Personal and Political

So here we are a week on from the 7/7 anniversary and London is going strong. So far the summer has brought us a good share of sun, most of us managed to get our hands on the £10 polka dot dress at Primark (90,000 of us to be exact), the World Cup provided a distraction from doing any work, and we remain optimistic that Johnny Depp dressed as a pirate is worth an £8 ticket, despite the reviews. That is London's personal life.

How about London's political life? Well, we have had a week of Cameron's 'hug a hoodie' nonsense (which you couldn't make up). Who votes Right for nice? Ken has threatened the local Chelsea Tractor driving WAGs where it hurts, their Louis Vuitton wallets. And marrying up the two are rumours that Nick Boles (pictured here), better known as the Director of the policy think tank, Policy Exchange, is the favourite Tory to contest Ken's mayoral seat in 18 months time.

Now, I am not going to get into much detail, it is Friday afterall. But I did want to fuel you with some hot gossip for your happy hour pint, or Saturday night dinner party. The latter a rather flippant throw away, who actually gets invited to dinner parties?

Ah, that is where Nick Boles comes in. As a card carrying member of the Notting Hill set (which is chaired by crunchy man Cameron), I imagine Nick goes to many a dinner party. A bit of West Wing meets West London. Not hard to imagine really. He has the softness of face, and the preternatural absence of stubble, that render certain members of the British upper classes oddly ageless (he is 40 apparently) - characteristics that fit perfectly with having graduated from Oxford to the dinner party circuit.

His latest gig was standing as the Conservative Party candidate for the Labour seat of Hove back in May 2005. I imagine he thought as an openly gay Conservative candidate, that Brighton was as good a shot as any. But he proved unsuccessful in Hove and is now hotly rumoured (or so I was told last night in the pub next to City Hall) to be the pretty, sorry I mean, the golden boy candidate for the general mayoral election 18 months from now.

Unsure what to think? Would it help if I told you he wants more visible police and supports fox hunting?

Thankfully, London has lots going on before 2008.

Starting with this weekend:

See: Undercover Surrealism at the Hayward Gallery, SE1. Because we still have yet to make it the V&A, and we never will. So let's switch galleries, and try again. Both Undercover Surrealism and Modernism at the V&A close 30th July.

Watch: The Romanian film, The Death of Mr Lazarescu, opens today in cinemas across London. A black comedy about death. ER meets Black Adder, Romanian style. We are there.

Listen: Rough Trade Folk Weekender (Fri-Sat), Neal's Yard, Covent Garden. Two-day evening festival of acoustic music, featuring up and coming Rough Trade bands and DJ in the courtyard. Free, 6-10PM

Buy: The new canvas totes from Gap from £35-£40. If you missed last month's straw tote bag, not to worry, this week's cream and brown canvas one is even better. But we have been singing the praises of Gap for weeks now.