Last updated on March 29th, 2022Merci Amélie the Musical for bringing some much-needed sunshine to a bleak and midwintery London. The petite French girl that we fell in love with in the 2001 film is treading the boards at The Other Palace in a production that’s a billet doux to Paris and is as enchanting as…
A Guide to London Art Week 2019
Last updated on December 2nd, 2019London Art Week, a six-day festival where art adrenaline courses through the veins of St James’s and Mayfair, kicks off on Sunday, December 1. Galleries and auction houses across both areas throw open their arty doors to the public with 32 exhibitions dedicated to pre-contemporary art. There’s also a range…
Christmas in London 2019 – Festive events in London’s museums and historic places
Last updated on August 17th, 2020For a dash of Christmas past and present and a sprinkling of holiday fun, there’s a sleighful of merry on the calendar this Christmas in London 2019. Leave Scrooge at home, wrap up warm and add some mulled spice to your culture fix with some Christmas events in London museums…
The Moon and beyond – National Maritime Museum
Last updated on August 17th, 2020Old blue eyes Frank Sinatra and Tintin wanted to go there, whilst Constable, Turner and Kubrick were all infatuated with it. The moon has always held us in spellbinding fascination, as far back as the Ancient Mesopotamians. And over at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, you can go to…
Sticky Mango – Restaurant Review
Last updated on October 22nd, 2020I have a real loathing of places which refer to themselves as London’s “best-kept secret,” but Sticky Mango actually deserves the accolade. It’s not wedged into Southbank’s busy arteries which overflow with humdrum chain restaurants. Instead, this Waterloo outpost is quietly but conveniently located on Coin Street, close to the…
Charles Dickens Museum – Christmas and Beautiful Books
Last updated on August 17th, 2020As one of London’s top destinations for booklovers, it makes sense to see beautiful books headlining a new exhibition at the Charles Dickens Museum this November. As the house dresses itself for Christmas, it’s also preparing for the festive display Beautiful Books: Dickens and the Business of Christmas, where you…
Oxford Lieder Festival – Magic, Myths and Mortals
Last updated on March 12th, 2021It’s that melodic time of year again, when Oxford goes into full musical throttle in celebration of classical music and poetry. For two weeks, the city falls under the spell of the Oxford Lieder Festival, which this year transports us to Tales of Beyond – Magic, Myths and Mortals in…
The Lost Dress of Elizabeth I – Hampton Court Palace
Last updated on August 17th, 2020There are some royal portraits that just take your breath away. The ‘Armada Portrait’ of Elizabeth I at the Queen’s House in Greenwich is one of them. Thomas Sully’s ‘Queen Victoria’ at the Wallace Collection is another, and let’s not forget ‘Queen Elizabeth II, Lightness of Being’ by Chris Levine….
12 things to do in Kew Gardens when it rains
Last updated on August 16th, 2020My love affair with Kew Gardens began in the rain. It was one of those typical British summertime days, one which promised soggy jeans and the inevitable squelching through mud. A picnic was off the menu and so was lazing around in the summery aroma of freshly-cut grass. We had…
Fleabag Review (and in cinemas)
Last updated on June 2nd, 2021Phoebe Waller-Bridge is the Girl with the Golden Pen. She tickled us with her sassy baddie, Villanelle, from ‘Killing Eve,’ and is currently co-writing the screenplay for the new Bond film, ‘No Time to Die.’ Last night, she thrilled the audience with the return of her one-woman show, Fleabag, at the…