Indoor Skydiving with Airkix

A couple of weeks ago I tagged along on a friends birthday pressie to try out indoor skydiving. Having jumped out of a plane a few years ago, I was interested to see how this compared. Eliminating the fear factor of jumping out of a plane, with a prayer that the parachute would open, would pure free fall be fun?

Source: Airkix Gallery

We signed away or lives, packed every bit of belongings, accessories and tidbits into a locker, watched the mandatory instruction video and then got into our gloriously flattering jumpsuits. Blue baggy jumpsuits, goggles on as tight as you could bear, helmet (soft toy on top optional) and headed for the wind tunnel.

Arriving at the tunnel early, we watched the previous group learning to fly, their instructor helping out with encouragement or physical adjustments where needed. At the end he wrapped things up showing off his skills and what he could do in the tunnel. I wish I'd had my camera. It was amazing! He shot up the tunnel, did flips and spins, dropped to the windows and sailed out as calm and as precise as can be. I would LOVE to be able to do that. Like a ballet in mid air.

The acrobatic display done, it's was our groups turn in the tunnel. I confess, I was a bit nervous so I made sure I was last in line. Logic and emotion don't always see eye to eye - I knew there was nothing to be afraid of but still, my heart was racing and I watched everyone eagerly to convince myself to relax and be calm. My friend went first and with a couple of tips from the instructor, did well.

My turn. I gave myself a pep talk 'Alright Sam, you've jumped out of a plane, everyone else here has done it, nothing to worry about, just relax and go with the flow. Oh and don't forget to keep your head up!' I stepped up to the edge of the tunnel, got ready and leaned forward letting the wind and my instructor catch me...and I floated in.

It. Was. AWESOME!!!

It was a minute of free fall without anything to worry about except keeping your position so you could float high enough. It was great. Floating on a cloud great. It was a true in-the-moment experience.

I did keep bumping into the windows because, as a first timer, they don't show you how to control your flight, they just want to make sure you get the basic position to fly, but other than that, I was told I did pretty well and hardly needed any adjustment from the instructor - yeah, I'm totally bragging about that ;)

I did two flights of a minute each, it doesn't sound like much but it is plenty. The first flight is just to get used to the idea - everyone improves on the second especially as they have a video on two minute delay showing previous flights so you can watch yourself and see how you did. Anyone can do this - if you get vertigo though...you might not be able to handle the mesh floor...

An instructor adjusting a flyer - they aren't always like this, sometimes its just a hand signal.

The guys at Airkix warned us that flying was like an intense workout hidden in a bit of fun, but my friend and I were sceptical. They weren't kidding, we did feel a little sleepy on the train ride home and the next day I was sore, my legs, arms and shoulders felt like I'd done a weights session at the gym!


Our instructor, Ryan, was great, really approachable and patient. It really was so much fun and quite the unique experience. I can see myself going back to learn about controlling my flight a bit more. My friend already bought a repeat visit so, who knows, I might join him and be back there sooner than you'd expect. Am I crazy? Would you try this?

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The Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret

Imagine you were sick, gall stones, and you had to have an operation where a thin metal rod was stuck into your *ahem* and a small incision to be made behind your *ahem* to get them out. Now imagine that I told you the operation would be without anaesthetic. And because of that there will be men holding you down. And there will probably be about 150 medical students watching. But it'll be over really fast ,45 seconds in fact. That's not so bad is it? Did I mention the blindfold?

Try not to think about the red stain on the pulled out part of the operating table...

Hidden in an old church attic, lost for almost hundred years is a small old operating theatre. It used to belong to the female ward of the St Thomas hospital before the hospital moved and its grounds sold to the railway companies.

Entrance to the Old Operating Theatre - no the patients did not come up this way.

The theatre has been on my list of things to see in London for a while and a couple of weekends ago I finally managed to visit. I was even more fortunate to be squeezed in to the lecture which was booked out (there were a couple of no shows). The lady giving the talk was brilliant, she made a few grown men cringe and kids squirm.

One of the knives used for amputation

She talked about a couple of operations back when the operating theatre was in use, one an amputation another a gallstone removal - both operations would have been held at midday, to make full use of the natural light from the skylight. She also spoke about how medicine was viewed, how operations were about taking things away from the body because it was all about doing things fast, before anaesthetic began to be used and it could slow down. She spoke about how the theatre was found, like a little time capsule, years later. It was fascinating.

Ready to saw off that leg?

Even the operating table itself had so many unique features - firstly this was pre-recognition of germs...hence wood. It had grooves for the blood to trickle down and was quite low so the men holding patients down would be gravity assisted. Can you guess what the elevated head piece was for?

After the talk I had a look around the small herb garret which had been used for drying herbs used in medicines of the time before a patients recovery room. There were displays of doctors instruments, old medical equipment, pathology, herbs, early medication, an apothecary shop and more. I even came across a small pamphlet talking about a lady named Miranda who, determined to be a doctor, made herself over as a man, named James Barry, became a successful doctor and was buried as a man. Can you imagine that kind of dedication?

Whether your interested in medical history, are a medical student (like some I overheard), like secret and forgotten pieces of the past, or just want to see grown men cringe ;) The old operating theatre is unique and the oldest in Europe.

Anaesthetic masks

A visit costs £6.50 for adults and the Saturday 2pm lecture books out weeks in advance so book early! While you are in the area, you can always pop in to Borough Markets for a bite or a coffee :)

If you cant visit in person, do have a look at their virtual tour, the images from the garret do far better justice to the space than my photos!

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The Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland

The Giant's Causeway: A natural wonder of the world created by volcanoes? Or built by giants?

Built by giants.

Obviously.

My visit

A month ago I found myself with my friend E in Dublin, exploring the city, the Irish country and even popping back in to the UK's Northern Ireland to see the Giant's Causeway.

Walking on the hexagonal basalt columns was like walking on a brutalist loving giant bee's honeycomb. Weird. Surreal. Awesome. The photos dont do the place justice nor does it really show the differing levels of the columns. But it is incredible. All I could do was stare and try to imagine how the heck this happened. Like I said, must have been giants ;)

The Legend

Located on the northern tip of Northern Ireland, the Giant's Causeway gets its name from an old legend. The story goes that there used to be a giant called Finn MacCool that lived on the Irish coast with his giantess wife, Oonagh. He was the biggest and strongest in all the land. But one day he heard that, actually, there was a Scottish giant called Benandonner across the sea who was bigger and stronger.

Boys being boys, one thing led to another and they challenged each other to a fight. However, there was the slight problem of crossing the sea between them, so Finn built a causeway to get to the other side. When he got closer to Scotland he saw that, yeah, Benadonner was bigger...and in a panic he ran home to his wife...but not before Benandonner had spotted him in the distance...

Back at home, Finns clever giantess wife dressed her husband in baby clothing, put him in a cradle and waited. When Benandonner arrived looking for Finn, the giantess welcomed him into their house  to wait for Finn who was off on a small errand and would be back soon. Taking a seat Benandonner noticed the 'baby' and thought…if that’s the size of the baby then Finn must be huge.

Making some feeble excuse he ran back across the causeway home, but not before he destroying a good part of it so the other giant could not follow.

And thats how we ended up with the causeway as we see it today. Its quite a trip from Dublin so if you do find yourself interested in seeing the Giants Causeway yourself, be prepared for a long day, or, you can always visit from Belfast.

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Are you afraid of the dark?

I wasn’t going to tell anyone this. In fact I was very serious when I said, quite sternly to a certain Kiwi, "That never happened". But there are moments which are just too funny not to share. One such moment happened to me in the dark. Please wrench your minds out of the gutter. I said funny, not dirty. Ahem. Anyway, I was in the dark and I was having dinner. It was so pitch black that I could not see my hand in front of my face. I had to feel my way around my table, yup, there's the cutlery and…pat pat pat…yep there's the glass of water…mmmhmm, feels like a square plate…ok now the tricky part, fork in hand, lets find the food on the plate. A methodical light 'scraping' and…found something! Eureaka! Stab it! Quick! Before you lose where it is! Hahaha! *smug look* Yeah, no one can see that. Now to actually eat it. "Woohoo! I found my mouth!" Um, yeah, I actually said that last bit out loud. In a still relatively quiet restaurant. But I had to laugh, and the lovely Emma (the Kiwi in this story) had the generosity to laugh at with me too. Thankfully no one can see you go red in the dark.

Arriving at Dans Le Noir, the hostess sat us down and explained the process before asking us to choose which menu we preferred and taking our drinks order. The menus are generic (meat, seafood, veg, 'suprise me') and you can make dietary requests. Once that was sorted, we were asked to place all glowing/light generating/shiny objects, jackets, bags, scarfs and the kitchen sink into a locker before being taken to meet our blind waiter Darren. Introductions made, it was time to go in. Right hand on each others right shoulder, Darren led us beyond the heavy red velvet curtain and into the darkness. It wasn't a gradual loss of light, almost as soon as we'd stepped through, and the curtain had closed behind us, it was pitch black. I could not see a thing. I have to admit, I had a "Holy sh*t! What have I done?!" moment and maybe a bit of a "What excuse can I come up with to back out without looking like a coward" moment too. But it can be really surprising what you learn about yourself when you push through challenging moments. Have I said moment enough times yet? Moment, moment, moment.

Total trust and rationality got me to my seat. The feel of the chair and the table, oddly grounding. The voice of my fellow diner, reassuring. Especially when the both of us started giggling away at how surreal it all was. But it was fine, after the initial nerves died off, we both settled into the amusing challenge of eating in the dark. Darren was great and learning to eat without being able to see was surprisingly easy - sort of. There may have been the occasional use of fingers to find/eat/poke the food...what? Its not like anyone could see what you were doing!

What I learnt

• How to pour a glass of water without spilling.
• How much I rely on seeing someone speak to 'hear' them in a noisy room (and the restaurant did fill up and get quite noisy)
• I do things subconsciously, like gesturing when I speak, even if no one can see me.
• In a normal restaurant, I don’t think about or 'taste' what I'm eating. Its as though just knowing what I ordered, my brain supplies the flavour when it sees the food presented. Unless its an amazing restaurant where the flavours blow you away.
• Seeing food is part of the pleasure in dining out for me.
• Just how much I rely on my vision – to feel safe, to 'read' people, to get around and be independent.
• Just how little I rely on my vision – my body knows how to do stuff without my having to really think about it; think muscle memory.
• I will never stop seeking and trying such weird and wonderful experiences.

Tips to make it through the dark

1. Keep your wits about you.
• You need to trust that a) Your waiter knows his way around the room and will make sure you reach your table safely and b) You wont trip, this is a business who knows people cant see where they're going so they are not going to put anything in your way
2. Don’t Panic
• No one is going to jump out at you.
• You aren’t going to be left on your own.
• You can leave at any time.
• You will get used to the darkness once your mind builds up a mental image.
3. Feed your mind anything you can for a mental image
• Use your sense of touch to 'see' your chair, table and items on the table.
• Use your hearing to figure out where other people are, where they are and how far they are. This gives you a sense of space and your place within it.
• Use your imagination. Its like daydreaming, you can 'see' things in your daydream and this is no different.
4. Go with a friend
• You can go alone, but having someone to share the weird experience with helps it feel real. And chatting to someone distracts you from your initial discomfort.

The food

To be honest, I wasn’t blown away. It was average. But that may have something to do with the fact that I couldn’t see it and didn’t know what any of it was. I'd love to do an experiment where I did the whole thing again knowing what I was eating to see if it affected the taste. My one criticism, which has nothing to do with not being able to see, is the temperature of the food, it was warm, not hot, and one dish was actually slightly cold. So, don’t go for the food, go for the experience ;)


Would you try eating in the dark?

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Curiouser and curiouser!

You know I've become *slightly* addicted to immersive theatre ever since Punchdrunk. So when I heard of Alice's Adventures Underground, I decided to take a tumble down the rabbit hole and go on my own adventure in Wonderland - which just so happens to be under the arches of Waterloo station, don't you know?

Its a wonderful immersive experience, I wasnt just a bystander watching a scene unfold but I was seen, spoken to and given jobs to do - but I could also just watch. I loved the tunnel of books (and I totally want one), the Cheshire cat, the haunting Mockturtle's song, the acrobatics of tweedle-dum and tweedle-dee, the Mad tea party and the cheeky Red Queen who kept blowing kisses to all those who were designated a heart suit during the court scene.

"Will you walk a little faster?" said a whiting to a snail.
"There's a porpoise close behind us, and he's treading on my tail.
See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance!
They are waiting on the shingle--will you come and join the dance?
Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you join the dance?
Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, won't you join the dance?
― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to."
"I don't much care where –"
"Then it doesn't matter which way you go."
― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Eat me, drink me
I chose the "eat me" option and was given a small candy before being shown through to be assigned a S.U.I.T and beginning my own adventure into the nonsensical, mad and utterly enchanting world of Wonderland. The lovely Emma, my fellow Wonderland adventurer, was given a different S.U.I.T so we were temporarily split up, but that was OK as we got to compare notes afterwards. The outcome of comparing notes? We want to go again and try the "drink me" path!

I don't want to give too much away, it really is a fun experience. Also, as a nice bonus to attending one of the shows, the card given to you, your S.U.I.T, can be used to go back into the quirky bar area (complete with maze, croquet space and live music on weekends) on other evenings and you can bring 3 friends - a great twist on a night out.

The show is running till the end of August so you still have time, just don't be late like the White Rabbit!

What do you think? Would you be game to take a tumble down the rabbit hole?

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The time portal at 18 Folgate St

A fire is crackling in the hearth, the smell of burning wood faintly tickling my nose and memory. A walnut lays half eaten on the table among pieces of its cracked shell, a bit of tea is left in a dainty teacup. Its quiet, so silent I can hear the clock on the mantelpiece ticking, creaking floorboards and faint noises coming from the other other rooms.

I go deeper into the house, creep up the stairs softly and find myself in another room. The lady of the house peers at me from her picture over the mantelpieces, but where is she? Where is everyone? I stand by the softly burning embers and look around the room. A tea set is laid out on  the table in front of me. The candles flicker in their holders casting dancing light across all the colours of the richly decorate room, the green walls, crimson drapes, blue chairs and red armchair.

I continue my search through time for the family of silk weavers only to find I've just missed them, yet again. They've left in such a rush that the bed is unmade, the thick black coffee hasn't been drunk, yet the shoes and socks are there, lying in disarray. How odd.

I climb further but there is only poverty, laundry hung in the staircase, dirty sunken beds, cobwebs and dust, crumbling ceilings and flaking walls. The King has died and I can hear the gun salute echoing through the flimsy walls. It looks like time has not been kind to the Jervis family.

Back down through the rooms, there is a letter there, an upturned chair, a spilled bottle, a filled pipe, there are smells and sounds and really, "you either see it, or you don't".

If the thought of walking up to an ordinary door, ringing the bell and then stepping through time thrills you, then you need to check out this unusual house in Shoreditch. Its part painting, part still life, part museum, part sensory experience created by artist Dennis Severs. I really haven't experienced anything like it. It was odd. At times I felt like I was really nosing around someones house. And that house had fallen through a time warp - I could look out onto modern buildings from one of the rooms while being very aware that I was 'living' in a different time.

If you could travel in time, which era would you visit?

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The cafe in a toilet - no, I'm not taking the piss.

What would you say if I told you that I recently found myself sipping coffee with several urinals in my line of sight? What if it wasn't just coffee, what if I ate there too? Am I grossing you out?

The Attendant is a cafe located in one of Londons disused Victorian toilets, a short walk from the bustling Oxford Street. The toilet was built around the 1890s and became disused in the 1960's. My curiosity was piqued ever since I heard about it, not on the Loo tour, but via word-of-mouth. It had novelty, clever use of space and a reputation for a really good cup of coffee. The things I do for a good cup of coffee...*sigh*.
 

The cafe kept a lot of its features, the tiles, the urinals, a cistern and hand drier. But all are, naturally, disused, purely ornamental and CLEAN! (Seriously, they'd have to be, can you imagine the food safety inspection before they were allowed to open??) The urinals are now used for individual seating with two small spaces set aside for a couple of tables and the main service area.

I dragged a friend of mine there recently to try it out. The coffee was like having a taste of home, it was that good. Smooth, perfectly balanced and strong. The Vegemite on toast just made my day, and, unfortunately, gave my friend food envy as they didn't have any gluten free bread.

Having arrived fairly early on a Saturday morning, we easily got a table. We sipped our coffee chatted and watched other people come in and be tickled with the novelty of the space. We didnt feel rushed at all.

Unfortunately the space is so small they don't really have a kitchen so the gluten free options for my friend were limited to the sweet offerings.

I had a good time at the Attendant. It had good coffee, quirky surroundings and a chilled atmosphere. It even had a special wall dedicated to 'graffiti' complete with toilet puns. So yep, my friend and I added our names to the wall, as if you wouldn't!

And in case you are wondering, yes, the toilet cafe had a toilet...

Would you visit and add your name to the wall?

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Enter the world of Temple Studios

Photo by Pari via NT

There is darkness...

A nervous excitement...

The labyrinth of the studios swallows my friends...

I am alone.

Or am I?

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Top Secret. Classified. Do NOT read!

There are only 31 seconds left, ticking down ominously. Flash enters the code as I read out the numbers. A pause. The keypad light flashes orange. Wrong code. How could we be so close and fail to evacuate at the last second? No mission goes smoothly but we did shut down Mr Blacks operation. That's all that matters. Now we just need to get out. 20 seconds. I look at my agents. Would we make it?

The radio cackles..."Agents, we have been informed that there is no 79, just 7". Saved! Flash punches the numbers into the keypad. Euphoria as it lights up green and all of us stumble into the corridor laughing and meeting our handler, Jules. We have just managed to escape the room at ClueQuest's most recent room "Operation Black Sheep". 

It was an absolutely mental hour of clue finding, code breaking, riddles, brain teasers, teamwork, laughter and non-stop fun. Our brains were going a mile a minute, the cogs turning at high speeds fit to burst that, in the end, all my friends brain could manage was an "ouch" in the team log.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to head to ClueQuest.co.uk and book you and your team into Operation Black Sheep. Be prepared. This is not for the fickle or the flighty. You must have your wits about you as you enter Mr Blacks lair. Full briefing will be given by your handler on arrival. This message wont self destruct but will be here to nag you to go and book forever. Don't keep Mr Q waiting.

ClueQuest is a company that has brought the "Escape the Room" gaming concept to real life. They have built rooms, created stories, codes, clues and basically, an unforgettable event. I don't want to give away too much but if you like a challenge, I cannot recommend this place enough. It is definitely one of the more quirky and unusual things to do in London. And no, this wasn't a sponsored post. I really did just love the experience that much.

Have a go and let me know what you think!

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Things to do in London - Recommendations wanted!

I'm lucky, very lucky. To be living in this amazing city with all sorts of fun things to do at my fingertips is something one usually can only dream of. I have been here since Jan 2012 and have done and seen a lot.

Ive done all your typical touristy stuff...

Visited the Tower of London...

Climbed to the top of Tower Bridge...

Walked in the footsteps of the Royal family at Buckingham Palace...

Seen London through a a glass pod in the London Eye...

Whispered in St Paul's Cathedral...

Ive been to Covent Garden, seen Shakespeare at the Globe Theatre...

Snapped photos of Big Ben and listened to his echoing chime...

Had a pub lunch. Or several. And I've stared down the lions in Trafalgar Square and been to more museums than I can count. Ive also done plenty of day trips from London and travelled for weekends away to Europe. Ive done some wacky things, from running like mad in a city wide treasure hunt, to a Loo Tour, to doing the can-can with perfect strangers. No I wasn't drunk at the time either. For any of them.

What I'd like to do now is dig a little deeper. I want to do those things that are not your average thing to do or place to eat in London. I have started building a list (I have 15 items so far). Quirky restaurants, unusual tours and fun events that you would only find in this city. And here is where you come in. If you have been somewhere or done something I might find interesting, let me know! Drop me an email, let me know via facebook, comment below or tweet me! It can be a cute cafe off the beaten track, your favourite walk, an unusual spot or whatever you like! I'll try almost anything. So, what are you waiting for?

In the meantime, here is my list of things to do in London which i'll keep adding to as I go along.

• ClueQuest - Operation Black Sheep
• The Drowned Man - Temple Studios (Punchdrunk)
• The Royal Courts of Justice 
  

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