Welcome to June, the month Pimm's really starts flowing. And if you need an alternative, may we recommend Martini Bianco with apple juice and a slice of lime. Delicious (and a little different).

Friday, 29th June

Some people love air travel (and all of its crazy pieces – look, they’re filling up the tank!), and some people hate it. If you’re one of those who love it, then you’ll want to take part in the passenger trials that BAA will be running this fall for Terminal 5. Unfortunately flights aren’t included, but it’s a chance to experience something travel related that’s a little bit different. Plus you get a goody bag.

Thursday, 28th June

Getting a dose of culture has never been easier, especially if you’re on foot in Soho. The National Gallery Grand Tour is underway, and until mid-September, you’ll be able to spot works of art (ok, reproductions). You can find your favourite work on the site, or just find yourself surprised!

Wednesday, 27th June

Looks like the days of mobile-free flying are coming to an end. Airlines that introduce a piece of technology onto their planes will be able to allow passengers to chat mid-flight, thanks to (or no thanks to) an EU approval. Air France and BMI will be the first to introduce it, so make sure you book with someone else!

Tuesday, 26th June

It’s easy to forget about Milk & Honey. There’s no sign on the door, you have to make a reservation to get in. But put it on your list! It’s a great place. The NYC member’s bar came to London a few years ago and brings back the days of the speakeasy, when the drinks were pure and the people well-behaved. Plus they have the best onion rings in town, and probably the nicest bartenders.

Monday, 25th June

For those who like their humour with a large dose of eye rolling, check out Pun of the Day. A few of our favourites: Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana. When women enter middle age it gives men a pause. Do people who climb the world’s highest mountain ever rest? Every calendar’s days are numbered. To some marriage is a word; to others it’s a sentence. OK, that’s enough.

Friday, 22nd June

If you live in West London and need a place to put up some visitors, how about this groovy houseboat? It’s moored in Brentford, near Kew Gardens, and sleeps up to five. It also comes with a parking spot, a wood burning stove and central heating. And you can feed the swans from the kitchen window!

Thursday, 21st June

Need some information on the Commonwealth of Nations? So did we. It’s a voluntary alliance of 53 countries which used to be part of the British Commonwealth, and still maintain a connection . Wikipedia lists the 53 countries, most of which aren’t a surprise – Australia, India, South Africa, Canada and Nigeria, to name a few. The most common benefit is the working holidaymaker visa, which many from abroad enjoy in the UK.

Wednesday, 20th June

Last month, The Man Booker International Prize was awarded to Nigerian author Chinua Achebe for his literary career, which began with 1958’s Things Fall Apart. This prize is given every two years to a living author from any country for their body of work. This is different form the Booker Prize, which is only awarded to authors from the Commonwealth of Nations or Ireland. The prize started in 1968, and the name comes Booker-McConnell (an old grocery store chain), who initially sponsored the prize. The prize for fiction will be awarded in October.

Tuesday, 19th June

Mala Indian Restaurant in St. Katherine Docks must offer one of the best lunch values around. For £12.95, you get enough for lunch – and then dinner. The set menu has the standards you’d expect (the Onion Bhaji, Chicken Tikka Masala and Karachi Chani were excellent), along with everything else you might need – Naan, Pilau Rice, Dahl, Raita. And to finish it off, pistachio ice cream (which everyone should have).

Monday, 18th June

Space.NK is opening in New York! Which is great news for our friends across the Atlantic. And to celebrate this, on Wednesday evening (the 20th), all of the stores are hosting a Summer Shopping Evening. It’s £15 to attend, but you get champagne and a bag full of samples. Perfect for, well, pretty much any gal we know.

Friday, 15th June

Today’s entry has nothing to do with living in London. But it’s cool, so we’re mentioning it. In Litchfield Hills, Connecticut there is a resort with 19 unique cottages called Winvian. They are beautiful, luxurious and there is most definitely one for everyone. An old helicopter, a camping experience, a log cabin, a cave! An 18th century New England room, a Golf escape and a Treehouse. Not cheap, but totally cool.

Thursday, 14th June

Mayfair is full of lots of things. Maybachs with tinted windows, Eastern European businessmen, hedge funds and extra bling jewelry. It’s also home to El Pirata, which consistently turns out really good tapas (and even better white sangria). Ask to be seated upstairs, but if you’re a large group and are relegated to the downstairs, ask to be in one of the caves. And then feast away! It’s all good.

Wednesday, 13th June

If you’re new in town, you need to meet your neighbours, if for no other reason to have someone to hold a spare key. But if you’re not going to meet your neighbours, www.sparekeys.com has the solution. For £39/year they’ll hold up to 10 keys (electronic, skeleton, regular, or whatever), and visit you for a fee when you lock yourself out. Which you will do. Eventually.

Tuesday, 12th June

Some people love the art of travel. They like identifying airplane tails, watching take-offs and landings, and speaking to immigration agents in local language. They also like knowing how many people a 747-400 seats (usually 416) and what the fastest Concorde trip was between New York and London (2 hours, 52 minutes and 59 seconds). These are the people who should get married at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. Their wedding planners offer a number of options, including a ceremony on a vintage aircraft, and another that allows you to say yes and go (on your honeymoon, natch).

Monday, 11th June

Love your TV so much you’d like to be on it? (Don’t have a TV and want to know what’s going on?) TVRecordings.com lists shows looking for a TV audience, and to make it easier, a newsletter with new offers. Right you can see stand-up comedy from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, or Frank Skinner’s new topical TV show. Talk about bragging rights!

Friday, 8th June

What a great idea – a website to help guys be better. Be Better Guys – “A guy’s guide to getting a life.” “Because you really can do better.” They cover your body, your life, your place, your clothes, and offer advice on things like dressing for a wedding (funeral, or job interview), cooking dinner for your girlfriend, getting your jeans tailored (instead of cutting them off), keeping your toenails clipped and free of lint, and how to behave (all the time, at the office, on a date). Can this be added to the summer reading list?

Thursday, 7th June

COS recently opened on Regent Street. A few things to know: COS stands for Collection of Style, the store has cute things written on the walls in the store (Like these? There’s lots more upstairs.), and it’s owned by H&M. But make no mistake – you’ll want to wear these clothes more than twice, they will last twice as long, and also cost twice as much. The pieces are basic and quiet in that fashionable European way, but still very affordable. It’s an interesting place, and well worth a visit.

Wednesday, 6th June

Is outfitting an airplane on your agenda today? If so, then Conde Nast’s new site, Portfolio, has a handy chart you can print and take with you. It includes practical information on things like gold toilets (you can have one, but it’s heavy, so will add weight to the plane), mohair couches (again, possible, but impractical because it doesn’t wear well) and gas stoves, which aren’t allowed full stop. Instead they recommend an electric oven. So practical.

Tuesday, 5th June

Oliver Sweeney, who finds the perfect balance between hip and traditional, is selling the grooviest wallet right now. It’s made of stingray (yes, the things you shuffle your feet to avoid in shallow water off the beaches of Florida between May and October), and comes in an excellent green colour. It’s sort of like crocodile for the cooler set.

Monday, 4th June

A study has shown that sexual orientation affects map-reading ability. The best to worst readers of maps: straight men, gay men, lesbians, and lastly, straight women. Could this be because women know they can stop and ask for directions so their map-reading gene never developed, whereas men know they don’t have a choice, so have to read them well?

Friday, 1st June

Is Damien Hirst’s diamond encrusted platinum skull genius or obnoxiously excessive? And in 100 years will it still be worth more than its weight in gold (or diamonds and platinum) as it is now? For the love of God! At least Mr. Hirst has the good sense (of humour) to name the thing so well.

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