Get to Know Showaround Locals in London: Meet Jazzle

Background: Showaround local Jazzle is a poet and performer who has performed for over the last 13 years at a variety of London venues, and she also plays saxophone for her enjoyment. Jazzle has previously worked as a music critic for an underground music magazine called Smash LDN.

Wondering how travellers describe Jazzle? According to many, she is a cheerful, bright and easy going Londoner who’s always on the hunt for London’s hidden treasures. You can also see it for yourself, here's a video from a city tour with Jazzle.

Showaround: Why did you decide to become a Showaround Local?
Jazzle: I became a Showaround Local as I enjoy meeting new people and exploring my city. I am a poet and spoken word performer so meeting visitors is always inspiring as I love hearing their stories and experiences. It’s an amazing feeling to explore places in London and to have a chance to make someone’s trip more special and memorable.

Showaround: Name three super local things to do in the city?
Jazzle: 1. I enjoy taking a pedalo for 30 mins to 1 hour out on the Serpentine in Hyde Park especially when the weather is gorgeous. This park in the winter also hosts Winter Wonderland which is a popular choice for tourists and locals alike.

2. Take a stroll around Camden Market, with its wide range of clothes, art, jewellery and food stalls there’s plenty to take in and enjoy. If you’re lucky enough, you can also watch the barges coming through the lock; the best view is from the Starbucks roof as the main bridge gets crowded by everyone trying to watch.

3. Hampstead Heath is also another popular choice. With its huge children’s park complete with a sandpit and paddling lido, race track, ponds you can swim in, and the best natural view of the city where you can pick out landmarks such as London Eye, BT Tower, and The Gerkin. On the edge of the Heath by the overground station, there is a pub where Ruth Ellis, the last woman in the UK to be publicly executed, shot her husband. The masonry still contains the bullet holes from this crime of passion.

Showaround: Favourite restaurant?
Jazzle: Little Bay restaurant in Kilburn by Belsize Road, which is a gorgeous Italian family-owned restaurant with an affordable menu for adults and children, tucked away from the main high road. I like it because it's cozy and rarely busy. I would especially recommend trying the tiramisu for dessert.

Showaround: Best place for a drink?
Jazzle: Players Theatre Bar & Kitchen, located under an arch just a few metres away from Embankment tube station. This bar has not only great staff and a lovely open atmosphere but also a piano that gets played causing all the locals in the bar to make requests and have a good ole jolly sing along. Their production of Titanic is worth watching, and their theme menu compliments the theatre-going experience.

Showaround: What about the nightlife?
Jazzle: London nightlife is vibrant and caters to many different styles of music and interests. For example, there are many open mic nights and Poetry as well as Spoken Word events that happen across the week. Also, the casino is a popular choice for fun, and the club scene has a wide variety of options from gay bars to jazz clubs to speakeasies with secret passwords. It's worth taking a trip to the top of the Shard for dinner at Duck and Waffles or a drink at Gong just for the breathtaking view of the city at night. In a sense, it's like seeing the world upside down when you’re looking down at the lights.

Showaround: How would you describe the local people of London?
Jazzle: I would say that Londoners are friendly and polite people with a great sense of humour, and are fun too. I find that we are the most friendly in social places such as bars and clubs and, unsurprisingly, the least friendly on a packed tube train.

Showaround: Thank you Jazzle for your answers!