How has your week been? Any special plans for the weekend? This week I said goodbye to a good friend (from Canada) who’s moving from London to Australia. Last year one of my best friends (from Lithuania) who was living … Continue reading →
, : skip to main skip to sidebar Tired of London , Tired of Life One thing a day to do in London A website about things to do in London Pages Home About Contact Talking to Strangers Book Public speaking 31 August 2012 Find Thomas Becket's birthplace Two small plaques on a corner of Cheapside mark the birthplace of a London-born Saint , Thomas Becket , born nearby around 1118 and the son of a family which traced its lineage from Norman petty . nobility Known for his conflict with Henry II , Thomas rose to become Archbishop of Canterbury , and was famously assassinated at Canterbury Cathedral on 29 December 1170. Becket was subsequently canonised by Pope Alexander and is venerated as a saint and martyr in the Catholic and Anglican . Churches For more , see http : en.wikipedia.org wiki
I remember being “dragged” around garden centres and nurseries with my parents as a kid, wondering what they found so fascinating in plants and garden furniture. A lot of their interest, of course, had to do with my dad’s business. … Continue reading →, : skip to main skip to sidebar Tired of London , Tired of Life One thing a day to do in London A website about things to do in London Pages Home About Contact Talking to Strangers Book Public speaking 30 August 2012 Listen to music at the Scoop Over at the odd bit of London next to City Hall , the Scoop is a purpose-built amphitheatre which hosts regular events through the summer . Tonight , if the mood takes you , you can hear a blues gig from Pacifico Blues . Jam We are told to expect guitarist Chris Newland to be joined by blues harpist blues harp Paul Pacifico , for an evening concert which , within the showers , sounds very pleasant . In case of rain , or an interest in talking to nice people you could also consider attending Talking To Strangers at the Devereux off Fleet . Street, : skip to main skip to sidebar Tired of London , Tired of Life One thing a day to do in London A website about things to do in London Pages Home About Contact Talking to Strangers Book Public speaking 29 August 2012 See the 2012 Serpentine Gallery Pavilion Your author is rather a fan of architecture , and as such the annual erection of the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion , beside the Gallery in Kensington Gardens , is always a highlight . This year is the twelfth time a Pavilion has been erected , and the 2012 version was designed by Herzog de Meuron and Ai . Weiwei This year's Pavilion is , we are told , a reflection on previous constructions , with eleven columns representing one for each previous pavilion . The Pavilion offers visitors the opportunity to sink beneath the Gallery lawn ,
A welcome respite after a walk down the Harrow Road with its dreary buildings and heavy traffic flow, the canal of Little Venice was glowing with a coat of green algae. The shadow of the bridge stretched across the algae. … Continue reading →
: : Paul in London Paul is in London . And seeing mostly theatre Monday , August 27, 2012 Co-op Opera : Don Giovanni In a week when Prince Harry's buttocks and a rowdy party were the topic of discussion , the opportunity to see young opera performers in an English modernisation of Don Giovanni cavort and brag about conquests seemed rather relevant . This Don Giovanni may not be royalty but he is a bit of a lad and the women he seeks look like they could be found at a Vegas pool party . It is probably a little too faithful to the Mozart's original which does tend to be confusing , but things move along at a pace you find yourself not minding it too . much Helping things is the energy and enthusiasm coming from the cast of young opera singers . The Co-Opera Company is made up of members and, : skip to main skip to sidebar Tired of London , Tired of Life One thing a day to do in London A website about things to do in London Pages Home About Contact Talking to Strangers Book Public speaking 27 August 2012 Attend the Notting Hill Carnival You might think this summer with all the energy expended on sport that London isn't used to holding big events , but as we all know we are a city which is home to some of the biggest and best in the world and the Notting Hill Carnival held each year on August Bank Holiday Weekend , is one of your author's . favourites One of the world's largest street parties , the carnival attracts up to a million people to the streets of West London for an event that surely must be the best such event in the UK , for a celebration to end the summer . Your, : skip to main skip to sidebar Tired of London , Tired of Life One thing a day to do in London A website about things to do in London Pages Home About Contact Talking to Strangers Book Public speaking 26 August 2012 Take a Sky Ride Fresh from a marketing triumph which saw them sponsoring Bradley Wiggins through Tour de France and Olympic victories , the people from Team Sky have paid to organise some led rides around London today , taking in Hillingdon , Wandsworth , Richmond and other . areas The rides sound quite fun providing the drizzle holds off and offer a slightly different experience to your usual ambling biking , as long as you can find one suited to your . abilities For more , see http : www.tfl.gov.uk roadusers cycling 15351.aspx Labels : Bikes Cycling No : comments Post a, : skip to main skip to sidebar Tired of London , Tired of Life One thing a day to do in London A website about things to do in London Pages Home About Contact Talking to Strangers Book Public speaking 25 August 2012 Eat at Zeret Kitchen A decent little restaurant on little square set back from Camberwell Road , Zeret Kitchen specialises in traditional Ethiopian cuisine , served well and with a smile . Though your author doesn't know a lot about Ethiopian food , of the few such restaurants he has experienced this has been the . best Happily , for those who find deciding difficult , a Zeret Surprise is on offer , combining various Ethiopian dishes with traditional spongy bread , and if the mood takes you and Ethiopian Coffee Service is . available For more , see http : zeretkitchen.com, : skip to main skip to sidebar Tired of London , Tired of Life One thing a day to do in London A website about things to do in London Pages Home About Contact Talking to Strangers Book Public speaking 24 August 2012 See the Lego world map Your author wouldn't usually mention the Southbank Centre twice in a week , but was rather taken with the Lego map of the world currently being displayed , and wanted to write about it before it is dismantled on 26th . August Assembled with the help of 4,000 members of the public , the map uses over a million lego pieces to reconstruct a world map in 21 colours , and featuring snow-topped mountains and even the Great Wall of . China For more , see http : www.pocket-lint.com news 46885 lego-map-of-the-world-completed Labels : maps South Bank Temporary No, : skip to main skip to sidebar Tired of London , Tired of Life One thing a day to do in London A website about things to do in London Pages Home About Contact Talking to Strangers Book Public speaking 23 August 2012 Seek out Bernardo O'Higgins Richmond-on-Thames isn't somewhere you would associate with a Chilean freedom fighter , but then again Bernardo O'Higgins wasn't a particularly ordinary man . Part of the Irish aristocratic O'Higgins family , he was born in the Chilean city of Chillán , and came to London to study in his teens , living in Richmond at 2 The Vineyard , where he is still remembered by a blue . plaque The son of Ambrosio O'Higgins , an Irish-born Spanish officer who went on to become governor of Chile and viceroy of Peru , Bernardo was a key figure in the fight against, : skip to main skip to sidebar Tired of London , Tired of Life One thing a day to do in London A website about things to do in London Pages Home About Contact Talking to Strangers Book Public speaking 22 August 2012 Sit out in the Queen Elizabeth Hall roof garden Over at the Southbank Centre sometimes they are too creative for their own good , meaning that at any one time they can be doing so many great things your author finds it hard to keep up . This summer , for example , they've refreshed the garden on the roof of the Queen Elizabeth Hall to grow vegetables and have lawns with real grass . The project has drawn upon the expertise of Cornwall's Eden Project , using a space built from scratch last year by a team from Providence Row Housing Association and though it's suffering a, : skip to main skip to sidebar Tired of London , Tired of Life One thing a day to do in London A website about things to do in London Pages Home About Contact Talking to Strangers Book Public speaking 21 August 2012 See Tom Stoddart's Perspectives An open air photographic exhibition is well under way at More London , near City Hall and the Scoop , and showcasing the works of respected English photojournalist Tom Stoddart , a man whose photography has taken him around the world since his career began on a local newspaper in the North East in the . 1970s The exhibition , which continues until 11th September , brings 78 of Stoddart's best black and white photographs for a free exhibition , open to all and to the elements . The exhibition draws we are told on Stoddart's travel to 50, : skip to main skip to sidebar Tired of London , Tired of Life One thing a day to do in London A website about things to do in London Pages Home About Contact Talking to Strangers Book Public speaking 20 August 2012 Find the Ecuadorian Embassy A few months ago there would have been something completely unremarkable about the address of the Ecuadorian Embassy , situated as it is at Flat 3B , 3 Hans Crescent , SW1X 0LS . In fact it sounds rather more like the venue for a house-party than the foreign mission of a South American nation with a population of more than 15 . million This week , however , it seems to have become rather more newsworthy , and when your author stumbled upon it rather accidentally yesterday afternoon , it was the scores of satellite vans , sweltering camera crews ,, : skip to main skip to sidebar Tired of London , Tired of Life One thing a day to do in London A website about things to do in London Pages Home About Contact Talking to Strangers Book Public speaking 19 August 2012 Attend the London Mela Today , out in West London's Gunnersbury Park , the London Mela returns for its 10th anniversary to celebrate music and culture , with a particular focus on the Indian sub . continent Across nine zones , visitors to the free event can expect music from Jaz Dhami and live band , all female Chinese drumming group Red Poppies , BBC Asian Network DJ , and new talent in the UK from BBC Introducing and DJ Bobby . Friction For more , see http : www.londonmela.org Picture John Pannell used under a Creative Commons license^ Labels : Annual Events Festivals
: : Paul in London Paul is in London . And seeing mostly theatre Saturday , August 18, 2012 Hot August Nights : Drag Divas If you have been wondering where you could see a live all-singing all-dancing tribute show to the worlds greatest divas performed by a bunch of blokes , then you could do with catching Drag Divas which is having a short run at the Arts Theatre in Leicester Square . It has been always a bit difficult to see a drag show in central London as the local punters don't seem to go for that sort of thing . But it is great to see there is at least for the moment a place in the West End where you can go for a late night camp fix that doesn't take itself too seriously and gives a touch of hoary glamour to theatreland this summer . The show is billed as being Fierce . Fabulous ., : skip to main skip to sidebar Tired of London , Tired of Life One thing a day to do in London A website about things to do in London Pages Home About Contact Talking to Strangers Book Public speaking 18 August 2012 Go to the Carnaval Del Pueblo Latino Festival Though the failure of everyone's least favourite wasteland-based-dust-bowl has caused the cancellation of the main annual event , Carnaval Del Pueblo are still planning a party today , taking over the Coronet Theatre , close to the Elephant Castle roundabout , for a Latino . Festival They're promising a range of top-drawer musicians , free Latin dance classes , DJs all day and even an Andean area , and they probably need your support , promising to unite all communities under one . roof For more , see http :, : skip to main skip to sidebar Tired of London , Tired of Life One thing a day to do in London A website about things to do in London Pages Home About Contact Talking to Strangers Book Public speaking 17 August 2012 Find the Young Lovers Found in Festival Gardens , just to the south east of St Paul's Cathedral is a sculpture by Georg Ehrlich . A celebration of young love , it shows two life-size bronze figures , both naked and seated side-by-side , with their arms around each other in an . embrace Though Ehrlich died in 1966, the Young Lovers was not erected until 1973, on a section of gardens laid out in 1951 by Sir Albert Richardson , as part of the Corporation of London's contribution to the Festival of . Britain For more , see http : www.londongardensonline.org.uk
: : Paul in London Paul is in London . And seeing mostly theatre Friday , August 17, 2012 Life in London : Olympic bubbles and musings The Olympics have finished and for those who stayed in London it was a dream . The city was quiet , traffic was minimal , the tube seemed empty when I needed it and people were in a jolly mood . There was some seriously good sport to watch and so in a break from theatre I took the chance to see what drama was on offer of the muscle , sweat and lycra . kind But my choices of Olympic sport included catching the women's team foil final of the fencing and the women's freestyle wrestling . Both of the events were at the Excel , a rather bland and underwhelming venue where the need to be one big mother of a convention centre are the main priority in design and, : skip to main skip to sidebar Tired of London , Tired of Life One thing a day to do in London A website about things to do in London Pages Home About Contact Talking to Strangers Book Public speaking 16 August 2012 See Ben's boat As most people will probably have forgotten by now , London hosted the Olympic Games last week , and this morning one of our more successful medal winners boater Ben Ainslie will be sailing on the Thames to celebrate his . victory From 9am this morning , we are told that Mr Ainslie will be bringing a special version of his boat Rita to London to sail the Thames in front of the Houses of Parliament , and the best place to see him will be on Westminster Bridge and along Victoria Embankment between the House of Commons and Westminster Pier . It seems fitting , not, : skip to main skip to sidebar Tired of London , Tired of Life One thing a day to do in London A website about things to do in London Pages Home About Contact Talking to Strangers Book Public speaking 15 August 2012 Learn about Kingsley Hall Your author learned rather too late about the Summer Festival at Kingsley Hall in Bow , attending an excellent showing of the play When Gandhi Met Chaplin there at the end of last week . Though the festival and play have now finished , the building's fascinating story and its hosting of Gandhi on a trip to London is always worth . sharing Following directly from Doris and Muriel Lester's nursery , which began nearby in 1912, construction of the current building began in July 1927, replacing a former chapel in the area that had been used as a, : skip to main skip to sidebar Tired of London , Tired of Life One thing a day to do in London A website about things to do in London Pages Home About Contact Talking to Strangers Book Public speaking 14 August 2012 Sit in the Princess Alice Garden A pleasant little garden beside St Bartholomew the Less within the walls of St Bartholomew's Hospital , the Princess Alice Garden is quieter than other green spaces in the area by virtue of the imposing hospital gate which must be walked through to get to . it A sign noted that the garden was opened in 2001 to mark the 100th birthday of Princess Alice , who was a President and Patron of the Guild of the Royal Hospital of St . Bartholomew For more , see http : www.londonremembers.com memorials princess-alice-garden Labels : City of London Parks, : skip to main skip to sidebar Tired of London , Tired of Life One thing a day to do in London A website about things to do in London Pages Home About Contact Talking to Strangers Book Public speaking 13 August 2012 Learn about Brazil's Olympic future It's only 1,453 days to go until the Rio 2016 Olympic Games , and last night the baton was firmly passed to the South American city , with a memorable flourish . If you're keen to understand what Brazil and Rio have to offer without leaving London , then you're in luck as Somerset House hosts Casa Brazil until 8th September , with a showcase of Brazilian art and . culture Your author popped into the Embankment Galleries yesterday and , apart from a big clock and a shop already selling Rio Olympic tat , was impressed by exhibitions on, : skip to main skip to sidebar Tired of London , Tired of Life One thing a day to do in London A website about things to do in London Pages Home About Contact Talking to Strangers Book Public speaking 12 August 2012 Watch the Closing Ceremony So , a few more loose ends to tie up today another marathon not going through Tower Hamlets before it's time to draw the curtain down on the show which some people call the greatest show on Earth . It's been just over two weeks of highs and lows and we've put on a fine event for athletes from around the world . London , you should be . proud And tonight , in front of an audience which the organisers rather optimistically estimate to number in the multiple billions we will once again attempt to put on a show of what makes us good , culminating with, : skip to main skip to sidebar Tired of London , Tired of Life One thing a day to do in London A website about things to do in London Pages Home About Contact Talking to Strangers Book Public speaking 9 August 2012 Attend the Greenwich Summer Festival Your author still isn't quite sure about the branded pens which have sprung up around town for enforced enjoyment of The Event , but one pleasant oasis with sport screens is the Greenwich Summer Festival , within the grounds of the Old Royal Naval . College The inevitable big screen is not fenced in behind huge crowd fences , and serves up film screenings when the sport is over , in a venue that also offers music , cabaret theatre and real ale . It's a bit like the amazing offerings that usually happen in London when The Event is not on ,, : skip to main skip to sidebar Tired of London , Tired of Life One thing a day to do in London A website about things to do in London Pages Home About Contact Talking to Strangers Book Public speaking 8 August 2012 Find Chen Guanming's rickshaw He made headlines a week or two ago for his cycling trip from Beijing to London for the Olympics , but your author was surprised to stumble across his rickshaw when wandering through Chinatown last Friday , for Chen Guanming has Olympic fever and claims to have traveled more than 30,000 miles to be in London for the . Olympics His story is an inspiring one , and journeying through 16 countries , and negotiating floods , war zones , mountains and intense cold in order to be at a sports tournament is an Olympian feat in itself . For more , see http