Bowie, Gilded Nights, Sacred Lights

Quote of the Week - “I’m convinced there’s luxury in simplicity.”- Jil Sander

Good Afternoon, London. Welcome to this week's edition of The London Palette, where snippets of genius and quiet luxury raise their heads above the parapet. Here’s an advanced warning about a modest Bromley terrace that takes you inside David Bowie’s childhood bedroom where he dreamed up Space Oddity. If you want to inject a slice of celebration in your breakfast ritual, then upgrade now to The Landmark Hotel. And, 30,000 LEDs transform the West End into sacred geometry during Ramadan Lights. Nominate the quiet radical next door to become a borough beacon. Then, step aboard a superyacht and enjoy some quintessential luxury.

Snatched highlights from this edition:

1. 30,000 Reasons to Look Up at Ramadan Lights

2. Lambeth Rewards Civic Hustle, It’s Time to Vote

3. Turn Breakfast into a Luxury Ritual at Winter Garden

4. Live Music - David Benoit, Binker Golding, & lots more!

Let’s dive in.

—Bybreen Samuels

COUNCIL CANVAS

Vote for Your Radical Before Lambeth’s Spotlight Fades

You know that feeling when you walk past the same street corner for months and suddenly realise someone's been quietly working their magic there. They’ve turned broken ground into a shared space? Well it’s now time for that neighbour, that volunteer, to shine. Lambeth Council needs you to nominate them before midnight, on January 25, for their 2026 Civic Awards. These honours spotlight radical community catalysts as they help to power Lambeth 2030's push for more equity. They welcome climate warriors to youth mentors to parents who look out for and look after other children. Their precious contributions show how collective grit turns crisis into community culture.

Seven categories form the umbrella spotlight. They include the Mayor’s Volunteer Champion, Climate and Green Spaces, Safer Lambeth, Arts and Heritage, Social Enterprise, Health and Wellbeing, and Empowering Young People. Two of the winners from last year were Norwood's Solve the School Run, who tackle the problem of school run traffic to protect children and parents from air pollution and dangerous congestion. And Southside Rehabilitation Association who support people with serious mental health problems get back into employment. Both of these winning organisation have become borough beacons. With 2026 sponsors like Marston Holdings, nominations stay open to anyone championing local causes in Lambeth.

These contributions matter because Lambeth Council's vision sits on the shoulders of people countering systemic inequities in real time. Twenty climate goals don't move or change without volunteer interventions. Safer streets only remain safe because of neighbourhood guardians. So, without your nomination, that quiet transformer who you observe, stays in the shadows. Submit your nomination via Lambeth’s website by January 25. Collectively, they translate diverse cultures and small acts of care into structural change. Nominate your unsung changemaker today because in Lambeth’s radical tapestry, every thread counts.

Find our more here - https://www.lambeth.gov.uk

CITY PALETTE

Pilgrimage to Starman | Inside Bowie’s Origin Story

South East London, Bromley to be precise, will become the place where you can eavesdrop on stardom’s origin story. Number 4 Plaistow Grove is the terrace house where David Bowie dreamed up Space Oddity, in his tiny bedroom. The Heritage of London Trust have secured this slice of suburbia this month, by pledging £1m to restore David’s childhood home back to its 1960s authentic setting. They’ll use family archives, photos and sketches to create an immersive experience, which you can enjoy from 2027. The Trust aren’t turning this into a quaint museum. Instead, you’ll encounter the post-war formula of how a school boy’s unique musical obsessions ignited a global reinvention.

Bromley's Bowie Bandstand, now anchors a heritage trail, which will lure fans to the borough that birthed the chameleon before he bolted for Berlin. A £500k kickstart from Jones Day Foundation fuels the renovation. This is alongside the public launch of a crowdfunding initiative that will preserve the “spark to the flame” bedroom as a creative pilgrimage. V&A curator Geoffrey Marsh frames it as, “The place where Bowie evolved from an ordinary suburban schoolboy to extraordinary stardom, all within the confines of a tiny Bromley bedroom. The no-man's-land between his interior world and the street that launched a thousand personas.”

Workshops will also form a part of the Trust's intentions within its Proud Places Scheme. Young creators will be handed David’s "free experimentation" torch. Think of songwriting sessions, confidence-building labs, mod culture explorations channeling Little Richard and early hits. The house is in proximity to Croydon Art College, a place David coined as, "So fucking Croydon" adds to the scope of reinvention. It echoes Liverpool's John Lennon pad or Jimi Hendrix's Mayfair flat, as pop heritage hits South London. You won’t find any gaudy exhibits. You can expect rotating David Bowie estate loans, virtual reality tours, July "Space Oddity" gigs for that visceral bedroom-to-global thrill.​

As AI curates flawless feeds and fast culture chokes authenticity, 4 Plaistow Grove signals a reset of heritage as a living lab. A place where humble origins fuel tomorrow's trailblazers. Mark your 2027 calendar, book early, wander the bandstand trail, and feel the pull of what Marsh calls "Bowie's creative sanctuary." Your inner Starman starts in suburbia.

Find out more here - https://www.heritageoflondon.org/news 

Drums Breathe Fire as Kodo Storms the Southbank

There's something primordial about watching massive drums being struck with such force. You feel the reverberations in your ribcage before your ears fully process the sound. Kodo, Japan's legendary taiko ensemble, returns to London's Royal Festival Hall on March 6 and 7, with Luminance. They are back following last year's sold-out Barbican performances that left audiences on their feet, begging for more. Since their Berlin Festival debut in 1981, these "children of the drum" have delivered over 7,500 performances across five continents, transforming ancient Japanese percussion into a theatrical force that defies any type of categorisation.​

The ensemble's name carries dual meaning in Japanese. It represents both heartbeat and children of the drum. And by all accounts, watching them perform makes both translations visceral. Based on Sado Island where they train rigorously in traditional techniques, Kodo blends signature pieces honed over decades with contemporary compositions, incorporating flutes, shamisen strings, and traditional dance alongside their explosive drumming. The mighty O-daiko solo, which is a single massive drum requiring extraordinary physical stamina and precision, remains a showstopper. It captures their philosophy of playing simply, with the heart of a child.​

What sets this experience apart is the sheer physicality on stage. These aren't musicians hiding behind their instruments; they're athletes, dancers, and storytellers whose bodies become extensions of the drums themselves. The Guardian noted that "musicians, theatre directors and all interested in the sheer power of sound to feed emotions should take note." While the Financial Times awarded five stars, declaring that "the standing ovation Kodo received at the show's end hardly began to do justice to the miracles we had witnessed."

Luminance promises nearly three hours of soul-stirring rhythm, with tickets starting from £31.50. This is the kind of performance that reminds you why live art matters, something recorded sound can never capture. Those places where ancient tradition meets contemporary stagecraft in an instinctual celebration that transcends language and cultural boundaries.

Book tickets here - https://kodolondon.com

2026's Real Issue? Not Ambition It's Timing

You don’t lack ideas.
You don’t lack discipline.
You lack clarity on when to move.

Most people charge into January because “new year, new you” says it’s time. But if you’ve ever launched something that stalled, don’t take it personally. You were probably acting in a prep season, not a peak one.

Zodiacal Releasing is an ancient astrological timing technique that divides your year into prep, peak and completion phases based on your birth chart. Suddenly, past years make sense. The heavy ones were mistimed, and the effortless ones were true peak periods.

In the 2026 Astrology Peak Period Power Hour, we use your chart to map launches, career pivots or reinventions onto your personal timing windows. So you stop guessing and start moving with precision.

No more launching on vibes. Just intentional timing for your smartest year yet.

Book your 2026 Astrology Peak Period Power Hour here:
stan.store/BybreenSamuels

UNDISCOVERED GEMS

The Winter Garden Curates Luxury Breakfast Ritual

Push through the doors of this 1899 icon at 222 Marylebone Road, and suddenly you're standing beneath eight storeys of glass. The Winter Garden Restaurant unfolds like a Victorian dream someone actually got right. This is what you've been missing. Enjoy a breakfast banquet of unlimited Scottish oak-smoked salmon, artisan yoghurts, pastries still warm from the oven, seasonal fruits, plant-based dishes that don't feel like an afterthought. Plus, you can sample made-to-order eggs, Belgian waffles, the full English ceremony, all for £32 until 11am on weekdays until January 31. This is a rare invitation because you have a moment to settle into a space designed for lingering, surrounded by towering palms and light that makes everything taste better.

Typically, London's five-star breakfast scene hoards its elegance. Yet, The Landmark just cracked the door open. You're not rushing, you're having real conversations while attentive service delivers hot dishes to your table. If you want to seal a deal or celebrate something, Taittinger champagne pairings at £22 per glass, transforms breakfast into an actual occasion. The hotel's 125 year pedigree means every croissant carries weight that a takeaway cup never will. The experience is unhurried, intentional, the kind of morning ritual that costs time you actually have.

The Landmark has a genius format in that you can return for thirds of smoked salmon without guilt. Order buttermilk pancakes with caramelised banana after your avocado toast, and linger as long as you want. Families are welcome too. The cost of breakfast for children aged between 7 and 12 years old, is £15. Also, younger guests are priced by age. The Winter Garden's calm cuts through our city's chaos, repositioning breakfast from rushed necessity to a destination experience. Make sure to book before the end of the month. This seasonal rate proves Marylebone's grandest hotel understands what you actually crave, elegance that doesn't demand you sleep there to deserve it. This is breakfast as an intention, not afterthought.

Find out more here - https://www.landmarklondon.co.uk

LONDON BUZZ

30,000 Reasons to Look Up as Ramadan Lights the Sky

Coventry Street between Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square transforms from neon frenzy to a sacred shimmer as Ramadan Lights returns for the fourth consecutive year. 30,000 LED lights dangle in Islamic geometric arabesques and starry crescents every night between 5pm to 5am from February 18 to March 24. Aziz Foundation's trailblazing spectacle shifts overnight on March 18 from Happy Ramadan to Happy Eid, bathing you in warm hues. There’s no switch-on fanfare, you’ll experience it more as effortless magic inviting all faiths to savour fasting's empathy amid Oxford Street's bustle.​

Our city is known for its cultural diversity and these Lights give it a visual language. Fully funded by Aziz, it's grown from a bold idea to a civic ritual, weaving love, generosity, gratitude into LED threads. Collectively, they unite Muslims fasting from dawn-to-dusk and as a passerby, you can pause to feel something larger. Rahima Aziz BEM calls it, "A shining symbol of London's rich diversity." And, 2026 amplifies that. A debut interfaith art pop-up at Zedwell Piccadilly from February 13 to March 22, invites you to craft lanterns, explore exhibits that amplify the vibe. See it as the capital’s open embrace against the chilly winter nights.

Arrive early to photograph the unlit canopy, then watch the crescents light up. Craft paper lanterns at Shared Light with your kids or a friend you're getting to know. As you wander beneath geometric stars, street musicians entertain you. Coventry Street becomes a togetherness hub where the light cycles echo Ramadan's own fast, reflective rhythm. Sustainable bulbs prove that celebrations can be conscious, amid global tensions, 30,000 whispers of unity shine louder than any crowd.

LONDON SOUNDSCAPE

Amazing Grace - January 29

When a converted Grade II listed church becomes your dancefloor, you know the night has blessed intentions. Fall From Grace is where gospel soul collides with disco heat, 1980s power anthems, 1990s hip-hop classics, and everything in between. You'll start with an acoustic opener, then move into a full live band set, and finish off by riding the DJ's energy until close. Here’s a chance to celebrate iconic eras inside a sacred space transformed into an eclectic, live music sanctuary.

Book tickets here - https://amazinggraceldn.com

Green Note - January 31

Catch Marcus Bonfanti at Camden’s intimate haven on January 31, to hear how his blues guitar mastery meets soulful storytelling. Marcus’s finger-picking precision and gravelly vocals deliver stripped-down performances that transform the room into a confessional. Lean in to hear how his guitar whispers, join in the foot-stomping Delta rhythms, and be wowed by his compelling stage presence. Marcus knows how to turn strangers into a congregation. If you’re looking for authentic roots music for your sophisticated palate, book your ticket today.

Book tickets here - https://www.greennote.co.uk

Pizza Express Live Holborn - January 26 and 30

Forget the typical arena experience as Jimi Love invites you into a special, After Show, at Pizza Express Live Holborn. Jimi deliberately skips the obvious hits like Purple Rain and 1999, instead taking you deep into Prince's sprawling catalogue of funky grooves and hidden gems. Jimi Love plays guitar, keys, and drums like the Purple One himself. This entirely live experience, there are no backing tracks, has been perfected over the last 20 years. The intimate basement setting at Pizza Express, means you'll be close enough to feel every horn blast and synth squeal in this stripped-back celebration of one of music's most prolific artists.

Book tickets here - https://www.pizzaexpresslive.com

Pizza Express Soho - January 23

Few pianists can claim to have shaped smooth jazz's golden age the way David Benoit has. With three Grammy nominations under his belt and a staggering 36 solo albums spanning four decades, the Los Angeles-based pianist brings his elegant touch to the basement intimacy of Pizza Express Jazz Club. You'll experience the duality that makes him unique. The composer who conducts symphony orchestras from Los Angeles to London is now distilling that expansive vision into the immediate, conversational warmth that only Soho's legendary venue can provide. Imbibe the sophisticated melodies from a musician who's collaborated with everyone from Dave Koz to Faith Hill. All while nurturing the next generation as conductor of the Asia America Youth Orchestra.

Book tickets here - https://www.pizzaexpresslive.com

Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club - January 29, 30 and 31

When the man who literally wrote the blueprint for funk walks into a room, you listen. Fred Wesley, at 82, remains the architect behind James Brown's most explosive hits and Parliament-Funkadelic's wildest horn arrangements. Fred carries decades of musical authority in his trombone. On Ronnie Scott's legendary stage, you'll witness the firepower of The New JBs delivering classics like House Party and Blow Your Head with the same intensity that defined the genre's golden era. This show is living funk history performed by the trombonist who taught an entire generation what groove means.

Book tickets here - https://www.ronniescotts.co.uk

606 Club - January 24

When hard-bop tradition collides with grime, you get the thrilling contradictions of Binker Golding's saxophone. The MOBO award-winner and one half of the groundbreaking Binker and Moses duo brings his solo vision to an intimate Chelsea basement, where his lyrical flourishes and innovative improvisations can breathe in close quarters. His recent album Dream Like A Dogwood Wild Boy marks a fascinating turn, by blending blues, Americana, and heartland rock into his jazz foundations Within this he explores themes of masculinity, fatherhood, and resilience with remarkable maturity. You'll witness one of UK jazz's most accomplished voices in a venue that's championed British-based musicians for nearly five decades.

Book tickets here - https://www.606club.co.uk

Soul Mama - January 25

When brunch meets basslines, you're in for something special at Soul Mama. This Sunday afternoon celebration blends ska, calypso, and reggae rhythms with first-class Caribbean and South American cuisine. The Rocksteady Vibes crew host Diana, Tony "Rudeboy D," and Alberto, curate a four-hour journey through island sounds from noon to 4pm. Join in the live karaoke set, led by Harvel, where you can belt out classics alongside your meal.

Book tickets here - https://www.soulmama.co.uk

Southwark Cathedral - January 24

Picture the Fab Four's timeless melodies echoing through a 13th-century Gothic cathedral, transformed by hundreds of flickering candles into pure magic. Experience this 60 minute immersive concert performed by Celestial Strings, a talented string quartet who reimagine Beatles classics from Here Comes the Sun to Yesterday with sophisticated classical arrangements. The atmospheric Southwark Cathedral setting amplifies the emotional resonance of each note, creating an intimate multi-sensory journey that bridges classical elegance with rock's most beloved songbook.

Book tickets here - https://cathedral.southwark.anglican.org

The Cockpit Theatre - January 26

If you want to witness where UK jazz's most celebrated names got their start, this is your moment. Tomorrow's Warriors, the pioneering talent development organisation founded in 1991, has been the crucial launching pad for Mercury Prize winners Ezra Collective, plus Moses Boyd, Nubya Garcia, Shabaka Hutchings, and countless others now dominating the international scene. At The Cockpit Theatre, you'll encounter their Young Artist Development Programme in action. An accessible showcase championing Black musicians, women artists, and those from challenging circumstances who might otherwise be locked out of the industry. With ticket prices up to £15, you're not simply attending a concert, you're supporting the essential pipeline that changed the face of British jazz forever.

Book tickets here - https://www.thecockpit.org.uk

BUSINESS SCENE

Sunborn’s Superyacht | Your Elegant Staycation Awaits

Sunborn London transforms a classic superyacht into a 4-star haven that has earned Tripadvisor's 2024 Travellers’ Choice Award. Guests praise its serene luxury and panoramic views. Permanently moored at Royal Victoria Dock, A compelling Wowcher offer brings this experience to you. As we slowly inch our way to Spring, take advantage of a Classic Dock View with savings of up to 72% off the rack room rate. Or, upgrade to the Executive River Balcony, including full English breakfast, valid for bookings through to March and June 2026. Overlooking Canary Wharf's glittering skyline and moments from the O2 and Excel Centre, the superyacht offers cultured travelers a sophisticated alternative to central London's bustle.​ Do you have a special event you’d love to celebrate in style? This could be a classy option.

The business model shines through its fusion of location and timeless appeal. With 150 elegantly appointed rooms featuring king beds, Nespresso machines, and thoughtful touches like room safes, Sunborn leverages its waterside permanence to deliver unwavering quality. Guest reviews highlight exceptional service from staff who elevate every stay. Sunborn is close to cultural draws like ABBA Voyage and the Emirates Air Line cable car. They enhance its pull, while static mooring avoids the volatility of land-based real estate, ensuring steady occupancy through targeted promotions like this offer.

While the hospitality industry grapples with 13% margin pressures, Sunborn's docked innovation creates a distinctive moat. The signature is experiential hospitality that blends maritime heritage with modern comfort. By doing so, it sidesteps high-street rents and attracts discerning guests who are looking for quiet sophistication. Their revenue streams extend beyond rooms to its onboard bar and restaurant. Meaning they capitalise on events at nearby venues and Westfield Stratford. Sustainability is present in the experience from efficient lighting to eco-conscious operations. They neatly align with evolving traveler values, and positions it as a blueprint for resilient luxury.​

Secure your berth via Wowcher and discover how Sunborn redefines London's hospitality landscape. One where the Thames' gentle rhythm meets entrepreneurial elegance. For those of you who appreciate the confluence of culture, comfort, and clever strategy, this yacht awaits.

Book here - https://www.wowcher.co.uk/buy/sunborn-hotel-london

LINGUISTIC TAPESTRY - WORDS OF THE WEEK 

English Word:
Barium
Pronunciation: /BAIR-ee-um/
Definition:  A soft, silvery-white metallic element (atomic number 56) that sits beneath radium on the periodic table. Beyond chemistry, barium carries a quieter cultural weight. It's the invisible ingredient in medical imaging, swallowed as a contrast medium so doctors can see what's hidden inside you, revealing what the naked eye cannot perceive. Cultural Note: Barium operates as a metaphor for the unseen catalysts in any system. In modern usage, it whispers of revelation, the substance that makes the invisible visible. To have "barium clarity" in British parlance is to see through pretense to structural truth.

Arabic Word:
Tasāmuḥ تَسَامُح
Pronunciation: /ta-saː-muḥ/
Definition:  In Arabic, tasāmuḥ is more than just putting up with difference. It evokes a gracious, morally grounded willingness to overlook faults, forgive missteps, and make room for others’ imperfections. Cultural Note: Across many Arab societies, tasāmuḥ is tied to ideals of honour, faith, and community harmony. When someone is described as having tasāmuḥ, it signals inner strength: the ability to respond to hurt or disagreement not with revenge, but with dignified restraint and an active choice to preserve the social fabric.

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