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, FRIDAY 24th JULY – SUNDAY 26th JULY 2015

Knock out blow
We’ve all seen the pictures of Jake Gyllenhaal bulked up for his latest role as boxer Billy Hope in the gritty Southpaw – it’s well reported that the actor gained 14 lbs of pure muscle mass for the role, training six-hours-a-day, seven days a week. Impressive.  Well here’s your chance to see him strut his stuff in the ring, on the big screen.

The film centres around boxer Hope, a former lightweight champ looking for one last fight in order to win back custody of his daughter (Oona Laurence) following the death of his wife (Rachel McAdams).

The film’s intensity and energy draws you in with thudding impact, but the real knock-out punch (sorry, not sorry) comes via Gyllenhaal’s dedicated performance. The shape-shifting actor pulls out all the stops, transforming himself into a champion boxer, both in mind and body.

Southpaw, 123 mins. Out now.

“Sipping at my ice cold beer/Lazing on a sunny afternoon.”
Back in 1963 four lads from Muswell Hill formed The Kinks. The band went on to define the sound of the sixties and become one of the most influential bands of all time, their sound continues to resonate to this day.

Cue Snap Galleries latest exhibition Welcome to The Kinks: Photographs and Artefacts, a celebration of all things Kinks.

The exhibition features work by photographers Bruce Fleming (the man behind the lens on their first professional shoot), Val Wilmer (who shot the band behind the scenes rehearsing for their performance on Ready Steady Go!), Bent Rej, and others, all of whom captured The Kinks at their peak, from 1964 to 1968. Alongside the photography will be Kinks inspired works by contemporary artists Pete McKee, Morgan Howell and Keith Haynes.

Don your best zoot suit. We are the mods, we are the mods, we are, we are, we are the mods.

Welcome to The Kinks: Photographs and Artefacts runs at Snap Galleries, SW1Y 6NH until August 8th 

Ground level
Meet Rat Boy – real name, Jordan Cardy. Hailing from Essex the 19 year old is a mixtape musician fit for the internet age. Fusing samples, sound effects, guitar slashes and drum machine beats Cardy merges genres to create his own idiosyncratic sound, whilst barking over the top like beat up Jamie T. And this Friday evening he’s bringing his live show to Boston Music Room.

And here’s another equally tempting reason to get yourself down on Friday, The Rhythm Method are on supporting duties, a duo who you expect first discussed this support slot with Cardy down at the local ‘spoons.

Just check out their debut, and only, track Local, Girl. It’s The Royale Family theme tune that sadly never was, cig burnt and la-la-las all the way.

Rat Boy w/ The Rhythm Method play at Boston Music Room on Friday 24th July
Buy tickets here

“After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one’s own relatives.”
For this week’s foodie tip we’ve gone all nostalgic for good, hearty British food, fish ‘n’ chips, pie ‘n’ chips, steak ‘n’ chips – what? We like chips.

The Full English Kitchen delivers just this, classic British staples, and they’ve just taken up home at The Candlemaker in Battersea.

With a farm to fork philosophy supporting small, local family farms the menu boasts retro classic British dishes, including sausage and mash, meatloaf burger and a mouth-watering full english, all served on vintage china – just like at ya nan’s house.

HERO tip: go for the shepherd’s pie, if you aren’t fulfilled after that, (in the words of Chas ‘n’ Dave) there just ain’t no pleasing you.

The Candlemaker, SW11 3JR