I’m not sure if this rule still counts, but if you have applied 5 times and been unsuccessful on each go then on the sixth attempt/year they will let you join in.  So yes it is that tough to get in!  Or as there is a lot of fundraising that takes part for the running a number of charities are given places they are allowed to give out, however if you do go via a charity most (all?) of them require you to raise a minimum amount of sponsership for them.  So you had better be good with the chat or have a few rich friends!  Of course none of this applies if your an elite athlete though, however to be classed as elite you have to have clocked up an approiately good time in a qualifying event (in other words, been damn fast in other runs/marathons).

On the day of the event everyone starts way down in the south of London in Greenwich Park and winds around the south a bit, then over Tower Bridge, down and around Canary Wharf area then along Embankment before the final sprint (if anyone has the energy) past Big Ben, down and around in front of Buckingham Palace and then down The Mall to the Finish Line.  Whew!  Check out the full map here – Interactive Map

Idea marathon weather is no rain, but overcast and a bit chill (but not too chilly), so London should be good in that regard!

So go down this weekend and support all those people doing it, not just the wheelchair people or the elite athletes, but all the normal people (as well as those doing charity runs in Gorilla suits!).   Training for a marathon takes a lot of effort, so a lot of these people will have been waking up early, late, during lunchtimes, doing 2/3 hour+ runs in the weekend and all during the winter months when it’s cold/dark/wet/windy when most of the rest of us are inside watching tv.   It’s quite an achievement to complete one!  Best of luck to everyone that is there at the start line as it takes a lot of work and effort just to get to that stage!

Timeout has further info about where to go and view everyone from

Well a couple of years ago there really wasn’t much of anywhere that did pub quizzes up North, but now there’s quite a decent selection.  We’re going to order them by day here, so work out which day you want to do one and then go check it out.

Tuesday

The Lion – West Hampstead
295 West End Lane, West Hampstead, London NW6 1RD
When we did this one it was a semi tough one!

Wednesday

The Westbury – Kilburn – http://www.westburybar.com/
34 Kilburn High Road, Kilburn, London NW6 5UA

Thursday

The Alliance – West Hampstead- http://www.thealliancepub.com/
40 Mill Lane, West Hampstead, London NW6 1NR
Got free nibbles when we did this one a year or so ago

Sunday

The Alice House – Queens Park – http://www.thealicehouse.co.uk/queens-park/
53-55 Salusbury Road, Queen’s Park, London NW6 6NJ

Held in the Library room, quite a fun one when we did it.  Though not much space so come early to get a good table

Note: Often pub quizes can come and go and aren’t always on every single week, so it would pay to phone ahead to the venue to check it out before heading off there.  Though even if the quiz isn’t on these are all good pubs worth having a drink in!

If you know of any more let us know so we can add/update the list.

If your wondering how to follow the match, find out the results, or watch a live stream of the actual match, there’s a few different ways to do this -

If your in the UK you can watch it on the TV of course, and for free, via ITV.  Some pubs (like the Walkabout’s) even have 3D TV’s for you to watch the action in it’s 3dness.

If you don’t have a TV near you, then check it out online either at ITV.com or a cool website for streaming free TV, TVCatchup.com

One other way to follow it this competition has been via the mobile apps they have created for the competition.  The full list of mobile apps for the RWC include Blackberry, Playbook, iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows Mobile 7.   Get details about the teams, competition, results, news, and a running commentary when a match is on as well.  We’ve been using it throughout the competition and found it great for all the latest info, as the British papers have a bit of news on things, but not quite to the same level as they do if it was a Football World Cup.

Of course there are all the other news/sports/internet places to follow the match on, including the BBC Sports section.

If you want to place a bet on the outcome of the match, or other options, then try Betfair, after you spend your first £25, they give you £25.  That’s even if your £25 of betting has all been on wins too!

Fingers crossed for an All Black win tomorrow!

So we’re going to try and list all the ones that are available in London at the moment.

Nomad Cinema by the Lexi Cinema

The Lexi Cinema is a cool non-profit cinema in Kensal Green, for summertime they have a mobile cinema show that goes all over London (and outside it for a number of shows as well)

Cost: ~£13
Location(s): All over the UK
Type of Movies: Classic 80s
Movie highlight: Back to the Future, Greenwich Park
URL/Twitter: http://www.whereisthenomad.com/

Secret Cinema

These guys do experiences almost more than Cinema.  Often you won’t know what the movie is until you get there (unless you can work it out from the clues they drop before the event).  But they do a full experience to surround the movie, so showing the film in locations that match the film and then having actors and sets that match the film they are showing.  E.g. For Wings of Desire it was showen in empty theatre in Shepherds Bush, with circus acts and Berlin style sets, check out the video – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIhC29vjCZQ

Cost: ~£25
Location(s):  All over London
Type of Movies: Avant-Garnde to Classic
Movie highlight: Depends what you see when you get there!
URL/Twitter: http://www.secretcinema.org/

Film4 Somerset House Cinema

Film4 and Somerset House together have been putting on films in the Somerset House courtyard for a few years now.  The tickets are always very popular and they have a mix of old films and new ones.  Get a ticket and then bring blankets and cushions to sit on the ground and chill out with a movie.

Cost: ~£15
Location(s): Somerset House, London
Type of Movies: Classic to not even been released yet
Movie highlight: Troll Hunter!
URL/Twitter: http://www.somersethouse.org.uk/film

Rooftop Cinema – Queen of Hoxton

On top of a bar in Hoxton (near Liverpool Street) is a rooftop with a bar, bbq, semi small fake garden and a movie screen!  You get your own personal wireless headset (so you don’t annoy the neighbours) and blanket.  We went there for Back to the Future and it was such a lovely night, great food from the BBQ and after the sun had set, watched a great movie.  Afterwards if you want to, you can carry on and have a party in the bar down below.  Not that many tickets available for each screening though and they sell out in a matter of minutes when they get released.  Get on the newsletter to get the details

Cost: £9
Location(s): Queen of Hoxton, Hoxton, London
Type of Movies: Modern Day and Old Classics – Casablanca, Austin Powers, Devil Wears Prada
Movie highlight: Back to the Future
URL/Twitter: http://rooftopfilmclub.com/

Popup Screens

Popup Screens was just one weekend in May, that’s been and gone now, but keep an eye on the website as it might be back

Cost: £7
Location(s): Ravenscourt Park, Hammersmith
Type of Movies: 3 Old School Classics
Movie highlight: Ghostbusters
URL/Twitter: http://www.popupscreens.co.uk/

Floating Cinema

Yes, how about a cinema that floats!  It’s a boat with a screen on it… showing a broad range of films, probably not ones you have seen in the multiplex though.

Cost: ??
Location(s): East End canals, London
Type of Movies: ??
Movie highlight: ??
URL/Twitter: http://floatingcinema.info/

Films on Fridges

A collection of fridges piled up by the river and sporting style films projected onto them.  Something a bit different from your normal multiplex setting!

Cost: £10
Location(s): East End Fish Island, London
Type of Movies: Sporting ones
Movie highlight: Rocky
URL/Twitter: http://www.filmsonfridges.com/

More London Film Festival

For the last half of September come along and see films for free in view of Tower Bridge!  Though go early as there is only limited space..

Cost: Free!
Location(s): Outside the Mayoral Hall by Tower Bridge
Type of Movies: Modern Classics
Movie highlight: The King’s Speech
URL/Twitter: http://www.morelondon.co.uk/scoop.html

What are we talking about?  Farmers Markets!  These great places appear all over London and have fresh and delicious food (often the same price or even cheaper than a supermarket).

Probably one of the more famous ones (though it’s not quite a “Farmers” market) is Borough Market.  As seen in many films and TV shows.  Though this market is a bit swamped with tourists if you go there.  Still while your there you could check out Bridget Jone’s flat.

According to the London Farmers Market website, all the produce sold at their sites are “All are grown and produced within 100 miles of London”

So by buying from a Farmers Market your saving on those airmiles and getting yourself something that tastes a lot nicer than those Kenyan beans you brought from Tesco!

Often the markets have a number of regular stalls and a number of “guest” stalls.  Some of the markets can be reasonably small in size and some quite large.

The main one we go to is at Queens Park, and it’s held on a Sunday morning from 10am till 2pm.  A great way to go and get some delicious post hangover food.

There’s all kinds of yummy food sold there apples, pears, tomatoes, fish, bread, eggs, chicken, venison burgers, bacon, chilli plants to a chocolate and guinness cake (sounds odd but tastes amazing!).   We’ve been going there for a few years now and have seen it getting bigger and bigger.   If it’s a sunny day I recommend you go there early, as otherwise you might turn up to find those paprika sausages already sold out!

So try something different and support your local farmers, check out a Farmers Market near you.

Want to get out and explore the outdoors and be lazy at the same time?  Well why not go to an outdoor movie screening!

• There’s a number of free films by the Mayoral Hall this year – The Scoop

• Screen on the Green has a number of films showing at different parks/places around London

• Film London lists a whole heap more outdoor film events

While there is the always interesting way to see movies, though it’s only sometimes outdoors – Secret Cinema

Get out there and enjoy some films (remember to take the umbrella, just in case..)

Somerset House Outdoor Film

Shepherd Market is one of them -  I just randomly stumbled on this place, and it’s great. Just a few blocks down and across the road from the Green Park tube station exit. Walk down a narrow road and then you surrounded by a collection of restaurants, shops and bar

The Menier Chocolate Factory near London Bridge train/tube station sounds interesting, an old chocolate factory that now contains a restaurant, bar and theatre

I keep walking past this place and meaning to check it out, looks like a cool little wine bar (though I think it’s not so little any longer as they have opened up space downstairs according to their website) – Terroirs Wine bar

While for a place that is a bit hidden away with an event, I haven’t been to this one, but here’s One Aldwych, one of the “Leading Small Hotels in the World”, that offers a £38.50 deal for a glass of Champagne, a three course meal in their restaurant and then a movie in their Screening Room afterwards. They say they even throw in the popcorn -

There’s a number of other places around London that can be quite surprising once you decide to walk a different direction to the normal way you go.  Go for a wander and then let us know what you find.