Saunas, Studios, Shops | Rethinking the Weekend

Quote of the Week - “Minds like parachutes, work best when open.” - T. Dewar

Good Afternoon, London. In this edition of The London Palette, read about how our city feels like it’s quietly upgrading how our weekends work. You can move between new studios humming in side streets and the Olympic Park opening its festive doors at dusk. To steamy saunas on the Common and a pop-up market where shopping turns into something bigger. Don’t your usual plans suddenly feel smaller? If so, redirect your gaze, reset your temperature and expectations. The air may be chilly but your winter woolies will keep you warm as you explore what our great city has to offer. It may even lead you to develop new rituals, ideas and wonderment.

Snatched highlights from this edition:

1. Sauna Season Comes to SW4

2. London Turns Gifting into Solidarity

3. Haringey Studio Becomes an Economy

4. Live Music - Shakatak, tribute to Rush & lots more!

Let’s dive in.

—Bybreen Samuels

COUNCIL CANVAS

Ten87 | How Haringey Turned Beats into Policy

There’s big news for Tottenham’s music scene because nine brand new studios have just opened at Ten87. They’re backed by Haringey Council’s Opportunity Haringey Workspace Fund. Beyond extra rooms with soundproofing, the studios are closer to the idea of new engines that have been dropped into the borough’s creative grid. This grid will power good jobs, inclusive growth, and a greener local economy that’s more expansive than just nightlife.

Walk into Ten87’s latest site and you’re stepping into the next chapter of South Tottenham’s creative story. The cluster of professionally fitted recording spaces are designed for producers, artists, and engineers who’ve been priced out of Central London. The new studios signals a continuation of Haringey Council’s long term support via its workspace funds. Meaning, it’s adding high quality space just as demand for affordable studios is outstripping supply across the capital.

From a policy perspective, Opportunity Haringey is using workspace as a lever for an inclusive economy. The basis of this is about tying public investment to long term jobs, affordable space, and community benefits rather than short-term commercial gain. Across three funded workspace projects, the Council expects over 2,500 square metres of new workspace, around 350 jobs, and support for about 160 businesses, with more than £800,000 of additional funding brought into the borough. Ten87 anchors local talent, attracts spending, and creates specialist roles ranging from engineers to educators. Collectively, they help keep value circulating locally.

There’s also a quiet but important climate thread. Ten87 has installed a large solar PV system at one of its Tottenham sites, financed through the Council’s carbon fund, cutting energy bills and reliance on fossil fuels in a power hungry sector. Linking affordable creative workspace with decarbonisation support shows how local authorities can tackle the cost of doing business crisis and the climate emergency in one move, especially for small businesses that struggle to access complex grants. For artists and entrepreneurs, that means more stable overheads and a sense that the green transition is happening with them, not to them.

The real test now is whether this model can scale without losing its soul. On the numbers, Haringey’s Workspace Funds are already delivering new space, jobs, and businesses, while earlier loans to Ten87 unlocked multiple expansion phases across Tottenham. The next challenge is to provide community access, progression routes for young people, and long-term affordability. Taken together they create the perfect scenario where the studios become not just a success story for established acts, but a gateway for the next generation of talent from North London.

CITY PALETTE

24 Nights, 24 Doors |One Big East London Hug

Some advent calendars sit idly on your kitchen counter. However, this one stretches across an entire Olympic Park, and every square is a live experience. From December 1 to 24, you’re invited to Winter Adventure at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The Adventure comprises 24 days, 24 doors, and 24 free festive moments, each unlocking at 6pm in a different corner of the park. Think of it as East London’s nightly nudge to step away from the sofa and into something unexpected. Enter the world of live music, lantern parades, community gatherings and choirs leading singalongs, all without paying a penny to get through the door.

Every evening, a different venue becomes your door of the day, so your December can zigzag between Olympic and Paralympic arenas, East Bank cultural giants, community hubs and riverside hangouts. One night you might be at Riverside East for a big winter market with independent makers, DJs and hot drinks. And on another, you’re watching Santa’s elves race to build and light up a full-sized sleigh at the Build East Skills Centre. With sports tasters, creative workshops, performances and plenty of food and drink wrapped around that 6pm reveal, you can make a whole evening of it rather than just ticking it off as a quick thing on your Christmas calendar.

What makes Winter Adventure special is the way it uses the whole park as your stage for connection rather than just for spectacle. This isn’t a big Christmas Lights switch-on that’s over in 20 minutes. Instead, it’s a rolling programme designed to bring you together with local residents, visitors, partners and businesses across 24 nights, with something that lands for kids, teens, culture nerds and football fans alike. You can weave a visit around dinner at Stratford Cross, a wander through the parklands, or even a match day at London Stadium, then let the 6pm door anchor your plans. If you’re watching your budget this winter, the fact that the core experiences are free is a rare and welcome mix of a quality venue and neighbourhood accessibility.

On Christmas Eve, the finale shifts gears again, with the last door opening at noon for a musical gathering at Stratford Cross, led by East London Choir Natural Voices and joined by roaming performers and rollerskaters It’s deliberately designed as a communal closing moment. Forget about your shopping list and join in with the crowd of strangers and sing your way into the holidays. You can drop in for one evening or decide to chase as many doors as you can, Winter Adventure invites you to trade your pre-festive habits for live memories threaded across the skyline of East London.

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

From Algorithms to Apertures in a Single Saturday

If you’re tired of going to photography events that are really trade shows in disguise, head to this creative reset. The Amateur Photographer’s Festival of Photography takes over the University of Greenwich for a full day of talks, workshops and demonstrations that treat image making as both a craft and conversation starter. You can bounce from a fashion lighting masterclass to a candid Q&A with a music or sports shooter. Then wander out into that riverside skyline seeing London’s light completely differently.

Across the programme on January 31, you can expect industry voices sharing what doesn’t always make it into tutorials. Ranging from how to build a portrait practice, navigate clients, find your visual signature or keep making work when the algorithm is exhausting you. The various panels explore the future of photography and visual storytelling, including content through the social lens to using AI tools. The visual menu embraces live demos from major brands and lets you handle new cameras and lighting in a low-pressure environment.

This Festival is impressive because of its scale and focus. Imagine a single building, a single day, and an audience that runs from ambitious beginners to seasoned professionals. Conversations spill easily from the lecture theatre into the foyer and nearby cafés. The Stockwell Street building itself is designed around architecture, design and digital arts. So even while moving between sessions you’re walking through an environment that quietly reinforces the point. Images shape how a city understands itself.

If cost has been stopping you, then take advantage of the early bird ticket offer. Full day passes are discounted while the Festival is still on the horizon. Invest in yourself now so it makes it easier to justify a day in January to flex your creative muscles rather than clearing emails from your inbox. Head down there with a friend and compare notes over a late lunch by the river. Or, come by yourself and treat it as a deliberate reset before 2026 year really kicks in.

Book tickets here - https://amateurphotographer.com/events

UNDISCOVERED GEMS

The Outdoor Spa Hiding on Clapham Common

Parts of Clapham Common used to fall silent once the paddling pool was drained. However, this winter it's about to start steaming instead. From this Sunday, November 30, The Cabin Sauna is turning the Splashpad area into South London's first outdoor sauna and cold plunge playground. You can expect wood-lined cabins, ice cold tubs and post-plunge coffees all bundled into one ritual. It is the sort of place you wander past on a grey morning, and watch a wave of steam roll out of the door. And, suddenly you find yourself checking the booking link.

Once inside you'll find two generous sauna cabins seating around 15 people each. Plus four cold plunges, two are individual, and two are communal. This allows you to choose between silent, eyes closed bravery or the shared energy of, we're really doing this. Sessions run from 8am to 9pm, with different packages depending on whether you're a one-off dabbler or planning to make this your winter habit. Afterwards you can warm your hands around a coffee or smoothie, which makes it feel less like a clinical wellness treatment and more like a sociable neighbourhood hangout.

The team behind The Cabin talk about contrast therapy meaning, moving between heat and cold, as a reset button for circulation, recovery and mood. Collectively,they tap straight into our city’s growing obsession with accessible, outdoor wellness. Instead of a pricey day spa, you get a structured, bookable experience in SW4 that still lets you feel the sky above you as you dash from sauna to plunge. They are also courting run clubs and community groups, with roles for Run Leaders, that blend weekly 5km sessions with post-run sauna time.

The Cabin Sauna is quietly rewriting the rules on what a piece of public park can do outside of summer. The Splashpad usually sits unused once the weather turns. Now it becomes a winter hub where locals cross paths, swap tips on breathing through the cold and build new routines that don't revolve around the pub. With 50% off early bookings, this venture looks set to become the place you recommend to that friend who's curious about saunas but not yet ready for a full Scandinavian retreat.

Book tickets here - https://thecabinsauna.co.uk

LONDON BUZZ

When Christmas Shopping Became Solidarity

On one side of town, there’s a shop where nothing you buy comes home with you. On the other side, a 12 foot puppet turns London’s streets into a moving stage for welcome and protest. Together, the Choose Love pop-up on Regent Street and the Walk with Amal events are repositioning what the festive spirit looks like in a city that lives with global crises on its doorstep. Instead of just twinkly lights and mulled wine, you get spaces where generosity, storytelling and public art collide. You’ll witness and experience how your presence genuinely shifts something for displaced people around the world.

Taking your first glance inside the Choose Love shop at 245 Regent Street, you’ll be drawn by the beautifully merchandised department store. Then, you realise the coats, blankets, phone credit and school supplies on the shelves are destined for refugee camps, and not your wardrobe. You can browse gifts like emergency shelter or legal support, pay at the till, and those funds go straight to field projects in more than 50 countries, ranging from sea rescue to education programmes. The space itself has become a bit of a London ritual. Firstly, the layout is designed by major set designers. Then, you may see a famous face serving at the tills. Followed by a steady stream of shoppers swapping the usual panic-buying for something that actually feels like impact.

Then there is Little Amal, the giant puppet of a 10 year old Syrian refugee girl whose walks through London have become some of the most quietly powerful cultural moments of the last few years. When Amal arrives, she doesn’t just pass by, she is met by choirs, lantern parades, multi-faith blessings and children holding handmade signs. They support her as she moves from St Paul’s Cathedral to the Globe, Hampstead Heath, King’s Cross and beyond. Each walk is part street theatre, part civic ritual, inviting you to fall into step for a few minutes or a whole afternoon. As you participate in this offering you’ll physically feel what it means to walk alongside someone forced to leave their home.

What’s striking is how both Choose Love and Walk with Amal blur the lines between charity, art and nightlife. A visit to the Regent Street pop-up can sit between your coffee run and a gallery visit. Yet it connects you directly to humanitarian work that has raised more than $160m for displaced people since 2015. Joining one of Amal’s London appearances, whether a sponsored walk on Hampstead Heath or a lantern-lit procession through Somers Town, feels both intimate and epic. You may be one face in the crowd, but the photos and footage travel worldwide as a signal that our city still shows up. If your idea of feeling the London buzz includes a bit of conscious engagement with your culture, these are two of the most potent, and moving activities to add to your festive calendar.

Find out more here -  https://chooselove.org

LONDON SOUNDSCAPE

Barbican Hall - December 3

Some concerts are just a night out. But this one feels like a beautiful, cinematic daydream. GoGo Penguin bring their new album Necessary Fictions to life, with piano, bass and drums weaving jazz, classical and electronic influences into hypnotic an acoustic and electronica soundscape. Sit back as the rhythms build, melodies loop and the lighting design pulls you deeper into their world. Singer‑songwriter Daudi Matsiko opens the night in an intimate, soulful style. This is definitely a midweek escape for the ears and the imagination.

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

Fox and Firkin - December 3

Imagine Here Comes The Sun hitting your ears wrapped in horns, congas and pure Cuban swing. At Lewisham’s beloved Fox and Firkin, Sargento Pimienta takes The Beatles’ greatest hits and flips them into full throttle salsa, powered by some of London’s finest young Latin musicians. You’ll find yourself singing along to Hey Jude while dancing like you’re in a Havana club, not a south London beer garden. This is the type of good fun you can’t afford to miss. Book tickets today!

Book tickets here - https://foxfirkin.com

02 Academy Islington - November 29

If the opening chords of Tom Sawyer still give you goosebumps, this one’s for you. Head to Islington because the power trio Moving Pictures pay tribute to Rush with the kind of precision, fire and musicianship that makes Canada’s prog-rock giants proud. Marking 10 years since Rush’s final R40 tour, they dive into a career spanning retrospective, from the early riff driven anthems to the intricate epics. You get all the drama and nostalgia of an arena show in a more intimate room, perfect for a Saturday night rock show.

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

Pizza Express Holborn - November 29

There are concerts that promise the blues. But this one brings a whole Brixton to Memphis to Kingston story with it. At Pizza Express Holborn, Errol Linton’s Shake Your Boogie show is where raw harmonica, deep groove and reggae-tinted blues melt into one irresistible, toe-tapping blur. You’ll feel the years he spent busking the Underground in every riff. Plus, you’ll hear the polish of a band that’s conquered Glastonbury and the UK Blues Challenge in every break. If you love music with grit, swing and serious heart, spend £25, get a ticket and have a memorable Saturday night.

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

Pizza Express Soho - December 4, 5 and 6

Remember the first glittering notes of Nightbirds in a tiny basement club? That’s goosebump territory. And Shakatak is ready to take you on a live journey back in time. The original jazz‑funk hitmakers behind Down on the Street and Day by Day, still sound sleek, warm and very tight after four decades together. You’ll feel the bass lines in your chest, admire the musicianship, and be swept straight back to your favourite dancefloor years. With reserved seating, doors open at 6.30pm, so book your tickets today if you want to enjoy a signature treat.

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

Soul Mama - November 30 and December 6

Some Sundays call for a soundtrack that’s as smooth as your rum punch. At Soul Mama’s SKA, Reggae and Jazz Brunch – The Fusion of Riddims and Blues, you swap background playlists for live musicians weaving brass, off‑beat skank and smoky jazz into one irresistible flow. Settle into your seat at this stylish venue, tuck into tasty brunch dishes and let the festive vibes roll in with every tune. This is a show that both indulgent and soul‑nourishing

By the time the beat drops and your mimosa arrives, you’ll wonder why you ever did a quiet Saturday lunch. During this Afrobeats Brunch on Saturday December 6, you’ll be immersed in sunshine energy. Think DJs spinning Afrobeats and amapiano, live horns from KoyeSax & The Fortune Collective, and a crowd that actually came to dance, not just pose for photos. Add Soul Mama’s African–Caribbean fusion brunch menu and you’ve got four hours of feel good rhythm, laughter and seriously good food that will light up your whole weekend.

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

The Tabernacle - November 30

You know those nights where you crave colour, story and sparkle as much as the music? One Night in Rio at The Tabernacle is exactly that, a 90 minute, full length theatre show from Brazilian Fantasy, created to mark their 15th anniversary. You’ll be swept through samba’s journey from Afro-Brazilian roots and Rio’s favelas to the blazing glamour of carnival, with a full dance company, live bateria and special guests. With stunning costumes and live drums, this is pure joy in technicolour.

Book tickets here - https://www.thetabernaclew11.com

Toulouse Lautrec - December 5

The moment the first trumpet line curls through the room, you’re no longer in Kennington, you’re in old Havana. The Buena Vista Social Club Live Revue takes you on a lush, nostalgic journey through son, bolero, danzón and cha-cha-cha, played by some of the UK’s finest Cuban musicians. As you listen, feel the romance in the vocals, the joy in the percussion and the irresistible pull to get up and dance. Take this Friday night escape that feels like a mini holiday in heels.

Book tickets here - https://toulouselautrec.co.uk

Vortex Jazz Club - November 29

Intimate jazz nights have their cosy place on your calendar. But Jazz Africa allows you to open the window onto a whole continent. They return to Dalston after a sell‑out debut, with pianist and bandleader Basil Hodge steering an all star lineup through grooves and melodies drawn from across Africa. Your night will be filled with rich rhythms, lyrical solos and that intimate Vortex atmosphere where you’re close enough to catch every musical conversation. Buy a ticket if you want to feed your ears and your curiosity.

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

BUSINESS SCENE

How Dishoom Turned a Pop-Up into an Economy

Most brands talk about community in a sound bite way. However, Dishoom is trying to build one in real time under a pair of Old Street railway arches. Dishoom Loves Market is a weekend takeover at Kachette, 347 Old Street, during November 28 to 30. Baked within is a live case study in how hospitality brands can move beyond restaurants and into full-blown cultural ecosystems. The palette includes a South Asian led marketplace during the day and talks, listening and comedy, by night.

Dishoom is using the market to sit at the centre of a curated network of South Asian makers, designers and performers. Vendors will showcase jewellery, textiles, skincare and homeware, effectively becoming a convening platform rather than just a venue. Brands like Anisha Parmar Studio, Fable & Mane, Tiipoi, La Jambu, Mauli Rituals, No Borders and Shreeji gain access to Shoreditch footfall and Dishoom’s marketing muscle. In return, Dishoom deepens its cultural credibility and extends engagement far beyond a single meal sitting. Workshops such as map embroidery or incense-holder decorating add revenue streams and useful primary data, without feeling like a hard sell.

There is also a smart product strategy threaded through the arches. Alongside mithai, street food, chai and lassis, Dishoom is stress testing its own retail line, from homeware and Bombay Market Bag totes to typography caps and tees. The invitation is for a live, style conscious audience willing to spend on nostalgia led by design. Free daytime passes keep barriers low, while paid workshops and after hours events such as Permit Room Lates and Gaysians curated performance nights, generate ticket income and bar spend. Ultimately, turning the project into a hedge against rising costs and fickle dining habits.

Zoom out, and Dishoom Loves Market signals where brand and culture collaborations are heading. Rather than slapping a logo on someone else’s festival, the company is building its own micro-economy. They’re highlighting talent, monetising time in multiple ways, and deepening loyalty among a demographic that values both ethics and aesthetics. If it lands well, expect to see the format franchised into other cities, dates or themes. Other brands will notice how a handful of days in November, a single Shoreditch venue turned into a living laboratory for blending food, beverage retail and cultural programming under one roof.

Find out more here - https://www.dishoom.com

LINGUISTIC TAPESTRY - WORDS OF THE WEEK 

English Word:
Technetium
Pronunciation: /tek-NEE-shee-um/
Definition:  A silvery-grey radioactive metal, technetium is the lightest chemical element in which all isotopes are radioactive. With atomic number 43 and the symbol Tc, it was the first element to be artificially created, though trace amounts occur naturally in uranium ores.
Cultural Note: Its name comes from the Greek word for artificial, reflecting humanity's first step into creating elements that nature had not preserved.

Urdu Word:
Rahm-dil
Pronunciation: /RAHM-dil/
Definition:  A person with a deeply compassionate, soft heart; someone who feels others’ pain quickly and responds with kindness and mercy.
Cultural Note: In Pakistani culture, being Rahm-dil is considered a core virtue, especially toward elders, guests and anyone in difficulty.

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