AboutLondon Laura – November 2022 Newsletter
I didn’t send a newsletter last month. Sorry. When the Queen died all of my content had to be put on hold to focus on the sad news. But this does mean there is A LOT for you to read this month.
When I haven’t been writing, I’ve been drinking tea and eating posh cakes as I’m a judge for the annual afternoon tea awards. On my Facebook Page, I’ve been discussing the lack of ‘cake’ and it seems I’m not the only one to have noticed the sweet treats have changed.
Things to Read: Recent Exhibition Reports
The British Museum’s latest blockbuster exhibition is the reason the Rosetta Stone has been moved for the first time in 18 years. Hieroglyphs: unlocking ancient Egypt is sure to be popular but beware of the dark entrance where I saw two people fall over.
The Science Museum is trying something new with its latest immersive exhibition. Science Fiction: Voyage to the Edge of Imagination should feel as if you are on an alien spaceship. It’s big and there’s some cool stuff to see such as Lieutenant Nyota Uhura’s uniform worn in Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) and Darth Vader's helmet from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980).
The Charles Dickens Museum is ready for the winter season with To Be Read At Dusk: Dickens, Ghosts & the Supernatural. Dickens liked spooky stuff so this is a good theme for the venue. And there are some great events planned for the darker months too.
The National Gallery has Lucian Freud: New Perspectives. It’s to mark the centenary of the artist’s birth and is the first major exhibition of his work in over ten years. Freud held a special pass that allowed him to visit the National Gallery at any time of the day or night so the Gallery certainly had a close connection to him.
Things to Read: Outdoor Art
There’s a new artwork on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square. Because I get to read lots of Press materials and speak to curators and artists, I know the story that explains this artwork. But will it be clear to people passing by? I don’t know. As with all good public art, it starts a conversation and I chatted with those who asked why I was taking photos and asked what it was all about.
Things to Read: Open House
I managed to visit three unusual buildings during Open House London before many had to close when the Queen died.
Fog House is a converted Victorian warehouse that was a famous artist’s studio. It was transformed into a home by a famous architect for a famous TV presenter. And is now a private home with a lovely owner who allowed strangers to explore inside.
75 Grosvenor Street looks the same as all of the other terraced Georgian properties in the area. But when you step inside you discover a modernisation that hasn’t lost its history. And the views from the roof gardens are good too.
I went on a tour of Euston Fire Station led by a serving firefighter. It’s a building many of us have passed but few have seen inside. It was another very interesting Open House visit.
Things to Read: National Trust
Ages ago (back in the early summer) I told you I was going to see some National Trust properties. Paycocke’s House is in Essex and it gave me a reason to visit the village where my dad grew up. It’s a marvellous Tudor building I remember passing on the way to see Nan when I was a young child. It was very good to see inside.
The Red House is one of the few National Trust properties in London (although it’s still a long way from home for me). It’s the house William Morris built and it was a real treat to finally get there and have a look around.
What’s Planned?
I’m getting a private tour of The Cosmic House which is a real treat. I’ll be returning to Leighton House Museum to see the changes since it reopened a few weeks ago. I’ve got a couple more National Trust properties to see: Sutton House in London and Chartwell in Kent. And I’ll be at the VIP night for Hyde Park Winter Wonderland which will make my teen very happy indeed.