Sea Life London Aquarium has dived into its annual “count and clean” stocktake of its creatures in preparation for the year ahead. Expert aquarists have plunged into the water with calculators in hand to kick off their count of the attraction’s 6,000 creatures, including a 27-year-old green sea turtle named Boris who measures 1.5 meters (five feet) in … [Read more...] about London Aquarium Does Annual Count – includes a 27-year-old turtle named Boris, 298 clownfish, and four tropical milk frogs
Museums
London’s Natural History Museum closes for a week amid Covid-related ‘staff shortages,’ Some Theatre Shows Close
The Natural History Museum is being forced to close its doors for a week due to “staff shortages” related to coronavirus. The South Kensington visitor attraction has had to make the “difficult decision” to shut from Tuesday after front-of-house staff were “impacted by Covid-19 infections and isolation requirements”. In a statement, the museum said: “We will remain closed … [Read more...] about London’s Natural History Museum closes for a week amid Covid-related ‘staff shortages,’ Some Theatre Shows Close
Life Between Islands: Caribbean-British Art 50s to Now – Latest Exhibition at Tate Britain
This Tate Britain exhibition explores Caribbean-British art over four generations. There is an open admittance that, like much of the mainstream British art world, Tate was late to recognize many of the artists included. But that is being rectified now with this celebration of this cross-cultural genre of art. Over Forty Artists This is the first time a major national … [Read more...] about Life Between Islands: Caribbean-British Art 50s to Now – Latest Exhibition at Tate Britain
Christmas Comes to the Charles Dickens Museum in London
Visiting the Charles Dickens Museum at Christmas time is a real treat as the place is transformed with Victorian-style decorations. This year, the Museum has lots of winter events, including a production of A Christmas Carol streamed from inside Charles Dickens's only surviving London home. There are also spooky ghost stories and 'A Search for Father Christmas' for families … [Read more...] about Christmas Comes to the Charles Dickens Museum in London
The Courtauld Gallery Reopening after 3 year closure for renovations – Here’s a look at what’s changed
The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House has been closed since 2018 for the largest transformation project of its history. It reopens on Friday, Nov 19, 2021, allowing us to enjoy not only the magnificent Impressionist and Post Impressionist collection but so much more with the extra gallery space. The Courtauld is home to one of the greatest collections of art in the UK, … [Read more...] about The Courtauld Gallery Reopening after 3 year closure for renovations – Here’s a look at what’s changed
Hogarth and Europe – New Exhibition at Tate Britain
Understanding the time a famous figure worked in can help us to know them better. The latest exhibition at Tate Britain showcases works by the eighteenth-century English artist William Hogarth (1697–1764) alongside works by his continental contemporaries. Hogarth and Europe explores the parallels and exchanges that crossed borders and the cosmopolitan character of Hogarth's … [Read more...] about Hogarth and Europe – New Exhibition at Tate Britain
Exhibition Report: Late Constable at the Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts's latest exhibition presents the first survey of the late work of John Constable (1776–1837). Late Constable opens on 30 October 2021, exploring the last twelve years of the artist's career, from 1825 until his unexpected death in 1837. The exhibition brings together over 50 works, including paintings and oil sketches as well as watercolors, … [Read more...] about Exhibition Report: Late Constable at the Royal Academy
London’s V&A and National Trust unite to explore ‘extraordinary legacy’ of Beatrix Potter in 2022 Exhibition
The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) has joined forces with the National Trust for an exhibition telling the life story of author Beatrix Potter. Drawn to Nature will feature more than 240 personal objects, including rarely seen letters, manuscripts, sketches, coded diaries, and family photographs drawn from the two collections. Potter, who lived between 1866 and … [Read more...] about London’s V&A and National Trust unite to explore ‘extraordinary legacy’ of Beatrix Potter in 2022 Exhibition
Foundling Museum – Fighting Talk: One Man’s Journey From Abandonment to Trafalgar
The Foundling Museum is a wonderful place to visit and has really well chosen temporary exhibitions. The latest looks at a first-hand account of the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar. And the connection is that George King had started life at the Foundling Hospital, the UK's first children's charity). Who was George King? George King (10 June 1787–31 July 1857) was child number 18,053 … [Read more...] about Foundling Museum – Fighting Talk: One Man’s Journey From Abandonment to Trafalgar
British Museum to display ‘world’s oldest surviving map of the stars’
The British Museum is to display what it says is the world’s oldest surviving map of the stars. The Nebra Sky Disc is 3,600 years old and will go on show at the London museum next year. The 30cm bronze disc with a blue-green patina is decorated with inlaid gold symbols thought to represent the sun, moon, stars, the solstices, and the Pleiades constellation. The Nebra … [Read more...] about British Museum to display ‘world’s oldest surviving map of the stars’
Check out ‘Enigmatic images’ in Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year Contest
A French biologist and underwater photographer has been named as this year's Natural History Museum's Wildlife Photographer of the Year, the annual contest put on by the London museum. The photos will be going on public display at London's Natural History Museum. Laurent Ballesta was selected as the winner of the competition following the submission of his "enigmatic image" … [Read more...] about Check out ‘Enigmatic images’ in Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year Contest
Exploring London’s Freud Museum and a Fascinating New Exhibition – Code Name Mary
Along an unassuming residential street in the north London suburbs, there's a house whose famous 1930s resident is still a household name. The Freud Museum in Hampstead was where the father of psychoanalysis lived with his family when he fled Nazi persecution. The Jewish neurologist lived and worked for the majority of his career in Vienna. But he spent his final year in … [Read more...] about Exploring London’s Freud Museum and a Fascinating New Exhibition – Code Name Mary
Laura’s London: Exploring London’s Museum of Brands
The Museum of Brands in Notting Hill features the evolution of packaging design and brands with thousands of items on display. So many of the household items we all have in our cupboards are included in the huge glass cabinets. If you're ready for a nostalgia-filled hour, then this is the place to visit. About The Museum of Brands There's one man behind this obsessive … [Read more...] about Laura’s London: Exploring London’s Museum of Brands
London’s Natural History Museum new photo exhibition to highlight a ‘planet under pressure’
A blood-spattered lioness, a gecko wrestling for its life in the grip of a snake, and a slick of dead and dying herrings are among the photographs submitted to a prestigious exhibition. The Natural History Museum has released a selection of the highly commended images for its Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, which show a “planet under pressure”. Among the … [Read more...] about London’s Natural History Museum new photo exhibition to highlight a ‘planet under pressure’
The London Fiver – Five War Museums to Visit in London
Over the course of the centuries, the country has often called on its men and women to go to war to defend its ideals. In the last century, we’ve seen a greater recognition for the toll it takes and an appreciation for those who answered the call through monuments and museums. London’s war and military museums dedicate themselves to honoring all who served and remembering the … [Read more...] about The London Fiver – Five War Museums to Visit in London
Britain’s New National Holocaust memorial will be built in Westminster in Victoria Tower Gardens
A national Holocaust memorial centre will be built next to Parliament after a minister signed off on a recommendation that the location would present a “powerful associative message.” The Board of Deputies of British Jews welcomed the decision by housing and planning minister Chris Pincher, which came after local public inquiries were held in October and November due to the … [Read more...] about Britain’s New National Holocaust memorial will be built in Westminster in Victoria Tower Gardens
Picnic in the Queen’s Private Garden – Laura Porter Visits Buckingham Palace’s Garden
When attending the annual summer opening of Buckingham Palace, you do get to exit along the side of the garden. But for this year, there is a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" to freely explore the garden for the first time. And to enjoy a picnic on the lawn overlooking the Palace from July to September 2021. As I noted in my long-read about Buckingham Palace, the palace … [Read more...] about Picnic in the Queen’s Private Garden – Laura Porter Visits Buckingham Palace’s Garden
Museum of the Home (formerly the Geffrye Museum) Re-opens After 3-year renovation – Check Out What’s Changed
When the Geffyre Museum closed in 2018, there was a lot of trepidation about its future. Often called a 'hidden gem,' it was a lovely little free museum that gave us an insight into Londoners' home life over the last 400 years. Three years later, it has been transformed and is now double the size with 80% more exhibition space. Still free, but with a new name, The Museum of … [Read more...] about Museum of the Home (formerly the Geffrye Museum) Re-opens After 3-year renovation – Check Out What’s Changed
Laura’s London: Bow Street Police Museum – A Brand New London Museum
London has a new independent museum in Covent Garden! Bow Street Police Museum is housed in one of London's first police stations. No. 28 Bow Street was the home of Bow Street Police Station and Magistrates' Court for over a century. The Museum tells the story of the Bow Street Runners, the country's first organized police force, and the Metropolitan Police officers who … [Read more...] about Laura’s London: Bow Street Police Museum – A Brand New London Museum
Tudors to Windsors: British Royal Portraits – New Major Exhibition at The National Maritime Museum
This royal portraits exhibition at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich looks at the kings and queens who have shaped British history for over 500 years. There are many loans from the National Portrait Gallery, which has been made possible while that gallery is closed for redevelopment until spring 2023. For me, this was a real delight, and not only because it was my … [Read more...] about Tudors to Windsors: British Royal Portraits – New Major Exhibition at The National Maritime Museum
Final tile laid as major restoration project in Britain’s Parliament ends
The final handmade tile in the restoration of a lobby at the heart of the Palace of Westminster has been laid. Almost 60,000 have been restored and replaced in the middle of Central Lobby, including original ones which were designed by Augustus Welby Pugin that would have carried the footsteps of Winston Churchill, William Gladstone, Margaret Thatcher, and countless other … [Read more...] about Final tile laid as major restoration project in Britain’s Parliament ends
Princess Diana’s wedding dress to go on show at Kensington Palace
Diana, Princess of Wales’s famous wedding dress is to go on show at Kensington Palace for the first time in more than 25 years. The Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex have agreed to lend their mother’s romantic full silk taffeta bridal gown to Historic Royal Palaces for a temporary exhibition. Royal Style In The Making will open in the orangery of the princess’s … [Read more...] about Princess Diana’s wedding dress to go on show at Kensington Palace
Napoleon statue in London at Aspley House conserved ahead of 200th anniversary of his death
A statue and death mask of Napoleon kept at the former London residence of the Duke of Wellington have been cleaned and conserved ahead of the 200th anniversary of the French emperor’s death. The mask of the military leader’s face was made upon his death on May 5, 1821, while the Napoleon As Mars The Peacemaker statue was sculpted between 1802 and 1806. English Heritage … [Read more...] about Napoleon statue in London at Aspley House conserved ahead of 200th anniversary of his death
Big Ben to Chime Regularly Again From Next Year – Elizabeth Tower restoration to be completed in 2022
Big Ben will ring again from early next year as the restoration of Parliament’s Elizabeth Tower nears completion. The refurbishment of the Westminster landmark, which has already spiraled to at least £80 million, was originally expected to be finished this year but was delayed as the Covid-19 crisis held up work. In a statement, UK Parliament authorities said: “The … [Read more...] about Big Ben to Chime Regularly Again From Next Year – Elizabeth Tower restoration to be completed in 2022
Top 10 London: Ten War Memorials in London
War is a terrible business. For hundreds of years, they have required the utmost sacrifice from the United Kingdom’s men and women to protect freedom and the lives of innocent civilians. It is with that in mind that each conflict has seen a monument erected to those who served and those who fell. As the nation’s capital, London has more than its fair share of such memorials … [Read more...] about Top 10 London: Ten War Memorials in London
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