Shake, Rattle and Bowl: Retro Bliss

On an evening saunter through the squares and fine terraces of Bloomsbury, in all of their period finery, you might just hear the dull thud of music coming from the basement of the Tavistock Hotel on Bedford Way.

Follow your ears and you'll find one of the best ways to spend an evening in London town. This is Shake, Rattle and Bowl: a celebration of definitive 50s and 60s music – from rock 'n' roll to Motown, pyschedelia and ska, with a smattering of freakbeat for good measure.

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On the first Saturday of each month, the spectacle that is Shake takes place at Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes – a retro-revellers paradise with vintage bowling, a diner serving the sort of fare Brylcreemed, Danny Zuko types would trade in their ever-so-slightly square dream girls for, karaoke booths available for hire and a cinema to satisfy any Big Lebowski fantasies.

Not to mention the dance floor potential. The main room sees an eager crowd appreciating the best tunes that DJs Dollyrocker (of Buttoned Down Disco fame), Barbarella and more have to throw at them, while the Kingpin Lounge downstairs is comparatively less hectic, dark, and a bit chic.

Oh yeah, and the luscious cocktails mixed by the equally tasty bar-staff are not to be missed. Couple of those and you'll be jumpin' like Jack Flash.

For more information and tickets, visit: www.shakerattleandbowl.com

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