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The Actors’ Church presents Theatre in the Garden from May to September 2023
The Actors’ Church will present Theatre in the Garden, a dedicated season filled with Shakespearean comedy, puppetry, comedy and new takes on classic tales. Eight visiting companies will bring a wide variety of innovative theatre to the award winning gardens around the church. St Paul’s Church near to Covent Garden is world renowned as the Actors’ Church.
The Actors’ Church is considered one of the spiritual homes of the theatre industry and for almost 400 years, the church has hosted different types of theatrical productions.
The season begins with The Three Inch Fools who perform one of Shakespeare’s most chaotic comedies, As You Like It (28th – 31st May). The same company appear latter in the season with the legendary folktale Robin Hood (1st-3rd September).
Shakespeare in the Square stages Shakespeare in London’s garden squares every summer. Their Patron is Dame Judi Dench, who is a great friend of St. Pauls. They will perform Shakespeare’s glorious romantic comedy of mistaken identity, Twelfth Night (30th June – 1st July) set in the roaring 1920s.
Tethered Wits will welcome audiences to the ultimate Jazz Age party, for an adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s gem of American literature The Great Gatsby (17th- 24th August) The company will then bring a fun, family-friendly story of Doctor Dolittle (18th- 24th August), using puppetry to fill the courtyard with every kind of creature imaginable.
Troubadour Stageworks will stage a fast paced, high-energy version of Romeo + Juliet (5th- 8th July) suitable for all the family. The company will also bring us a new adaption of The Odyssey (4th – 6th August) which is full of music and adventure.
RBL Theatre Company. Ian Legge Photography
Originally created in 2015 to critical acclaim, Henry I from Rabble Theatre returns at a time when its themes resonate more acutely than ever. Henry I is written by the company’s resident writer Beth Flintoff. Rabble Theatre are known for their award-winning historical seasons and championing the forgotten women of history.
Slapstick Picnic perform Peter Pan (13th – 15th July), join Slapstick Picnic for a theatrical treat like no other as they whip up a three hander version of JM Barrie’s classic play Peter Pan.
The award-winning Illyria Theatre company return with Jane Austen’s scandalous romcom Pride and Prejudice (1st – 2nd August). It flips the traditionally stuffy costume drama on its head for a whirlwind of parties, romance, and gossip.
The HandleBards – photo Danford Showan
To conclude the season the HandleBards, the company of cycling Shakespearean actors, will delight audiences with their hilarious, high-octane production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (7th-8th September). The company carry all their set, props and costumes on the back of theirbikes, performing extremely energetic, charmingly chaotic and environmentally sustainable Shakespeare plays across the UK.
Summer Season: May – September 2023
St Paul’s Church, Bedford Street, London, WC2E 9ED
As You Like It
Dates Sunday 28th – Wednesday 31st May
Three Inch Fools
Twelfth Night
Dates Friday 30th June – Saturday 1st July
Shakespeare in the Square
Romeo + Juliet
Dates Wednesday 5th – Saturday 8th July
Troubadour Stageworks
Peter Pan
Dates Thursday 13th – Saturday 15th July
Company Slapstick Picnic
Henry I
Dates Thursday 20th July – Saturday 22nd July
Rabble Theatre
Title Pride and Prejudice
Dates Tuesday 1st – Wednesday 2nd August
Illyria Theatre
Title The Odyssey
Dates Tuesday 1st – Wednesday 2nd August
Troubadour Stageworks
The Great Gatsby
Dates Thursday 17th – Thursday 24th August
Tethered Wits
Doctor Dolittle
Dates Friday 18th – Thursday 24th August
Tethered Wits
Robin Hood
Dates Friday 1st – Sunday 3rd September
Three Inch Fools
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Dates Thursday 7th – Friday 8th September
The Handlebards
For more information and tickets, visit the Actor’s Church website here
London Visitors is the official blog for the Visiting London Guide .com website. The website was developed to bring practical advice and latest up to date news and reviews of events in London.
Since our launch in January 2014, we have attracted thousands of readers each month, the site is constantly updated.
We have sections on Museums and Art Galleries, Transport, Food and Drink, Places to Stay, Security, Music, Sport, Books and many more.
There are also hundreds of links to interesting articles on our blog.
To find out more visit the website here
Dark Veil: Holocaust Memorial Concert by The Minguet Quartet at No 20 Arts – 22 January 2023
In memory of the Holocaust, No 20 Arts will be hosting a memorial concert performed by The Minguet Quartet on 22 January 2023. It will conclude with a recital at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin on 27 January 2023. The performance will feature Umbrae, the world premiere of a new string quartet by Roberto David Rusconi.
© The Minguet Quartet
The Minguet Quartet, founded in 1988, is one of the most internationally sought-after string quartets today and gives guest performances in all major concert halls of the world. In 2010, the Minguet Quartet was awarded the coveted ECHO Klassik followed by the Diapason d’Or in 2015 and the scholarship RELOAD by the Kulturstiftung des Bundes, Germany in 2020.
© Roberto David Rusconi
Roberto David Rusconi is a London-based composer of contemporary classical music and sound architect for fully immersive sound for dance, film, art installations, symphony orchestras, chamber ensembles, and singers. His portfolio includes works for symphony orchestra, opera, chamber ensembles, choir, soloists, as well as electro-acoustic installations and dance performances. His music has been performed throughout the UK, including London, Leeds, Manchester, Cardiff, and in Italy, Austria, Spain, China, and others.
About No 20 Arts
Opened in January 2017, No 20 Arts is a centre for contemporary arts. A multi-functional space, the gallery hosts a programme of exhibitions, performances and events that support emerging and established artists working across all media.
Location
No 20 Arts 20 Cross Street London N1 2B
For more information, visit the No 20 Arts website here
London Visitors is the official blog for the Visiting London Guide .com website. The website was developed to bring practical advice and latest up to date news and reviews of events in London.
Since our launch in 2014, we attract thousands of readers each month, the site is constantly updated.
We have sections on Museums and Art Galleries, Transport, Food and Drink, Places to Stay, Security, Music, Sport, Books and many more.
There are also hundreds of links to interesting articles on our blog.
To find out more visit the website here
PAD London in Berkeley Square from 10 to 16 October 2022
This October, after two years of online-only activity, PAD London returns to the British capital for a week-long showcase of exceptional design. Celebrating craftmanship and innovation, the fair’s 14th edition will delight art and design lovers with a world-class selection of works spanning Contemporary and 20thC Design.
This highly anticipated edition will premiere works by emerging and iconic talents,while also shedding light on rare, age-old techniques, new sustainable crafts and innovative materials that inform design today.
Founded in 2007 by Parisian antique dealer Patrick Perrin, PAD London is the only fair in the UK exclusively dedicated to 20th Century and contemporary Design. The week-long event takes place every October during Frieze, in a large marquee pitched on Berkeley square, in the heart of London’s Mayfair district. PAD London is the sister fair to PAD Paris which was launched in 1998 and takes place every April in the Jardin des Tuileries.
PAD fairs showcase the best in modern and contemporary design and decorative arts from the world’s leading galleries. With their distinct approach to collecting, PAD fairs epitomize how artistic genres across time and periods interact to reveal astonishing combinations and create the most individual and striking interiors.
PAD fairs promote eclecticism, authenticity and connoisseurship which appeal to collectors, art consultants, museum experts, interior specialists, design practitioners and the public.
For more information or to book tickets, visit the PAD website here
London Visitors is the official blog for the Visiting London Guide .com website. The website was developed to bring practical advice and latest up to date news and reviews of events in London.
Since our launch in January 2014, we have attracted thousands of readers each month, the site is constantly updated.
We have sections on Museums and Art Galleries, Transport, Food and Drink, Places to Stay, Security, Music, Sport, Books and many more.
There are also hundreds of links to interesting articles on our blog.
To find out more visit the website here
Medi-Culture Festival at London Bridge – 20 to 26 October 2022
The Medi-Culture Festival is a free six-day festival at London Bridge which celebrates one of the most important medical areas of the capital that has been a home of pioneering medical development for nearly 1,000 years. Medi-Culture will bring live events, talks, walks, workshops, stories and stand-up to a string of venues from London Bridge to Westminster. World-leading medical and scientific sites such as Guy’s & St Thomas’ Hospitals and King’s College London will join with cultural partners such as the Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret, Florence Nightingale Museum, Gordon Museum and Science Gallery to take their stories, ideas, thoughts and innovations directly to audiences.
Medi-Culture will cover a wide range of subjects from live Victorian surgery at the world’s oldest surviving operating theatre to medical stand-up and stories, delivered by comedians and health-care scientists; from talks on menopause, gene therapy, alcohol and convalescence, to anatomical drawing classes; from a Thames-side walk through medical history and modern health, to a beer-centric, yet medicinal, crawl of the area.
Medi-Culture tells the story of London Bridge’s contribution to world-class medicine, connecting institutions to a local audience of residents, workers and visitors.
Medi-Culture 2022 Highlights:
Thursday 20 October
For the Care of the Sick: A Brief History of St Thomas’ Hospital
Join Monica A. Walker, Ph.D. in Art History, for this fascinating journey into how old St Thomas’Hospital firmly established London Bridge as a centre of a medical culture that continues to develop today.
Time: 12.00 – 13.00 via Zoom.
Menopause – What would Florence do? Practicalities of Menopause
Wellness and fitness coach Karen Webb Green explores the experience of menopause throughout history and in the present. Find out how a new form of exercise, Trigger Point Pilates, is helping thousands of women reduce stress, release trauma, and balance hormones—all of which are key to reducing many of the symptoms of menopause.
Time: 13.15 – 14.00 via Zoom.
Friday 21 October
Stitch and Stem
Join scientists from the Centre for Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine (CGTRM) at King’s College London to learn all about stem cells, while embroidering them!
Time: 13.00 – 14.00. Venue: London Bridge Hive, 8 Holyrood Street London SE1 2EL.
Surgery and the Victorian Operating Theatre
Join us at the Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret for a trip back to the Victorian era and the surgical procedures that took place high above London Bridge in the attic of the 18th century St Thomas’ Church. You will witness the most common surgical procedures that took place in this original space nearly 200 years ago, learning about the horrors of surgery before anaesthesia and antiseptics helped pave the way for our modern medical procedures. Shown live from the oldest surviving surgical theatre in Europe, a remarkable survivor of the old St Thomas’ Hospital.
Time: 17.30 – 18.30.
Venue: Old Operating Theatre and Herb Garret, 9a St Thomas Street London SE1 9RY.
Science Showoff with Dr. Steve Cross
Join us for a night of medically-themed stand-up comedy, stories, and silliness from some of London’s funniest people. Our MC, Dr Steve Cross has carefully collected an incredible line-up of comedians, historians, and medics to entertain you in the historic surroundings of Guy’s Medical School Chapel.
Line-up includes writer, comedian, podcaster and history presenter Iszi Lawrence; Kate Devlin, Reader in Artificial Intelligence & Society at King’s College London; award-winning comedian, writer, and researcher, Cerys Bradley; NHS healthcare scientist Kip Heath; and game maker and writer Ed Jefferson.
Time: 19.00 – 21.00.
Venue: The Guy’s Chapel, King’s College London (entrance via St Thomas Street) London SE1 1UL.
Saturday 22 October
Medieval to Modern Medicine – Health and Wellbeing Walk Along the Thames
Take a walk through medical history and modern wellbeing along the banks of the Thames, as we explore the area’s medicinal connections, from the Florence Nightingale Museum to the Old Operating Theatre. With guide Julie Chandler, you will discover a monastic herb garden, 1950s exercise regimes, Victorian workplace risks, the founding of a children’s hospital, and the health benefits of boxing, chocolate, and beer!
Times: 11.00 – 13.00.
Venue: Meet at the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue, gardens of St Thomas’ Hospital, London SE1.
How to be Funny – with Dr. Steve Cross
A guide to making things fascinating through stories and comedy. Join coach and comedian Dr Steve Cross for a chance to find out how to bring your work, interests, and ideas to life for other people. He’ll steal tricks from the world’s best storytellers and joke-makers, and work together on how to perform them.
Time: 14.00 – 17.00.
Venue: London Bridge Hive, 8 Holyrood Street, London SE1 2EL.
Sunday 23 October
Hops, Herbs & Hospitals
Join Blue Badge Guide, Dafydd Wyn Phillips, on this beer-centric tour of London Bridge. Learn about some of the most famous local watering holes and the significance of the hop trade to the borough, as well as the medicinal value of hops and herbs utilised by the historical hospitals.
Time: 11.00 – 13.00. Venue: Meet at Southwark Needle London Bridge, south side, London SE1.
Monday 24 October
‘It’ll never happen to me’ – Alcohol Change
From the organisers of ‘Sober January’, London-based charity Alcohol Change UK presents an interactive talk for those who want to learn more about alcohol and re-evaluate their relationship with it. This will be a non-judgemental exploration of our relationship with alcohol and the reality of the progression of alcohol dependence.
Time: 13.00 – 13.45 via Zoom.
Tuesday 25 October
What would Florence do? Practicalities of Menopause
In this session, wellness and fitness coach Karen Webb Green explores the experience of menopause throughout history and in the present. Find out how a new form of exercise, Trigger Point Pilates, is helping thousands of women reduce stress, release trauma, and balance hormones—all of which are key to reducing many of the symptoms of menopause.
Time: 12.15 – 13.00. Venue: London Bridge Hive, 8 Holyrood Street, London SE1 2EL.
Anatomical Art
Join anatomical modeller and sculptor Eleanor Crook and curator William Edwards as they guide you around the Gordon Museum and Museum of Life Sciences, followed by a drawing class looking closely at exquisite and accurate wonders of medical history. Hosted by Performing Medicine, a Clod Ensemble initiative that provides creative training programmes for healthcare professionals and students.
Time: 14.00 – 17.00.
Venue: Gordon Museum of Life Sciences, Hodgkin Building, Guy’s Campus, London SE1 1UL.
Wednesday 26 October
Recovery – The Lost Art of Convalescence with Dr Gavin Francis
Dr Gavin Francis, author of the Sunday Times bestseller Recovery – The Lost Art of Convalescence, an uplifting account of hope and healing, speaks about the book and explores the role that compassion plays in recovering from illness.
Introduced by Dave Green, Director of Florence Nightingale Museum. Time: 17.30 – 18.30 via Zoom.
For more information or to book tickets, visit the Event website here
London Visitors is the official blog for the Visiting London Guide .com website. The website was developed to bring practical advice and latest up to date news and reviews of events in London.
Since our launch in January 2014, we have attracted thousands of readers each month, the site is constantly updated.
We have sections on Museums and Art Galleries, Transport, Food and Drink, Places to Stay, Security, Music, Sport, Books and many more.
There are also hundreds of links to interesting articles on our blog.
To find out more visit the website here
IAAPA Expo Europe at London’s ExCeL Exhibition Centre from September 12th -15th 2022
IAAPA Expo Europe returns to London for the first time in over ten years, the Expo is a one-stop shop for the latest tech, innovation and trends driving the leisure industry.
As UK tourism and attractions ride the wave of recovery after the challenges of the pandemic. IAAPA Expo Europe explores some of the themes like innovation, technology, and sustainability across the recovering ‘experience’ market, attracting industry leaders from the biggest theme parks to hotels, local attractions, and zoos.
Over 500 exhibitors take over the enormous trade show floor, the event includes not only the trade show, but also a four-day education conference with leading industry professionals giving unique insights into the industry.
The exhibitors showcasing their latest products and services, including state-of-the-art rides, virtual reality, motion simulators, design and theming,
food and beverage, health and safety, point of sale, playground equipment, arcades and coin machines, pools, water equipment and much more.
Whilst the Expo is for trade only, the rides and products will be enjoyed by people in amusement and theme parks, zoos and aquariums,
family entertainment centres, historic and cultural tourist attractions, museums and science centres to shopping malls, hotels, and retailers all around the world.
For more information, visit the IAAPA Expo Europe website here
London Visitors is the official blog for the Visiting London Guide .com website. The website was developed to bring practical advice and latest up to date news and reviews of events in London.
Since our launch in 2014, we attract thousands of readers each month, the site is constantly updated.
We have sections on Museums and Art Galleries, Transport, Food and Drink, Places to Stay, Security, Music, Sport, Books and many more.
There are also hundreds of links to interesting articles on our blog.
To find out more visit the website here
Great Exhibition Road Festival 2022 – 18 to 19 June 2022
On the weekend of 18-19 June, Exhibition Road, the world-famous home of some of the UK’s greatest museums and centres of innovation, will become a vibrant festival, celebrating the ideas, people and communities that are changing our world. The Great Exhibition Road Festival will be full of inspirational events for all ages and opportunities to hear from and take part in activities with some of the world’s great, innovative minds.
Trailblazers are at the heart of the festival, from the Victorian innovators of the Great Exhibition in 1851, to the people changing their communities today and those shaping our future with their research. Visitors of all ages will be welcome to discover the power of ideas, celebrate curiosity, and reimagine a new world.
Some Highlights
The Hands-On Families Zone is packed with games, stories, crafts, quizzes, demos and experiments. Alongside scientists, artists and engineers, you can build rockets, extract DNA,transform transport, discover how animals adapt to climate change, how morse code can help badgers or how bacteria can turn plastic waste into new materials.
The Curiosity Zone with games, experiments, arts and crafts activities revealing the lights that diagnose diseases, 3D printed bones, paper marbling, fluid dynamics and DNA origami.
The Smart Machines zone invites you to meet the latest Artificial Intelligence systems, digital decision makers, aerial robots and flying drones.
Medical Marvels showcases new medical research, inviting you to take a live, musical journey through the brain, discover how gene therapy is fighting diseases, visit the chemist of the future and see how disease modelling is fighting outbreaks across the world.
The Adult Zone, where you can sharpen your fashion upcycling skills, take in a cloud demo or grab a drink from the bar and relax in the garden – an oasis for adults in the middle of a busy festival.
At the Neurodiversity Zone, you can learn about the incredible creativity of neurodiverse artists and innovators, draw your own dyslexia, develop your own comic or science hero, make tinted glasses out of recycled materials, redesign the egg, or try knit bombing. Relax in a low sensory environment designed for tranquillity or enjoy art and poetry by neurodiverse creators.
The Future Design Zone reveals the innovations happening across Imperial College London. Visitors will design chairs with design engineers, hear 3D sounds in the audio lab and try out a full-size mock-up of an autonomous vehicle, leaving with a virtual experience of future city centre journeys.
The Climate Friendly Pop-Up Kitchen will serve delicious, healthy, affordable and sustainable food samples made from plant-based and largely local, seasonal ingredients prepared by professional chefs. Get a taste of sustainability, pick up recipe cards and get some top tips for reducing the carbon footprint of your meals.
The Amazing Molecular Science Show will give families the chance to explore the incredible world of molecules in a live interactive family-friendly show
Augmented Reality and the future of gaming, looking at the creation of new otherworldly sports to be played in real world arenas and playing fields.
The search for ancient life on Mars – Red planet scientists report on the latest findings fromNASA’s Perseverance Rover and its ground-breaking search for evidence of possible Martian life
Suppressed music – opera singer Peter Brathwaite discusses bringing to the stage music banned by fascists and voices oppressed by the slave trade.
The music label run from prison – join InHouse Records, the UK’s first record label to be launched in prison, to hear about breaking the reoffending cycle through music.
The future of surgery. Join Lord Ara Darzi, Professor of Surgery and co-director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation, and members of the Hamlyn Centre for Robotic Surgery at Imperial College London, for an exploration on how the field of surgery has evolved and how engineers and doctors are developing the next generation of surgical technologies, including imaging techniques, sensor technology, surgical robots and augmented reality.
Why we infected healthy people with COVID-19. During the height of the pandemic, researchers from Imperial infected 36 healthy people with COVID-19. Find out why, how they made it safe, and what they learnt.
Journey through the cosmos with storyteller Helen Tozer and cosmologist Claudia de Rham to discover how scientists use rainbows and gravitational waves to see and hear the universe.
‘Kaleidoscopic Minds’, an immense installation by creative pioneer, local artist Azarra Amoy, originally co-curated with Kensington + Chelsea Art Week, will illustrate the contributions of South Kensington’s community of neurodiverse colleagues to innovation and celebrate Exhibition Road as one of the world’s most exciting places to live, work, study and visit.
Festival Information
The Great Exhibition Road Festival 2022 – Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London SW7 2AZ
18 to 19 June 2022
Admission prices: Everything is free but some events need to be booked.
For more information and tickets, visit the Event website here
London Visitors is the official blog for the Visiting London Guide .com website. The website was developed to bring practical advice and latest up to date news and reviews of events in London.
Since our launch in January 2014, we have attracted thousands of readers each month, the site is constantly updated.
We have sections on Museums and Art Galleries, Transport, Food and Drink, Places to Stay, Security, Music, Sport, Books and many more.
There are also hundreds of links to interesting articles on our blog.
To find out more visit the website here
Christmas at Bankside
This Christmas at Bankside, one of London’s oldest and interesting neighbourhoods is hosting a series of festive events, performances, food, drink, art and entertainment throughout the season. The world famous and historic – Borough Market, Southwark Cathedral and Shakespeare’s Globe – and newer arrivals like Flat Iron Square, One Night Records and St Felix Place, underline the area’s centuries-old reputation as the place where Londoners go to relax and have fun.
Among the highlights of Christmas 2021
The Ghosts of Bankside Past: festive walking tour
From Dickens to pantomime dames, many things synonymous with Christmas have their roots in Bankside. Join Mr Londoner, aka blue badge tour guide Antony Robbins, and delve into this remarkable neighbourhood’s fascinating and festive past.
Date: Saturday 11 December, 11.30am-1pm. FREE but booking required here. Meet at Rabot London on Bedale Street for a free decadent hot chocolate to keep you warm on your walk.
Borough Market’s Festive Kitchen
On 7, 8 and 9 December, visitors are welcomed to the illuminated historic arches of Borough Market to experience a new, free, three-day pop-up – Borough Market’s Festive Kitchen – with cooking demos by a host of guest chefs. The popular annual ‘An Evening of Cheese’ returns to the Market on 15 December (6-8pm) and the Borough Market Kitchen will open until 9pm every Thursday.
Southwark Cathedral – Angels, Advent and Carols
The Merbecke Choir Advent Concert
Step into the candlelit Cathedral and join the Cathedral Merbecke Choir for an exploration of angels and Christmas. Some of the greatest music has been written in celebration of these mysterious, powerful, wonderful creatures. By bringing angelic works to life, the Cathedral hopes to conjure up some of the light and beauty of the choirs of angels. Date: Saturday 4 December at 7.30pm.
Tickets: From free to £15.00 via https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/angels-the-merbecke-choir-advent-concert-tickets-205341049607
Christmas Concert: A Ceremony of Carols with the Southwark Cathedral Choir
Southwark Cathedral invites you to one of the highlights of the festive season, an evening of traditional Christmas carols performed by the Boys and Gentlemen of the Cathedral choir, as well as Benjamin Britten’s masterpiece, A Ceremony of Carols. Date: Friday 17 December at 7.30pm.
Tickets: £12.50-£15.00 via https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/southwark-cathedral-choir-christmas-concert-a-ceremony-of-carols-tickets-205269064297
Shakespeare’s Globe – The Fir Tree
The Globe Theatre returns to its roots for a magical re-imagining and re-wilding of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale, The Fir Tree, the story of Christmas told from the perspective of the tree. Bring friends, family, partners, neighbours and, with a cup of hot chocolate or mulled wine in hand, gather under the wintry star-lit sky for a fireside dose of story, song, candlelight and hope.
Dates: 20 – 30 December.
Tickets: Seated: £49 – £15; half price seated tickets are available for Under 16s. Standing: £5.
Via:https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/whats-on/the-fir-tree-2021/#book
Festive Afternoon Tea at The Swan
Seasonal British produce is at the heart of Swan Restaurant’s menu, with local ingredients and stunning views across the Thames to St. Paul’s Cathedral. The Swan’s Festive Afternoon Tea is a celebration of the Christmas season, featuring Mont Blanc shots, snowman chouxs and lemon gingerbread swans adorned with gold crowns. Dates: Until 30 December 2021. More info at https://swanlondon.co.uk
Omeara – Rock the Belles Christmas
A night of Christmas hip-hop, dancehall, R&B and Afrobeat at vital grassroots live music venue Omeara at Flat Iron Square. Date: 18 December from 10.30pm until late.
Tickets: £10 from https://www.omearalondon.com/events/rock-the-belles-christmas
One Night Records: The Christmas Edit
Part gig, part festival, part immersive adventure, One Night Records invites you under the arches of the Low Line railway viaduct and into six mystical worlds of live music, with settings perfectly matching the tunes you hear. Expect the languid luxury of a smoky jazz club under one arch, and rock ‘n’ roll guitar under another. Alongside the theatrical staging and the soulful singing, there will be themed food and drink, fuelling you to sing and dance the night away. Dates: Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 7pm. Tickets: £35 from https://www.onenightrecords.com
Bankside Gallery – Mini Picture Show 2021
A new exhibition of contemporary watercolours and original prints by artists from the Royal Watercolour Society and the Royal Society of Painter Printmakers. These are affordable works on a small scale that will be perfect for all last-minute Christmas shopping needs!
Dates: 3 December 2021 – 30 January 2022. More at https://www.banksidegallery.com
Flat Iron Square – The Winter Garden
Flat Iron Square swings open its gates and welcomes you to the Winter Garden. The on-site bar, ‘Apres’, will become the ‘Cîroc Chalet’, modelled on the traditional Scandi ski-lodge, complete with warming winter cocktails. On Saturday nights, the chalet welcomes live DJs from 8pm (and a ‘best dressed’ competition). Outside the Chalet, the Winter Garden features an assortment of bars serving an all-new winter drinks menu among pine trees and fairy lights. Dates: Until 23 December. For the latest, visit www.flatironsquare.co.uk
St Felix Place
A little further along Southwark Street is Flat Iron’s sister spot, where things are a bit more chilled, but no less festive. There will be a weekly themed quiz on Tuesdays, candle making workshops on Wednesdays, private booths for hire, DJ John Kennedy’s Saturday Sessions and a host of surprises. Slip into the on-site tap room to sample the quality beers being made before your very eyes.
Dates: Until 23 December. More at www.stfelixplace.co.uk
Opening on Monday 13 December – Everyman Cinema – Borough Yards
Part of Bankside’s highly anticipated Borough Yards development, set within a stretch of the Victorian brick railway arches and warehouses of the Low Line, Everyman Borough Yards will house two cinema screens, amid plush surroundings designed for maximum comfort. Bankside’s newest Christmas arrival will open with a full schedule of the latest films, including Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, complemented by an extensive food and drink menu, full bar, and freshly baked sweet treats, to offer an indulgent cinematic experience. Booking and more information at
www.everymancinema.com/borough-yards
Bankside is one of London’s most distinct cultural districts stretching across the River Thames from London Bridge to Blackfriars with the famous Borough Market, Tate Modern and Shakespeare’s Globe at its heart. For centuries Bankside has been on the other side of London’s mainstream. Once sitting outside the walls of the city, as ‘Banksyde’ in the 16th century, it was a natural landing place for outsiders and free thinkers. It became notorious as London’s rowdy pleasure quarter full of theatres, brothels and gambling dens.
London Visitors is the official blog for the Visiting London Guide .com website. The website was developed to bring practical advice and latest up to date news and reviews of events in London.
Since our launch in 2014, we attract thousands of readers each month, the site is constantly updated.
We have sections on Museums and Art Galleries, Transport, Food and Drink, Places to Stay, Security, Music, Sport, Books and many more.
There are also hundreds of links to interesting articles on our blog.
To find out more visit the website here
Christmas Market in Trafalgar Square from 12 November 2021 to 4 January 2022
The nights are getting colder, the Christmas songs are beginning to annoy in shops and the smell of Bratwurst and mulled wine is in the air. These are the unmistakable signs that Christmas is around the corner and London will be looking forward to some Xmas cheer after the difficult last couple of years.
The Christmas market is quite a late addition to the festivities in Trafalgar Square which has long been the centre of Christmas celebrations.
The Christmas Market in Trafalgar Square is based on the German Christmas markets that have gained popularity in the UK over the last 20 years. The history of Christmas markets in Europe and especially Germany go back to medieval times but the UK and London have had their everyday markets for centuries.
From the 1980s, thousands of people from the UK would visit the German Christmas markets in Germany until enterprising stall holders and event organisers transferred the idea into the UK.
The markets offers food, drink and seasonal gifts from attractive from open-air stalls,
German sausages sizzle in big pans, Gingerbread and German cakes are popular
and you can drink gluehwein or lager in freezing conditions.
Another attraction is that these markets in London are often situated in picturesque locations like Trafalgar Square with a backdrop of the National Gallery.
Trafalgar Square is known for ‘The Trafalgar Square Christmas tree’ which is usually a Norwegian spruce over 20 metres high and 50 to 60 years old. It is selected from the forests surrounding Oslo years, in advance. The tree is felled in November during a ceremony in which the Lord Mayor of Westminster, the British ambassador to Norway and the Mayor of Oslo participate. It is brought to the UK by sea, then completes its journey by lorry. It is decorated in traditional Norwegian fashion.
The lighting ceremony of the tree, takes place in Trafalgar Square at the beginning of December each year. The 25-metre high tree is a gift from the people of Norway to London, in thanks for Britain’s support in World War II. This historic tradition has happened every year since 1947 and signals the countdown to Christmas in London.
The is also a Blessing of the crib ceremony and carol singing in Trafalgar Square in December.
London Visitors is the official blog for the Visiting London Guide .com website. The website was developed to bring practical advice and latest up to date news and reviews of events in London.
Since our launch in 2014, we attract thousands of readers each month, the site is constantly updated.
We have sections on Museums and Art Galleries, Transport, Food and Drink, Places to Stay, Security, Music, Sport, Books and many more.
There are also hundreds of links to interesting articles on our blog.
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Review: Lord Mayor’s Show 2021 in the City of London – 13th November 2021
The Lord Mayor’s Show is one of the oldest and most important traditions of London, its origins go back to 1215 when King John was in trouble with his Barons, he looked to the City of London for support. In 1215 the King was persuaded to issue a Royal Charter that allowed the City of London to elect its own Mayor, but there was an important condition. Every year the newly elected Mayor must leave the safety of the City, travel upriver to the small town of Westminster and swear loyalty to the Crown. The Lord Mayor has now made the journey for 800 years, despite plagues and fires and countless wars, and more recently Covid to pledged his (and her) loyalty to 34 kings and queens of England.
For the next few hundred years, the Lord Mayor of London was by far the grandest position to which a commoner could aspire, and the Mayor’s journey was the celebrity spectacle of its day. Over the centuries it grew so splendid and so popular that by the 16th century it was known everywhere as the Lord Mayor’s Show. It features in the plays of Shakespeare, the diaries of Pepys and in the pantomime story of Dick Whittington, who was the Mayor of London three times. In the 20th century the Lord Mayor’s Show was the first outside event ever to be broadcast live and it still attracts a TV audience of millions.
The modern Lord Mayor’s procession is a direct descendant of that first journey to Westminster. The state coach is 250 years old and the show features the City’s businesses, Livery Companies, charities, Her Majesty’s Forces, the City Police and Londoners from all walks of life who come together to enjoy a celebration of the City’s ancient power and prosperity.
This is a procession unlike any other in the world: The 2021 Lord Mayor’s Procession included full-size model elephants, Japanese drummers, a horse-drawn bus, the tallest fire engine in Europe and the Lord Mayor’s State Coach, the oldest ceremonial vehicle in the world still in regular use.
The procession sets off from Mansion House at 11am and was led off by The Band of The Grenadier Guards and the Band of The Coldstream Guards which are two of the oldest military bands.
Some of the highlights of the procession include: China Chamber of Commerce in the UK
Representatives of the modern Livery Companies.
The Bank of England’s float.
Next came, Gog and Magog, the traditional guardians of the City of London. They first walked at the head of the Lord Mayor’s procession around five hundred years ago.
The many bands provide the music.
The procession marks the first public engagement for the new Lord Mayor of the City of London, Vincent Keaveny. Mr Keaveny, the 693rd Lord Mayor, travelled to the Royal Courts to swear allegiance to the Crown before taking up his role.
The new Lord Mayor is followed by the Company of Pikemen & Musketeers which is a ceremonial unit of the Honourable Artillery Company who provide a ceremonial bodyguard for the Lord Mayor of the City.
The procession lasted for around an hour long and reached the Royal Courts at around 12.30. The return leg left Temple Place at 1.10pm and the tail of the procession arrived back at Mansion House at 2.30.
This eclectic procession is one of the great free shows of the London year, although part of a long tradition, the emphasis is always about fun and spectacle. With marching bands, military personnel, horses, carriages, colourful floats and much more. The Lord Mayor’s Show is one parade that you are never sure what you are going to see next. The dry weather bought out crowds who after enforced lockdowns returned to enjoy the procession.
Visiting London Guide Rating – Highly Recommended
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RRS Sir David Attenborough polar research ship in Greenwich
Just before the beginning start of the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow. The RRS Sir David Attenborough polar research ship has arrived and will be spending a few days in Greenwich in London.
The 129m-long ship has spent the past year in trials around the British coast preparing for its first ocean voyage to Antarctica in November. The vessel will deliver supplies to the UK’s main scientific base, at Rothera, and other stations around the Southern Ocean.
The Attenborough built by Cammell Laird is a Polar Class 4 icebreaker and cost £200m to build. It has a helipad, cranes and equipment to deploy minisubs and other ocean-survey and sampling machinery. The ship is considered one of the most advanced polar research vessels in the world.
The ship is the first British polar research ship to feature a moon pool – a vertical shaft running through the vessel, open to both the air and sea. Using the moon pool, scientific equipment can be deployed and recovered through the centre of the hull. This is easier and safer than deploying equipment over the side in the polar oceans’ rough seas. The ship also has a number of built-in laboratories.
The new polar ship will operate year-round. She will spend the northern summer supporting Arctic research cruises and the austral summer in Antarctica carrying out research programmes and bringing people and supplies to research stations.
London Visitors is the official blog for the Visiting London Guide .com website. The website was developed to bring practical advice and latest up to date news and reviews of events in London.
Since our launch in 2014, we attract thousands of readers each month, the site is constantly updated.
We have sections on Museums and Art Galleries, Transport, Food and Drink, Places to Stay, Security, Music, Sport, Books and many more.
There are also hundreds of links to interesting articles on our blog.
To find out more visit the website here
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