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Weekend Combo: The Meaning of Life, Darwinian Relics and A Guinness
By Thomas Davis | Art | 14 March 2014
This article is part of Weekend Combo – What to do this weekend

We bring you our guide to living well in the world’s capitals, from exhibitions to cinema, food, drink, fashion, music and beyond. Just call it culture and take it, it’s yours.

LONDON, SATURDAY 15th MARCH – SUNDAY 16th MARCH 2014

Discover the meaning of you.
There seems to be a lot of science fiction floating around on the big screen at the moment, and this week’s offering from the king of dystopian satire, Terry Gilliam, seems to be the final part of dark trilogy – begun with 1985’s Brazil and continued with 1995’s 12 Monkeys. You just know The Zero Theorem is gonna be good don’t you?

This time we see a reclusive computer genius, Christoph Waltz, living in a bleakly sighted future, whilst working as a programmer for an Orwellian organisation known as ‘Corporation ManCom’. The action starts after the mysterious ‘Management ‘ summon him to crack The Zero Theorem, a formula that could hold the answer to pretty much everything. And you thought your granny’s Sudoku skills were impressive…

The Zero Theorem, at cinemas now‎‎

“Sid and Nancy came over with them a couple of times, they did not behave like they did in public, they were well behaved and polite.”
If there is one photographer in particular who seems to have entirely encapsulated the spirit of the music industry in the 70s and 80s, it has to be Chalkie Davies. After spending four years training to become an aircraft engineer at British Airways, Davies decided that shooting personals and record covers for the likes of The Specials, The Pretenders, The Who, Pete Townshend, Elvis Costello, David Bowie, and Robert Plant was a better way to earn a living than fixing broken autopilots on jumbo jets. Can’t argue with that.

This remarkable collection of images forms part of Snap Galleries’ current exhibition in which members of the public can also buy some of his works – a must see is the portrait of his one time flatmates, the Sex Pistols’ Sid Vicious and his girlfriend Nancy Spungen in 1978. Epic.

Chalkie Davies Goes Click (at Snap), Snap Galleries, 12A Piccadilly, London SW1Y 6NH

A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.
Or so said Charles Darwin. Take a leaf out of the old chap’s book on life and spend an hour of your own this weekend down at one of London’s hidden architectural gems, Two Temple Place, discovering – well – discovery itself.

The first major exhibition to bring together the collections of the eight University of Cambridge Museums, which includes examples of rare zoological specimens, such as a complete skeleton of a dodo and an egg accidentally cracked by Darwin himself from his HMS Beagle voyage. Skeletons, dinosaur eggs, sharks teeth and a beautiful historical building? Perfect for a post brunch Saturday morning adventure.

DiscoveriesTwo Temple Place, until 27th April 2014
2 Temple Place, London WC2R 3BD

Lovely day for a Guinness
You’ve got the perfect excuse for a sneaky pint this weekend, ahead of Monday’s St Patrick’s day, and we suggest you celebrate the authentically Irish way – just off of Soho’s main square. The intimate two-floor Toucan pub could easily be mistaken for a Guinness museum: publicity posters for the king of stout cover the place and Hendrix used to play in the basement in his early days. The real blinders here are the Guinness cocktails though, a top-of-the-range Black Velvet of Guinness and champagne, or the poor man’s variety with cider instead are both iron-boostingly fantastic. After all, a Guinness shared is a Guinness enjoyed.

The Toucan, 19 Carlisle St, London W1D 3BY

From Titty bars to Burattas
Russell Norman, dubbed the ‘king of Soho restaurants,’ is quickly turning over ex-knocking shops and strip clubs, formerly owned by porn king Paul Raymond, into the city’s most loved eateries. Polpo has been a long time favourite for anyone who enjoys simple and wonderfully executed Italian fare, but it’s new younger sister Polpetto is serving up Venetian favourites. Head chef Florence Knight is at the reigns, it’s like no other in the city.

Polpetto Soho’s head chef Florence Knight, 2014

The Burrata with Chilli and Agretti or the Scallops with cauliflower and lardo will blow you away – as should the maple tart with fried pecorino and honey. Worth every penny.

Polpetto, 11 Berwick St, W1F ODR

 

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