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The Natural History Museum once again plays host to the Shell Wildlife Photographer of The Year 2008 exhibition. A truly delightful way of spending an hour of your time. The above photograph by Wesley Cooper, was a favourite - creative and captures the essence of the animal without showing its face.

Wishing everyone a Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year. Bring on 2008.

We have just got a AirPort Express in the new Indigo office. Considering these things were out a couple of years ago we are hardly pioneers here, but this great gadget that allows us to play our iTunes music on Roland’s old HiFi, which sits on top of the boiler cupboard. This cool ‘white plug’ has just become a whole lot cooler thanks to this wicked little app, Airfoil, by a company called Rogue Amoeba. This piece of software can ‘hijack’ the audio stream from any application like Last.fm or Winamp and pipe the music to Roland’s speakers. 2.7 Mb and a bargain at $25 dollars.

London is apparently the most expensive city in the world to eat out in:

According to the new Zagat guide, the average meal in the capital now costs an eye watering £39.09, up 2.9% from last year. In Paris the cost is £35.37, Tokyo £35.10, New York £19.30 and Los Angeles £15.63, for three courses with one glass of wine.

Source: The Guardian, Helen Pidd, Wednesday September 12, 2007

Didn’t get the camera out as much as I would have like in Lisbon earlier in the month but it was fantastic to escape the miserable English weather and spend a week with a fantastic group of people in a fantastic European city. Highlights included a mustachioed man who sold us copious amounts of mojitos, ‘Docas’, the Expo ‘98 site, the aquarium and, of course, Dr. T!

• 5 tablespoons dry cider or wine
• 5 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce
• 1 heaped tablespoon tomato purée
• 1 heaped teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 fat garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tablespoon light soft brown sugar

With thanks to Delia!

Photo by estaban via Flickr

For tasty, huge burgers and classy decor you shouldn’t look further than Automat, an uber-chic Mayfair (London) American diner without the chintz, neon signs and juke boxes one normally associates with such places. Went in for a lunchtime bite the other week and, whilst sadly full of hedge fund suits (it’s Mayfair, what did I expect?), service was prompt, I asked for a rare burger and that is exactly what I got. Truly delicious and the interior designer and chef both get full marks.

Automat, 33 Dover St.
London, United Kingdom W1
020-7499 3033

An unassuming eatery on Wardour St, Chuen Cheng Ku, offers some of the best Chinese food I have ever eaten. Our group was almost the only table of non-Chinese eaters - a good sign! Ignore the shabby interior and brash wall decorations. This place is about excellent food. Thanks to Phil ‘the Oracle’ Salcedo for this one.

1. Get three heroes.
2. Put tinnies of Carlsberg in 7 tonne paddling pool.
3. Insert rosemary and garlic in the lamb.
4. Place leg of lamb from Borough Market on Weber barbecue.
5. Insert meat thermometer.
6. Let meat cook and heroes drink.
7. Consume with roast potatoes, mixed roast peppers in olive oil and Argentine Malbec.
8. Finish up in Dukes Head and add Pony John and shocked friend to mix.

So simple. So good. The result…

Photos from New Zealand trip, April 2007 now on Flickr.