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October 2021

Diwali celebrations in Trafalgar Square

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Diwali celebrations in Trafalgar Square

Diwali celebrations in Trafalgar Square this year bursted into life. The festival of lights, which is celebrated by Hindu, Sikh and Jain communities across London and around the world, saw the Square come into life with a light display, arts and crafts and a range of vegetarian food stalls open to the public.

The Diwali festivities included Indian food, music and decorations. The event included video addresses from political personalities like London Mayor Sadiq Khan among others.

The celebrations started at 4 pm and went on till 10 pm on 23rd October. Images and videos on social media showed the iconic Trafalgar square lit up with festive lights, festoons and decorations. The festivities included Asian and Indian food as well. The event included video addresses from political personalities like London Mayor Sadiq Khan among others.

Sadiq Khan Khan at Trafalgar Square Diwali Celebrations October 2021
Sadiq Khan Khan at Trafalgar Square Diwali Celebrations October 2021

The office of London Mayor Sadiq Khan organised Diwali at Trafalgar Square on Saturday to celebrate the cultural diversity of the city, Anirban Mukhopadhyay, spokesperson of Heritage Bengal Global, an association of expatriate Bengalis said.

“The event was themed on the victory of good over evil after the severe trauma caused by Covid-19 in the last one-and-a-half years,” Mukhopadhyay said.

The traditional ‘alpona’ work by Heritage Bengal Global vice president Mahua Bej was selected for being part of a collage at the centre of the square, he said.

Mukhopadhyay, who is presently in Kolkata, said that the event was a part of their endeavour to globally showcase the rich cultural heritage of West Bengal.

To keep yourself up to date with the latest Entertainment in the city, checkout out entertainment section to plan your time outs.

United Kingdom may face another lockdown in Christmas if we don’t act soon

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United Kingdom may face another lockdown in Christmas if we don’t act soon

A prominent adviser to the UK government on Covid-19 has said he is very fearful of another Christmas lockdown, as he urged the public to do everything possible to reduce the spread of the virus. Public and health officials need to act soon to take extra precautions to curtail

Professor Stephen Reicher says vaccines are “not quite enough” on their own and “other protections” are now needed – as a fellow expert says he is fearful of another “lockdown Christmas”.

Prof Peter Openshaw, a member of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag), said the current number of cases and deaths rates were unacceptable, and reiterated the importance of measures such as working from home and mask wearing.

His intervention comes after the prime minister resisted calls from health leaders, including the head of the NHS Confederation and the council chair of the British Medical Association, who urged “categorically” that the “time is now” for tighter restrictions.

Asked on Friday about the possibility of a winter lockdown, Boris Johnson said there was “absolutely nothing to indicate that that is on the cards at all”. The chancellor, Rishi Sunak, also said the vaccine rollout and booster jabs made a lockdown or “very significant economic restrictions” unlikely.

Cases and deaths as published 23 Oct 2021
Cases and deaths as published 23 Oct 2021. Vaccinations as % of total population (including under 18s), published 22 Oct 2021. Weekly change shows difference from 7 days ago. Source: data.gov.uk.

The health secretary, Sajid Javid, conceded earlier this week that new cases could reach a record 100,000 a day, but Downing Street insisted there was still spare capacity in the NHS and that “plan B” winter measures, including the mandatory use of face masks and working from home guidance, would only be activated if it came under significant pressure.

Speaking in a personal capacity, Openshaw told BBC Breakfast on Saturday that he feared “another lockdown Christmas if we don’t act soon”. He said: “We know that with public health measures the time to act is immediately. There’s no point in delaying. If you do delay then you need to take even more stringent actions later. The immediacy of response is absolutely vital if you’re going to get things under control.”

He said getting measures in place now in order to “get transmission rates right down” was key to having “a wonderful family Christmas where we can all get back together”.

Openshaw said it was “unacceptable to be letting this run at the moment … I think hospitals in many parts of the country are barely coping actually. Talking to people on the frontline, I think it’s just not sustainable to keep going at this rate.”

The UK recorded its highest number of Covid-related deaths since March last week.

Openshaw said: “At one stage last week there were 180 deaths in a single day. That is just too many deaths. We seem to have got used to the idea that we’re going to have many, many people dying of Covid and that I think is just not the case,.”

He urged the public to take matters into their own hands to slow down transmission of the virus, rather than waiting for the government to reintroduce measures, including avoiding public transport and crowded spaces if possible, getting vaccinated and accepting the offer of the booster jab.

“The sooner we all act, the sooner we can get this transmission rate down, and the greater the prospect of having a Christmas with our families,” he said.

england covid stats as on 22nd October 2021
England covid stats as on 22nd October 2021

Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) said in minutes of a meeting published on Friday that a further huge rise in infections as seen in January was increasingly unlikely. Other experts predict a series of broader, flatter peaks as the virus continues to spread.

In its meeting dated 14 October, however, Sage said measures contained in the government’s plan B would be most effective if implemented in unison and earlier rather than later.

Trade union leaders representing 3 million frontline workers attacked the government’s “laissez-faire approach to managing the pandemic” on Friday. They said it risked “another winter of chaos” without urgent action, including mandatory mask wearing in shops and on public transport.

And at least a dozen local public health chiefs in England have broken from the government’s official guidance and recommended plan B measures, including mask wearing and working from home, to combat a surge in Covid infections in their areas.

Restaurants in London you should visit

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We have consolidated a list of Restaurants in London you should visit. London is a multi-cultured city and it would be obvious to assume that the food here would be multi-cultured too. Don’t worry we have got this covered. Well, it is indeed right; the food variety available in London’s restaurants is mind-bogglingly diverse and lip-smacking delicious. From Japanese to American, all types of delicious food and wines are available in this diverse city. There is a concentration of restaurants in some places, like Brick Lane for Asian Bengali cuisine, Covent Garden for British, Italian, and Thai food, Marble Arch, and Shaftsbury Avenue to name a few. Belgravia is also a famous place for British food.

Restaurants in London you should visit

One of the most famous restaurant chains in the city of London is Gordon Ramsey. Gordon Ramsey has about 12 restaurants in London. The most famous one of them all is Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in Chelsea. The other most famous restaurant in London is the Pétrus by Gordon Ramsay, Knightsbridge, which is well known by British and Hollywood celebrities. When they visit the city they go to the hippest places in town and they prefer the Ivy and restaurants like J. Sheekey, Nobu Berkeley, Sketch, Yauatcha, Murano, Restaurant Story, Blacklock, Decimo, Needoo, Llewelyn’s, C London, China Tang, 14 Hills to name a few. The restaurants serve the finest wine and spirits in town with, exquisite food and imports.

Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Chelsea
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Chelsea

14 Hills London, Fenchurch St

Dining at altitude is nothing new in the City of London, nor are restaurants aiming to appeal to a changing audience of diners and drinkers, better to appeal to a transient crowd of locals in search of kinship and tourists on the lookout for a new eyrie from which to enjoy the capital. That said, 14 Hills stands out. Here’s why: it sits directly below the new public garden atop 120 Fenchurch Street, a destination in its own right for which 14 Hills serves as the perfect accompaniment. Comprising a deli, bar and dining room, it offers food-to-go between 9-5 weekdays, lunch and dinner until 10.30 pm Monday to Saturday, with a bar that quietly rocks until the early hours. A spectacular spot for all those looking to celebrate in style, or simply gawp at London’s ever-changing skyline. Bill Prince 120 Fenchurch St, London EC3M 5BA. 14hills.co.uk

14 Hills London, Fenchurch St
14 Hills London, Fenchurch St

If you are always looking for discounts on fine dining in London, The Gourmet Society offers discounts on more than 1,000 restaurants in London. You can avail 50% discount on your dining bill when you become a member of The Gourmet Society. So why wait Click on the image below and enjoy a great dining experience in London for half the price.

The Drunken Monkey Shoreditch, London

Travellers who are coming to have an awesome time in London shall go to the central London restaurants. Noticeably the east end of London is also getting popular among the tourists for places like Shoreditch. The Drunken Monkey is one great food joint where you can have your palette full of mouth-watering Dim Sum. You can enjoy some award-winning drinks in this chick Chinese theme setting that will welcome your appetite and meet your eyes.

The Drunken Monkey Shoreditch, London
The Drunken Monkey Shoreditch, London

There are so many new Restaurants open and closing in London, that it gets tough to keep an eye on which ones to list and which to remove. But we working actively to update our website and show you the tastiest cuisine restaurants around town. Here is the comprehensive list of the top names.

Bateaux London

Bateaux London serves a delicious set menu for each of our dining experiences. Our flavour combinations, expertly crafted by our dedicated Head Chef, celebrate British cooking at its finest. Expect fresh ingredients, seasonal produce and great food when you dine at London’s favourite floating restaurant.

Bateaux London’s fleet includes two handsome boats, River Room and Glass Room, specially designed for dining and celebrating on the water. With an experienced captain at the helm, our boats sail for lunch and dinner. You can also arrange to hire a room or the whole boat for your event. River views come as standard on every sailing.

Alternatively, sail away from the crowds. Protected from the elements but enveloped by nature. Windsor is only around 20 miles from Central London but feels a world apart. Windsor Castle, the longest-occupied palace in Europe, commands this beautiful stretch of the Thames. The history of the river is narrated as you sail.

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Bateaux London private dining hire london
Bateaux London Private Dining Hire London

Due to huge demand, we have created a London East End Food Tour, go enjoy some lip-smacking delicacies of East London in this 3.5-hour food tour.

Fish and Chips at Poppies restaurant
Fish and Chips at Poppies restaurant