October Is Festival Time In London

The Prince of Wales Plans A Garden Party To Make a Difference

The Prince of Wales is joining forces this late summer with musicians, comedians,

experts and some of Britain’s best-known companies to create a unique festival in the heart of London from September 8 to 19.  The Prince is opening up his own historic gardens at Clarence House (photo), together with his neighbors’ gardens at Lancaster House and Marlborough House for 12 days for a blend of exhibitions, interactive displays, fun activities and live performances throughout the day from comedians, musicians and speakers. 

Visitors will learn how to cook in an environmentally friendly way and how to design and sew bags from recycled materials. There will also be interactive displays detailing the latest green technologies.

Admission to the gardens will take place between 10am and 4pm, remaining open until 6 pm. Tickets are priced £15 for adults and £7.50 for children and are on sale at www.startuk.org.

And at Buckingham Palace, It’s Tea Time

What can be more British than sipping tea…at Buckingham Palace? From now until September 29, visitors can have tea on the terrace at Buckingham Palace. The café welcomes visitors at the end of the tour of the State Rooms into the Palace garden offering views over the Palace’s famous lawn and lake. To buy tickets, visit http://www.royalcollection.org.uk.

Open House London Takes Place September 18 and 19 Throughout City

The initiative is a simple but powerful concept: hundreds of great buildings of all types and periods open up their doors to all at no fee. A truly citywide celebration of the buildings, places and neighborhoods where Londoners live, work and play, is an opportunity to get out and get under the skin of London's amazing architecture.

Find out more about issues that are relevant to different localities- from the design of homes to the impact of climate change, and the role of architects and contemporary design in revitalizing places. There are over 700 buildings, neighborhood walks, architects' talks, cycle tours and more all over London to choose from...from major landmarks such as BT Tower, to small private homes and everything in between.

Those planning to attend can get helpful information for highlights and recommendations of what to see and do at http://www.londonopenhouse.org.

Fall Season At The Barbican Announced

The next installment of the Barbican’s theatre and dance programs will feature an exciting array of performances for the Autumn that include the return of the critically acclaimed Black Watch; the UK premiere of choreographer Merce Cunningham’s final creation Nearly Ninety; Stephen Petronio’s I Drink the Air Before Me – an exhilarating visual spectacle that combines dance, fashion and live music composed by Nico Muhly; cutting edge and innovative Polish work from companies TR Warszawa and Song of the Goat Theatre; and 25 years since it opened in the Barbican Theatre, a new production of Les Misérables.  Website: http://www.barbican.org.uk/theatre

The Royal Ballet Season Launches Its Autumn Season September 30

Company classics, much-loved revivals and new commissions are all on the agenda for the autumn season of the Royal Ballet. Season is rich in variety and popular appeal. Whether a familiar favorite or an exciting premiere, they all have the distinctive style of The Royal Ballet and are performed by its world-class dancers. The season launches with Onegin on the 30th of September, John Cranko’s interpretation of Yevgeny Onegin, Pushkin’s classic novel of unrequited love. Website: http://www.roh.org.uk/

Fifth Annual Craft Fair Showcases Works Of Some 220 Unique Craft Makers

More than 220 highly talented craftmakers have been chosen to exhibit at Origin: The

London Craft Fair. This year visitors can expect to see an exciting array of new and original, handmade contemporary craft at the show that runs from September 23 to 29 at the Old Spitalfields Market in London’s East End., Origin has established itself as the UK’s principal selling event for individual craftmakers.

Now in its fifth year, the Made Not Manufactured themed

Adrian Hope’s metal teapot

fair features a panel of judges made up of curators, makers, craft retailers, journalists and opinion formers familiar with contemporary craft/ The panelists select the most beautiful and inspiring work from established and new talent across a variety of disciplines: ceramics, fashion accessories, jewelry, glass, knitwear, furniture, metalwork, interiors and millinery. Work is selected on the originality of ideas, craft-skills, quality, and to ensure a good representation across the categories. Prices range from £10 to £10,000

Participants come from the UK and Ireland, as well as Scandinavia, Northern Europe, Canada and Korea. Website: http://www.originuk.org 

New Season For The Royal Opera Opens September 13

The new Royal Opera Season brings together a wealth of star singers and conductors in an exciting repertory drawn from the most famous of operas as well as the unusual and little known. The fall season launches with Mozart’s masterpiece Così fan tutte. Other operas being presented this fall include Niobe, opening September 23; Rigoletto opening October 7; Romeo et Juliette opening October 26 and a concert presentation of Les Pecheurs des Perles October 4 and 7. Over the Christmas holidays, families will enjoy Hansel and Gretel that begins December 22. Website: http://www.roh.org.uk 

Six Nominees Announced For The Man Booker Prize Short List

The Man Booker Award committee has announced that Peter Carey, Emma Donoghue, Damon Galgut, Howard Jacobson, Andrea Levy and Tom McCarthy are the six shortlisted authors for the 2010 Man Booker Prize for Fiction. The shortlist was announced by Chair of judges, Sir Andrew Motion, at a press conference held at Man's London headquarters.

For over four decades the prize, the leading literary award in the English-speaking world, has brought recognition, reward and readership to the outstanding new novels of the year. The six books, selected from the Man Booker Prize longlist of 13, are:

Peter Carey--Parrot and Olivier in America (Faber and Faber)

Emma Donoghue--Room (Picador - Pan Macmillan)

Damon Galgut--In a Strange Room (Atlantic Books - Grove Atlantic)

Howard Jacobson--The Finkler Question (Bloomsbury)

Andrea Levy--The Long Song (Headline Review - Headline Publishing Group)

Tom McCarthy-- C (Jonathan Cape - Random House)

"It's been a great privilege and an exciting challenge for us to reduce our longlist of thirteen to this shortlist of six outstandingly good novels.,” says Motion, a former Poet Laureate. “In doing so, we feel sure we've chosen books which demonstrate a rich variety of styles and themes, while in every case providing deep individual pleasures."

Australian author Peter Carey is one of only two authors to have won the prize twice: in 1988 for Oscar and Lucinda and in 2001 for True History of the Kelly Gang. Should he win this year, he would become the only author to have won three times. He was also shortlisted in 1985 for Illywhacker.

South African author Damon Galgut has previously been shortlisted for his book The Good Doctor in 2003 and Howard Jacobson has been longlisted twice before for his novels Kalooki Nights in 2006 and Who's Sorry Now? in 2002. Irish author Emma Donoghue is, at age 40, the youngest author on the shortlist.

The winner of the 2010 Man Booker Prize for Fiction will be announced on October 12 at a dinner at London's Guildhall. The winner will receive a check for £50,000. Last year's winning novel, Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel, has now sold over half a million copies in the UK alone. Each of the six shortlisted authors, including the winner, receives £2,500 and a designer bound edition of their shortlisted book.

Newly Restored Hotel Savoy Set To Reopen October 10

The Savoy, set to reopen its doors on Sunday October 10, is one of this year’s most eagerly anticipated events in London. The hotel closed in December 2007 for a more than £220 million restoration that encompassed the entire building from the iconic entrance and the American Bar to the Savoy Grill and the 268 guestrooms and suites. “We are very excited to reopen The Savoy,” comments Kiaran MacDonald, General Manager. “It is fair to say that this project has not been without its challenges, but we are very aware of the place that The Savoy holds in many people’s affections and we firmly believe that the hotel will exceed people’s expectations and reclaim its position as one of the world’s great hotels.”

The new interiors have been designed by French designer, Pierre Yves Rochon who has won acclaim for his work on other landmark hotels. His plans were executed by the general contractors, Chorus Group and architects, Reardon Smith, who oversaw a team of over 1000 craftsmen and women, artists and artisans who created interiors that are in the spirit of the hotel’s two main design aesthetics, Edwardian and Art Deco.

The Savoy’s reopening will reveal a number of notable highlights including the complete remodel of the legendary River Restaurant, the addition of a luxurious new two bedroom Royal Suite and the relaunch of 38 River Suites and Guestrooms with stunning views over the River Thames. New to the hotel will be The Beaufort Bar, a glamorous art deco bar that will offer champagne, cocktails and cabaret and Savoy Tea, a bijou teashop selling Savoy tea, accessories and fresh patisserie. In addition, the Savoy Grill will return again under the operation of Gordon Ramsay Holdings with Chef Patron, Stuart Gillies and Head Chef, Andy Cook. A new fitness regime will feature a contemporary, glass enclosed fitness gallery and a rooftop swimming pool – one of the few in the city. Website: www.the-savoy.com

Shakespeare’s Globe Premiers Nell Leyshon’s New Play

Shakespeare’s Globe is presenting the world premiere of Nell Leyshon’s new play Bedlam. Nell Leyshon is the first female playwright to be presented at the Globe. Bedlam is a fictional portrayal of a London hospital for the insane. Set in 18th-century London against an anarchic backdrop of binge drinkers, gin sellers and ballad singers. Under the supervision of the prejudiced Dr. Sidney Carew for whom profit and lechery come before prevention or cure, Bedlam’s philosophy lies in containing rather than curing patients. But with the arrival of a lovely country girl, May, and the appointment of a more enlightened governor, Carew’s inhuman regime starts to crumble, along with his own sanity. The play runs through October 1. Website: www.shakespearesglobe.com

The Philharmonia Orchestra Season Commences September 26

The Philharmonia Orchestra at the Southbank Centre has announced its 2010/11 season. During the season the London Philharmonic Orchestra performs 35 evening concerts at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall including eight concerts as part of its successful JTI Friday Series. Highlights include Esa-Pekka Salonen's extraordinary Tristan und Isolde, accompanied by stunning film projections by video artist Bill Viola; Infernal Dance, Salonen's year-long exploration of the life and music of Béla Bartók; and a complete Mahler Symphony Cycle with Lorin Maazel conducting.  The Orchestra also continues its FUNharmonics strand with three concerts for families. Website: www.philharmonia.co.uk   

Taking Afternoon Tea With Agatha Christie

This year marks the 120th anniversary of celebrated crime writer Agatha Christie’s birth. To celebrate, Rocco Forte’s tony Brown’s Hotel in the heart of Mayfair is offering a special Agatha Christie Afternoon Tea in its English Tea Room. There is nowhere more appropriate than Brown’s Hotel to pay homage to the Queen of Crime,. It is believed Agatha Christie was inspired to write the infamous mystery At Bertram’s Hotel after her regular visits to the hotel.

Inspired by two of the world’s most famous fictional detectives – Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple--the Agatha Christie Afternoon Tea includes themed cakes served on traditional tea stands such as ‘At Betram’s Hotel’ seed cupcake; Death on the Nile coffee boat cake and plain and fruit scones, served with clotted cream, strawberry jam and even honey, which was one of Miss Marple’s favorites.

The tea costs £50 per person and will include a copy of Agatha Christie, An Autobiography, signed by Mathew Prichard, Agatha Christie’s grandson. Afternoon Tea in The English Tea Room is served between 3pm and 6pm Monday to Friday and 1pm to 6pm on Saturday and Sunday.

To further mark the occasion, Brown’s Hotel will also host a special literary tea on September 19 with John Curran, author of Agatha Christie’s Secret Notebooks that was written with the encouragement of the Agatha Christie Estate, giving the author access to 73 handwritten private notebooks. ‘It’s remarkable that 120 years after she was born, there is still a huge affection for Agatha Christie and the stories she created’ comments Christie’s grandson, Mathew Prichard. ‘I am very pleased that Brown’s Hotel has chosen to mark the occasion of her birthday week with a special Agatha Christie Afternoon Tea.

Website: www.roccofortecollection.com

                                                ***********

London Hosts A Feast Of Festivals In October

The month of October presents a host of festivals in the city sure to please all tastes. Here’s a quick rundown:

The Story of London

Throughout London, its rich history as a centre for world-beating ideas, invention and pioneers is being celebrated this autumn, when the Story of London returns. This year's ambitious cultural festival runs from Friday October 1 to Sunday October 10. Around 100 events are being planned for audiences from every corner of the capital to get involved in. The event aims to encourage visitors and Londoners to share in the story of London, while raising the profile of cultural attractions throughout the city. Website: www.london.gov.uk

The Musical Brain 2010 Conference - The Man, the Mind, the Music

The Musical Brain is a charitable organization that brings together artists, scientists, teachers, therapists and the public, in stimulating environments to examine the effects of music on the human mind, brain and body. Booking is now open for the 2010 conference, which celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of Robert Schumann (1810–1856), with an exciting program of talks, workshops, musical illustrations and concerts on the weekend of October 2 to 3 at St John's Smith Square, London SW1P 3HA.

The conference is led by celebrated composer Nigel Osborne with Ian Ritchie, Director of the City of London Festival, as Artistic Director. A team of leading experts and pioneers in the field of research into the scientific effects of music give talks, discussions and workshops over the weekend. Schumann, whose genius was sadly tempered by mental illness leading to his premature death in a mental asylum, left a wonderful legacy of compositions reflecting his periods of elation and despair. These will be brought to life in performances by James Gilchrist tenor, Anna Tilbrook piano, the Sacconi Quartet and Ian Brown piano throughout the conference. Website: http://www.themusicalbrain.org 

Pearly Kings and Queens Harvest Festival

Celebrate the harvest with the Original Pearly Kings and Queens Association’s annual Harvest Festival at St Martin-in-the-Fields on October 3. A special service takes place in the church at 3.00 pm. Prior to the service the ‘Pearlies’ will be on the steps of St Martin’s collecting for the church and are available to speak to and have their photographs taken. Everyone is welcome.

Punch and Judy Festival

Punch and Judy will be battling it out in Covent Garden on October 3 when the annual

Covent Garden Punch and Judy Festival takes place. More than a dozen Punch Professors will be performing their shows throughout the day in the North Hall of Covent Garden Piazza. Once commonplace at every seaside resort throughout the country, Punch & Judy shows have been entertaining audiences for many generations. Covent Garden is a significant venue for this unique festival as it was there on May 9, 1662, when the earliest reference was made to Mr. Punch – in Samuel Pepys' diary. Website: www.ThePJF.com  

London Restaurant Festival

London Restaurant Festival is a citywide celebration of eating out, designed to showcase London's extraordinarily diverse and exciting range of restaurants and drive footfall. From October 4 to 18, 2010, food lovers can explore some of the capital’s finest cooking, from high-profile Michelin-starred restaurants to coveted neighborhood bistros. For participating eateries and events planned, visit www.visitlondon.com/londonrestaurantfestival.

The 54th BFI (British Film Institute) London Film Festival

The BFI London Film Festival is an annual event that showcases all the best new films from around the world at various cinemas in London. In 2010 it takes place from October 13 to 28. This year's festival will showcase a total of 197 features and 112 shorts, including international premieres presented by cast members and filmmakers.

A particularly strong feature this year is the selection of British films, including the Opening Night film Never Let me Go, directed by Mark Romanek; and Danny Boyle's 127 Hours, which will draw the two-week festival to a close.

Gala and Special screenings will feature Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan, Mike Leigh's Another Year; and Palme D'Or winner Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives.

London’s West End will see a selection of some of the strongest films of the year. Anton Corbijn presents The American, starring George Clooney, Carlos is Olivier Assayas's epic biopic of the infamous Venezuelan terrorist; and Jean-Luc Godard continues to challenge cinemagoers with Film Socialisme.

The French cinema scene includes Katell Quillévéré’s Love Like Poison; and Antony Cordier’s Happy Few, while the established force that is Catherine Breillat returns with The Sleeping Beauty.

The awards presentation will take place on October 27 at Jerwood Hall, LSO St Luke's. The full Awards shortlist will be announced on September 28. Website: http://www.bfi.org.uk/lff 

Frieze Art Fair

Frieze Art Fair takes place every October in Regent’s Park featuring works from over 170 of the most exciting contemporary art galleries in the world. The fair also includes specially commissioned artists’ projects, a prestigious talks program and an artist-led education schedule.

What’s in store this year for Frieze Projects? To name a few, the fair's ticket tent will be styled like a mobile phone concept store, spirit mediums will channel the spirits of a number of dead artists, outdoor ashtrays will transform into elegant sculptures, and artist-designed donation boxes will be spread out across the grounds. The Fair takes place October 14 to 17. Website: www.friezeartfair.com

The Bloomsbury Festival

Bloomsbury is one of London’s most creative areas that includes the British Museum. From October 22 to 24, major Bloomsbury-based organizations are coming together to create a festival celebrating the cultural vibrancy of the local area. Over the course of the Festival weekend, the public will have access to private garden squares, buildings and hidden spaces. There will be free admission to museums and galleries and musical performances, theatre presentations, and architectural and sculptural installations will be prominently displayed. The full events program will be announced in mid September. Website: http://www.bloomsburyfestival.org.uk

International Food Fair

The International Food Fair returns for one day to Canada Park Square at Canary Wharf on October 18.  Food stalls will feature the best offerings of international cuisine with delicious dishes from Morocco, Spain, Italy, France, Thailand and other exotic locales being served up. Website: http://mycanarywharf.com /

May/June 2010

Trooping the Colour Ceremony Celebrates The Queen's Birthday

Each June, Britain celebrates the official birthday of Queen Elizabeth (born 1926) at Buckingham Palace with a parade, inspection of her personal troops, and a flyover of military planes with the Queen attending and taking the salute. Since 1987, The Queen has attended in a carriage rather than riding, which she did before that on 36 occasions, riding sidesaddle and wearing the uniform of the regiment whose Colour was being trooped. The regiments take their turn for this honor in rotation as operational commitments permit.

The custom of Trooping the Colour dates back to the time of Charles II in the 17th. Century when the Colours of a regiment were used as a rallying point in battle and were therefore trooped in front of the soldiers every day to make sure that every man could recognize those of his own regiment. In London, the Foot Guards used to do this as part of their daily Guard Mounting on Horse Guards and the ceremonial of the modern Trooping the Colour parade is along similar lines. The first traceable mention of The Sovereign's Birthday being “kept” by the Grenadier Guards is in 1748 and again, after George III became King in 1760, it was ordered that parades should mark the King's Birthday. From the accession of George IV they became, with a few exceptions and notably the two World Wars, an annual event. After the event, the Royal Family gathers on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch above the palace a Royal Air Force salute.

Over 1,400 officers and men are on parade, together with two hundred horses; over four hundred musicians from ten bands and corps of drums march and play as one. Some 113 words of command are given by the Officer in Command of the Parade.

The celebration takes place outside of Buckingham Palace in the presence of the Queen from about 10:30 am to 1:30 pm on Saturday, June 12, and tickets to attend are required (now sold out). Two rehearsal parades take place on two previous Saturdays and do not require tickets. The parade route extends from Buckingham Palace along The Mall to Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall and back again. Website: http://www.trooping-the-colour.co.uk 

The Southbank Centre Salutes Brazil And Its Culture This Summer

Southbank Centre is the venue for Festival Brazil, a major celebration of the arts and culture of today’s Brazil, which brings together a rich and varied program of music, visual arts, dance, literature, debates and performances from June 19 to September 5, 2010. Throughout the summer, events will take place indoors and outdoors including the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Hayward Gallery, Purcell Room, riverside terraces and rooftops, making the most of the unique resources of Southbank Centre.

Festival Brazil provides the opportunity to engage with Brazil’s vibrant cultural scene. It showcases internationally renowned Brazilian artists and performers and introduces a

new wave of young talent. Over the summer the Southbank Centre site (photo) will be transformed to create places for performance and activities, conveying a celebratory atmosphere, and paying tribute to the vibrant graphic and graffiti art so central to the urban landscape of Brazil.

Highlights of the festival include Brazilian superstar musician, Gilberto Gil, performing at the Queen Elizabeth Hall;  the sensory installations of artist Ernesto Neto transform the upper spaces of the Hayward Gallery, where he is also featured in the exhibit The New Décor, which runs concurrently, a rare UK appearance by Brazilian singer

Maria Bethânia; Sócrates, doctor, social activist, writer, composer, philosopher and one of the world’s greatest footballers; and the Brazilian cultural group AfroReggae bring their joyous musical mix of Brazilian drums fused with dance and reggae, straight from the favelas of Rio de Janeiro.

Two Festival Weekends celebrate the joyous and energetic outdoor culture of Brazil, with Brazilian cuisine, Latin dancing, football, and carnival costume making. Website: http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk

Free Concerts and Films A Summer Feature At The Scoop

This summer, get outdoors and enjoy four weeks of free, live music in The Scoop – London's sunken, 1000-seat amphitheatre that offers great views of the Thames, Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. There's something to appeal to all musical tastes, from acoustic guitar sets to a showcase of Flamenco music and dance. Running from June 30 to July 23, 2010, lunchtime (12:30 to 2 pm) and early evening performances (6:30 to 9:30 pm) are scheduled Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays as part of the More London Free Festival, an annual feast of free fringe events, music, theatre and film. No tickets are required and food and beverages available at the entrance as are cushions for a fee. Website: www.morelondon.com/thescoop

More London Museums & Galleries Remain Open At Night

As visits to museums and galleries in the after hours grow in popularity, more are keeping their doors open later on select nights. The visits work well for those who want to combine art with a sociable evening out. One great advantage is that the institutions are less crowded in the evening than during the daytime. So here are some of the venues staying open later on select nights.

Science Museum: Tuesdays, once a month on Wednesdays;

British Library: Tuesdays

Sir John Soane’s Museum: first Tuesday of the month

Camden Arts Centre: Wednesdays

Chelsea Psychi Garden: Wednesdays

Barbican Art Gallery: Thursdays

British Museum: Select galleries on Thursdays and Fridays

Handel House Museum: Fridays

ICA Galleries: Thursdays

National Portrait Gallery Thursdays and Fridays

Somerset House: Fridays

Whitechapel Gallery: Fridays

Design Museum: Fridays once every eight weeks.

National Gallery: Fridays

Royal Academy: Fridays

Tate Britain: First Friday of every month

Tate Modern: Fridays and Saturdays

Weekly till 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays. See what's on at Tate Modern

Victoria & Albert Museum: Last Friday of each month

English National Ballet Presents Swan Lake At Royal Albert Hall

Dance enthusiasts will not want to miss the English National Ballet’s spectacular Swan

Lake in-the-round at the Royal Albert Hall from June 9 to 19, 2010. Tchaikovsky’s spectacular ballet, choreographed by Derek Deane,  features 120 dancers, plus acrobats, jugglers and an orchestra of more than 80 musicians.

On opening night guest artist Polina Semionova stars as Odette/Odile and rising Russian Star Vadim Muntagirov as Prince Siegfried. Muntagirov joined English National Ballet in 2009, after graduating from the Royal Ballet School.

The lead roles on other dates will be performed by English National Ballet's principal pairings: Daria Klimentová and Vadim Muntagirov; Erina Takahashi and Dmitri Gruzdyev; Elena Glurdjidze and Arionel Vargas; and Begoña Cao and Esteban Berlanga.

Websites: http://www.royalalberthall.com or http://www.ballet.org.uk  

Touring London And Its Environs Via Kayak

Forget a bus or walking tour, the most exciting way to see London is on a kayaking tour!

Thames River Adventures' tours range from serene paddling along Regent's Canal to

adrenaline-pumping trips along the River Thames, near Tower Bridge.

Never been on a kayak before? No problem. A qualified British Canoe Union Instructor will guide you throughout the tour, and Thames River Adventures will provide all the equipment you need.

In London Thames River Adventures offers a wide range of kayaking tours including daytime tours, sunrise tours and romantic sunset tours. There are three main tour locations to choose from:

-- Tower Bridge: Dynamic tour of the tidal Thames near Tower Bridge. Previous experience in kayaking needed. For those over 16 only.

-- Hampton Court: Gentle tour past the picturesque backdrop of Hampton Court Palace, with the chance to spot local wildlife

-- Regent's Canal: Tranquil tour along the eight-mile Regent's Canal, past Regent's Park and London Zoo

Website: http://thamesriveradventures.co.uk/res_website.asp?suppliercode=tra100

There’s still time to catch the exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London that celebrates the legacy of the 18th century art collector, Horace Walpole.

Here visitors experienced a journey through ancient and modern British history and European art.

Major Show At The V&A Focuses On 18^th Century Art Collector Horace Walpole

There’s still time to catch the first major exhibition on 18^th century art collector Horace

Walpole, and brings together many of his most remarkable objects. The show recreates Walpole's pioneering art collection in the context of the rooms at his home at Strawberry Hill, a gothic-style building in Twickenham.

Walpole (1717 to 1797) aka Horace was the fourth Earl of Orford. An important art historian and collector, writer and politician of his time, Walpole was the first to recognize the importance of miniature portraits and many miniatures are on display. Among other achievements, Walpole was the first to systematically assemble the visual evidence of English history. The show closes July 4, 2010.

Currently under extensive restoration, Strawberry Hill will re-open to the public in September. Website: http://www.vam.ac.uk 

Tate Britain Takes A Poke At British Humor

A new show--Rude Britannia: British Comic Art--is opening at the Tate Britain on June 9, 2010. So cringe or have a sly chuckle: Rude Britannia will certainly cause a reaction. See politicians brought down to size and the great and the good exposed; blush at the saucy postcards and laugh out loud at the slapstick fun - but watch out for that banana skin!

Put together with some the country’s best-known cartoonists and comedy writers, this exhibition explores British comic art from the 1600s to the present day. Bringing together a wide array of paintings, sculptures, film and photography, as well as graphic art and comic books, the exhibition celebrates a rich history of cartooning and visual jokes.

The room on the Absurd is curated by comedian Harry Hill, and includes such diverse materials as Alice in Wonderland illustrations, David Shrigley’s sculpture, and films by Edwina Ashton and Oliver Michaels. Within the Bawdy, Donald McGill’s smutty seaside postcards can be seen with works by artists as different as Aubrey Beardsley, Sarah Lucas, and Grayson Perry. The rooms exploring Politics, Social Satire and Cruikshank's Victorian masterpiece The Worship of Bacchus, have been put together with Gerald Scarfe, Steve Bell, and the cartoonists from Viz. These show the power of comic art as a form of social and political commentary throughout history, from satires of Georgian society by Rowlandson and Gillray to Spitting Image's damning Thatcher puppet.

Looking at comedy that is both timeless and of-its-time, Rude Britannia contrasts contemporary artists such as Angus Fairhurst with key historical pieces, and covers everything from Hogarth to the YBAs. At the Tate Britain until September 5, 2010.

Website: http://www.tate.org.uk/britain

Sting To Perform At Royal Albert Hall In October

Sting, accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, will extend his world tour to Europe and the UK this autumn. The Symphonicity tour, commencing in Vancouver on June 2, 2010 followed by sold-out performances across North America throughout the summer, will find Sting performing his most celebrated songs re-imagined for symphonic arrangement. He appears at Royal Albert Hall with The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra will be conducted by Maestro Steven Mercurio on October 1.

Sting's greatest hits will be reinterpreted with brand new orchestrations arranged by Jorge Calandrelli, David Hartley, Michel Legrand, Rob Mathes, Vince Mendoza, Steven Mercurio, Bill Ross, Robert Sadin, and Nicola Tescari. Selections, created especially for this tour, will include fan-favorites such as "Roxanne," "Next To You," "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" and "Every Breath You Take," to notable songs from Sting's enduring solo career - "Englishman in New York," "Fragile," "Russians," "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You," "Fields of Gold," and "Desert Rose."

After his London stand, Sting will present a special concert in his hometown at The Sage Gateshead on October 5.

Sting’s European tour also includes Oslo (September 3 at Oslo's Konserthus) and Copenhagen (September 5 at the Royal Theatre); Florence at the Teatro Verdi (October 25); Milan (at the Teatro Arcimboldi on November 2); and Rome (at Santa Cecilia November 10) . Additionally, September will find the tour making stops in Helsinki, Berlin, Koln and Paris, followed by concerts in Dublin, Nantes, Antwerp, Hamburg, Frankfurt and Stuttgart throughout October, with additional performances in Turin and Vienna in November. For tour and ticket information, visit www.sting.com.

Literary Happenings Celebrate the Summer Season Around the UK

Devotees of British literature may like to attend one or more of several literary events being held around the UK during the next few months.  From public readings to creative writing courses, one can foster the inner creative being in more bucolic settings. The new popularity of these festivals can be attributed to the book club genre, whether print or eBook.

Some of the festivals worth noting are the Oxford Festival, hosted at the university’s Christ Church campus that featured more than 200 writers in April participating in ten days of lectures in 15 different locations around Christ Church and Oxford. The Festival is now closed but if you missed this one, the festival returns next year April 2 to 10, 2011. Website: www.oxfordliteraryfestival.com.

Other literary happenings to come include the Hay Festival in the Brecon Beacons National Park near the Welsh border from May 27 to June 6 (www.hayfestival.com); the Porlock Arts Festival September 9 to 12 (www.porlock.org); the Port Eliot Festival July 23 to 25 www.porteliotfestival.com  and the Dovedale Arts Festival in Derbyshire on September 10 to 12 (www.dovedalearts.co.uk ).

April/May 2010

Henry Moore’s Legacy Celebrated At Tate Britain

Radical, experimental and avant-garde, Henry Moore (1898-1986) was one of Britain's greatest artists. A commemorative exhibition at the Tate Britain demonstrates Moore's position at the forefront of progressive 20th century sculpture, with the most

selection of his works shown together for a generation. Among the fantastic range and quality of Moore's art, the new Tate show examines three themes: war, women and world culture.

This stunning exhibition takes a fresh look at his work and legacy, presenting over 150 stone sculptures, wood carvings, bronzes and drawings.

Moore rebelled against his teachers’ traditional views of sculpture, instead taking inspiration from non-Western works he saw in museums. He pioneered carving directly from materials, evolving his signature abstract forms derived from the human body. This exhibition presents examples of the defining subjects of his work, such as the reclining figure, mother and child, abstract compositions and drawings of wartime London. The works are situated in the turbulent ebb and flow of twentieth-century history, sometimes uncovering a dark and erotically charged dimension that makes us look at them in a new light. The trauma of war, the advent of psychoanalysis, new ideas of sexuality, primitive art and surrealism all had an influence on Moore’s work.

Highlights of the show include a group of key reclining figures carved in Elm, which illustrate the development of this key image over his career. Moore was an Official War Artist and his drawings of huddled Londoners sheltering from the onslaught of the Blitz captured the popular imagination, winning him a place in the hearts of the public.

More viewings can be had at Henry Moore's sculpture studios, home and gardens located at Perry Green, Hertfordshire, and the Henry Moore Institute is situated in Leeds. Both venues are part of The Henry Moore Foundation, set up by the artist in 1977. Website: www.tatebritain.co.uk

The Music of the Fans at The Fan Museum

Throughout the ages, fans have been used as everything from fashionable accessories and status symbols, to ceremonial tools, commemorative presents and advertising giveaways. Now, a new exhibition at The Fan Museum draws together an amazing selection of intricately designed fans featuring musical instruments and musical themes from opera and musical theatre.

Fans related to great musical personalities, such as Rossini, Wagner and Gilbert and Sullivan are on display as are fans featuring musical instruments, including the lute and bagpipes, which in 17th and 18th century Dutch paintings had an erotic connotation thanks to their shape. In the exhibition the fans depicting musical instruments are also accompanied by real-life versions of the objects they depict.

The Fan Museum is the only museum in the world devoted to fans and fan making. This quirky museum is located in a pair of 18th century buildings in the historic Greenwich suburb of London. Home to a collection of more than 3,500 antique and contemporary fans dating from the 11th century to the present day, there is also on the grounds a tranquil, Japanese-style garden designed with a fan-shaped parterre, pond, street and oriental architectural features. The show closes May 16. Website: http://www.fan-museum.org/

Explore The Life Of Polish Composer Chopin At A Free British Library Exhibition.

The British Library is marking the 200th anniversary of Chopin's birth with an exhibition in the Folio Society Gallery through May 16, 2010.

Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin was born in Poland in 1810. He was a child prodigy, whose fame quickly spread beyond his native country. Chopin spent most of his life in exile in Paris. He did not like to perform in front of an audience, and gave only 30 concerts during his lifetime. He died of tuberculosis in 1849. Chopin first visited Britain in 1837 and returned in 1848, fleeing the Revolution in Paris. He was welcomed in a country, which had developed strong sympathies for his native Poland, and the story of his tour of Great Britain is told in the context of the Polish fervor that had taken over the artistic and political life of the country. Original manuscripts of several of his most famous compositions will be shown alongside portraits, letters and historic documents, and Chopin's death mask and a plaster cast of his left hand.

Chopin gave his last five concerts in Britain, and the exhibition will include rare historic recordings of the pieces he played. Website. www.bl.org

July Open-Air Concerts At Somerset House Offers Top Performers

Somerset House's stunning courtyard will be the setting for some of London's best open-

air concerts, as the popular Summer Series returns with an incredible lineup. Since they first began in 2001, the open-air music concerts at Somerset House have played host to many memorable performances from the likes of Royksopp, Goldfrapp and Basement Jaxx. This year the line up is just as strong, and the eclectic mix of performers combined with wonderful acoustics are sure to make these gigs very popular.

Performers this year, rain or shine, include Mystery Jets (July 8); Air (July 9); Noah & the Whale (July 10); N-Dubz (July 11); The Temper Trap (July 12); The xx (July 13); Gil Scot-Heron (July 14); Florence and The Machine (July 15); Corinne Bailey Rae (July 16); Divine Comedy (July 17); and Soul II Soule (July 18). Website: http://www.somersethouse.org.uk

Animal Sculpture Spanning 2400 Years On View At Sladmore Gallery In May

Ever since he first drew on the walls of his cave, man has had the desire to depict the creatures around him.  The Sladmore Gallery, 57 Jermyn Street, St James’s, London, is renowned for exhibiting animal sculpture from the last 200 years, and has now invited Rupert Wace Ancient Art to introduce collectors to a veritable menagerie from the ancient world, spanning a period of some 2,400 years.  A Collector’s Menagerie: Animal Sculpture from the Ancient World will be on view from May 12 to May 28,2010.  Around 70 important and appealing pieces will be offered for prices ranging from £1,000 to over £150,000. The earliest piece in the exhibition is a Hittite stone head of a goat, dating from the 3rd millennium BC. The most recent is a Byzantine bronze finial in the form of a dove dating from around the 5th century AD, possibly an early Christian piece representing Noah’s Dove, a symbol of resurrection.

Birds and animals played an important role in every aspect of ancient Egyptian culture.  They believed that the world was inhabited by unseen powers and forces, which could be made manifest by the behavior and characteristics of living creatures.  Thus, deities could take the form of animals though, even if a deity adopted a certain animal form, not all members of that particular species were sacred.  Some animals were never associated with a deity but had a symbolic significance while others appear only as hieroglyphic signs in the written Egyptian language.

Rupert Wace has been dealing in antiquities for over 30 years, and his clients include major international collectors as well as some of the world’s great museums such as the British Museum and the Ashmolean Museum in the UK; the Musée du Louvre, Paris; the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; the Antikenmuseum, Basel, and the Staatliche Museum in Munich.

Sadler Well’s Spring 2010 Season Features Three World Premieres

The Spring 2010 season at Sadler’s Wells includes three world premieres, 16 UK premieres, three Sadler’s Wells Productions, and seven Co-Commissions. It encompasses multi-cultural and cross-art form collaborations, national and international stars and emerging artists, plus a wide range of styles from flamenco to Bollywood and kathak to tango.

A season of almost 50 events, the Spring 2010 Season follows an unprecedented year of audience attendance, with over half a million people visiting the theatre. In keeping with the theatre’s mission to support groundbreaking work, April brings Sadler’s Wells’ critically acclaimed co-production with the Young Vic, Pictures from an Exhibition (photo). Premiering in May 2009 this remarkable work, directed by Daniel Kramer and choreographed by Frauke Requardt, redefines the relationship between dance and theatre. In May and July two Sadler’s Wells’ Associate Artists, Hofesh Shechter and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui present new works. The Lilian Baylis Studio continues to show smaller scale, experimental and highly imaginative works such as Ivana Müller’s Playing Ensemble Again & Again, many of which challenge perceptions of what dance is today.

At the London Coliseum, the Spring Dance partnership presents some of the finest companies from around the world. Particular highlights include the stellar Carlos Acosta dancing with his native company, Ballet Nacional de Cuba for the first time in the UK, and Mark Morris’ seminal work L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato with live music from English National Opera’s orchestra and soloists.

Drama and passion simmer throughout the season; from the annual Flamenco Festival, and the return of the Cuban hit Havana Rakatan reviving post-Christmas fatigue, to The Merchants of Bollywood electrifying the Peacock Theatre in May. Legendary guitarist Paco Peña returns in June, and the internationally acclaimed tango show Tanguera, making its UK premiere in August.

Sadler’s Wells Screen displays video clips of forthcoming and past shows, interviews with artists, footage of the theatre’s education and outreach projects, behind the scenes rehearsal footage and cutting edge new dance films that can be found at www.sadlerswells.com/screen .

New Opera Directed By Fiona Shaw Debuts April 24

Following its sell-out stagings of Lost Highway and Punch & Judy in 2008, and Katie Mitchell's video-driven After Dido in 2009, the English National Opera returns for a third season of cutting-edge theatrical excitement in its South Bank Show Award-winning partnership with the Young Vic.

Renowned for her passionate commitment as an actress, Fiona Shaw made her opera directing debut at ENO in 2008 with a production of Vaughan Williams’s setting of Synge's play Riders to the Sea. She now directs another 20th-century operatic masterpiece with an equally potent dramatic text. Co-written by W. H. Auden and his partner Chester Kallman, and set to music by Hans Werner Henze, Elegy for Young Lovers offers a savagely witty--and sometimes wryly self-referential--exposé of the creative ego and its insatiable need to feed off all around it. Step into an immersive, icy world that captures the work's dramatic setting in a remote inn high in the Alps, as the Young Vic is transformed by a stellar creative team in this highly anticipated new production. Performance dates: Apr 24 • 26 • 28 & May 1 • 4 • 6 • 8 at 7 pm at 66 The Cut, Waterloo.

The Young Vic first opened in 1970 as a place in which younger directors, designers, actors, writers and technicians could present the great works of the world repertoire, classics and, from time to time, new plays in exciting productions and at the lowest possible seat prices. Over the last thirty years, the company has established a powerful reputation at home and abroad and is now recognized as a major British theatre in which

young directors can develop and practice their art. Website: www.youngvic.org

March/April 2010

Master Paintings Week Returns To London In July

Following the success of London’s first Master Paintings Week in 2009, this year’s event will be held from July 3 to 10, 2010. This year the auction house Bonhams has joined Sotheby’s and Christie’s, and three new galleries: Deborah Gage (Works of Art) Ltd, Piacenti Art Gallery and Stair Sainty Ltd, to swell the numbers to 28 participants in this annual event.

Master Paintings Week is a collaboration between leading galleries and auction houses,

offering a wonderful selection of predominantly European paintings dating from the 15th to the 19th centuries, and coinciding with another dealer initiative, Master Drawings London (July 3 to 9, 2010). In addition to the auctions: Old Master Sales at Bonhams (July 8), Christie’s (July 6, 7) and 7 Sotheby’s (July 7, 8), each gallery will stage a special display or event. Many of the paintings have an untold story, a fascinating history or an important and newly discovered provenance.

The 2010 participating galleries are: Thos. Agnew & Sons, Verner Åmell, Charles Beddington, P&D Colnaghi & Co. Ltd, Simon C. Dickinson, Ben Elwes Fine Art, Deborah Gage, Richard Green, Johnny Van Haeften Ltd, Fergus Hall Master Paintings (exhibiting at Air Gallery), Derek Johns, John Mitchell Fine Paintings, Moatti Fine Arts, Moretti Fine Art, Philip Mould, Piacenti Art Gallery (exhibiting at Asian Art Gallery), Robilant & Voena, Sphinx Fine Art, Stair Sainty, William Thuillier, Michael Tollemache Fine Art, Trafalgar Galleries, Rafael Valls, The Weiss Gallery and Whitfield Fine Art. The three auction houses are Bonhams, Christie’s and Sotheby’s.

All these galleries are in the heart of London’s Mayfair and St James’s, a short walk from one another, and will be open during Master Paintings Week on Monday to Friday 10 am to 6 pm, Saturday 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday 12 noon to 5 pm. The auction houses will be open from 9 am to 4.30 pm Monday to Friday and 12 noon to 5 pm Saturday and Sunday. Website: www.masterpaintingsweek.co.uk

Philadelphia Firm Chosen To Design New US Embassy In London

In the hope of ending its reputation for Fortress America-style embassies, the US State

Department has selected a Philadelphia architecture firm known for its thoughtful and environmentally rigorous work to design a new, more welcoming US Embassy in London. The firm, KieranTimberlake, beat out three better-known finalists in a lengthy competition whose jury included top design-world figures, the State Department announced. This is only the fourth time the foreign service has held such a competition to select an embassy architect.

To be set on a site of almost five acres on the south side of the Thames River, the new structure will be positioned on an angle to the surrounding streets. A semicircular pond will function as a protective moat along the Thames side, while a spiraling landscape to the south sets the building away from potential car or truck bombs. A complex envelope of blast-resistant glass and a polymer skin (known as ETFE) will provide both security and energy efficiency while shading the building on its sun-exposed side

The new embassy, which is slated to break ground in 2013 and be completed by 2017, replaces the still controversial architectural landmark designed by Eero Saarinen at Grosvenor Square (opened in 1960). The relocation to the south side of the Thames in the industrial part of the Borough of Wandsworth not only exchanges a tony north Thames address for a gritty south side one, but it breaks a tradition of American diplomacy at Grosvenor Square dating to John Adams's appointment as the first U.S. minister to the Court of St. James's in 1785

Festival of Words Opens in East London

London Word Festival, which opened March 7, is an annual multi-venue festival that tests the limits of words in performance. Since 2008 the festival has swiftly gained a reputation for pioneering innovative approaches to cross-arts programming and generating new work in non-traditional spaces. Based in London’s vibrant East End, the festival has featured a wide range of artists from the fields of music, literature, comedy, theatre and live art. No form of verbal expression is left out of the London Word Festival, whether it's stand-up, shadow-puppetry, performance poetry or screen printing nuns, at a handful of venues in East London including Stoke Newington International Airport (not fit for flights), Bethnal Green Working Men's Club, Toynbee Theatre and The Courtyard Theatre. The line-up includes John Hegley, Robin Ince and Josie Long whose '100 Days' initiative prompts people to do one new thing each day for 100 days. Poet / filmmaker Iain Sinclair introduces a newly commissioned play, 'Shad Thames, Broken Wharf', at the Jamboree, while Toby Litt is among the authors at 'Avant! Noir', a night of new fiction, comic art and music. The festival ends April 1. Website: www.londonwordfestival.com

Tate Britain Presents Major Exhibition on Henry Moore

Radical, experimental and avant-garde, Henry Moore (1898–1986) was one of Britain's greatest artists. This stunning exhibition takes a fresh look at his work and legacy, presenting over 150 stone sculptures, wood carvings, bronzes and drawings.

Moore rebelled against his teachers' traditional views of sculpture, instead taking inspiration from non-Western works he saw in museums. He pioneered carving directly from materials, evolving his signature abstract forms derived from the human body.

This exhibition presents examples of the defining subjects of his work, such as the reclining figure, mother and child, abstract compositions and drawings of wartime London. The works are situated in the turbulent ebb and flow of twentieth-century history, sometimes uncovering a dark and erotically charged dimension that makes us look at them in a new light. The trauma of war, the advent of psychoanalysis, new ideas of sexuality, primitive art and surrealism all had an influence on Moore's work.

Drawings More produced during World War II as an Official War Artist are also on display. These drawings transformed Moore's reputation and helped build the popular perception of the Blitz. The show runs to August 15, 2010. Website: www.tate.org.uk/britain

ABBA World Pays Tribute To The Swedish Pop Group

Sequins and spangley seventies outfits take centre stage at ABBA World, an interactive exhibition which pays tribute to the phenomenally successful Swedish pop quartet. Making its world debut at Earls Court Exhibition Centre in Chelsea, the display dedicates 25 rooms to ABBA music, footage, images and never-before-displayed memorabilia. Highlights include a 'Perform with ABBA' bit where visitors get to perform on stage with Agnetha, Benny, Bjorn and Frida.

Entering the exhibition visitors can have their photograph taken so that they can appear on ABBA album covers, posters and the like. There are more interactive opportunities to sing along and dance with ABBA, and even see oneself star in an ABBA video. Abba World is on exhibit until March 28.

New Exhibition On Michelangelo Opens At Courtauld Gallery To Acclaim

Michelangelo’s (1475-1564) The Dream (Il Sogno) has been described as one of the finest of all Italian Renaissance drawings and it is among The Courtauld Gallery’s greatest treasures.  Executed in 1533 when the artist was at the height of his career, it exemplifies Michelangelo’s unrivalled skill as a draughtsman and his extraordinary powers of invention. The exhibition examines this celebrated work in the context of an exceptional group of closely related drawings by Michelangelo, as well as letters and poems by the artist and works by his contemporaries.

The Dream is one of Michelangelo’s ‘presentation drawings’, a magnificent and famous group of highly refined compositions, which the artist gave to his close friends.

 The Dream was probably one of a group of allegorical drawings which Michelangelo gave to the young Roman nobleman Tommaso de’ Cavalieri and which forms the heart of the exhibition, including The Punishment of Tityus, The Fall of Phaeton, A Bacchanal of Children and The Rape of Ganymede.

A special display of rare Italian 16th century drawings and prints from the Courtauld’s permanent collection complements the exhibition. Highlights of this rich group are three autograph drawings by Michelangelo, ranging from his early period in Florence to his very last years in Rome and covering both religious and pagan subjects.

The exhibition closes May 16, 2010. Website: www.courtauld.ac.uk/gallery   

Lloyd Webber’s Sequel To Phantom Of The Opera Opens In London

Running until October 23, 2010, the sequel to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera opened at the Adelphi Theatre this month. The musical Love Never Dies is Lloyd Webber’s long awaited show. The musical continues the story started in the 1986 musical, The Phantom of the Opera, based on the French novel by Gaston Leroux. The plot centers on ten years after The Phantom mysteriously disappeared from the Paris Opera House, when the heroine accepts an offer to travel to America and perform at New York's fabulous new playground – Coney Island. She arrives in New York with her husband and their young son, and soon discovers the identity of the anonymous impresario who has lured her from France to sing—the phantom.

The play opened to mixed reviews but it will be sure to entice fans of the original play that has been seen by more than 100 million people around the world and which has won 50 awards. Website: http://www.adelphitheatre.co.uk/

New Show At Estorick Collection Showcases Ten London Contemporary Artists

The Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art is presenting Another Country:  London Painters in dialogue with Modern Italian Art, from April 28 June 20, 2009. This exhibition will showcase the reaction of ten London-based contemporary painters to the work of 20th century Italian artists. 

The artists have formed a group based on friendship rather than by any shared style or technique, and staged a group show in Italy in 2007.  For this exhibition, each member of the group has opened a visual dialogue with a particular artist represented in the Estorick Collection or, in the case of Ida Barbarigo and Filippo de Pisis, closely connected to those so represented. 

The approaches taken by the artists to their chosen ‘friendship’ have been varied.  Despite exhibiting together in Italy and the fact that two of the artists (Lino Mannocci and Arturo di Stefano) are Italian by birth or parentage, the link between these artists and their chosen interlocutor is often understated.  These links are explored further by Brendan Prendeville of Goldsmiths College, University of London, in his essay for the catalogue accompanying the show.

Artists taking part are Tony Bevan and Arturo di Stefano (who have each chosen Giorgio Morandi), Luke Elwes (Zoran Music), Tim Hyman (Mario Sironi), Andrej Jackowski (Carlo Carrà), Merlin James (Medardo Rosso), Glenys Johnson (Ida Barbarigo), Alex Lowery (Filippo de Pisis), Lino Mannocci (De Chirico and Carrà – Metaphysical period), and Thomas Newbolt (Marino Marini). Website: www.estorickcollection.com 

February, 2010

Lady Gaga Performs At O2 In February

The Lady Gaga circus rolls into town this February for a two-night stand February 26 and 27 as the multi-million album-selling singer performs back-to-back concerts at The O2 arena in the London burb of Greenwich. Expect classic Fame singles such as Poker Face and Paparazzi to be given an airing at London's premier live music venue - as well as new darker material from her revamped album,

Since opening in 2007 The O2 Arena has taken the music world by storm, hosting some of the world's best music, sports and entertainment. 2010 is looking like another blockbuster for The O2 with more exclusive and top-class content including the world's biggest screening of Mamma Mia! The Movie; Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton, Dizzee Rascal and Lily Allen, Peter Gabriel, Whitney Houston, Black Eyed Peas, Rihanna, Michael Buble, Rod Stewart, and the return of Julie Andrews to the London stage after 30 years. Star Wars In Concert on April 3 and 4, incorporates music, film clips and live narration, along with an exhibition of memorabilia from the Star Wars movies. Composer and conductor John Williams will conduct the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.  And this summer O2 presents its first full-blow opera, Carmen, and a summer residency by Bon Jovi will be sure to delight fans.

New Extension For The Tate Modern’s Gets Underway

Work has begun on Tate Modern's £215m re-development this month. The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, launched the start of preparatory building works in the oil tanks

of the former power station at Bankside in early January. The extension will add a further 5,000 square meters of gallery space to the iconic London venue, doubling the size of the existing building and boosting its available event space. "The new Tate Modern development will be an iconic, world-class addition to London's skyline," said Tate Director Nicholas Serota. "We are delighted that the Mayor of London has taken with us the first steps towards its realization. We look forward to creating one of the most exciting cultural buildings in Europe, which will bring direct benefits to Southwark and London as a whole."

The £215m ($346 million) project is expected to be completed in time for the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. Five million people a year currently visit Tate Modern.

New Production of Midsummer Night’s Dream Opens At Kingston Rose Theatre

A new production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Nights Dream directed by Peter Hall directs is being presented at The Rose Theatre, Kingston. Film, TV and stage actress Judi Dench is Titania the Fairy Queen, played in this production as a portrait of the ageing Queen Elizabeth I who is fascinated with the theatre, besieged by courtiers but "married to the people of England".

Peter Hall and Dame Judi Dench have a theatrical partnership that stretches back nearly 50 years when Dench first played Titania for Hall with the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1962; and they have subsequently worked together on plays including as Antony and Cleopatra (National Theatre), The Royal Family (Haymarket) and Hay Fever (West End).

The Rose Theatre at Kingston Upon Thames opened in January 2008. The design of the auditorium took its inspiration from the Elizabethan Rose Theatre, situated on London's Bankside.

48 London Restaurants Awarded Michelin Stars

London once again celebrates its culinary success as 48 restaurants are awarded Michelin

Stars in the 2010 Michelin Guide – proving that the capital remains one of the World’s leading cities for gourmet cuisine. Among the 6 London newcomers awarded one star in the prestigious list are Indian restaurant Tamarind in Mayfair, Galvin at Windows located atop Hilton Park Lane and Bingham Restaurant at Bingham Hotel in Richmond, recently awarded Best Gastronomic Experience at the 2009 Visit London Awards.

The Ledbury in Kensington moved up the list to two stars this year, while Alain Ducasse joined Gordon Ramsay in achieving the coveted three stars for his restaurant at The Dorchester. Ramsay’s eponymous Chelsea Restaurant retained its three stars for the 9th consecutive year.

Michelin has been producing guides for Britain since 1911 with a stand-alone London edition launched in 1974. Stars are awarded to establishments serving cuisine of the highest quality as a result of independent, regular and anonymous visits from inspectors.

A Look At January Openings On The London Theatre Circuit

Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot returned to the Theatre Royal Haymarket for an 11-week run that ends April 3, following its hugely successful run here last year. Ian McKellen reprises the role of Estragon while Vladimir, previously played by Patrick Stewart, is taken on by Roger Rees. In a "play in which nothing happens, twice" (Vivian Mercier, Irish Times, 1956) two men wait by a tree in an unknown location at an unknown time for an unknown someone by the name of Godot. A stranger Pozzo (Matthew Kelly) and his slave Lucky (Ronald Pickup) pass through, a messenger from Godot arrives and leaves and then there's act two; a slight variation on what's just happened in act one. To all intents and purposes, nothing much happens.

A new production of Harold Pinter's classic drama The Caretaker opened this month at Trafalgar Studios. Cinema star Jonathan Pryce takes on the role of the down-at-heel tramp Davies. The story sees Davies take shelter in a dilapidated London flat with two strangers, Aston and Mick, who later turn out to be brothers. Davies, who is concerned about getting to Sidcup to pick up his "papers" which apparently explain who he is, becomes the butt of the brothers' power games in a play that manages to be both frightening and funny. It closes April 17.

Lucy Prebble's contemporary drama charting the infamous financial scandal surrounding Enron transferred to the West End's Noel Coward Theatre following a sell-out run at the Royal Court Theatre last year. Directed by Rupert Gold, Enron is inspired by the headline grabbing real-life events surrounding the fraudulent accounting scheme at the $100 million American energy company that went bust in 2001. Using music, dance and video, Enron explores one of the most infamous scandals in financial history, reviewing the tumultuous events in the 1990s, leading up to the very public enquiry, and the dissolution of the company’s accounting firm Arthur Andersen. The play closes May 8.

Other shows that opened in January for limited engagements are a new experimental reworking of Chekov’s Three Sisters at the Lyric Hammersmith until February 20; The Little Dog Laughed at the Garrick Theatre--Douglas Carter Beane's Tony award-nominated satire on show business set in New York—running until April 10; and Every Good Boy Deserves Favour at the National Theatre--Tom Stoppard and Andre Previn's play about a Soviet dissident forced to share a cell with a madman who believes he has an orchestra under his control—until February 21.

At the Old Vic, a stunning revival of John Guare's Olivier Award-winning play Six Degrees of Separation—it first opened on Broadway in 1990)—and will run until April 3. Frank McGuinness' neo-Chekhovian play Greta Garbo Came to Donegal enjoys a six-week run until February 20 at The Tricycle theatre. The play’s plot revolves the Swedish silent-movie star Greta Garbo who descends upon the Irish town of Donegal, when Ireland was on the verge of violent change and leaves havoc in her wake.

And finally the rock 'n' roll musical Dreamboats and Petticoats, transferred to the Playhouse Theatre from the Savoy Theatre for an extended West End run until May 29, will have your toes tapping to the tunes of the 1950’s and ‘60s.

London’s Tower Bridge Offers Special Valentine’s Night View

The Tower Bridge Exhibition inside one of the world’s most famous bridges is offering a special Valentine’s Day event. On the evening of February 14, 2010, the spectacular

high-level Walkways of the Bridge will be transformed into a fabulously romantic setting with amazing panoramic views of the City. Sweet scented flowers, seductive lighting and live string music set the scene as guests sip pink champagne and take in the twinkling, nighttime view over London and the Thames River. Tower Bridge - floodlit - is romantic enough," says Bridge Master Eric Sutherns, "but the Valentine's view from inside seems to sweep people off their feet.  Proposals are often made and celebrated in these Walkways: Valentine couples can even hold their wedding or their reception here at Tower Bridge."

To ensure that sweet nothings reach only the right ears, guests are asked to pre-book a time for their Valentine's visit, with a choice of evening admission at 8.30, 9.30, 10.30 and 11.30.  Spaces are limited, so early booking is advised at www.lastminute.com.

Escape Winter At Kew Garden’s Tropical Extravaganza

Visit the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew’s ‘Tropical Extravaganza’ and be transported from the frosts of February to a sizzling orchid oasis dripping with color. Set in the balmy tropical zone of the Princess of Wales Conservatory, the Tropical Extravaganza is a spectacle of thousands of vibrant orchids and bromeliads. The show runs from February 6 to March 7, 2010.

Kew Gardens is home to one of the world's oldest and most comprehensive collection of living orchids – the largest family of flowering plants on the planet – and this festival will showcase their broad diversity. Wander through the Princess of Wales Conservatory past bright bursts of color erupting out of the tropical foliage. Tunnels dripping with orchids and bromeliads will lead visitors to the glasshouse’s central pond where an island made up of orchids and tropical plants with diverse colors and shapes will celebrate plant biodiversity. This dramatic display will include spiky Miltassias, spiralling Dendrobiums and cockleshell orchids (Prosthechea cochleata) with their octopus shaped flowers.

The festival is also an opportunity to learn about the diverse characteristics of orchids, their importance to people and vulnerability in the wild. The 25,000 described species of orchid range from the subtle and dainty to the flamboyantly glamorous, many of which are endangered and threatened in the wild. Orchids represent approximately 10 percent of the world’s flowering plants most of which thrive in the tropics. The Waterlily House will also be transformed with displays highlighting Kew’s work around the world to protect plants, particularly in biodiversity hotspots such as Madagascar.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, (11 February to 4 March 2010), tour Kew's orchid nurseries in the Tropical Nursery, usually closed to the public. Learn about the techniques Kew's orchid experts use to care for the collection of living orchids. The tours are also an opportunity to ask about caring for tropical plants at home. At 6,500 square meters the Tropical Nursery is even larger than the Temperate House and home to thousands of plants housed in 21 climatic zones. In here, thousands of plants are raised for research and display out in the glass houses.

Located ten miles from the center of London, Kew Gardens is accessible by public transportation.

The Tree at Trafalgar Square

Photo courtesy of and © Will Amlot

The London Scene

December 2009

Medieval & Renaissance Galleries Open At The Victoria & Albert Museum

The V&A's new Medieval & Renaissance Galleries are home to one of the world's most remarkable collection of treasures from the period spanning 1000 years. Occupying an entire wing of the V&A, ten newly designed galleries present the medieval and Renaissance collections together

The galleries took seven years to fill with more than 1,800 ravishing objects. In the central courtyard, light streams through the glass roof on to a fountain surrounded by sculptures from the gardens of kings and merchant princes. The adjoining galleries blaze with color from enamel and gold, jewels and tapestries, stained glass and ceramics.

Another room heaves with luxury objects specially commissioned or imported from the east which filled the homes of the wealthy, including a humble pair of stirrups re-imagined as pieces of jeweler in iron, gold and silver. Such opulent armor, curator Glyn Davies says, had the status of "a cross today between a hand-tailored suit and a luxury sports car".

Some of the most famous names in Renaissance art are represented in the displays. A wax model no bigger than a pepper grinder still bears the nail and finger indentations of Michelangelo; another gallery holds the best collection outside Italy of reliefs by the 15th-century sculptor Donatello

The new galleries, the most spectacular addition to the museum since the British Galleries opened eight years ago, complete the first phase of the £120 million redisplay of the whole museum. Website: www.vam.ac.uk/

Royal Festival Hall Presents Its Annual Christmas Cabaret

A Christmas cabaret in Royal Festival Hall at the Southbank Centre running from

December 15 to 24 is featuring an array of guest stars from the worlds of music, magic and comedy, including the legendary Ronnie Corbett. Hosted by queen of the quips Sandi Toksvig and a house band, the show is a joyous mix of music and comedy. It features festive sing-a-longs and, in time-honored tradition, a re-working of a much-loved period drama in the form of a hilarious romp through Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, written by Sandi Toksvig; and a specially commissioned Christmas anthem by Fascinating Aida's Dillie Keane. Each performance will have the same format, although star guests will vary through the show's ten-day run.

The 20 December performance is captioned and has speech-to-text reporting. Website:

http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk

The Snowman Returns To London's Peacock Theatre For Christmas

A firm favorite in London's festive calendar, The Snowman returns to the Peacock

Theatre this Christmas for its 12th consecutive year! The story takes place on Christmas Eve when a young boy's snowman miraculously comes to life. The pair flies off through the night on a magical adventure. Along the way they meet a sparkling array of snowmen and snowwomen, dancing penguins, magical reindeer, a beautiful snow princess, the evil Jack Frost and, Father Christmas himself.

The charming story of The Snowman first appeared as a beautifully illustrated book written by Raymond Briggs in 1978. The book went on to inspire a BAFTA-winning animated film that was first shown on television on Christmas Eve in 1982. Since then, the film and the show have become an established part of Christmas tradition. The production is suitable for children aged 2 and over. Website: http://www.sadlerswells.com/show/The-Snowman-09

Christmas Doings At The Museum of London

This winter Museum of London are celebrating the release of Disney’s new animated film, A Christmas Carol, with a special series of Victorian and Christmas events for adults and families. Discover how Dickens invented Christmas, uncover darkest Victorian London, examine items relating to the life and times of Dickens, make your own festive Victorian trinket to decorate your home and hear staff from Disney’s team explain how Disney's film was created. Visit www.museumoflondon.org.uk for details of individual events.

Medieval Christmas Events At Hampton Court Palace & Tower Of London

This Christmas is special as it takes place in the year of Henry VIII’s 500th anniversary of becoming king, so at Hampton Court Palace the best Tudor festivities including games, dancing, music and feasting are being held.  Henry’s Great Kitchens will also be a hive of activity as the Tudor Cooks prepare and present a Christmas feast fit for a king! To mark this special year, the Tudor Cookery will take place over a longer period than usual, from December 27 to January 3, 2010. Website: www.hrp.org.uk/hamptoncourtpalace/   

At the Tower of London from December 27 to 31, celebrate the season during the time of King Edward I. It’s Christmas 1284 and at the Tower join in the jovial atmosphere of King Edward’s court as entertainers perform around you, musicians play and sing and fools make you laugh.  Accompany the king and his court as they gather for traditional tales and fun aplenty! There’s also the colorful ceremony of the Christmas State Parade on December 20. Website: http://www.hrp.org.uk/toweroflondon/

In 2009/2010, the travel peak is expected to take place between December 29 and 31 (trains especially on December 30) with people leaving the big cities and on January 2 and 3 in the opposite direction.

Celebrate New Year’s Day With The Big Parade

The annual New Year’s Day Parade in London marks the parade’s 24th anniversary this year. The Parade starts at 12 Noon on Piccadilly at the junction with Berkeley Street outside the Ritz Hotel. The parade then winds its way to Piccadilly Circus, Lower Regent Street, Waterloo Place, Pall Mall, Cockspur Street, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall and finishes around 3pm at Parliament Street.

November, 2009

2000-Year-Old Vase Authenticated

The vase is one of only 16 known in the world and was brought to the attention of the world by experts from Bonhams Auction house. Possibly the most important of its kind on the planet, the 33.5 inch high vase would have been made for only the well-heeled Romans in about the first century.It is similar to the incomplete and damaged Portland Vase held in the British Museum, but is bigger and far more decorative.

It is owned by a collector "from the continent" who took it to Bonhams in London to be identified.Though the owner was said to be aware that it was of high quality, he had no idea just how significant it was. At present, there are no plans for it to be auctioned and scholars could be studying it for decades to come.

Made by the Roman Empire's finest craftsmen, the vase was formed by two pieces of glass, one cobalt blue and the other white. After cooling it was cut down to create the cameo-style decoration.All known examples were made within the space of about two generations, experts believe. Chantelle Rountree, head of antiquities at Bonhams, said: "It is of major international importance. Academically and artistically it is priceless.

Experts from the auction house are continuing to study it. They have not put a monetary value of the vase, but said ultimately it might go on display.

The Portland Vase in the British Museum served as an inspiration to many glass and porcelain makers from about the beginning of the 18th century onwards. Wedgwood's work was clearly influenced by the vase that has now been usurped as the finest example of its kind. The Portland vase stands just nine inches high, is missing its base and has been restored three times. It is supposed to have been discovered by Fabrizio Lazzaro in the sepulchre of the Emperor Alexander Severus, at Monte del Grano near Rome, and excavated in about 1582.

Two Baroque Extravaganza Concerts Scheduled For St. Martin-in-the-Fields

This historic church of St Martin-in-the-Fields overlooking Trafalgar Square was designed by James Gibbs and built in 1726. This November St Martin-in-the-Fields hosts two Baroque Extravaganza concerts with music from the acclaimed Feinstein Ensemble on November 13 and 28. The programs of both concerts are largely similar but the first, Friday's slightly shorter candlelit offering (November 13) starts with Handel's famous Water Music Suite in G, while the second concert, on a Sunday (November 28), has two additional pieces by Vivaldi to showcase Martin Feinstein's delightful flute- and recorder-playing. The Feinstein Ensemble is renowned for its baroque repertoire, especially the groundbreaking BBC recording of Bach's six Brandenburg Concerti. For program scheduling or tickets, visit http://www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org/jserv/concerts/view.jsp?id=2838&command=concert

London Blows Up During November

November is the month that likes to go with a bang and an explosive one at that. Bonfire Night on November 5 marks Guy Fawkes' failed plot to blow up Parliament with the kind of pyrotechnics Fawkes could only dream of. This year there's a host of fireworks displays, processions, festivals and funfairs planned across the capital. There are always huge displays in Ravenscourt Park to the west, Victoria Park to the east and Clapham Common in the south. The biggest of the capital's fireworks is the finale to the Lord Mayor's Show with a parade and RAF flypast as well as the pyrotechnics. With more than half a ton of fireworks released in half an hour, sky rocketing over the Thames, it's an awe inspiring sight that can be seen for miles around. he Lord Mayor's Show features possibly the most dangerous and amazing of all the public fireworks shows in the capital: river barges are piled high with explosives and set adrift on the Thames with several fearless firework-ers on board. This annual event has been taking over the streets of London for nearly 800 years now with a parade which involves over 6,000 people, military marching bands, Chinese acrobats, a procession of decorated floats and a gilded State Coach that the Lord Mayor travels in.

The procession starts at 11am with an RAF flypast and goes on until about 2.30 pm, covering the whole area between Bank and Aldwych with the mayor departing from Mansion House for the Royal Courts of Justice where he takes an oath of allegiance to the Queen. Between the procession and the fireworks you can take part in a free guided walk which starts at 3 pm departing from No 1 Poultry. The day finishes with one of London's most impressive fireworks displays at 5 pm, set off from a barge moored in the Thames between Blackfriars and Waterloo Bridges. The best vantage points to watch from tend to be around Embankment and Gabriel's Wharf.

Festive fun at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre During Yuletide

For the first time ever, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London will open over the festive season. The Footsbarn Theatre will present Christmas Cracker, a family show of carnival, comedy, magic, music, dance, puppets and circus. The show promises a midwinter celebration of London’s rich, bawdy, pagan past, drawing from festive traditions and inspired by the complete works of Shakespeare.

The Globe theatre is an open-air venue, so the show will have two half-hour acts, with mulled wine and hot food for sale in the interval. Footsbarn’s characters include a poetry-reciting, three-headed Shakespeare who discovers words that have never been heard before, an accordion-playing worm and Juliet walking the tightrope while playing the violin. The Lord of Misrule will reign over the Feast of Fools.

The production will run for 18 performances between December 22 and January 3 with a combination of shows at 11 am, 2 pm and 5.30 pm.  Website: www.shakespeares-globe.org

Holiday Season Launches November 3 With Christmas Lights Switch On

London will kick off a massive celebration bringing back the spirit of Christmas that Charles Dickens depicted in the classic A Christmas Carol on November 3. On that date

the famous Christmas Lights on Regent Street and Oxford Street will, for the first time in history, not only be switched on simultaneously, but will share the same theme based on Disney’s film verson of Dickens famous story. The film’s world premiere takes place at three of London's leading cinemas in Leicester Square creating the UK's biggest ever 3D screening, where the stars of the film Jim Carrey, Colin Firth, Robin Wright Penn, Bob Hoskins and Academy Award(R)-winning filmmaker Robert Zemeckis will come together to greet guests and media from around the world. Tickets will be available for the public to take part in the world premiere which is in support of Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity. A donation will be made to Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity (Registered Charity no. 235825) as part of Disney's partnership with the hospital, to help towards an ongoing Disney campaign to raise an invaluable GBP10 million towards their much-needed redevelopment appeal.

From November 3 until January 5, The City of London and the West End's most famous streets, Regent Street and Oxford Street will echo to a series of public concerts, events and a world record gathering of carol singers in a joyful celebration of the nation's favorite time of year.

Tickets to the World Premiere are now on sale at http://www.londonschristmascarol.com 

Attractions

October 2009

For A Scary Halloween London’s The Place To Be

New York may have its annual Halloween parade but there’s nothing compared to what London is planning in the way of spooky events. This year, a bevy of scary attractions and activities to celebrate the macabre holiday are scheduled to scare visitors and residents alike. Here’s a sampling:

-- The Scare Witch Trials at the London Dungeon—October 17 to 31, 2009

This Halloween all hell lets loose as visits pick their way through clawing bony branches of the Dungeon’s creaking woodlands where the Scare Witch darts between the shadows ready to pounce on the lost and unwary. Should one make it through the darkness of the dungeons’ hellish Halloween forest alive, then prepare to face the witch-finder general in the dungeons’ 17th century courtroom. Be prepared to stand trial as he searches out the witches among your group to sentenced for horrendous witch crimes. And what will be their fate? Will it be the Stake, banishment to the Duck Pond for a witch dunking or simply a long drop through a short noose. Guilty or not, once past judgement, visitors enter the Dungeon’s terrifying scare tunnel of wicked witches. More information at www.thedungeons.com

-- London Canal Museum--October 30 to 31, 2009

The Halloween trip is a unique spooky journey through Islington Tunnel on board of a narrow boat specially decorated for the occasion with a friendly witch amongst the crew. Guests should be prepared for some surprises in the darkness of the 185-year-old tunnel! There will also be ghost storytelling in the museum telling and very brave visitors can explore the corridor of fear with horrible noises and pictures. Website: http://www.canalmuseum.org.uk/whatson/halloween.htm

-- London Bridge Experience--October 30 to 31, 2009

The Phobophobia Halloween Show at The London Bridge Experience and London Tombs will challenge visitor’s phobias like claustrophobia, the fear of witches, blood, raw meat and snakes. There is also a special daytime family show, plus all the permanent attractions, including haunted tunnels beneath London Bridge. The bridge is located between the City of London and Southwark in London, England, over the River Thames. Situated between Cannon Street Railway Bridge and Tower Bridge, it forms the western end of the Pool of London. On the south side of the bridge are Southwark Cathedral and London Bridge station; on the north side are the Monument to the Great Fire of London and Monument tube station. Haunted House Family Fun Day

Imagining the Impossible: The Truth about Spirit Photography

-- British Library--October 31, 2009, 2pm-4pm

Images of departed spirits, ghosts and ectoplasm captured on photographs became a huge sensation between the 1860s and 1930s. As spiritualist mediums and their many clients, even including establishment figures such as Arthur Conan Doyle, enthused about these miraculous messages, others sought to uncover widespread fraud. An entertaining illustrated talk, especially for Halloween, by Gordon Rutter, Head of the Charles Fort Institute and scholar of strange experiences and anomalous phenomena.

The following day, November 1, the museum celebrates Mexico’s Day of the Dead the entire day with special performances, carnival processions and a special display of macabre papier mâché Day of the Dead figures from Mexico. Website: www.britishmuseum.org 

-- Museum of London--October 31 at 6 to 8 pm

Join the team from the Museum of London for a spooky Halloween stroll through Smithfield looking at the darker side of London. Uncover tales of haunting, churchyard murders, half-starved inmates, body snatchers, public executions and burning at the stake. Participants can find out where a Scots Patriot was executed more than 700 years ago, where a ghostly monk still haunts his church and about the Black Dog of Newgate. Website: www.museumoflondon.org.uk

-- Royal Observatory, October-31 to November 1, 2009

The Royal Observatory in Greenwich is presenting its Planetarium Show Halloween Skies live by an astronomer who will explain what myths and superstitions connect the night sky and Halloween and why this spooky festival occurs in October. The Halloween prize trail at the Observatory investigates aspects of astronomy with a Halloween theme and a short talk explores superstitions and spooky traditions associated with the Moon in the Modern Astronomy Centre. Website: http://www.nmm.ac.uk/visit/events/halloween-skies

-- Hampton Court Palace, October 31 to March 7, 2010

Guests at Hampton Court Palace are invited to walk in the historic footsteps of kings, queens and thousands of courtiers to discover eerie tales of hundreds of years of hauntings. The court's paranormal residents might even join you as you wander through their beautiful palace by night! Jane Seymour, King Henry VIII's third wife is said to wander through Clock Court. The ghost of Henry's fifth wife Catherine Howard who was sentenced to death at the Tower of London reportedly still lingers in the corridors of the Haunted Gallery. The palace is located next to the River Thames to the south west of London. Website: http://www.hrp.org.uk/HamptonCourtPalace/

-- The Original London Ghost Festival 2009—October 23 to 31, 2009

This year's events will include a ghost watch at the London Dungeon, entitled Hell-oween, a scare performance called Asylum Hill, a candlelight tour of St Bartholomew, the most haunted church in London, haunted history walks, a lecture by Society of Psychical Research, a ghostly bus tour, a charity Halloween Ball at Charlton House, unique spectral tour of the notoriously haunted Chislehurst Caves, 5 free lunchtime talks and a paranormal investigation at the Cabinet War Rooms. A schedule of events can be found at http://www.londonparanormal.com/lgf.htm.

-- Halloween Zombie Ball at t Old Queens Head—October 31, 2009, 8 pm to 2 am. Fee

The Old Queens Head, one of London's most haunted pubs, will be setting the scene for a Halloween Zombie Ball. Guests in costumes will be rewarded with treats and Zombie face painting on arrival. Prizes will also be available for the scariest costumes. Music will be provided by Mr. Thing who has performed with the likes of the Beastie Boys and Run DMC. A special range of Halloween cocktails such as Zombie Iced Tea, Blood Transfusion and The Old Queen's Head are also on offer. More information at http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/pubsandbars/halloween-at-london-bars-feature-3291.html, which also lists other London watering, holes celebrating Halloween.

New Italian Ceramics Show Opens at the Estorick Collection Of Modern Art

A selection of works from the Bernd and Eva Hockemeyer Collection of twentieth-

century Italian ceramic art--Terra Incognita: Italy's Ceramic Revival—is the feature show at the Estorick Collection. The exhibition highlights Italy's rich creativity during the interwar and postwar period that saw the emergence of different styles, aesthetic ideas and concepts. All works in this exhibition are executed in the historic medium of clay and most, including sculptures and vases by Lucio Fontana (photo), Marino Marini and Fausto Melotti, and are being shown to the British public for the first time. The exhibit closes December 20. Website: www.estorickcollection.com

International Voices Series at London's Southbank Centre

The Southbank Centre presents the second of its acclaimed International Voices series, featuring opera superstars from around the world from September 30 to May 31, 2010. There are 14 concerts to enjoy, including celebrity recitals, operas-in-concert, oratorio and vocal concerts.

Expect variety too; the diverse repertoire includes Gregorian chant, recitals, Broadway songs, Polish jazz and world premieres by seven leading British composers.

Highlights of International Voices 2009/10 include:

--Angela Gheorghiu, Royal Festival Hall, October 2

--Renée Fleming, Southbank Centre, November 3--The American lyric soprano and nine-time Grammy nominee performs arias by Cilea, Puccini and Mascagni, plus the Letter Scene from Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin

Bryn Terfel, Royal Festival Hall, November 11--The Welsh baritone presents his new programme, Bad Boys: arias by operatic villains, Scarpia from Tosca, Faust's Méphistofélès, Iago from Otello and Porgy and Bess's Sporting Life

-- Anna Netrebko and Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Southbank Centre, January 18, 2010--

A joint concert postponed from May 2009, featuring arias and duets by Donizetti, Dvořák Gounod, Leoncavallo, Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Verdi and Wagner.

As well as featuring operatic superstars, the eclectic program includes everything from Broadway and Polish jazz to performances of Porgy and Bess by South Africa's only repertory opera company., the Cape Town Opera company; the Choir and Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment; the London Philharmonic Orchestra; American Broadway divas Claron McFadden and Roberta Alexander; and Polish jazz singer/songwriter and pianist Anna Maria Jopek. Website: http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk

London’s Annual Dance Umbrella 2009 Opens October 6

Since 1978, Dance Umbrella has commissioned, produced and presented new dance in London every year since 1978. This year, the groundbreaking festival returns with a

fantastic program of new dance works by established performers and fresh talent from around the world. Highlights of Dance Umbrella 2009, which runs until November 7, include:

-- African Crossroads: a bold program of dance by African performers from Mali, Senegal, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Congo and Kenya, various venues, October 9 to 24, 2009.

-- Michael Clark Company: UK premiere of a new work inspired by the music of David Bowie, Iggy Pop and Lou Reed, Barbican, October 28 to November 7.

-- Mark Morris Dance Group: two dance programs from the Brooklyn, New York-based company (photo above), including two UK premieres at the Sadler's Wells, October 27 to 31, 2009.

-- Wind Shadow: UK premiere of the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan collaboration between choreographer Lin Hwai-Min and Beijing Olympics visual artist Cai Guo-Qiang, Barbican, October 6 to 10

-- Inbal Pinto & Avshallom Pollak Dance Company: the Israeli dance company presents the UK premiere of Hydra, Southbank Centre, October 18-to 19.

-- Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company: double bill with a world premiere and the critically acclaimed Faultline, Southbank Centre, October 21 to 22.

-- Wendy Houstoun with the UK premiere of Keep Dancing, Battersea Arts Centre, October 22 to 24 and November 5 to 7.

-- Last Touch First: Chekhov-inspired dance from acclaimed Dutch choreographer Jiří Kylián and collaborator Michael Schumacher, The Place, October 30 to 31.

Other venues taking part in the festival include London's Royal Opera House, Laban and Stratford Circus. Website: http://www.danceumbrella.co.uk

Major Exhibition on Moctezuma Opens At The British Museum

The new exhibition on the life of the last elected Aztec emperor-- Moctezuma --is on

display at the British Museum. This fascinating exhibition explores the complex and semi-mythical life and reign of Moctezuma II, and traces the foundations of modern Mexico.

Moctezuma consolidated Aztec control over an empire that stretched from the shores of the Pacific to the Gulf of Mexico, from 1502 to 1520. From his reputation as a successful and cunning warrior to his mysterious death, the exhibition re-examines popular interpretations of Moctezuma. Included in the show are recent archaeological discoveries and iconic material from Mexico and Europe, many for the first time in the UK. The exhibition presents masterpieces of Aztec craftsmanship including works commissioned by Moctezuma himself, which bear his image and his name glyph. The show closes January 24, 2010

A related exhibition—Revolution on Paper—accompanies the show. On display are Mexican prints 1910 to 1960. The exhibit runs from October 22 to April 5, 2010.

Website: www.britishmuseum.org

Theatre Offerings In London’s West End This Fall

Frank, Sammy & Dean: The Rat Pack Live From Las Vegas just opened at the Adelphi Theater for two-month stint. The production relives the golden era of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, and Dean Martin whose the hit songs are legendary. For 10 years, The Rat Pack Live From Las Vegas has toured the world, with more than 1,000 performances in the West End and celebrated runs in the UK, Europe, America and Canada. Now a new production of the Olivier Award-nominated show comes to London's West End.

The fun doesn't stop when The Rat Pack Live From Las Vegas ends, as the Adelphi Theatre is also hosting a special Christmas edition. Christmas With The Rat Pack that takes place from November 24 to January 3, 2010.

Who are the Rat Pack? In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Las Vegas was the home of glitz, glamour and, of course, the Rat Pack--Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr and Dean Martin--who would perform at the famous Sands hotel, accompanied by the Berrelli Sisters. It was at the Sands that the trio (with Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford) first performed – during the filming of Ocean's Eleven in 1960. From then on they were known as the Rat Pack. Website: http://www.adelphitheatre.co.uk/current-show.htm

Another highly acclaimed play An Inspector Calls is currently at the Novello Theatre for an eight-week run, closing November 14 2009.

Directed by Stephen Daldry', the production is led by Nicholas Woodeson in the role of Inspector Goole. Woodeson, who played the same role on Broadway back in 1994, is joined by David Roper, Sandra Duncan, Marianne Oldham, Robin Whiting, Timothy Watson and Diana Payne Myers.

Written by English dramatist J B Priestley, the classic thriller, which takes place just before the onset of World War I, begins when the mysterious Inspector Goole arrives unexpectedly at the well-to-do Birling family home. Their peaceful dinner party is shattered by the inspector's investigations into their involvement in the death of a young woman, who each has exploited in some way. His startling revelations shake up their lives, challenging them (and the audience) to examine their consciences.

The play originally premiered in Moscow, in 1945, directed by Alexander Tairov. The West End debut was at London's New Theatre on  October 1, 1946, starring Ralph Richardson as Inspector Goole. Current director Stephen Daldry first presented his acclaimed revival in 1992 at London's National Theatre. Website: http://www.aninspectorcalls.com/ 

July/August 2009

Le Cirque Invisible Returns To Southbank Centre In August

Jean-Baptiste Thierree and Victoria Chaplin's Le Cirque Invisible is returning to

Southbank Centre in August. Last performed in the UK in 1996, this much-loved cult show has continued to tour extensively worldwide. Now, Chaplin and Thierrée return with their unique blend of entertainment to capture the imagination of a new generation. With the help of simple domestic props, elaborate costumes and a strong sense of visual artistry, Chaplin and Thierrée conjure a world of uncanny illusion and fantastical transformations. Performances at Queen Elizabeth Hall from August 4 to 23, 2009.For information and tickets, visit http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/calendar?action=production&production=47463.

Clarence House Opens Its Doors To The Public In August And September

From August 5 to September 27, 2009, Clarence House, the official residence of The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, opens up to the public. From 1953 to 2002 it was the home of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.

On display are the ground-floor rooms where official engagements take place, and The Queen Mother’s art collection including outstanding 20th-century paintings by John Piper, Graham Sutherland, WS Sickert and Augustus John. Superb examples of Fabergé, English porcelain and silver, particularly pieces relating to the Bowes-Lyon family are also on display.

For more information contact the Royal Collection on 020 7766 7303 or bookinginfo@royalcollection.org.uk.

Buckingham Palace Staterooms Also Open During August and September

Buckingham Palace serves as both the office and London residence of Her Majesty The Queen, as well as the administrative headquarters of the Royal Household. During August and September when The Queen makes her annual visit to Scotland, the Palace's 19 staterooms are open to visitors. The State Rooms form the heart of the working palace and are lavishly furnished with some of the greatest treasures from the Royal Collection - paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Poussin and Canaletto; sculpture by Canova; exquisite examples of Sèvres porcelain; and some of the finest English and French furniture. 

As part of the Summer Opening of the State Rooms, an exhibition of dresses, jewels, photographs, and gifts presented to Her Majesty by the people of the Commonwealth is on display at Buckingham Palace.  Queen & Commonwealth: The Royal Tour celebrates the 60th anniversary of the London Declaration of 1949, which recognized the British Sovereign as Head of the Commonwealth.

A tour of the Palace garden is also included. Described as a 'walled oasis in the middle of London', the Palace's garden is home to thirty different species of bird and more than 350 different wild flowers, some extremely rare. Visitors end their tour with a walk along the garden’s south side and splendid views of the west front of the Palace and the famous lake. For information and to purchase tickets, email Ticket Sales and Information Office at bookinginfo@royalcollection.org.uk  or phone (+44) (0)20 7766 7300 in London.

Fifty Year Restrospective of Missoni Fashion House Opens In London

The exhibition Workshop Missoni: Daring to be Different is currently on display at the Esorick Collection of Modern Italian Art. Rather than focusing on finished products, the show will take the viewer behind the scenes of Missoni, exploring the technical working processes involved in the production of their fabrics and clothing and revealing their underlying sources of inspiration including the fine arts. Drawing on Rosita and Ottavio Missoni's’ (photo) own collection of modern Italian art, the exhibit also explores less familiar aspects of their artistic activity, inspired both from the natural environment and from Europe’s Modernist era, epitomized by the work of Tancredi, Giacomo Balla and Gino Severini whose dynamic images of dancers reveal close parallels with the geometric patterns of Missoni fabrics. The show closes September 20, 2009. Website: www.estorickcollection.com

Octoberfest Begins Early At Earls Court

Britain’s biggest beer festival is back at Earl’s Court Exhibition Centre in London with more than 450 real ales, ciders and beers from around the world, plus tastings, live music and more. As well discovering quality drinks, you can play traditional pub games, listen to live music, taste delicious food and learn from the experts in tutored beer tastings.

At this year’s festival, there are different bars to visit that offer a selection of brews to try. The Camra bars offer regional real ales, vegetarian and organic beer, real cider and fruit brews. Then there are the brewery bars where UK breweries showcase their newest beers while Bières Sans Frontières (BSF) serve beers from around the world. Look for The Belgian and Dutch Bar, The German and Czech Bar, and The USA and Rest of the World Bar

And if you want to learn more about beer and how to find the best brews around, sign up to one of the tutored tastings where you can learn about the taste, look, style and history of different beers. Website: http://gbbf.camra.org.uk/home

Getting An Inside Look At Some Of London’s Interesting Buildings

On the weekend of September 19 and 20, step inside some of London's most interesting buildings for free. Open House 2009 is a once-a-year-event that allows the public inside more than 700 of London’s usually private buildings and it’s free. Now in its 17th year, this is a celebration of design excellence, aiming to inform the public on what makes for good architecture. The two-day event features talks and information on ecological building design as well as meeting the architects of some of these iconic edifices.

For this year’s Open House London event hundreds of fascinating buildings will be open from eco homes to a Hindu temple, to a yacht club to architects’ studios. There’ll be special focus on examples of sustainable design with the professionals who commission, plan and design them talking about regeneration and urban development and leading site visits. Full details of buildings and events will be published in the 2009 Guide (available August) 11 and can be ordered online at www.openhouse.org.uk/shop/index.html.

Souls Sown In Soil at London's National Gallery

The National Gallery at Trafalgar Square is best known for its stunning art collection, but now visitors can enjoy the exciting medium of film in a new series at the gallery's Sainsbury Wing Theatre. The collection of feature films provides a great opportunity to discover everything from rarely seen classics to new works in film animation, in which landscape plays an important role.

In the world of painting, the landscape genre came to life towards the end of the 19th century. Moving from art to film, the National Gallery explores how directors have focused on landscapes in film to set the mood and create certain emotions. Discover how film directors, like landscape artists, have come to realize the importance of landscapes as crucial to the viewer's experience and reaction to the characters – not just as backdrops.

The Souls Sown in Soil film season coincides with the National Gallery's new free landscape exhibition Corot to Monet. Website: http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/

April 2009

Exhibition Of Japanese Print Artist No On At the Royal Academy of Arts

Royal Academy of Arts presents an exhibition on one of the greatest Japanese print artists, Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861). Featuring over 150 works, the exhibition presents Kuniyoshi as a master of imaginative design. It reveals the graphic power and

beauty of his prints across an unprecedented range of subjects highlighting his ingenious use of the triptych format.

The majority of the exhibition has been drawn from the outstanding collection of Professor Arthur R. Miller which has recently been donated to the American Friends of the British Museum. This is the first major exhibition in the United Kingdom on Utagawa Kuniyoshi since 1961.

Kuniyoshi was a major master of the ‘floating world’, or Ukiyo-e school of Japanese art, and, together with Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849), Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) and Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1864), dominated nineteenth century printmaking in Japan. Prolific and multitalented, Kuniyoshi considerably expanded the existing repertoire of the school, particularly with thousands of designs that brought vividly to life famous military exploits in Japan and China. Kuniyoshi developed an extraordinarily powerful and imaginative style in his prints, often spreading a scene dynamically across all three sheets of the traditional triptych format and linking the composition with one bold unifying element - a major artistic innovation.

Kuniyoshi is the third exhibition in a series dedicated to Japanese Artists and Printmakers to be held at the Royal Academy of Arts. The previous exhibitions have been Hokusai (1991-92) and Hiroshige: Images of Mist, Rain, Moon and Snow (1997).

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Celebrates 250th Anniversary In 2009

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew celebrates its 250th anniversary in 2009. Princess Augusta, King George III's mother, created a nine-acre garden around Kew Palace in 1759, which has become a major international visitor attraction with 132 hectares or landscaped gardens and is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

To mark the anniversary year, British garden designer and television personality, Diarmuid Gavin, is creating a prominent new garden located just inside the Main Gate. In addition, the garden's 'Tropical Extravaganza' will feature orchids and insectivorous plants inside the Princess of Wales conservatory. In spring 2009, Kew's 'Spring Celebration' will be return for this landmark year, the biggest display of seasonal spring color in Britain, featuring a crocus carpet, daffodils and snowdrops.

The Great Pagada, which is currently undergoing renovation, will re-open in 2009. The ten-floor structure is 163 feet tall and will re-open to the public to celebrate the garden’s anniversary. 253 steps lead to the top floor.

A special exhibition in the Nash Conservatory, the 'Role of Botanic Gardens', will explore the conservation role of botanic gardens around the world, featuring Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank which will be celebrating its milestone of collecting and banking seeds from 10 percent of the world’s most vulnerable wild flowering plant species a year in advance of it’s 2010 target date.

As well as 2009 being Kew's 250th anniversary, it is also the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin, one of Britain’s greatest botanists, and the 150 anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of the Species. Kew Garden's Herbarium is home to specimens collected by Darwin during his voyage on HMS Beagle.

Website: www.kew.org

Renovated London Zoo Re-Opens This Month

The World’s first Children’s Zoo will re-open at Easter after a radical £2.3m revamp. ZSL London Zoo’s 71–year old exhibit, the first ever zoo to open specifically for children, is to take on a new lease of life as Animal Adventure, where children can immerse themselves in the sights, sounds, smells and experiences of life in the animal kingdom.

Expanded Whitechapel Gallery Opens This Month

The Gallery re-opens its doors this month after an ambitious expansion transforming its spaces and doubling its size. Designed by leading Belgian architects Robbrecht en Daem (with London practice Witherford Watson Mann Architects), the expanded Whitechapel Gallery provides one of the most exciting new cultural buildings in Europe.

500th Anniversary of Henry VIII Accession To Throne Celebrated

A new exhibition Henry VIII: Man and Monarch will be shown from April 23 to September 6 at the British Museum. Marking the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII’s accession to the throne, the exhibit will display rarely seen items from the Library’s unrivalled Henry VIII collections, including correspondence, key official documents, maps and books–including the Love Letter that Changed the Nation, Henry VIII’s declaration of his unchangeable intention to marry Anne Boleyn.

Other London venues will figure prominently in the anniversary celebration

with permanent representations, temporary exhibitions and thought-provoking debate at Henry's Garden, Henry's Women and Henry's Wedding at Hampton Court Palace, and Henry's Style at the Tower of London.

New Darwin Centre Opens September

The Natural History Museum in London is making room for an eight-story-high cocoon installation, which will house the new Darwin Centre. It's slated to open in September, but is already creating a buzz. The centre will house an extensive collection of insect and plant species as well as interactive science displays as well as serving as a state-of-the-art facility for researchers. The £78 million (US$140 million) landmark building completes the Darwin Centre's development, which is the most significant expansion at the Museum since it moved to South Kensington in 1881.More information at http://www.nhm.ac.uk/

Unique Exhibition On Hats Opens This Month At Victoria & Albert Museum

Displayed in a magical, box-hedged, Baroque garden setting, Hats An Anthology will be

London’s Victoria & Albert Museum’s first exhibition devoted to hats, with many pieces from its extensive hat collection on display for the first time. A collaboration between the V&A and notable hat designer Stephen Jones, the exhibit in the Porter Gallery will display more than 300 hats chosen with the expert eye of a milliner. On display will be hats ranging from an Egyptian Anubis mask dating from 600 BC to a 1950s Balenciaga hat and couture creations by Jones and his contemporaries. To show the universal appeal and delight of wearing hats, Jones has included a wide variety of styles including top hats, berets and a child’s plastic tiara.

The show chronicles how the past has inspired countless designers. It will show historic and contemporary interpretations of hat styles such as the tricorn, bowler, baseball cap, bonnet, skull cap and many more. It will also look at common themes explored by

milliners such as exoticism, modernism and the natural world. The show will run from February 24 to May 31, 2009.

London’s Theatrical Offerings To Shine Brightly In 2009

Lots of new show openings are scheduled for theaters in the city’s West End theater district. Whoopi Goldberg is crossing the pond to produce the stage version of her hit movie Sister Act. Based on the 1992 film, the show follows singing diva Deloris Van Cartier as she hides out in a convent and transforms the tone-deaf choir into a melody machine. Featuring a score by eight-time Academy Award winner Alan Menken, Sister Act starts previews at the London Palladium from May 7.

Another showstopper joining the West End lineup is Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical. Based on the Oscar-winning film, the show follows three friends who ride a battered old bus to perform a drag show in the Australian desert. Sure to be one of the most visually dazzling shows on the West End, Priscilla features nearly 500 costumes, with more than 100 wigs and 150 pairs of shoes, set against a soundtrack of dance favorites including “I Will Survive” and “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” The show starts previews on March 10 and opens March 23 at the Palace Theatre.

The Donmar West End has shows starring two of Britain’s biggest celebrities. From March 13 to May 23, Judi Dench will be starring in the theatre’s production of Madame De Sade, a play highlighting the life of Marquis De Sade, a notorious Parisian aristocrat imprisoned by the Bastille for lurid behavior.

Then, previewing from May 29, Jude Law takes on the title role in the Donmar’s production of Hamlet.

In April, two big names play side by side in the Theatre Royal Haymarket’s production of Waiting for Godot. Ian McKellan and Patrick Stewart play Vladimir and Estragon, two tramps waiting expectantly for the mysterious Godot. The two experienced actors return to the London stage starting with previews April 30 and running through June 28.

Oscar winner Helen Mirren is set to return to the London stage to star in the National Theatre’s production of Phaedra, opening in June. Scottish star James McAvoy is appearing in Three Days of Rain at the Apollo Theatre, closing on May 2.

At the Old Vic theatre Ethan Hawke joins London stage veteran Simon Russell Beale in the theater’s production of The Cherry Orchard, starting previews May 23 and running through August 15.

Visitors to London looking to book their tickets in advance should head to http://visitbritain.eolts.co.uk where they can book their tickets to new shows and existing favorites like Billy Elliot, Dirty Dancing and The Sound of Music” After purchase, they can immediately print a voucher to be exchanged at the theatre on the day of the show. Ticketing agent Keith Prowse also offers theatre tickets as well as hotel packages. Visitors can log on to www.keithprowse.com to get tickets to a range of shows and cultural attractions, and can also pair them with hotel deals. Tickets will be sent to travelers before they leave for the UK.

For those who can’t decide what to see before they go, the tkts booth in Leicester Square is a convenient and economical choice. Visitors can snap up half-price tickets for West End performances on the day of the show, but should get there early to avoid disappointment. The booth is open from 10 am to 7 pm Monday through Saturday and 12 pm to 3 pm on Sundays. Website: http://www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/tkts.

‘Tropical Extraganza’ Now On Display At Kew Gardens

There is still time to catch the orchid show at Kew Gardens which runs until March 8.

Tropical Extravaganza is the first festival in a year of events celebrating the Royal

Botanic Gardens, Kew’s (RBG Kew) 250th anniversary and its pivotal role as a world-leader in plant diversity and conservation, both now and for the next 250 years.

The Princess of Wales Conservatory will be brimming with exotic plants such as orchids, bromeliads, nepenthes and anthuriums. Bright swathes of orchids will weave through the Conservatory like ribbons around a gift, with the columns in the Conservatory covered with hundreds of orchid plants.

Kew Gardens (www.kew.org ) is home to one of the world's oldest and most comprehensive collection of living orchids. This includes year round displays in the Princess of Wales Conservatory, which has two distinct climatic zones to provide the right growing conditions for different types of orchids. A humid zone features tropical varieties with showy flowers and specific adaptations to aerial living in the rainforest canopy. The cooler orchid zone houses species from tropical mountain regions.

For Kew’s 250th year Tropical Extravaganza extends into the Waterlily House near the Palm House for the first time. A colorful display of orchids will focus on cymbidiums, supplied by McBean's Orchids, the country's leading specialist orchid cultivators. February 2009 is also the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin, whose studies included orchids. Inspired by Darwin, a Thinking Walk about how plants are adapted to live in different environments will be mapped out for families to follow through the Gardens.

Twilight Tours Being Offered At London’s Tower of London This Winter

Brave the nightly chill and explore the historic Tower of London at night on one of the weekly Twilight Tours offered Wednesdays through March 25. Hosted by one of the Tower’s world-famous resident Yeoman Warders, visitors will hear tales of past residents, royal gossip and the secrets kept within these ancient walls dating back to the early 1080s when William the Conqueror built a massive stone tower at the center of his London fortress. Through the centuries that followed, successive monarchs added to the fortifications. For more information, visit

http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/WhatsOn/TowerOfLondonWhatsOnTwilighttoursevent.aspx