Freshly Social

The Forbes dynasty, of the informative Forbes Magazine fame, has decided to put much of their exquisite art collection and antique furniture from their Old Battersea House, on auction. The auction, taking place in Edinburgh on 01 November 2011, features an art collection from various period artists such as: Benjamin Robert Haydon (1786-1846) who painted Queen Victoria and Prince Albert; Walter Grieves (1846-1930); and Ramsay Richard Reinagle (1775-1862), amongst many others famously talented artisans.

The Old Battersea House built in 1699 has seen many owners and tenants, but none as famous as the art collecting Forbes family. The property for rent in Battersea was taken on a 99-year lease by Malcolm Forbes who saw the potential in the rundown home and its prime location along the riverside. The house, littered with the Forbes private art collection, also features furniture dating back to the early 1700’s such as a pair of George II Irish Mahogany side chairs, and art pieces such as an early 18^th century style cream-painted and parcel-gilt pier table, amongst much other traditionally antique furniture.

Due to its spectacular situation in the Mediterranean Sea, nestled between powerful countries, Malta was under colonial rule for centuries. Malta Independence Day or Jum l-Indipendenza is celebrated on September 21^st and each year the Maltese people throw a huge celebration in memory of this event.

The islands have previously been under the rule of the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Sicilians, Knights of St John, French and the British and since they obtained independence in 1964, not a year goes by where this is not celebrated in Malta. This year the Nationalist Party will celebrate Independence Day from the 16^th to the 20^th of September at the Granaries in Floriana. It is declared a national holiday when all Malta companies and businesses close in honour of the event.

The Notting Hill Carnival is among London’s most famous festivals – and with this eagerly anticipated celebration just around the corner, Londoners will be gearing up for the biggest and brightest carnival yet! Whether you’re a Chelsea restaurateur or a Fitzrovia estate agent, you can expect your neighbourhood to be abuzz this coming weekend as the Notting Hill Carnival of 2011 gets underway, attracting millions excited visitors – not only from all corners of London, but from all over the globe.

The Notting Hill Carnival first took place in 1964 as a celebration of Caribbean culture in London, and has grown in popularity (and size) ever since. The 2011 carnival will take place on August bank holiday weekend (Sunday 28th August and Monday 29th August), starting at 9am and finishing at 7pm. If you’re planning to visit the Notting Hill Carnival, you can expect a sensory explosion of colour and sound; traditional Soca, Calypso and steel bands will fill the air with music, hundreds of food stalls will serve up fresh, hot Caribbean curries and fried plantain, gorgeous women and skilled entertainers in elaborate costumes will parade through streets of Notting Hill on the now-famous carnival route. There will also be plenty of carnival warm-up parties and after parties to choose from.

It’s summer in London and however brief the season may be, this is the time to get out of the house and explore the busting capital of the UK. There are plenty of London events happening in and around the city and if you don’t feel like taking part, you can still be a spectator of the vibe and excitement. There is no excuse to stay indoors or complain about anything during this month of July with all the London events busting around the city. There are events to suit everyone’s palate and age in London and July is certain to be a month worth remembering. Here are the top three events during the summer month of July in London:

Oh Rory Bremner, will your wonderments ever cease? Rory’s gift of the gab has allowed him translate the French comedy, Orpheus in the Underworld. This comedy has been in existence for over one hundred and fifty years and it is now going to be performed at the Bullingdon Club at the Oxford University. This is an incredibly prestigious place which has seen the likes of presidents, politicians and actors the world over.  Yet let us not dilly-dally, on with the explanation of the show itself!

From impromptu pillow fights to choreographed dance routines, the concept of the flash mob is nothing new – but brands are constantly developing creative new ways to generate publicity by harnessing the spontaneous, fun-loving spirit of flash mob gatherings. Eco-fashion brand Wear Chemistry recently made headlines with a flash fashion show that quite literally stopped traffic! While fashion fanatics would normally expect to see the latest Polo shirts make their debut on the catwalk or in a shop window, the newest Wear Chemistry collection made its first appearance on the streets of London in the form of a flash mob, as models staged a “fashion protest” during rush hour.

Let’s jump straight into it Freshly Social fans! We realize that you all love a good night out on the town of London, yet when it becomes time to socilise on the African safaris, which is the best option for a go-getter like yourself? The team of Freshly Social looks into some of the top Africa Safaris for the London socialite:

It’s certainly an impossible feat to call Mr. Bernie Ecclestone a ‘humble man’. Alongside his two daughters, Tamara and Petra, Bernie stands short yet proud of the fact that he is one of the UK’s top-most wealthy property owners. Bernie has managed to amass £2.4 billion in his lifetime and he is now happy to share it with his daughters. Now, this very lucky pair of children will both enjoy a luxury mansion in the heart of the UK’s most prestigious suburbs.

The date for the Royal wedding has been set! Prince William and Kate Middleton will be married on April 29th 2011, and while one might expect an event like this to be swarming with security guards carefully monitoring their alarm systems, the couple say their wedding will be a low-key, relaxed affair with minimal security. In fact, the British Royal family has embraced social networking by announcing the wedding details on Twitter!

Deftly sewing an embroided logo onto a tatty old dress could push it into ‘fashionable’ status. Even creating personalised workwear that inherently symbolizes the designers clever fashion sense speaks volumes about the nature of design.  At a stunning exhibition at the Design Museum, (Shad Thames, London) a show known as Drawing Fashion is now running and will be running until March 2011. Drawing Fashion looks at and celebrates a distinctive art during the periods of the 20^th and 21^st century. Original works of art at the Drawing Fashion exhibition come from design gurus such as Chanel, Viktor & Rolf, Dior, Comme des Garçons and Poiret, Lacroix and McQueen.