Beat the January Blues with Burgers in Brockwell Lido

Sitting by the window as the cold Winter sunlight burnt through, shimmering off the cobalt and chlorine-hued water of the pool; the air full of roasting coffee beans and the shrieks of nearby children, Emma was almost convinced that she on holiday and not by Brockwell Lido testing out their January burger and beer deal.

Shaken Cocktails – Become champion of the bar in your own home

Everything is available on subscription these days and I do mean everything. Coffee, razors, beer – life’s essentials.

All of these services offer a hassle free delivery of a commodity product and a hassle free extraction of cash from your bank account. It’s a ‘life hack’. An efficiency saving. One more thing to tick from the never-ending to-do list.

Eventually, offering a commodity, these services falter. A freezer full of granules, a bathroom cabinet full of unused shaving foam, a waistline billowing over your belt. And I’m paying for this ‘privilege’?!

Shaken Cocktails is one of a growing number of subscription services aiming to offer something different from this cupboard full of essentials.

Turtle Bay – Walthamstow

Turtle Bay does the sort of things that make a chain restaurant seem attractive. Bright colours, clean tables, friendly (and far too attentive) staff and well-priced dishes that will see £20 cover three courses. It’s the reason I’ll visit Pizza Express. Nothing attention grabbing, just inexpensive food, located in a city centre and usually well placed for a pre-cinema dinner.