I’m in  New York for BlogHer this week (yay!) but if I weren’t, I know exactly what we’d be doing today: the pop-up maze in Trafalgar Square!

How cool is this? A giant pop-up maze has appeared in Trafalgar Square as part of a campaign by the West End Partnership to encourage visitors to enjoy getting a little lost whilst exploring the area. I don’t see anything on the site or in the press release about it being free, BUT the PR who sent the tip to me said it is free so hopefully he will not disappoint us!

For five days beginning 2 August, visitors can enjoy exploring the maze and wondering through many of the West Ends most famous streets, lanes and squares. Each ‘Street’ within the maze will highlight some fascinating facts about the cultural history of the West End, such as Carnaby Street, which apparently inspired Ray Davies to write The Kinks hit ‘Dedicated Follower of Fashion’, or Trafalgar Square, which is said to be home to the world’s smallest police station. The maze is open from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. each day.

Upon reaching the heart of the maze, visitors will be rewarded with an exclusive taste of the amazing entertainment, culture, dining and shopping on offer throughout The West End. The rolling programme of activity highlighting the best that the West End has to offer, includes:

• Monday – A vibrant showcase from some West End’s top shows – including Priscilla Queen of the Desert drag queens, some Avenue Q puppets and couple of Sherlock Holmes!
• Tuesday – China town arrives with a bang as giant paper dragon and lion puppets weave their way through the maze and live dragon candy making sessions take place at the centre of the maze
• Wednesday – London’s finest Saville Row tailors will be trimming the hedge first thing
• Thursday – One of the UK’s leading young orchestra groups, The Platti String Quartet, will perform a variety of stunning pieces, filling the maze with beautiful music.
• Friday – On the last day it’s time to party as we celebrate the iconic Carnaby Street with a swinging 60’s vibe, including live music from 60’s tribute bands and lots of vespas – groovy! There will also be a small exhibition of photographs from iconic 60’s photographer Phillip Townsend, picture include Twiggy, the Rolling Stones and many more. (Phillip will be available for interview if requested)

The maze itself measures approximately 30m x 20m and each hedge is 2.4m high. The maze has been constructed using 118 individual 2m sections, with a mixture of laurel and thuja hedging. Six articulated lorries delivered the hedging to Trafalgar Square on Sunday evening and a dedicated team worked through the night, taking approximately six hours, to build the maze structure.

I love, love, love to barbecue in summer. Last summer we did it loads but now in the new place we don’t have any outdoor space. And as of yet, we haven’t become besties with the new downstairs neighbors who have access to the back garden.

I’ve been trying to research whether or not we are allowed to grill in the parks, Fortune Green in particular. I called Camden and after talking with three people one finally told me we are not allowed, based on the document A guide to Camden’s parks and open spaces. However a quick search of the document found no mention of bbq-ing in the parks.

Now, I’m not talking about hauling a massive grill into a public space. I’ve got my eye on this beauty:

Bodum’s new FYRKAT picnic charcoal grill is on sale for £30 (reg. £70). I am a wee bit obsessed with it to be honest! It’s just 39 cm x 39 cm x 36 cm  and comes in black, white, orange, yellow, green and blue. At the moment I’m leaning toward yellow…

If you know of the restrictions in Camden, please speak up! If not we may just go for it. Can’t harm, right?!

Cheyenne Spur Steak and Grill in the O2 in Greenwich have built a beach outside the restaurant for school summer holidays! “Spur on the Beach”  is complete with a beach-load of sand, palm trees and hula girls. There are deckchairs to lounge in and beachballs, buckets and spades to keep the kids happy.

And best for your budget, kids eat free from lunchtime to five p.m. on weekdays until “Spur on the Beach” season ends at the end of August.

For more details and T&Cs visit www.ukspur.co.uk.

The kids’ TV channel Boomerang is hosting the free Boomerang Pets Party in London’s Regent Park this Saturday!

This sounds like such a fun event. Activities run from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and will include Garfield’s Kitchen, Pink Panther Pet Salon, a petting zoo and pet celebrities. Kids are encouraged to bring their pets!

Boomerang have provided these details about the event’s activities:

· Garfield’s Kitchen – We all know Garfield is crazy about his food, particularly his favourite dish lasagne! Why not head down to his very own Pet Kitchen pulled straight from Garfield’s set and be wowed by a whacky chef who will definitely put the fun into cooking.

· Pink Panther’s Pet Salon – Join The Pink Panther and friends to discover all of the fabulous ways to style your furry friend. There will even be the chance for little ones to make their own bespoke pet collars, making sure their kitty is the best looking in town!

· Pet celebrities – Pet heroes from around the country will be present at the event, so don’t miss your chance to meet them in the flesh.

· Petting zoo – For those who don’t have a pet to bring along, there’s a chance to come and spend some time with some of the cutest animals around.

· A special surprise for dogs – A tasty treat will be on offer for dogs to tuck into. Turn up to find out how to tantalise your pooch’s taste buds!

For all the details visit the site here.

We’ve loved catching sight of elephants in the Elephant Parade conservation campaign all over London and now they are gathered all in one place (well, two places) and FREE for a few days only.

The Elephant Parade campaign that shines a multi-coloured spotlight on the urgent crisis faced by the endangered Asian elephant. Brought to you by www.elephantfamily.org, the event sees over 250 brightly painted life-size elephants located over central London this summer.

Head down to the Royal Hospital Chelsea TODAY or MONDAY from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. or catch the indoor herd at Westfield Shopping Centre until 30th June. Admission is free and open to the public.

If you’re going to Royal Hospital Chelsea, please use the London Gate Entrance on Royal Hospital Road, nearest tube being Sloane Square. No dogs are allowed. For more information download the infosheet here.

Ahhhh this gorgeous, glorious, dazzling sun! Doesn’t it just put you in the best mood ever? Why are you still inside already?!

Well if you’re looking for something to do outside this weekend, my recommendation is the Primrose Hill May Fete. The fete takes place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. this Sunday 23rd May on Regents Park Road, in between the junctions of Sharples Hill Road and Primrose Hill Road.

More than 30 stalls will offer vintage clothing, home accessories and art, plus there will be fresh food, live music and entertainment including carousel rides and an appearance by SamSam the Bubble Man.

Food stalls will include Japanese, Spanish, Vietnamese and English street food plus Chef Bryn Williams will host a stall outside Primrose Hill favourite Odettes. Primrose Bakery will also have a stall. And I hear there will be a pop up restaurant in a double-decker bus!

See you there?

I first read about the Covent Garden May Fayre and Puppet Show on Yelp, another great place to look for events around town.

To be held this Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., the annual celebration of the art of puppetry will feature Punch and Judy Professors from around the country commemorating the first sighting of Mr Punch in England by Samuel Pepys in 1662.

A procession around Covent Garden with the Superior Brass Band at 10:30 a.m. kicks off the day and from 11:30 a.m. there are puppet shows and workshops, Maypole dancing, folk music from The Lost Marbles String Band and presentation of ‘The Most Promising Young Prof’.

Throughout the weekend, London’s premier waterway event, the Canalway Cavalcade, will be taking place in Little Venice!

Around 130 boats gather along the Grand Union Canal to offer boat trips, stalls, refreshments and a range of kid-friendly activites, including music, a children’s art exhibition, a puppet show and a teddy bears’ picnic.

Boat handling competitions, a pageant of decorated boats on Saturday and a procession of illuminated boats on Sunday are the most popular events.

For a full guide to the Cavalcade’s events, click here.

Going out to dinner is one of my favourite things. But it can take a seriously massive cut of your budget! So here are a few ideas for saving money on your next date night.

1. Go early. Early in the week and early in the evening restaurants are typically slower and often run specials. At one point we joked that Monday is the new date night because of all of the offers near where E used to live in Fulham. Along the same lines, many restaurants don’t accept vouchers on Fridays and Saturdays. And that leads me to…

2. Look for vouchers. An obvious suggestion, coming from me, but one that is often forgotten. There are a few ways to do this: first, look through the heaps and heaps of restaurant vouchers on sites like VoucherHub.com; second, go directly to a restaurant’s website to find out what promotions they are running; third, sign up for localised group discount sites like Groupola, Groupon and MyCityDeal. Now repeat after me: “Never make a purchase without checking for a voucher”!

3. BYOB. There is the most amazing kebab shop in Notting Hill where I used to live called Fez Mangal. E and I went there way to often because they had just the absolute best chicken shish and lamb beyti. They didn’t serve alcohol and we could pick up a cheap bottle of red from the shop next door and do dinner for under £20, usually with leftovers for lunch.

4. Be loyal. Sign up for a restaurant’s loyalty scheme, facebook fan page and twitter. You’ll always be the first to know about promotions. The Geronimo Club is one of my favourites – I like their pubs and every month they send an email full of lovely offers for discounts on dining and free drinks, plus pub events.

5. Get a card. If you live in London, for a small upfront investment you can get a Taste London or a View card which will give you 50% discounts at restaurants all over town. At the moment, Taste London is £65.95 (but check around for a 20% off voucher!) and a View card will run you £25.95.

6. Read this blog! I write about restaurant deals I’ve tried or heard about from time to time in the Mummy Daddy Date Night posts.

Happy St George’s Day! There are loads of free things on this weekend to celebrate.

Concert on the Square begins at 1:00 p.m. in Trafalger Square on Saturday. This year’s event has the theme Rhythm of London and will

Here are the approximate programme times:
1pm – 3pm Schools performances
3.05pm – 3.45pm Winners, ‘Busking Underground’
3.45pm – 4.45pm Music Hall
5.00pm – 6.00pm Joe Brown and his Band

St George’s Day at the Royal Air Force Museum will offer arts and crafts workshops and give kids the chance to make their own dragons to take home with them in honour of the dragon-slaying triumphs of the English patron saint. You can take part on Saturday or Sunday from 11am – 1pm and 2pm – 4pm.

St George’s Gardens will create the feel of a village fete with traditional morris dancing, music and a cake stall. There will also be a Chinese dragon giving a special live performance.

For more ideas, try the following sites:

View London: St George’s Day events

Visit London: St George’s Day events

Time Out: St George’s Day in London