London has some of the world’s most iconic museums displaying the finest art money can’t buy, but it’s the capital’s little treasures that I want to share with you today. Ensconced in these historical gems, you can amble around at a snail’s pace, savour every museum inch and still have time for tea and cake…
The London Summer Social Diary
The 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 lemonade, racing hats, flowing dresses,…
The Real Ladies of London
What does a real Londoness like to do in the world’s greatest city? Discover what it’s like to really live and love London: from magical walks and secret gardens, to food markets, theatre, museums, afternoon tea, local restaurants and bars…come and enjoy a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious day with the Real Ladies of London! Real Ladies of London –…
Art Review: Selfies at the Saatchi
I wonder how Van Gogh, Kahlo and Rembrandt would feel about sharing an art gallery with Tracey Emin, Kim Kardashian, the Queen and a macaque monkey? For the next two months, they are in bed together in the Saatchi Gallery’s new exhibition: From Selfie to Self-Expression. I admit that I walked into this with some…
Art Review: Imagine Moscow
If you’re a fan of Fritz Lang’s futuristic Bauhaus-inspired science fiction film Metropolis, then you’ll be a fan of Imagine Moscow: Architecture, Propaganda, Revolution which opens today at the Design Museum in London. Imagine this: a Moscow city centre which rivals Manhattan and which includes a network of horizontal skyscrapers and the world’s tallest building. This…
FILM REVIEW: Viceroy’s House
Gurinder Chadha is dressed up to the nines and a little breathless: she’s just arrived from an audience with HM the Queen at Buckingham Palace. She’s at the Curzon Mayfair to talk about her new film, Viceroy’s House, which has been two generations and seven years in the making. Her Majesty has seen the trailer…
REVIEW: Mother Africa at The Peacock
Wednesday evening was one of firsts for me: I heard an audience groan when the interval lights came on instead of scurrying to the bar or loo; I sat through a circus without a clown in sight (thank you); and I went to the Peacock Theatre in Holborn, baby sister to Sadler’s Wells to see…
A Blazing Beauty: Kipling’s India
I could have easily given up all my worldly rupees and even a piece of my soul for some of the artwork on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum exhibition, “Lockwood Kipling: Arts and Crafts in the Punjab and London.” There were no magic carpets here, but it certainly felt like I had flown…
Review: Dirty Great Love Story
Dirty Great Love Story was just the tonic I needed after an extraordinarily peculiar week on the world stage. It’s a one-man and one-woman romp directed by Pia Furtado and with some energetic performances by Felix Scott and Ayesha Antoine, executed mostly in rhyme. Originally a 10-minute award-winning Edinburgh Fringe piece, written in 2012 by…
Queen Bees
It may have rained on Donald’s parade on Friday, but the sun beamed out in full force yesterday for the Women’s March in London. Come rain or shine, my daughters and I were determined we were going to head down to Grosvenor Square for this historical rally. We thought 20,000 might join us, perhaps even some…