This week marks the 150th anniversary of Charles Dickens’ death. The celebrated author shares his London secrets with me and tells me how Queen Victoria is a big fan of his acting. Dick – do you mind if I call you Dick? I do. But you may call me Boz. What is your go-to pub?…
12 things to do in Kew Gardens when it rains
My 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 already committed to an afternoon…
The Great Exhibition and how the Crystal Palace built the V and A
If you’ve been watching Victoria Series 3, then you’ve recently come across Henry Cole, Prince Albert’s wingman in the creation of the visionary Great Exhibition of 1851. What you probably didn’t know is that the exhibition, dubbed The Greatest Show on Earth and housed inside the glittering Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, would one day…
Londoness Loves May 2019
Let me start by making a promise to you: there isn’t a hint of wisteria hysteria, not a sprinkling of magnolia madness nor any bloomin’ blossom of any kind in my Londoness Loves. So, let’s get on with the fun stuff: here’s my guide to the top things to do in London in May. Canalway…
Cutty Sark teas-off for its 150th
Cutty Sark: two words that instantly convey adventure, stealth, the open sea and the might of British engineering. One of London’s most treasured landmarks, the Cutty Sark is turning a grand 150 years young, and to celebrate, the Greenwich museum has laid on some very merry birthday celebrations. So, batten down the hatches, and check…
Where dry January turns damp
So, it’s confession time. Dry January has turned into damp January, fuelled by my utter lack of resistance to a martini, served green side-up with two juicy olives – one of my Five-a-Day, right? Is it wrong of me to say it was the best thing I tasted all week? Well, we all needed some…
Dickens Museum | Food Glorious Food
The first thing you need to do when you enter the Dickens Museum is stop. Just pause for a moment. Charles Dickens actually lived in this Georgian house at 48 Doughty Street in Holborn. He walked these halls, instructed his servants, arranged his furniture (rather fanatically, it seems), raised three of his ten children, entertained…
18 Family Christmas things to do in London 2018
As Christmas waves its enchanting wand over London, the city pirouettes into a bewitching winter canvas for kids. Is there any place as magical as London during Christmas? I promise you some merry, a large spoonful of nostalgia and not a mince of boring. Here are my top 18 Family Christmas things to do in…
Russians, Royalty and the Romanovs at the Queen’s Gallery
As if the Last Tsar exhibition at the Science Museum wasn’t enough of a treat, London is now getting a Romanov double whammy with a new exhibition at the Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace. Russia, Royalty and the Romanovs has glitz, it has glamour, and it has a generous helping of Russian bling. The exhibition celebrates the…
Review: othellomacbeth at Lyric Hammersmith
Yes, you read that title correctly. I’ve just been to see a mash-up of two of Shakespeare’s plays into one and its name is othellomacbeth. When you think about it, Othello and Macbeth have at their core similar DNA: power, greed and green-eyed monsters capable of turning gullible men into murderous villains. And it’s not…