The Riverside Studios
Hammersmith Bridge

This is one of London’s best loved venue’s for new and innovative theatre, film, comedy, art, dance and music. They always have a dazzling array of interesting productions on the go at any one time. We have had a soft spot for this place ever since it underwent a multi-million pound refurbishment back in 2020, and reopened … literally two weeks before Covid shut it, and everything else, down again for two years. Cruel luck, so we always do our best to support it now it is open again in all its glory. There is a great art house cinema here too, and the fabulous Sam’s at the Riverside restaurant right next-door. It’s right next to Hammersmith Bridge.

Tate Modern
Bankside

Tate have four sites around London, but this gargantuan building, a former power station, is by far the most impressive. The vast former Turbine Hall is the iconic space in the gallery, 35 metres high and 152 metres long, you could comfortably pile seven London buses on top of each other in there. The famous Bankside chimney is 99 metres tall, just lower than the dome of St Paul’s opposite. Best viewed from the river, or on the boat between Tate Britain and Tate Modern. Get there via Blackfriars station, and walk across the Millennium footbridge. There’ s a great terrace restaurant there too.

National History Museum
South Kensington

This museum, housed in a vast Romanesque palace, features more than 50,000 books, 10,000 preserved animals, and 334 volumes of pressed plant species. The collection has more than 80 million items in total. The museum has many specimens collected by Charles Darwin and Joseph Banks, who accompanied James Cook on his expeditions. The museum is widely recognised as the world's most important centre for research into natural history. The star attraction though is the 26 metres long skeleton of a Blue Whale in the Grand Hall, who replaces the legendary Dippy the Diplodocus, who’s away on tour.

The National Portrait Gallery
Trafalgar Square

The Gallery holds the most extensive collection of portraits in the world. Founded in 1856, the aim of the National Portrait Gallery, London is ‘to promote through the medium of portraits the appreciation of the people who have made British history and culture. There is a photographic collection there too. Head for Charing Cross Tube station.

Notting Hill Carnival
Notting Hill

The world’s second largest street carnival kicks off in late August, normally over the bank holiday weekend. This huge street parade consists of live music, steel bands, street performances, and plenty of Red Stripe (beer!). Over 50,000 colourful dancers in garish costumes join more than 60 bands offering an unsurpassed insight into the rich Caribbean culture.

The Comedy Store
Piccadilly Circus

We Brits are a funny lot, and evidence of this can be found at comedy gigs around town. Since time immemorial, the nation’s more unusual characters have been standing up on pub tables, possibly a couple of ales to the good, and entertained their crowd. England has a very proud history of this. The Comedy Store is the best known, but there are many others around, so get Googling.

Shakespeare’s Globe
Southwark

We can stick our necks out here; if there is one theatrical event you do while in London make it this. The original Globe was built in 1599, but was destroyed by fire (and the Puritans) in 1613. This incarnation was rebuilt in 1997, 700 feet from the original site. Everything else is the same. Hard wooden seats, standing room at the front and surround-sound audio. But if you didn’t study The Bard’s plays at school it’s a good idea to swot up beforehand on the story, or at least read the notebook.

Royal Albert Hall
South Kensington

The hall opened in 1871, to honour Queen Victoria’s beloved late husband a decade earlier; alas she was still too upset to attend the opening. But the bands played on, and since then the famous circular auditorium, which seats more than 5,000, has played host to such diverse events from live boxing, rock & pop, Cirque du Soleil and the Eurovision Song Contest. But it perhaps best known for the Last Night of the Proms, but you’d need a hardy soul to attend that as a tourist, it’s an unashamed celebration of the glory of the British Empire.

Holland Park Opera
Holland Park

Opera buffs should head for this lovely setting for top-flight open air performances. The tranquil setting is gorgeous on a summer’s evening in the verdant surrounds of Holland Park. The old house has been here since 1605, but has formed the backdrop to the canopied opera only since 1997. You can take a picnic, or just loiter in the champagne bars, listen to the birds and people-watch to your heart’s content. Even if you don’t like opera, just go to Holland Park anyway, it’s fabulous.

The National Gallery
Trafalgar Square

The National Gallery is housed in a neoclassical building over-looking famous Trafalgar Square and was built in 1838. The gallery holds an art collection of over 2.600 pieces which contains European paintings from the 13th to 19th Centuries. The highlights include paintings by El Greco, Jan van Eyck, Rembrandt, Rubens, Michelangelo, and many more. The great British artist JMW Turner alone left more than 300 oil paintings to the collection. Get there via Leicester Square Tube. Entry is free by the way. If you’ve got any energy left in the old feet take a stroll through the Admiralty Arch opposite and along the Mall to Buckingham Palace.

Tate Modern
Bankside

Tate have four sites around London, but this gargantuan building, a former power station, is by far the most impressive. The vast former Turbine Hall is the iconic space in the gallery, 35 metres high and 152 metres long, you could comfortably pile seven London buses on top of each other in there. The famous Bankside chimney is 99 metres tall, just lower than the dome of St Paul’s opposite. Best viewed from the river, or on the boat between Tate Britain and Tate Modern. Get there via Blackfriars station, and walk across the Millennium footbridge. There’ s a great terrace restaurant there too.

National History Museum
South Kensington

This museum, housed in a vast Romanesque palace, features more than 50,000 books, 10,000 preserved animals, and 334 volumes of pressed plant species. The collection has more than 80 million items in total. The museum has many specimens collected by Charles Darwin and Joseph Banks, who accompanied James Cook on his expeditions. The museum is widely recognised as the world's most important centre for research into natural history. The star attraction though is the 26 metres long skeleton of a Blue Whale in the Grand Hall, who replaces the legendary Dippy the Diplodocus, who’s away on tour.