A come to Joseph Smith moment...

Toe tapping, sing - along, inappropriate funnies.

The Book of Mormon is one of the must see musicals of the past few years and it doesn't seem to be letting up. People are continually going to see the show and waves more booking tickets months ahead.

Photo credit to Gabs!

What did I think?

First up, I'm not a huge South Park fan... I don't always find the humour funny and often a bit... hmmmm. Or 'meh' as the kids say it these days... I also heard mixed reviews from like minded friends... Some laughed till they nearly pee'd themselves where as others chuckled every so often... I tried to keep my expectations low and avoided hearing too much about it and waited it out...

Early January came around and off we went. The theatre was crowded and buzzing with excitement. (as a side note, the Prince of Wales Theatre is really nice and quite modern!) From the opening bars of music, I was smiling.

Put simply, I loved it.

It was funny, incredibly inappropriate and yes, even a little heart warming! The songs stick in your head (the inappropriate ones especially!), images get burnt into your retina and you work out your abs from laughter.

Verdict? SEE. IT.

Photo credit to Gabs!

HOWEVER, beware that this is not one for the faint hearted, the conservative or the prudes. It will shock you, it will make your jaw drop and a few times, make you shoot your hands up to cover your face. It's all worth it though.

--------------------------------
The Book of Mormon is playing at the:

Prince of Wales Theatre
Coventry Street
London W1D 6AS

Get tix here.

If you can, try to get a group of 10 or more and go for a group booking. You get great seats (we had Row N and O in the Stalls) and for much cheaper! £49 per person and no service charge! Even better, they hold the tickets for you for a month so that you have time to gather everyone's money!

Contact the group people here. The one I dealt with was sooooo lovely!

It's getting hot in here...

Get ready to sweat.

Yoga isn't for everyone. Yoga in 40 degree heat is for even less people.

I first tried Bikram Yoga a couple of years ago when I saw a cheap group deal at a local studio. Always up for a bargain and trying something new, I went for it and quickly came to love it. Even after passing out... (it was just the once) Using up my 10 classes, I soon stopped going as I was finding it hard to justify spending £15 a pop. Fast forward a couple of years and another group deal, I was back on board.

At the time of my attendance, the place I was going to was called Bikram Yoga but it has since changed to Fierce Grace. The routine has changed and slightly moved away from the traditional set of poses so if you're against that it may be best to look at other studios.

Kilburn location...

Having visited both the Primrose Hill and Kilburn location, I would urge you to go for Primrose Hill. It's newer, it's got pretty chandeliers and it has wooden floor boards. The Kilburn location has carpet - a hot room and a gallon of sweat per person (3 to 4 times a day, 7 days a week) does not a fresh room make. (good or bad thing, you eventually get used to the smell...)

 Things I've learnt:

• Don't go on a full stomach
• Make sure to have had a significant amount of water prior to going - passing out occurs when you don't
• Stick it out - it can take a few sessions to get into it
• Even if you've done it a few times, you'll still have an off day - it's not you, it's Bikram.
• If you're going more than once or twice a week you'll have a LOAD of extra laundry to do. Febreeze simply won't cut it.

If you want to try something new that pushes your limits, give Birkam a go. You feel great afterwards and damn you'll feel proud - 90 mins in extreme heat while doing some tough poses is no easy feat.

Keep in mind that it's not cheap but plenty of studios do special deals. Check out the website and also keep an eye out for group deals. South London seems to have them more often for some reason...

----------------------------

Fierce Grace has 4 Studios in the following locations:

North
173 - 175 Queens Crescent
London NW5 4DS
T: 020 7692 6900
www.fiercegracenorth.com

West
260 Kilburn Lane
London W10 4BA
T: 020 8960 9644
www.fiercegracewest.com

City
53-55 East Road
London N1 6AH
T: 020 7336 6330
www.fiercegracecity.com

Primrose Hill
200 Regents Park Road
London NW1 8BE
T: 020 7483 2000
www.fiercegraceprimrosehill.com

Lady Luck Strikes...

East Coast American Diner in West London...

Lucky Seven Diner has been one of those places I was always intrigued to visit. It's local, friends have recommended it and from my view on the 7 bus, it looked pretty cool.

When a friend suggested brunch somewhere local, Lucky 7 was pretty much top of the list. There was brunch food to be eaten and super thick milkshakes to be drunk.

The places is cosy (i.e. 6 booths and that's it...) so it was not surprising that at 10.30am on a Saturday the place was full with 1 booth remaining. We nabbed that booth quick smart and got to perusing the menu.

The menu is all American which means big breakfasts including Mexican inspired dishes and the obligatory pancakes. Burgers and sandwiches rule the other half of the menu but 10:30am seemed a bit too early to venture that way. The milkshakes (with extra malt mind you!) on the other hand were not...

Service is quick, friendly and attentive so certainly no complaints in that regard. The decor is fun and kitschy and for a moment you really do feel like you've been transported to another time and place.

The food portions are generous, the quality pretty tasty and not too harsh on the wallet. With everything on the breakfast menu less than £10 you don't feel too bad adding that milkshake to the order... with extra malt...

Would we go back again? Why yes, siree Bob! There's more breakfast items to try and then there's the burgers which I hear are pretty drool worthy...

------------------------------
Lucky 7 can be found at:
127 Westbourne Park Road
London W2 5QL

T: 0207 727 6771
E: office@lucky7london.co.uk

Opening Hours:
Mon: 12 - 11pm
Tues - Thurs: 10 - 11pm
Fri: 10 - 11.30pm
Sat: 9 - 11.30pm
Sun: 9 - 10.30pm

Considering the space and it's popularity there's a no booking policy but the turnaround is pretty quick so you won't be left waiting too long.