AboutLondon Laura – November 2024
Did you try any of my recommendations from last month? I saw Yayoi Kusama: EVERY DAY I PRAY FOR LOVE at Victoria Miro, and I adored Outlaws: Fashion Renegades of 80s London at the Fashion and Textile Museum. Wonderful inspirational stuff.
Thank you
I shared with you last month that I’m considering leaving London. It’s not an easy decision and I’m very grateful for all the messages I received with practical advice, personal stories plus support and encouragement.
I’m pursuing the idea and my house is up for sale. I’ve lived in this home for 29 years and have never sold a house before so it’s a very new experience for me. But let’s see how this works out.
London Gifts
I may have reached ‘peak tourist mode’ recently when I bought gift biscuits in Fortnum & Mason and then queued to enter the LEGO store at Leicester Square to buy a London postcard. Why would a Londoner do this? Because it’s fun to buy London gifts that make friends happy.
This got me thinking, what London gifts do you like to give? If someone is flying, I try to keep it edible or small. Otherwise, we have loads of options!
A pink Angel tube station T-shirt from the London Transport Museum shop makes little girls happy. And the moquette clothing range tends to bring joy to adults whether it’s socks, scarves or these glorious Routemaster pyjamas.
A Liberty print scarf or notebook is always appreciated, as are Charbonnel et Walker chocs (I love this Liberty tins chocs gift set).
Museum shops are usually really good for these types of London-specific gifts. The Museum of London gift shop was brilliant so I hope the London Museum Docklands has expanded the gift shop range for visitors. There is an online shop for the Museum of London. I still like the London Brick terracotta vase and I’ve had the London Brick soaps and can recommend those too.
I have a lovely vintage London map scarf like this one and it always gets admiring comments. And I’m quite a fan of a souvenir tea towel as it’s always been a way to see if a museum shop is overpriced (it’s good to have a constant marker for these checks).
The V&A shop is outstanding which explains why many visitors spend as much time in the shop as the galleries. The British Museum shop has a similar appeal. The Wallace Collection shop can be worth checking for art-loving friends and the Handel Hendrix House shop is great too. I like the choices at the Charles Dickens Museum. The “Please sir, I want some more” bowl is brilliant; hopefully, it’ll be back in stock soon.
The Houses of Parliament shop always has some great choices from the art prints to the Gunpowder Plot Chilli Jam.
I hope this has given you some ideas and London shopping inspiration. Maybe for Christmas gifts, maybe for a friend or maybe for yourself.
What’s Happening This Month?
As we predicted last month, the National Gallery has had to tighten entry regulations. It’s still free to visit and they still encourage booking a ticket to save on waiting time in queues. But the regulations now include no liquids (except for baby formula, expressed milk and prescription medicines).
Over in the Docklands, there is an Elvis Evolution immersive experience and in London Bridge, there’s a Marilyn Monroe exhibition.
Drawing the Italian Renaissance is at The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, from 1 November 2024. It will likely appeal to the same audience who will enjoy Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael: Florence, c.1504 at the Royal Academy from 9 November 2024. This exhibition explores the rivalry between Michelangelo and Leonardo, and the influence both had on the young Raphael.
Picasso Printmaker opens at the British Museum on 7 November 2024. And The Lord Mayor’s Show is on 9 November and is a fun day out.
The poignant and moving sound and light show Poppy Fields at the Tower is at the Tower of London from 8 to 16 November 2024.
From 13 November 2024 through to Sunday 5 January 2025, the Charles Dickens Museum at 48 Doughty Street is decorated in authentic Victorian style for Christmas. There are loads of special events happening there.
Tate Britain’s has The 80s: Photographing Britain opening on 21 November. It covers lots of political activism and the transformation of photography in Britain.
Luke Jerram’s astonishing installation Mars is in Greenwich’s Painted Hall from 23 November 2024.
Opening on 28 November 2024, Electric Dreams at Tate Modern explores how artists used machines and algorithms to create mesmerising and mind-bending art between the 1950s and the early 1990s.