From Tamara Ecclestone at the boat show to Met chief Bernard Hogan-Howe discussing policies for London, this week you’re spoilt for choice
1. Tullett Prebon London Boat Show: 6 January 2012- 15 January 2012
Perfect for all you sailing fanatics and yacht owners – or those with aspirations to one day own the classiest catamaran in Cannes.
Murray Ellis, managing director of organiser National Boat Shows, describes this year’s London Boat Show as “the perfect start to the season, [it] returns this year with around 1000 boats, more than 500 exhibitors, new technology and a variety of innovative products.” We believe him.
The show opens with Bernie’s daughter Tamara “Billion Dollar Girl” Ecclestone and will close with three-time Olympic Gold medallist Ben Ainslie showing off his sailing prowess. Need we see more?
Where: ExCel Centre, Royal Victoria Dock
Highlights:
- All-access pass to everything from £100 wakeboards to glitzy multi-million pound sailing and motor yachts from the likes of Princess, Oyster, Sunseeker and Jeanneau. The most expensive boat on show is the fabulously decadent £17.5m Sunseeker 40M.
- British National Freestyle Jet Ski Champion Jack Moule performing exciting displays outside on the dock and team GBR canoe champions Lizzie Neave and Huw Sweetnam sharing experiences on the Going for Gold Olympic attraction.
- Marine and casual fashion clothing, books, DVDs and a multitude of gadgets, some being launched for the first time.
2. Is it Time for a Digital Detox?: 10 January, 2012
Emmy-nominated journalist and author of Digital Diet: The Four-step Plan to Break your Tech Addiction and Regain Balance, Daniel Sieberg will lift the lid on how you’re addicted (yes, you are!) to Facebook and Twitter.
He aims to help technology gluttons everywhere to “ditch the digital dependency, take back control of their life, restore real relationships, and use technology in a healthier way.”
Where: Sheikh Zayed Theatre, London School of Economics, Holborn
3. The London Bike Show 2012: 12 January 2012 to 15 January 2012
Whether or not you’re a pedal pusher, this bike bonanza is your chance to hobnob with some cycling superstars and witness London’s first ever indoor bike polo tournament. With a huge avalanche of bikes that you can hop on and take for a spin, you can watch and learn some mind-boggling bike stunts. And who knows? If you’re not already part of London’s cycling contingency, the show might just inspire you to start cycling and stick to you new year’s resolution of keeping fit.
Where: ExCel Centre, Royal Victoria Dock
Highlights:
- The Animal Relentless Tour: demonstrations from Europe’s No 1 mountain bike freestyle team
- London’s first ever indoor international bike polo tournament: 20 teams will compete to be crowned London Bike Show Champions
- The Cool Wall: handpicked display of the latest advances in bike design.
4. London Ice Sculpting Festival 2012-13: 14 January, 2012
If you’re missing making a snowman this year, make way to the free London ice sculpting festival. With teams of prolific sculptors chiselling and carving, you’ll find yourself in the middle of a whole new world made of ice. The icing on the cake is a masterclass where you can learn how to sculpt a husky dog!
Where: Montgomery Square, Canada Square Park and Jubilee Place Shopping Mall – right by Canary Wharf tube station
Highlights:
- Snow pit: In Montgomery Square, make snowmen or snow castles in a covered arena of real snow.
- Frost Fayre: Give the winter whining a break and buy specially themed hot winter food and drinks.
5. The France Show 2012: 13-15 January, 2012
Is there a better way to bid bonjour to the new year than enjoying the joie de vivre of can-can girls while soaking in authentic French ale? Eye up investments in French property, indulge yourself with French food, and, if you’re thinking of exporting or expanding into France, find solicitors and financial experts to help.
And FYI, the France show promises to be “bigger and better than ever with all that even the most ardent Francophile could wish for”.
Where: Kensington Olympia
Highlights:
- A French Radio London live music stage: A leading vintage dance ensemble with songs from 1920 onwards and a band called Oh La La! presenting Jazz and pop with a French twist
- Language Theatre programme: There are 16 million adults in the UK who wish they spoke fluent French, are you one them?
- Parfum de France: Get a taste of Local France and familiarise yourself with the vocabulary and expressions of food shopping so you can use your French at the village baker’s (le boulanger), greengrocer’s (l’épicier) and the local market (le marché)
6. Total Policing: the future of policing in London: 16 January 2012
Last year, ruinous riots and a flurry of protests were testimony to the dire need of policing in the capital. This event has Bernard Hogan-Howe, the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service, discussing his hopes and aspirations in relation to the future policies of the capital. It promises to be an invaluable insight into how London’s most senior policeperson will manage our city’s future.
Where: Old Theatre, London School of Economics
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