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Alastair Reid Schanche

Alastair is a features writer at London X London. He joined the team in late 2022 hot off the back of a five-year stint in Shanghai where he wrote for Time Out and ran a very niche blog about Chinese food.

He’s unable to shake his addiction for Sichuan noodles, but will be found devouring London’s other glorious cuisines when he’s not warming seats at the Prince Charles.

Let’s explore Buxton Memorial Fountain. It’s time to discover the history of this Westminster memorial fountain and the very important story it tells. If you’ve walked through Victoria Gardens before you may have noticed a few things. Primarily the side view of The Houses of Parliament – one not often photographed – and The Burghers …

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Discover the best yoga studios London has to offer with our insider’s guide. The stresses of big city life are numerous and complex. Some people choose to alleviate themselves of that stress by blasting it out of their system at weekend-long raves, others choose yoga.  If you’re in the latter camp you’re in the right …

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How many of these Queen Elizabeth II facts do you know? The late queen cut an interesting figure. Here’s why. Queen Elizabeth II has gone down in legend as one of, if not the greatest monarch in the history of the United Kingdom. In her long reign she had plenty of time to get up …

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London Design Biennale returns for 2023 – the fourth edition brings together heaps of creatives from every corner of the map.  Somerset House has announced it will be hosting the 2023 edition of London Design Biennale in June. The event will run from the 1st – 25th of the month and see the historic building …

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We review The Counter –  Kemal Demirasal’s modern-Turkish restaurant that’s quietly been getting very creative with charcoal in Notting Hill.  If you were looking for a restaurant serving creative Turkish food in a contemporary – some might say hipster – setting, it’s safe to assume you’d start looking in East London. What about if we …

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Your guide to the history of some of London’s weirdest pub names, and whether it’s worth having a pint at any of them.  London’s got a mind-boggling amount of pubs. And many of them have been around for a mind-boggling amount of time. Over the years, stories get told, tales twisted, and these old pubs …

Read More about Weird Pub Names in London Guaranteed to Make You Laugh

Your guide to the London riverside restaurants not to be missed. From fancy spots to cosy diners, here’s where to chow down. Ok, you’ve got an anniversary, or maybe an important date, and you need to impress. Where do you take them? Nothing quite says romance like dining on the waterfront, and London does waterfront …

Read More about 15 of the Best Riverside Restaurants in London for Every Occasion

MCM Comic Con **prepares Arnie voice** will be back! Here’s what we know about London Comic Con 2023 so far… Salutations Trekkies, wookies, anime fanboys, autograph hunters, cosplayers and merchandise collectors – the biggest event of your year is returning. MCM Comic Con is back for spring, running a three-day convention from the 26th – …

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Did you know the City of London has more churches than you’ve had hot dinners? Here’s a few of our top picks.  With its long and fascinating history – that you can read all about here – it should come as no surprise that there are heaps of churches in the City of London (50+ …

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Let’s explore the Garden at 120, London’s biggest rooftop garden. It’s totally free and has some pretty stunning views of the city – here’s everything you need to know about it.  One of the best parts of living in a big city is the chance to make the most of the skyscrapers and get to …

Read More about The Bloomin’ Beautiful Garden at 120: Explore London’s Biggest Public Rooftop Garden