooms which are in keeping with the hotel’s delightful décor.

Breakfast buffet selection with the best granola ever

Kedgeree with a delicious spicy sauce & avocado on the side

Friendly staff and yummy food are part of the experience here, the hottest shower I’ve ever had and comfy bedding that cocoons you into a perfect’s night sleep are luxuries that enhance your stay even more,  even when it feels like it can’t be enhanced anymore.

Fun, fabulous, fashionable…I can’t think of a more perfect place: now when can I move in?

All the Haymarket Hotels are gorgeous…enjoy the pics online before booking a stay. www.firmdalehotels.com Get more of a taste in this video interview with Kit Kemp.

Momtaz Begum-Hossain
Images: CraftandTravel.com

 

 

 

 

Utopian Design – A look back at the inaugural London Design Biennale

(Chakra View, India, image: Ed Reeve)

Back in September Somerset House became a homage to contemporary design from 37 countries in a new annual exhibition called the London Design Biennale. The theme was Utopia By Design and each country was asked to depict what Utopia means to them.

(Installation by Albania)

Consisting of installations, artworks, protypes and experiences, visitors where able to interact with world-leading architects, designers, scientists, writers and artists.

I first came across the buzz of the event on social media. The exhibition, although lasted three weeks was part of London Design Week. This event stood out because of the ‘international appeal.’ The chance to visit 37 countries in one exhibition was too exciting an experience not to embark on, so I popped along on the last weekend to have a look at what it was all about.

Split across different, floors, wings and even outside the venue, it was a mammoth exhibition and a day (as I had also heard on the grapevine) wasn’t enough, but I took in as much as I could, and as well as discovering the fascinating backgrounds to each piece, I also took the opportunity to pose in the exhibitions -well, the backdrops were made for Instagramming!

From roaring digital fireplaces (Germany) to huge animal swing chairs (South Africa) and a giant gumball machine dispensing water (Saudi Arabia), there was plenty of imagery and objects to spark the imagination, and installations so striking they were instantly memorable.

I think I managed to get around to see all of them. Here were my favourites…

PAKISTAN
An installation entitled Daalaan, this was a huge room filled with beautifully printed textile hanging and wooden stools that spun round; sitting on them was a perfect break to all the walking around the exhibition entailed. Created by Karachi based Coalesce Design Studio, their interpretation was that Utopia is ‘a place where strangers become friends.’ Consisting of architecture, design, furniture and fabric screen prints made from henna dyes, it had a relaxing and welcoming feel and it was a pleasure to relax there, (as much as one can at a busy public exhibition!), and take it all in.

INDONESIA
With its sci-fi spaceship theme, this was one of the most fun exhibits. The literature accompanying the exhibition was fascinating and told of an agreement assigned by 29 countries in 1955 to create a satellite. It consisted of a floating satellite surrounded by interesting dome like structures.

TURKEY
A ‘wish machine’ – with a name like that, this was already going to be one of my favourites! A cultural tradition deeply rooted in the ancient Anatolian faith and found in ancient Greek, Kabala and Persian beliefs, Wish Machines operates on a simple mechanism that involves affixing a note or a memento to a branch of a tree as an act of hope.

SPAIN

The Spanish offering consisted of a tube you walk through with distorted mirrors at the end that symbolised a ‘utopic next century city’, a habitat where technology, life standards and health coexist, even when natural resources are scarce.
It’s a scary thought that this is an actual reality: we will have to face such times.

AUSTRIA
I get over excited whenever I see lights so this kinetic light installation had instant appeal. The theory on the other hand of why it lit up was one of the more complicated of the entire exhibition.
I’m not going to try to explain it because in truth it went ovr my head in a too-academic-for-a-public-exhibition-kind-of-way, but aesthetically speaking I had much appreciation for it.

LEBANON
A real-life miniature city was set up for this alfresco exhibition where artist Annabel Karim Kasser recreated a bustling street scene from Beirut including a wet shave bar, falafel hut and juice bar. Attention to detail was everything and the falafel, which was on sale, tasted great!

INDIA

(Image: Bradley Barnes)

The India space Chakra View was one of the major commissions and took up an entire wing. Weaving together India’s cultural heritage it used traditional textiles and ancient mythology, with modern design innovations to portray a sense of modern India. Colourful creative and a complete experience, stepping into the main space was a joy from every angle it was viewed from.

CraftandTravel’s Editor posing by the installation

Alongside the exhibition there was a number of talks at The London Design Biennale and I attended one chaired by Priya Paul, Chairperson of The Park Hotels in India. I was keen to go because I stayed at their Kolkata hotel in 2014 and loved every minute of my stay. Cool design was present in every aspect of the hotel and it remains one of the most memorable places I’ve ever stayed in. Priya chaired a discussion about contemporary design in India and in particular, the role Indian crafters and artisans play in it.

Priya is an avid supporter of art and crafts and invited respected figures from the Indian design world to give their thoughts on the subject, including Rajshree Pathy, Founder of India Design Forum who created the colourful Chakra View installation.

A common theme in their discussion was around how businesses (such as hotels) can incorporate the work of artisans and crafters to help preserve their heritage which I thought was a positive approach. Certainly design-led hotels, rather than chains which look the same, can have unique, one, off and hand-crafted pieces as part of their décor, though of course it was be amazing if bigger chains could also see the value it would have.

The discussion began with some observations by Author Sunil Khilnani who explained that design has been important in India for 60 years – in 1958 the India Report was the blueprint for the national institute of design who were committed to contemporary design being part of India’s heritage.

He commented how Gandhi was an anti-industrialist because he didn’t like how mass produced goods could mean the loss of handicrafts. Bringing the conversation up-to-date,  Researcher Alice Ciccolini described her own experiences of the jewellery industry where the children of mastercrafters do not want to work in the industry, so work is being done to encourage them to see the benefits.

One issue is that middle-class wealthy Indians are going to art school and becoming artists but the lower paid artisans and crafters who are poor, cannot see the value in what they are doing, so this gap between how art and craft is perceived needs to be changed.

Practicality wise the mobile phone has been beneficial to crafts people as they can now cut out the middle-man and take orders directly. Priya also referenced the resurgence there has been in the weaving industry and how wealthy Indians appreciate owning hand crafted pieces as a form of patronage.

A fascinating conversation which informed my visit to the exhibition, it made me realise how important the ‘talks’ that are programmed alongside exhibitions are; I’ll certainly be looking at attending more of them for future exhibitions I visit.

For more information about the exhibition visit www.londondesignbiennale.com

Momtaz Begum-Hossain, CraftandTravel.com