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As another long working week comes to a close, we've compiled the best 10 things to help you plan your weekend.
From unlimited wine on tap and riding through a traffic-less London to feasting on two thousand year old recipes and giving your skincare products a festival makeover, there's bound to be something that's right up your street...
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Kick off your weekend with a visit to the ArcelorMittal Orbit (the twisted red steel structure in the Olympic Park), as its two observation decks will be transformed into the ultimate nighttime hot spot.
This Friday, the iconic landmark will host Space in this Place, a chance for you to see the beautiful sunset from incredible heights, while enjoying musical entertainment, food and drinks.
Or if you prefer an excuse to pull on your dancing shoes, the 80m sky high location will be hosting a silent disco, where you can co-ordinate your playlist with your friends and text requests to the DJ.
ArcelorMittal Orbit Lates, Space in this Place, Friday 8 August, £20 and Silent Disco, Friday 15 August, £17.50, tickets can be bought here
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If you’re ever in Brighton and don’t know what to do, we have one word for you: Bohemia. The sophisticated three-floored venue serves a full breakfast, lunch and dinner menu across almost 24 hours. If you’re looking for some peace and quiet, head to ‘The Library’ on the balcony, a quiet area where guests can lounge in leather arm chairs and take a moment to read a newspaper.
By night, the venue completely transforms and guests can expect smoking and bubbling molecular mixology cocktails from Bohemia’s experienced bar staff. When you want a bit of fresh air, head outside to their ‘Veuve Clicquot Champagne Roof Terrace’ and you'll be in your own secret garden. There’s even a cigar menu that can be enjoyed. Close by, is the ‘Champagne Late Lounge’, which features black crocodile and crystal embossed booth seats. If you book in at ‘The Barman’s Table’ early, you can enjoy a private drinking experience and your own personal barman for the night.
Bohemia Brighton, 54-55 Meeting House Lane, Brighton, for more information click here
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It may not be the most reliable out of all the underground tube lines, but this weekend, the Hammersmith & City line turns 150 and to celebrate, members of the public are being offered the chance to ride on a steam train.
Actors and a brass band will entertain passengers at Moorgate station while the steam trains run according to a strict timetable between Northfields and Moorgate and Moorgate and Hammersmith.
Steam trains on the London Underground, Saturday 9 August, tickets between £30 - £95, available here
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The trusty Clarisonic Mia 2 has undergone a complete transformation with the release of the Festival of Colors Collection. Inspired by the Hindu tradition Holi, the collection includes; Mia 2 Joy, a vivid hot pink, Mia 2 Life, an electric blue, and Mia 2 Energy, a bright neon yellow.
Our favourite comes in the form of Clarisonic Plus Beauty, incorporating all three of the previously mentioned shades into an intricate paisley design, this is the perfect product to inject some fun into your skincare routine. All four of these wonder products come with travel bags, making it easy to whisk them away with you on the next holiday.
They promise to cleanse 6x’s better than manual cleansing, which helps skin care products to work more effectively, and to reduce the appearance of fine lines.
Clarisonic Plus Beauty, £179, available here
Clarisonic Mia 2 Joy, £125, available here
Clarisonic Mia 2 Life, £125, available here
Clarisonic Mia 2 Energy, £125, available here
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This Saturday, the people behind The 3 Crowns Public House and Restaurant will be hosting an outdoor wine fair. The event will include specially selected wine merchants, food, live music and carnival games.
Roads around the pub will be closed off so that the public can enjoy their drinks on the grass turf laid out. Head chef Lee Urch will be serving plates of confit duck sandwiches, pork belly with beans and a selection of charcuteries and cheeses.
Guests will also be able to buy a wine glass for £5, which can then be topped up with the finest wines at each of the pit stops. A far cry from those university pub crawl days.
The 3 Crowns Wine Fair , Saturday 9th August, 12pm – 10pm, 8 East Road/Brunswick Place,Old Street, London, N1 6AD
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One of the summer’s most anticipated festivals is back with a line up that promises to be bigger and better than ever before. With big names on the bill, such as London Grammar, Burt Bacharach, Metronomy, Jessie Ware, Sam Smith and lots more, the crowd won’t be short of some seriously impressive entertainment.
And as if the music acts weren’t enough, there will also be theatre performances by some of the most esteemed playhouses, talks and debates, late night revelry, yoga workshops and the return of the Lakeside Spa.
Wilderness Festival, tickets available here , Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire
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This summer, the Southbank Centre is dedicating the whole of August to the power of lurrve. The Festival of Love will include an array of workshops, performances and installations exploring seven Ancient Greek themes around love.
This weekend is based on the Ancient Greek concept of Philia or shared experience of love. Highlights include; The Big Reunion Gig, encouraging bands and groups of the past to reunite one more time, an attempt to create the world’s biggest picnic blanket in The Big Stitch Up, a dance class and a screening of cult movie The Goonies.
Another highlight in the line up is the Big Wedding Weekend, happening on Saturday 30 – Sunday 31 August. Southbank Centre are calling for all couples, no matter age or sexuality, to come and marry or renew their vows on the stage of the Royal Festival Hall across six ceremonies spread over two days. The event will be followed by drinks, all day dancing and an optional buffer along the riverside. The centre are also offering two packages to eliminate the woes and financial burdens of planning a wedding – and the potential for any Bridezilla moments.
Festival of Love, until Sunday 31 August, Southbank Centre, more information here , book places for the Big Wedding Weekend soon as places are filling up fast
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Our determination to make the most out of this good weather is leaving us with little sleep as summer plans are spreading long into the evening. Thankfully, L’Oreal Paris has created the solution to our problems with the Skin Perfection Anti-Fatigue Perk Up Cream. Created to instantly cover up signs of tiredness, you’ll be left looking perkier and ready to tackle the day.
Exclusive chromatic microsapsules fuse with the skin to make your face appear smoother and more even. It also contains SPF20, so you can be sure that your skin is being protected from the risk of ageing sunrays. With Blake Lively as the face of the product, we’re wondering if this is the reason for her picture-perfect snaps at the airport, despite hours of travelling. We’re already planning to stock up for those long haul flights
L’Oreal Paris Skin Perfection Anti-Fatigue Perk Up Cream, £7.99, available here
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Gear up for a weekend of cycling that will bring the roads of central London to a close. This year’s Predential RideLondon FreeCycle will see participants seizing the opportunity to zoom through the streets of the capital on Saturday – for free. If you’re keen to get involved, just remember to sign up beforehand, as all participants need to be registered. At 5pm, there will be races around St James’s Park for young Olympic hopefuls.
Sunday will then see 24,000 amateur cyclists ride the 100-mile route for charity at the Preduential RideLondon – Surrey 100. Head down to the route and cheer them and 150 of the world’s top male cyclists to keep their spirits high.
Preduential Ride London, Saturday 9 August 2014, from 9am – 7.30pm, Sunday 10 August, 08:30 am – 6.30pm, times and location dependent on race, click here for more information
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Show your support for Greece in the hardship of their economical struggle and head to the Mucky Pup for a night of olive oil tasting and food of Ancient Greece. Working to help Greece manufacturers spread the stories of their world famous olive oil, this pub will be using the very best oils straight from Greece and combining them with recipes that are two and a half thousand years old.
Olive oil tasting, Sunday 10 August, 4pm, The Mucky Pup, 39 Queen's Head Street, Islington, N1 8NQ, N1 London, more information here
