This Week We Have Been . . .

…feeling like a real foodie with all the amazing choices on our doorstep in Soho. And not just stopping at our lunch choices, we’re taking new culinary options home too – with Soho staples like our new favourite one-stop shop for all things Italian – Lina Stores. This beautiful deli stocks beautiful freshly made pasta (we loved the pumpkin and sage and can’t wait to try the recommended Nduja sausage variety), mouth-watering Italian cheeses and cured meats – amongst everything else you need for an Italian feast!

…reading ‘The reason I jump’ in nearly one sitting. It’s a fascinating book about autism written by Naoki Higashida, an autistic kid who at the early age of 13, managed to put together his view of the world and autism into words. With some harrowing chapters discussing the impossibility of communicating with his family, ‘The reason I jump’ offers an incredible insight into his mind, helping you understand what life with autism is like. WARNING: There might be tears

…running in our dirndl for the annual Oktoberfest City Hash run. We were rewarded for our 8km running efforts with a couple of witbiers and renditions of Ein Prosit!

…fighting the crowds at Seven Dials for London Cocktail Week. We managed to grab a Disaronno sour from the pop-up stall but then found refuge from the cold at nearby latin tapas bar Condesa where we drank a few (too many) carafes of Argentinian Malbec. Yum!

…visiting PR Week. On Tuesday Joint MD Bruce popped over to The St Martin’s Lane Hotel for an industry shindig to mark the much-awaited relaunch of PR Week (which, it transpires, should probably be called PR Month). And the news was good – the new mag is thicker, glossier and has a welcome focus on analysis, features and interviews, leaving news to its spiffy new online counterpart. What’s more, the mini-burgers were apparently excellent. Trebles all round!

…have been catching The Feeling at an intimate gig at Shoreditch House. The band belted out some of their old tunes as well as tunes from their new album,‘Boy Cried Wolf’. We shuffled and sung along with about 100 other guests, including Sophie Ellis-Bexter (who is married to The Feelings Richard Jones) who was have a break from her Strictly duties.

… being inspired by the documentary film Girl Rising, a film that looks at the economic and political impact that education of girls can bring to underserved communities. This beautifully produced film (directed by Academy Award nominee Richard Robbins), tells the stories of 9 girls from 9 countries who struggled and fought to gain an education in the face of arranged marriages, child slavery, and other injustices. Written by 9 celebrated writers and narrated by 9 renowned actresses including Meryl Streep, Ann Hathaway, Kerry Washington and Cate Blanchet, the film is inspiring and touching (if at times a tiny bit schmaltzy American), and topical following the Malala Yousafzai being given the EU human rights prize. Watch a trailer here and montage here.

…taking in a new exhibition by Mira Schendel, a prolific Brazilian artist, at Tate Modern. Her work spans one room and covers painting, installation and drawings. It’s a beautiful and complex exhibition expressing the tension between her European heritage and subsequent emigration to Brazil where she became an artist.