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Circus Blog 2011 Review Part Two – July to December

21. Dezember 2011 in Art, Beer, Berlin, Berlin Wall Anniversary, Books, Christmas Market, Circus Apartments, Circus Hostel, Circus Hotel, Circus News, Design, Events, Festivals, Film, Football, History, Media, Multitude, Music, Photography, Review of 2011, The Kitchen by Paul

2011reviewparttwo

Okay, so we reached the middle of the year yesterday in our review of 2011 via Circus blogposts, and as the cold wind blows outside the windows of the office here on Rosenthaler Platz it is hard to picture those warm and sunny days of barbecues in the park where we left things, but we will use the power of the blog and an ability to link to take us back to the recent past…

July. The Women’s Football World Cup got serious as we reached the knock-out stages. Germany, as always, were great hosts of the tournament, but they fell foul on the pitch to a surprise defeat at the hands of the eventual winners Japan. Here at The Circus we made a film, brought Dandy of the Grotesque into Fabisch, and began our tours to Kreuzberg with Jim Hudson whilst Jule and the other Jim took people to explore Marzahn.

Into August and Rani delivered the first designs for the new cafe and lounge at the apartments, whilst Sasa and the gang began the long process of deciding what special things would be served there. Berlin commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of the building of the Berlin Wall with a series of different events and exhibitions around the city, whilst we met a 70 year-old on his birthday who had been born in the very building that now houses The Circus Hotel. Meanwhile Andrew was having a weekly struggle with the weather, Toga was off to watch his team at the Olympic Stadium, and Sandra was getting “in the mood” with her plans for new apartments. It all seems so long ago…

In September we met Carl Oskar for the first time when he popped by the hotel for a visit, but otherwise it was work, work, work, work, on the Circus Apartments. Meanwhile, we were checking out the international literature festival, and many of our guests were gaining our complete admiration as they took on the Berlin Marathon course. As we moved into autumn a friend of ours published a book on a subject close to the hearts of the English-speaking staff members of The Circus – beer – whilst Preston ran a special photography tour for the festival of lights and Digel waved to passing members of the St Pauli football team on Torstraße.

Into November and we hosted the inaugural meeting of the Berlin St Georges Supporters Club down in Goldman’s Bar, began our new fundraising campaign with our friends at Multitude, celebrated Thanksgiving in the Circus Cafe and drank our first glasses of glühwein at the Berlin Christmas Markets.

And so we reach December and the end of 2011. Sometimes December can be a calm and quiet month at The Circus, but not this year. We had a film crew come by the hostel to make a special clip for our website (coming soon!) but mostly we were getting the apartments ready for launch, which we did last week.

So as Christmas and New Year’s Eve approaches, we reach the end of our special review of 2011 (part two), and we would just like to take this opportunity to thank everyone – guests, staff, partners and friends – who have been with us during 2011 and the next year of the Circus story. In 2012 the Circus will be FIFTEEN years old… who could imagine what would have happened when the doors opened on that first 40-bed building close to Friedrichstraße.

Ah, enough of the nostalgia. See you soon.

Circus Blog 2011 Review Part One – January to June

20. Dezember 2011 in Art, Bars, Beer, Berlin, Books, Circus Apartments, Circus Hostel, Circus Hotel, Circus News, Circus Talks, Design, Events, Fabisch, Festivals, Film, Football, History, Hungry Jared, Media, Music, Our Neighbourhood, Review of 2011, Rosentage, Slow Travel Day, Stuff We Like, The Berg Gallery by Paul

2011reviewpartoneIn amongst all the excitement of the opening of the Apartments last week, we missed the second birthday of this lovely blog, and so we thought we would use the chance to not only say “Happy Birthday” to ourselves, but have a look back at a year in the Circus through our blog posts. Now quite a lot of things have happened to us over the past twelve months, so we have decided to split this into two and begin with the first six months of the year.

In January we launched our cooperation with the ZeitzeugenBörse for our series of eyewitness history talks, which are still continuing each month in Fabisch, and we have a very special treat and surprise on this topic coming up in January…so keep your eyes open! We also recieved the happy news that The Circus Hotel had once again been selected for the Tripadvisor Traveller’s Choice Awards, voted for by people who have stayed with us at the hotel and a wonderful achievement for the second year in a row. Later in month Judith and Lisanne took some guests on a special Long Night of the Museums Tour, whilst Jared started on his mission to eat around Berlin.

February might be the shortest month but there was lots going on, especially as the Berlinale was in town. We also prepared a very special welcome for a very special friend of ours.  March was completely packed, with a renovation of the Circus Cafe just in time for all the different events of our Slow Travel Day, including tours, film screenings, a pop-up bookshop and much more, whilst our small Kunstbox at the hostel became host for the Pictosplasma festival. Over at the hotel Marie Jacobi brought Rapunzel to the tower, where she still sits…

Into spring and we welcomed the Berg Gallery to our Kunstbox, celebrated Hertha’s return to the Bundesliga, and continued our obession with you know who. As the weather continued to get warmer the fun and games carried on, with a visit of Gino the Clown to the hostel, we sadly waved goodbye to Konny as he left the Circus (we still miss you), and made the first announcement of the new Circus Apartments.

As the summer arrived we headed up onto the roof of the Circus Hotel for yoga sessions, and worked with our neighbours on the Rosentage neighbourhood and cultural festival. We reached the halfway point of the year with Lisa hosting “Europe’s Most Awesome Barbecue” in Mauerpark.

Phew…and we are only halfway there. Part Two of the 2011 review will be on the blog in the next couple of days…

Festive Excitement Part I – VIP Christmas Bookshopping at Dialogue

15. November 2011 in Berlin, Books, Events by Paul

dialogue Our friends at Dialogue books down in Kreuzberg are already getting in the Christmas spirit, which is something I can fully appreciate as it is, after all, the very best time of the year and although I certainly would not advocate a Wizzard approach to the festivities, the nice long advent period that we have here in Germany, with Christmas Markets and all that jazz is certainly one of the best aspects about living in the city…

Sorry, where was I? Ah, yes. Dialogue.  In the run-up to Christmas the boutique English-language bookshop is running a series of Thursday evening VIP Christmas Shopping events, complete with mulled wine and mince pies, a 10% discount on all purchases, and a complimentary gift-wrapping service. Which means you can get all your presents for your book-loving friends done and dusted. If you are stuck for inspiration, the lovely Dialogue team will be on hand to advise and inspire.

There are three evenings lined up – starting this Thursday on the 17th November, and then again on the 1st and the 15th December.  Beyond their Christmas shopping events, they always have an interesting programme of literary events in English, and you can find out more on the events page of their website.

Around Berlin in 80 Beers

4. Oktober 2011 in Bars, Beer, Berlin, Books, Jim's Berlin by Jim

aroundberlinin80beersPeter Sutcliffe has been a good friend of The Circus for many years – indeed we think of Peter as part of the family – and he has recently written a book all about a specific aspect of this city that we love: the Beer. Now, as you can imagine, discovering that someone has basically written a book just for me, filled with a selection of pubs and brews throughout the many corners of the city, is just too good to be true. Planning my Saturday afternoon trips around Berlin has just got a lot easier!

The book is so well-researched that even the most well-informed Berlin-Beeristas (such as myself) must bow down in respect. Complete with maps, descriptions and facts about the pubs and the beers they served, it all comes together to show the passion that Peter has brought to the subject. What Peter doesn’t know about the Berlin pub scene is most probably not worth knowing!

Now, as you might have gathered, I feel my drinking credentials are pretty sound. 22 years under my belt and 13 of them in Berlin. If I never drink another beer in my life I can safely say I have had my fair share. Indeed, one of my proudest achievements was simply surviving the legendary all-day sessions at the Sunderland University Beer Festival (1992 & 1993 – I went back for more!) and my souvenir tankard still has pride of place at my Mum’s house. Thanks Mum for not throwing it out…

Where was I? Ah yes, beer. So, what is the best beer in the world according to Jimbo? I think you could do a lot worse than a Radeberger, from a small town near Dresden, which was also Vladimir Putin’s favourite tipple during his KGB days in East Germany in the 1980s. You can find the best place to sample Radeberger on page 66 of Peter’s book.

And if you are looking for a warning? The very worst you can inflict on your guts? Well of course, it features on no page of Peter’s wonderful book because not only does he have extremely high standards but I doubt there is a bar in Berlin that serves up a pint of Stockport’s own Robinson’s Bitter. Perhaps I should not be so snobbish about my hometown brew. Then again, living in Germany gives you certain standards… Maybe I should just follow the advice of my Granddad, handed down through the generations:

“It does not matter what it tastes like as long as there is plenty of it.”
Norman Penders, ca. 1940

Now, would Mr Sutcliffe agree with my granddad? I’m not so sure…

You can buy a copy of Peter Sutcliffe’s book “Around Berlin in 80 Beers” at The Circus Hotel, or direct from the publishers at Books About Beer. If you would like a little taster of what to expect in the book, Peter recently wrote an article for the guardian on the subject.

Berlin International Literature Festival

7. September 2011 in Berlin, Books, Events by Paul

litfestStarting today is the 11th edition of Berlin’s International Literature Festival, that brings writers, editors and illustrators from around the world to a number of different venues around the city. The festival lasts for ten days, so there is plenty of time to catch some of the action, and with such a wide variety of events and speakers there is surely something to catch your interest.

The programme is divided into a number of different sections, and here are some the things that caught our eye when we took a look:

Literatures of the World – All manner of writers from all manner of countries, including the current guest authors of the DAAD Berlin Artist’s programme. Highlights include: A.S. Byatt (UK), Gary Shteyngart (USA), Mario Vargas Llosa (Peru), Irvine Welsh (Scotland).

International Children’s and Youth Literature – featuring the dynamic, Gruffalo-inventing duo of Julia Donaldson (UK) and Axel Scheffler (Germany).

Focus Asia-Pacific – this is the main focus of this year’s festival, and the events include participation from Omair Ahmad (India), Ha Jin (China), Kim Chi-ha (Korea), and DAAD guest author Altaf Tyrewala (India).
Reflections – Authors, journalists and international experts will be offering up their opinions on current political, social and cultural topics from eastern Europe.

Speak, Memory – In this section, German and international authors – both famous and forgotten – will be remembered in a combination of readings and talks. Some of the authors being showcased and discussed include Jose Saramago, Rabindranath Tagore, Peter Weiss, Czeslaw Milosz and Fuad Rifka.

Other events taking place over the next ten days include poetry slams, film screenings, concerts, a presentation of graphic novels and a section discussing literature behind bars. Of course, what we have here is just a tiny selection of what is going on, so if you want to find out more, take a look at the official Berlin International Literature Festival website.

Dialogue – A New English Bookshop in Berlin

1. Juni 2011 in Berlin, Books, Shopping, Stuff We Like by Paul

dialogueshop

A few months ago we held a Slow Travel Day at The Circus Hostel, which included a pop-up bookshop from our friends at Dialogue Books. They run a great online boutique bookshop as well as numerous literary events around the city. And now they have a new home – a bricks and mortar shop down in Kreuzberg.

It is home to an eclectic but carefully curated range of new, English-language titles. Owner/bookseller Sharmaine Lovegrove brings to her new community bookshop a decade-and-a-half worth of experience and knowledge for those that seek to have more than a book rung up at the till. This is also a place for conversation on the wide range of subjects that can be found on the shop’s shelves.

The shop specialises in books in translation and international literary, cult and new fiction. Among the stock, visitors will find a plethora of writers from the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe, together with native English tongues from North America, the UK, the Caribbean and Australasia.

dialogueshelf

With a deep knowledge of non-fiction, Dialogue Books has been described as ‘the place to come in Germany for French philosophy translated into English’. With a wide selection of art theory, politics, history and cookery books. Under the heading of Cultural Studies the bookshop offers a range of titles for those with an interest in themes as diverse as architecture, anthropology, cultural displacement and economy.

The new shop stocks a selection of magazine titles, too, encompassing art, literature, politics, film and music.

With monthly author readings and a Book Club, Dialogue Books provides a unique experience to accompany your reading habit — highlighting new avenues and ideas that will keep you coming back for more.

To get to the Dialogue Bookshop from The Circus, you just need to hop onto the U-Bahn at Rosenthaler Platz and take the U8 south to Schönleinstrasse. Walk around the corner and you’ll find the shop at Schönleinstrasse 31…here’s a link to googlemaps, and happy reading!

A Slow Sunday in Berlin

14. März 2011 in Beer, Berlin, Books, Cafe Exhibitions, Circus Hostel, Circus News, Events, Film, Food, Photography, Shopping, Slow Travel Day, Stuff We Like by Paul

we all like cakeThe morning after…well, it was an absolutely wonderful slow day yesterday, with tours, books, cake, beer, films and talks, and I just wanted to use the opportunity to say a great big thank you from the Circus to everyone that came by, joined in the fun, and of course those who brought their energy and creativity as part of the Slow Travel Day:

Sharmaine and Thomas, the most knowledgable booksellers in town from Dialogue Books Berlin.
Everyone at the team from Context Travel for their information Walk of the Wall.
Our urban sketchers Rolf Schroeter, Olga Prudnikova and Catalina Somolinos.
There were no better cakes and sweet treats in town than those provided by Berlin Reified and FoodieInBerlin.
Stuart Holt for presenting and showing his Most Interesting Person project.
Johannes and Stephan for bringing the BIER.
Florian, who gave the assembled crowd a definate feeling of wanderlust in presenting his film Jakarta-Berlin.

And of course, to our cultural curator, Paul Sullivan from Slow Travel Berlin for all his hard work in organising the event.

You can see some more photos again, after the jump…

Read the rest of this entry »

Slow Travel Day: Dialogue Pop-Up Bookshop

8. März 2011 in Berlin, Books, Circus Hostel, Events, Shopping, Slow Travel Day by Paul

dialogue booksI first discovered Dialogue Books back when they had their small store out the back of the T-Room in Prenzlauer Berg. If the mark of a good bookseller is knowing their customer, then Sharmaine (the founder of Dialogue) certainly impressed. It was over a year ago, and when we met last week to discuss the Slow Travel Day, she not only remembered me, but the book (Charlie and Lola – for my daughter) that I bought.

Nowadays they run their boutique bookshop online, as well as hosting literary events at different venues around the city. We are really excited that Sharmaine agreed to bring their pop-up bookshop to The Circus this Sunday as part of the Slow Travel Day, and I am really interested to discover which Berlin-themed books she has chosen for her specially curated collection.

What I like about Dialogue is the hand-picked nature of the selection. It is clear that every book available to buy through their online store has been carefully selected, and because they are committed to always having a limited selection, the website is as close to the idea of browsing in a bookshop as I have found in the virtual world.

Alongside the books, the Dialogue site has a number of other interesting things to discover, such as the Cultural Connections which are…

“offered for selected titles, creating a link between the book and an idea, a place, a film, a work of art or an object. Our aim is to present the books in a different, and sometimes unexpected light, promoting wider cultural exchange and discussion.”

Also interesting for Berliners is the monthly book club, whereby you can order the chosen book through Dialogue and then get together with others to discuss what you have read. Some of the books included in the book club over the past twelve months are personal favourites of mine, such as Zugzwang by Ronan Bennett, and Alone in Berlin by Hans Fallada. If you are interested in the book club, you can find out more information here, and don’t forget to sign up for the Dialogue newsletter whilst you are over there.

So Berlin’s lovers of books in the English language should certainly pop by the Circus Cafe on Sunday from 1.30pm to stock up on reading matter for once the weather truly is warm enough for long lazy afternoons in Weinbergspark, and if you want to read more about Sharmaine and Dialogue, check out this article on Slow Travel Berlin.

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