As a neighbouring resident of Islington, surprisingly Saturday 5 May was my first experience of the famous Camden Crawl. On arrival to the heart of Camden Town, I was surrounded by the colourful atmosphere and quirky shops that make up the area. But it was the Holiday Inn that was my first stop, as I went to collect my much sought-after press pass.  My exclusive goody bag gave me free entry and queue jump! If that wasn’t enough, I got to see private performances from some of the acts. From then on, I had a feeling that the event was going to embody the spirit of Camden Town.

With my trusty flip map in hand, I set off to my first chosen venue. The Jazz Café played host to The Hip Hop Shakespeare Company.  Fronted by British MC Akala, the organisation performed their alternative take to the music genre. As the art form allows for expression, a mixture of live music coincided with musical theatre. We were entertained with rhymes that were loosely based on Shakespeare’s plays, as well as originally inspired content.  And since rapping is related to poetry, one act gave an intense and passionate rendition of his poem ‘Moments’ to music generated by the live band, whilst another provided the audience with an emotional tale of a character who contracted HIV, and it’s disastrous effects  to those around him.

At the Roundhouse came ‘one woman band’, Tanya Auclair. I was pleasantly surprised and impressed with her unique approach to music. She patiently played and recorded a sample of music, ranging from her own vocals to beat boxing, the guitar, keyboard and even wooden spoons for example. In turn, this supplied her with the soundtrack to her songs, which had an intricate, Electronica and ‘at peace with the Earth’ sound.

The Cuban was where I started the evening’s entertainment. Earlier the bar had put on Hula Hooping performances and master classes; however the night’s line up was in contrast to the carnival-like dressed acts, producing an urban menu to the festival’s showcase.  The Milk and Ghetts were my two favourite acts there. The Milk is an Essex quartet that vary from your usual indie band, considering that some of their songs were infused with a Motown, Soul and Reggae vibe. The crowd didn’t stop moving either, since the group insist on not taking breaks between each song.

For a different reason, Ghetts lit up the audience with his MCing and live band. His set offered a twist to usual MC performances, due to having a band. They also added a slight rock edge thanks to the electric guitar, whilst still managing to keep in sync with the authentic sounds of Grime music.

I wonder who’ll be performing at the Camden Crawl next year.

With less than 100 days to go until the Olympics, London is gearing up to host the greatest sporting event in the world. However, more than just a countdown was announced as the 2012 Olympics motto was revealed:  ‘Inspire A Generation’. The message couldn’t hit the bullseye any clearer. It’s this statement that should carry through long after the games, in other boundaries as well as sport.

As far as most British people are concerned, Football is religion! There’s no way that this year’s Olympics could go ahead, without heavy consideration of team GB players and its coverage. But what can we hope to expect from the squad at the tournament? Too many times, fans are disappointed with the England team in major championships, most recently the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, not to mention that we didn’t even qualify for Euro 2008. This coming from the strongest of the four UK counties teams, paints a not so pretty picture this summer. Apart from the footy spirit, there is one thing that is guaranteed. Rules state that each squad’s players must be under the age of 23, with three senior players. The competition’s a perfect chance for young British talent to gain experience and improve. Hopefully enough to make England’s senior team and make a difference in future outings. However if that doesn’t go to plan, let’s hope David Beckham is selected as a team GB senior player. His good looks are enough to stop any fan from crying, let alone eye candy for the girls.

Athletics is one of the most popular events on the roster, especially with global stars such as Usain Bolt of Jamaica taking stage. His talent and persona have helped to heighten the excitement of sprinting events, not to mention ticket prices!

Its characters like him, who are great role models and inspiration for the younger generation to take up and excel in sport. Hopefully the summer’s spectacle will positively impact schools, but that’s not the only demographic who can benefit. Sport can be a great hobby, fun and another avenue to socialise. As well as controlling your weight, exercise can also help with stress and your period.

So which sport will you take up this summer and beyond?

Things have been rather exciting at Qype HQ of late as we have now officially launched Qype VIQs. Very Important Qypers are members of the Qype community who have come to our attention due to their frequently-occuring Pulitzer-worthy reviews and regular appearances at Qype events! As a reward for their avid Qyping, VIQs will have access to exclusive offers, exciting private events and, of course, the good-old fashioned glory of it all! We caught up with our first VIQ Meike this week…

About you
Just turned 47 (gulp!) and decided last year to chuck in a career in international advertising to try and combine work and personal interests.  These are the arts, in particular music (almost anything except RnB …), street art, modern dance, theatre and movies.  The resulting business idea is still in its infancy, but life couldn’t be better.

Where are you from?
I was born in Germany and came to London as an au pair for six months …  that was in 1985, and I’m still here.  I have lived all over town, mainly West London, but most enjoyed Stoke Newington in the 90′s.  Moved to Notting Hill before the film came out and spoilt it all. Highlights include the days leading up to Carnival and witnessing the steel bands and floats getting ready for the year’s highlight; buying fruit and veg on Portobello Road; the most comfortable cinema seats ever at The Electric; going for long walks in Hyde Park or along the canal to Little Venice and beyond.  The perfect combination of urban decay and green escapism.

Interesting fact:
I used to have a stuffed tarantula on my wall (professionally framed at Get Stuffed in Essex Road) to get over my arachnophobia.  I would never knowingly harm an insect and got good at evacuating trespassing spiders – until one bit me.

How did you discover Qype?
I can’t remember.  I spend too much time just clicking from link to link and discovering new things on the net.  But I must have subconsciously been looking for a place to share my gripes …

What’s your favourite place you’ve reviewed on Qype?

Lowry & Baker – Notting Hill

Street Art London – Shoreditch

Gliffaes Country House Hotel – Crickhowell

What’s your favourite badge that you’ve earned on Qype?
Does the VIQ medal count?  Before then: Super Ninja (I can’t believe I’ve been going on about more than 500 places!)

What has been your favourite Qype event so far?
Cookery class at Angela Malik’s

Any tips for Qype newbies?
Stick to the idea of writing a review for a friend; one-liners are a bit lame, but a whole essay isn’t really necessary either …

Complete the sentence: My favourite thing about Qype is…
… being able to let off steam when things have gone wrong – as well as dishing out praise where places have made an extra special effort.

Want to be a VIQ? You can find out how to here