Category: Blog

Event 2017-09-10: Salsa at Medbar in Southampton with Katie!

On: By: Philip Wake
Latino Interactive run a salsa event at Medbar in Southampton every Sunday from 5pm to 10:30. I've been 9 Sundays in a row now and it's definitely on my permanent list for salsa on Sunday and it's getting better and better - particularly when my daughter Katie comes with me! Click on the  below to see the original facebook post and comments. MORE ABOUT THE EVENT The lessons start at 5pm and the social dancing at 6pm but arriving at 8pm gives me a good 2+ hours of dancing which is about Read more [...]

Event 2017-09-09: Salsatricity at East Barnet on Saturday!

On: By: Philip Wake
Click on the  below to see the original facebook post.. MORE ABOUT THE EVENT The name Salsatricity speaks for itself - the atmosphere is always electric at any of the high quality locations they use for their nights full of smiling dancers! See the facebook event or page for more information about the amazing Heather Ross' salsa events. I aim to arrive around 10pm for 3 hours of social dancing after the lessons from 8-10pm! 🙂 See also their website at salsatricity.com. £8 entrance Read more [...]

Event 2017-09-06: Que-Rico 2-room monthly party at the Bedford in Balham!

On: By: Philip Wake
ABOUT THE EVENT Philip Frost and Miguel Mayana run a monthly salsa event at The Bedford in Balham which is one of my favourite venues. The main room for salsa is ideal: wooden dance floor, capacity for 250 dancers, excellent sound system, air conditioning that works and  free parking nearby for 250 cars! There is one other room devoted to kizomba and the event is called Que Rico which means to a Spanish speaking salsa dancer something like: Isn't it wonderful! Above all the Read more [...]

Event 2017-09-07: Salsa & Bachata at TLC in Southampton then Bailando at Drift in Southsea!

On: By: Philip Wake
Tracie's Latin Club run a salsa night every Thursday at St Barnabas Church Hall, Lodge Road, Southampton SO14 6QS from 8pm to 11pm. Sometimes there is some extra at 7pm: either a bachata lesson for experienced dancers featuring Naomi Holloway or Joanna Wosk with partner Alex Magnusson or a Ladies Styling session featuring the amazing Joanna Wosk or the legendary Colleen Daniels. Then from 8pm-9:30pm the TLC team run the salsa lessons as usual. More details may be seen on the facebook group or Read more [...]

Event 2017-09-06: Salsa at Irish Club then Drift Bar on Wednesdays!

On: By: Philip Wake
It's that Irish day again - every week more and more talented salseras turn up and it has becoming almost as good as a London venue in terms of the number of quality of dances I have! This combined with the excellent salsa I'm experiencing at TLC  on Thursdays and Med Bar on Sundays is making my 5 nights of salsa dancing from Wednesday to Sunday more satisfying than ever before! On top of all that it's always good to see my good friend and well known celebrity paratriathlon champion Lauren Steadman there Read more [...]

Event 2017-09-03: Salsa at Medbar in Southampton on Sundays!

On: By: Philip Wake
Latino Interactive run a salsa event at Medbar in Southampton every Sunday from 5pm to 10:30. I've been 8 Sundays in a row now and it's definitely on my permanent list for salsa on Sunday and it's getting better and better!  Philip Wake 3 September at 07:22 ·   After 4 nights of birthday celebrations I'm still looking forward to the last night at . . . www.facebook.com/events/299640423777607 Philip Wake 16:39 Had lots of lovely dances to finish off my Read more [...]

Event 2017-09-02: Salsatricity at East Barnet on my 72nd Birthday!

On: By: Philip Wake
Click on the  to see the original facebook post showing my birthday cover photo and comments thereto. . Photos of Kate & me at Salsatricity can be seen here! . Photo of Ema Louise and me using her smartphone. A big Happy Birthday to Philip Wake it's always a joy to see you at  Salsatricity and have you whizz me across the dance floor with a smile on my face! xx — at Salsatricity.  Ema Louise . Photo posted on 3 September 2017 ·  Love Read more [...]

Event 2017-09-01: Salsa at The View in Brighton every first Friday of the month!

On: By: Philip Wake
Click on the to see the original facebook post with comments! Every first Friday of the month there is an excellent salsa event at The View in Brighton run by Carlton Thomas. The social dancing is from 11pm to 2am which is my interest but the classes which are very professional start at 9pm. Please see the facebook event, the facebook group or the Cuban Vibes website for more details. From the 16th anniversary month they have been opening an extra room downstairs. Upstairs in the Read more [...]

Event 2017-08-31: Salsa at TLC in Southampton on Thursdays and Drift in Southsea afterwards for DJunior’s Birthday!

On: By: Philip Wake
Tracie's Latin Club run a salsa night every Thursday at St Barnabas Church Hall, Lodge Road, Southampton SO14 6QS from 8pm to 11pm. Sometimes there is some extra at 7pm: either a bachata lesson for experienced dancers featuring Naomi Holloway or Joanna Wosk with partner Alex Magnusson or a Ladies Styling session featuring the amazing Joanna Wosk or the legendary Colleen Daniels. Then from 8pm-9:30pm the TLC team run the salsa lessons as usual. More details may be seen on the facebook group or Read more [...]

Event 2017-08-30: Salsa at Irish Club then Drift Bar on Wednesdays!

On: By: Philip Wake
It's that Irish day again - every week more and more talented salseras turn up and it has becoming almost as good as a London venue in terms of the number of quality of dances I have! This combined with the excellent salsa I'm experiencing at TLC  on Thursdays and Med Bar on Sundays is making my 5 nights of salsa dancing from Wednesday to Sunday more satisfying than ever before! On top of all that it's always good to see my good friend and well known celebrity paratriathlon champion Lauren Steadman there Read more [...]

WHAT A WEEK OF SALSA!

On: By: Philip Wake
That was a good week of salsa - 19 hours altogether - a bit more than the usual which is around 12 hours. Wednesday: Salsa at Irish Club then Drift Bar on Wednesdays! (3.5hrs) Thursday: Salsa & Bachata at TLC in Southampton on Thursdays and Drift afterwards for Dilshad’s Birthday! (3.5hrs) Friday: Neon Latin Party at The Grapes in Portsmouth and at Drift afterward until 4am! (6hrs) Saturday: Salsa Fiesta at La Tasca in Bournemouth! (3.5hrs) Sunday: Salsa at Medbar in Read more [...]

Event 2017-08-27: Salsa at Medbar in Southampton on Sundays!

On: By: Philip Wake
Latino Interactive run a salsa event at Medbar in Southampton every Sunday from 5pm to 10pm. I've been 7 Sundays in a row now and it's definitely on my permanent list for salsa on Sunday and it's getting better and better! MORE ABOUT THE EVENT The lessons start at 5pm and the social dancing at 6pm but arriving at 8pm gives me a good 2+ hours of dancing which is about 2 double shirts worth. I always wear a T-shirt inside my Ghanaian Kente shirt because the first layer absorbs the sweat Read more [...]

Event 2017-08-26: Saturday Salsa Fiesta at La Tasca in Bournemouth!

On: By: Philip Wake
Enrique Perez & his partner  Rob Carroll run an excellent free evening of salsa at La Tasca on Saturdays once a month from 10pm until 2am. MORE ABOUT THE EVENT More information may be seen on this old facebook event! Although the focus of the event is Cuban salsa there are plenty of ladies attending who can dance cross body though most of the men do lead Cuban style and many of the ladies prefer to dance their salsa in the Cuban way! No problem for me as I dance Puerto Rican Read more [...]

Event 2017-08-25: Neon Latin Party at The Grapes in Portsmouth and at Drift afterward until 4am!

On: By: Philip Wake
Philip Wake 26 August 2017  ·    Teresa and I had a great time at NEON Latin Party!!! and then carried on at Drift until 4am! Good work organisers - looking forward to the next one!     This picture probably belongs to La Vida Loca which took place on 19 March 2016 at The Grapes! Read more [...]

Event 2017-08-24: Salsa & Bachata at TLC in Southampton on Thursdays and Drift afterwards for Dilshad’s Birthday!

On: By: Philip Wake

Tracie's Latin Club run a salsa night every other Thursday at St Barnabas Church Hall, Lodge Road, Southampton SO14 6QS from 7pm to 11pm. Tonight the bachata lesson features the lovely Naomi Holloway and her partner Alex Magnusson providing lessons for experienced dancers from 7pm. Then from 8pm-9:30pm the TLC team run the salsa lessons. More details may be seen on the facebook group or the website.

I'm not interested in the the  lessons myself so aim to arrive around 9:30pm for the Read more [...]

Event 2017-08-23: Salsa at Irish Club then Drift Bar on Wednesdays!

On: By: Philip Wake

It's that Irish day again - every week more and more talented salseras turn up and it has becoming almost as good as a London venue in terms of the number of quality of dances I have! This combined with the excellent salsa I'm experiencing at TLC  on Thursdays and Med Bar on Sundays is making my 5 nights of salsa dancing from Wednesday to Sunday more satisfying than ever before! On top of all that it's always good to see my good friend and well known celebrity paratriathlon champion Lauren Steadman there Read more [...]

MOBILE PHONE HOLDER – FIXED OUTSIDE THE BOX!

On: By: PHILIP WAKE

I bought this Universal Mobile Phone Holder from the Fareham Market a couple of months ago for what I thought was a good price - £5 - but clearly not as good as available on eBay! Lol. It seemed very clever because of the numerous ways that it could be used and the way it folded down to look like a mouse. I chose to mount it on my windscreen next to my rear view mirror as the place least likely to disturb my driving and discovered that the suction cap was so good that using the so called quick Read more [...]

Event 2017-08-20: Salsa at Medbar in Southampton on Sundays!

On: By: Philip Wake

Latino Interactive run a salsa event at Medbar in Southampton every Sunday from 5pm to 10pm. I've been 6 Sundays in a row now and it's definitely on my permanent list for salsa on Sunday and it's getting better and better! After a exciting Saturday with my daughter Katrinah exploring the University of Hertfordshire where she will by studying for the next 4 years and missing out on salsa dancing the night away to her 20th birthday on Sunday due to unforeseen circumstances I was really looking Read more [...]

Event 2017-08-18: Salsa at El Grande at Scala on the 3rd Friday of the month!

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, cuban, bachata & kizomba - often attended by more than 1200 dancers! Entry is £10 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 to park for free in the surrounding Read more [...]

Event 2017-08-17: Salsa at TLC in Southampton on Thursdays!

On: By: Philip Wake

Tracie's Latin Club run a salsa night every other Thursday at St Barnabas Church Hall, Lodge Road, Southampton SO14 6QS from 7pm to 11pm. Tonight from 8pm-9:30pm the TLC team run the usual salsa lessons. - more details may be seen on the facebook group or the website.

I'm not interested in the the  lessons myself so aim to arrive around 9:30pm for the social dancing which for this night is mainly salsa with some bachata and a room dedicated to kizomba lovers behind the stage.

The proprietor, Read more [...]

Event 2017-08-16: Salsa at Irish Club then Drift Bar on Wednesdays!

On: By: Philip Wake

It's that Irish day again - every week more and more talented salseras turn up and it has becoming almost as good as a London venue in terms of the number of quality of dances I have! This combined with the excellent salsa I'm experiencing at TLC  on Thursdays and Med Bar on Sundays is making my 5 nights of salsa dancing from Wednesday to Sunday more satisfying than ever before! On top of all that it's always good to see my good friend and well known celebrity paratriathlon champion Lauren Steadman there Read more [...]

Event 2017-08-13: Salsa at Medbar in Southampton on Sundays!

On: By: Philip Wake

Latino Interactive run a salsa event at Medbar in Southampton every Sunday from 5pm to 10pm.

I've been 5 Sundays in a row now and it's definitely on my permanent list for salsa on Sunday and it's getting better and better! Although I had a heavy day and late night on Saturday at A Day with Katie: African Fashion at Kitengé Festival & Salsa Dancing at Salsatricity! after a late night on Friday at Que-Rico at the Bedford in Balham! I had no doubt that I had enough emotional energy for more! Read more [...]

Event 2017-08-12: A Day with Katie: African Fashion at Kitengé Festival & Salsa Dancing at Salsatricity!

On: By: Philip Wake

.

Heather Ross tagged 7 photos of you!

.

Salsa dancing with my daughter Katrinah at Salsatricity on Saturday 12th August 2017 after an amazing day at the 5TH KITENGE FESTIVAL UK where Katie was one of the top models!  xxx

Read more [...]

Event 2017-08-11: Que-Rico 2-room monthly party at the Bedford in Balham!

On: By: Philip Wake

ABOUT THE EVENT

Philip Frost and Miguel Mayana run a monthly salsa event at The Bedford in Balham which is one of my favourite venues. The main room for salsa is ideal: wooden dance floor, capacity for 250 dancers, excellent sound system, air conditioning that works and  free parking nearby for 250 cars! There is one other room devoted to kizomba and the event is called Que Rico which means to a Spanish speaking salsa dancer something like: Isn't it wonderful!

Above all Read more [...]

Event 2017-08-10: Salsa & Bachata at TLC in Southampton on Thursdays!

On: By: Philip Wake

Tracie's Latin Club run a salsa night every other Thursday at St Barnabas Church Hall, Lodge Road, Southampton SO14 6QS from 7pm to 11pm. Tonight features the amazing Joanna Wosk running a bachata session from 7pm to 8pm. Then from 8pm-9:30pm the TLC team run the usual salsa lessons. - more details may be seen on the facebook group or the website.

I'm not interested in the the  lessons myself so aim to arrive around 9:30pm for the social dancing which for this night is 50-50 mix of salsa Read more [...]

Event 2017-08-09: Salsa at Irish Club then Drift Bar on Wednesdays!

On: By: Philip Wake

It's that Irish day again - every week more and more talented salseras turn up and it has becoming almost as good as a London venue in terms of the number of quality of dances I have! This combined with the excellent salsa I'm experiencing at TLC  on Thursdays and Med Bar on Sundays is making my 5 nights of salsa dancing from Wednesday to Sunday more satisfying than ever before! On top of all that it's always good to see my good friend and well known celebrity paratriathlon champion Lauren Steadman there Read more [...]

Event 2017-08-06: Salsa at Medbar in Southampton on Sundays!

On: By: Philip Wake

Latino Interactive run a salsa event at Medbar in Southampton every Sunday from 5pm to 10pm.

I've been 4 Sundays in a row now and it is definitely on my permanent list for salsa on Sunday! After a heavy session at  Mambo City 18th Anniversary last night I wondered if I would have enough emotional energy left for dancing but in the event I was in good fettle and ended up leading a very energetic last dance to a fast track with one of my favourite salseras! Another of  my favourite salseras was Read more [...]

Event 2017-08-04: Salsa at The View in Brighton every first Friday of the month!

On: By: Philip Wake

 Michelle Balagay was feeling excited with Iryna Andriyevskaand Philip Wake. 18:11 
 Only hours until dancing time 🎉🎊🎉

 Like & Love 5 You, Susi Eveline Vincent, Iryna Andriyevska and 2 others

 Philip Wake Salsa at The View Sussex Monthly Latin Party over 2 floors awaits our pleasure!  xx

Like 2 18:26

 Iryna Andriyevska I just messenged you the same thing! Excited!

Like 2 18:31
.

 Michelle Read more [...]

Event 2017-08-03: Salsa at TLC in Southampton on Thursdays!

On: By: Philip Wake

Tracie's Latin Club run a salsa night every other Thursday at St Barnabas Church Hall, Lodge Road, Southampton SO14 6QS from 7pm to 11pm. From 8pm-9:30pm the TLC team run salsa lessons for all levels - more details may be seen on the facebook group or the website.

I'm not interested in the the  lessons myself so aim to arrive around 9:30pm for the social dancing which for this night is mainly salsa with some bachata and a room dedicated to kizomba lovers behind the stage.

The Read more [...]

Event 2017-08-02: Salsa at Irish Club then Drift Bar on Wednesdays!

On: By: Philip Wake

It's that Irish day again - every week more and more talented salseras turn up and it has becoming almost as good as a London venue in terms of the number of quality of dances I experience! This combined with the excellent salsa I'm experiencing at TLC  on Thursdays and Med Bar on Sundays is making my 5 nights of salsa dancing from Wednesday to Sunday more satisfying than ever before! On top of all that it's always good to see my good friend and well known celebrity paratriathlon champion Lauren Read more [...]

Event 2017-07-30: Salsa at Medbar in Southampton on Sundays!

On: By: Philip Wake

Latino Interactive run a salsa event at Medbar in Southampton every Sunday from 5pm to 10pm. I've been 3 Sundays in a row now and it is definitely on my permanent list for salsa on Sunday! After a 99% humidity hot salsa session at ABCD last night it was good to have some wonderful dances with some lovely salseras without looking like we've just been in a shower! Some dances were delicate, some beautiful, some sensual, some strong and some so full of power it nigh blew our socks & stockings off. Had Read more [...]

Event 2017-07-29: Salsa at ABCD XII – The Summer Madness!

On: By: Philip Wake

Fadi K runs events called ABCD from time to time - meaning AnyBody Can Dance - and the details of the latest one 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!  This is where I first met the most charming of all the salseras in the world today: Rasa - before she became world famous and I remember having a glorious salsa dance with her on that occasion and many others since.

If you're driving Read more [...]

Event 2017-07-28: Salsa at Putney on Fridays!

On: By: Philip Wake

Incognito's Putney Salsa Club at  Dance Lab Ballroom Hall, 63 Upper Richmond Rd, London SW15 2RD - run by Jeff Tarpinian.

Superb professional dance floor for 200 dancers with an amazing sound system and air conditioning that works - normally used by Dance Lab for professional ballroom events.

Every Friday from 7pm to 11:45pm.

£10 for class & club (can get 3 for £24 if you pay in advance)

See the facebook event, facebook page or website for details about teachers and classes. Read more [...]

Event 2017-07-27: Salsa & Bachata at TLC in Southampton on Thursdays!

On: By: Philip Wake

Tracie's Latin Club run a salsa night every other Thursday at St Barnabas Church Hall, Lodge Road, Southampton SO14 6QS from 7pm to 11pm. Tonight features the amazing Joanna Wosk running a bachata session from 7pm to 8pm. Then from 8pm-9:30pm the TLC team run the usual salsa lessons. More details may be seen on the facebook group or the website.

I'm not interested in the the  lessons myself so aim to arrive around 9:30pm for the social dancing which for this night is mainly salsa with Read more [...]

VEGETARIAN OR VEGAN – IRRELEVANT – BE NATURIAN!

On: By: Philip Wake

The important thing is to eat unprocessed food without added sugar or fat. This means not eating cakes, biscuits, pies, sausages, pizza, sweets or any other processed food which looks good on the outside but you can't see what it's made of! That includes cheese and all spreads including butter which are processed foods very high in fat. It also includes alcoholic beverages which are highly processed liquid foods containing alcohol which the body cannot deal with properly. Naturally it means not Read more [...]

Event 2017-07-26: Salsa at Irish Club then Drift Bar on Wednesdays!

On: By: Philip Wake

It's that Irish day again - every week more talented salseras turn up and it's becoming almost as good as a London venue in terms of the number of quality of dances I experience! This combined with the excellent salsa I'm experiencing at TLC  on Thursdays and Med Bar on Sundays is making my 5 nights of salsa dancing from Wednesday to Sunday more satisfying than ever before! On top of all that it's always good to see my good friend and well known celebrity paratriathlon champion Lauren Steadman there Read more [...]

LEASEHOLD GROUND RENT BALONEY!

On: By: Philip Wake

There's a lot of talk about ground rent of £250 in 2010 becoming £10,000 in 1960. Really? If ground rent doubles every 10 years it becomes £8000 in 2060 but worth only £2159 in todays money at an average inflation rate of 3%.

That's still outrageous of course - about 8 times the original ground rent but it's a long way from the £10,000 with which the news media are frightening people!

There was a time when inflation did effectively halve the value of money every 10 years. For example, Read more [...]

MONDAY IS FAREHAM MARKET & CHIPS DAY!

On: By: Philip Wake

12:00 After 5 nights of salsa dancing, rest day number 1 is welcome:

Event 2017-07-23: Salsa at the Medbar in Southampton on Sundays! 23rd July 2017
Event 2017-07-22: Latin Party in Watford with Rumba Latina! 22nd July 2017
Event 2017-07-21: Salsa at El Grande at Scala on the 3rd Friday of the month! 21st July 2017
Event 2017-07-20: Salsa & Bachata at TLC in Southampton then Salsa at Drift in Southsea! 21st July 2017
Event 2017-07-19: Salsa at Irish Club then Read more [...]

Event 2017-07-23: Salsa at the Medbar in Southampton on Sundays!

On: By: Philip Wake

Latino Interactive run a salsa event at the Med Bar in Southampton every Sunday from 5pm to 10pm. I tried it for the first time last Sunday and it was brilliant so I was determined to go again! The lessons start at 5pm and the social dancing at 6pm but 8pm gives me a good 2.5 hours of dancing which is about 2 double shirts worth. I always wear a T-shirt inside my Ghanaian Kente shirt because the first layer absorbs the sweat and passes it slowly to the 2nd layer where it evaporates more efficiently Read more [...]

Event 2017-07-22: Latin Party in Watford with Rumba Latina!

On: By: Philip Wake

Rumba Latina‎ are starting up a new monthly venue in Watford at Holywell Community Centre. The first one was on Saturday 22nd July. The venue was excellent and those who attended had a good time but the popular request for local residents is for it to be held on a Friday instead because it suits their family timetables better. The proprietor Patricia Westrop is looking into the possibility of doing so.

Venue: Holywell Community Centre,  Watford WD18 9QD

Parking: Plenty just by the Read more [...]

Event 2017-07-21: Salsa at El Grande at Scala on the 3rd Friday of the month!

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, cuban, bachata & kizomba - often attended by more than 1200 dancers! Entry is £10.

Please see the facebook event or page for details for tonight but the usual timetable is:

09:00 Doors open

09:30 Lesson at various levels for each dance genre in the 4 rooms

10:30 Social dancing
01:00 (approx) Performances

01:15 (approx) Read more [...]

Event 2017-07-20: Salsa & Bachata at TLC in Southampton then Salsa at Drift in Southsea!

On: By: Philip Wake

The plan was to leave TLC around 11:20 and get to Drift by midnight - click here for the route by road but in the event I decided not to go!

Tracie's Latin Club run a salsa night every other Thursday at St Barnabas Church Hall, Lodge Road, Southampton SO14 6QS from 7pm to 11pm. Tonight features the amazing Joanna Wosk running a Ladies Styling session from 7pm to 8pm. Then from 8pm-9:30pm the TLC team run the usual salsa lessons. More details may be seen on the facebook group or Read more [...]

Event 2017-07-19: Salsa at Irish Club then Drift Bar on Wednesdays!

On: By: Philip Wake

It's that Irish day again - I wonder if there will be as many people as last time - the room was as full as it could be during the lessons and there weren't enough men - which means there were plenty of ladies for me to dance with after the lesson! 😉

Salsa at the Irish Club from 8:30pm-11pm every Wednesday evening! Join Salsa Katanga, Dilshad Hasan ,Andy, Skye and Claire for salsa lessons, with 4 levels from beginner to advanced from 8:30pm or just come social dancing at 9:30pm as I do

Great Read more [...]

AT THE ALTAR OF SALSA DANCING!

On: By: Philip Wake

Providing something for the plebs to believe in while they suffered poverty for the benefit of their lords and masters was the original reason for religion. This was quite successful until the downside of believing a religion to the extent that it can be the only one lead to the belief that other religions must be wrong and the people who believe in them must be "corrected"!

This has lead to their having been more violent deaths of innocent people in the name of religion than for any other reason. Read more [...]

Event 2017-07-16: Salsa at the Medbar in Southampton on Sundays!

On: By: Philip Wake

Latino Interactive run a salsa event at the Med Bar in Southampton every Sunday from 5pm to 10pm. I've been meaning to try it for some time as Tropical Sunday at Drift has been a bit disappointing lately in terms of attendance by good salsa dancers. Having had a good time this week:

Event 2017-07-12: Salsa at Irish Club then Drift Bar on Wednesdays! 12th July 2017
Event 2017-07-13: Salsa & Bachata at TLC in Southampton then Salsa at Drift in Southsea! 13th July 2017
Event 2017-07-14: Read more [...]

HOLES IN MY POCKET!

On: By: Philip Wake

It's only a matter of time before the coins and keys you put in your pocket create a hole through which you lose a fortune. It happened to me 2 days ago and no matter how much I tried I couldn't remember to use the left pocket instead of the right one! So this morning I cut from a piece of leather from an old wallet into a rectangle 10cm by 5cm. I glued it to the bottom of the pocket by holding it in place while I applied the glue to the other side of the material until there was enough to do the Read more [...]

Event 2017-07-15: Salsa at the Guildford Saturday Show & Fiesta!

On: By: Philip Wake

Carlos  & Clare Paz run a monthly salsa fiesta at The Stoke Pub in Guildford on a Saturday. I missed last month because it clashed with Salsa Explosion's La Tasca in Bournemouth on 24th June which happened to be the last Saturday in June but this month it doesn't clash with anything so I was pleased to be able to go to what is always an excellent night of salsa particularly when I noticed that a certain lovely salsera was on the Going list! Karina was in fact there though she arrived late Read more [...]

ROBOT TAX – MY ASS!

On: By: Philip Wake

Just watched a program which suggested that with more and more robots taking peoples jobs there will be less tax revenue to run countries so governments will have to consider creating a new robot tax. Apart from the fact that automation has always created more jobs than it destroyed - for example somebody has to invent, develop, make, program and maintain robots - it is surely clear that if companies uses robots instead of people they will make more profit so governments will get more tax through Read more [...]

Event 2017-07-14: Salsa Bachata Social Club July Party in Reading on Friday!

On: By: Philip Wake

 

Jennifer Benavidez runs events all over the world but this is a monthly event she runs on a Friday at Yates in Reading. For more information see the facebook event. My good friend Tuli Mar is the DJ! Classes for Carribean Dance & Salsa begin at 8pm and the party runs from 10pm to 2am! Please see the facebook event for more information. The dance floor is big enough for 200 dancers and there is an upper level for people to rest in with staircase access from the floor in two places. Read more [...]

Event 2017-07-13: Salsa & Bachata at TLC in Southampton then Salsa at Drift in Southsea!

On: By: Philip Wake

Tracie's Latin Club run a bachata & salsa night every other Thursday at St Barnabas Church Hall, Lodge Road, Southampton SO14 6QS from 7pm to 11pm. Tonight the bachata lesson features the lovely Naomi Holloway and her partner Alex Magnusson providing lessons for experienced dancers from 7pm. Then from 8pm-9:30pm the TLC team run the salsa lessons. More details may be seen on the facebook group or the website.

I'm not interested in the the  lessons myself so aim to arrive around Read more [...]

CHIPS & BAKED BEANS FOR LUNCH TODAY!

On: By: Philip Wake

The Natural Low Density Eating version of chips with baked beans is only 16% compared with 43% for the usual fried chips with baked bean in tomato sauce version which means it's nearly 3 times as satisfying calorie for calorie. In other words you would only be able to consume 37% of the high density version to keep to the same number of calories as the low density version! I didn't have any onions today so had 500g of potatoes and I used Piri Piri Seasoning for a taste of Nandos!

Read more [...]

Event 2017-07-12: Salsa at Irish Club then Drift Bar on Wednesdays!

On: By: Philip Wake

Salsa at the Irish Club from 8:30pm-11pm every Wednesday evening! Join Salsa Katanga, Dilshad Hasan ,Andy, Skye and Claire for salsa lessons, with 4 levels from beginner to advanced from 8:30pm or just come social dancing at 9:30pm as I do

Great venue with parking nearby, sprung dance floor, reasonably priced drinks at the bar and a friendly atmosphere. A variety of salsa, bachata, animations and a taste of kizomba are played! 🙂

See more details at on the facebook event, page and group.

TIMES
8:15pm Read more [...]

RICE, OSMOSIS & ARSENIC!

On: By: Philip Wake

Do you add salt to water before boiling your rice to increase the boiling point of the water and make the rice cook quicker?

WRONG!

This is because the salt reduces the osmotic pressure between the boiling water and the rice which means less water passes through to the rice. Simply stated when there is a semipermeable membrane between two solutions (the skin of the rice) water passes from the weaker solution to the stronger one in an attempt to make the strengths equal. Adding salt increases the Read more [...]

ACCIDENTAL INTELLIGENCE – THE PERFECT KETTLE!

On: By: Philip Wake

 

Amazing how sometimes you buy something because it's cheap and then discover it's just what you wanted. As you can see there's a smooth metal plate over the heating element of my new kettle which means that you can boil a single cup of water to make one cup of coffee using only 25 watts costing approximately .3 of a penny - very green don't you think!
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ORIGINAL FACEBOOK POST

Read more [...]

SALSA SALSA EVERY DAY KEEPS YOU FIT IN EVERY WAY!

On: By: Philip Wake

04:30 Just got back from Salsatricity at Barnet - later than expected because I stopped off for a sleep around 30 miles out from Gosport as I had danced non stop from 10pm to midnight and blew my legs away! I'll sleep until at least midday - possibly 2pm before getting up and looking forward to my 5th night of salsa dancing while a feed my spirit with memories of dancing with so many lovely salseras and feed my body with Natural Low Density Eating:
1. Wed 5: Salsa at The Irish Club
2. Thu 6: Read more [...]

Event 2017-07-08: Salsatricity at East Barnet on Saturdays!

On: By: Philip Wake

The name Salsatricity speaks for itself - the atmosphere is always electric at any of the high quality locations they use for their nights full of smiling dancers! See the facebook event or page for more information about the amazing Heather Ross' salsa events. I aim to arrive around 10pm for 3 hours of social dancing after the lessons from 8-10pm! 🙂
See also their website at salsatricity.com. £8 entrance (£5 for students) plus £2 for classes.

Read more [...]

Event 2017-07-07: Salsa at The View in Brighton every first Friday of the month!

On: By: Philip Wake

Every first Friday of the month there is an excellent salsa event at The View in Brighton run by Carlton Thomas.. The social dancing is from 11pm to 2am which is my interest but the classes which are very professional start at 9pm. Please see the facebook event, the facebook group or the Cuban Vibes website for more details.

From the 16th anniversary month they have been opening an extra room downstairs. Upstairs in the Cuban Room they play the very best in Cuban Salsa, Timba, Son, Salsaton Read more [...]

ASTROLOGY IS AN APOLOGY!

On: By: Philip Wake

Just remember there are 500 million people with the same star sign as you so when they read about their sign for today 50 million of them our bound to think it's true and propagate this nonsense as a science. There is also no physical force which could explain the connection between the 12 constellations - and by the way there are actually 13 - and mind kind! Notice how astrological prediction for the day are carefully worded to ensure they are likely to be thought by most people to be applicable Read more [...]

Event 2017-07-05: Salsa at Irish Club then Drift Bar on Wednesdays!

On: By: Philip Wake

Salsa at the Irish Club from 8:30pm-11pm every Wednesday evening! Join Salsa Katanga, Dilshad Hasan ,Andy, Skye and Claire for salsa lessons, with 4 levels from beginner to advanced from 8:30pm or just come social dancing at 9:30pm as I do

Great venue with parking nearby, sprung dance floor, reasonably priced drinks at the bar and a friendly atmosphere. A variety of salsa, bachata, animations and a taste of kizomba are played! 🙂

See more details at on the facebook event, page and group.

TIMES
8:15pm Read more [...]

FORGOT MY CHIPS ON MONDAY!

On: By: Philip Wake

Thin Chips (McDonalds)
Surface Area = 0.5 x 0.5 x 2 + 0.5 x 11 x 4 = 0.5 + 22 = 22.5
Volume = 0.5 x 0.5 x 11 = 2.75
Ratio = 22.5 / 2.75 = 8.18
Thick Chips (Chip Shop)
Surface Area = 0.75 x 1.5 x 2 + 0.75 x 6 x 2 + 1.5 x 6 x 2 = 2.25 + 9 + 18 = 29.25
Volume = 0.75 x 1.5 x 6 = 6.75
Ratio = 29.25 / 6.75 = 4.3
Comparison
These figures indicate that the thin chips have 1.9 (8.18 / 4.3) times as much surface area for any given amount of chips which means that’s how much more fat sticks to the Read more [...]

Event 2017-07-01: Salsatricity on Saturdays in Hatfield at Hutton Hall!

On: By: Philip Wake

The name Salsatricity speaks for itself - the atmosphere is always electric at any of the high quality locations they use for their nights full of smiling dancers! See the facebook page for more information about the amazing Heather Ross and her salsa events. I usually aim to arrive around 10pm for 3 hours of social dancing after the lessons from 8-10pm! 🙂
See also their website at salsatricity.com and read more about the Hutton Hall venue on the University of Hertfordshire website. I count Read more [...]

Event 2017-06-30: Salsa at Putney on Fridays!

On: By: Philip Wake

Incognito's Putney Salsa Club at  Dance Lab Ballroom Hall, 63 Upper Richmond Rd, London SW15 2RD - run by Jeff Tarpinian.

Superb professional dance floor for 200 dancers with an amazing sound system and air conditioning that works - normally used by Dance Lab for professional ballroom events.

Every Friday from 7pm to 11:45pm.

£10 for class & club (can get 3 for £24 if you pay in advance)

See the facebook event, facebook page or website for details about teachers and classes. Read more [...]

Event 2017-06-29: Salsa & Bachata at TLC on Thursday with Joanna & Alex!

On: By: Philip Wake

Tracie's Latin Club run a bachata & salsa night every other Thursday at St Barnabas Church Hall, Lodge Road, Southampton SO14 6QS from 7:30pm to 11pm starring the lovely Joanna Wosk and her partner Alex Magnusson providing the bachata lesson for experienced dancers from 7:30pm. More details may be seen on the the facebook event or the website.

I'm not interested in the lessons myself so aim to arrive around 9:30pm for the social dancing which for this night is 50% bachata & 50% salsa Read more [...]

Event 2017-06-28: Salsa at Irish Club then Drift Bar on Wednesdays!

On: By: Philip Wake

Salsa at the Irish Club from 8:30pm-11pm every Wednesday evening! Join Salsa Katanga, Dilshad Hasan ,Andy, Skye and Claire for salsa lessons, with 4 levels from beginner to advanced from 8:30pm or just come social dancing at 9:30pm as I do

Great venue with parking nearby, sprung dance floor, reasonably priced drinks at the bar and a friendly atmosphere. A variety of salsa, bachata, animations and a taste of kizomba are played! 🙂

See more details at on the facebook event, page and group.

TIMES
8:15pm Read more [...]

Event 2017-06-24: Saturday Salsa Social at La Tasca in Bournemouth!

On: By: Philip Wake

Enrique Perez & his partner  Rob Carroll run an excellent free evening of salsa at La Tasca on Saturdays once a month from 10pm until 2am. More information may be seen on the facebook event!

Although the focus of the event is Cuban salsa there are plenty of ladies attending who can dance cross body though most of the men do lead Cuban style and many of the ladies prefer to dance their salsa in the Cuban way! No problem for me as I dance Puerto Rican Salsa Romantica which means I can Read more [...]

Event 2017-06-23: Miguel’s birthday party at the Bedford in Balham!

On: By: Philip Wake

Philip Frost and Miguel Mayana run a monthly salsa event at The Bedford in Balham which is one of my favourite venues but this is a special birthday party night for Miguell. The main room for salsa is ideal: wooden dance floor, capacity for 250 dancers, excellent sound system, air conditioning that works and  free parking nearby for 250 cars! There is one other room devoted to bachata and the event is called Que Rico which means to a Spanish speaking salsa dancer something like: Isn't it Read more [...]

Event 2017-06-21: Salsa at Irish Club then Drift Bar on Wednesdays!

On: By: Philip Wake

Salsa at the Irish Club from 8:30pm-11pm every Wednesday evening! Join Salsa Katanga, Dilshad Hasan ,Andy, Skye and Claire for salsa lessons, with 4 levels from beginner to advanced from 8:30pm or just come social dancing at 9:30pm as I do

Great venue with parking nearby, sprung dance floor, reasonably priced drinks at the bar and a friendly atmosphere. A variety of salsa, bachata, animations and a taste of kizomba are played! 🙂

See more details at on the facebook event, page and group.

TIMES
8:15pm Read more [...]

FATHERS DAY – NAY – FATHERS WEEK FOR ME

On: By: Philip Wake

Today is Father Day but I've had a Father's Week.  Time for a quiet day of rest & contemplation! 🙂

Four nights this week brought me even more of the magic of salsa dancing with amazing partners - particularly at Southampton University Student Union on Saturday where I had an interesting chat with a lady who asked me about my life since salsa began. It reminded me how I got where I am today and how much I love my life and the people in it!

Although she had never danced salsa before I Read more [...]

Event 2017-06-17: Bailamos 2017 at Southampton University Student Union!

On: By: Philip Wake

Southampton University Salsa Society run an all dayer every year to celebrate the end of the university year. I went to Bailamos 2015 but missed Bailamos 2016 for some unknown reason so I was particularly keen to catch up with my SUSS friends at Bailamos 2017!

The venue is Student Union, University of Southampton, University Road, Southampton SO17 1BJ and the after party, which I'm interested in, supposedly starts at 9pm but it is unlikely to get going before 10pm. The ticket for the after Read more [...]

Event 2017-06-16: Salsa at El Grande at Scala on the 3rd Friday of the month!

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, cuban, bachata & kizomba - often attended by more than 1200 dancers! Entry is £10.

Please see the facebook event or page for details for tonight but the usual timetable is:

09:00 Doors open

09:30 Lesson at various levels for each dance genre in the 4 rooms

10:30 Social dancing
01:00 (approx) Performances

01:15 (approx) Read more [...]

Event 2017-06-14: Salsa at Irish Club then Drift Bar on Wednesdays!

On: By: Philip Wake

Salsa at the Irish Club from 8:30pm-11pm every Wednesday evening! Join Salsa Katanga, Dilshad Hasan ,Andy, Skye and Claire for salsa lessons, with 4 levels from beginner to advanced from 8:30pm or just come social dancing at 9:30pm as I do

Great venue with parking nearby, sprung dance floor, reasonably priced drinks at the bar and a friendly atmosphere. A variety of salsa, bachata, animations and a taste of kizomba are played! 🙂

See more details at on the facebook event, page and group.

TIMES
8:15pm Read more [...]

THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS HARD BREXIT – ONLY HARD NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE BEST DEAL WE CAN GET!

On: By: Philip Wake

But if that deal involved paying £100 billion to the EU for the divorce we would have to walk away because that's the equivalent of paying them £250 million a week for 8 years which would mean that we might as well stay in the EU and have a say in it's management.

"If Britain left the EU how would it gain access to the single market?
In the past week, Leave campaigners have confirmed that they would not want to remain part of the single market by signing deals similar to Norway or Switzerland.
They Read more [...]

SALSA IS ABOUT DANCING IN THE MUSIC – NOT ABOUT MOVES!

On: By: Philip Wake

I've heard a lot of talk about Cuban, Cross Body, LA, New York & Cali but to me all salsa is the same - it's about how the salsa music makes you want to move and lead your partner so that you both dance on the spur of the musical moment! When I say salsa music I mean music with the underlying 3-2 clavé because without that it does not inspire the quick-quick-slow way of moving that makes a dance become a dream!

Also, as my basic salsa steps do not include a break which can be felt by my Read more [...]

MACRON’S PARTY OF CHAOS IN TOTAL CONTROL

On: By: Philip Wake

I was wrong about the French having a pointless voting system because the party that Emmanuel Macron invented only a year ago is set for a landslide victory. Can you imagine 450 new MPs (out of the 557 in the French parliament) - people who have never been MPs before and some not even ever politically active before - a Party of Chaos but in total control! Lol

Map of Visitors 12Jun2017
7647 Unique Visitors in the last year
104 in last 1 day
172 in last 2 days
261 in last 3 days
303 in Read more [...]

TIME FOR A QUIET NIGHT IN!

On: By: Philip Wake

Four nights this week brought me the magic of salsa dancing with amazing partners and reminded me how much I love my life and the people in it! Tonight is time for a quiet night in watching movies and thinking about what I'm doing next week! 🙂

Event 2017-06-07: Salsa at Irish Club then Drift Bar on Wednesdays! 7th June 2017
Event 2017-06-08: Party after Salsa Lessons at Drift on Thursdays! 8th June 2017
Event 2017-06-09: Que-Rico 2-room monthly party at the Bedford in Balham! 9th June Read more [...]

Event 2017-06-10: Salsatricity at East Barnet on Saturdays!

On: By: Philip Wake

The name Salsatricity speaks for itself - the atmosphere is always electric at any of the high quality locations they use for their nights full of smiling dancers! See the facebook event or page for more information about the amazing Heather Ross' salsa events. I aim to arrive around 10pm for 3 hours of social dancing after the lessons from 8-10pm! 🙂
See also their website at salsatricity.com. £8 entrance (£5 for students) plus £2 for classes.

Read more [...]

Event 2017-06-09: Que-Rico 2-room monthly party at the Bedford in Balham!

On: By: Philip Wake

Philip Frost and Miguel Mayana run a monthly salsa event at The Bedford in Balham which is one of my favourite venues. The main room for salsa is ideal: wooden dance floor, capacity for 250 dancers, excellent sound system, air conditioning that works and  free parking nearby for 250 cars! There is one other room devoted to bachata and the event is called Que Rico which means to a Spanish speaking salsa dancer something like: Isn't it wonderful!

Above all the venue has a friendly atmosphere Read more [...]

HUNG PARLIAMENT

On: By: Philip Wake

There are 650 seats for MPs in the UK parliament but the 7 Sinn Fein MPs never turn up so there are really only 643 which means the actual number of MPs required to avoid a hung parliament is 322. As the Tories are projected to get 319 that means they could easily run a minority government particularly with regard to Brexit because Labour agree that Brexit must happen. However, Theresa may have to compromise on some of her policies, for example: "No deal is better than a bad deal!". She may also Read more [...]

Event 2017-06-07: Salsa at Irish Club then Drift Bar on Wednesdays!

On: By: Philip Wake

Salsa at the Irish Club from 8:30pm-11pm every Wednesday evening! Join Salsa Katanga, Dilshad Hasan ,Andy, Skye and Claire for salsa lessons, with 4 levels from beginner to advanced from 8:30pm or just come social dancing at 9:30pm as I do

Great venue with parking nearby, sprung dance floor, reasonably priced drinks at the bar and a friendly atmosphere. A variety of salsa, bachata, animations and a taste of kizomba are played! 🙂

See more details at on the facebook event, page and group.

TIMES
8:15pm Read more [...]

Event 2017-06-03: Salsa at Twyford – First Saturday Monthly!

On: By: Philip Wake

Incognito's Twyford Salsa Club at Loddon Hall, Loddon Hall Road, Twyford (nr Reading), RG10 9JA
- run by Jeff Tarpinian.

Superb professional dance floor for 250 dancers with a professional sound system and air conditioning that works.

Every first Saturday of the month from 8:15pm to 1am.

£10 for class & club which is usually from 10pm to 1am which is when I go!

See the facebook event or website for details about teachers and classes. The social dancing begins at 9:15pm.

DJ Read more [...]

Event 2017-06-02: Salsa at The View in Brighton every first Friday of the month!

On: By: Philip Wake

Every first Friday of the month there is an excellent salsa event at The View in Brighton run by Carlton Thomas.. The social dancing is from 11pm to 2am which is my interest but the classes which are very professional start at 9pm. Please see the facebook event, the facebook group or the Cuban Vibes website for more details.

From this 16th anniversary month they have been opening an extra room downstairs. Upstairs in the Cuban Room they play the very best in Cuban Salsa, Timba, Son, Salsaton Read more [...]

Event 2017-05-31: Salsa at Irish Club then Drift Bar on Wednesdays!

On: By: Philip Wake

Salsa at the Irish Club from 8:30pm-11pm every Wednesday evening! Join Salsa Katanga, Dilshad Hasan ,Andy, Skye and Claire for salsa lessons, with 4 levels from beginner to advanced from 8:30pm or just come social dancing at 9:30pm as I do

Great venue with parking nearby, sprung dance floor, reasonably priced drinks at the bar and a friendly atmosphere. A variety of salsa, bachata, animations and a taste of kizomba are played! 🙂

See more details at on the facebook event, page and group.

TIMES
8:15pm Read more [...]

Event 2017-05-27: Saturday Salsa Social at La Tasca in Bournemouth!

On: By: Philip Wake

Enrique Perez & his partner  Rob Carroll run an excellent free evening of salsa at La Tasca on Saturdays once a month from 10pm until 2am. More information may be seen on the facebook event!

Although the focus of the even is Cuban salsa there are plenty of ladies attending who can dance cross body though most of the men do lead Cuban style and many of the ladies prefer to dance their salsa in the Cuban way! No problem for me as I dance Puerto Rican Salsa Romantica which means I can dance Read more [...]