What To Do This Weekend 08.09.21

MEET YOUR MATES: The Jolly Gardeners

Vauxhall neighbourhood pub the Jolly Gardeners has had a top-to-bottom makeover. Five friends have taken it over and instituted a weekly-changing menu of quality food made with seasonal ingredients. Start with cauliflower wings with sesame aioli and curried lamb spring rolls, before moving onto a burger or something a bit different, like monkfish schnitzel. There’s an extensive range of south London beers to choose from, including brews from Kernel and Mondo brewery.

49-51 Black Prince Road, Vauxhall, SE11 6AB

Visit TheJollyGardeners.co.uk

UP YOUR GAME: Smartech Playhouse

Gamers, this one’s for you. Selfridges has just opened its first gaming shop. On the department store’s lower ground floor, you can discover the latest tech from PlayStation, Xbox, Snapchat and more. The immersive space, where visitors can have a spin on some cutting-edge equipment, features exclusives from Robocom VR and Aston Martin. Play on retro arcade machines, challenge your mates to a game on the new VR Facebook Oculus Quest 2 or just check out the Playstation 5 in situ. Just make sure to book your gaming slot ahead of time.

400 Oxford Street, West End, W1C 1JS

Visit Smartech.Buzz

CATCH A CLASSIC: Openaire Float-In Cinema

If you didn’t manage to get to Regent’s Canal this summer for the Openaire Float-In Cinema, it’s back for a series of September screenings. Running from today until Sunday 3rd October, visitors can watch classic blockbusters – including Pulp Fiction, Joker, Fight Club and Top Gun – on a GoBoat or deckchair if you want to stay on land. On arrival, boat ticket holders will be shown aboard and can captain their boat on a 45-minute trip along the canal to Little Venice before mooring at Merchant Square in front of the Openaire big screen. Häagen-Dazs ice-cream will be available by the tub, while RaviOllie will be on hand with homemade pasta and cinema snacks. Tickets start from £17.50.

Merchant Square, Paddington, W2 1AS

Visit Openaire.co.uk

TUNE INTO SOMETHING NEW: The Great James Bond Car Robbery Podcast

Presented by – wait for it – Elizabeth Hurley, this podcast tells the true story of an incredible crime: the theft of the iconic Aston Martin DB5, with ejector seat and machine guns, driven by Sean Connery as 007 in Goldfinger. There are witness statements and anecdotes from rock stars, designers, thieves and art detectives, so expect to hear from interesting and entertaining characters. The car's insurers are offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of the Goldfinger DB5. A thrilling listen.

Visit Podcasts.Apple.com 

BEAT THE BAT: Sixes Cricket Club

Regular SLMan readers will know we’re fans of Sixes Cricket Club, so we were excited to hear that its branches in Fulham, Fitzrovia and Manchester are offering free cricket games on Sundays until 5pm. Once you’ve settled the score with your mates, feast on the new ‘Great British BBQ’ menu which includes chicken wings, smoked sausages you can order by the half metre, whisky-glazed short ribs, mac ’n’ cheese croquettes, and the signature Sixes meat volcano featuring sausage, bubble and squeak pakoras and beef dripping flatbreads.

Visit SixesCricket.com

SLURP ON THIS: Supa Ya Ramen

Supa Ya Ramen has opened a permanent outpost in Dalston. The ramen supper club gained cult status from its DIY at-home kits during lockdown – not to mention the epic pop-ups at Mortimer House and Snackbar. Now it’s serving up a selection of ramen bowls, plus a rotating special, small plates and – for the first time – pudding. Ramen flavours include Iberico pork, salt beef, sesame miso, and chicken soup. Sides come in the form of roast chicken skin, onion mayo and hot pepper sausage. BYOB and finish off the meal with a bowl of noodle ice cream with miso caramel.

499 Kingsland Road, Dalston, E8 4AU

Visit @Supa_Ya_Ramen 

HIT THE SOFA: Worth, Netflix

Worth just dropped on Netflix. Following the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Centre and Pentagon, Congress appoints attorney and renowned mediator Kenneth Feinberg (Michael Keaton) to lead the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. Assigned with allocating financial resources to the victims of the tragedy, Feinberg and his firm’s head of operations, Camille Biros (Amy Ryan), face the impossible task of determining the worth of a life. When Feinberg locks horns with Charles Wolf (Stanley Tucci), a community organizer mourning the death of his wife, his initial cynicism turns to compassion as he begins to learn the true human costs of the tragedy.

Visit Netflix.com

GET SPOOKED: Mary Shelley’s House Of Frankenstein, Bath

If you’re local to Bath or visiting for the weekend, Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein has just opened. In this new escape room experience, groups of up to six will be guided around Victor Frankenstein's attic quarters, filled with insane equations, strange artefacts and miscellaneous body parts. Victor is close to unlocking the mysteries of life and requires just a few key components to fulfil his maniacal quest ­– you’ll have one hour to finish a series of challenges and find your way out to freedom. Suitable for the whole family, tickets start from £25pp.

37 Gay Street, Bath, BA1 2NT

Visit HouseOfFrankenstein.com

DITCH THE WEEKEND PAPERS FOR THIS: Too Many Reasons To Live By Rob Burrow

Rugby league legend Rob Burrow's memoir is a remarkable read. From the age of seven, Burrow was told he was too small to play rugby, but that didn’t stop him going on to play for Leeds Rhinos and becoming one of the most decorated players in the sport’s modern history. Then, at 37, he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease. This is the story of a man who is channelling his super-human levels of determination and positivity into his biggest battle yet. A must-read for sports fans.

Visit Waterstones.com