Avo Hotel, Dalston

The adorable Avo Hotel is tucked away amongst the shops in Dalston, an ideal choice for London visitors wishing to stay in this cool area of the city. With nearby places including the lovely Arcola Theatre, WAH Nails, and numerous quirky eateries, Hackney is a hub of exciting activity. While visiting Avo a few nights ago I began thinking I would like to live in this up and coming district. If only Acton could show a bit of initiative like this area, perhaps my local vicinity could be trendy too!

Despite getting caught up in the elaborate one way system we managed to park directly outside the hotel, for free. Inside, this boutique hotel has a very welcoming atmosphere, with big wooden table and chairs and a small reception desk and an understated but pleasant decor. Appropriately the word ‘avo’ actually means ‘welcome’ in many languages, I immediately felt very welcomed by the small family that run this hotel.

We were shown up to the very top of the hotel and to the luxurious suite, which we were lucky to be upgraded to. A small and cosy room, with an adjoining space that had a plush sofa and desk. Every necessity was catered for: coffee and tea facilities, complimentary filtered water, Sony docking station, unlimited free high speed Wifi, amazingly soft dressing gowns to use and luxurious toiletries by ELEMIS. The bathroom was swish and modern with black marble tiling and a refreshing and ultra clean big shower.

The main feature in the room was the giant bed, with flat screen tv infront, ideal for lazy evenings in. And with the choice of 150 dvds to rent it’s difficult to drag yourself out of your Avo room (but we did for a quick Indian curry down the road). The memory foam mattresses were my favourite thing about the room, conducive to a good night’s sleep, as you sink into the bed the mattress moulds around your body. My only negative point would be the noise pollution, but as Avo is located on the main road I guess this problem is unavoidable. When we stayed the weather was particularly humid and so it was necessary to open as many windows as possible, but this let in unwanted heat -perhaps the only solution is air conditioning.

An organic and locally source continental breakfast is complimentary for all guests, and is offered downstairs in the main lounge area. For those extra special treats the Avo staff are happy to help organise in room head massage (£10 for 15 minutes), daily fresh flowers (£15 per arrangement) and fruit basket on arrival (£10).

Just a short distance from Liverpool St, Canary Wharf and Bank the Avo hotel is an ideal refuge for tourists needing a relaxing bedroom to stay in while exploring the city, but it is also a cosy location for anyone wanting a night in with a film, curled up on a very comfortable bed.

Avo hotel, 82 Dalston LaneHackney, London E8 3AH 020 3490 5061, see website and book here.

Uncle Vanya at Arcola Theatre

Dalston is a hip, vibrant area of London with a real buzz. The fabulous and original nail heaven WAH is here as well as cute little eateries serving up "a little of what you fancy". Turn a few corners away from Kingsland Road and you are at the Arcola, a bright independent theatre with a hefty helping of panache.

I was there at the new theatre opening a few months ago and the transformation is exciting, though the makeshift loos are still a treacherous journey away! Arcola treat their press people well with a complimentary array of nibbles (olives of every variety), and a beer on the house. There is a friendly welcome at the door.

This season the Arcola stage two Chekhov plays, Uncle Vanya and later in June, The Seagull. Chekhov is a writer who uses the mundane to express a broader opinion of life. I was immediately struck by the naturalness of both the writing and acting in this new production of Uncle Vanya, and for this I must congratulate the inspired director, Helena Kaut-Howson. She bravely took on the task of translating the famous script, offering a fresh and exciting new perspective that stays true to the spirit of the original.

Women seem to both fascinate and confuse Chekhov who often portrays them as crazed creatures, screaming and dancing madly round the room. This is true of both The Seagull and Uncle Vanya which both feature captivating young leading ladies. Marianne Oldham looks striking in a full length white gown as the temptress Yelena Andreyevna. Oldham successfully grasps the enigmatic persona of this much desired woman, though I noticed twinges of nervousness that occasionally broke the beguiling illusion.

The action is centred around a dysfunctional family, each character has their own pessimistic reasons for wanting to escape the boredom and monotony of the estate property. Uncle Vanya is the most frustrated, and finds relief in adoring and fantasising about Yelena. Jon Strickland is brilliant as Vanya, he creates a multi dimensional character and I was absorbed by his rendition.

There is a good ensemble balance throughout - one of the most intriguing scenes comes from the three drunken men, who are hilariously convincing as they stumble about giggling and joking. Simon Gregor gives a deeply thoughtful, nuanced performance as the handsome Doctor Mikhail Astrov and Paul Bigley is a hysterical asset to the cast as the kind Ilya Telegin.

Designer Sophie Jump must have had a fun job decorating the stage for this play; the space already has such a wonderful atmosphere it lends itself to dramatic work. Nonetheless Jump found some modest antiques to imbue the scene with Russian charm.

As ever, the Arcola delights with its instinctive and creative production. They succeeded with the original commissioned play The Painter, and now we see the genius of their updating of a classic - is there anything they can’t do?

Uncle Vanya continues until 4 June, book here.

Hot on the Highstreet Week 46 - WAH NAILS

WAH Nails has become a cult beauty bar, the ONLY place to get your nails done in London. The original Wah is located on Kingsland Road in Dalston - a nail and hair salon for only the hippest of gals. It started up in 2005 “providing a space for a new wave of street smart feminism”. Founder Sharmadean Reid, a graduate of Central St Martins, wanted to open a salon where you could have whatever you wanted on your fingertips, and so WAH seemed like the logical name!

Wah has now expanded to Topshop Oxford Circus too, so you don’t have to trek all the way to East London to get your nails looking pretty. I went along to experience the whirlwind of activity myself. Running there in the limited time of my lunch break, I couldn’t have the skilful nail art pictures done, so instead I opted for a fresh shape and paint and a few crystal gems to add some sparkle and jazz. It looks great and I’ve had lots of comments, better still, three days on and it is perfectly intact!

Next time I will definitely be trying one of their designs, perhaps the strawberries or the multi coloured leopard print that is unique to Wah. When I walked into the Topshop concession for my appointment the first thing I noticed was the array of nail varnish colours, every hue you could hope for. They don’t stick to one brand at Wah either, if Essie has a pale mint green that you can’t find anywhere else they’ll have it. On the wall are the fabulous designs, all different wacky patterns to choose from, some of which you can see in the photos above. Prices start from £12.50 for the designs: the cheapest are Breton Stripes and Leopard tips both costing £23; but for the more ornate patterns like Aztec print it costs around £36-39.

Don’t be shy, go wild and join the WAH Nails revolution!