Category: Blog

Microwave Ovens without Turntables are Wonderful!

On: By: Philip Wake
On Monday morning when I cooked my porridge the microwave blew up. I had to open the window and use a hair dryer to disperse the smoke. It was over 7 years old (Samsung ME733K from Argos 6 July 2015 £49.99) but I never thought its life would end like that! I drove to Asda Fareham to buy a new one and came across a George Home Flatbed one for £50 which means it had no turntable. I liked that idea because turntables are a pain in the ass. They limit the size of the rectangular containers you Read more [...]

Liquid Skin Glue!

On: By: Philip Wake
I managed to create a sore patch in the corner of my mouth a few days ago when I was grinding down my lower right canine tooth to be the same size as the front teeth on my dentures so the the back teeth of the dentures would meet properly for chewing. The corner of my mouth gets wet all the time of course and it didn't stand a chance of healing. I searched for and found this product which arrived today after being ordered on Sunday. I have now applied it and can feel it working already. Unlike UHU Read more [...]

Brighton instead of Portsmouth tonight!

On: By: Philip Wake
I was really looking forward to BAILANDO Christmas Fiesta, LIVE MUSIC with Extreme Latin Band) but it had to be cancelled at the last minute due to Covid so I'm going to SUNDAY FUNDAYS - BACHATA (+Salsa) @Selina Hotel Brighton) instead. It's about time because I haven't been for ages and I do love dancing there! It's at the the Selena Hotel instead of Revolution and the social runs from 9pm until 11:30. Read more [...]

Smart Meter from Eon-Next

On: By: Philip Wake
Economy 7 Electricity with a Smart Meter from Eon-Next (Toshiba EDMI, SKU1 Cellular) (NB: It's the same as the one that NPower used to install before Eon-Next took it over.) On 8 June 2021, a SMET2 Smart Meter was installed by Eon-Next for my studio flat. I had been waiting to be offered one of the latest meters because the old SMET1 ones aren't guaranteed to work when you change supplier and I do tend to change every year! The meter transmits it's readings to a remote monitor inside my Read more [...]

My first year of Salsa Walking to Keep Me Fit for Salsa Dancing!

On: By: Philip Wake
I've been working at my goal of walking 4 metric miles every day in an hour – around 7,500 daily steps – a marathon weekly – for 365 days now as exercise to keep me fit in lieu of going salsa dancing 6 nights a week which was my raison d'être until it was rudely interrupted by lockdown in March 2020.  From the beginning I wore headphones and walked to the beat of salsa music to make it more interesting and, because I‘ve always found walking hard work, this made my Read more [...]

Happy Valentine’s Day to All My Favourite Salseras!

On: By: Philip Wake
These are not all my favourite salseras from 2003 to 2019 - just the ones who are in my collection of pictures of salseras I have danced with! I'm so much looking forward to dancing with you all again soon! AnyDaniellaDaniellaLisaLisaLisaLisaKatrinahKatrinahKatrinahKatrinahHeatherKatrinahAncaDonnaDonnaHeidiHeidiHeidiLizLizJennyHeidiHeidiLizAncaKatrinahLorenaLorenaLorenaDonnaDonnaLorenaLorenaLorenaPenniGraceSilviyaHeidiGery VakufovaKarinaGery VakufovaEmaKarizmaVendulaVendulaAmyKatrinahAncaElenaCassandraSonyaRasaRasaSoniSoniSimonaHeidiKatrinahKatrinahKatrinahMarzenaHazelMarzenaMarzenaLorenaLorenaKateAgnieszkaBarbaraBarbaraHazelHazelMelinaMelinaMelinaEmilyAnnabelAnnabelAnnabelAnnabelMindiRenataRenataMichaelaAngelaMindiAnnabelRenataEmaGoretiEwaMadalinaNikolettaSaoriKasiaKatrinahKatrinahKatrinahRaluIngaAnneta Read more [...]

All Washed Up!

On: By: Philip Wake
The original of this report may be found here on facebook. Below I have copied it and added some useful webpage formatting. . Philip Wake Day 318 Salsa Walk The forecast was 100% chance of precipitation and I felt like I needed a rest so I decided to give my salsa walk a miss today. I always do my washing Monday night using half price electricity after 0030 but when it finished at 7:45 GMT just before the full price electricity cut in (it's always 17 minutes late) I discovered that Read more [...]

Salsa Walking to Keep Me Fit!

On: By: Philip Wake
I've been working at my goal of walking 4 metric miles every day in an hour – around 7,500 daily steps – a marathon weekly – for 309 days now as exercise to keep me fit in lieu of going salsa dancing 6 nights a week which was my raison d'être until it was rudely interrupted by lockdown in March 2020.  From the beginning I wore headphones and walked to the beat of salsa music to make it more interesting and, because I‘ve always found walking hard work, this made my Read more [...]

Alone but not lonely!

On: By: Philip Wake
I may be single and alone but I'm never lonely as I'm always surrounded by some of my favourite salseras! The slide show below is from the collection showing in the above picture on my TV screen which is acting as an extension to my laptop! This slideshow normally shows as wallpaper on my laptop which plays all day for me to see when I'm not actually using it! AncaKasiaKasiaAgnieszkaTatianaAudeKasiaTatianaKasiaSarahSarahNikolettaNikolettaCristinaMichaelaMadalinaAgnieszkaNadiaNikolettaMadalinaMadalinaAgnieszkaKasiaSarahCristinaMadalinaNadiaDanaKatrinahBoikanyoAnnaAnnaAnnaZoeVeroVeroCuban Read more [...]

My Stolen Life!

On: By: Philip Wake
Artur's birthday today reminded me of his great pictures of me dancing with gorgeous ladies which remind me of how much I am missing during this period of suspended animation while I'm waiting for my stolen life to start up again! You know, the one where I went dancing 6 nights a week as opposed to wondering why I'm bothering to get up today! Lol <Original facebook post> At the age of 75 I could be forgiven for thinking that the government is wasting what could be the last few year's Read more [...]

Digital Bathroom Scales at Last!

On: By: Philip Wake
I've been using old fashioned bathroom scales for years and knew they were rubbish because I weighed something different every time I stood on them. However, I found a way of using them and apparently reduced my weight by 33lbs from 14st10lb on 19th April to 12st5lb on 27 November but I finally got fed up with the innate inaccuracy of scales which use a physical balance to turn a circular disk to tell you what you weigh. I found a site which recommends The top six best digital scales for Read more [...]

If the suit fits!

On: By: Philip Wake
Well that's a good sign - I was just looking through my wardrobe to see if there was any clothes I could donate to charity and spotted the suit I haven't been able to wear for many years because the jacket was too tight to button and the trousers wouldn't even think about doing up round my waist. Now it fits perfectly. So I tried the slim fit shirt on too and that fitted perfectly too - I couldn't button it up before and the neck was too tight. Looks like 12st5lb is a good weight for me but I'll Read more [...]

TV Brightness v Power Consumption!

On: By: Philip Wake
When I read my Economy 7 electricity meter on 3 October and registered the reading in the spreadsheet that I use to monitor my electricity usage, I noticed that the day time usage had increased from 2.8kwh to 3.3kwh during September. It's been around 2.8 for a long time so I was a bit puzzled. I wondered if perhaps I had left my kitchen spotlights on too long because there are 3 of them rated at 20 watts. All my other lights are low power ones using 6 watts or less but the spotlights are very Read more [...]

Debit Card Laundering!

On: By: Philip Wake
You've heard of money laundering but what about debit cards? I always set my washing machine at midnight on Monday to turn on at 5am to do an 82 minute eco wash. My alarm went off at 06:35 as usual as it usually takes 90 minutes or so depending on the amount of washing but unfortunately the machine had not done its duty. I can only presume that there was a short power drop before it turned on. I set the machine to do a 26 minute rinse instead as I was determined to finish the 80 minute tumble Read more [...]

Archiving Facebook Birthday Stories

On: By: Philip Wake
I woke up today on the 75th anniversary of my birth day to some facebook posts from my salsa dancing friends wishing me a happy birthday but then I noticed some birthday stories too which I didn't realise you could do. I've had a quite a few so far but it occurred to me that it would be nice to view the archive of these stories when they disappear after 24 hours but then I discovered that facebook don't do that any more. Not to be frustrated, I used AirDroid to mirror and record them from my mobile Read more [...]

Cheap & Easy Fix for a Cracked Mobile Phone Screen!

On: By: Philip Wake
I recently dropped my phone while I was doing my daily salsa walk and ended up with a deep chip in the top right corner with some cracks running off it. I didn't take a before picture but you can see from the pictures below how bad it was. At this stage I have used Loca Glue (Liquid Optically Clear Adhesive) to fill the hole and the cracks and shone the UV torch (Ultra Violet) on it for a while to harden it off. The instructions say about 5 seconds but I hung the torch just above the phone and left Read more [...]

I just love cottage pie!

On: By: Philip Wake
I was about to go for my daily walk when a lovely old lady who lives near me asked me if I'd like a cottage pie. She explained that she was expecting another neighbour for dinner the previous day and he didn't come. I told her it was my favourite dish and would love to have it. She was very pleased that it wouldn't be wasted and so was I! I should have taken a picture of it before I ate half of it for lunch the following day but I was too impatient to get it into my tummy when I took it out of Read more [...]

Day 138 Salsa Walk

On: By: Philip Wake
Philip Wake Day 138 Salsa Walk I felt stronger today and walked the 3 miles at 65% tempo in 54:00 which is 71 seconds faster than yesterday so I must have taken longer strides. I walked the first mile in 20:33 (to Dioumte & Abibou) and the Military Road mile in 18:13 (to Lindas, Temedi & SonFo) which shows how much faster I walked to the faster music. Pugger Lander I would love to see dancing down the street. Or a picture of a remarkable site along the route? You really have Read more [...]

Day 128 Salsa Walk

On: By: Philip Wake
Philip Wake Day 128 Salsa Walk My left foot didn't seem to be improving but I thought it might be a good idea to test it out so I did. I tried walking at 58% of the Africando Mix tempo on a circular route for 6/10 of a mile taking around 15 minutes. It felt good with no pain so I'll do that a few times before I even think about walking faster! Philip Wake Later it turned out there had been some healing and that some of the toe joints were just a bit stiff and needed exercise to loosen Read more [...]

Day 125 Salsa Walk

On: By: Philip Wake
Philip Wake Day 125 Salsa Walk 0850 ONLINE CONSULATATION WITH A FRIENDLY NURSE I explained the problem and sent her the above picture from Day 123. She said that it's probably just a reaction to the soft tissue injury rather than an infection which would usually have an infection site and result in the whole foot swelling up. I explained that I had had some blisters over the last few weeks which drew blood and could have provided bacterial entry points but she didn't think the swelling Read more [...]

Day 123 Salsa Walk

On: By: Philip Wake
Philip Wake Day 123 Salsa Walk Oh dear - I seem to have overdone the interventions on my crossed over left toe. As you can see from the picture my foot is actually swollen now so I'll have to rest until it recovers. You can see the difference from my right foot which has a crossed over toe which I have managed to straighten - believe it or not - but is not causing me trouble. To see this report and all the others on my daily salsa walk click here and scroll up and down. . This Read more [...]

Day 117 Salsa Walk

On: By: Philip Wake
31:23 + 30:31 = 61:54 (new record for the 4 mile return trip) On an overcast late afternoon in a cool breeze I knocked over 2 minutes off the old record set only 2 days ago. It looks like I'll only be able to walk to the ferry as fast as I walk back home if I warm up before I start walking! There seems little doubt that walking to salsa music is motivating me to walk faster with a passion I didn't feel before! Thank you whoever provided the tempo reduction app - it was just what I needed! I Read more [...]

Day 116 Salsa Walk

On: By: Philip Wake
Walking so fast yesterday seems to have disturbed the crossed over toe on my left foot. The first little toe crosses over the big-toe because I wore split sole jazz trainers that didn't have enough space in the front region for my wide feet when I first started salsa dancing in 2003. The high heels of jazz trainers made it worse by forcing more weight onto my toes thus compressing them even more into a space not wide enough for them. As I couldn't find my gel toe separators, I thought I'd Read more [...]

Salsa Walking to Keep Me Fit!

On: By: Philip Wake
(Featuring slow motion salsa music!) I‘ve been walking 4 miles every day – 10,000 daily steps – a marathon weekly – for 114 days now as exercise to keep me fit in lieu of going salsa dancing 6 nights a week. I wore headphones and walked to the beat of salsa music to make it more interesting and, because I‘ve always found walking hard work, this made my walking smooth like dancing and therefore easier for me!  However, as I reduced the time taken from a very Read more [...]

Salsa Walking to Keep Me Fit!

On: By: Philip Wake
(Featuring an attempt on my life by an ignorant motorist!) I‘ve been walking 4 miles every day – 10,000 daily steps – a marathon weekly – for 105 days now as exercise to keep me fit in lieu of going salsa dancing 6 nights a week. I wore headphones and walked to the beat of salsa music to make it more interesting and, because I‘ve always found walking hard work, this made my walking smooth like dancing and therefore easier for me!  However, as I reduced the Read more [...]

Amazing Belly Dance Body Isolations!

On: By: Philip Wake
I've enjoyed watching good belly dancers ever since I got roped into doing it with a belly dancer in Tunisia who was offered to me afterwards as an hors d'oeuvre by the patron at a special price at her request because she had enjoyed dancing with me so much, but it was still more than I could afford and I was a married man after all! Also, I've always been interested yoga and specialised in the Nauli Kriya exercise which I have been doing 3 times a day for many years. So, I particularly Read more [...]

Philip’s Fitness Progress

On: By: Philip Wake
21 June 2020: 9 weeks ago I noticed my weight had gone up to 14st10lb having dared to weigh myself at last and realised that my cheating on my Natural Low Density Eating had gone too far. Instead of having chips only twice a week, I was having them every day as a reward for walking the first 2 miles of my daily salsa walk. I had also started to include hard cheese because I discovered that all the lactose in the milk had been digested by bacteria, but of course it is nevertheless not a natural food, Read more [...]

Sleeping on my Electric Sofa

On: By: Philip Wake
I was sleeping quite well as usual last night on my bed-in-the-wall but when I awoke for a drink and pee in the middle of the night I decided to try sleeping on the new sofa and I have to say it was very comfortable. I think the v-shaped inclined position suits my posture and digestive system better! I put the other side up too so that it was easier to handle the duvet when I de-reclined my side to go to the loo! When I got up in the morning I felt even more refreshed and ready to go than usual! Read more [...]

An Electric Settee for Me!

On: By: Philip Wake
The leather settee I bought 20 years ago for my old house and moved to my studio flat in Gosport 4 years ago finally collapsed so I was excited today to go out shopping for a new (second hand) one for hopefully £150. The only second hand furniture shop I could find open locally was Gosport Furniture Shop in Stoke Road. I walked in and there it was - just what I've always wanted. A high backed settee with leg-rests that come up at the touch of a button followed by the back-rests going down. Read more [...]

The Paradox of Tolerance!

On: By: Philip Wake
The paradox of tolerance states that if a society is tolerant without limit, its ability to be tolerant is eventually seized or destroyed by the intolerant. Karl Popper described it as the seemingly paradoxical idea that, "In order to maintain a tolerant society, the society must be intolerant of intolerance." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox_of_tolerance Read more [...]

Somebody’s Getting Absent Minded!

On: By: Philip Wake
I did a small shop at Asda Gosport just after it opened at 10am for a few items which had sold out when I went later in the day yesterday to Asda Fareham - namely the cheap Ibuprofen (40p for 16x200mg - was 35p), Dates (£2 for a 500mg packet) and Sweetcorn (45p for 198g can - was 35p). I had to make do with the 65p packet of Ibuprofen which is better than Nurofen at least which is £2 for the identical product made in the same factory! I found the Dates I wanted though and bought all 3 packets Read more [...]

Salsa Walking to Keep Me Fit!

On: By: Philip Wake
I‘ve been walking 4 miles every day – 10,000 daily steps – a marathon weekly – for 91 days now as exercise to keep me fit in lieu of going salsa dancing 6 nights a week. I wear headphones and walk to the beat of salsa music to make it more interesting and, because I‘ve always found walking hard work, this makes walking smooth like dancing and therefore easier for me! I produce a report every day and I have copied yesterdays below! You will have to follow this link and scroll down Read more [...]

The Trouble with Night Storage Heaters!

On: By: Philip Wake
My night storage heater Night Storage heaters do save money by using cheaper night time electricity to store heat in bricks which then warm the room they are in during the day. They work in combination with the Economy 7 rate which all electricity suppliers offer. It turns on at 00:30 GMT and off at 07:30 GMT every night. The night rate is typically half of the day rate which in my case is 8.1p per kilowatt hour at night and 16.6p during the day so a lot of money can be saved! I only Read more [...]

Salsa Walking to Keep Me Fit!

On: By: Philip Wake
I've been walking 4 miles every day - 10,000 daily steps - a marathon weekly - for 81 days now as exercise to keep me fit in lieu of going salsa dancing 6 nights a week. I wear headphones and walk to the beat of salsa music to make it more interesting and, because I've always found walking hard work, this makes walking smooth like dancing and therefore easier for me! I produce a report every day and I have copied yesterdays below! You will have to follow this link and scroll down to the last couple Read more [...]

2020-03-11: Salsa Explosion Wednesdays at Bar So Bournemouth!

On: By: Philip Wake
Enrique Perez & his partner  Rob Carroll run an excellent evening of salsa at Bar So in Bournemouth every Wednesday. There are  bachata workshops from 7:30pm to 8:30pm followed by Cuban salsa workshops from 8:45pm until strictly 10pm - a new year resolution for 2020.  All levels are catered for with the one and only Moe Flex usually providing the advanced level for bachata & salsa. See the facebook page Salsa Dorset for more information. The workshops are Read more [...]

2020-03-10: Salsa Social at Outside-In Food Court Portsmouth!

On: By: Philip Wake
Kasia Rajca, an amazing salsa dancer & teacher, provides a salsa social at the Outside-In Food Court in Portsmouth every Tuesday which include salsa and bachata dancing lessons. See the Salsa Solent Portsmouth facebook page or Salsa Solent Portsmouth facebook group for more information about this and other events presented by Kasia. The original venue for the event was the Art Coffee House but Kasia's salsa family became so large after 14 weeks she had to move to a larger venue. As the new Read more [...]

2020-03-08: Salsa Funday Sunday at Revolution Brighton!

On: By: Philip Wake
Salsa Brighton Dance run a salsa event weekly on Sundays at Revolution Brighton  featuring  Giulieta, Funky & Guest as instructors and Aaron George & Guest as DJs. The atmosphere is very friendly and I always feel very welcome. Venue: Revolution at 77 West Street, Brighton BN1 2RA Parking: There's plenty of free parking on single yellow lines in nearby side roads. Times: Bachata & cubana lessons 8pm to 10pm then social dancing until 2am. For more information Read more [...]

2020-03-07: Salsa Fusion at 229 The Venue London!

On: By: Philip Wake
For details about this 1st first Saturday of the month salsa event see the facebook page: Salsa - Fusion or group: SALSA - FUSION Club Nights . Sometimes there's one on the 3rd Saturday too. There is rarely a shortage of good salseras to dance with and there's always the Cuban room to cool down when you get overheated because it's a smaller room with several enormous fans and Cubana can be less strenuous but it rarely happens that way for me! I always seem to attract ladies who like to go Read more [...]

2020-03-06: Que Rico Salsa Party at White Eagle Club Balham!

On: By: Philip Wake
Miguel Mayana runs this salsa event in Balham at the White Eagle Club (aka Hamilton House) on the first Friday of every month. It is a welcome rebirth of the Que Rico event which used to run on the 2nd Friday of each month at The Bedford in Balham last year until it had to be closed for refurbishment. This venue has a luxurious ballroom for salsa dancing - big enough for 500 dancers I'd say. The bachata area is quite small but adequate for those who prefer sideways salsa! 😉 The ballroom has air Read more [...]

2020-03-04: Salsa Explosion Wednesdays at Bar So Bournemouth!

On: By: Philip Wake
Enrique Perez & his partner  Rob Carroll run an excellent evening of salsa at Bar So in Bournemouth every Wednesday. There are  bachata workshops from 7:30pm to 8:30pm followed by Cuban salsa workshops from 8:45pm until strictly 10pm - a new year resolution for 2020.  All levels are catered for with the one and only Moe Flex usually providing the advanced level for bachata & salsa. See the facebook page Salsa Dorset for more information. The workshops are Read more [...]

2020-03-03: Salsa Social at Outside-In Food Court Portsmouth!

On: By: Philip Wake
Kasia Rajca, an amazing salsa dancer & teacher, provides a salsa social at the Outside-In Food Court in Portsmouth every Tuesday which include salsa and bachata dancing lessons. See the Salsa Solent Portsmouth facebook page or Salsa Solent Portsmouth facebook group for more information about this and other events presented by Kasia. The original venue for the event was the Art Coffee House but Kasia's salsa family became so large after 14 weeks she had to move to a larger venue. As the new Read more [...]

2020-03-01: Salsa Sunday Live at Revolution Richmond!

On: By: Philip Wake
Carlos Paz runs a bi-monthly salsa & bachata event usually featuring a live band in the Terrace Bar at Revolution Richmond - an upper floor bar overlooking the River Thames with a dance floor which will accommodate 60 simultaneous dancers with seating spaces for another 40 people. You can see more information about this and other Mundo Latino UK events at mundolatinouk.com. Venue: Revolution Richmond at 4 Whittaker Avenue, Richmond TW9 1EH Schedule: The first and third Read more [...]

2020-02-29: Suavecito Salsa Bachata Party at Circle Arts Centre Brighton!

On: By: Philip Wake
Suavecito are hosting a new salsa bachata event at Circle Arts Centre Brighton on the first Saturday of every month presented by Jimmy Lobe. This second one would have been on the first Saturday if it hadn't been a leap year! Venue: Circle Arts Centre at 55 North Street, Brighton BN41 1DR Parking: Please note that the venue entrance and parking spaces are on Kingsway not North Street. Further free parking is available on North Street and side roads if required. Timetable: 20:00 Doors Read more [...]

2020-02-28: Salsa Mish Fridays at Greenwood Park St Albans!

On: By: Philip Wake
Salsa Mish hold a salsa event every Friday at Greenwood Park Community Centre, Tippendell Lane, Chiswell Green, St Albans AL2 3HW. Parking is strictly limited and the locals are very sensitive to bad parking so if the gate is closed when you arrive you should park at Midway Surgery Car Park, 93 Watford Road, AL2 3JX from which there is a  free minibus shuttle running every 15 minutes and you get a chance to win back your entry fee! The sprung dance floor is large, there are plenty of fans Read more [...]

2020-02-27: Salsa Bailando Thursdays at Drift Southsea – Carnival Party!

On: By: Philip Wake
The Drift Bar in Southsea is the venue for Bailando every Thursday run by DALE Afro Latin Entertainment from 10pm to 1am. When I arrive around 10pm for the salsa dancing upstairs there are usually plenty of people who attended the earlier bachata lessons from 8:30 to 10pm staying on for half an hour or so to practice to bachata music. Around 10:30pm salsa is added to the mix and people start coming up from downstairs particularly when it gets crowded. Many members of Kasia Rajka's salsa Read more [...]

2020-02-26: Salsa Explosion Wednesdays at Bar So Bournemouth!

On: By: Philip Wake
Enrique Perez & his partner  Rob Carroll run an excellent evening of salsa at Bar So in Bournemouth every Wednesday. There are  bachata workshops from 7:30pm to 8:30pm followed by Cuban salsa workshops from 8:45pm until strictly 10pm - a new year resolution for 2020.  All levels are catered for with the one and only Moe Flex usually providing the advanced level for bachata & salsa. See the facebook page Salsa Dorset for more information. The workshops are Read more [...]

2020-02-25: Salsa Social at Outside-In Food Court Portsmouth!

On: By: Philip Wake
Kasia Rajca, an amazing salsa dancer & teacher, provides a salsa social at the Outside-In Food Court in Portsmouth every Tuesday which include salsa and bachata dancing lessons. See the Salsa Solent Portsmouth facebook page or Salsa Solent Portsmouth facebook group for more information about this and other events presented by Kasia. The original venue for the event was the Art Coffee House but Kasia's salsa family became so large after 14 weeks she had to move to a larger venue. As the new Read more [...]

THAT’S LIFE!

On: By: Philip Wake
There are those who appreciate your talents and talk openly about them. There are those who don't and whisper behind closed doors. Be glad that talking reaches more ears than whispering. Glory in the pleasure you bring to the many but do not concern yourself with the discomfort brought upon themselves by the few with their own misguided & uninformed thoughts. Believe in your talents and improved them to bring even more pleasure to the many and even less to the few! <first published on Read more [...]

2020-02-23: B-Town Latino Bachata and Salsa Festival at Holiday Inn Brighton – Sunday Party Night!

On: By: Philip Wake
B-Town Latino hosted a brand new bachata and salsa festival in Brighton from Friday 21 to Sunday 23 February 2020 at the Holiday Inn Brighton - Seafront. I usually go salsa dancing in London at the weekend but when there's something new like this, where many of the ladies I enjoy dancing with seem to be going, I like to go there too but only on the Saturday Party Night which is usually the best night with shows at most weekenders. This one was no exception so to the Saturday Party Night I went! Read more [...]

2020-02-22: B-Town Latino Bachata and Salsa Festival at Holiday Inn Brighton – Saturday Party Night!

On: By: Philip Wake
B-Town Latino hosted a brand new bachata and salsa festival in Brighton from Friday 21 to Sunday 23 February 2020 at the Holiday Inn Brighton - Seafront. I usually go salsa dancing in London at the weekend but when there's something new like this, where many of the ladies I enjoy dancing with seem to be going, I like to go there too but only on the Saturday Party Night which is usually the best night with shows at most weekenders. This one was no exception so to the Saturday Party Night I went! Read more [...]

2020-02-21: El Grande Salsa Party at Scala London!

On: By: Philip Wake
I always look forward to being part of the biggest and best monthly salsa dancing venue in the UK which is El Grande at Scala from 21:30 to 05:00 - 4 rooms for salsa, cubana, bachata & kizomba - often attended by more than 1200 dancers! Entry is £12 whether you do the lessons or not. The venue is Scala just a few hundred yards down the road from King's Cross St. Pancras Tube Station at 275 Pentonville Rd, Kings Cross, London N1 9NL. There's always somewhere Read more [...]

2020-02-20: Salsa Bailando Thursdays at Drift Southsea!

On: By: Philip Wake
The Drift Bar in Southsea is the venue for Bailando every Thursday run by DALE Afro Latin Entertainment from 10pm to 1am. When I arrive around 10pm for the salsa dancing upstairs there are usually plenty of people who attended the earlier bachata lessons from 8:30 to 10pm staying on for half an hour or so to practice to bachata music. Around 10:30pm salsa is added to the mix and people start coming up from downstairs particularly when it gets crowded. Many members of Kasia Rajka's salsa Read more [...]

2020-02-19: Salsa Explosion Wednesdays at Bar So Bournemouth!

On: By: Philip Wake
Enrique Perez & his partner  Rob Carroll run an excellent evening of salsa at Bar So in Bournemouth every Wednesday. There are  bachata workshops from 7:30pm to 8:30pm followed by Cuban salsa workshops from 8:45pm until strictly 10pm - a new year resolution for 2020.  All levels are catered for with the one and only Moe Flex usually providing the advanced level for bachata & salsa. See the facebook page Salsa Dorset for more information. The workshops are Read more [...]

2020-02-18: Salsa Social at Outside-In Food Court Portsmouth!

On: By: Philip Wake
Kasia Rajca, an amazing salsa dancer & teacher, provides a salsa social at the Outside-In Food Court in Portsmouth every Tuesday which include salsa and bachata dancing lessons. See the Salsa Solent Portsmouth facebook page or Salsa Solent Portsmouth facebook group for more information about this and other events presented by Kasia. The original venue for the event was the Art Coffee House but Kasia's salsa family became so large after 14 weeks she had to move to a larger venue. As the new Read more [...]

2020-02-16: Salsa Sunday Live at Revolution Richmond!

On: By: Philip Wake
Carlos Paz runs a bi-monthly salsa & bachata event usually featuring a live band in the Terrace Bar at Revolution Richmond - an upper floor bar overlooking the River Thames with a dance floor which will accommodate 60 simultaneous dancers with seating spaces for another 40 people. You can see more information about this and other Mundo Latino UK events at mundolatinouk.com. Venue: Revolution Richmond at 4 Whittaker Avenue, Richmond TW9 1EH Schedule: The first and third Read more [...]

2020-02-14: SBK Party at Revolucion De Cuba Reading – Valentines Party!

On: By: Philip Wake
Jennifer Benavidez presents events all over the world but this is a monthly event she runs every 2nd Friday at Yates in Reading but due to circumstances beyond her control she has had to move the event to Revolucion de Cuba and made it free for those who registered online before the event. She and her guest DJs play an excellent mix of music to the formula SBK 3:2:2 ! Please see the facebook page: Salsa Bachata Social Club for more information.  Venue: Revolucion Read more [...]

2020-02-13: Salsa Bailando Thursdays at Drift Southsea!

On: By: Philip Wake
The Drift Bar in Southsea is the venue for Bailando every Thursday run by DALE Afro Latin Entertainment from 10pm to 1am. When I arrive around 10pm for the salsa dancing upstairs there are usually plenty of people who attended the earlier bachata lessons from 8:30 to 10pm staying on for half an hour or so to practice to bachata music. Around 10:30pm salsa is added to the mix and people start coming up from downstairs particularly when it gets crowded. Many members of Kasia Rajka's salsa Read more [...]

2020-02-12: Salsa Explosion Wednesdays at Bar So Bournemouth!

On: By: Philip Wake
Enrique Perez & his partner  Rob Carroll run an excellent evening of salsa at Bar So in Bournemouth every Wednesday. There are  bachata workshops from 7:30pm to 8:30pm followed by Cuban salsa workshops from 8:45pm until strictly 10pm - a new year resolution for 2020.  All levels are catered for with the one and only Moe Flex usually providing the advanced level for bachata & salsa. See the facebook page Salsa Dorset for more information. The workshops are Read more [...]

2020-02-11: Salsa Social at Outside-In Food Court Portsmouth!

On: By: Philip Wake
Kasia Rajca, an amazing salsa dancer & teacher, provides a salsa social at the Outside-In Food Court in Portsmouth every Tuesday which include salsa and bachata dancing lessons. See the Salsa Solent Portsmouth facebook page or Salsa Solent Portsmouth facebook group for more information about this and other events presented by Kasia. The original venue for the event was the Art Coffee House but Kasia's salsa family became so large after 14 weeks she had to move to a larger venue. As the new Read more [...]

2020-02-08: El Bembe Salsa Party at Editors Tap London!

On: By: Philip Wake
Salsateca London and Ola Latina run a regular event called El Bembe every 4th Saturday of the month at Editor's Tap. The atmosphere is very friendly as it was at The Bottlescrue for 6 years but the dance floor is better with air conditioning that actually works well! I always have a good time dancing to the motivational music of DJ Johnny Gee! Format: The venue offers plenty of space for dancing mainly salsa and bachata in a long room parallel to the extensive bar. Timetable: Read more [...]

2020-02-07: Que Rico Salsa Party at White Eagle Club Balham!

On: By: Philip Wake
Miguel Mayana runs this salsa event in Balham at the White Eagle Club (aka Hamilton House) on the first Friday of every month. It is a welcome rebirth of the Que Rico event which used to run on the 2nd Friday of each month at The Bedford in Balham last year until it had to be closed for refurbishment. This venue has a luxurious ballroom for salsa dancing - big enough for 500 dancers I'd say. The bachata area is quite small but adequate for those who prefer sideways salsa! 😉 The ballroom has air Read more [...]

2020-02-06: Salsa Bailando Thursdays at Drift Southsea!

On: By: Philip Wake
The Drift Bar in Southsea is the venue for Bailando every Thursday run by DALE Afro Latin Entertainment from 10pm to 1am. When I arrive around 10pm for the salsa dancing upstairs there are usually plenty of people who attended the earlier bachata lessons from 8:30 to 10pm staying on for half an hour or so to practice to bachata music. Around 10:30pm salsa is added to the mix and people start coming up from downstairs particularly when it gets crowded. Many members of Kasia Rajka's salsa Read more [...]

2020-02-05: Salsa Explosion Wednesdays at Bar So Bournemouth!

On: By: Philip Wake
Enrique Perez & his partner  Rob Carroll run an excellent evening of salsa at Bar So in Bournemouth every Wednesday. There are  bachata workshops from 7:30pm to 8:30pm followed by Cuban salsa workshops from 8:45pm until strictly 10pm - a new year resolution for 2020.  All levels are catered for with the one and only Moe Flex usually providing the advanced level for bachata & salsa. See the facebook page Salsa Dorset for more information. The workshops are followed by social dancing Read more [...]

2020-02-04: Salsa Social at Outside-In Food Court Portsmouth!

On: By: Philip Wake
Kasia Rajca, an amazing salsa dancer & teacher, provides a salsa social at the Outside-In Food Court in Portsmouth every Tuesday which include salsa and bachata dancing lessons. See the Salsa Solent Portsmouth facebook page or Salsa Solent Portsmouth facebook group for more information about this and other events presented by Kasia. The original venue for the event was the Art Coffee House but Kasia's salsa family became so large after 14 weeks she had to move to a larger venue. As the new Read more [...]

2020-02-02: Salsa Sunday Live at Revolution Richmond!

On: By: Philip Wake
Carlos Paz runs a bi-monthly salsa & bachata event usually featuring a live band in the Terrace Bar at Revolution Richmond - an upper floor bar overlooking the River Thames with a dance floor which will accommodate 60 simultaneous dancers with seating spaces for another 40 people. You can see more information about this and other Mundo Latino UK events at mundolatinouk.com. Venue: Revolution Richmond at 4 Whittaker Avenue, Richmond TW9 1EH Schedule: The first and third Read more [...]

2020-02-01: Suavecito Salsa Bachata Party at Circle Arts Centre Brighton!

On: By: Philip Wake
Suavecito are hosting a new salsa bachata event at Circle Arts Centre Brighton on the first Saturday of every month presented by Jimmy Lobe. Venue: Circle Arts Centre at 55 North Street, Brighton BN41 1DR Parking: Please note that the venue entrance and parking spaces are on Kingsway not North Street. Further free parking is available on North Street and side roads if required. Timetable: 19:45 Doors Open 20:00 Bachata Lessons21:00 Salsa Lessons22:00 Party time23:00 Shows02:00 Close Click Read more [...]

2020-01-31: Salsa Mish Fridays at Greenwood Park St Albans!

On: By: Philip Wake
Salsa Mish hold a salsa event every Friday at Greenwood Park Community Centre, Tippendell Lane, Chiswell Green, St Albans AL2 3HW. Parking is strictly limited and the locals are very sensitive to bad parking so if the gate is closed when you arrive you should park at Midway Surgery Car Park, 93 Watford Road, AL2 3JX from which there is a  free minibus shuttle running every 15 minutes and you get a chance to win back your entry fee! The sprung dance floor is large, there are plenty of fans Read more [...]

2020-01-30: Salsa Bailando Thursdays at Drift Southsea!

On: By: Philip Wake
The Drift Bar in Southsea is the venue for Bailando every Thursday run by DALE Afro Latin Entertainment from 10pm to 1am. When I arrive around 10pm for the salsa dancing upstairs there are usually plenty of people who attended the earlier bachata lessons from 8:30 to 10pm staying on for half an hour or so to practice to bachata music. Around 10:30pm salsa is added to the mix and people start coming up from downstairs particularly when it gets crowded. Many members of Kasia Rajka's salsa Read more [...]

2020-01-29: Salsa Explosion Wednesdays at Bar So Bournemouth!

On: By: Philip Wake
Enrique Perez & his partner  Rob Carroll run an excellent evening of salsa at Bar So in Bournemouth every Wednesday. There are  bachata workshops from 7:30pm to 8:30pm followed by Cuban salsa workshops from 8:45pm until strictly 10pm - a new year resolution for 2020.  All levels are catered for with the one and only Moe Flex usually providing the advanced level for bachata & salsa. See the facebook page I Love Salsa Bournemouth for more information. The workshops Read more [...]

2020-01-28: Salsa Social at Outside-In Food Court Portsmouth!

On: By: Philip Wake
Kasia Rajca, an amazing salsa dancer & teacher, provides a salsa social at the Outside-In Food Court in Portsmouth every Tuesday which include salsa and bachata dancing lessons. See the Salsa Solent Portsmouth facebook page or Salsa Solent Portsmouth facebook group for more information about this and other events presented by Kasia. The original venue for the event was the Art Coffee House but Kasia's salsa family became so large after 14 weeks she had to move to a larger venue. As the new Read more [...]

2020-01-26: Salsa Funday Sunday at Revolution Brighton!

On: By: Philip Wake
Salsa Brighton Dance run a salsa event weekly on Sundays at Revolution Brighton  featuring  Giulieta, Funky & Guest as instructors and Aaron George & Guest as DJs. The atmosphere is very friendly and I always feel very welcome. Venue: Revolution at 77 West Street, Brighton BN1 2RA Parking: There's plenty of free parking on single yellow lines in nearby side roads. Times: Bachata & cubana lessons 8pm to 10pm then social dancing until 2am. For more information Read more [...]

2020-01-25: ABCD XV Saturday Salsa Party Night at Haverstock School London – The Big One with Vendy!

On: By: Philip Wake
Fadi K runs events called ABCD from time to time - meaning AnyBody Can Dance - and the details of the latest - called The Big One because it's the first multi-day event - can be seen on the facebook event. I have been to most of them and would never miss the party night of these superb events for all the coffee in Brazil - in this case the Saturday part night because it cost £20 compared with £15 on Friday and £10 on Saturday and was therefore likely to be the best!  The first ABCD is where Read more [...]

2020-01-24: Latin Paradise at Bromley Civic Centre!

On: By: Philip Wake
Salsateca London, London-Salsa, The Latin Passion, Bromley Salsa and Ola Latina host an excellent salsa & bachata party on the Last Friday of every month in the Great Hall in Bromley Civic Centre. Venue: Great Hall in Bromley Civic Centre, Stockwell Close Bromley BR1 3UH Parking: Multi-level parking available next to the venue £1.20 after 7pm but usually free when you leave after midnight! Timetable: 7pm Doors Open 7:30 Bachata Dance Classes 8:15 Salsa Dance Classes 9pm Social Read more [...]

2020-01-23: Salsa Bailando Thursdays at Drift Southsea!

On: By: Philip Wake
The Drift Bar in Southsea is the venue for Bailando every Thursday run by DALE Afro Latin Entertainment from 10pm to 1am. When I arrive around 10pm for the salsa dancing upstairs there are usually plenty of people who attended the earlier bachata lessons from 8:30 to 10pm staying on for half an hour or so to practice to bachata music. Around 10:30pm salsa is added to the mix and people start coming up from downstairs particularly when it gets crowded. Many members of Kasia Rajka's salsa Read more [...]

2020-01-22: Salsa Explosion Wednesdays at Bar So Bournemouth!

On: By: Philip Wake
Enrique Perez & his partner  Rob Carroll run an excellent evening of salsa at Bar So in Bournemouth every Wednesday. There are  bachata workshops from 7:30pm to 8:30pm followed by Cuban salsa workshops from 8:45pm until strictly 10pm - a new year resolution for 2020.  All levels are catered for with the one and only Moe Flex usually providing the advanced level for bachata & salsa. See the facebook page I Love Salsa Bournemouth for more information. The workshops Read more [...]

2020-01-21: Salsa Social at Outside-In Food Court Portsmouth!

On: By: Philip Wake
Kasia Rajca, an amazing salsa dancer & teacher, provides a salsa social at the Outside-In Food Court in Portsmouth every Tuesday which include salsa and bachata dancing lessons. See the Salsa Solent Portsmouth facebook page or Salsa Solent Portsmouth facebook group for more information about this and other events presented by Kasia. The original venue for the event was the Art Coffee House but Kasia's salsa family became so large after 14 weeks she had to move to a larger venue. As the new Read more [...]

2020-01-19: Salsa Sunday Live at Revolution Richmond!

On: By: Philip Wake
Carlos Paz runs a bi-monthly salsa & bachata event usually featuring a live band in the Terrace Bar at Revolution Richmond - an upper floor bar overlooking the River Thames with a dance floor which will accommodate 60 simultaneous dancers with seating spaces for another 40 people. You can see more information about this and other Mundo Latino UK events at mundolatinouk.com. Venue: Revolution Richmond at 4 Whittaker Avenue, Richmond TW9 1EH Schedule: The first and third Read more [...]

2020-01-18: Salsa Party at Lakeside Frimley Green

On: By: Philip Wake
Renato de Fazio runs a regular Monday event in Beepys Night Club at Lakeside Country Club and occasionally runs Saturday night events there too! He played an important part in my development as a salsa dancer - see My Salsa Life Story - so I always enjoy the opportunity to see him again if I can fit one of his events into my busy schedule. More information about the salsa events organised by Renato may be seen at his Salsa Esperienza / Salsa Bachata Surrey facebook page and his Salsaesperienza Read more [...]

2020-01-17: El Grande Salsa Party at Scala London!

On: By: Philip Wake
I always look forward to being part of the biggest and best monthly salsa dancing venue in the UK which is El Grande at Scala from 21:30 to 05:00 - 4 rooms for salsa, cubana, bachata & kizomba - often attended by more than 1200 dancers! Entry is £12 whether you do the lessons or not. The venue is Scala just a few hundred yards down the road from King's Cross St. Pancras Tube Station at 275 Pentonville Rd, Kings Cross, London N1 9NL. There's always somewhere Read more [...]

2020-01-16: Salsa Bailando Thursdays at Drift Southsea!

On: By: Philip Wake
The Drift Bar in Southsea is the venue for Bailando every Thursday run by DALE Afro Latin Entertainment from 10pm to 1am. When I arrive around 10pm for the salsa dancing upstairs there are usually plenty of people who attended the earlier bachata lessons from 8:30 to 10pm staying on for half an hour or so to practice to bachata music. Around 10:30pm salsa is added to the mix and people start coming up from downstairs particularly when it gets crowded. Many members of Kasia Rajka's salsa Read more [...]

2020-01-15: Salsa Explosion Wednesdays at Bar So Bournemouth!

On: By: Philip Wake
Enrique Perez & his partner  Rob Carroll run an excellent evening of salsa at Bar So in Bournemouth every Wednesday. There are  bachata workshops from 7:30pm to 8:30pm followed by Cuban salsa workshops from 8:45pm until strictly 10pm - a new year resolution for 2020.  All levels are catered for with the one and only Moe Flex usually providing the advanced level for bachata & salsa. See the facebook page I Love Salsa Bournemouth for more information. The workshops Read more [...]

2020-01-14: Salsa Social at Outside-In Food Court Portsmouth!

On: By: Philip Wake
Kasia Rajca, an amazing salsa dancer & teacher, provides a salsa social at the Outside-In Food Court in Portsmouth every Tuesday which include salsa and bachata dancing lessons. See the Salsa Solent Portsmouth facebook page or Salsa Solent Portsmouth facebook group for more information about this and other events presented by Kasia. The original venue for the event was the Art Coffee House but Kasia's salsa family became so large after 14 weeks she had to move to a larger venue. As the new Read more [...]

2020-01-12: Salsa Funday Sunday at Revolution Brighton!

On: By: Philip Wake
Salsa Brighton Dance run a salsa event weekly on Sundays at Revolution Brighton  featuring  Giulieta, Funky & Guest as instructors and Aaron George & Guest as DJs. The atmosphere is very friendly and I always feel very welcome. Venue: Revolution at 77 West Street, Brighton BN1 2RA Parking: There's plenty of free parking on single yellow lines in nearby side roads. Times: Bachata & cubana lessons 8pm to 10pm then social dancing until 2am. For more information Read more [...]

2020-01-11: Salsa Party Live at The Classic Venue Tooting Bec London

On: By: Philip Wake
A live band event organised by Liz Whelan of Bailabonito who invited me when I saw her at Salsa Fusion earlier this month. I normally go to El Bembe but decided to attend this event to support a good friend. Music: DJ Dennis and Tropic Peru Live Band. Venue: The Classic Venue at 28 Upper Tooting Rd, Tooting Bec, London SW17 7PG  Parking: Plenty of free parking in nearby side streets Timetable: Social dancing from 8pm to 1am Entrance: £10 including a raffle Click the Read more [...]

2020-01-10: SBK Party at Revolucion De Cuba Reading!

On: By: Philip Wake
Jennifer Benavidez presents events all over the world but this is a monthly event she runs every 2nd Friday at Yates in Reading but due to circumstances beyond her control she had to move the event to Revolucion de Cuba at the last minute and made it free for those who registered online before the event. She and her guest DJs play an excellent mix of music to the formula SBK 3:2:2 ! Please see the facebook page: Salsa Bachata Social Club for more information.  Read more [...]

2020-01-09: Salsa Bailando Thursdays at Drift Southsea!

On: By: Philip Wake
The Drift Bar in Southsea is the venue for Bailando every Thursday run by DALE Afro Latin Entertainment from 10pm to 1am. When I arrive around 10pm for the salsa dancing upstairs there are usually plenty of people who attended the earlier bachata lessons from 8:30 to 10pm staying on for half an hour or so to practice to bachata music. Around 10:30pm salsa is added to the mix and people start coming up from downstairs particularly when it gets crowded. Many members of Kasia Rajka's salsa Read more [...]

2020-01-08: Salsa Explosion Wednesdays at Bar So Bournemouth!

On: By: Philip Wake
Enrique Perez & his partner  Rob Carroll run an excellent evening of salsa at Bar So in Bournemouth every Wednesday. There are  bachata workshops from 7:30pm to 8:30pm followed by Cuban salsa workshops from 8:45pm until 10:30pm.  All levels are catered for with the one and only Moe Flex usually providing the advanced level for bachata & salsa. See the facebook page I Love Salsa Bournemouth for more information. The workshops are followed by social dancing Read more [...]

2020-01-07: Salsa Social at Outside-In Food Court Portsmouth!

On: By: Philip Wake
Kasia Rajca, an amazing salsa dancer & teacher, provides a salsa social at the Outside-In Food Court in Portsmouth every Tuesday which include salsa and bachata dancing lessons. See the Salsa Solent Portsmouth facebook page for more information about this and other events presented by Kasia . The original venue for the event was the Art Coffee House but Kasia's salsa family became so large after 14 weeks she had to move to a larger venue. As the new venue is only 5 minutes walk away from the Read more [...]

2020-01-05: Salsa Sunday Live at Revolution Richmond – New Year Party

On: By: Philip Wake
Carlos & Clare Paz run a bi-monthly salsa & bachata event usually featuring a live band in the Terrace Bar at Revolution Richmond - an upper floor bar overlooking the River Thames with a dance floor which will accommodate 60 simultaneous dancers with seating spaces for another 40 people. You can see more information about this and other Mundo Latino UK events at mundolatinouk.com. Venue: Revolution Richmond at 4 Whittaker Avenue, Richmond TW9 1EH Schedule: The Read more [...]

2020-01-04: Salsa Fusion at 229 The Venue London!

On: By: Philip Wake
For details about this 1st first Saturday of the month salsa event see the facebook page: Salsa - Fusion or group: SALSA - FUSION Club Nights . Sometimes there's one on the 3rd Saturday too. There is rarely a shortage of good salseras to dance with and there's always the Cuban room to cool down when you get overheated because it's a smaller room with several enormous fans and Cubana can be less strenuous but it rarely happens that way for me! I always seem to attract ladies who like to go Read more [...]