MATT DAVIS, AUGUST 2017
You may have noticed Game of Thrones is back. Then again, you may have been living under a rock the past six months but frankly, I reckon you’d still know GoT is back. Now, if I could simply write a blog and detail how to quick-foot it into Westeros through some platform 9 ¾ type portal (sorry to mix references) then I would. Then again, if I knew of one I would probably have far more important quests to undertake than writing this blog for you all.
However, just because we can’t enter George R R Martin’s world of Dothraki and dragons, doesn’t mean you can’t be fully immersed in it, all from the comfort of your London postcode.
Become a Dothraki archer*SPOILER ALERT S7 E4* One of my favourite aspects of all fantasy-based literature/film/TV is how badass the archers inevitably are. From my childhood hero Robin Hood, to my teenage idol Legolas, there’s something supremely cool about watching those arrows notched usually while performing some inconceivably agile and death-defying stunt. You can imagine, then, my euphoria at the sight of hundreds of Dothraki warriors stood up on their horses loosing a quiver of arrows quicker than you can say ‘where’s the dragon, WOAH, there it is’. Well, you can recreate these archery combat scenes yourselves with friends at Discover Archery – a company offering all the fun and excitement of paintballing, but trading guns for bows. Run around specially made courses with adapted bow and arrows, complete with softened, rounded arrow heads. Likened to being ‘hit by a soft ball’, it’s a pain-free way of channelling your favourite Westeros battles, with the reassurances you’ll live to fight another day!
Embrace your inner Bread StarkYou don’t have to be Robert Baratheon to love a snack and, as we all know, everything is improved with Game of Thrones. Ben Hawkey knew this better than anyone, though you may know him better as Hot Pie, and he recently opened a real-world bakery which is as close as you’ll come to trying one of Hot Pie’s famous loaves. Quite perfectly titled ‘You Know Nothing Jon Dough’ bakery, Mr. Hawkey’s creations are made from whole wheat cornbread with orange zest and, just like the one given to Arya Stark, replicate the iconic Direwolf image. The best bit? It is a Deliveroo-exclusive outlet so you can get a taste of the GoT action, while watching your favourite series in your very own living room. These are going for just £1 – so you don’t even need a Lannister loan to try these delicious treats.
Public ScreeningsYou might prefer a bit more distance (approximately between 3 and 8 meters depending on screen placement) between you and Westeros and, if that’s the case, public screenings are the best way to bridge a gap between Netflix recluse and a sociable throner. If you’re up to date with GoT, you can’t binge watch anyway and are confined to the same weekly anticipation as the rest of us. Going to one of London’s many bars showing these weekly episodes is a great excuse to meet with like-minded fans, ensures you’re not exposed to social media spoilers and provides an opportunity to discuss whichever blood curdling cliff hanger that week concludes on. The World’s End in Finsbury is a great atmosphere for just such a viewing – but you needn’t travel the width and breadth of our great city with pubs all across London offering similar screenings.
