Tea Time in Wonderland

Posts Tagged ‘Southbank’

Rain, ray of sunshine, rainbow… Gosh, you’d think we’re in March with those showers! hang on to your unmbrella, get the K-ways out, and run between the drops…

- It’s the Thames festival again! Two days of festivities, I just love this one. The program is this way. Do not miss the splendid classic boats @ St Katharine Docks… The festival on the bridge (my favourite, very poetic and countryside-like)… Le festival sur le pont (ma partie preferee, tres poetique et gourmande)… The night carnival…  And of course, it all ends in fireworks!  (if you do not mind French, you can see pics of last year here… and there)

- Invite youself to Prince Charles’ Garden Party with a difference… (£15, though!). 100 displays are presented, underlining recycling, sustainability, upcylcing…  I was there for the opening yesterday: pretty interesting, lovely gardens using recycled objects from daily life, a great moment to share with kids too…

- Are you a fashionista with a sweet tooth? Perfumes often have sweet, floral, fruity notes. Well, Harrods is dedicating an afternoon tea to those in parallel of the exhibition The perfume diaries.

- Are you going to the O2 with the Thames clipper? Have a better look at this sculpture…

- By the way, here is what you could do with 50,000 nails…

- Let the 21st century amaze you…

- Sing Elvis @ Hyde Park. Even Priscilla will be there!

- Yes, music and colours can dance together!

- A new idea: the silent cinema… I much prefer interactive theatre!

- Walk through Greenwich with this podcast…

- Watch an electric car parade…

- Dream of Africa…

- It has been 70 years since the Blitz so terribly marked England. Rediscover this slice of history through the exhibition @ the City Hall and the one @ the Transport museum…

- Take the kids to the V&A childhood museum – this exhibition about doll faces is just gorgeous.

Meet me in Shoreditch tomorrow night to discover this labyrinth under the streets of London!

Pssst: on Monday the 13th will take place a cinema-marathon: the whole Lost program, yep, all the episodes from start to finish, non-stop!

Southbank: the most classical stroll of the city. Ideal for visitors as it strolls by so many iconic places while offering fab photo opportunities and famous views. Adored by Londoners – no traffic, always something new to see, sprinkled with cafes, oubs, restaurants. From Westminster to the Scoop, atmospheres change with the neighbourhoods: so touristic close to the London Eye… Summer like @ Gabriel’s wharf… Historical around Clin Street… Gourmet @ the Borough market… Picturesque @ Tower Bridge…

You have traced this walk a hundred, a thousand times. You know it by heart.

Have you noticed those?

The first instinct is to ignore them. Surely they are merely for tourists and only cover basic landmarks. Yeah, places like the Tate. And of course, those are part of the trail.  But the 40 anecdotes also focus on historical details of pubs, discreet facades or even places that have now disappeared but give a glimpse of another London. Do you know this beautiful rosace between the Clink prison and Francis Drake’s boat? They explain a mustard factory burnt at that place. In the remains was discoved this wall which used to be part of the Winchester palace, home to London’s bishops at one point.

If your mobile phone connects to the web, enjoy this hidden history while strolling by. if not, no worry, just connect to the website at home, click on the interactive map and read through it all!

City insights
Interactive map

Also to be discovered around Southbank:
- The Tate Modern’s visitors’ art gallery
- The old operating theatre
- Topolsky’s century
- Hopton Street’s cottage
- The Leake Street tunnel

Is September making you feel blue? Well, fight it, plan a heavy week-end out and pretend the holidays are still on!

- First, get yourself  a free bacon roll today to get in the mood…

- Stop @ Soho square -  Buxton has a pop up there and gives away bottles and water. You can even sit in a deckchair and relax…

- Don’t forget to do your food shopping @ the Real Food Market on Southbank…

- Looking for the perfect shoe? Have a look at Vivienne Westwood’s creations @ Selfridge’s…

- A new conception of theatre with Theatre Souk…

- Morris dancers invade London this week-end -  head for Southbank for an amazing free gig!

- Fight death penalty @ St Martin-in-the-field…

- For a lighter note, cross the street and enjoy the Liberty festival on Trafalgar: music, workshops for kids and a circus show!

- You will feel like writing on the walls with the Nothing is forever exhibition…

- Follow the art trail!

- Forget Portobello market -  there’s a whole film festival going on there with a pop up cinema until September 19th: classic movies and even premieres! Even better it is all free…

- Get your bike out of the garage -  Sunday, the city’s heart is yours with the Skyride! The map’s right here.

- Rediscover Little Venice…

- Look up and gaze at the stars @ Greenwich…

- The Globe has designed a Thames inspired menu…

You will find me in Jermyn street, turned into a garden party on Saturday… and at the Royal opera House, turning into a forest this week-end and there will be free muscical events (get your free ticket from the website!). What is your tip for the week-end?

I remember a time where you could walk along the Thames, straight from the London Eye to Tower Bridge. These days,  work on Blackfriar’s station force you to take a little detour along the way.

I usually turn on Hopton Street to get back to the river (and find my favourite pub with its cacao beer) – there is a lovely cottage there I love to have a glimpse of. It’s o very traditional in a background of modern buildings and constructions!

A cottage, did I say? Not really -  it is more noble than that. Charles Hopton, a fishmonger, decided to buy the ground and have an almshouse built there. It was to welcome 26 poor local men. The houses would be very simple: a sitting room on the ground floor, a bedroom on the first floor. Each inhabitant would receive £6 and a chaldron of coal a year. They could marry but the charity would not give extra money for the children.

Those habitations still exist, hidden from view by the vegetation and so does the charity who welcomes people in difficulty to this day.

Hopton’s Charity
Hopton st
Southwark
London SE1 9JI

Ah, a drizzle. Just what we need to coold down and get our energy back for the week-end!

- Waterloo is offering a food festival -  have a look this way for the program….

- Is the sea too far for you? Well, you can always pretend with Sergent’s gorgeous paintings…

- Do your gourmet shopping in Soho with this brand new Saturday market!

- Stroll through Portobello and try this new ice-cream parlour. Liquorice ice-cream? Ice-cream served on an espresso? Mmmmmh….

- See London differently. Why not with a canoe?

- Be French! Go and play petanque and grab a glass of Ricard…

- Grab friends, a picnic, a nice bottle of wine: it’s the season for open air cinemas!

- Are you a MRavel/Twilight/Star Wars fan? Rush to this festival!

- Dance, play, sing in Shoreditch! The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra will play on Friday evening and there will be fireworks. The rest of the week-end will be more family-oriented.

- Oh, and the newest pop-ups… Cheers to Courvoisier (cocktails, massages, martial art)… With Campari, you’ll have cocktails with a view… Play ping-pong for free with Puma (100 tables will be dispatched around London until mid-August)

- Have you heard of  Short and Sweet? this cafe proposes an evening of short films every Monday. Entry is free.

You’ll find me… looking at elephants – yep, those you’ve seen around London, only half size. They’re being sold in a 5* hotel on Friday evening (all the info is on their facebook page)
After that, I need to try and exhaust my daughter @ Legoland. what are your plans?

Isn’t it extraordinary to have a REAL summer for once? Better enjoy it while it lasts!

- Carnaval day on Southbank tomorrow!

- Love latin dances? Salsa, Cuban, columbian music? Go shake these calories out @ Hyde park for the World City Music Village Festival!

- Hey, it’s also the Big World Dance all over town on Saturday, with the final in Trafalgar square…

- The Hyde and Seek festival is back! It’s a fab occasions to play extraodinary games on Southbank. Bring all your friends!

- Did you have to tighten the belt on your fashion budget? Try the big swish this Saturday a giant clothes swap event!

- Why not learn graffiti art? Or a unicycle workshop?

- Stamp your week-end with something a little different. An old post-office in Hackney turns into an exhibition space: artists such as Tracy Emyn were inspired by parcel, letters, iconic stamps…

- Art is not your cup of tea? Try this show on coffee cups… Some have been decorated by Coppola, Fellini, Koons, Almodovar…

- Waterloo turned into a stage? Yes, with The Railway Children show (with a real train!)

- Missed the Royal Chelsea Flower show? Don’t worry -  Hampton Courts gets flowered similarly each summer…

- Add a pinch of urban nature…

- Can’t travel but feel like a change? Well, try Bastille Day @ Battersea Park this Sunday: French market, petanque, retro French music (with dancing and Lido girls)… Now, where have you put that beret of yours?

- Want more summer festivals? Music, shopping, nice food stalls? Try the Ealing one… or maybe Levisham? Even Islington joins in!

You’ll find me in a lavender field… and discovering the new Serpentine pavillion (by a French Architect, by the way)… How about you?

… Celui-ci a ete prolonge jusqu’au 11 juillet 2010. Sachez que l’offre sur le musees est egalement valable sur une selection d’etablissements… a Paris et a Bruxelles (la liste est par ici).

Allez, jouez la British et envoyez-nous vos photos…

Londres est a vous!

(Et la Tate Modern a moi, j’etais la premiere, sorry!)

Voici celle d’Argone:

Et vous?

A whole week of sun, even a mini heat-wave… guys, it’s barbecue-time and Pimms: let’s celebrate!

- 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!

As soon as we get to the end of June,  I switch to summer/holiday mode, whether the sun is here or not. D0n’t you?

- Covent Garden is 180  years old.  There will be plenty of fun planned, workshop for kids, a giant cupcake to be shared (on Friday), and even a huge giant sculpture enclosing prizes which you will have to grab as it melts…

- Be amazed by the Royal Academy Summer exhibition…

- Try an unknown museum -  the house of a Huguenot who had taken refuge in London. There even is a hidde3n synagogue in the basement…

- Gourmets will rush to the Taste of London festival to go around the food stalls and try the mini-menus proposed by famous restaurants. although I have to say the December edition had left me pretty disappointed.

- Join Tottenham Carnival!

- Victoria Park prefers to combine circus, art, music, cakes and village fete….

- Little girls will just love the fairy party @ Fulham Palace on Sunday afternoon…

- Like modern graphism? Try this exhibition of 20th century posters…

- It’s music day! On Exhibition  Rd, museums are dancing in joy with workshops for kids and plenty of concerts…

- Tea dances: traditional and boring? Well, this one will also play rap and fusion!

- Fancy a musical instead? Extracts of the most famous West end ones will be presented @ Leicester Square (and for free!) this week-end

You’ll find me… dancing @ Koko’s on Friday for Arnos’ concert… Building sandcastle on Southbank’s urban beach… Discovering the new Hayward’s exhibition which promises to be quite a show… And celebrating Father’s day in style @  Gaucho. What are your secret plans?

This tunnel at the back of Waterloo station was made a success by Banksy in 2008 with the can festival: the walls were legally free to be tagged by graffiti artists and Banksy presented amazinf works of art too. A hit, a crowd!

Since then, the place is a lot more quiet…

It still remains a street artist headquarters though. Even if they’re coming to London for a few days, they like to come and live their signature there. No matter that the paintings only remain a few days, sometimes a few hours before being covered by someone else’s. Mostly, you’ll find graffitis such as we discovered them in the 80ies. But do come regularly and you’ll find such treasures…

Last year, yarnbombing even was a guest star…

You will sometimes hear classical music. Your sanity is intact -  this is the town hall’s effort to remind everyone this is to be a peaceful, creative place. Althout the city employees coming to do a few repairs do love to switch the radio full volume.

Hidden by the graffitis, the tunnel also has a few arches closed by doors. Those are private -  not the city’s at all -  and the owner (once Eurostar) do rent the space. Banksy had his one night cinema here to launch his movie Exit through the gift shop… Even exibitions openings have taken place here:  I have hapened to walk pass a line of VIPs dressed smartly…

But you’ll also find…

… A black cab car wash…

… More graffitis by fellow artists…

… and even a repair station for these cycle-taxis!

Leake Street
London SE1 7NN