VIDEO: The London Dungeon

A journey through London’s grim and gruesome history awaits visitors to the fantastic London Dungeon.

On a recent visit to the ever-popular attraction, which has now moved from near London Bridge to the South Bank, I encountered enthusiastic actors recounting bloody tales from yesteryear.
Beginning before we’d even entered, a funny-voiced scary jester welcomed us and we were soon enacting a head-chopping photo opportunity.
Then it was onwards and downwards into the murky depths.

  

With the sights, sounds and smells of the capital played out, from plague-hit streets with reanimating corpses, through the Gunpowder Plot to Sweeney Todd and Jack the Ripper, there was no end to the gore.
There were moments where a palpable sense of fear was felt, as a band of travellers and I made our way through the warren of catacombs beneath old London Town.
Clever use of animation, video effects, animatronics, lighting and suspense make this attraction a must-see stop if you’re in the capital. 

Real rats and cockroaches were also in evidence, as was an epic boat ride through Brian Blessed’s, sorry Henry VIII’s, dungeons and Traitors’ Gate.
The near two-hour tour is excellent value for money (£25.20 for adults, or from £17.50 if bought online) if a little overlong, but the moment where everyone gets ‘hanged’ at the end, on a 10 metre drop ride, is well worth staying the course for.
I had a ghoulishly good time and would recommend it, but try not to lose your head!

 

Click here to book tickets. 

VIDEO: Smoko E-Cigarettes - the best of British!

As something of an E-cigarette aficionado it sometimes becomes difficult to review them.

[Scroll down for video review] 

You suck the vapour in, realise it tastes nice and supplies a nicotine or flavoursome hit, then you breathe out the harmless vapour. 

That is not the case with Smoko.

Well, it is, but this brand is different.

USPs include a dizzying array of flavours, more than you can shake a stick at, should you be bizarrely inclined to do so. 

Plus, Smoko must surely be the vapour vessel of British patriots, thanks to the fact that all its liquids are made here in the UK.

Emphasising the point a Union Jack adorns the packaging.

The fact the provenance of the liquid can be traced back to Blighty is not simply a ‘buy local’ boost to flag-waving vapers.

It actually makes you feel safer. 

A lot of e-cigs have sprung up in the Far East, where let’s say, safety standards are a little behind ‘elf ‘n’ safety’ England.

And therefore you don’t really know what’s in them.

As I said before, Smoko is different.

On to the flavours and all expected tastes are present and correct – staples menthol and Virginia tobacco are there, plus a sweet, almost vanilla, flavoured original. 

But, then Smoko goes haywire, with a fabulously realistic apple and even an absinthe cartomiser to enjoy.

The volume of vapour is impressive and satisfying and the e-cigs themselves also look very much like real cigarettes. 

So, in conclusion these are a must for all dedicated fans of e-cigarettes – especially those who like to buy British. 

• To buy Smoko E-Cigarettes click here

VIDEO: Nicoccino - a pure nicotine experience

Ever eager to circumvent draconian rules against feeding a nicotine addiction I eagerly anticipated the arrival of the smoke-free Nicoccino. 

Developed in Sweden, where smokeless tobacco products such as snus have a cultural foothold, this potent hit of nicotine has dispensed not only with smoke, but with tobacco too.
A small rectangle of paper is what dwells within the metallic sachets, which is placed under the lip and directly onto the gums.

And I have to say I was impressed, not least because of the advertised “powerful nicotine effect”, being true. 

The lemon mint morsels dissolve to relieve cravings and provide a small stinging sensation as the nicotine penetrates the gums, which is actually quite pleasurable. 
 
Nicoccino contains 1 mg of pure nicotine, similar to one regular strength cigarette - but it contains no tobacco, no tar and has no smell.

Compared to horrible nicotine-replacement gum these are a must.

And there’s even a nifty brown branded wallet to keep them in available to buy. 

                                        

• For more information click here

VIDEO: Frank Skinner - Man in a Suit tour

A seven year hiatus had not dulled Frank Skinner’s prowess as a top class stand-up, certainly not on the evidence of the show I witnessed at Watford's Colosseum.

The Midlands comic’s ambling stage walk, easy-going rapport with audience members and lightning fast wit, showed that while a new generation of comedians have taken to the stage, there is much they can learn from the older guard.

At 57, Skinner’s act has matured, like the man himself and there were fairly clean-cut jokes about relationships, money and religion.

But the show opened with near-the-knuckle fodder about the conviction of Rolf Harris and others.

“It must be a novelty to see a grey-haired celebrity still at large”, the Brummie told his audience, at the Hertfordshire venue.

But smutty anecdotes have always been one of Skinner’s most hilarious staples.

As he said before the tour, which is entitled Man in a Suit: “I still do a bit of filth on stage.

“If I didn’t that would be like Bernie Clifton not performing with his ostrich.”

And it was the “filth” which got the biggest laughs.

In an era where comics tend to be backslapping right-on, point-makers, rather than just funny, this blast from the past was like a breath of fresh air.

And the brutal honesty of the recollections, which have long been the most potent weapon in Frank Skinner’s armoury, were abundantly evident again here.

It would not be hyperbole to describe ‘Man in a Suit’ as a masterclass in the art of stand-up.

 

VIDEO: Neo E-Cigarettes - a step nearer to a tobacco-free tomorrow

The first thing I noticed when I excitedly opened the snazzy packaging of my cache of uber cool looking Neo E-Cigarettes were the two rubber moustaches (mustaches for my American readers!). 
It seems a #NeoTash selfie will garner £1 for charity as it's Movember. 
It's touches (or perhaps that should be 'taches) like that, which make a brand stand out. 
But forget any notion of well-intentioned gimmickery, let's move on to the products themselves. 

Firstly the rechargeable tobacco and cool mint varieties were a revelation.
As a seasoned vaper I have experienced some disappointing e-cigs in the past. 
But the sheer volume of vapour and satisfying 'hit' with these sleek Neo products was fantastic.

I for one believe that electronic cigarettes are the future, a "game-changer" as a friend of mine called them, and with quality such as this a tobacco-free tomorrow is nearer than ever (as long as Big Tobacco's grasp on politicians and Quangos can be eroded).
Both the mint and tobacco flavours were spot on and I can't recommend them more highly. 

For fruit fans there are disposable non-nicotine versions in exciting blueberry, grape and strawberry. 

Again they produce an incredible amount of vapour and the flavours are realistic and refreshing. 
And, excitingly, for me at least, they remind me of Star Wars lightsabers or the interior of Space Mountain with the way they illuminate with futuristic lights.

For more information and to order these superb e-cigarettes visit http://www.neocig.co.uk/
Incidentally, for anyone who is interested, my #NeoTash selfie is below.

 

• Email me at paulchristian1981@gmail.com for me to 'Review4U' and follow on Twitter (@Top_Reviews4U).

Previous reviews

See below for some of my many previous reviews.

They include afternoon tea at Paramount, The View from The Shard, white water rafting at an Olympic venue and luxury landmark London hotel the Strand Palace. 

•  Paramount 'high' tea, at Centre Point, in London

• Strand Palace Hotel, in Strand, London

• Rafting at the Olympic White Water Centre, in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire

• The View from The Shard Experience, in London 
 

• If you'd like me to review your product, venue or service email me at paulchristian1981@gmail.com