Alternative London: 10 Original Experiences To Catch In The UK's Capital

Party in the Past

For those who love nothing more than to dress up in retro attire and party like it’s 1929, 1943, or even 1967 there is a whole variety of events just for you. Party for victory at Blitz Party, a forties themed celebration featuring big bands, wartime snacks and drinks, complete with military bunk beds to relax on. Or travel back to the roaring twenties at a Prohibition Party. Guests come dressed as flappers or in spats and smoking jackets to enjoy cocktails served in teacups, play roulette and dance to music played on gramophone-esque turntables. A recent addition to vintage inspired events in London is Retrolicious which takes place on the first Saturday of every month at Barrio Shoreditch and fuses a mixture of genres, playing the best in vintage Electro Swing, Soul and Funk, Rock “n” Roll, and Reggae and mixes it up with the cutting edge electronic sounds of today.

For Blitz Party future events visit http://www.theblitzparty.com/next-event.

Prohibition will host a New Year’s Eve party at a Secret Speakeasy, published two weeks prior to the event. For tickets click here.

Retrolicious at Barrio East : Barrio East 141-143 Shoreditch High Street, London, E1 6JE

All Star Lanes

All Star Lanes is a delightfully retro combination of diner, bowling alley and cocktail bar. With four venues across London, this popular haunt for first dates, parties or nights out with friends, has won fans through its ability to deliver on great food and entertainment. Tuck into classic American diner fare – mains feature Texas chilli con carne, steaks, burger and BBQ wings with chargrilled sweetcorn and chilli butter. End with a slice of Key Lime pie, Salted American Cheesecake or a milkshake such as Oh Sweet Jeez – a divine blend of chocolate, caramel, peanut butter and banana. At All Star Lanes on Brick Lane, you can also book a luxury karaoke booth for up to 14 people and have a choice of over 5000 songs to pick from. Booking for a bowling lane is recommended as it tends to get very busy and during peak hours (Tuesday to Saturday from 6pm to 11pm) the lanes are reserved for those dining in the restaurant.

Holborn: Victoria House, Bloomsbury Place, London WC1B 4DA

Brick Lane: Spitalfields Arts Market, 95 Brick Lane, London E1 6QL

Bayswater: Whiteleys, 6 Porchester Gardens, Bayswater, London W2 4DB

Street Art Tour and Workshop

Want to release your inner Banksy and discover the some of the world’s finest street art” On this graffiti and street art walking tour of East London, expert guides will show you work by Banksy, ROA, Shepard Fairey, Invader, Jimmy C, Stik and many more. Following a break for refreshments, you will head back to the Alternative London workshop to try creating your very own. This is a fun, relaxed environment to learn new skills such as spray can techniques and how to draw, cut and create a single or multi-layered stencil and build a piece of street art to take home. For an extra £3 you can paint your artwork onto a canvas bag or for just £6 you can paint onto a t-shirt. Everyone is welcome, regardless of artistic ability. Combined tours and workshops start at 11am every Saturday and Sunday and the full four hour session is just £25 per person. This includes all stationary, spray paints and protective gear. Head to the bookings page to see available dates.

Alternative London Tours, Brick Lane, London, England +44-7551-91-18-22