East London Life

THE bells of St Paul’s Cathedral, St Mary-le-Bow (’Bow Bells’) and 28 other churches will ring out on March 1 to herald a six-day cultural festival in East London.

With more than 400 events, East represents a “unique collaboration” between Mayor of London Ken Livingstone and key organisations covering performance, art, history, fashion and food. Activities will take place in and around Spitalfields, Brick Lane and Whitechapel; Wapping and Docklands; St Paul’s and the City; Hoxton, Clerkenwell, Dalston and Hackney.

Activities will range from full-scale live performances and club nights to Bangla rock and orchestral strings. The festival will also include history and art tours, fashion talks, makeovers and workshops, plus family activities. There will be shopping, from second hand and vintage to cutting edge new design, as well as a major food festival.

You’ll probably run into me at some of these events - I’ll be the guy with the camera and the funny American accent. I’ll post more details as the festival gets under way.