Last updated on March 12th, 2021Having trouble finding a quiet picnic spot in London, courtesy of lockdown and with restaurants off the menu? We all know the usual al fresco hangouts: Regent’s, Hyde Park, Richmond and St James’s Parks, as well as Hampstead Heath, Primrose Hill and Kew Gardens. But there are also plenty of…
Secret London
Secret London: a guide to London's cultural gems including quirky, historical and unusual places that tourists don't always see.
London After Lockdown: the first thing these Londoners will do
As our capital eases out of slumber, it’s time to start planning what to do in London after lockdown. Parks, schools and offices are slowly reopening, and non-essential shops, cinemas and museums are poised to follow suit. Picnic mania may have hit the capital, but many of us are yearning for our restaurants and pubs,…
A Tour of Handel’s London – Visit 16 Handel Locations
Last updated on September 25th, 2024George Frideric Handel was born in Germany, but he spent a whopping 47 years in London, arriving here when he was just 26. He went on to write some of the world’s most famous operas and oratorios in the capital and became the toast of London town. His patrons included…
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…
Must-see London by London Bloggers
Last updated on February 18th, 2021I asked some of London’s top bloggers to come up with that one place that should be on every visitor’s radar – a must-see London gem. Imagine you only had half a day to spare in the city…here’s a curated list from those in the London know. I hope you…
Visiting the Neasden Temple in London
Last updated on May 11th, 2021Shri Swaminarayan Mandir. I know, you won’t be able to pronounce the name, so just refer to it as the Neasden Temple. Yes, you read that right. Neasden. This divine temple, which you would expect to see in Agra, actually resides in north west London. It’s a masterpiece in Indian…
Eltham Palace | Where Medieval meets Art Deco London
Last updated on March 1st, 2021Eltham Palace is one of London’s unique gems, a historic venue where Art Deco London is living it up with its medieval ancestors. Imagine a hotsy-totsy sleepover with both Henry VIII and Hercule Poirot. You have a coupe de champagne in one hand, and the ivories tinker away in the…
The London Season
Last updated on September 25th, 2024The Chelsea Flower Show may officially kick-start the London Season, but for me, it’s the Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy that gets summer in London off to a rip-roaring start. The world’s largest open submission art exhibition signals a tee off for strawberries and cream, cucumber sandwiches, Pimms and…
Fitzrovia Chapel | Byztantine Bling in London
Last updated on August 16th, 2020There are some places in London that simply take your breath away. The Arab Hall in Leighton House is one of those. The Soane Museum is another, as is Two Temple Place. Then I visited Fitzrovia Chapel where every square inch screams of bling without a Swarovski crystal in sight….
15 reasons to visit Bankside
Last updated on December 28th, 2023Bankside was once a cacophonous pleasure zone with brothels, bear-baiting, gaming dens and four Tudor theatres: The Globe, The Rose, the Swan and the Hope. Shakespeare and Dickens lived here. Samuel Pepys watched the Great Fire light up the London sky from here in 1666. So, if you’re visiting London,…