Challenge 27

I’ve decided on my challenges for 27.
I’m pretty excited about this year – I think it’ll be a good one.

Building highlights of London

I’ve recently read Nairn’s London: a punchy and unapologetic view on the architecture of London in the 1960s. It’s a book of emotion over theory – in Ian Nairn’s own words, “a record of what has moved me between Uxbridge and Dagenham”. Full of sharp, pithy reviews, it showcases all of London’s highlights, including churches, markets, pubs, cinemas and stations.

This year will probably be the last I live in central London. So I’m going to tick off 27 of Nairn’s city highlights. As he published the book in the 1960s, most of the sites have disappeared or changed considerably. Nonetheless, I’m going to try and track down 27 of them.

I’ve constructed a fixed list. But as some of the sites are going to be hard to tick off, I’m going to swap things in and out as required.

1. French Ordinary Court
2. St James Palace
3. Red Lion, Duke of York St
4. The Economist Building
5. Law Courts, Strand
6. All Saints, Margaret St
7. Long bar, Henekeys, Holborn
8. Soane Museum
9. Chiswick House
10. Shepperton Village Square
11. St Paul’s Presbyterian Church, West Ferry Rd
12. The Gun, Coldharbour
13. Spiegelhalters, Mile End Rd
14. St Barnabas, Shacklewell Ln
15. Cutty Sark
16. Dulwich Art Gallery
17. St Michael, Poplar Walk
18. Red House, Bexleyheath
19. 39 Frognal
20. All Souls, Station Road
21. Harmondsworth Tithe Barn
22. Granada, Tooting
23. The Ritz
24. The Wellington
25. Westminster View
26. The Hoop and Grapes
27. Kingston Upon Thames Marketplace

Whilst tracking his down, I’m also going to have a go at constructing my own record of 27 buildings and spots that have moved me. Between Uxbridge and Dagenham.

27 Japanese Restaurants

Over the last few years, I’ve grown to love Japanese food. This year I’m going to try 27 different Japanese restaurants. I’m going to try for a mixture of proper restaurants, street food vendors and lunch takeaways.
I’m keeping this as an open list – there are so many places I want to try, but I’ve only got a limited budget, so will have to play it by ear.

27 Homemade Cocktails

I’ve worked with a number of booze brands over the years, which have provided the perfect excuse to try lots of different cocktails. But I’ve never had to make them. So this year, I’m going to learn how to make 27 cocktails – from the classics, through to some more obscure and new-age twists.
As with the Nairn’s London challenge, I’m going to try and stick to a list. But will inevitably stray due to circumstance.

1. Bloody Mary
2. Old Fashioned
3. Manhattan
4. Negroni
5. Margarita
6. Corpse Reviver #2
7. Black Russian
8. Martini
9. Tom Collins
10. Whiskey Sour
11. Singapore Sling
12. Sidecar
13. Algonquin
14. Cosmopolitan
15. Long Island Iced Tea
16. Brandy Alexander
17. Mojito
18. Daiquiri
19. White Lady
20. Zombie
21. Sazerac
22. Brooklyn
23. Aviation
24. French 75
25. Martinez
26. Vieux Carre
27. Gin Fizz