AboutLondon Laura – August 2025
What if everything goes right?
I had a fantastic time back in the capital and felt more like ‘London Laura’ again. I topped up my cultural ‘warm and fuzzy feeling’ inside with plenty of exploring. I got through a lot of my London wish list, so allow me to share some tips and recommendations.
I know this is long, but don’t miss the good stuff at the end!
National Art Pass
I bought a 3-month trial membership of the National Art Pass as I knew it covered some of the things I wanted to do on this trip. I got a £15 offer but it’s usually £20. It gives free or reduced-rate entry to loads of places, plus money off in the cafes and gift shops too.
I used the Pass at:
Kenwood House – Heiress: Sargent’s American Portraits (saving £12)
Wallace Collection – Grayson Perry: Delusions of Grandeur (saving £7.50)
Braintree Museum, Essex (saving £5)
Lydiard House Museum, Swindon (saving £6.70)
All of that would have cost me £31.20, so I’ve saved £16.20 already. And I still have months more to use it further.
What Exhibitions Did I See?
Heiress: Sargent’s American Portraits at Kenwood House is worth a visit. I enjoyed it, although it is only two rooms. It’s about getting to know more about the lives of the American women who were sitters for the artist, and it was good to see his drawings as well as the spectacular paintings. There were times, though, I felt the captions were written from a male perspective because of their judgment of some aspects of the women’s lives.
London Art For All runs free, affordable art shows. I went to one in Balham and got some fun prints, including this one that’s now up in my kitchen.
On the same day, I went to The Paxton Centre in Crystal Palace, which is a cafe with lots of lovely art on show that’s also for sale.
I’d wanted to see Grayson Perry: Delusions of Grandeur at the Wallace Collection since it opened, so I’m glad I got there. He has created a fictional artist with a full backstory, which is best explained by the audio guide.
I’m a fan of Grayson Perry, so I enjoyed this exhibition a lot. But while I want to like the Wallace Collection, it always finds a way to annoy me. This time it was no ticket desk with a cursory point towards a QR code to book online as the best welcome they could offer. Then I was told to move while trying to book, so the phone signal got weaker further into the building. Honestly, pointlessly annoying tactics.
At Liberty, there is an enormous textile house to admire by The Patchwork Collective. It’s free to see, and there was also a free history of Liberty exhibition available. I AM. WE ARE. LIBERTY. ended on 25 July, but the patchwork house is on show until 12th August.
At Serpentine South Gallery in Kensington Gardens, I saw Giuseppe Penone: Thoughts in the Roots. This is free and on until 7th September. In the room pictured below, there are ‘cages’ of leaves from floor to ceiling on all sides – and it smells amazing.
Nearby, I stopped to see the Diana statue near Kensington Palace. All around me, I could hear excited American voices asking where Diana was, so it’s definitely well-visited. But, even though she may have been the most photographed woman in the world, the statue looks nothing like her.
At the Royal College of Music, I saw Kurt Cobain Unplugged. It’s an opportunity to see the Nirvana singer’s acoustic guitar and green mohair cardigan from the MTV Unplugged performance in November 1993. There’s also a room where you can put on a similar cardigan and have some fun with guitars for photos. Your £5 entry ticket includes the ground-floor permanent collection, so take the free audio guide to hear some unusual instruments. I really enjoyed this, and it’s been extended until 18th November.
Outside of London, but as part of this trip, I went to Braintree Museum in Essex. Housed in a Victorian primary school building, it covers local history (including prehistoric), local businesses and a school room. It has a very good gift shop including fabric from the Warner Textiles Archive and old postcards.
I stopped at Lydiard House Museum in Swindon as it was on the way back to Wales. The House is stunning, so it’s worth seeing, and there’s lots more to do on the estate.
And I saw Tyntesfield House near Bristol too. Tyntesfield is a National Trust-managed property and has a lot to see and do.
Free Bonus Idea in London
I recommend being outside The London Palladium around 9pm to see Rachel Zegler sing from the balcony. She performs ‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina’ to the street while the Evita The Musical ticketholders inside the theatre see a video screen. Be warned, it gets really crowded! I had a ‘lovely’ view of a lamppost, but she sounded fabulous.
Cafe Recommendations
The cafe at the Royal College of Music was good, so do stop by after seeing Kurt Cobain Unplugged.
Somewhere I’ve walked past for years but will now return to often is Fika Regent Hall at 275 Oxford Street. It’s in a Salvation Army building, but head inside and you’ll reach a bargain-priced cafe. I almost don’t want to share this tip as it was such a great find. But I like you, so head there and enjoy.
The Nest is a rooftop bar at the Treehouse Hotel. It’s near to BBC Broadcasting House at Oxford Circus. Before the hotel came back in this incarnation, I remembered it was a good place to drink tea and see the sights. It’s now more rich drinking and loud music, but you can go for tea/coffee. And on a good day, there are the terraces for the rooftop views.
Where Did I Stay?
I stayed at The Columbia at Lancaster Gate (opposite Hyde Park) and would highly recommend it. The hotel is known for its unique blend of Victorian architecture and 1970s-style interiors (I had an avocado-coloured bathroom suite!) It’s popular for photo shoots as the interiors are great. I saw a bridal fashion shoot on the way to my room, and a film crew outside doing a commercial.
I remember the hotel as a popular after-show party location for lots of bands. Iggy Pop, Amy Winehouse and the Stereophonics have stayed there. Oasis got themselves banned for life in 1994. I’ll definitely return. The happy hour cocktails are only £7, and I forgot to show my daughter Leinster Gardens, which is just around the corner.
What’s Happening This Month?
It’s the last month to see Leigh Bowery! at Tate Modern as it closes on 31st August.
Between Sleeping and Waking opens at the Bethlem Museum of the Mind on 14th August. It reflects on 200 years of artists’ fascination with the experiences of sleep and dreams, and features works by artists who were patients of Bethlem Hospital.
Millet: Life On The Land is free to see at the National Gallery from 7th August. The show coincides with the 150th anniversary of Jean-François Millet’s (1814–1875) death. The exhibition ranges from Millet’s last years in Paris through to his images of workers on the land during the 1850s.
And don’t forget, you can visit the Houses of Parliament during the summer, and see the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace.