In defence of renting in London

Flat hunting in London, not as fun as it sounds

Please don’t think this is a defence of landlords in London; it isn’t. They want to squeeze every last penny out of renters in the capital and that will never change.

The reasons landlords are the villains right now is that the cost of renting has gone up again (2.4% UK average, 4.5% in London) and the figures comparing London to the rest of the country make anyone paying to live here (like me) look plain stupid. For instance, London households apparently spend 71% of their salaries on rent, according to a FindaProperty.com Index published this week – the average net wage in London is £36k and £24k of that goes on rent.

When I first moved to London in 2006 I thought a wise ratio to stick to would be to spend 2/5ths of my income on putting a roof over my head. But that was back when I thought rents would stay about £100 a week per person and before I discovered council tax, paying full price at the cinema and Zone 1-6 travelcards.

So renting in London seems like a mad thing to do. But it isn’t. Firstly, think about why people come to London (or stay here) in the first place – a place at a prestigious university, a once-in-a-lifetime graduate scheme or – in my case – the whole damn industry. Yes, you could live in some random part of the UK for a fraction of the price, save up and buy a house there but for education, inspiration and careers London has a lot going for it.

Then there’s the culture, the history and the people. Even if rent saps all your money in the capital, that’s not going to stop you visiting some of the world’s greatest museums and galleries for free, nipping over to Buckingham Palace or finding cheap bars and markets. In a week where I was supposed to saving money, I still accidentally ended up in a Caribbean restaurant in Brixton, at a reading at the ICA and in a basement bar not far from Oxford Street.

So what if I’ve spent over £25,000 on renting in London since my first year at university here? I’m a city girl and as a journalist I need to be in the thick of it or else I’m not much use to anyone. I’d spend the same amount in New York or Tokyo and I honestly believe my interests and awareness would be much narrower had I not moved here. Renting also means you are independent from a) your parents and b) a man who’s richer/ older/ more successful than you and wants you to move into his house. That’s pretty valuable.

Five Signs You’re Getting Too Old for Heels

1. You keep your Jimmy Choos/ Kurt Geigers in the box.
If all your purchases end up in a shoe shrine, never to see the light of day, you know you’re too old for heels. Any self-respecting teenager buying their first statement shoe would scuff those bad boys within hours of handing over the money.

2. You’d rather eat the latest issue of Vogue than trade shoe collections with Daphne Guinness
Heels can turn you into a power woman but flats are the best way to play it cool – dress down trend-heavy outfits with flats and you’ll feel a lot less self-conscious making your big entrance.

And you get to tsk tsk at Daphne Guinness for clinging to banisters as she teeters around in ever more ridiculous shoes. Just think what that poor woman’s feet must look like.

3. Your toes are a wreck from wearing “simple” black Havianas to parties when everyone else is in stilettos
Summer’s a great time to give up heels – or maybe just vow to stick to wedges wherever possible. I’m also a big fan of wearing black raffia sandals on nights out.

OK, they’re basically little better than flip flops but you can wear them with everything. Good for: the beach, the park and running across cobbles looking smug.

4. Those Sunday morning knee grazes are starting to annoy you
It used to be funny wobbling into gutters and twisting ankles on the stairs. But according to some (no doubt) pretty unscientific research quoted in Avril Mair’s latest Beauty Extremist in Elle magazine, 40% of women admit to having had accidents because of their heels.

What does the ordinary fashion ed do then? Simple, wear heels when you know you’re getting a cab to and from wherever you’re going and sit down a lot when you’re in them.

Blue brocade pool flats, Christopher Kane SS12

5. You like ‘haute casual’ footwear like these Christopher Kane abominations
If a talented British designer combines comfort with well, flowers it must be fashionable right? Wrong – but do use this kind of design to your advantage when you’re championing the merits of flats to the Amazon in the 5 inchers towering above you. Acceptably stylish flat shoes include ballet pumps, brogues, leather sandals and even plastic jelly shoes when combined with high fashion underwater-themed outfits. But not these.

Main image: Faraz Pourreza-Jorshari

OUR DEMONSTRATION at GNM Gallery, King’s Place | Art and activism

OUR DEMONSTRATION is a exhibition project on the theme of art and protest that’s been a year in the making and we’re getting really excited about it – mainly because we know one of the curators, CSM student Miranda Booth. 

You can see the results of all their hard work at the GNM gallery at King’s Place – expect everything from Guardian archive photography, chewing gum art (see the poster above) and a riot in a jam jar i.e. a miniature recreation of student protests.

Those asked to participate works on creative resistance vary from unknown talent to more established, contemporary artists and all of this takes places in the foyer of the newspaper’s offices in King’s Cross, London.

The exhibition’s private view is this Thursday evening and it runs until 3rd May.

Boris vs Ken (and the rest) | The London Mayoral elections 2012

City Hall, Tower Bridge

This is a post for everyone who cares a tiny bit but not too much about the election of the new London Mayor on May 3rd.

Maybe you’ve not lived in London that long and aren’t planning to stick around. Or you’re in your mid-twenties and haven’t been able to shake that allergy to politics.

WHY BOTHER
These are the people who set tube, train and bus fares (groan), how much council tax you pay (run away and hide) and whether in a few years’ time we’ll be able to say that Peckham used to be pretty rough but not so much any more.

It’d also be pretty nice to justify the wince-inducing rent we pay by making sure London is still one of the most interesting cities in the world to live in. The next mayor will have to create jobs, sort out housing problems and stop those riots happening again.

Boris Johnson, current Mayor of London

WHO TO VOTE FOR
Take 45 minutes out to watch the Newsnight hustings, presented by Jeremy Paxman, before you do anything.

Boris gets attacked by the three other main candidates, Ken comes across as more than a little untrustworthy, Brian Paddick seems obsessed with crime and policing (that’s his background) and Jenny Jones barely gets to speak – I don’t think she’s got a chance.

Yes Boris is a Tory and Ken’s Labour but unlike in a general election, this is less about parties and more about who you reckon is going to spend the capital’s money most wisely.

Ken Livingstone, former Mayor of London

Transport
Ken’s promises to use a TFL surplus to save people who live in Zones 1 and 2 £1000 over four years and people in Zone 6 £1700 sound lovely – I pay £150-£180 a month in travel – but also a bit unbelievable. If there’s money sitting around to cut fares, it seems TFL would have done this already.

I liked Jenny Jones’ idea to increase the congestion charge – central London would feel much more cosmopolitan with less cars around and it’s a great way of raising money and “saving the environment”.

Brian Paddick’s One Hour Bus Ticket is also a winner – if you don’t have a travelcard, it’s annoying that you can change tube for one journey, but not buses.

Jenny Jones, Green Party Mayoral candidate

Housing and Jobs
In March, Boris announced a £41m London Growth Fund that is supposed to create jobs and housing and which businesses can apply for. So whoever becomes Mayor this year will no doubt see some positive stories come out of this investment.

Many of the candidates are promising the same thing for housing – creating more of it (11,000 from Boris’ count) and tackling rogue landlords.

Ken reckons he can save people £600 a year through an all-London not for profit lettings agency – but again this seems too good to be true, no Mayor will be able to curb the rises in rent when people will pay thousands of pounds a week for a flat. I do like the sound of Ken’s bulk energy buying scheme to save us money on electricity bills though, if he can pull it off.

Brian Paddick, Lib Dem Mayoral candidate

Crime
Crime is down 9% now from when Boris was elected and there’s 1000 more police on London streets – which looks pretty good until you remember how many people decided to go out and loot last summer.

Brian Paddick, a former deputy Commissioner in the Metropolitan Police would most likely be the best man for the job here but I’m worried he’s a bit of a one trick pony and, in (an admittedly naive) theory, if the next Mayor improves jobs and housing for Londoners, crime will go down.

Find out more at Brian Paddick’s campaign website, Back Boris 2012, Ken’s Better Off with Ken site and Jenny Jones for London.

HOW TO VOTE
Register to vote with the Electoral Commission here. Once you’ve done that sit back till May 3rd.

Everything you need to know about voting for the Mayor and the London Assembly on the day, you can find on the London Elects how to vote page. It’s pretty simple stuff, I’m sure we can all manage.

City Hall image credit: Faraz Pourreza-Jorshari (Boom Son).

What’s stopping you cycling? Tips and tricks for girls who bike

Pendleton Somerby Hybrid Bike £280

Bikes may be all very well on the PPQ catwalk but most girls I know wouldn’t dream of riding one to and from work, the wonderful Katie Wright excluded. Obviously there’s the vanity issue – boys hop in and out of the shower at work after a cycle in no time but wet or non-straightened hair everyday might not appeal to us.

But if we can get over this, what else is stopping us? I thought about why I’ve never cycled regularly – I’m not talking about occasionally jumping on a Boris bike or cycling around towns you visit when on holiday. I mean investing in a bike, getting some exercise and saving money.

First up, maybe you don’t like the look of the fixie bikes all the boys have got. You don’t have to settle for a creaky, old fashioned model with a basket on the front. Check out the Victoria Pendleton designed bikes that went on sale a few days ago (above) – they look pretty and they’re lightweight and easy to ride.

Cateye EL22/TL150 Bike Light Set £36

Then there’s safety. If you live in a big city like London, use TFL or a cycling website or app (there’s tons of free ones available) to find routes that don’t involve big, bus filled roads. And if you’re planning to bike after dark, get your hands on a set of bike lights like these Cateye ones below.

And finally, you want to make your new commute as pain-free as possible, so I loved the idea of this Real Comfort Bike Saddle that’s got infinitely more padding than standard saddles to keep your derriere happy for longer bike rides.

One more thing – don’t pedal when drunk, it’s not pretty and S&TS especially recommends not trying to cycle through Underground barriers when under the influence. You will not win.

Real Comfort Bike Saddle £25

EVENTS | Emilio Cavallini Risque Business party Or How to look sexy taking your tights off

Sexy as they may look with a bodycon mini and heels, tights are a pain to take on and off while still looking like a sophisticated temptress. Step up Emilio Cavallini firstly for giving men the same problem to deal with once they fall in love with their “mantyhose” and for putting on a model masterclass on getting in and out of sexy hosiery.

For AW12, Cavallini’s inspiration was pin-up Betty Page and the result is a gorgeous collection of vampish, monochrome designs with a hint of colourful polka dots thrown in for good measure. Then there’s the line of unisex tights that men can also wear – look out for these attention-seeking designs on an East London street near you sometime soon.

Party DJs Eliza Doolittle and Jameela Jamil both turned up in Emilio Cavallini tights as did Paloma Faith and male supermodel Tyson Beckford plus Dudley O’Shaughnessy was also spotted in Sketch that night (more on the amazing venue in an upcoming post).

Sarah Howe – Private Lives at the Foundry Gallery // Strike a pose, there’s nothing to it

Style & Then Some is having a little outing on Thursday evening to a private view at the Foundry Gallery in Chelsea (if they let us in the borough looking like we do). And it’s not for just any young, talented photographer that we would make the trek – we can’t wait to see Sarah Howe’s shots of burlesque dancers posing in their own homes, after hours.

Sarah went to New York with her co-conspirator in photography Magnus Arrevad after they won a competition but couldn’t afford to go over to see their work. Instead, they made a pact to go and create something new. “It just so happened that on the night before we left we met a New Yorker in London named Joe who was heading home,” she says. “We met up the following evening at one of the burlesque shows he produced in Brooklyn.”

The exhibition which runs from 26th March to 10th May is titled Private Lives in part because Sarah wanted to capture the stage personas of the women brought back into their personal spaces. Sarah is interested in “the way people construct their identities. In burlesque this is obviously exaggerated and extended.”

And the dancers themselves? Hands up if you’re surprised that they made for interesting subjects. “I was really blown away by all the girls. They were driven, creative and strong women. Jenny (pictured) was one of the most thought provoking acts but they all held down nine to five jobs, made their own costumes and performed at night,” she says.

Private Lives is Sarah’s first solo show and after taking the exhibition to the US, she’s on the lookout for artists to collaborate with. The exhibition at the Foundry Gallery is free entry but you can buy one of the gorgeous exhibition guides, designed by graphic designer Tom Peet, with images and quotes for £3.

See more details on the Facebook page for the Private View this Thursday 22nd March.

Jeremy Deller review // Joy in People at the Hayward

Valerie's Snack Bar (2009)

Jeremy Deller is pretty demanding. As part of ‘Joy in People’, a survey of the Turner Prize-winning artist’s work showing at the Hayward until May 13th, Deller and the exhibition’s curator, Ralph Rugoff, expect you to nosy around in his teenage bedroom cupboards, walk blindly through a Stuart Hughes mural of an open mouth and sit down for a cup of tea in Valerie’s Snack Bar.

Then again, that’s nothing compared to building a float to parade around Manchester as part of Deller’s procession during the International Festival in 2009. Or restaging the Battle of Orgreave, a clash between miners and riot police under Thatcher, with 1000 other people – sixteen years after the event.

The films and audio slideshow of Deller talking through some of these works – Beyond the White Walls –  only serve to remind visitors to the Hayward that we weren’t part of the original work. But you just have to get over this or you won’t enjoy Deller’s stories. He’s modest, engaging and funny as he talks about his lack of a formal education in art and his interactions with all sorts of groups and individuals in the UK and, with a burnt-out Iraqi car in tow, across America.

The smaller projects that made me smile the most were The Uses of Literacy – in which Deller asked fans of the Manic Street Preachers who felt educated by the band to make art inspired by their music and recommendations – and Middle Class Posse, a series of hand signals that Deller came up with to allow gangs of Radio 4-loving, tea-with-one-sugar drinking people to communicate secretly.

His work is like a series of flashmobs with heart – the thrill comes from being part of a short-lived or publicity-shy event but the difference is Deller tackles subjects that matter, if even just to one community.

And although this is a retrospective, Deller ain’t dead just yet. Something tells me there will be a lot more volunteers from the Middle Class Posse rushing to sign up for his next “work of art” if the queues at the Hayward were anything to go by.

All images show installation views of Jeremy Deller: Joy in People at the Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre. Click to enlarge – if you don’t join in, Deller won’t be happy at all. All works courtesy the artist. Photos: Linda Nylind

It Is What It Is (2009)

So Many Ways to Hurt You (The Life & Times of Adrian Street, 2010)

Valerie’s Snack Bar (2009)

The History of the World (1997)

Open Bedroom (1993)

Hot new designer alert // BasharatyanV at London Fashion Week AW12

In a sea of digitally printed dresses – lovely on the eye as they often are – sometimes you’re looking for a bit of texture, embellishment or just something a bit more exotic at London Fashion Week. So it’s a breath of fresh air when all three are handed to you on a plate. And by plate we mean a stunning, statuesque model like this one. 

Russian designer Veronica Basharatyan mixed up traditional and modern influences not to mention delicate, sheer blouses with densely knitted skirts and heavy coats for her AW12 collection ‘Balkaria’, shown at Felicities Presents this season.

Both the model and the designer (below) pulled off the tricky layered, transparent blouses plus the Basharatyan model had statement shoulders to contend with too. So maybe not all practical but the clothes certainly looked beautiful and supremely well made.

For news and to buy online, visit the BasharatyanV website. You can buy last season BasharatyanV at Boutique 123 on Bethnal Green road, London and Veronica is also showing her designs in Paris, Milan and during Fashion Week Russia.

Images credit: Samantha Meachin

Hot new designer alert // Tramp in Disguise at London Fashion Week AW12

One of our favourite finds of this Fashion Week was Tramp in Disguise, Sini Moilanen’s beautiful label that was shown as part of the Felicities Presents showcase in Somerset House’s Portico Rooms.

Making up the AW/12 collection are jewel coloured silk-mix dresses, jumpsuits and separates and a heavy dose of cosy-looking chunky knitwear which we can’t wait to see styled together. Inspired by the Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico, Finnish-born and RCA-taught Moilanen gave the collection the title ‘Lady of the Dead’ – but don’t worry there’s not a goth accessory or emo chain look in sight.

Moilanen designed the prints herself, based on the decorated skulls and embellishment of the lively Mexican ritual, but by choosing demure necklines and shapes makes them sophisticated and urban for AW/12. This is only her fourth appearance at London Fashion Week but for a designer who’s already stocked in trendy fashion pit-stop Beyond the Valley, it looks like we caught up with the label at just the right time.

For more info, head to trampindisguise.com. If you want to throw your cash at these designs, Tramp in Disguise womenswear is on sale online at Not Just a Label – prices start at £180.

Image credit: Samantha Meachin