Nothing brings colour to a grey February Sunday like a cohort of clowns descending upon a church in East London to honour the father of their trade, Joseph Grimaldi. I can’t remember the last time that I was at church on a Sunday, but of course the mad city of London had just the quirky thing to get me back through the doors. LONDON THING 158 OF 1000: Peruse the Eggheads at …
Covering 2,000 years of history in one place is no easy feat, but the Museum of London Docklands does it beautifully, keeping you rolling through the story of the River Thames right up to the contentious present day. A year ago, I moved to East London, and it’s been my perfect place. Living a 15-minute walk from the River Thames and the old Docklands means that I get to experience first-hand one of the fastest changing neighbourhoods in London. …
On a quiet side street off Brick Lane, a dark nondescript door hides one of East London’s absolute gems (and hardest places to get into). Step beyond the curry touts’ grasp to discover London’s global roots at the rarely open Museum of Immigration and Diversity at 19 Princelet Street. ‘You cunt. You shouldn’t even be living in this country.’ My mind was racing through the British dictionary stored in my head. The c-word. This was …
Delight in the tranquility of the Kyoto Gardens, one of London’s best outdoor treats. Meander along the narrow gravel path past trees decked out in cherry blossoms and a cascading waterfall to feel instantly recharged. London has finally thrown off the shackles of winter, and it’s this time of year in particular that I love watching the English in their native habitat: the park. Nothing makes these folk more excited than when …
Few of London’s neighbourhoods command majesty like Hampstead. Best of all is the square mile of luscious green parkland that is Hampstead Heath. The crowning glory of this part is Parliament Hill with panoramic views across the whole of London. After spending a few hours at the Freud Museum, we trekked through the posh, are-you-sure-we’re-even-allowed-to-walk-around-here, orange brick neighbourhood to Hampstead Heath, officially my favourite London park. London Thing 200 of 1000: Take in the …
Quietly lingering in the shadows of Europe’s tallest building, the Herb Garret in the attic of St Thomas’s Church near London Bridge stored the dried flowers and plants used for medicine before the days of packages of paracetamol. The Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret has to be one of London’s most London-y places: Blink and you’ll miss it. Look the other way as you walk past, and you might …
Skeletal hands down, the Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret is my new favourite small museum in London. To enter, pull yourself along the worn rope that snakes up the steep, creaking spiral staircase to find a church attic where Victorian medical students learned how to perform amputations, a hidden space rediscovered only 58 years ago. Despite all of medical technology’s advancements, assurances of only a few seconds of pain and the promise of unicorn …
It’s called Shakespeare’s Globe, but it’s not Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. The Globe Theatre of Shakespeare’s day is long gone, burnt to the ground during a performance of Henry VIII more than 400 years ago in 1613. A cannon fired from the stage lit the matchstick-like thatch roof on fire. Although the theatre was quickly rebuilt the next year on the old foundations, Puritans in Parliament shut the theatre down and demolished …
Some days I think London is more American than I am. In the few years since I’ve moved here, the number of Chipotles has tripled (with outposts as far flung as Wimbledon), even tastier burrito joints have set up shop, and burgers and BBQ have chiselled their way into a Londoner’s mental list of viable dinner options. Are they following me? If so, you’re welcome. #431: Get a taste of New …
In London, you’re never more than a 5-minute walk from a chippy. These humble British institutions dot our streets to save whole neighbourhoods from any potential deep fried emergencies. Our local chippy even doubles as a Chinese takeaway (oddly versatile, these places). While deep fried potato sticks from the chippy will do for pie night at home, they aren’t really places you’d want to go to for proper fish and chips. In …