Last night saw the private view and launch of Blur 21: the Exhibition on a warm, sunny night on Redchurch Street in Shoreditch. Seemed to be a success, with queues forming around the block to take a look. The exhibition spans all three galleries at Londonewcastle Project Space and happily, there is more to it than just expertly captured images of the band at various stages of their career (though the 70 or so images captured by iconic NME photographer’s including Kevin Cummins and Pennie Smith are great at capturing the Brit pop moments of the mid 90s). On show are the band’s Brit Awards, the rear most gallery hosts videos and Spotify have decked a space out as a listening booth where you can don headphones and hear a selection of rarities from the forthcoming Blur 21 box set. Blur’s Brit Awards The highlight for me though is the graphic design work. The band have worked with agency Stylorouge almost since inception and they have been responsible for some memorable images. Even if you’re not a fan, you will be familiar with not only the logo, but some of the artwork which has championed artists including Banksy - who worked on 2003 album Think Tank- and Julian Opie - who created the Blur: The Best Of compilation cover (and has a solo show of new works on at Lisson Gallery this summer). Back to the launch though - it was a memorable night organised by Hector Proud’s Cult.Brand team and the crowd went from queuing up to spilling out onto the street outside to soak up the English Summer and escape the heat inside. Random guy getting into the Olympic spirit (maybe) Oh and some nice guys from a band called Blur also turned up to have a look. Mr Graham Coxon and Mr Alex James The show is now open daily from 12 - 8pm until the 14th August.

To newly opened high end Peruvian restaurant Lima London for lunch last Friday, where I was handed a utensil to eat the ceviche which I’ve never known the name of. Turns out it’s a Spork and I’m the last one to know, it seems. Billed as a two-tencil thanks to the happy marriage of fork and spoon and in use by toddlers and now put to use on the adult restaurant scene (where it may have been for some time, but has hitherto gone unnoticed). So, is it any good? No. Not prongey enough to prong and not of sufficient depth to ‘spoon’ enough liquid, it is trying to hard to be all things to all men/ women and failing. I like the fun of it, but it’s wrong and should be banished from adult tables. Lima, however, was excellent. Be advised though, the back room is best on a breezy day - the bar seats at the front suffer from a strange turbulence as the front door doesn’t shut properly. A minor irritation and one that this young, enthusiastic team will no doubt put right in the coming weeks. Along with the sporks, I hope.

There’s no other place like London for discovering innovative, sophisticated, one-of-a-kind design, be it fashion or furniture, jewellery or artwork. The Londonewcastle ethos is all about pioneering great design and the very best emerging talent, so here we share with you a selection of our favourite design stores across the capital, where you can get your hands on something rather special. SCP Department Store Deserving of our top spot is SCP Department Store, with its flagship store in the heart of Shoreditch. A foray through the warehouse-style shop on Curtain Road uncovers everything from contemporary homeware and artwork to gifts and accessories, with glorious things such as Seletti neon lights, Peter Marigold shelving and Rob Ryan crockery to be found - and that barely scratches the surface. If you’re into Donna Wilson, then even better, because SCP stock an impressive range of her products, from her signature soft toys to especially commissioned, SCP-manufactured furniture. You can buy it all online too and those in West London needn’t worry about travelling east, because SCP has a second store on Westbourne Grove. Tom Dixon Shop Skip across town to a perennial favourite - the Tom Dixon Shop in its tranquil location at Portobello Dock, Ladbroke Grove. Mainly showcasing the Tom Dixon lighting and furniture collection, the store has some other interesting gems that complement the home range. There are classic Adnet mirrors, embroidered products by social enterprise Fine Cell Work, which trains prisoners in needlework to help their skills and self esteem, Made in Nano tiles and tabletops, infographic homeware textiles by Stuart Gardiner, and Cire Trudon candles for a spot of indulgence, to name a few. Dover Street Market Whether you’re planning to part with your cash or not, a visit to Dover Street Market is an experience in itself that every fashion fanatic should seek out. Six floors of carefully curated stock, pitching fashion icons such as Alexander McQueen beside lesser known emerging talent, make up the brainchild of Rei Kawakubo, of Commes des Garcons fame. It’s a department store-cum-market-cum-fashion addict’s dream. Be prepared to lose quite a bit of your day, and seek out Rose Bakery on the fourth floor to give your energy levels a delicious boost. We’ll wager you’ll need it! Aram Store Positioned as ‘London’s best furniture store’, the Aram Store near Covent Garden is a stalwart of the contemporary furniture scene, and family-run too. Zeev Aram, with a little help from Terence Conran’s then-new venture, Habitat, started something of a design revolution in Chelsea back in the sixties, with his first tiny showroom on King’s Road. Today, the Aram Store, in its substantial, architect-designed warehouse space on Drury Lane, brings together innovative, cutting-edge design of the highest quality. The Aram Gallery on the upper floor holds some pretty interesting exhibitions too, with a focus on new techniques, experimental design practice, and fresh talent. Fab UK Fab UK Of course, we couldn’t ignore the internet altogether, so we’re throwing a new online design store into the mix. Fab UK is a carefully curated site that has grabbed our attention lately. The team previously known as Llustre, has been taken under the wing of existing design e-commerce business, Fab.com. Now it’s busy signing up some of the most sought after designers around, offering their products at discounted prices, presented as online ‘sales’ for defined periods of time. You have to sign up to be a member, but it’s completely free of charge and a no brainer really if you’re after something truly unique. Folklore Our wild card, just because it’s brand new, is Folklore in Islington. Opened in January by husband and wife team Danielle and Rob Reid, the company was created on the premise that ‘better living is possible through design’. Well said, we say. Less is certainly more, not only in the design of the shop which features stripped floorboards and upcycled fittings galore, but also in the product range. Folklore sells homeware, lighting, art and lifestyle accessories that have a focus on high quality craftsmanship, be they antique, upcycled, recyclable, or brand new. Environmental sensitivity is another key attribute of their carefully selected ranges. One to watch we think.

Following the launch and exhibtiion for Dennis Morris’ photo essay on the rise of The Stone Roses This Is The One (and before a forthcoming show of John Lennon’s artworks - a few details here) Londonewcastle Project Space will play host to Spotify presents Blur 21: The Exhibition. Exhibited together for the first time will be a collection of images of Blur from legendary music photographers, designers and artists including Pennie Smith, Kevin Cummins, Paul Postle, Tom Sheehan, Banksy and Julian Opie, celebrating the band’s 21 year career. 21 years after the release of their debut album Leisure, Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree will feature in an exhibition of rare photographs, artwork and never-before-seen images of this great British band. The retrospective celebrates Blur’s era defining music, documenting their career as one of the most successful and influential bands of the past two decades, through the lens of legendary and iconic music photographers Pennie Smith, Kevin Cummins, Tom Sheehan and Paul Postle, among others. Spotify presents Blur 21: The Exhibition will be shown in East London contemporary art space Londonewcastle Project Space from Friday 27th July through to Tuesday 14th August - closing just after the band’s gig in Hyde Park on the 12th August as part of the Olympics closing celebrations. Curated by leading expert on music photography Dave Brolan, all the key moments of the band’s career will be illustrated – on the road, live on stage, in the studio, as well as formal portrait sessions. Entrance to the exhibition is FREE. Follow the latest news on the venue on Twitter and Facebook. For media/ press enquiries contact Hannah @ Cult.Brand

On a rainy evening at Opera Gallery in Mayfair, Mr Brainwash launched his latest (London-centric?) Summer show. The artist himself was in attendance along with a well-heeled room of art collectors and non-cynics who buy into the Brainwash way of seeing things. Mr Brainwash’s private view at Opera Gallery Whatever your thoughts, you can’t help but smile at some of the works on show - a mix of pop art inspired paintings and - new for this show - sculptures. The steel cut ‘Je t’aime’ sculptures mark a bit of a departure, but stylistically work. The paintings feature some of the artists previous subjects - including Madonna and Mickey Mouse - and despite the cliche, my favourite piece is this one, of Kate Moss. Mr Brainwash’s latest London show work You can decide for yourself - the show runs until 10th August.

Curiously, bottles of Purdey’s - the original, premium multi-vitamin drink have been appearing on desks throughout the office recently. And it’s not hard to understand why. On the surface it competes with Vitamin Water, but those bright colours and Coca-Cola ownership are somehow just a bit out of touch today. Purdey’s This, however, is the real deal. Launched in 1992 and still in its signature brown glass bottle with silver wrap, it’s a drink that also looks great in the fridge stacked a dozen bottles high. Apparently there are two types and sometimes they appear in gold packaging - but it’s the iconic silver one to look out for. It gets my vote as a bit of a sleeper brand that isn’t trying too hard and that’s a good - and different - thing in this age (even the manufacturer doesn’t have a stand alone website for it and their page has no information on it at all). So stick with the silver one known as Purdey’s Rejuvenation - it has no added sugar and tastes better. And it’s a grown up taste, a bit sweet perhaps and - to some - a bit weird, but it actually tastes like what it says is inside - a blend of grape, apple and a bit of peach. If you haven’t tried it before, these are mixed with sparkling spring water, vitamins and natural herbal extracts (including Damiana and Ginseng) that are designed to give you a a bit of a lift. Whatever. Drink it ice cold.