On Saturday 27 December, 2008, Israeli jet planes dropped bombs on 50 targets across Gaza killing over 200 with the ongoing Operation Cast Lead. Coverage of wrecked buildings and bloody bodies was splashed across front pages, and by the Sunday protesters were parked outside the Israeli Embassy in High Street Kensington.

As someone whose knowledge of Middle Eastern politics could be described, kindly, as sketchy, I scrabbled for information, trying to understand why a bomb had been dropped in a non-war situation. Call me a simple-minded hippy, but surely you should avoid killing people en masse?

The hundreds gathered outside the Israeli Embassy last Monday were similarly anti-murder but I got a blast  of good old English apathy as a passing shopper snickered ‘one man and his dog’ at the relatively small turnout. Yet the police who were present in force having made ten public order arrests the previous day were taking events more seriously.

The official Israeli line for a campaign that had caused nearly 300 deaths on the day in question is that they are protecting their citizens from Hamas rockets. Two Israeli citizens died before Saturday’s air strikes so I asked Dan Mayer of the Socialist Workers Party whether – as George Bush claims – the responsibility for this conflict lies with Hamas. He said: ‘That’s like saying that Hitler did what he did because a few Nazis were being murdered. In any situation there is an aggressor and an aggressee and Israel is the aggressor. Get rid of the causes of injustice.’

His last comment was a reference to the Israeli blockade of Gaza which has seen Palestinians in the Strip deprived of food, fuel and electricity for the past 18 months making them largely dependant on aid agencies for survival.

For those of you in the dark about the background against which the bombs fall, here is a simple summary of a complex conflict: Historically the land currently named Israel was the state of Palestine. In 1948 a UN committee divided Palestine up to create a Jewish state alongside an Arab one. However this was not a peaceful co-existence. There have been wars and Palestinians have been gradually forced to leave, all but the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. This loss of territory has caused many Palestinians to relocate to surrounding Arab countries and makes the remainder largely dependent on the Israeli government and aid agencies for quality of life.

Mark Lipczynski, a woolly hat-wearing soul braving the cold, recalled going over to Gaza in 2006 to help with the olive harvest: ‘The Palestinians had to get permission from the Israeli government to pick their own olives,’ he said.

Oussama Mezous, 21, a fresh-faced observer from the Islamic Human Rights Commission said; ‘I think there is a problem with the media narrative of Israel, one of the most powerful countries.’

Hanging back coolly from the crowd surging at the gates of the Embassy I found Tony Benn, political stalwart and Godfrey King, a retired businessman. Mr King, himself a Jew, said: ‘The more demonstrations we have like this and like the 2,000 Jews in Tel Aviv burning the Israeli flag the more the world will pay attention.’

When asked if he was optimistic about the future he hesitated before saying: ‘I will be optimistic if Barack Obama comes to the aid of the Palestinians.’

It looks like the most exciting man in the world has another crisis to handle when he takes office on January 20.

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Trafalgar Square has seen a lot of political action over the years, and on the day that Israel announced that ground troops would be sent into Gaza ‘Free Palestine’ was the cry that rang out through the crisp January air.

25,000 protesters turned up on Saturday to show solidarity with the Palestinian people who remain trapped in Gaza whilst the death toll rises to 460 – many of them women and children.

For some Londoners, sympathy for Palestinians dates beyond the blockade that began 18 months ago to the unbalanced wars which have occurred since the creation and partition of Israel in 1948. Others have been prompted by the scale of civilian death in Operation Cast Lead to take to the streets for the first time.

The march began in Embankment, went past Downing Street - where scornful shoes were thrown at number 10 - and ended in Trafalgar Square where the likes of Ken Livingstone, ex-Mayor of London, addressed the masses. He said: ‘Let’s send a message to the Israeli government: if you think you can get away with the indiscriminate slaughter of men, women and children you are wrong.’

He compared the plight of Palestinians to that of black South Africans under apartheid: ‘If it was any other struggle the world would be standing up to denounce it. Gordon Brown denounced apartheid year by year. So many world leaders are frightened to stand up to Israel.’

A leader of a Muslim group called for an end to trade with Israel saying: ‘It is not enough for the government to sympathise. We need action.’

The sound of many hands clapping followed every speaker and the famous Trafalgar Square lions were near invisible amidst the sea of people holding placards with slogans such as ‘Stop the Holocaust in Gaza.’ Some protesters turned up with blood-soaked dolls – a visceral reminder of the bloody scenes that are playing out in the Middle East.

Jewish comedian Alexei Sayle was amongst cultural figures, including Annie Lennox and Brian Eno, to have their turn at the microphone. He said: ‘Israel pupports to speak in our name and claims that criticism is anti-Semitic but criticism of Israel is criticism of Israel. I want to be proud one day of that country but now I am ashamed. If only Israel would turn away from violence what a wonderful day that would be. It does not act in my name. It will act in my name when it brings peace to the country.’

Sayle was not the only Jew to stand apart from the Israeli government. Rabbi Hochhauser and Rabbi Alter from Stamford Hill had walked for three hours to be there as they cannot use a vehicle on the Sabbath. As a cold day turned into a freezing dusk and the previously seething square turned into a graveyard for placards and a few stray police, the Rabbis remained, waiting for sun to set and clutching home-made banners reading ‘Zionism and Judaism are diametrically opposite’ and ’Zionism is State-organised terrorism’.

Protests outside the Israeli Embassy in High Street Kensington will stand for as long as Operation Cast Lead continues.

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A generation of atheists may associate Christmas with nothing more than splurging money on unsuitable gifts, but the homeless charity Crisis’s Christmas centres show a more human vision of the season of generosity.

Since 1971 the charity has been running day centres which provide food, warmth, activities and camaraderie for a week during the festive period. A Christmas meal is provided on Christmas day and throughout the rest of the time, the guests are entertained by performers, given haircuts in the salon and generally offered a holiday to a whole new world of pampering and stigma-free socialising.

Medical volunteers from St. Thomas’s and the British Red Cross are also on hand to provide check ups not readily available to those without a permanent address.

Kieran Smith, a volunteer for the British Red Cross, who will be spending his fourth year at the Crisis centre in Finsbury Park, said: ‘The guests have the same medical problems as everyone else, like breathing and heart trouble. There is a bit more mental illness and they do benefit more from attention to their concerns.’

‘It is a very humanising experience and shows people up as individuals. You make a lot of friends and gain personal satisfaction.’

A total of 8,000 volunteers are involved in working across nine centres (five of which are by referral only), some are from specialist professions and others are former guests themselves. Robert Gridley, 51, who used Crisis last year was given a place in a hostel in October 2008 and two months on is wearing a name badge and mucking in like the rest of the volunteers.

Of his previous experiences he said: ‘On the streets whether it’s Christmas or any other time it’s horrible. Many people get beaten up or just generally abused. In here it’s nice. You’re somewhere warm and get three meals a day – you don’t eat very well on the streets. [Here] you meet friends and get treated like a human.’

George Westren, whose big open face and shy Devonshire accent melt away the stereotype of rough tramps sitting in boxes, is another who has crossed the homeless/volunteer divide.

Originally a labourer from the village of Ilfrascombe in Devon, George spent 17 years on the streets battling an addiction to prescription drugs and alcohol. ‘I was afraid of everybody and that’s why I liked pills because they gave me a false sense of security,’ says the man whose passion for OP Art has led to being part of a current exhibition at Camden’s the Parkway.

Humanity is the name of the game here at Crisis. Whether it’s the permanent staff hoping that a stay in the centre will lead to ongoing support and progress for their many guests, or the living proof that people can withstand a lack of secure accommodation without turning into savages, the spirit of concern makes us a look even better than a novelty Santa hat.

The four drop-in Day centres are to be found at:

Islington Arts and Media School, Turle Road, Finsbury Park, N4 3LS
Newham College, Stratford Campus, Govier Close, E15 4HT
Broadway Market (off Goldhawk Road), Shepherds Bush, W12 8EZ
Speedwell Street, Deptford, SE8 4AT

For more information visit http://www.crisis.org.uk/page.builder/centres_2008.html

To find out about volunteering visit:
http://www.crisis.org.uk/page.builder/volunteer.html

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Known primarily for the Speaker’s Corner quasi-sane political outbursts on Sundays, Hyde Park has been transformed into a neon Winter Wonderland this season. This is the kind of thing little kids will pull at your pant leg for, speaking only in extended vowels (’Pleeease, Mummy, pleeeeease!’). Is it worth braving the cold for? Is the glitz and glamour promised by the posters and magazine featurettes really all that?

For one thing, the decorators genuinely deserve a pat on the back. Whether the Winter Wonderland really is a wonderland or not, it certainly looks the part. Glittery snowmen guard the entrance to the skating rink, fairy lights glitter from the food stalls and merry-go-round horses are painted and glossed to the nines. Soft jazzy tunes flow out of the loudspeakers, presumably because the organisers don’t want to overdo it with Christmas carols just yet. So far, so wondrous.

Theoretically, it should be possible to live here. Food and drink is readily available under heated wooden terraces. Dutch crepes, German hamburgers and traditional bangers ‘n’ mash are all here to suit any taste. The kids cradle mugs of hot chocolate with mini-marshmallows while adults burn their lips on heated-up Pimm’s (a half-baked perversion of a beverage), after heading off for a taste of the rides.

The rides are where it all begins to crumble. Just like a date who admits they’re broke after a three-course meal, money can ruin everything. Despite the Wonderland’s official website’s claims about great credit-crunch-beating deals, everything is so ridiculously overpriced that it’s best to leave your wallet at home, lest you’ll be tempted to open it.

Rides cost about £3-4, and just aren’t worth it. The average haunted mansion or rug slide will last a few minutes at best and leave you deeply unsatisfied. To add insult to injury, the tokens you buy to pay for them aren’t even the old-fashioned ‘fairground money’ you’d expect – they’re just paper printouts that look like a receipt from somewhere really, really boring. Even the ice skating rink is a bit of a disappointment, seeing that (like everything else) it’s overpriced (an hour will set you back about £10), and not big enough to accommodate for the demand.

The market area of the fairground is a bit more reasonable. Here, you’ll find weird toys and pointless trinkets, fancy earmuffs and rugs made out of reindeer hides (…Rudolph?!). If you’re organised enough to think about Christmas shopping this early, the market is a great place for stocking fillers. Theoretically, you can get the same thing at Woolworths at half the price (and without losing your nose to frostbite), but there’s something about buying things from a wooden cabin under garlands of multicoloured lights.

If you’re in the area anyway, if you have children under the age of 10, or if you desperately need something to ward off a suicidal Christmas-season depression, the Winter Wonderland is the place for you. Although the price issue is a bit of a rain on an otherwise sparkly, magical parade, it’s still a nice way to spend an afternoon. After all, spinning lights and sugar-laden snacks are the ultimate antidote to a bad mood, if you’re into that kind of thing.

Winter Wonderland is open 10am to 10pm until January 4, 2009
Hyde Park
Central London

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It’s only November. 2,008 years ago, on this day, Jesus’ lungs wouldn’t have even been properly developed. And yet, the capital is already inundated with yuletide decorations, Frank Sinatra and vendors in red felt hats. Welcome to Southbank’s Christmas market!

Although almost everyone complains about how Christmas is ‘too commercial’ and ‘starts too early’, there’s something about the smell of pine needles that puts people in a good mood. Strolling down Belvedere Road (just off Waterloo bridge and in plain sight of the London Eye), people look cold and in a hurry, but happy and smiling. It could just be the mulled wine though.

The market itself is a half-and-half mix of German food and unisex gifts at reasonable prices. Here you can buy ‘traditional German Christstollen’ (sugar-dusted fruit cakes decorated with ribbons), hot roasted chestnuts (worth every penny) and cookies decorated with seasonal sentiments such as ‘Merry Christmas’, ‘Best Grandmother’ and ‘Chelsea’. If anyone knows why Germany seems to take over the meridian around this time of year, answers on a postcard please.

The gift-themed merchandise, contrary to the food, is so diverse and bizarre that it could be a Christmas special of a Dragon’s Den episode. Here you’ll find little owl statues and decorations. Another stall contains wooden ties (I sure bet your uncle Geoffrey would love one!), another – leather-bound books, or kitsch personalised bedroom door signs. There are toys from Russia and Asia, should that be your Christmas theme du jour.

In a way, it’s nice: everything looks traditional and organic. It’s the kind of thing well-meaning grandmothers buy for your little brother because they thought it was cute. These markets have probably looked the same since the middle ages. Sure, the signs got a bit flashier, and the hand-crafted toys are no longer hand-crafted, but the basic assortment of food and gifts probably hasn’t changed much.

It’s easy to be cynical and dismissive of the Christmas market phenomenon; after all, London offers so much more than just an offshoot of commercialised German tradition. Still, it’s worth going just to feel a bit of metaphorical warmth (or literal, if you get into the aforementioned mulled wine).

The people working behind those kitsch, not-hand-made stalls, they’re all wearing those red felt hats, and they all smile at you. The peanut vendor has old wrinkled hands that are covered in soot from the burnt sugar. The cookie vendors, they probably made some six-year-old kid genuinely happy to see ‘Chelsea’ written in buttercream frosting.

We have 11 months to be grumpy. Why not use the remainder to buy an oversized woollen hat for a tenner and wear it on the tube home, just to make life feel a bit less serious, for everyone?

The Cologne Christmas Market is open from 10am to 10pm, and will be on until December 23
Southbank Centre
SE1 8XX

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A complete lack of exercise in my life drew me to Fulham’s Dance Attic Studios, along with a friend who wouldn’t take no for an answer. It’s hard to maintain the British ‘don’t care’ attitude when you’re gyrating in a room full of strangers to the Holly Valance version of Kiss Kiss. It helped that I could actually do it, I admit. No one likes to find out that they’re hopelessly inflexible and uncoordinated.

The hour-long Tuesday class at the studio began with some warm-up moves, which is where you find out exactly how Beyonce and Shakira do those things they do, and realise that they’re not so impressive after all. You also realise at this point that your arms have never really had much of a work-out before, as you snake them around like Cleopatra. “It should hurt a bit,” teacher Fleur Estelle calls helpfully from the front.  That’s a relief. 

We learn how to shimmy, and the wonderful thing about this class is that at least half of the women – and they’re all women – have those Turkish belly dancing skirts on, so the room is filled with the sound of light jangling metal and giggling. It’s a great way to feel less self-conscious about the fact that you’re wiggling your bum as fast as you can, while watching the fat on your stomach wobble in the mirror. 

“Let it all go,” beams Fleur, “it’s cathartic!”  She, of course, is absolutely tiny, with not an ounce of fat on her, and her T-shirt is pulled up so that we can see the precise movement of her hips along with everything else, so it’s easy for her to say.

After all this wriggling around, during which time the class has relaxed, we do some basic routine action, with our leader in front calling out instructions as we follow. It’s a lovely experience actually; you feel as though you have truly learned something and had a great time doing it. And if belly dancing’s not your thing, you can also learn ballet, salsa, Latin, ballroom, hip-hop, street dance and even breakdancing, all at beginner level if need be. And Fleur is an excellent teacher. I shall try not to begrudge her her flat stomach. 

Dance Attic Studios
368 North End Road
SW6

Tel: 020 7610 2055
www.danceattic.com

Image by Alaskan Dude courtesy of Flickr

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The world of Japanese car design set against the backdrop of Japan’s unique culture is being explored in a sophisticated new exhibition at the Science Museum from November 29.

Japan Car, an exploration of the car as a “mobile cell”, has been conceived by two world-class names: Kenya Hara, the man responsible for much of the success of Muji, and Shigeru Ban, the distinguished Japanese architect currently designing a new satellite gallery in Metz for Paris’ Pompidou Centre.

The exhibition, sponsored by seven Japanese car manufactures, shows how Japanese car design reflects the ‘soil and the spirit of Japan’, shown through concept cars and special home market models. Japan Car will explore three themes while examining the future of mobility in cities. Japan, being both highly innovative and densely populated, can be seen as the driving force behind transport solutions for 21st century cities. 

As an exhibition of cars, alongside Japanese bonsai, art and design, Japan Car will display 14 unusual cars from the past decade and conceptual models, including the Nissan PIVO2 and Toyota i-REAL. When entering the exhibition, visitors will be greeted by an intriguing display of small model cars juxtaposed against live bonsai trees, the model cars taking the place of the natural stones which the Japanese often use to accompany bonsai trees.

A specially commissioned painting by Akira Yamaguchi will conclude the exhibition. Yamaguchi’s work uses traditional Japanese painting techniques to convey his vision of the future of mobility.

Japan Car
November 29, 2008 – April 19, 2009

The Science Museum is open daily from 10am to 6pm. 

For more information call 0870 870 4868 or visit www.sciencemuseum.org.uk

Image by Gaetan Lee courtesy of Flickr

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If you fancy an evening of opera and opulence this Halloween then head to Viva Verdi. The elegant Italian eaterie in Southwark invites you to dress up as your favourite opera star for a night of festivities that includes a performance by Demelza Stafford. And all guests who arrive both ghoulish and glamourous will be offered a complimentary glass of prosecco.

Taking advantage of the modern-theatrical space Viva Verdi’s opera evenings occur both inside and outside the venue where they like to reinterpret the traditions associated with Parma: the love of food and wine, the celebration of life and the operas of Giuseppe Verdi (who lived and worked in Parma) in a stylish setting for the discerning Londoner.

Here you can enjoy the very best food any Italian would expect, with fresh ingredients imported from Parma placed centre stage. Customers wishing to treat themselves to a fine and rare delicacy that is difficult to source in the UK can indulge in the most precious and rare of Italian hams: Culatello, which matures in the foggy air along the Po River, and the salami derived from it – Strolghino - only to be found in a handful of villages in the Parma region.

A selection of varying Italian cheeses are also available including a mouth-watering 24-month seasoned Parmigiano Reggiano, the ever-popular Gorgonzola and delicious Squacquerone. You won’t want to give these treats away this Halloween.

For more information about Viva Verdi read our review

Halloween at Viva Verdi - Friday 31st October, 7pm til late
Prosciutto and Wine Bar
6 Canvey Street
SE1 9AN

Tel. 0207 928 6867

www.vivaverdiwinebar.com

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Cycling around London is a great pastime, not only for the added benefits of a wee workout but for the joy of discovering hidden gems that may not be on your daily underground commute. On a recent expedition around Wandsworth Common I came upon something so unexpected that it looked quite out of place amidst the mums and tots enjoying the outdoors in the rare sunshine.

The ‘structure’ in question is known as the Royal Victoria Patriotic Building and it is home to flats, studios, a drama school, workshops and the quaint French bar and restaurant Le Gothique. 

Originally known as the Royal Victoria Patriotic Asylum (which has caused some confusion about its past) the building was completed in 1858 under Major Rhode Hawkins and was initially intended as an orphanage for the daughters of seamen, soldiers and marines who had died in the Russian War.

The orphanage then closed down amidst cases of physical and sexual abuse and has since had an astounding array of uses, from a hospital to an MI5 interrogation centre to a girl’s School, a teacher’s training college and a comprehensive school for boys.

The cloisters of the building has apparently been haunted for years, but the mystery of this ghostly ghoul is one that is not so easily unearthed.

My research came up with a rector, a little girl and a little boy, so I decided to contact the owner of Le Gothique, Mark Justin, for an explanation: “All ghost stories ultimately emanate from the death in a fire of Charlotte Jane Bennet in 1901. The unfortunate orphan was locked in the superintendent’s bathroom for an unknown misdemeanour. Knocking over an oil lamp during her incarceration she burnt to death.”

At the public enquiry the matron was asked by the coroner as to why she, nor her staff, went to the aid of the burning girl. Her reply: “But how were we to discern the screams of a dying girl from the day to day howls of the orphans?”

Mark opened the restaurant, which has been running for 22 years, when he was just 26. They cater for weddings, Christmas parties and even Halloween specials, and this Friday 31st October and Saturday 1st November diners can enjoy some interesting Halloween dishes amidst the ghostly haunt of this gothic mansion, including Terrine de Lapine (rabbit), Moules Marinieres (mussels) and wild boar sausage.

Le Gothique Bar & Restaurant
The Royal Victoria Patriotic Building
John Archer Way
Wandsworth Common
SW18 3SX

Tel: 020 8870 6567

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I had high hopes for the Chilli Crab Festival on Brick Lane at the weekend. Some nice weather was looming, there was beer. And spicy crab. Ace.

Running for three years now the Tiger Beer’s Singapore Chilli Crab Festival seemed like an excellent way to spend a Sunday. The press release promised a festival that would, “transform London’s East End into a Singaporean oasis full to the brim with exotic tastes, smells and sounds of the Far East.” There was to be a range of Singaporean food cooked by a celeb chef, live cooking demonstrations, dragon dancing, martial arts displays, music, a Singaporean garden and henna tattoos.

So, a crowd of us decided to make a day of it, looking forward to enjoying some freebies, nice food, chilled out entertainment and cold, cheap beer – it was after all a festival organised by Tiger so we assumed they’d be keen to get everyone drinking as much of the Singaporean nectar as possible.

Sadly not. Beers cost £3.40 each. I think that’s more expensive than the pub. They were served by waitresses who appeared to think ‘can I have a beer please’ was festival code for huff, glare and look bored. Not that I blame them, it wasn’t the most inspiring place to work. The ‘oasis’ was in fact a concreted area off Brick Lane that had had a fake lawn installed, some benches and some Tiger beer bunting. It looked pathetic.

I think there was music, but I couldn’t hear it and we didn’t see anyone dancing, let alone a dragon. I’m still not sure where the Singaporean garden was either.

Swallowing our disappointment and our expensive beer, we headed for the food, where more overpriced and underwhelming weirdness was to be found. To get your chilli crab involved a complicated process of lining up festival-style with iron fencing and security guards. Winding, slow moving queues led to a small stall where you bought a food ticket, for which you paid £6.50. You were then herded to another stall to get a limp piece of French bread. And finally to a stall where the ‘chilli crab special’ was handed to you from a pile of two hundred others, in a plastic take away box. I don’t even know if it was cooked on site.

Then we had to find somewhere to sit on the wet ground with the other hundred miserable looking people and attempt to eat boiling hot chilli crab with our fingers. Then we left; having spent £20 and half an hour being pissed off and bored. And the only free thing I got was a fluffy crab toy, which my cat has already pulled to bits.

To give them their due the chilli crab was awesome, but it wasn’t worth nearly seven quid.

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