If I had a rupee for every time someone said ‘ohhhh its an Indian Summer this year’ then I would still be a very poor person indeed. But I would be very many rupees better off. Is it patronising to correct a person’s wrong use of phrase? In fairness as a metaphor mixer and saying corrupter, I’m not exactly guiltless of disrupting the English language, but hey you have to make a stand somewhere right?

So anyway the fact that it isn’t actually an Indian Summer, just an unusually warm, yet TIMELY English summer isn’t the point, this is just a very roundabout way to the point.

Which is this: I was at the Southbank for lunch the other day, it was a beautiful BRITISH summer day, the sun was hot, hot, the natives and tourists were happy, happy, and by the river was a Greek beach. Yes you read that right. A fabulously timely, relevant and beautifully delivered brand experience. The Greek beach (almost) at Gabriel’s Wharf is a collaboration between Greek brands including (but not limited to) Mythos beer and Olympia Airlines.

Part of the ever growing ‘pop up’ culture it was only there for two weeks at the end of June so if you missed it, try and picture it here…

Complete with deep sand, sun loungers, bar and bar tables, the private beach offered passers by an oasis from the busy streets of London overlooking a stretch of water no way as calm and blue as the med but definitely more befitting of the setting (that’ll be the Thames).

As far as brand experiences go it gave a good enough feeling of Greece to make you want to go, without giving you too much and making you think you had it all here in the UK. An Indian summer may be a late one but it looks like a Greek summer in London is an oh too short one. Bring back the beach in 2011….