No need to start hunting for the pile of allen keys in your man drawer. Ikea is doing the building this time. The Swedish furniture giant is creating its first neighbourhood in Britain. LandProp Holding, Ikea’s real estate development arm is developing a 26-acre canal-side site near the Olympic Park in Stratford, East London. Strand East will have 1,200 new homes, nearly half will be family homes, with three
An Avocado Sweet favourite, Mr Blandings Builds his Dream House has Cary Grant and Myrna Loy struggling to restore an old house on a tight budget – so funny and delightful. In this scene Mrs Blandings gives some carefully considered paint colour choices to her dubious painter. I think many of us have had a version of this conversation – probably with the same outcome.
This is the unofficial music video for Feist’s, song Now at Last, set in a beautiful rural village in China about a toy robot who learns what it means to live. Both video and robot are ‘made in China’. Directed and shot by Lawrence Chen, originally from Beijing and now living in New York city.
Chefs are no longer just chefs it seems. They are expected to be social activists and help to make the world a better place. They need a beautiful building, reminiscent of a pile of dinner plates, in which to be able to do this. The Basque Culinary Centre (above) opened in autumn 2011 and was designed by Spanish architects Vaumm. At the helm is Spain’s Ferran Adria, of El Bulli
Weeks after watching Still Bill, the documentary about soul legend Bill Withers, we’re still going on about it at Avocado Sweet: the ineffable cool of the man, the rare, unshowy approach to performance, the inspirational speech he – a lifelong stammerer – delivered to a group of children who stammer, the catchphrases – ‘stop crying start trying’ – is one that stands repeating, and, of course, the music. A highlight
Now in its seventh year, Aye Write! Glasgow’s Book Festival will host Tom Watson MP, who is to discuss his new book about his role in exposing phone hacking, ahead of a debate on the future of the media. Jodi Picoult is the author of eighteen novels, including the No.1 New York Times bestsellers House Rules, Handle With Care, Change of Heart, Nineteen Minutes, and My Sister’s Keeper. She lives
‘Who is Maggie?’ is a question asked by many visitors to Maggie’s Centres. The leading cancer care centres started in Scotland following one woman’s experience of her own diagnosis of cancer. In 1993, the experience of trying to find a temporary, poorly signposted clinic added to the deep distress Maggie Keswick Jencks’ felt on being told her that breast cancer had spread. Immediately after receiving the news that she had
Hours and hours of work must have gone into this lovely video for Josh Ritter’s new song Love is Making its Way Back Home. A Prominent Figures production, it was directed by Erez Horowitz and illustrated by Sarah Graves. Apparently the video was created using over 12,000 pieces of construction paper and is shown as it was shot, with no effects added. Love Is Making Its Way Back Home is
On this day in 1759 Robert Burns, one of Scotland’s flawed but freakishly able sons, was born. We mark the anniversary with a quote – not from his poems but from his letters. It’s a simple but beautifully put manifesto that reveals the warmth of Burns’ poet heart: *** ‘No doubt there is much I’ll have to answer for, yet my philosophy was simple enough. Whatever mitigates the woes or
Avocado Sweet’s My Neighbourhood column comes from the north east of England over the next few months. Lesley Manners has lived in the area for over 20 years and will be recommending the places the locals go. Today’s piece highlights Jesmond, a smart area of Newcastle popular with students and only two stops on the metro from Newcastle city centre. The main street is Osborne Road which is lined with