FORTNUM & MASON - Dry January is OVER!

Order before 6PM MONDAY to FRIDAY or 2PM SATURDAY & SUNDAY for NEXT DAY DELIVERY

FORTNUM’S RESOLUTION NO.7 Live Life to the Full! Parched? After a month-long tipple and caffeine drought, the wait is almost over. Whether you’re partial to an Earl Grey or Chardonnay, or custom to a Cabernet or Coffee, it’s time to raise a toast to Wonderful February with something special from Fortnum’s. SHOP WINE & SPIRITS SHOP TEA

Adams Antiques Fairs - "An Aladdin's Cave of treasures" 🧞‍♂️

Recently described by one customer in the Antiques Trade Gazette as "“the best fair in London... an Aladdin’s Cave of treasures", Adams Antiques Fairs will shortly be returning to The Royal Horticultural Halls on Sunday 24th February.  Over 140 dealers in fine antiques including silver, ceramics, decorative pieces and antique jewellery will be joining us from across the UK.   Join our Facebook event here, tickets will be available on the day or in advance below.

ADVANCE TICKETS SUNDAY 24TH FEBRUARY 2019 10AM  -  4.30PM The Royal Horticultural Hall,  Lindley Hall,  80 Vincent Square,  Westminster,  London SW1P 2PE £4 entry- tickets available on the door or in advance (with booking fee) Nearest Tube: Victoria/ St James's Park

MyFilmClub Study Finds Young People Suffer from Isolation More Than Over 55’s

Not enough being done to foster community spirit amongst Britain’s youth   31 January, London, UK: A recent survey of 2040 people conducted by MyFilmClub app (available for free on Google Play and iTunes) on cinema going and loneliness in Britain has found that over 13% of society always feel isolated in their day to day life, with a further 59% saying they often do. Results generated by Censuswide, on behalf of MyFilmClub, state that 16-24 year olds contributed the most (22%) to this 13% of the British population who always feel isolated on a daily basis.  The 25-34 year olds made up the second highest proportion, contributing towards 18% of the overall isolation statistic. Interestingly, only 5% of the over 55s did. Britain’s loneliness epidemic, which until now is primarily seen as an issue for the older generation, is also highlighted in the result that 40% of 16-24 year olds admit to finding that they struggle to find methods of socialising that appeal to them compared top 13% of those aged 55+. Other interesting findings show almost a quarter of, 23% of respondents, felt that there wasn’t enough being done to create environments to cater for the needs of the more introverted members of society. More than a third of Brits, 36%, said they would actively seek out a community group who have similar interests in order to form new friendship groups, with 50% of the 35-44 age group saying they would do so (compared to just 24% of the over 55s). The 16-24 age group were proven to be more confident to chat about their own experiences of loneliness and anxiety with people who have suffered similar problems (68%), compared to only 44% of over 55s. 3 in 5 Brits say they are more likely to attend the cinema if they were with friends/a group than if they were alone, with a gender split of women 65% to 54% men. It is worth noting that although the average cost of a cinema price has gone down from £7.49 (2017) to £7.22 in 2018 (Statista), people are still finding that high prices are determining their choice to stay at home, with 68% choosing instead to watch films at via VOD/subscription platforms from the comfort of their living rooms. A quarter (25%) of respondents say they feel lazier than before, with a further 23% not liking the stress of being around people in a confined environment.  To draw people back, off peak pricing and regular discounting tops the list of encouragement (46%) and well as cheaper concessions (36%) and a wider variety of films (26%). Wez Merchant, creator of MyFilmClub says of the results “Hopefully these results can provide further evidence of the urgent need to generate more community within our society, targeting not just the older generation but the young too. It is great to see they are more aware of themselves however, the stigma of talking issues through is not such a scary prospect to them.” The creators of MyFilmClub app are on a mission to provide a platform that encourages face to face interactions by generating readymade communities of film lovers. The app provides a platform for local people to connect in chat rooms that they have either joined or created, called 'clubs'. Once you have chosen the film you wish to see, geotags pool the nearest cinemas that the film is showing in. Cinema options, film information and ticket purchasing links can be shared with other club members on your group chat. MyFilmClub can even help out the most forgetful among us by sending push notifications to smartphone calendars, making sure users don't miss the titles they are looking forward to seeing. Within MyFilmClub, cinemas can also create their own clubs, providing customers with news of special screenings as part of their own network of communications. As well as hosting competitions, film reviews and news items, the app is also a purchasing platform for home entertainment releases. The invaluable benefits of community and belonging to mental health have been proven in a recent survey conducted by The British Journal of Psychiatry. Results state that we are 48% less likely to develop depression if engaged in community activities once a month or more. The NHS is placing similar emphasis on face to face interaction with Social Prescribing, but this initiative is borne predominantly from worry about loneliness in the elderly. Results of this survey beg the question; what are we doing for those who are less likely to visit their GP and shelter themselves behind smartphone screens? Grainne Peat, Managing Director of the Event Cinema Association (ECA) says "The power that cinema has to provide escapism is a mantra I have always championed. Cinemas continue to adapt their offerings to be as inclusive as possible, so that more individuals can collectively enjoy the magic of the big screen. The survey conducted by MyFilmClub clearly demonstrates the need for communities to proactively reach out to vulnerable and isolated Individuals, encouraging them to engage in local activities, including going to the cinema. The MyFilmClub app provides a great mechanism to connect people and encourage them to go to their local cinema, whether It be on their own (something I often do!) or with others." Patrick von Sychowski, Editor of cinema industry resource Celluloid Junkie says, "cinemas play an increasingly important role in catering to marginalised and isolated communities, whether special screenings for mothers with babies, films subtitled in immigrants' native languages, subtitled film for hearing impaired, or autism and dementia friendly screenings." He continues, "isolation remains a social stigma, but cinemas can go a long way to help, with statistics in the UK showing growing numbers of people coming to the big screen solo. Any help with this, such as the MyFilmClub app, that can encourage them to do so more often and even connect with others is a win-win-win for individuals, cinemas and society." Jon Salmon, Mental Health Campaigner and founder co-founder of Byte Entertainment said "Prescribing tablets doesn't always fix the problem. Apps like MyFilmClub allow anyone who is suffering from anxiety or depression to build up the confidence to get out and enjoy a film with others. These statistics demonstrate the overwhelming need for fun social apps that act as springboards out of loneliness.”

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Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - GRINGOTTS WIZARDING BANK OPENING 6TH APRIL

For the first time ever at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter, you are invited to enter the set of Gringotts Wizarding Bank as we unveil our biggest expansion to date.

From Harry Potter first discovering Diagon Alley to the famous trio escaping on a Ukrainian Ironbelly dragon in their quest for a Horcrux, Gringotts Wizarding Bank played an important role in the Harry Potter film series. On 6th April, we will unveil a permanent addition allowing visitors to walk through the wizarding bank of Gringotts, the Lestrange vault, a gallery of goblins and so much more.

Lined by towering marble pillars, the grand banking hall will be decorated with three magnificent crystal chandeliers and finished with real brass leaf. Inkwells, quills, ledgers and piles of Galleons, Sickles and Knuts, will complete the goblin tellers’ desks as seen on screen. The Prop-making Department, led by Pierre Bohanna, created over 210,000 coins for the final two films alone.

Gringotts Wizarding Bank is famously run by goblins. Walking through the imposing marble columns, visitors will discover the costumes and prosthetics belonging to Bogrod, Griphook and many other goblin bankers. Each prosthetic mask took weeks to create, with every hair individually inserted and veins painstakingly painted by hand. It took four hours to transform actor Warwick Davis into Griphook in the films which included him wearing black contact lenses and dentures with extremely sharp teeth to complete the goblin look.

Once through the banking hall of Gringotts, visitors will enter the depths of the Lestrange Vault used to store the treasures of Bellatrix Lestrange including the Sword of Gryffindor and Helga Hufflepuff’s Cup, one of Voldemort’s many Horcruxes. During filming 38,000 pieces of rubberised treasure were created the for the Lestrange vault including 7,014 Hufflepuff Cups. Here, visitors can try out a unique photo opportunity allowing them to step inside the Lestrange vault and surround themselves with treasure.

Officially opening on Saturday 6th April, the 16,500sqft Gringotts Wizarding Bank expansion will be the Studio Tour’s biggest addition to date and has been designed and built by many of the original crew members who worked on the hugely successful magical film series including Oscar® and BAFTA-winning Production Designer Stuart Craig, Construction Manager Paul Hayes and Head Propmaker Pierre Bohanna.

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Imperial War Museums - Announcing D-Day 7

On 6 June 1944, the greatest seaborne invasion in history began. Over the next few weeks, we'll be announcing a series of events for D-Day 75. We are commemorating D-Day's 75th anniversary across our three historic branches; HMS Belfast, IWM Duxford and Churchill War Rooms, each of which experienced the events of D-Day first-hand. Today we are thrilled to announce Daks Over Duxford; a one-off event from 4-5 June at IWM Duxford. Over these two days, mass parachute jumps and flight displays will take place across the historic airfield, uniting the greatest number of Dakota aircraft in one location since the Second World War. The event will end in a cross-channel flight and parachute landing in Normandy on 5 June, in partnership with Daks over Normandy.  Stay tuned for more announcements about D-Day75.

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February at the V&A

What's on in February

Fashion in Motion: Inspired by Christian Dior Friday 8 February To coincide with Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams, our next live fashion series will showcase the work of Central Saint Martins students, inspired by the influential fashion house. #FashioninMotion BOOK NOW

Introduction to Fashion Illustration 26 February – 2 April Become the next Christian Dior by learning hand drawn fashion illustration techniques. Working with an expert artist, by the end of six weeks you will have developed your own mini portfolio of designs. Book now ► Window Display Design: Fashion 26 February – 2 April From concept to creation, discover the tricks of the trade to design the perfect fashion window display. Book now ►                Valentine in style Discover the design process behind some of the biggest lingerie brands such as Agent Provocateur. WATCH ALL Tickets for FOOD: Bigger than the Plate are now on sale. BOOK NOW Tracy Chevalier 20 February Celebrate the 20th anniversary of the modern classic novel Girl with a Pearl Earring with the author Tracy Chevalier and Dr Janina Ramirez in conversation. (includes wine reception) Book now ► February Half Term 18 – 22 February Come down this half term for a series of activities curated in collaboration with V&A videogames designer-in-residence Matteo Menapace and inspired by our Videogames exhibition. Find out more ► Videogames: Design/Play/Disrupt closes in a few weeks. BOOK NOW The year of... the pig? Using animals as signs in the calendar system first appeared in the Warring States period (475-221 BC). Each animal, according to its attributes, is believed to exercise an influence over the hour, day or year appropriate to it. Explore China ►                 V&A MUSEUM OF CHILDHOOD Chinese New Year 9 February Celebrate the Chinese New Year with a spectacular Lion dance, traditional fan, folk and sword dances, martial arts and musical performances, calligraphy, mask making and craft stalls. Find out more ►