Henry cole was the first director of the museum. still used to this day!

He is also known for having commissioned the first commercial Xmas card. Back in 1842, one would have handwritten a note to friends and families, wishing them the very best. Busy as he was with the daily business of the V&, cole decided to have an illustration done by a proper artist,  depicting a family life and showing the sentence A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you – still This proved so successful that a thousand were printed the following year and sold for a shilling each.

Another anecdote – the British Treasury decided to tax letters and launched a competition for a stamp design. The projects proposed were disappointing and it was decided to use Queen Victoria’s profile instead. It was Cole who provided the sketch -  the same one you still see on your mail today.

What about the dogs? Well Cole loved his dog -  Jim -  and would not part with him, the dog followed happily through the museum. At his death, the director decided to have him buried there too as they had spent so much time there together. He did the same with his next dog, Tycho. What an improbable find in a museum of art!

V&A
Cromwell Road
London SW7 2RL

Another thought for aimals with this war memorial…

- On Thursday, don’t miss this aquatic exhibition…

- …or enjoy a free curry!

- This way for a free musical @ Sadler’s Wells…

- A few dance steps @ the Tate Modern… (By the way, time Out has a 2 for 1 offer for the Exposed exhibition)

-… or an alternative village fete, maybe?

- Always a favourite: Notting Hill carnival!

- Feel nostalgic with this exhibition on Jimy Hendrix…

- I never tire of this yearly press pictures exhibition…

- Discover a few secret places in the National Theatre…

- Treat yourself to an afternoon tea with an Asian touch…

- So you think you know London?

- By the way, do you know the story of the Crystal Palace?

- Yes, pubs and opera can be in harmony, who would have thought so!

- Try to get a ticket for this fab underground dinner!

- Fed up with pop-up shops? Why not give this pop-up cinema a go? It used to be a petrol station.

- Get the kids to learn more abour bats!

- Be zen in a Japanese garden… (give this one a try too!)

You’ll find me… strolling through Chelsea Physics gardens… Testing this edible exhibition… Checking out the Natural History Museum’s 8m long knitted squid… Enjoying some retro glamour at the V&A late night… Where will YOU be?

And we know just the place for it in the summer, a little patch of countryside. Just there, close to the dinosaur’s house, as my daughter calls it. Freedom on the eft side of the Natural History Museum, my friends!

The tourists and family focus on the museum only and not that many people seem to know this sweet wildlife garden. You will often find you’re the only ones there… A nice place to escape the London urban jungle and for a few minutes you can pretent to be on holiday, far away. The kids will chase buterflies and damselflies… Bees are dancing from one flower to another. Look out for a squirrel or a water hen between the lilies and irises…

At the end of the summer, two sheeps even join the party. For the kid’s happiness? Not only: those are the perfect organic lawnmowers… Add to that they will trample dead leaves into the ground and accelerate the compost process.

Recently, a fox family even settled there. Very little chance for you to see them – as for the bats, they mainly come out at night. But knowing this adds to the charm of the garden…

Don’t miss the surprising mystery statue just at the entrance!

Wildlife Garden
Natural History Museum
Cromwell Road,
London SW7 5DB

The garden is open from April 01st to october the 01st, 10.00-17.00. Free.

- Fancy a free haircut on Friday? Check this way…

- The Natural History Museum will stay open late. Jazz? Glass of wine on the Darwin center terrasse? Night walk in the wildlife garden?

- Party @ the V&A Summer Camp. Bombay Sapphire will have a design cardboard bar with stylised cardboard glasses (but real cocktails). A great way to enjoy their late evening.

- You can even go on to the Serpentine pavillion and sleepover… Midnight feast, films and even breakfast in the morning…

- I really must try to find a free Saturday morning and do this guided tour of the Somerset House!

- The extraordinary Chilly Gonzales will be @ the field day on Saturday…

- Latin fever @ the Carnaval del pueblo!

- Even more music with the Croydon festival…

- A classic, but have you done it yet? Buckingham Palace is open for the summer….

- Have a spooky evening…

- Saturday, head for Brick Lane: free cocktails, demo of Urban Art and even a tattoo session! You might also decide to stay around and go bowling in this fab diner… Perfect for Sunday’s festival: bowling but British, music and dancing!

- It’s open air cinema season! A whole programme @ the Somerset House… Act crazy for Mamma Mia and choose funky colours… The Wapping Project proposes a barbecue with your movie…

- You already knew routemasters could ne recycled as veggie restaurants (the root-master is my favourite). Well, one of those goes around, proposing German food!

- Oooooh, as soon as I’m on holiday, I am going to book myself one of those fab afternoon teas… Now, chocolate or pink? (vegan and gluten free versions are proposed)

-What about the kids? Little ones will love the teddies picnic @ Covent Garden on Saturday… Teenagers will much prefer to go to the underage festival!

- Give! Exchange!

Pssst, heads up for next week! There will be a maze @ Trafalgar (with dragons and Chinese cooking on Tuesday). And Selfridge’s is to open their Xmas shop too…

Hey, anyone has a great address for a roof terrasse for cocktails?

- The pianos are back! pretend you’re Mozart, improvise, make everybody dance…

- Oooh, it’s time for the V&A late night, on architecture this time. And there will be jazz too…

- By the way, it’s the festival of architecture with plenty going on!

- Be zen this week-end with taichi and yoga workshops @ Greenwich park…

- The summer festival is back @ the National theatre and there will be plenty of free shows on the stage on Southbank…. check out the program!

- Great, the beach is still there!And the appearing rooms also are back at the Southbank centre – the kids love those…

- Make your bets for the dragon boat race!

- Have a taste of honey @ Barbican…

- Rediscover London with songs …

- Are you ready for Wimbledon? I’m not but this tennis themed afternoon tea looks just perfect to me….

- Take your little ones to see the Charlie and Lola exhibition…

How will you enjoy the sun? I’m escaping to Paris for the week-end, ohlala!

- Well, how lucky, there is a tea dance @ Spitafield Friday afternoon…

- Don’t forget the V&A late night opening, dress up to it!

- Celebrations definitely are in order with the Greenwich beer and jazz festival… Unless you’d prefer a free cocktail?

- It’s that time of the year again, the famous Chelsea Flower Show is open! Harvey Nichols even has dedidated a floral afternoon tea to it…

- Alternatively, Kew gardens also is in summer mode…

- Wanna play the culture card? Well, the Natural History Museum new exhibition on abyss fish certainly looks amazing… So does Exposed @ the Tate – paparazzi pics or paused ones, cctv or real camera and of course classics like Cartier-Bresson or Lee Miller.

- Marilyn Monroe fan? Stop @ Harrod’s to see three of her dresses on show…

- Of course, there’s plenty of events linked to Sex and the City II these days…

- Kids in tow? Why not try the animation film festival? They could also meet sheep @ the Spitafield fam wool festival. Or have a picnic @ Alexandra Palace!

- Gourmet will rush to the Hampton Court food festival…

What are your plans? I’ll celebrate the week-end with friends with a bubble tea @ Chinatown. I will anticipate a very hot summer with Pimm’s sorbet.  Oh, and I need a closer look @ the Trafalgar Square boat, didn’t get a chance to see it yet!

- Still in an Easter mood? The try the Claridges’ afternoon tea with hot cross buns… and, my friend, a Valrhona hot chocolate…

- Emmenez les enfants decouvrir une tradition suedoise pour Paques…

- Fancy a little suspense? Learn more about Hitchcock…

- For something totally different, go and look at these surprising nail sculptures… or this floating one @ St Paul’s…

- Rediscover the British interior design of the last 150 years…

- or if the sun’s out, head for Greenwich! Have a bite to eat at the food market then learn a few things about the place. There’s even talk about a micro-brewery producing fab beers…

- Looking for a great place for a special occasion? Why not a brunch on the 29th floor with a 360 deg view? Amazing but , wow, £65…

- Empty your bank account @ the Spring Country Living Fair – so many unique and marvelous gifts there…

You’ll find me @ Kensington Palace, enchanted for a while… and at the Alice pop-up cafe @ Harrod’s..

Try the Decode exhibition @ the V&A. Code lines transform into colourful works of art, recreating themselves constantly in elegant curves… waves reacting to visitors’ movements… You can even have a ghostly picture of yourself projected.

A fab place for kids, really. Many presentations are interactive – like this tree reacting to the wind blowing outside the museum and shedding its leaves of light on the floor – shuffle through them. The best one certainly is this canvass on which you can project splashes of colours just by making your hands dance… Highly enjoyable, whether you’re a two year old od a full grown maestro. Alternatively, play with the 3D model of a city or carress the LED reeds that will light up as you brush past them….

Modern but enchanting – @ £5.90, a lovely occasion to experiment electronic poetry. Ideal with kids. Especially as with this 2 for 1 offer until January 31!

You might as well stop for a cupcake too @ the Hummingbird bakery, close to the tube station. Or maybe you won’t be able to resist Ben’s cookies, with their melting chocolate chips… (just at the exit of the tube station)

Decode
V&A
Cromwell Road
London SW7 2RL

Until April 11, 2010
£5 / adult

- Well first, you need energy. Carluccio’s has a special -10% on their deli this Thursday. Best of all, you’re welcomed with mulled wine and canapes…

- T’is the season to be eating finger-licking good treats! Head for the chocolate festival on Southbank.

- Don’t forget the new exhibitions: question your identity @ the Wellcome Collection or test artistic technology @ the V&A.

- More of the street art fan? Head for the Flying Eyeball.

- of course there is the pop-up of the week-end: Elton John’s clothes and stage outfits on sale, profits going to his AIDS foundation. Not whithin your budget? Try Barnardo’s vintage shop on Carnaby street to pack a bargain!

- Rediscover England with fascinating landscape pictures @ the National Theatre…

- Take the kids to a panto: there will be a toy Aladdin one @ Covent Garden on Sunday…

-… or pet an ice polar bear on Trafalgar Square….

- … or your toddlers to a Baby disco party on Saturday! Shake it, baby!

- Why not an interactive Treasur Hunt?

- a last festive note: the Tate Britain is setting up its artistic Xmas tree this Friday.

Did I forget anything? Leave me a note!

You’ll find me @ the Earth exhibition (then trying to choose from one of the gorgeous cakes at the Sketch Pop Up) and at the strange and amazing House of fairy tales

- Try the late opening Thursday @ the Museum of London: live music, carol singing, creative workshops, and lovely original stalls to fill those stockings…

- Have a look at the Xmas tree on Trafalgar square

- Travel through time on Friday night – Dennis Sever house is all decorated for Xmas and can be visited weeknights candlelit- very atmospheric!

- The traditional Pudding Race takes place this Saturday @ Covent Garden. Teams will race for the benefit of Cancer Research, trying to avoir many obstacles ont their way. The take the kids to the cookie workshop! There will be Xmas carols in the afternoon.

- Enjoy Regent and Oxford traffic free on Saturday -  plenty of shopping offers and partying in the streets!

- Admire the newly opened Renaissance and Medieval Galleries @ the V&A

- Add a glamour touch and have a look at Audrey Hepburn’s wonderful dresses before they’re auctioned…

- Have your breath taken away by Jean-Francois Rauzier’s gorgeous hyperphotos…

- Head for the RAC’s new show, Earth, on climatic changes. Then stop at the Sketch’s pop-up bar – a crazy setting which also promises oysters, pancakes and champagne…

- Skate in an extraordinary historical setting – Hampton Court

- Say cheers @ this beer festival… or more elegantly @ the Smirnoff pop up bar, deco inspired by the gentlemen’s clubs.

I’ll be tasting delicious food @ the taste of Xmas. How about you?