Here are the details:

For a midweek break from the mundane weekly routine, join us at the Odeon Cinema, housed in the Pepper Club Luxury Hotel & Spa, for our brand new, monthly themed movie & dinner evenings. To celebrate Women’s Month, bring all your girlfriends (or boyfriend) to bond and enjoy a classic chick flick and pamper session that will delight women of all ages.

Ladies are able to choose which chick flick they would prefer to watch by visiting Pepper Club’s Facebook page and casting their vote. Options for this month are 27 Dresses or The Devil Wears Prada. The chosen movie will be screened on both Wednesday, 25 August and Wednesday, 1 September.

For only R180, guests will receive an array of canapés, sparkling wine and cocktails on arrival, popcorn and slush puppies during the movie, a finger buffet and mini scalp massage during the interval, as well as an gift hamper bursting with goodies. Advanced booking advised.

Date: 25 August and 1 September 2010
Time: 19h00
Venue: Odeon Movie Theatre, Pepper Club Hotel & Spa, Loop Street
Contact: Prepaid reservations are essential – please contact Robyn on
(021) 812 8839 to book.

There you have it. Enjoy!

What a beautiful city and an amazing collection of imagery. Well done to everyone involved. African Renaissance Productions has put together a substantial library of stock footage images in anticipation of the World Cup. All the images are in HD format, so if that’s what you’re looking for, get in touch with them on 021 424 3575.

The 50 metre wheel has 36 fully enclosed cabins, including two wheel chair friendly cabins and also exclusive VIP cabins, where champagne and canapés will be available. Here are the details:

• Opens 9 June 2010
• Cost: R80 (adults), R50 (children)
• Enquire at The Wheel of Excellence about VIP cabin prices.
• Opening times are:
  • Monday to Thursday 13h00 -  22h00
  • Friday 13h00 – 24h00
  • Sat & Sun 11h00 – 24h00
• Approximately 20 minutes per ride.
• Tickets can be purchased at the Wheel of Excellence.
• Closest parking is at the Clock Tower shopping centre.
• Times listed above are subject to change.

And for a closer look, check out the Zoopy video below. Look out for Leon Schuster in the clip. Thanks Renée.

STUDIO 2010: VIP viewing lounge, restaurant & cocktail club.

To cater for the more discerning international and local football fans, on June 10^th 2010 the doors will open at STUDIO 2010, a premium, bespoke hospitality operation located on the ocean a short walk from the V&A Waterfront and 300 metres from Green Point Stadium.

From June 10^th until July 11^th, STUDIO 2010 will be using the buildings of the prestigious CPUT Hotel & Catering School combined with temporary structures to create a unique, purpose-built match-viewing & events venue. STUDIO 2010 will have a 200 cover fine dining restaurant with both à la carte and VIP all-inclusive package options as well as a VIP area which lends itself perfectly for larger groups and private functions. In addition, there will be a number of luxurious cocktail bars serving an exciting range of cocktails and bar snacks. All games will be broadcast onto giant screens in the restaurants and bars using state-of-the-art AV facilities.

At night STUDIO 2010 will transform itself into the STUDIO 2010 Cocktail Lounge & Club with the hottest International and South African DJs and collaborations with some of the world’s top entertainment brands. DJ Sam Totolee will be jetting in from Ibiza to take over the initial residency at STUDIO 2010. When Sam is not playing at private parties for the likes Uma Thurman, Kate Moss, Rod Stewart & Jenson Button he can be found behind the decks at some of Ibiza’s biggest nightclubs and his own legendary Dirty Diamonds parties. A calendar of events will be released in due course.

STUDIO 2010 is working with a number of major international concierge companies as well as the hotels and corporations of Cape Town. Group and individual reservations can be made either by contacting +27 (0)72 040 7520 or visiting www.studio2010.co.za. STUDIO 2010 will offer a business and a media lounge. Free memberships with numerous benefits are also available from the website.

STUDIO 2010 is only 300m from Cape Town Stadium.

Clint Riese, Managing Partner at STUDIO 2010 said: ”We are very excited by the response to STUDIO 2010 both locally and internationally. There seems to be a big demand for this kind of an operation, which combines match viewing with beautiful surroundings, excellent food and drink and great service. We’re looking forward to a fantastic party!”

Imagine a City Hall which is the hub of a vibrant cultural community. Imagine a place of memories, restored to its former glory. Imagine a venue where every citizen can have a say in what they want this space to be.

The Imagine City Hall Initiative is aimed at inspiring the people of Cape Town and beyond to register their support for the development of the Cape Town City Hall as a dedicated cultural venue.

Imagine City Hall was born as an idea between the Africa Centre, Cape MIC, the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO) and Cape Town Partnership’s Creative Cape Town programme: organisations with a vision, audience base, resources and the critical support of various stakeholders to make the City Hall function as a dynamic project. The key aim of the project is to garner support for the City Hall as dedicated premier cultural venue for all Capetonians, which should ideally forward the broader arts and heritage of the city and the continent.

Since 1996, the Cape Town Partnership has been working on lobbying government, carrying out research, developing a business plan and funding proposals, and establishing structures (with the support of former Mayor Helen Zille) to manage and redevelop the space as a dynamic cultural space suited for the 21st century. Now, after the Cape Town Library’s move into the refurbished Drill Hall in 2009, the space it had occupied for close to 40 years is ready for an injection of new life.

The first glimpse of its possibilities will come when the Africa Centre uses the grand old spaces for the Spier Contemporary art exhibition from 13 March – 14 May 2010. The exhibition is designed to use the space in a dynamic way to attract and engage both seasoned art critics and those who have never attended an art exhibition. For the duration of the exhibition, the venue will also house a cafe and a shop, as well as hosting regular events by outside initiatives as well as workshops for children.

The re-imagining of the space will take into account the important heritage of the building. The classic lines of the 1905 Italian Rennaissance building, juxtaposed with the exhibit of contemporary artworks, provide a natural focus for the Central City’s cultural renaissance.

The partners have turned to social media to engage citizens in the project. A Facebook group has been set up at http://bit.ly/9WDKAR. There are already close to 500 fans, and their comments reflect their wide support for the project.

Musician Tina Schouw wrote: ‘I think this is a great initiative. I fully endorse the City Hall’s role as a cultural hub… it could be the place to inspire and grow upcoming artists through the sharing of creative tools for their development.’

The group also inspires people who performed in the Hall as youngsters, such as Richard Martin who says he remembers ‘our school band at Florida Primary playing at the City Hall in the 70′s…I later returned to play a brass concert with BBSA (Moravian Brass)…funny this was also the place where the Arch (Tutu) and Jonathan Butler appeared together in the 90′s with the same hairstyle…’.

Joe Bloggs writes: ‘This is an awesome building and sad to see it in the state it’s currently in. It’s in the city centre and hence it should be a symbolic central melting pot of culture utilised by the greater public of Cape Town. Concerts, events & exhibitions are a fine starting point.’

Further information about the project is at http://www.creativecapetown.net/imagine-city-hall-explained/

You can also see a video at http://bit.ly/cnI8VI

Start the day with a visit to Paarl where you will be struck by the beauty of the Valley, the pristine blue sky, the rolling vineyards and the Pearl of Paarl set high above the valley. From Paarl, continue north-west to the beautiful village of Franschhoek, near the Drakenstein Mountains. Finally head to Stellenbosch, the second oldest town in South Africa and the historic heart of the country’s wine region. You’ll visit well known wine estates and experience some of the finest wine tasting the Cape has to offer. Book a full day tour or a half day tour. Click here for more information and to book your Cape Winelands tour.

Photo courtesy of Bruce Sutherland, City of Cape Town.

The Mother City looks at home in the final list, which looks like this:

• Paris, France
• Vancouver, Canada
• Sydney, Australia
• Florence, Italy
• Venice, Italy
• Cape Town, South Africa
• San Francisco, USA
• Chicago, USA
• New York City, USA
• London, England
• Cambridge, England
• Tokyo, Japan

This is what the experts at Forbes.com had to say about Cape Town: ‘Open space also makes Cape Town special, says Levitt. Renowned English sea navigator Sir Francis Drake once referred to Cape Town as the fairest cape in the world. The city houses the Kirstenbosch botanical garden, and the top of Table Mountain offers a breathtaking view of the city from roughly 3,500 feet above sea level. Levitt, an environmental engineer, praises the city’s minimal ecological footprint, a result of its manageable size.’

It’s a great place to live. Beautiful scenery, great beaches, the V&A Waterfront, picnics at Kirstenbosch, the Winelands, awesome restaurants and places to go out to – Cape Town really has a lot to offer. I love the fact that there’s always something happening.

What do you like about Cape Town? What makes it special to you? Feel free to share your views. Go ahead and post your comments.

Cheers,
Adrian

Setting a romantic tone for the evening, renowned South African musician Chris Swanepoel will also be singing a selection of the greatest love songs. Receive a complimentary glass of bubbly on arrival.

Limited seats available, so book now. For bookings phone 021 438 3174 or email onthebeach@pepperclub.co.za.

Pepper Club on the Beach is the official beach club of the R400 million luxury hotel and spa, Pepper Club.