Every year on the August Bank Holiday weekend, the streets of Notting Hill come alive with Caribbean music and parades of merrymakers in elaborate costumes. This gorgeous celebration is known as the Notting Hill Carnival, a festival started by the West Indian community living in the area. Every estate agent Notting Hill knows there will be no chance of showing house-hunters around the neighbourhood over this weekend, as the streets are flooded with revellers. Of course, many property seekers would rather join the party than spend the day in search of property for rent Notting Hill!
London’s Notting Hill Carnival has been bringing its glorious annual explosion of colour and sound to the streets of the area since 1959. The Notting Hill Carnival history tells a story of reconciliation and a celebration of differences. The Notting Hill Carnival was first founded to heal the wounds of the 1958 race riot, which had been caused by tensions between the neighbourhood’s long-time white residents and the influx of West Indian immigrants into the area during the post-war era. Starting out as a small local festival, The Notting Hill Carnival has since grown enormously, attracting millions of international visitors (last year’s carnival reportedly attracted an estimated 720 000 people from around the globe). The festival is an iconic celebration of multiculturalism in the UK.
The Notting Hill Carnival originally featured traditional Caribbean music like Soca, Calypso and steel bands. Today, contemporary Reggae, R&B and House fill the air from over 40 sound systems. Hundreds of food stalls selling Caribbean food like curries and fried plantain also do a roaring trade during the 2-day Notting Hill Carnival. Of course, beautiful women in extravagant feathered costumes are also a popular feature of the Notting Hill Carnival parade. The parade usually starts on Great Western Road, then flows along Chepstow Road, Westbourne Grove and Ladbroke Grove. Once the floats have completed the Notting Hill Carnival route, they leave the roads and partygoers continue to celebrate late into the night. This year’s Notting Hill Carnival dates are August 29th and 30th.
With the Pure London Fashion Trade Show commencing on the 21st of August, visitors are about to be welcomed to a full-on fashion jamboree. If you’ve had a tough week, don’t fret, because you’re invited to a session of retail therapy unlike you’ve seen before. Looking for designer evening dresses? With 225 new brands featuring at Pure London 2012, avid shopaholics will be able to pick and choose at will.
Next week over 1000 brands will be showcasing their wares at the Pure London Trade Show at Olympia, London. Although not a complete free-for-all, you’ll be exposed to brands that have been divided into distinctly separate fashion categories, for your shopping convenience. The dedicated sections at Pure London for August include:
Womenswear: Divided by price, style and type
Footwear: From funky trends to daring designs, the hottest and latest.
Spirit Young Fashion: Energy-filled, street smart, returning brands.
Accessories: Ladies bags, bangles, sunglasses and more.
And a couple of new and exciting divisions, giving Pure London fashion a whole new dimension are:
Pure Body: Dedicated to our fabulous forms, shape-shifting lingerie, swimwear and loungewear.
Pure Junior: Colourful brands that suit all those playful kids.
You’ll find retro from the nineties right through to the twenties at Pure London August 2012 and with 1000 brands on show, you’ve got no reason to leave without a full basket.
With less than 140 days to go before the London Olympics kick off people are getting amped up not only about what the actual games but also about the job prospects that the Olympics may bring. Job search site Adzuna has commented that there should be about 100,000 jobs created in the execution of this monumental event.
Adzuna reckons that people with jobs such as security, construction and in IT are set to earn 30% more on their monthly salaries. This is fantastic news for people seeking jobs or looking for a reason to increase their wages. Companies seem to be more positive about job prospects since the London Olympics is coming to town. Everyone who owns a pair of safety boots and has some experience in construction or security should look to taking advantage of this Olympic opportunity to earn extra cash by working during the event.
Britons want to be a part of this huge event and are making a point of pushing to be employed during the London Olympics 2012. The economic boom in jobs does however not pertain to ‘Games Makers’ who are volunteering their services free of charge for the entire month. They will check tickets, be in charge of crowd management, and event administration. All of this apart from the fact that they have to cover their own travel and accommodation costs. Obviously some are doing it simply for the love of the games.
With only roughly four months to go before the London Olympics takes off, everyone needs to get their workwear, such as Dickies workwear or alike, on for the gruelling jobs ahead that everyone, including those who are not getting paid, are looking forward to.
Revellers hoping to attend the Battersea Park water fight have been warned to “stay away”, otherwise they risk being arrested, prosecuted and fined £200.
Most people using social media platforms are familiar with the concept of the flash mob – a sudden gathering of a large crowd of people in public to do something fun and unusual, then disperse. The events are usually viewed as harmless fun, but residents in the Battersea Park area have found themselves caught up in a debate over a flash mob due to occur in Battersea Park on 24 July this year.
The first successful flash mob was organised as a social experiment by Manhattan-based magazine editor Bill Wasik. A group of over 100 people gathered around a rug in a Macy’s department store, explaining to inquisitive passers-by that they all lived together and had to make group buying decisions. Since then, flash mob activities have included pillow fights, spontaneous applause and dance routines (see below). Another popular activity is the “splash mob”, a spontaneous water fight. A Facebook event recently announced a splash mob taking place in Battersea Park next month, but Wandsworth Council have issued a warning saying to “stay away” or risk arrest.
While a large-scale water fight is not the usual nature of Battersea Park events, and the sight would certainly raise some eyebrows among estate agents Battersea and their clients investigating property for sale Battersea, those wishing to attend feel the council is overreacting to their plans for Battersea Park and see it as a day of good clean fun. The Council’s response follows a recent splash mob in Hyde Park, which involved 1500 participants and lasted 8 hours. Police had to close Oxford Street to deal with the event and 3 arrests were made.
The Battersea Park water fight now faces the threat of being shut down and the Council warns that fighting, brawling, offensive language and the use of water pistols in Battersea Park will be prohibited. However this doesn’t seem to have deterred many of the revellers, so we’ll have to wait and see if they make a splash on July 24!
Last night the first pre-Wimbledon party of the season was held at the Kensington Roof Gardens in London. The gorgeous rooftop garden is a venue that would make any estate agent Kensington area drool, and the celebrities who attended, from the Sugababes to the Williams sisters, were just as beautiful.
The Sugababes, who have been named the most successful female act of the 21st century, turned heads in their elegant outfits as they posed for photographers at the party, which was hosted by Richard Branson. The trio is said to currently be hard at work on a new Sugababes album, but this star-studded event brought them out to play. While Jade Ewan and Amelle Berrabah wore tight-fitting dresses, Sugababes starlet Heidi Range donned a pale pink frock that caused a stir when a gust of wind lifted the flowing skirt, causing her to strike a pose like Marilyn Monroe!
Apart from the Sugarbabes, other guests mingling at the glitzy event included Gavin Henson, Russell Brand, Venus and Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova. Sightseers and those in the area browsing for property for sale Kensingtonwere treated to a feast of celeb-spotting opportunities!
The latest Sugababes news is that the group is involved in a legal wrangle with former member Mutya Buena over the trademark of the Sugababes name, but the 3 stars seem unconcerned and are focusing their efforts on the new Sugababes album.
Antique traders and stall owners fear the renowned quaint vintage appeal of Portobello Road is under threat, following the opening of fashion retailer AllSaints in December 2009.
Portobello Road has always been part of the West London district’s appeal. The market is one of the features which have placed Notting Hill property in high demand, along with the restaurants, pubs, architecture and vibrant community spirit.
Tourists and locals alike gather around barrows and stalls at the Portobello market on Saturdays, looking to strike bargains on a range of vintage and contemporary clothes, shoes, jewelry and antiques.
Now locals saythat the opening of the big chain store signals the beginning of the end for Portobello Market. AllSaints took the place of an arcade which previously held 150 stalls belonging to small independent traders who had made their living there for years.
A spokesperson for the store defended its opening saying that the business brings more trade to the area, and that the antique sewing machines in the window displays enhance the old-fashioned aesthetic of the area. However members of the Friends of Portobello group say that commercial businesses like AllSaints will destroy Notting Hill’s beloved attraction in five years time.
A few years ago the opening of commercial businesses like Starbucks, Tesco Metro and American Apparel began to detract from the ragamuffin appeal of the area, but the arrival of AllSaints appears to be the straw that broke the camel’s back. Portobello Road’s Small-scale traders accuse Warren Todd, whose Westbourne firm owns the AllSaints site, of risking the market in favour of high rents.
Popular antique bazaar on Saturdays and fresh produce market during the week; Portobello Road is one of Notting Hill’s oldest and most treasured features. It draws flocks of tourists to the area, and is featured in much-loved film Bedknobs and Broomsticks, and more recently Notting Hill.
Property in Notting Hill is desired because of the cultural diversity and energetic atmosphere which characterises the community. The district is the living and working area of choice for many of Englands film stars, writers and politicians.
Every year on the August Bank Holiday weekend, the streets of Notting Hill come alive with Caribbean music and parades of merrymakers in elaborate costumes. This gorgeous celebration is known as the Notting Hill Carnival, a festival started by the West Indian community living in the area. Every estate agent Notting Hill knows there will be no chance of showing house-hunters around the neighbourhood over this weekend, as the streets are flooded with revellers. Of course, many property seekers would rather join the party than spend the day in search of property for rent Notting Hill!
The Notting Hill Carnival originally featured traditional Caribbean music like Soca, Calypso and steel bands. Today, contemporary Reggae, R&B and House fill the air from over 40 sound systems. Hundreds of food stalls selling Caribbean food like curries and fried plantain also do a roaring trade during the 2-day Notting Hill Carnival. Of course, beautiful women in extravagant feathered costumes are also a popular feature of the Notting Hill Carnival parade. The parade usually starts on Great Western Road, then flows along Chepstow Road, Westbourne Grove and Ladbroke Grove. Once the floats have completed the Notting Hill Carnival route, they leave the roads and partygoers continue to celebrate late into the night. This year’s Notting Hill Carnival dates are August 29th and 30th.
With less than 140 days to go before the 
Revellers hoping to attend the Battersea Park water fight have been warned to “stay away”, otherwise they risk being arrested, prosecuted and fined £200.
Last night the first pre-Wimbledon party of the season was held at the Kensington Roof Gardens in London. The gorgeous rooftop garden is a venue that would make any 