I’m Venus at Her Mirror, but some people call me the Rokeby Venus or the Toilet of Venus. You can just call me Venus. The little fellow holding my mirror and helping me with my toilette is my son, Cupid. Maestro Diego Velasquez’s bold brushstrokes poured life into this, my divine facsimile, in the seventeenth…
The London Blog
Follow me and my London Blog for a capital round-up of London's historical, quirky and unusual places. Visit some of city's best museums and galleries, get a supreme peek at Royal London, and grab a seat next to me as I eat my way around London's restaurants.
Royal Love Affairs: where the British royals met their mistresses and lovers
Ever wondered where those badly-behaved royals would meet up with their lovers for a secret rendez-vous? Or where they met for the first time? Throughout British history, members of the royal family have had liaisons, some dangereuses, some carried out in secret and others, the cause célèbre of the day. Let’s look at some British…
In Conversation with: The Laughing Cavalier | Wallace Collection
People call me The Laughing Cavalier, and I am the international man of mystery at the Wallace Collection in London. No one knows precisely who I am, and whilst people refer to me as laughing, I am, in fact smiling under those magnificent whiskers of mine. I like to think of myself as the Mona…
A Guide to Christmas in London 2020
This may not be the month for smooching under the mistletoe or for perching on Santa’s lap, but there are still plenty of things to do in London this Christmas. There will be lights a plenty. Our magical Christmas markets roll back into town. Museums re-open, some with blockbuster exhibitions. You can even get your…
The best museum shops in London
How much fun is it to browse and buy in a museum shop? It’s my guilty pleasure, and I must admit, I could get lost for hours snooping around London’s fabulous museum and gallery gift shops. And with “are we aren’t we” lockdown and social distancing, the best way to support our museums is to…
Bookshops of London
London is arguably the greatest literary city in the world, and there is nothing better than losing yourself in the stacks and shelves of the capital’s bookshops. Sadly, lockdown and social distancing have thrown an economic spanner in the works for our capital’s booksellers. But fret not book lovers, here are some of London’s best…
NW Live at the Bloomsbury Festival 2020
With further restrictions looming in the London air like a thick Dickensian fog, I spent last week dashing around town trying to tick as many cultural boxes as possible. On Friday, I managed to catch up with some music – and not just any ordinary music. This was the Music & Renewal concert, the third…
Restaurant Review: Brilliant in Southall
What’s in a name? I’m in Southall to review Brilliant restaurant, and my greedy fingers are crossed that it’s as brilliant as it says it is. Apparently, both Prince Charles and Boris are fans, and with “Curry Queen” Dipna Anand at the culinary helm of this Ealing landmark, my hopes are high. When Anand isn’t…
Halloween in London | 14 Fangtastical things to do this Halloween 2020
All Hallows Eve weekend is nigh upon us. It’s time to rev up your broomsticks and check out some chilling ways you can celebrate Halloween in London this year. Halloween in London 2020 This Halloween, the Old Royal Naval College is getting its spook on with their first ever Halloween Late. A spine-tingling evening awaits…
Oxford Lieder 2020 Review: Song in the Age of Corona
Covid-19 and its pesky restrictions threw a spanner in the Oxford Lieder Festival 2020 works this year, but it didn’t dampen the spirits or the music. The UK’s biggest song festival went online instead, streaming over 40 magnificent recital concerts and events, most of them live and all set in historical surroundings across the city….