I send out a seasonal newsletter 4 times a year to subscribers and my blog readers can enjoy it here. There is always so much going on in London that's it's a tough job to pick out a few highlights but I've had a go and I hope you find some stuff you will enjoy. I know I'm looking forward to a busy autumn and build up to a London Christmas.
SPECIAL
EVENTS
OCTOBER This is a big month for film and art with
major events for both creative industries. The 60th London Film Festival is a
showcase for Hollywood stars and block buster films and yet still finds space
for first time directors and documentaries.
Frieze Art Fair brings the art world to London and takes up residence in
Regents Park showcases top galleries and there is a whole range of other shows around
London offering some pieces at more affordable prices.
NOVEMBER The week of the
5th sees firework displays all over town as we mark Guy Fawkes Night when a
group tried, but failed luckily, to blow up the Houses of Parliament in
1605. It’s a great month for jazz fans
when the London Jazz Festival brings top names to London’s famous night spots
like Ronnie Scott’s. As winter is chilling the temperatures, you’ll see ice
rinks opening all over town at great venues such as the Tower of London and the
Natural History Museum. The Lord Mayor’s Show will delight the crowds as it has
since 1215!
DECEMBER The build up to
Christmas is in full flow with all the famous lights decorating the streets of
London with their best festive look. Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park offers a
fun fair and a large Christmas market offering something for all the family.
Look out for the famous, tall Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square, an annual
present from the people of Norway in memory of Britain’s help during the 2nd
World War where carols are sung each evening – a magical sound to put you in a
festive mood.
THEATRE
- October
Shakespeare’s 400 continues with The
Merchant of Venice at the Globe with Jonathan Pryce as Shylock. By
contrast The Boys in the Band at the wonderful Park theatre stars Mark Gatiss
and explores more contemporary themes at a party of gay friends. Lots of
publicity ahead of the opening of The Dresser at the Duke of York’s
theatre starring Kenneth Stott and Reece Shearsmith. The ever popular ‘Goes Wrong’ team have
a new play ‘Peter Pan Goes Wrong’
- November
Back to her acting roots after over 20 years in politics as MP,
Glenda Jackson jumps right into the tough stuff in the Old Vic’s
production of King Lear, as King Lear! Another star of the cinema, Ed
Harris, makes his West End debut in Sam Shepherd’s Buried Child at the
Trafalgar Studios. The highly acclaimed Stephen Daldry production of An
Inspector Calls returns to the London stage at the Playhouse Theatre
- December
It’s taken 35 years for the award winning musical Dreamgirls to
come to London as it opens at the Savoy Theatre, starring Amber Riley from
Glee. Shakespeare continues his
presence in London as the Royal Shakespeare Company put on Love’s Labour’s
Lost at the Theatre Royal. As it’s the festive season, we have Christmas
classics such as Cinderella at the Palladium which will feature great
casting such as Paul O’Grady as the wicked stepmother. A fairy tale continues the festive theme
as the Hans Christian Anderson inspired The Little Matchgirl and Other
Happier Tales opens at the Sam Wannamaker Playhouse.
ART GALLERIES
- October A Rodin exhibition opens at the
Courtauld Gallery entitled Rodin and Dance: the Essence of Movement, these
works made in the latter part of his career have not often been seen on
display. The National Gallery brings us Beyond Caravaggio, exploring his
work and his influence on his contemporaries and followers. Picasso Portraits
at the National Portrait Gallery is billed as one of the shows of the
year, with work spanning his whole career, and, as I am a huge fan of his
work, I’ll be heading there as soon as it opens. Paul Nash opens at the Tate Britain and a
new turbine hall installation arrives in the Tate Modern from Philippe
Parreno. Frieze Art Fair in Regents
Park is huge marquee featuring many of the top galleries from across the
world and attracts hordes of art lovers.
- November
The Tate Modern has a modernist photographic show of work from the
collection of Sir Elton John called The Radical Eye, he has one of the
world’s greatest private collections. Over 70 artists feature and early
150 rare vintage prints make up this unique show. Also opening at the Tate
Modern is Modigliani, a comprehensive survey of his work in his short
career. Talking of the Tate Modern, don’t miss the last month of Georgia
O’Keeffe, as none of her work on public display in the UK this is your one
chance to see her wonderful paintings.
- December
It’s a busy season at the Tate Modern, still celebrating the
opening of its new wing, as they are showing Robert Rauschenberg, the
first retrospective of his work since his death in 2008. A pop artist who
worked with Andy Warhol he experimented throughout his life and even
created a work out of his bed, way ahead of Tracey Emin! The National
Gallery bring us the first UK exhibition to focus on Australian
impressionism, a significant and distinctive movement, little known
compared with the European movement.
SHOPPING,
FASHION & MARKETS.
- October
London Chocolate Week has events all
over town from a chocoholic show at Olympia to themed cocktails at the
best bars, they offer the chance to ‘learn’ about chocolate, I hope that’s
code for ‘eat’! Real Food Markets
continue even tho the summer has gone, each weekend at the South Bank and
the Slow food market at the Rosewood Hotel every Sunday. Don’t forget
London’s regular markets: Portobello on Saturdays, Spitalfields biggest on
Sundays and Camden all the time.
- November
Christmas markets are popping up all over town from the South Bank
to Kew Gardens and the huge Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park is full of
chalet style stalls. The Spirit of Christmas Fair at Olympia is packed
full of present ideas, and some for yourself of course!
- December
The Christmas lights will all be on now
and London’s shopping street look at their festive twinkly best. Don’t
miss Regent Street, Oxford Street, South Molton Street, Covent Garden,
Carnaby Street and the beautifully decorated shop windows including John
Lewis, Liberty’s, Selfridges, Harrods and Bond Street’s top end shops. Don’t
forget that all the museums have great shops which are excellent places
for top quality present hunting.
MUSEUMS
& EXHIBITIONS
- October
The British Museum’s latest exhibition is South Africa: The Art of
a Nation which explores the history of South Africa through its art from
man’s early rock art through to cutting edge contemporary work. The last
weekend in October brings us the annual Museum Nights when the public can
enjoy a festival of late openings across London. This includes the major
museums but also some smaller ones, and as this covers the Halloween
weekend, expect some spooky-ness! At the V&A is the Opus Anglicanum:
Masterpieces of English Medieval Embroidery, showcasing an art which
England excelled at from the 12th to the 15th centuries. These ancient
elaborate, luxury embroideries, with their exquisite craftsmanship, will
be displayed alongside contemporary works to give them historical context.
- November See the Museum of London Docklands in a new light, or rather a dark
light as they launch a series of late openings, tours and chilling tales
in haunted sections of the museum. The Museum of Childhood, part of the
V&A, brings us a big dose of nostalgia with their Game Plan
exhibition, where over 100 old board games are looked at, their history,
design and influence, many well-known names but others which have perhaps
been forgotten.
- December The British
Museum are getting all festive with a one off production of Charles
Dicken’s Christmas Carol. Opening in November but feeling more of a
December event is the Geffrye Museum’s annual Christmas Past exhibition
where each period room is decorated as it would have been, spanning the
last 400 years. You can see how far
back your favourite Christmas traditions go. In a surprising but welcome
move, the Bank of England are running Crafty Christmas and Creative New
Year events at the end of the month, where you can try your hand at making
Bank inspired items such as gold money boxes (no gold supplied
unfortunately)
FOODIE THING
October Fucina opens in Marylebone, a modern Italian
with separate shop and a fire pit, and is from the man who brought us Chotto
Matte, Kurt Zdesar. Margot in Covent Garden is headed up by the former Maitre
D’ at Bar Boulud, Paulo De Tarso, expect rustic Italian. Bar Douro opens in
Elephant and Castle where a lot of redevelopment is happening, offering Portuguese
small plates to tempt us. A 3 storey creperie called Mamie’s Creperie opens in
Covent Garden with a basement bar dedicated to cider. One of my favourite
restaurant groups Salt Yard brings us Veneta, all day Venetian in newly
developed St James’s Market.
November Victoria has been
a building site for a while so it’s good to see new places opening – Rail House
Café, from the Riding House Café people – will be a large site offering all day
dining and bar and some outdoor space. The Hart brothers are famous for
Barrafina and now they turn their attention to Mexican food, opening El Pastor by
London Bridge. Another opening in the St James’s Market development is Aquavit
London, their New York restaurant is a Michelin star winner so expect top end.
Neil Rankin is due to open Temper on Soho, expect a meat based offering. A busy
month for openings, this is just a small selection of ones that caught my eye.
- December
The Spirit Show in Islington promises to be the ‘ultimate tasting event’ if you need a break from
shopping. This is its first appearance and my guess is it will be popular… Restaurant wise, several have are listed as
opening ‘late 2016’ it seems best to put them in my December section. The
Tandoor Chop House in Covent Garden will mix British chops and Indian spices.
Ole and Steen are Danish bakers and will also be opening in St James’s Market
with soups, stews, and of course breads and sandwiches. The amusingly named
Dumpy Lynn will have dumplings on offer in the City, brought to you by the
people behind Egg Break.
PARKS
& GARDENS, ROYAL PALACES
- October Greenwich Park is holding a harvest festival with stalls and talks including bee experts. Regent’s Park hosts the enormous marquees of Frieze Art Fair and Frieze Masters
so expect lots of very fashionable arty looking folk in the park. Kensington Palace are holding an Eerie
Evening on Halloween and I’m sure they have plenty of tales to tell!
- November Ke w Gardens put on a big show at Christmas with
their Illuminations Trail, a one mile sparkling path around the gardens
including dancing illuminated fountains It’s very popular so book early!
- December
Hyde Park
hosts the huge Winter Wonderland event which has stalls selling food and gifts,
a seasonal fun fair and even its own ice rink and ferris wheel. The ice rinks will be open at Hampton Court
Palace and the Tower of London. The
annual Peter Pan swimming race will take place on the Serpentine in Hyde Park
on Christmas morning, an annual event for the very hardy since 1864! The Royal
Palaces all have festive events and fairs and don’t miss the BBC Good Food
Festival Festive Fayre at Hampton Court Palace.
SPORT
- October
The NFL rolls back into town with 3 matches between the
Indianapolis Colts and the Jacksonville Jaguars, followed by the New York
Giants versus the LA Rams at Twickenham and the 3rd game where
the Washington Redskins play the Cincinnati Bengals at Wembley. There will be a fan rally in Regents
Street if you can’t get to the games. World Cup qualifiers see England
play Malta at Wembley, after the Iceland game in the Euros nothing can be
taken for granted! In a complete
contrast, the International Ballroom Dancing Championships take place at
the Royal Albert Hall and we are all experts now thanks to Strictly.
- November
The Autumn Rugby Union Internationals see the 4 Home Nation teams
of England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland take on the best of the southern
hemisphere including Australia, S Africa, NZealand, Argentina and Fiji
with a Barbarians match thrown into the mix. Matches are across the UK
with Wembley and Twickenham hosting for London. The ATP end of season
tournament takes place at the 02 where the top 8 men’s players battle to
be World Tour Tennis Finals champion.
- December
Tennis greats bring their skills and loads of fun to the Champions
Tennis tournament at the Royal Albert Hall, they are just as competitive
but hide it well! The London International Horse Show at Olympia is always
popular but even more so in Olympic and Paralympic year as we’ve all
marvelled at their skills and loved the medals they bring home. The Mosconi Cup sees the world’s top
pool players at Alexandra Palace when Team Europe play the USA.
MUSIC
- October
The end of year burst of shows kicks off. An old favourite Jean-Michel
Jarre will play his new album at the 02 in a sound and light spectacular.
Michael Kiwanuka, who I saw this year at BST supporting Carole King, is
recommended so try to catch him at the Shepherds Bush Empire, also there
is Lapsley with her debut album as is Aurora with her debut album. Rumer’s
first show for 2 years is at the Cadogan Hall, also there is Suzanne
Vega. The Christians are on their
30th anniversary tour at the 02 Islington and other blasts from
the past include Lindisfarne playing Under the Bridge and Level 42 at the
Apollo Hammersmith and Heaven 17 at the Empire Shepherds Bush.
- November
The 10 days of the London Jazz Festival deliver a world class line
up of over 2000 artists playing in 50 venues around London. Outside of
that it’s the usual eclectic mix of music in London with Paul Simon at the
Royal Albert Hall and Sleaford Mods at the Camden Roundhouse. Jools
Holland and his band at the Royal Albert Hall and the Royal Philharmonic
Orchestra will be playing Elvis songs with him ‘live’ on the big screen.
The Undertones celebrate 40 years (!) at the Forum and Mercury Prize
winners GoGoPenguin play the Roundhouse.
- December
The original line up of Culture Club
will bring back the 80s to the SSE Arena, Wembley in their only UK
appearance on this tour, supported by Kid Creole and the Coconuts. Pete
Tong presents.. Ibiza Classics at 02 Arena, Skepta plays at Alexandra
Palace, Soul ll Soul are at KOKO, Status Quo at the 02, The Human League
at the Royal Festival Hall and there is a silent disco underneath the
Cutty Sark
Enjoy!
.
www.itsyourlondon.co.uk
@itsyourlondon
*All listings correct to the best of my knowledge but exact details
should be checked with each venue.
