Tony’s Gallery on Sclater Street, Shoreditch is currently a little fluffier than usual. The small art space is packed to the pelmet with the woolly creations of Olek, a Polish-born, New York-based artist whose creativity finds an outlet in yarn. This show, her first UK solo exhibition, is titled ?I do not expect to be a mother but I do expect to die alone?, and crams in numerous household objects and hangings formed in crochet.

Read more about the artist and her work here, and visit Tony’s Gallery (68 Sclater Street) between now and 23 March. The gallery is open Wednesday through Sunday, 11am-7pm. Perhaps best avoided when you’ve got a hangover, though.

The Hajj — the pilgrimage to Mecca — is central to Islam, yet as only Muslims are allowed to perform the Hajj, it remains a mystery to most people. The British Museum seeks to remedy this by offering a unique insight into the origins, history and rituals of the Hajj. A wealth of information is on display alongside artefacts ranging from the lavish banners carried by pilgrims, to the more mundane items such as the cups that they drank from.

In the Reading Room, the British Museum has arguably one of the premier exhibition spaces in the country and it has been used to great effect here. You begin to hear the adhan (the call to prayer) before you?ve even entered the exhibition and this immerses you in the reverence that is afforded to the Hajj.

There are many magnificent artefacts on display, from a delicate and ornately decorated quran to an opulent mahmul (a ceremonial palanquin). However, the focus of this exhibit is on the journey to Mecca itself and the weight of detail available makes this exhibit truly fascinating — from the life threatening challenges faced by the pilgrims through to the many famous historical figures who completed the Hajj.

The stories of modern British pilgrims and what the Hajj means to them helps present this ancient pilgrimage in a modern light, making it easier for the uninitiated to understand why it inspires such revelatory experiences amongst modern Muslims.

Some minor quibbles are that the exhibition is not as logically structured as it could have been and goes off on tangents a few too many times. Though these tangents usually result in some remarkable stories, it does give the exhibition a slightly disjointed feel.

You don?t need to be interested in the Hajj or Islam to find this exhibit both eye-opening and fascinating, though you should set aside at least ninety minutes to assimilate all the information on display.

In a time when most people are curious about Islam, this exhibition does an excellent job of shedding some light on one of its least understood rituals.

By Tabish Khan

Hajj: Journey to the Heart of Islam is on at the British Museum until 15 April 2012. Tickets: £12, free to BM friends. Concessions available.

These superb murals have been up on Whitby Street, off Bethnal Green Road, for about a month, but we only got round to visiting today. They’re the work of Jimmy C, whose earlier piece on Bacon Street will be familiar to anyone who’s passed along Brick Lane in the past year. The images are made up of hundreds of tiny daubs, pointillism style. More examples of his work can be found here.

Autoheart striking-a-pose-there's-nothing-to-it

Autoheart (née The Gadsdens) released one of 2009′s best singles, The Sailor Song. They then took some time off to write and record their debut album with Coldplay producer, Danton Supple. The as-yet-untitled long-player will be released later on this year and will also include the critically-acclaimed current single, Control.

Kicking off what promises to be an exciting year for the London five-piece is a live show at Barfly in Camden this coming Wednesday. Here, front-man Jody Gadsden not only (patiently!) answers some of our probings but also gives us (and you, lucky folk) an exclusive listen to Edit, a new Autoheart track, never previously released.

Where was the first London venue you played live and what are your memories from that experience?
The first venue I played in London was the Bedford when it was in Baker Street — I think it’s in Balham now. I was 20 years old and it was just me and my guitar in this underground cave-like venue with odd UV lighting. My mother and best friend were in the crowd and I was petrified. The audience were very sweet and clapped politely but I sang all 3 songs about 2 feet away from the mic so they probably only heard some muffled grunting alongside some terrible guitar playing. I like to think I’ve improved since then.

Do you have a favourite London venue to see shows at?
I like the Scala in King?s Cross. It?s large enough to get lost in but somehow manages to retain that level of intimacy you get from much smaller venues. I?ve seen some wonderful acts there and have a lot of fond memories of the place. I also love the Union Chapel in Islington ? I think when you mix the old age history and beauty of church interiors in general with contemporary music it can be quite a magical partnership. When we supported the Hidden Cameras at St. Leonards Church in Shoreditch a few years back it was especially surreal; looking at the audience sitting on pews and seeing all the religious iconology of centuries before adorned on the walls. Equal parts odd and equal parts lovely.

What’s your ‘local’?
I have two, The Nelsons Head off Hackney Road and The Elderfield in Clapton. Nelsons because they have a great, eclectic jukebox and lots of my friends go there – it has that home from home vibe about it and it?s very dog friendly  – I love dogs. The Elderfield is really relaxed and a little off the beaten track – I had a great New Year?s there once and the staff are always very warm and friendly.

You live in Hackney. Name the best thing and the worst thing about where you live.
The best thing about Hackney is that It attracts people not only from other countries but from around the UK and London and the constant flux and interaction of the different cultures and experiences ensure it?s a dynamic and exciting place to live. There?s always something to be inspired by in Hackney but while there are many creative people in the area, its lack of small-mindedness makes it difficult to get too self-involved or pretentious.

Worst thing ? The downside of its ?creative? reputation is that it does attract some who are only interested in being in the place they think is ?currently? happening. They have no real interest in Hackney as a place or as a community. The riots last year exposed some of those attitudes, as people who moved to the area for the cultural cache started demanding the kids they live alongside be shot in the street.

If you could afford to live anywhere in London where would it be and why?
I would stay East definitely. I was born in Dagenham and grew up in Upminster so I?ve always lived in or around the eastbound District line. But if I could afford anywhere – perhaps De Beauvoir or Canonbury although that?s veering into N1 postcode territory. There are some lovely properties around there and the new overground links mean it?s easy to get around in the area.

Is there a London club you can guarantee you’d have a great night out at?
Oh My God I Miss You put on some great nights at the Bethnal Green Working Man?s Club. Grind A Go-Go plays Sixties Garage, the night is like Rosemary?s Baby meets Valley of the Dolls. And Jailhouse Jam is unabashed rock and roll and great fun. I?m more of a pub than a club person but I?ve always had a lot of fun at these nights and recommend them whole-heartedly.

Boris bikes — a sensible way to tone up the buns or “no thanks, I’ll take the tube”?
I love riding bikes but not in London — I’m too accident prone, I’d probably die within minutes if I took to the streets during rush hour, sadly. I give much kudos to those who do it daily to and from work. And their legs and bums would certainly benefit from the exercise. But I skip in my spare time, no joke, so my legs and bum are just fine without the cycling. I thought after visiting Barcelona years ago that London should adopt a similar scheme so I?m glad that the idea has finally been actualised.

Where would you take visitors from out of town to eat in London?
There a couple of nice Vietnamese restaurants on Kingsland Road which are fairly reasonable in price and very tasty as well as the infamous Indian cuisine on Brick Lane. Dim Sum at Shanghai is always good. Dalston also has some of the best Turkish restaurants in London so I?d take them there as well.  Some of the Pubs around Victoria Park like The Britannia and The Hemmingway do great traditional Sunday roasts too.

Are you looking forward to the Olympics or are you not bothered?
I am and I’m not. I live literally 400 meters away from the Stadium so come summer time it’s going to be absolutely hell getting to and from my home. But I?m sure there will be a real buzz in the air when the Olympics are in full swing. I’m just deeply concerned with how our transport infrastructure is going to cope with the massive influx of people. I don?t envy the current Secretary of State for Transport, and I hope she has some pretty hefty contingency plans up her sleeves!

What can fans and new Autoheart listeners expect from your forthcoming Barfly gig?
We’re showcasing tracks from our debut album. So, new songs and of course a couple of old ones. We’ve been rehearsing the album meticulously over the past few months in preparation for the year ahead. I?m going on shopping trip on Sunday for a gig outfit, so you’ll have that unveil to look forward to at the Barfly gig. The red shirt or the white shirt? The black boob-tube or the brown leather waistcoat – what’ll it be? You’ll have to turn up to see!

You can get tickets for Autoheart’s Barfly show on 1st of Feb here. And below is an exclusive stream of brand new Autoheart track, Edit.
“Edit” by Autoheart by Londonist

Ever wondered what it's like to be a Yeoman Warder?

Collectively, we could drone on for hours about why love and hate London (and sometimes change our minds about it mid-sentence). In a rather more structured fashion, All Ears brings together four Londoners with unique city viewpoints and shares them at the Old Queen’s Head in Islington.

Vijya Jagun will talk about being homeless, Tower of London Beefeater Bill Callaghan will speak about being part of London’s tourist trail and debunk Tower myths, Rob Symington of Escape the City might persuade you to dump the rat race for something different and Madam Becky drops by to blether about brothels.

This is the first of the 2012 programme of monthly events from All Ears, focusing on inspirational and real life stories told by interesting individuals.

The All Ears event takes place on 7 February 2012 at the Old Queen?s Head, N1. Doors open at 7pm and stories start at 7.30pm. Tickets are £12 each. An early bird special is available now offering 2 tickets for £20.

Image by Auntie Ivy’s Kitchen via the Londonist Flickrpool

Have you seen the new high tech pods dotted around the City? They’re actually recycling bins with two screens on each side, but instead of being just advertising (pshaw, any old bus shelter can do that) these will display information and news relevant to City workers, as well as up-to-date feeds about how the tube’s running. And in an emergency, the screens can switch to showing information about where to go and what to do.

These bins have been in the offing for some time (see this Evening Standard article from 2007) as the City looked to replace the old cast iron bins that it removed several years ago to thwart terrorists. The new bins have been extensively tested in the New Mexico desert to check they’re bomb proof (now that’s a video we want to see from the company behind it all, not this buzzword bingo fest).

25 are in place now with another 75 being installed between now and the Olympics. They also come with wi-fi, so the next step is to turn them into hotspots. Our hoverboards can surely only be months away.

Good news for Megalon and other fans of drilling holes, Mayor Boris Johnson has suggested the Hammersmith Flyover may eventually be replaced by a tunnel when it is pulled down.

The unloved structure is currently partially closed after a whistleblower sparked an investigation over Christmas which worryingly found that some cables had snapped, raising questions over its ability to handle its usual load of 90,000 vehicles a day. Subsequently the flyover has been limited from four lanes to one lane of traffic, making driving in the area a nightmare for commuters (do people actually have nightmares about traffic jams?).

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the bridge’s construction but politicians seem in little mood to celebrate. Nick Botterill, deputy leader of Hammersmith and Fulham Council said that ?local people need to be at the heart of the debate about the long-term replacement for Hammersmith flyover.? Kicking the flyover when it’s down, he also dubbed the structure an ?elevated monster? that was ?ugly and outdated.? Presumably he went on to say it had bad dress sense, was a poor listener and didn?t even know what dubstep was.

The Mayor spared the flyover’s blushes somewhat, by stressing that repairs currently being made to the bridge will add another 15 years to its use. While the priority is to get the structure back to full capacity in time for the Olympics, Boris entertained the future idea of a ?tunnel, which would provide the great benefit of freeing up around 900 metres of land.? Which coincidentally is the same length as a Victory II-class Star Destroyer ? is the Mayor planning construction of an intergalactic vessel to go with his new Routemasters?

Click here for a detailed explanation of the flyover’s “ingenious design”, and the reason for its current woes.

Image by larkery via the Londonist Flickrpool under a Creative Commons License.

Robert Kingham alerts us to this kebab joint in Hither Green. Tired of the usual fast-food superlatives — Super Kebabs, Best Kebabs, King Kebabs — the owners have plumped for the more humble and honest appellation Typical Kebabexpress. It replaces the more ambitious ‘First Choice Kebab House’, still visible in Google Maps. Good luck to them.

Notes Robert, it’s “up there with Holloway Road’s ‘Standard Tandoori’ and Streatham Hill’s ‘Chinese Dinner’”.