Did you know you really can time travel back to London’s yesterday? And there is no better time than at Christmas when you can experience the sights and smells of ‘ye old London as you tread in the footsteps of Christmas past. I might not be able to give you a horse and carriage, but…
A tour of Spencer House
Last updated on March 29th, 2022Spencer House in Mayfair is one of the finest examples of eighteenth-century architecture in London. The Georgian mansion, which has one of the most drop-dead interiors in the capital, once provided a backdrop for many a glittering soirée. It’s now one of London’s most exclusive venues – the Queen invited…
London’s Best Tour Guides
Last updated on November 8th, 2022Are you looking for the best tour guide in London? Hiring a private tour guide or joining a public tour in London can be one of the best ways to experience the capital as a tourist, or even as a Londoner. You might be looking for an accredited Blue Badge…
In Conversation with Venus at the National Gallery
Last updated on September 21st, 2021I’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…
Royal Love Affairs: where the British royals met their mistresses and lovers
Last updated on October 31st, 2022Ever 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….
Dead Famous Londoners: Theodore Hook and The Berners Street Hoax
Last updated on February 18th, 2021Chances are, you’ve never heard of the Berners Street Hoax, one of the world’s biggest pranks and one which brought Georgian London to a virtual standstill. Concocted by Theodore Hook who was a celebrity of the time, it was designed to show that any old London house could become the…
Dead Famous Londoners: Richard D’Oyly Carte
Last updated on February 18th, 2021A Victorian heavyweight, Richard D’Oyly Carte was hotelier extraordinaire, a composer, talent agent (he managed Oscar Wilde) and music impresario. His management prowess led to the birth of the Palace Theatre, the Savoy Theatre and the Savoy Hotel, one of London’s greatest and most famous hotels. He also bought and…
A Tour of Handel’s London – Visit 16 Handel Locations
Last updated on June 20th, 2022George 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…
Shake It Up! Festival celebrates Shakespeare’s Shoreditch
Last updated on February 18th, 2021Grab your ruffs, London! The site of Shakespeare’s first London playhouse, The Theatre, is soon to become a permanent exhibition space. Ahead of its opening in March 2020, the Theatre Courtyard Gallery is hosting Shake it Up! A Shakespeare Festival for Shoreditch. The series of events celebrating the Bard and…