& she him
The City Edition for couples inspired to love
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Exclusive interviews WITH THE hottest couples THE BEST DATES IN LONDON
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h g u o r e h t t o p i A tr n o d on L t s a E of t r a p
It is hard to believe that some of the biggest names in music play in the rough trade store. almost weekly THE shop IS HOME TO A variety of big names, up and coming artists and some weird and wonderful ‘workshops’. whether you are stuck for a fun date or in the East london area, pop in to the brick lane shop to check out their latest events.
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she him city edition
Music lovers: Reviews written for couples by couples
T
he likes of The XX, Mumford and Sons and
All in a location that can’t even hold the front row
Radiohead have all graced the Rough
of Hammersmith Apollo. Another bonus if you are
Trade stage. The best thing about these
intending to go see one of your favourite bands is
performances is that they are usually free.
they usually do signings. So, with a chance you’ll walk
Yes, free* and if you don’t know who Rough Trade
out with a signed Thom Yorke CD feeling privileged
is, shame on you. They are an independent record
and enlightened, it is worth grabbing this opportunity.
label that launched in 1973 and has since gone onto
This area of London is renowned for being one of
promote and nurture the most talented musicians
the hippest and coolest places in the country, so
this country has to offer.
make sure you have time
The website provides an extensive list of what’s on and when, as well as giving you the T&C’s of the gigs. If
you
are
a
F.B.L.V
(frequent Brick Lane visitor), there is a calendar displayed in the centre of the shop. If you are not familiar with the artists, just check some of the acts out on one of the many
“I think the in-store gigs are special because it is a unique environment to watch a band play live. It’s different to a normal gig for both the artists and the general public. It’s just a completely different atmosphere. We are so lucky to have such an amazing space and sound system.”
listening stations generously scattered
around
the
record stands. Unfortunately, the
headphones
to go for a wander. Why not grab a bite to eat (See page 54), take a look at the fantastic markets and soak up some culture. If you don’t always fancy a midday music delight (or just can’t get hold of the tickets), Rough Trade offers fantastic workshops where you can build your very own audio electronics. Great for
Phil Adams, Assistant Manager
those who are a bit ‘techie’ and love a synthesizer! Not
aren’t
only that, every month they
sharable! The atmosphere in the shop is simply
convert the store into a mini cinema, showcasing
electric and quite unlike any other record shop you
the latest art-house film screenings and even book
have ever been in before.
readings from authors.
Pick a random act you’ve never heard of and just
Even though the gig is treated like a bit of a warm up
go watch them - guaranteed you’ll have a great
for bands debuting an album, from my experience,
time. The people of Rough Trade know their stuff
these have been the most exciting. Witnessing these
and only let the best of the best perform. Serving
talented artists baring their soul and sound for you
alcohol at the till/bar and a maximum of 200 people
for the very first time can be rather magical and puts
per performance, it is the ultimate intimate show.
you in the mood for love.
There really is nothing better than an up close and personal appearance, before they sell out arenas.
To find out who is playing when check out the website at
WWW.ROUGHTRADE.COM
*Well almost. Usually all you have to do is buy the artists’ new album or EP, which, of course you will already be doing.
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f o e v o l e e h f t i l t a r e u M yo
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The latest branch of the renowned MEAT liquor and MEAT market that boasts some of the best burgers in London, is MEAT Mission. Located in the heart of hipster town Hoxton, the converted old Christian mission building is anything but distasteful. Get ready to praise the lord for some very unholy fast food.
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she him city edition
Food lovers: Reviews written for couples by couples
T
he entrance Mission
is
of Meat
doomed roof and walls. Covered in
hidden,
images of animals’ heads morphed
located in a back alley of
well
on human bodies, in a setting that
East London. Looks can be
resembles a delicious nightmare.
deceiving though and the tinted black doors
These
restaurants
and
aren’t
your
typical
go-
stained-glass windows admit you into
to restaurants for a date, but it is
the ultimate food heaven.
the perfect place to fall in love all
Dimly lit and echoing an atmosphere
over again in with greasy food and
that whispers the imagination of the
authentic American beer. The pricing
likes of Hunter S. Thompson, it is clear
is reasonable too; you’ll walk out with
that this is a not just any burger joint.
a full belly and change from £40 for
Pinkish red neon lights bear down on
two. Not only that, the MEAT liquor
the rustic tables dotted about.
brand has a cult following, some
The skeleton of the buildings Christian
of
those
being
famous
celebrity
beginnings is prominently entwined
couples. So, you know it’s going to be
with the modern décor, comparable
good. Do expect to queue to get in;
to a disco abattoir, if one ever existed.
these places don’t do bookings.
However,
this
ambiance
doesn’t
After analysing the menu, which
suggest strange or offensive, merely
resembled a prayer hymnbook, we
amusing and unusual. The music is
ordered the Sweet Cheeks cider to
a heady mix of Deep South country
drink. I’m not a huge fan of cider, but
and rock and roll that sits nicely with
this tantalised me with the ruse that
the restaurant-cum-diner-cum-church
it was infused with blackberry and
vibe. Unlike its relative the MEAT liquor
elderflower as well as being 100% British.
venue, which houses a much more
However, it was a little disappointing
sinister decoration. (It is worth a visit
but
to see the scratchy drawings on the
absolutely stonking.
apparently
the
cocktails
are
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“Dimly lit and echoing an atmosphere that whispers the imagination of the likes of Hunter S. Thompson,
it is clear that this is
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not just any burger joint.�
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It was on good recommendation that we order the ‘Dead Hippie’ burger, advised from an American foodie, -we knew it was going to be good. It comprises of two mustard fried burger patties, lettuce, cheese, pickles and minced white onions, all smothered in the special dead hippy sauce. Having had the experience of ordering fries and neglecting them, we decided on two of the signature sides: the fried pickles and the monkey fingers. The food arrives all together in an unusual manner, on a silver tray laden with food, paper and grease. Not a knife or fork in sight, merely a kitchen roll and traditional condiments on the table to aid. The grease dripping from the sides of burger, the heady mix of booze and dimmed lighting made it guiltily tempting. These types of burgers leave you craving more and more. The monkey fingers to follow were battered chicken strips coated in a tangy spicy sauce. These were a bit fierier than first anticipated, but the mix of sweet and sour worked well with the cooling blue cheese dip. One of our all time favourites of the restaurant chain is the fried pickles. Hard to come by in this country, these deep-fried goodies are the highlight of the meal. The blue cheese dip is also the perfect accompaniment. Filled with real chunks of blue cheese and a creamy texture that would happily do smothered over everything. Overall this is an unforgettable dining experience and would definitely rate this place for a date, maybe not a first though, things can get messy. It delivers on taste; originality and individuality-a must go with your (long-term) partner. Any three of this chain is worth going to, but if you want to try a new religion of food, this is a definite. Unlike the other two, it is fairly unknown so you won’t be queuing for long. Hurry though, because Hoxton’s best occult won’t be kept schtum for much longer.
MEAT Mission 14-15 Hoxton market London N1 6HG
www.meatmission.com
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i k iN k d n a O sh e a &
she him
city edition
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Meet one of the U. K.’s elite fashion couples. Nikki runs the fashion event company Showspace London, whilst O’shea is a world famous model. Between them they dominate backstage and on the catwalks of the world’s greatest fashion shows.
Words and photography by Charlotte Collins
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I THOUGHT he was very handsome with great manners. A real gentleman�
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M
eet
Nikki.
She
She is no stranger to meeting
has
built
her
beautiful young men, as it is
empire
after all her job. She also works
than
tirelessly as a model scout in
The
London, picking the freshest
Showspace London, the go-
faces off the streets. Always
to fashion event organisation
very professional, with her social
that is on everyone that is
life and personal life gently
anyone’s’ speed dial in the
intertwined. It seems that her
run up to London Fashion
motivation and determination
week.
from
is in full force and she doesn’t
London College of Fashion
plan on stopping any time soon.
fashion in
six
years.
less
She
runs
Graduating
fashion
What is apparent with Nikki,
photography, she soon found
however, and the main hurdle
her feet in the industry interning
to not being able to dominate
at a top-modeling agency
bigger shows, go global and
in the city. She threw herself
place her firmly at the top of
into her dream job of a model
the fashion hierarchy, is she is
booker
Men’s
in fact nice. A genuine high
models soon after. This wasn’t
flyer; but with her feet firmly
enough
with
a
degree
for
in
Premier
Sheldon
on the ground. Her shy nature
though, and she decided to
but fierce determination has
work freelance as a casting
secured her a strong eight
director and show producer:
years in fashion. In this industry
from there her business grew
usually only the cutthroat hard-
to where it is today.
asses make it to the very end still
She and
for
is
Miss.
strong,
powerful
independent.
Her
business expanded through determination
and
standing, but it was this quality that blossomed the relationship she now has with O’Shea.
good
It’s easy to see that Miss.
serial
Sheldon’s whole life is fashion;
networker, with an eye for
every part of her existence
a
lives and breathes it. Not that
contacts. face
Nikki and
organisation
is
a
outstanding
skills,
most
of
she seems to mind, “I love
her friends happen to be
everything
world-class
about
fashion,
I
and
wouldn’t have it any other
jetting around in private jets
way.” It is no surprise to see that
and yachts is the norm for
she is dating the world famous
her. Of all the people that
model,
create a ‘fashion moment’
that equally understands the
the designers, models, make
burden of the industry. It is a
up artists, editors, publicists,
young relationship, having only
hairdressers; it is the show
been together for just under a
coordinator
casting
year, but they are in it for the
directors that are the most
long haul. They both seem too
respected and fundamental
kind, soft and real for the hard
element, it wasn’t easy to
industry that they are in, but
get this reverence, but it does
together they are unstoppable
have its perks.
just the way they are.
models
and
O’shea,
someone
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1.how old are you guys? 22 & 26
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2.where are you from originally? London & Hertfordshire. 3.where do you live now? Together in London 4.What are your jobs? I’m a model. Nikki is a fashion show & events producer & casting director. 5.How long have you been a couple ? 8 months 6. Where did you meet? At the abbey tavern pub. 7.what did you think of them the first time you met? O’SHEA: I thought Nikki was beauti ful. I kinda fell for her at first sight. I told most of our mutual friends that I fancied her . NIKKI: I thought he was very han dsome with great manners. A real gentleman.. 8. What is your best memory togeth er? The first time we said ‘I love you ’. Because I was in Madrid for fashion week, and Nikki was in Lon don. So we said I love you for the first time over Skype. 9. What was the first thing you noticed about him/ her? Her eyes & his smile. 10. What were you most attracted to about him/ her when you first met? NIKKI: Him being a model, he was very handsome, but also very dow n to earth, fun & friendly. O’SHEA: It was an instant crush. I think the first time I heard her speak, my heart. I love her voice, her smile, her eyes. But for me, it was that she was so beautiful & wasn’t trying hard at all. 11. What do you think the future holds? A lot of happy times.
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O
’shea has the world
It is clear though that O’shea
at his feet. There is
is a pretty big (6ft 1/2) kid at heart.
something incredibly
His love of gadgets and games is a
gracious, calm and
huge passion for him. He is the go to
polite about him and his penchant for
collection of PlayStation 3 games take up
Only just turned 22 with six years of modelling
a lot of room in the bedroom, much to Nikki’s
under his belt he is at the height of his career, but it seems that being with someone like Nikki, one of the real go-getters, O’shea finds himself doubting his job.
“I’ve always wanted to go and study to
dismay. Whilst even being interviewed in their flat, he had to drag himself from a very intense C.O.D. (Call of Duty) game. Who can blame him though? He has a lot of spare time, and the deal
be an architect, but I was scouted at 16 so have no
with modelling is very different from any other job.
qualifications. Architecture needs four years just at
Months on end there can be no work, especially when
university,” he says.
the season is over, but huge pay-outs come about
It isn’t just his job that he has been taking into
every now and then.
consideration recently - being a London boy
Some people may assume, that he might
through and through, he has never learnt
be like a child in a sweet shop; frivolously
to drive. Through Nikki’s encouragement,
spending every penny he had once the
he is now learning and soon taking his
agency had taken their cut. However,
test. It isn’t a necessity in his life at the
O’shea bought his own flat on the
moment, but it appears O’shea is looking
outskirts of London when he eventually
to the future more than ever.
hit the big time on a Puma campaign.
Looking back on his career, he should
This is the home that Nikki moved into with
be thinking of going into model retirement.
him three months ago. There is barely any
Considering all that he has done, he has had a good run. Modelling for the likes of Versace, Marc Jacobs and DSquared to name a few. However, his boyish good looks and flawless skin mean there is no chance of him being dropped any time soon.
evidence of what would have once been a comfortable lad pad, with Nikki redecorating with her feminine touch. He even refers to the home as the ‘O’snikki’ household. The only real concern that carefree O’shea has about, well, anything, is the pigeons that often
He has featured on the runways of Milan, Barcelona, Paris and London, as well as a onetime stint in New York. “No one really wants to do New York; you know, they don’t pay you money and you have to pay for hotel, flights, everything. They just pay you in clothes. Sure, it might be three thousand dollars worth of clothes, but half the stuff you don’t even want to wear ha-ha.”
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guy for any Apple product, and his vast
saying, “you’re welcome” at any opportunity.
defecate on the balcony. “I’ve got my own catapult and have put spikes all along the fence, but the b******s keep coming back!” So what does the future hold for O’shea? It is clear that he is madly in love with Miss. Sheldon and is looking forward to the future with her, whether that is him being an architect or not, this couple is strong.
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“It was an instant crush. I think the first time I heard her speak,my heart melted.�
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s e m a j d n a e a lic
Ever thought about starting your own magazine with just a dream and a blog? Well, that's exactly what Alice Snape,with no relation to the professor, 29, did. Following her vision hasn't been an easy ride, but her partner and filmmaker James STITTLE, 28, has been by her side the whole time.
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Words by Charlotte Collins Photography by James Stittle
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she him city edition
81
A
lice started up Things&Ink last year
the Middle East. Constantly enshrouded with
and it has been growing ever since.
hard-hitting journalism, he finds it exhausting.
It has created something of a cult
Finding comfort in tattoos and artwork, it was
following. Its popularity is down to
this that first attracted Alice to him. Through
the dilemma Alice faced when trying to find
their mutual passion, the two find themselves
a non-trashy tattoo magazine for women.
working and collaborating together. James
However, the magazine is just something Alice
films all the behind-the-scenes footage for
does in her spare time for now. Somehow,
the magazine website.
she manages to juggle a full-time job as well
“James and I work well together. When
as being an all round editor, art director and
we first met, I wanted to make a film about
the general ‘boss’ of the magazine, which
the London Tattoo Convention, so we did it
comes out bi-monthly.
together. It was a little stressful, but also I loved
“I launched the Things&Ink magazine; a mag
seeing how talented James is and watch him
embracing female
work,” says Alice.
tattoo culture, after years of dreaming about it. I see it as an answer to the growing misogyny in
tattoo
I
didn’t
think
media. really
that
tattoo
magazines
spoke
The pair met via
“We just seemed to click and had so much fun; We got a bit tipsy and even made friends with a random Swedish guy who was buying us drinks.” JAMES
to me, or women’s
a
dating
website
that has the users’ profiles written by a their friend. It seems that in the world of Internet dating, ‘favouriting’ good
as
is
as
flashing
magazines in general. I see it as being the
someone a smile at a bar. Soon after Alice
new women’s lifestyle magazine for the
‘favourited’ James, they messaged back and
tattooed woman.” She started this in 2012
forth. The heady mix of her love for skin design
by using her life savings, every resource she
and his compassion in film making quickly
could get her hands on and a lot of help from
lead to arranging the date.
her friends, especially James.
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mysinglefriend.com;
It appears this pair fit together perfectly; they
James’ schedule seems just as hectic.
share the same aspirations and vehemence
Having just returned from filming in Jordan.
and do what they love everyday. What they
He works as a freelance filmmaker making
don’t share however, is size.
documentaries and corporate videos as well
“I was shocked by just how tall he is in
films for charities. His most recent trip was to
reality. On his Online profile it said he was 6
document the impact of the Syrian refugees in
foot 10, but I honestly thought it must have
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she him city edition
been a typo and that he was actually 6 foot
don’t take themselves too seriously. Alice and
1. But when he was walking towards me I was
James are both extremely driven, it is clear to
like, wow, he really is that tall,” jokes Alice.
see, but they do know how to have fun and
An incredible 18 inches difference made
always remember to mix work with pleasure.
Alice a little nervous at first, but their initial
Working hard and playing hard is how they do it.
meeting was on a lovely, warm summer
That’s what attracted James to her in the
evening, and with drinks flowing at a comical
first place “She was a really fun person, easy-
bar named ‘Garlic and Shots’, it wasn’t long
going with a good sense of humour, she really
before the two clicked and had fun.
listened to what I said.”
“He bought our first round, which consisted
With James originally from Kent and Alice
of two beers and two blood shots. Blood
from Leicestershire, these small town guys with
shots are like potent mini Bloody Marys, and
their big dreams moved into a cosy one-bed
full of garlic and chilli. I doubt many people
apartment in Brixton. Stacked full of the issues
would give a girl garlic on a first date ha-ha.”
that Alice prizes as her greatest creation,
As James fondly recalls, it was definitely a
cameras scattered around, the two find it
night to remember. “We just seemed to click
hard to move about. But they are indefinitely
and had so much fun; we got a bit tipsy and
content with this lifestyle and measure their
even made friends with a random Swedish
joy not in material, but achievement.
guy who was buying us drinks.” If it wasn’t the enormous height of James that first attracted petite Alice to him, it was his array of quirky tattoos, retro glasses and quiet nature.
“I am really proud of what she has achieved with the magazine,” says James. So what does the future hold for this artistic and determined couple?
It seems the pair together were somewhere
James: “I don’t know what next week holds,
jumbled into a much different time, where
we’re not really planning kind of people. We
creativity, equality and aspirations were
think about trips we want to take together.”
booming - the vintage couple of now.
Alice: “I am happy just living each day as
Alice can implicitly remember their very first
it comes, the one thing I do know is that my
kiss, on the second date, when they went for
future is with James – wherever that may be.”
a quiet tipple. “Well, that turned into about
For a couple that are renowned for being
20 drinks and we ended up at a random
fun, artistic, focused and determined, there is
student night, where we snogged on the
only one place for them to go.
dance floor like teenagers,” she giggles. It seems that even though Alice might have the weight of a whole magazine on her shoulders and James deals with hard-hitting film making of the struggles of the world, they
“I want the magazine to go worldwide…we are thinking New York is next…” Check out the Things&ink website to buy the magazine: WWW.THINGSANDINK.COM
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