It’s been another week full of stress for my Lou Lou, as every Monday morning the bell rings at 9:00 am for another seven days of toil as she works toward her final accountancy exams. On the menu this week, there has been a pinch of leasing a sprig of embedded financial derivatives and a light drizzle of corporate reporting thrown in for good measure. However, it’s not all head-in-the-books, as she scored an astonishing ten goals for her all-girlie soccer team. Quite a feat, wouldn’t you say? Of course, her achievement was rewarded with plenty of big hugs and TLC to ease the pre-exam tension, though I wanted to give her a special trophy of my own.

So with the weather yet again as dingy as the River Thames, with plenty of grey clouds above and copious amounts of wind blowing my freshly cut “barnet” (that’s Cockney speak for hair) from below, Lou Lou and I have almost resorted to slapping on the fake bronzer as our chocolate brown bodies are turning gradually to milk and, who knows by next week, a pale tinge of white. I say, Jeeves, do you have any factor 15 knocking about?

Welcome to Lazarus On London, which has certainly been causing a “storm” from the shores of South Beach to the piazzas of Milan. And now with a fine-tooth comb, let’s separate the wheat from the chaff with the main headlines that have been causing waves in the Big Smoke (sorry for all the nautical themes - I’m just feeling a little seafaring for some reason).

I was determined not to begin with our dear PM Mr. Brown, and for once he hasn’t been making the front page. Do I hear you breathe a sigh of relief? However, it’s still doom and gloom on the economic front as, according to the Bank of England’s governor, Mervyn King, The UK faces its toughest economic challenge for 20 years. Mr. King has also warned that, due to increasing food and energy prices, this could further push the rate of UK consumer inflation above 4%. This has been a knock-on effect, thanks to soaring global food and oil prices which have seen the latter nearly double in value over the past 12 months. In fact, on Monday, the price of a barrel of oil hit a new high, costing nearly $140 a barrel in New York. Wholesale gas prices have increased by about 160%, while UK household energy bills have risen by around 10%.

Meanwhile, the first British female soldier has perished in Afghanistan, bringing the total number of victims to 106. Corporal Sarah Bryant, aged 26, was tragically taken away with three other men in an explosion that took place on Tuesday in the eastern part of Lashkar Gah in Helmand Province, while they were all supervising at a vehicle checkpoint.

Other news in brief includes a damning fact on the number of abortions among girls under the age of 16. Figures out last year show that abortions were up by a whopping 10% last year to almost 4,400 individual cases. The amount of abortions in all women has increased by 27% over the last decade, while Government advisers have strongly expressed a better sex education programme at school and further significant investment in contraception services for young people. So what’s Gordon’s advice on this matter? Interesting.

Olympic news has literally hit fever pitch this week as, according to the mayor’s Olympic watchdog, the estimated total cost of the main stadium for the 2012 Games in London Town has almost hit the $1.1B mark. The three-week review commissioned by London Mayor Boris Johnson has also revealed the overall stadium costs has also risen by a further $58M since November last year. In fact, inside the original Olympic bid document, the initial cost for the 80,000 all-seater stadium in east London was priced at $560M. Oh dear, somehow I don’t think Einstein is crunching the numbers here.

In showbiz news, TV presenter and voice of an angel Charlotte Church has revealed, on her official website, that she’s expecting her second child to boyfriend Gavin Henson, a key figure in the Welsh Rugby team. Church, 22, is due to give birth to a bouncing new baby daughter called Ruby in September. She and Henson have been inseparable for over three years and, in 2008, according to The Sunday Times’ young music rich list, are sitting pretty in the Top 10 with a shared fortune estimated to be worth around $22M.

There’s certainly been a “Big Bother” caused this week, as one of the Big Brother contestants was removed from the contest due to threatening behaviour towards other members of the house. Alexandra de Gale was ejected after being up for the second eviction of the series, following several jibes involving threatening housemates with retribution from her “gangster friends.” Somehow I don’t see this dramatic scene making the final cut in the next Godfather movie.

And finally, Blighty’s biggest ever film premiere took place on Thursday at London’s O2 arena for the opening of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. This is the sequel to The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe which grossed $750M (£381m) worldwide in 2005. Around 10,000 people will attend the event at the largest cinema screen ever to be constructed in Europe, with stars in attendance including Liam Neeson, Ben Barnes, and Anna Popplewell. And if you want your very own little bit of red carpet treatment, then why not pop on down to these venues? Capital idea, Jeeves, don’t you think?

Drink - Vendome. This hip bar and lounge set on Walton Street in the heart of Knightsbridge is another favorite amongst the capital’s celebrities. Their inspiration for the interior is influenced plush materials and the host of designer label stores nearby. With ostrich leather banquettes, wall lights made entirely from Swarovski crystal, and a six-metre long bar complete with polished white stone and attractive oval mirrors, you’ll no doubt be bowled over by the sexy layout of Vendome.

Being fabulous is the order of the day, as a mainly Sloaney and South Ken crowd (that’s Kensignton to you and me, darling) munch and drink their way through a host of goodies available, including a minimalist sushi menu and a unique cocktail list featuring Sputnik, which blends Finlandia vodka, fresh pineapple and cucumber, served up over oregat syrup and pineapple juice, and a seven-million-dollar mojito which I’m hoping will make you feel like at least one. This drink combines Havana 7-years-old rum, a dash of fresh lime, mint and brown sugar, topped off with champagne.

Address: Vendome Bar and Lounge,
103-105 Walton Street,
Knightsbridge,
London,
SW3 2HP
E: http://www.vendomelounge.com/

Dance - 54 Mile End. Sister venue to the oh so popular 54.shoredich, this new venue is based on Mile End road and tucked away in Stepney Green. That’s East Lodon to you and me - not quite the glam surroundings of Knightsbridge but nevertheless a real winner when it comes to nightspots. 54 Mile End composes of three floors with two outside terraces, and plays host to a mélange of the latest dance, dubstep, funky techno, and house. The interior is split up into four areas encompassing a lounge bar, a basement club with electric blue neon lighting and modern industrial influences, an upper level VIP section with a bar and chill out room, and finally a large outdoor terrace which doubles up as a brand new Urban Beach which only launched last month. Did I hear you shout “A beach in London?!”

Well, behind the club lies the Mile End Beach Club, a tranquil oasis which provides the ideal location for summer barbeques, outdoor cinema, and an array of live music, and comes complete with 1,000 square feet of authentic sandy beach, with 40 tons of Caribbean sand, parasols, and beach balls to throw around. The drink is as cheap as some of the items you will find on eBay, with draught beer costing less than $5 and spirits less than $6. There is also a respectable cocktail list including a Russian Spring Punch combining vodka flavoured with a mixture of sweet and sour raspberries and finished with Champagne, and an unusual espresso martini that may keep you going through the night with fresh espresso Green Mark vodka, Kahlua, and a dash of gomme syrup.

Address: 54 Mile End
438 Mile End Road,
Mile End,
E1 4PE
T: 0044 207 790 1005 / 0044 (7) 803 088 413

Dine - Bincho Yakitori Bar and Grill. It’s all about informal Japanese dining, thanks to London restaurateur Domonic Ford. Bincho Yakitori has opened up its second venue on Old Compton Street which can accommodate up to 115 diners and is spread over two floors with an array of stylish Japanese features. This comes in the wake of the success of Bincho’s flagship restaurant on the second floor of the OXO Tower which has been a roaring success with its focus on a selection of mouthwatering tidbits that takes its influence from the Izakaya’s or casual eateries of Japan.

Sit amongst the five yakitori grills where diners have the opportunity to watch over these skilled grand masters at work who carve and create their way like a master craftsman through a variety of skewers and bites featuring yakitori (grilled bird) and kushiyaki, which are other grilled tasty morsels. There’s also a choice of simple marinated vegetables, duck, beef, pork, and fish dishes which come on metal skewers. For the more daring amongst you, fight it out over a portion of daikon (white radish) and a stew of pig’s tripe. Cheap and cheerful dishes at Bincho are complemented by a drinks list including several types of potent sake that may literally strip your “insides.”

Address: 16 Old Compton Street,
London,
W10 4TL
E: http://www.bincho.co.uk/deploy_soho/bincho.html

Distraction - Wimbledon Championships

Where: Wimbledon SW19
When: Mon 23rd June - Sun 6th July 2008

Hours: 10.30 - 19.00 (Weather Permitting)

By next week, you’ll be shouting “Game Set and Match” and tucking into some of the 28,000 kilos of English strawberries, 7,000 litres of cream, and drinking a few of the 17,000 bottles of champagne served up as Wimbledon hits our shores again for the most prestigious grass court tennis championships in the world. With British hopes resting entirely on Andy Murray’s shoulders, can he stop the five-time winner and Swiss juggernaut Roger Federer from picking up a record breaking 6^th consecutive men’s title?

The Wimbledon Tennis Museum is also open for business again this year and features a variety of interactive displays that explore, in depth, the rich history of the championships. Visitors will also have the chance to familiarize themselves with some of the great players down the years, the fashion successes and disasters, as well as the science behind tennis. If you don’t want to camp outside under the stars like a boy scout for tickets, then why not take a stroll down to Canada Square Park in Canary Wharf where you won’t miss a smash, volley, or serve of the action, thanks to its large screen erected for the championships.

Address: Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championship, 
All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club,
Church Road,
Merton,
London,
SW19 5AE
E: www.wimbledon.org/

(Be sure to check out the Wimbledon Pre-Party at the Buzzscene!)

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