This week our Funky reporter Lucy caught up with one of our newest Funky Venues The Lost Angel to get the inside track on what makes this Battersea treasure perfect for your event…

How would you describe the Lost Angel?

There are two different rooms, you have the Lost Angel which is the bar, which is a laid back, funky, quirky place to hang out with your friends, like a local joint and then you have the Gaslight Grill, which is a different atmosphere from the Lost Angel. You close the doors, and you don’t have any of that noise coming from the (Lost Angel) room in here which makes a pleasant night.

What inspired the name, the Lost Angel?

It’s a very old building and what they found when they were refurbishing was small little angels in the corners of the rooms. And the with the ‘Lost’, the team already had a bar called Lost Society in Wandsworth, so the Lost Angel was the second one. So they found the angels…Lost Angel…that’s a good name, so that’s the idea.

What was your inspiration for the décor?

The décor was work with a designer we have been working with for 5/6 years, and we just didn’t want to create something boring. If you think of a steakhouse, everybody thinks American steakhouse. You want to create something different and quirky. We came up with this Steampunk and Victorian style joining together.

The venue appears to be very eclectic in that it’s a bar, a grill, but you also host events, could you just explain more about that?

We’re like a chameleon, we’re always adapting to what’s happening. We try to have our own identity. Music wise, it’s funk, a mash up of styles, our DJs create their own mixes as well.

Interview by Lucy Basaba 

For more information on the Lost Angel take a look at their Funky Profile - http://thisisfunky.com/funky-venues/listing/1786/the-lost-angel/

Getting out of the office and enjoying London’s crisp spring weather, we got the chance to visit one of our fabulous Funky venues, 8 Northumberland Avenue. A stone’s throw from Trafalgar Square, this gorgeous Victorian building, once home to the Grand Hotel, has been updated while retaining all of its stately elegance. 8 Northumberland Avenue is an ideal venue space, the Ballroom, which we toured today, offers a large open blank canvas space and high ceilings richly embellished with moulding. The venue, however, has far more to offer than just its sumptuous décor, with the swipe of a finger the room can be transformed with their state of the art lighting systems. Surround lighting sounds exciting on paper, but it’s a whole different experience in person! With millions (yes, millions!!) of colours to choose from the room can be fitted to meet whatever needs: matching the colour of your bridal scheme or a corporate logo, emulating daylight complete with spikes of yellow and grey to boost stimulation, even curing jetlag with their scientifically pinpointed blue hue!

            As if this iconic venue wasn’t already stacked with all the extras you could ever ask for, they’ve just upped the ante. This summer, 8 Northumberland Avenue will be installing a 3-D Holographic theatre system from innovators, Musion. As the first venue in the UK to offer this amazing technology, planning your event at this fantastic venue is a way to make your event truly one of a kind. Check out the reels to see this hardware in action (http://8northumberland.co.uk/venue/services/). While the unveiling of this amazing equipment won’t be until later in the year, you can make sure you’re one of the first to experience it by booking your Christmas do at 8 Northumberland Avenue. Their ‘Rock the Ballroom’ offering brings performances from the world’s hottest stars to your own private Christmas party.

            For more information on this amazing offer and other details, check out their Funky Profile here (http://thisisfunky.com/funky-venues/listing/1052/8-northumberland-avenue/)

 Roast fillet of beef with triple cooked chips from Boulevard Events…

Boulevard Events

Our newest funky caterer Boulevard put together exceptional events for any occasion, whether you are hosting for ten or ten thousand guests. After 25 years they are still very much a family run business and their core values remain unchanged to this day: Fabulous ingredients, sourced locally and treated with the care and respect they deserve.

Grain of Salt

Known for their vibrant and versatile menus, Grain of Salt offer a range of mouth watering options to brighten up any event. Taking their Inspiration from age-old traditional recipes, they create innovative combinations that result in adventurous and scrumptious food.

 
Eden Caterers

With an environmentally friendly approach, Eden aterers create delicious menus whilst reducing carbon emissions and sourcing the finest and freshest local British ingredients. Inspired by flavours that originate from around the world, their recipes showcase a stylish fusion of ingredients.

deWintons
 
Having worked with the fashion and retail industry and the film and art world, deWintons create a range of elegant yet creative options to add glamour to many an event. Whether you’re looking to plan an intimate or extravagant event, deWintons will most certainly add the wow factor.

Purple Grape

With a passion for food, Purple Grape catering offer a range of delicious contemporary menus that not only look appetising but taste great too. With their sustainably sourced ingredients, Purple Grape pride themselves on creating unforgettable menus and events.

The Food Show

With the highest standards of service, Food Show caters for all corporate and private functions, and pride themselves in ensuring the very best client experience…

Richmond Creative Events Catering

As one of London’s leading independent catering companies, Richmond draws on 30 years of experience in corporate and private entertaining to provide mouth watering food, innovative drinks and exceptional service.

Young & Wild

Young & Wild has personal relationships with all their suppliers. Wherever possible, they source their meat, fish and poultry from stock reared in humane conditions, and offer fresh fruit and vegetables sourced to support indigenous farmers and their way of life.

To contact any of our caterers and to find out more take a look at their Funky Profiles here http://thisisfunky.com/funky-caterers/

Private Venue, Arts Charity, Cinema, Gallery Space…Rich Mix, located in the heart of Shoreditch, truly is a jack-of-all-trades. This versatile space, housed in a refurbished garment factory, is a quirky blank canvas for your next event, whatever it may be. Given their close location to the City, Rich Mix is ideal for a corporate meeting or presentation. Tiered seating, large screens and state of the art technology all on offer to make your business run smoothly, then why not unwind with a drink in their Mezzanine Gallery, an airy balcony space.

Rich Mix provides a way array of different rooms to fit your needs and the events team is happy to set you up with in-house bar staff and recommend one of their trusted caterers making it one stop shopping! One of their three uniquely decorated screens can be the site of your own private film screening – why not throw on your tux or favorite flapper attire and host a roaring 20’s themed night with a view of the upcoming Great Gatsby film!

Not only is Rich Mix a first class venue but also an arts charity. All profits go towards supporting education and community outreach to help foster budding local talent. A venue with values – what more could you ask for? Check out their Funky Profile here…(http://thisisfunky.com/funky-venues/listing/1636/rich-mix/)

Take a peek as some of our newest venues…

The Clubhouse – one of Mayfair’s newest venues, this member’s club offers spaces perfect for a corporate meeting or team-building workshop in one of London’s most exclusive postcodes. Check out their profile here (http://thisisfunky.com/funky-venues/listing/1712/the-clubhouse/)

Quo Vadis – tucked away in the heart of Soho, Quo Vadis is a cozy restaurant space and private members club. Two super funky dining rooms are available for your private dining needs. See their profile here (http://thisisfunky.com/funky-venues/listing/1711/quo-vadis/)

Christ Church Spitalfields – this venue is perfect for your next big event! A blank canvas space with Baroque style grandeur, Christ Church Spitalfields can host up to 600 for parties, fashion shows, weddings and more – they’re even environmentally friendly! Funky profile here (http://thisisfunky.com/funky-venues/listing/1724/christ-church-spitalfields/)

Chandos House – elegant, sumptuous, grand, fit for queen – all these could be used to describe Chandos House, a beautiful townhouse venue situated in Central London. Chandos House offers a selection of rooms for events as well as 17 individual bedrooms should you want to stay the night! Take a look at their profile here (http://thisisfunky.com/funky-venues/listing/1666/chandos-house/)

If you’re looking for a venue to transport you back to a simpler time, Hackney Town Hall is the place for you. We were lucky enough recently to be able to pay a visit to this East Side gem. Walking into the entrance hall, you’re overwhelmed by the airy grandeur of the entrance hall, which is completely filled with natural light, making the space really shine. Recently refurbished, this venue has all the mod cons you could want for a wedding or corporate event space (projectors, screens, sockets, etc.) while maintaining its old timey charm with small touches like the original railings and brass light fixtures. The available rooms are ideal blank canvas spaces, they can be partitioned off if a small space is needed for a board meeting or opened up to encompass the entire space for a large ballroom or a seated dining area. The venue also features the ‘Bridgetown Bar’, a quaint cocktail lounge that would be perfect for a small drinks party or a pre-ceremony area for the bride or groom. The bar is consistent Art Deco style and charming vintage feel of the building with its jade tone marble counter and brass fittings around the room. The venue is fitted with plenty of space available for caterers and the friendly events team at Hackney Venues is available to make sure that your experience is above and beyond.  Check out their Funky Profile here! <http://thisisfunky.com/funky-venues/listing/1613/hackney-town-hall/>

If this piques your interest and you’re looking for more excellent Funky venues managed by the same great team as Hackney Town Hall, take a peek their other venues here! <http://thisisfunky.com/funky-venues/search/listings/?keyword=hackneyvenues>

Given the recent subzero temperatures we’ve been living with here in London, we thought we’d do a winter themed blog entry. Two super cool Funky venues not to miss are Icetank Studios and ICEBAR…

ICEBAR

We had a chance to visit ICEBAR last week and it is certainly not one to miss. The main bar is very chic, perfect for a night out or an after work drink. ICEBAR is very versatile – The Moose Dining Room, Wolf Bar, and Reindeer Lounge are available for anything from meetings to receptions to product launches to private events. Any of these rooms would be great for a new take on the corporate event space – and you receive a ticket to the ICEBAR with your booking!

The venue’s namesake is certainly nothing to miss – kept at minus 5 degrees all year round and made of ice flown all the way in from Sweden and reconstructed annually – ICEBAR is, simply put, really cool! Tasty cocktails are served in your very own ice glass and can be enjoyed as you lounge in your toasty parka. The theme of this year’s ICEBAR is Galactic Frontiers and the launch event was out of this world - featuring pearlescent tequila jelly shots, dry ice frozen margaritas, intergalactic DJs, and outer spaced canapés! This is great snapshot of what ICEBAR can do and the friendly team there would love to make your event their next smashing success! For more information, check out their Funky Profile here…

Icetank

Our next venue is a refreshing, truly blank canvas space – clean, white, and bright. Icetank prides itself on its flexibility and diversity. Playing host to large-scale press events as well as intimate private dining experiences, even corporate away days, Icetank is able to shape itself into whatever is needed for your event.

From a tree lined dining room to a ceiling adorned with dangling shoes, Icetank is ready to help you turn their space into whatever you fancy – sky’s the limit! Recent favourite events include an intimate wedding reception with mood lighting and a photomontage of the happy couple displayed on plasma screens. Icetank is a new venue and would love to show you what they’re all about so drop Amelia or Jo a line if you want to check it out firsthand – studio@icetank.com. Also don’t forget to take a look at their Funky profile here…

Searching for a truly versatile space with character? Look no further than Under the Bridge, located on the Fulham Road. This venue is perfect for any event, from video shoots to private dining to birthday parties. Located at Stamford Bridge, Under the Bridge has access to a hotel, restaurant, and spa onsite, making it an ideal space for conference or team building workshops. Whatever your event, the team at Under the Bridge is dedicated to meeting the needs of their clients from start to finish.

Under the Bridge’s trendy industrial décor surrounds a spacious dance floor with luxury booths lining the back of the room. The space is decorated with over 160 special edition photographs of British artists. Under the Bridge boasts state of the art production, lighting, and sound, as well as a huge LED stage wall on which videos, pictures, even logos can be uploaded.  

This Funky venue has played host to a wide array of functions, some past favourites include exclusive events such as Beyonce’s London Fashion Week House of Derion launch and the Jessie J MasterCard party, as well as fabulous Christmas parties and Bar Matzvah bashes! Let the crew at Under the Bridge go the extra mile to make your next event one to remember!

            For more information on Under the Bridge, check out their Funky Profile here…

When thinking of a venue for a fabulous wedding ceremony and reception, you would go through the main checklist:

• ·       Fabulous location
• ·       Indoor and Outdoor options
• ·       Easy to get to
• ·       Capacity
• ·       Live music/DJ
• ·       Parking spaces for guests

By this time, the bride and groom to be are bound to be looking just as worried as each other!

Don’t despair too soon though as we here at team Funky are always full of ideas and ready with a solution. Not only is there an establishment that ticks off ALL the above but is also in central London!

Last week we were lucky enough to visit one of our fantastic Funky Weddings members, BMA House.

 With BMA being short for British Medical Association, you may not expect it to be filled with superbly designed spaces suitable and licensed for all your wedding needs, from the perfect ceremony to the reception afterwards.

When shown the wedding route you’ll easily forget that it’s an association building and become lost within their walls, from the exquisitely designed archways to the rich indoor pillars, not to mention their beautifully arched windows, which flood the venue with natural light. 

The Courtyard

The history that this building holds entices you to explore the grounds and fall in love with the picturesque setting. With each room telling a different story your mind soon wanders and you’re left imagining the endless possibilities on offer. 

A highlight has to be the Prince’s Room. Once through the doors you are immediately taken aback. The luxuriously styled room, with its dome shape ceiling and gold painted details, is almost overwhelming and immediately conjures a journey back into history.

The Prince’s Room

An interesting fact about the Prince’s Room is that it is known for its ‘whispering walls’. It is said that if you whisper facing the wall on one side of the room and someone stands directly opposite they can hear exactly what’s been said. So if you do have the privilege of hiring this particular room it could be perfect for intimate sweet nothings between the bride and groom, or you could consider this your word of warning to be careful of who may be listening in!

Although the interiors are wonderful we can’t forget to mention the outdoor spaces- a fabulous garden at the back and a front courtyard centred by a memorial fountain. So for any summer weddings planned, this is definitely a prime location to consider!

BMA House Garden

For all those intrigued, BMA House are holding a Wedding afternoon event on February 23^rd 2013, where the venue will be shown off and decorated in its finest allowing affianced couples to imagine what their wedding would look like.

Live music and entertainment will be provided as well as complimentary bites, ending the event with a chance to win wedding goodies! It’s an event not to miss!

R.S.V.P your place now by calling 0207 874 7020 or emailing event@bma.org.uk

or accept the invitation through our Facebook page on: http://on.fb.me/UnLn6u

New images and special offers can be found on their Weddings Facebook page. Like BMA on:www.facebook.com/BmaHouseWeddingVenue

Earlier this week I had the pleasure of visiting one of our newest Funky venues, Warren House. This gorgeous mid-18^th century is tucked away just a few scant miles from London but you wouldn’t know it until you climb the winding staircase and see the Shard in the near distance. Warren House generally plays host to businessmen and women seeking a quiet day or two in the country for conferences or a few days of team buildings. That being said, this venue is amazingly versatile; an ideal place to hold a wedding, drinks on the patio during Wimbledon, a close neighbour, or a cozy afternoon tea to celebrate the holidays. With a golf course just across the road, Richmond park but a stones throw away and a forthcoming arrangement with nearby Kingston Riding School, Warren House has many activities available nearby to keep you and your guests entertained.

The space is steeped in history, a fact clearly evident as you wander through the halls of the house, which has been renovated with loving care to ensure their guest all mod-cons while not straying too far from the original design. Beautiful floral prints and classic artworks line the walls and each window gives stunning views of the manicured grounds or the fascinating architecture of the house. The rooms are luxuriously decorated with antique furniture and are full of natural light. If you’re a history buff, this April as a book chronicling the varied history of Warren House will hit the shelves, no doubt to be a page turner!

If you’re looking for a unique and memorable place, just outside of London, to hold your next event, think of Warren House! Keep an eye out for their new offers in the new year, including themed afternoon teas – featuring the delicious cakes crafted by their in-house pastry chef (!!) and teas and even tea tastings by Twinings. Be sure to take a walk around the grounds and check out the funky grotto behind the house, complete with a bottle mosaic! 

For more information on Warren house be sure to take a look at their Funky Profile here…