'Let's move to New Cross' - featured in The Guardian!

So it looks like South London is getting more popular! Tom Dyckhoff has described New Cross as "an oyster with a pearl" - success!

In September last year, Peckham was also championed as a good place to move to in The Guardian's "Let's Move To..." online column.

Glad to see that the reputation of South London is slowly but surely changing!

Read the full article (here)

Big Bingo Night @ Royal Vauxhall Tavern, Vauxhall

The Royal Vauxhall Tavern is a rather inconspicuous pub right near Vauxhall Station and every Monday night they hold a bingo night. Sounds pretty dull right? However, the RVT was the winner of Best Cabaret Venue 2012 by the London Cabaret Awards and just for the record, Big Bingo Night at the RVT is not your average bingo night. I had heard many stories of this night since moving to London and went there for the first time in my first year of university. Ever since then, I've been desperate to go back as, like I said, this is by no means your normal bingo night. So, I gathered a few friends of mine and we boldly travelled to Vauxhall on a Monday night to see what we would find...


And this, ladies and gentlemen, is what we found. Bingo at the RVT is hosted by Timberlina who has been labelled "the queen of alternative style" by Time Out and is honestly one of the funniest people I've ever come across. Unfortunately he was suffering from a broken ankle this week, so the usual spontaneous dance routines and jigging about the stage weren't on the menu - but go any other time and I'm sure you'll get to see some!

Be warned, if you're after winning big money - this bingo night probably isn't for you. The prizes last night included such delights as a Harry Potter VHS tape, a Britney Spears biography, Brillo pads and a 'grow your own carrots' kit. Tacky and wonderful.

The fact that bingo at the RVT is run by Timberlina isn't the only unique thing about it, Big Bingo Night also includes spontaneous singalongs, dances and "live" phone conversations with Britney Spears (just go there and you'll see what I mean...). The RVT is a LGBT-friendly venue so expect a warm, welcoming environment where just about anything goes. A pub where screaming along to Lady Gaga at the top of my lungs (when sober) is totally acceptable and totally not-as-embarrassing-as-you-would-have-thought, well, that's my kind of pub.

As it's a normal pub, it's free entry to the RVT on Big Bingo Night and only £1 per round of bingo so you definitely won't break the bank here! However, from a poor student's perspective, drinks are quite pricey - the cheapest bottle of white wine I could get my hands on was £14.50, but trust me, you really don't need to be getting the drinks in in order to have fun here! A couple of my friends weren't buying drinks in order to save money, and they probably had the most fun out of all of us!

Our team getting stuck in on the final quick-fire round!

Overall, I really don't think I can do this place justice. It really is one of my favourite nights out and I honestly think it's impossible to have a rubbish time here. A few of my straight, slightly blokey, male friends have gone to the RVT for bingo with a few misconceptions and doubts in their mind, but have reported back to me that it was one of the funnest nights they'd had in a long time. Success!

If you don't fancy a big night out but are bored of "just going to the pub" then Big Bingo Night at the RVT is for you. Wit, audience participation, singalongs, and a very sore throat the next day from singing and laughing is guaranteed here and I cannot recommend it enough!

Tips

• Big Bingo Night is every Monday apart from Bank Holidays, so become a regular!
  
• Doors open at 7 and the bingo starts at around 8:30. I would recommend getting there a bit earlier, maybe around 7:30 so you can make sure you have somewhere to sit. The RVT is quite small and playing bingo standing up can be pretty tricky!
• If you don't have cash on you then it's £10 minimum on card at the bar.
• The Royal Vauxhall Tavern is less than a 5 minute walk away from Vauxhall Station (make sure you come out of the exit which goes to Vauxhall Bridge) and plenty of buses are nearby.
  
• Like I said, be prepared to have a very sore throat the next day. You'll laugh, you'll shout, and if you're anything like me, you'll be (attempting) to sing the whole night long.

Nearest station: Vauxhall

Website: http://www.rvt.org.uk/event/big-bingo-night-7

South London Oddities

There's a lot of good stuff in South London, but there's also a lot of odd stuff. Here's two slightly ambiguous things I found on my short walk from the bus stop to my house in New Cross:



Recommended by thegrumpyblog (link). This shop is down New Cross Road. Bad picture quality but the sign on the window says "WE SOLD A CHAIR TO DAMIEN HIRST". Other than that the shop doesn't have a name or, by the looks of things, an entrance that isn't barricaded off by fencing. We're assuming they sell chairs...


Just along the road is a barber's. If the carefully cut out 'posters' on the door signify anything, then presumably if you get your hair cut at this place you can look as fresh and gangster as Jay Z and Rick Ross. Sweet.

God love South London and its' little eccentricities.

If you have any photos or stories of odd goings on in South London then drop us a comment below or tweet us @sotr_london

Silk Road, Camberwell

I have ventured outside New Cross! Success! In this post I'll be talking about Silk Road; an authentic Chinese restaurant in Camberwell.


Now I'm no Chinese food expert, but you can't help but feel that the food at Silk Road really is authentic Chinese food as it should be. Silk Road is free of neon orange sweet and sour sauce, chicken chow mein and prawn crackers - instead it serves a variety of food from the Xinjiang area of China which, as far as I can tell, is all very, very spicy! If you love your spice, then you'll love Silk Road. The actual restaurant itself seems to add to the authenticity of the place - I'll be honest, it doesn't look like much inside. There are communal wooden tables to eat at and the menus are anything but complicated. On first glance, Silk Road might look like your typical greasy British-Chinese restaurant, but it's clear from the simplicity of the place that all they're about is good, honest, authentic Chinese food.




Despite some slightly dubious sounding dishes (such as Big Plate Chicken and Chicken Cubes), the food here is amazing. I've been to Silk Road twice now and the different food I've had both times has been delicious. Be warned though - if spicy food isn't your thing then Silk Road probably isn't for you!



Tonight I went to Silk Road with three of my friends; one of whom is vegan, and we all had plenty to choose from. The portions here are absolutely huge - the bowl of noodles you can see in the photo above is "Middle" Plate Chicken which we shared between two of us and still had loads left. Who knows just how big the "Special Big" Plate Chicken is!

The prices are a definite bonus here - for example, you can get 10 beef and onion dumplings for £3.50, most main dishes are less than £10 and beers are £2.50 - everybody wins!

Happy, full customers!

I really cannot recommend this place enough - Silk Road is the perfect place to go if you're on a budget and fancy some authentic, honest food in a cosy, no-nonsense environment. And if you don't believe me, then a quick Google search will show you loads of blogs that have raved about this place, including The Guardian and Time Out! (Click for links)


Tips

• Silk Road only accepts cash so make sure you get some money out! If you forget then no need to fear, there's a Lloyds TSB just around the corner by Camberwell Green.
• Book in advance. Silk Road is very popular and the first time I went without a booking we were given a 15 minute time frame by the manager to have our food in!
• Silk Road has loads of dishes which are great for sharing, so bring some friends!
• The nearest station is Denmark Hill but it's probably easier to get a bus - get off around Camberwell Green and Silk Road is just down the road.

Address: 49 Camberwell Church Street, SE5 8TR

Love where you live

Calling all fellow South Londoners! We all (hopefully) love where we live south of the river and I want to know where you think is best, vote on this poll and the winner will have the honour...I use this term loosely...of a celebratory post on this blog!

Vote away!

The London Particular, New Cross

Located just across the road from the Amersham Arms which I wrote about last time, (I will venture outside New Cross soon, I promise), is The London Particular. It's a little cafe selling delicious homemade hearty food like soup, frittatas, cakes and lots of warm, vegetable-y, bread-y goodness along with your standard coffees and teas.


Me and a friend wandered down to London Particular one chilly February lunchtime to have coffee somewhere other than our living room and were pleasantly surprised by being able to find a non-overpriced decent coffee in London. Unfortunately I didn't get any photos of the inside, but it's a cosy little cafe full of blackboards, paraphernalia and has a nice, no-nonsense DIY feel inside. We braved the cold and sat outside where there are mismatched wooden chairs and tables under their black and white stripy cover (no way can you miss it when walking past).

I opted for an espresso and a veggie brioche pizza for lunch which was amazing. £3.80 might sound a lot for what it is but trust me, it's so worth it for a quick and tasty lunch. Plus it's much better for you than wandering over to the greasy chicken shop opposite! London Particular have loads of different types of food, both vegetarian, vegan and meaty for both breakfast, lunch and dinner so there's bound to be something for everyone.

It's nice to know that the food you're eating is made with fresh ingredients on site and served by friendly staff; again, another reason why it's much better than going to one of the many chicken shops in the same area! Overall, it's a lovely little place that New Cross is lucky to have. Expect students that have come down the road from Goldsmiths and a friendly, casual atmosphere. It's a great place to wander down to and have a chat over some food, although I can imagine it can get pretty busy when the weather starts brightening up. The London Particular is definitely worth it if you're in the New Cross area and fancy some hearty, homemade, reasonably priced food!

Told you I liked it.

Tips

• Make sure you've got cash on you, they don't accept cards yet. But the nearest free cash point is just down the road at New Cross station
• The veggie brioche pizzas are so good. Seriously.
  
• If you're one of the lucky ones that manages to get a seat inside then well done. If not then make sure you're wrapped up warm enough to sit outside!
  

1st photo: (C) watchlooksee, 2010

Nearest station: New Cross

Website: http://www.thelondonparticular.co.uk/

Happy Mondays @ The Amersham Arms, New Cross

Oh, The Amersham Arms...if you live in the New Cross area, go to Goldsmiths or, let's be honest, are a tiny bit of a hipster, you'll probably be very familiar with this pub. I won't lie, it's a pretty good venue. It's within walking distance of my house and New Cross station, it's nice and cosy (perhaps a little bit too cosy for my liking if you go on a Friday night), and does good drinks and good food. But, considering I generally judge a pub on the price of its' double gin and tonic (the cheaper the better), I tend to run out of money very quickly when I go there!



However, I'm not here to slag the place off. It is pretty alright. REGARDLESS, the Amersham Arms is now my favourite place to be every other Monday night. Their 'Happy Mondays' comedy night is ridiculously fun. Holly Walsh, who you'll probably recognise if you watch comedy panel shows such as Mock The Week and Never Mind The Buzzcocks, is Happy Mondays' resident MC, providing standup between acts and she really is genuinely funny, as are all of the acts that I've seen there.



Previous acts include Rich Fulcher (of The Mighty Boosh fame), Isy Suttie (Peep Show), Stephen Merchant and many more. A quick Google search of any act you see performing at Happy Mondays will tell you that the majority have been on well-known comedy panel TV shows, or have been nominated for the Perrier Award, or are even the president of the Cambridge Footlights! My friends and I got to see said Footlights president a few weeks back at Happy Monday's; Phil Wang, who absolutely floored us with his laconic anecdotes of life at Cambridge University.


So, if you're up for a fun night with friends which involves drinking, eating, and laughing, then Happy Monday's at the Amersham Arms is perfect. Oh, did I forget to mention that it's £4.89? Yes, four pounds and eighty nine pence. It's a bargain and you have absolutely no reason not to give Happy Mondays a go.



Tips

• Book your ticket in advance. The Facebook group which I've linked to below will link to an online ticket service for each event. It says that it costs more on the door but I have no idea just how much, so better safe than sorry!
• Sign up to the mailing list at the end of the night. They email you more information about upcoming nights with plenty of time for you to research the acts.
• Remember it's every other Monday! Check the Facebook group to see when the next show is on.
• Get there early. The show starts at roughly 8pm, but I tend to get there around 7:20. It gives you enough time to get you and your mates seats (the pub is pretty small), and start getting the drinks in!
  

Photos: (C) Thomas Orger
Nearest station: New Cross
Website: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Happy-Mondays-Gig/156539587714064