365 Days Of Trying - Day 181

Everyday In London is a Trifecta - 6

So this is a round up of what I’ve experienced in London over the past Month of June 2025. As you know I aim to achieve at least three new experiences in my City everyday. Whether that’s a venue I’ve never visited before or one I have that has something new in it, like a play, exhibition, film etc. Often because of the rise of Cashless Venues in the Capital, it means I can achieve this simply by walking past three stores that I’m unable to use because of their choice of payment.

ACHIEVEMENTS
Serpentine Swimming - My exercise in the water, now exceptionally warm, continues [Eight Sessions /Three Races:Including one mile and one meter - stopped by Blue/Algae which closed the lake]

Press: UK Column - My Hour Long Interview about The Royal Society Of Arts and its destruction by uneducated management went out at One PM on Tuesday Third January, Twenty Twenty Five. You can watch it On Demand here.
https://www.ukcolumn.org/video/society-subverted-how-the-rsa-is-being-dismantled-by-its-own-leaders

Scott Peck - First draft of pitch document for You’re Being An Idiot. Stop It: How To Live A Decent Life In Twenty First Century Britain submitted.

Museum of Homelessness - My Donation of a Lapsang Souchong Tea Tin from Harvey Nichols with my name incorrectly spelt on it by a staff member of Dacorum Emergency Night Shelter DENS - is currency being performed at the Twelve Thirty PM sessions on the following dates. 14th, 21st, 27th & 28th June & 1st, 4th & 17th July presently - new dates are added all the time so check with MoH if you can't make one of those.

FREE TICKETS CAN BE BOOKED HERE
https://www.outsavvy.com/event/26104/visit-the-museum-of-homelessness

WIred - Pitched Story to Global Editor about having my Digital Life collected into the London Archive.

You Me Bum Bum Train - Participated in Cast and Crew Photograph to mark the end of the run - Shaftesbury Avenue - West End

Royal Court Theatre - Lovely conversation with the Artistic Director, David Byrne - Sloane Square - Chelsea

Die In - Creatives and Artists Campaign against DWP Disability Benefit cuts where I spoke - outside Tate Modern.
https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/we-will-keep-fighting-disabled-activists-warn-dwp-as-they-protest-against-benefit-cuts-outside-tate-modern/

The Londoner - Pitched story to journalist about my The RSA Story.

Collected Birth Certificate - After two months of chasing the General Registration Office, Cardiff Register Office and Islington Register Office - finally picked up my birth certificate so I can complete the process of becoming a Freeman Of The City Of London.

Society of Antiquities - Volunteered - To be part of the front of house team for the Magna Carta exhibition at the venue. Delivering a spotlight talk on the Mythology of Magna Carta, helping with general research and the expert on the Clauses Fifteen and Sixteen from The Forest and Clauses Eight, Eighteen, Twenty Four and Twenty Eight in Magna Carta [Unsurprisingly the ones that all relate to Bailiffs - the bain of my existence before becoming homeless].
https://www.sal.org.uk/collections/explore-our-collections/collections-highlights/magna-carta/

Smartify - I am the voice of two objects in the Magna Carta exhibition in the Society of Antiquaries.

Marshall Street Swimming Pool - Swam in the Victorian Swimming Pool, something I’ve wanted to do since I discovered it fifteen years ago - which I can do for free as a resident of Westminster

International Network of Street Papers - finished piece on the corruption and insanity of the Vagrancy Act and its impact on twenty first century Britain.

BARS & PUBS
Hill Station Cafe and Bar - Kitto Road - Nunhead
Skehans Pub - Kitto Road - Nunhead
K-Pop - Margaret Street - Fitzrovia
Eva Hart Pub - Station Road - Chadwell Heath [Return Visit]
The Solo Kitchen and Bar - Museum Gardens, Cambridge Heath Road - Bethnal Green
WeWork - Chapel Street - Soho {FREE BEER Camden Hells or Apspall Cider from Four pm to Six pm every weekday - UNLIMITED} [Regular]
The Sekeford - Sekeford Street - Farringdon
The Mug House - Tooley Street - London Bridge [Monthly Regular - Worshipful company of Glaziers Event]
The Lady Shaston - Granton Street - Carnaby Street [For the final time].
The Coach and Horse - Barnes High Street - Barnes
The Sun Inn - Church Street - Barnes
The Marquis of Cornwall - Bethnal Green Road - Bethnal Green [Now owned by my friend Michael Corcorron]
The White Swan - Upper Street - Islington

BOOKS
Finished - Careless People: A Story Of Where I Used to Work: Power. Greed. Madness. By Sarah Wynn-Williams.
Finished - Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management For Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
Finished - Techno Feudalism: What Killed Capitalism by Yanis Varoufakis.
Started - The Next Conversation: Argue Less, Talk More by Jefferson Fisher

CINEMA
Salt Path - Genesis Cinema - Mile End Road - Whitechapel [Friend of the Cinema]
Ballerina: From The World Of John Wick - Genesis Cinema - Mile End Road - Whitechapel [Friend of the Cinema]
Tornado - Genesis Cinema - Mile End Road - Whitechapel [Friend of the Cinema]
Twenty EIght Years Later - Mile End Road - Whitechapel [Friend of the Cinema]
Formula One - Mile End Road - Whitechapel [Friend of the Cinema] - went with friend Mykyta Rozenko who is in it as a stuntman as part of the pit crew in Dubai.

COFFEE SHOPS
King Valley - Gibbon Road - Nunhead {Whilst the owner was clearly lovely - The Mocha was undrinkable - gave it to the plants surreptitiously}
iCakes - Woodford Avenue - Gants Hill
Balans East - Montfichet Road - Westfield Stratford City - Stratford
The Lounge - Broadway - Debden
Royal Court Bar and Kitchen - Sloane Square - Chelsea [Regular Writers Discount]
Bon Cafe - Station Road - Hayes
Le Pont Bakery - Vauxhall Bridge Road - Victoria
Fait Maison Salon De Thé et Traiteur - Gloucester Road -
Empanada Circle - New Row - Covent Garden
Sexi Coffi - Carpark of Oval Arts Depot on Harleyford Street - Oval [Coffee from Wales]
Nosh at Marcello’s - Brixton Hill - Brixton
Browns Cafe/Portuguese Cafe - The Crescent - Southall
Royal Court Bar and Kitchen - Sloane Square - Chelsea [Regular - One Pound for any hot drink on my writers discount]
Cinema and Television Charity - Golden Square - Soho - used as a Free workspace where I can also get free hot drinks. [Regular]
Treats - Victoria Coach Station - Victoria
Groundhouse Cafe - Genesis Cinema - Mile End Road - Whitechapel [Regular]
Cafe Leemoo - Castle Hill Parade, The Avenue - West Ealing
Cafe Barbera - The Terrace - Barnes
The Clocktower Cafe - Uxbridge Road - Hanwell
Sacred Grounds - Dean Street - Soho [Regular]
The Onion Garden - Seaforth Place - Victoria [Regular]
Nourished Communities North One - Upper Street - Islington
Artification Cafe - North Acton Pavillion, - North Acton

EVENTS
Lunch - Home Cooked lunch with Niklas Ahman and Agnishka and children - as eve
Walk - Telegraph Hill - Nunhead - with Caroline Heatlie
Talk - Making Meanwhile Worthwhile - Exhibition Panel Event - Roca Gallery London - Imperial Wharf - Discussion about Meanwhile Spaces around the world.
Opening Night - SevenII by Pascal Sander - WestOne Curates - Oxford Street - West End
Picnic - WeWork, Chapel Street - Soho - with Amrit Chau-Singh
Food Give-away - Slurp - - Liverpool Street - friend Niel Wager’s place, but instagram not my friend it happened the day before.
Launch - Toe Rag Quarterly newspaper in association with Panel - Chapel Street - Soho
London Gardens Trust: Open Gardens 2025 - Visited just the one at Ismaili Centre in South Kensington a Roof Garden with eternal rose bloom designed by a Japanese Garden Designer - Reem Khabazzy had taken me to the building once before as her friend works there - but didn't see the gardens in the light.
The Great Exhibition Road Festival - Exhibition Road - South Kensington [Amazing connections, in binaural sound with Sarah, Data Security with tech and the Great Exhibition with the team]
Worshipful Company Of Glaziers Friends Meetup - Organised by Marianna Cherry - at The Mug House and Bierkeller under London Bridge - London Bridge.
Launch Party - Juliet Lawson: - Farringdon Business Centre - Bowling Green Lane - amazing night. Celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of her album Boo, which on its release prompted the press to say she was The British Joni Mitchell - she performed at my birthday in the Hotel Cafe Royale before Australian Pop Idol singer Nalaie Gaucci.
The Londoner Launch Party - The Seckforde Pub - Seckford Street - Farringdon - Eight months after the publication first came to being - fascinating group of individuals who read the publication.
Exchanged Old Money at The Bank of England - Took two old fifty pound note to exchange for modern ones from the last of my reserve to be able to visit my son in Bristol
Closing Farewell to The Lady Shaston - Having only recently changed the name of the pub to honor Sally, the Landlady who had run the pub since nineteen ninety-nine and the locals had given the nickname - to everyone’s shock discover the pub is closing for good as Landlords Shaftesbury Estates could make more money by destroying something the locals wanted - this happens everyday here. The Royal Society of Arts started the Blue Plaque scheme during the industrial revolution to prevent this thing from happening - now they profit from it.
Father’s Day - Met Brother Richard Toy for Lunch in Pizza and dear friend Kelly Shungu at The Horse pub for drinks both with son Charles Atherton-Laurie, who bought me Crabbies Ginger Beer to celebrate before returning to London on the coach - which always warms my heart.
Joining a Food Queue at a Soup Kitchen on Charing Cross Road - been a good few years since I needed to do this, but because DWP haven’t paid me properly for five years, I ran out of money on Twenty Third June Twenty-Twenty-Five hadn’t eaten real food in four days, so queued in the hope of getting enough things to hold me for at least two days, if not three.
Induction of friend Colin Ngan as a Freeman of The Worshipful Company of Glaziers and Glass Stainers - which I’d facilitated with introductions - Glaziers Hall - London Bridge
Sainted Aunty Betty - took the beautiful flowers the she’d nurtured in her garden to her in her residential home around the corner as her nephew and my friend Paul WIffen was abroad and unable to do it himself - more than happy to do so as she’s been a lifesaver to me way more than once allowing me to stay in her home.
Julie’s Serpentine Swimming Club One Mile One Meter Party - held on her terrace overlooking Hyde Park - lashings of food and bubbles - incredibly generous.
Talk Over The Garden Fence - With Lillie, Yens and Richard - The Onion Garden - Seaforth Place - Victoria
British Academy Summer Show Twenty-Twenty-Five - Carlton Terrace - The Mall - Friday Night with Caroline Heatlie/ Saturday Afternoon on my own - fascinating insights into Education using immersive theatre, history of Chinese Cuisine in Britain - which I knew tons about because I’d seen the exhibition at The London Archive,
Camerado’s Tenth Anniversary Party - Public Living Room, Butlers Wharf - Maff Potts the founder, was the only person in Britain to reach out to me to check I was OK when the news coverage of me sleeping at Heathrow for two years was covered by every newspaper and television channel in the UK when I got trapped at the airport when lockdown was announced and coined the hashtag the #HeathrowHomeless
Japanese Tea Tasting - Wagumi Japanese Store - Oxo Tower - Southbank
Berry’s From Driscoll:Pop up fresh berries tasting experience - Fifteen Bateman Street - Soho
London New Year’s Eve Group Reunion - friends Robin Das and Gillian Wheeler regularly hosted us at their home in Primrose Hill/Camden from Millenium’s Eve until they moved to Scotland a couple of years ago - so it was fab to connect with them and other regular attendees, John Odell and Taryn Malcolm at the Serpentine Pavillion the last weekend in June Twenty Twenty Five.

EXHIBITIONS/ART
Hiroshige: Artist Of The Open Road - British Museum - Great Russell Street - Bloomsbury
Opening Night - SevenII by Pascal Sander - W1 Curates - Oxford Street - West End
Fashioning Frequencies - UAL London College of Fashion - Carpenters Road - Stratford Cross - Stratford
Rainbow Arcade - Outernet - Tottenham Court Road
Design and Disability - Victoria and Albert Museum - Cromwell Road - South Kensington [Opening Day]
Claudette Johnson:Three Women - Temporary Mural Brixton Underground Station - Brixton
Unearthed:The Power of Gardening - British Library - Euston Road - Kings Cross - even though this is a paid exhibition the receptionist allowed me in for free. Ended up talking to a lovely female couple about the show which bizarrely included Meanwhile Gardens and lots of information of use to my book.
Catherine Repka: Duets - Huxley Parlour Gallery - Maddox Street - Mayfair
DIana Braybrook: Celebrities - Clocktower Cafe - Uxbridge Road - Hanwell
Cursed Objects In Museum Shops - Peltz Gallery - Gordon Square - Bloomsbury
Stairway To Heaven Memorial - Bethnal Green Gardens - Bethnal Green
Royal Academy Schools Show Exhibition Twenty-Twenty-Five - Royal Academy of Arts - Burlington House - Piccadilly - West End
Rethink Aging - Science Gallery - Great Maze Pond - London Bridge
The Art Of Care - Science Gallery - Great Maze Pond - London Bridge
In Focus:Capturing Real Climate Impact - Gallery@Oxo - Oxo Tower -Southbank
Play Pavillion by Sir Peter Cook in association with Lego - Serpentine South Gallery Gardens - Kensington Gardens
Serpentine Pavillon Twenty-Twenty-Five - A Capsule In Time Designed by Marina Tabassum Architects - Serpentine South Gallery Gardens - Kensington Gardens

FRIENDS SEEN
Niklas and Agnishka Ahman, Caroline Heatlie, Paul Wiffen, Amrit Chau-SIng, Marianna Cherry, Colin Ngan, Yvonne Adair, Juliet Lawson, Joe Mankowitz, Kelly Shungu, Richard Toy [Brother], Charles Atherton-Laurie [Son], Jean Fernandes, Katharina Aicher, Julie Lebkiri, Lawrence Webb, Lisette Davis, Robin Das, Magnus Das, Gillian Wheeler, Taryn Malcom, John Odell and Mykyta Rozenko.

MUSEUMS/GALLERIES
Victoria and Albert East Storehouse - Parkes Street, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park - Hackney [Opening Week]

RESTAURANTS/TAKE-AWAY/CAFES
Artful Blend - Roding Lane South - Redbridge
Brothers Fish Bar - Station Road - Chadwell Heath
Legends Cafe - Queens Road - Buckhurst Hill
Gods Own Pizza - High Road - Loughton
The Art Cafe - London Road - Elephant and Castle
Tofu Vegan - Twenty Nine Gloucester Road - Gloucester Road
Scooperb - Kenton Road - Kenton [Visited because the woman I lived with was named after the area, as her family resided there and wanted to lose their jewish surname].
Parker London - Buckingham Palace Road - Victoria
Big Kid Ice Cream - Kingly Street - Soho [Fabulous Wasabi Pea and Peanut Butter Icecream].
Cafe Brunch - High Street - Wanstead
Aroma Ice Cream Parlour - Castle Hill Parade - West Ealing
Ken’s Fish Bar - Half Moon Lane - Herne Hill [Best chips in London - simply delicious]
Menier Chocolate Factory Theatre Cafe - Southwark Street - Borough [Always buy a bar of Menier Swiss Chocolate when we come here to mark when the venue actually made it]].
Gabu Chocolate House - Gabriel’s Wharf - Southbank [Regular - Brilliant Ice Cream and Hot Chocolates].
The Duck Shed - National Theatre Courtyard - Southbank
Friends of Ours - Magazine Restaurant - Serpentine North Gallery - Hyde Park
Hepburns Butchers Cafe - High Street - Shenfield

THEATRE
London Road - Olivier Theatre in National Theatre - Belvedere Road - Southbank {first fell in love with the film cast soundtrack, then saw the film and finally saw almost the original nine out of the eleven reprise their roles in a run that lasts just two weeks].
The Great Gatsby Musical - The London Coliseum - St. Martin’s Lane - West End
West End Live - Trafalgar Square - West End [5 Hours of Performances from Musicals currently running in the West End and ones coming - two day event that’s entirely FREE].
Elephant by Anoushka Lucas [who I’d seen in Oklahoma at The Young Vic and who I chatted to afterwards and told me I was her best audience member and could I come every nigh - I get this a lot from solo performers for some reason] - Menier Chocolate Factory - Southwark Street - Borough

DISCOVERED VENUES THAT ARE CASHLESS THUS I’M PREVENTED FROM USING:
Park Restaurant and Bar - Sadlers Wells East Theatre - Carpenters Road - Stratford Cross - Stratford
Sadlers Wells East Theatre - Carpenters Road - Stratford Cross - Stratford
Clarnico Cafe - Tandy Place - Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park - Hackney
Saint Espresso Coffee - Here East, Campus - Thirteen East Bay Lane - Queen Elizabeth Olympic Game - Hackney
Crispin Restaurant - Pavilion On The Corner, White Row - Spitalfields
Dave’s Hot Chicken Restaurant - Shaftesbury Avenue - West End {first time I’ve ever passed it without a long queue outside to go in and check]
Vanilla Black Coffee and Books - Kennington Road - Lambeth
Urban Botanica Coffee shop - Windmill Road - Lambeth
Collective Cakes - Kesnington Park - Oval
F-Mondays Coffee - Brixton Hill - Brixton
Cafe Terrazzo - Manor Road- West Ealing
Mallow Vegetarian Restaurant - - Borough Market [Treated by Colin Ngan to celebrate his induction to the Worshipful Company of Glaziers as a Freeman - which I helped facilitate].
The Nest - Barnes High Street - Barnes
Filmworks - New Broadway - Ealing Broadway
Yolk Cafe - Golden Square - Soho
Coldstone Ice Cream Parlour - Charing Cross Road - West End
Menier Chocolate Factory Theatre - Southwark Street - Borough
Wagumi Japanese Shop - Oxo Tower - Southbank
The Duck Shed - National Theatre Courtyard - Southbank [Treated by a friend above]
Marshall Street Leisure Centre - Marshall Street - Soho [As a Westminster Residence I get free entrance though].
The Serpentine Pavillion Twenty-Twenty-Five Coffee Shop - Serpentine Gallery South Garden - West Carriage Drive - Kensington Gardens
Friends Of Ours - Serpentine Gallery North - West Carriage Drive - Hyde Park
By Max - Frairy Road - Acton

DISCOVERED CLOSING OR CLOSED
Titu - Market Place - Fitzrovia
Carmel - Market Place - Fitzrovia
Revolution [?] - Market Place - Fitzrovia
Whipped - Bedfordberry Road - Covent Garden - I was there the day they opened and love this couple and how they grew a business - the pressures however were causing them ill health so they closed all four of their outlets - this was a great loss to London - like the team from Le Bab, she’d learned her craft at Le Gavroche
Pickles and Toast - Wardour Street - Soho - [After Six years of threatening to open and never doing so - the building has finally been repossessed by the Landlord].
Rymans - Strand - Charing Cross

Health:
Crashing at the end of most days of late with my ME/CFS. Discovered lumps in my armpit and on my Thumb causing numbness in my finger and a growth on my gun. However doctor unconcerned, blood pressure, cholesterol, heart rate, and urine are all remarkably healthy. Which considering my crap budget diet doesn’t make much sense - but battle on we shall.

Roll on July 2025