Andrea Kirkby:

A few of my favourite things: the diplodocus

Now here’s another of my favourite things. Nothing cultural or recondite about this one; it’s most kids’ favourite in London, and it was mine. It’s the hulking great diplodocus skeleton in the Natural History Museum [map]. Unlike some of my favourites, which you have to look...

March 16th, 2010 | London | Read More

Luxury London – Floris

There’s soap. And then there’s soap. We’re not talking Imperial Leather here, or Tesco’s Extra Value. Floris soap is sixteen quid a bar, triple-milled, hand-wrapped, scented luxury. Juan Floris arrived in London in 1730 from Menorca, by way of Montpellier in southern France,...

March 15th, 2010 | London | Read More

London gets a new US Embassy

Grosvenor Square has been the home of the US Embassy to the UK for 50 years. But now, the embassy is moving from the West End to Battersea. The current American embassy: very modernist, not very modern The new embassy looks quite startlingly modern; it’s a glass cube, set among landscaped gardens,...

March 15th, 2010 | London | Read More

Great British Food: Porridge

When I was little, my mother made me Readybrek. I had it with golden syrup, or a knob of butter gently melting in it, or for a treat with dark chocolate grated off the lump we’d bought from the delicatessen. Then I discovered porridge. Not British at all - these porridge girls hail from Sweden! At...

March 10th, 2010 | London | Read More

The London Eye is ten!

Difficult to believe, but the London Eye [map] has just had its tenth birthday. The largest ferris wheel in Europe, it’s already had more than 30 million visitors. I always think the Eye is one of those tourist attractions you get the most out of if you already know London well – you can...

March 9th, 2010 | London | Read More

Easter deals at the Radisson Edwardian

The Radisson Edwardian is offering a special London Easter package from April 1 to May 30, which looks interesting. The Radisson Edwardian in Tottenham Court Road - high above the busy traffic! The package includes two free London Passes for two days, a two-for-one deal on lunch or dinner (excluding...

March 6th, 2010 | London | Read More

The Jewish Museum

On March 17, North London’s Jewish Museum will be relaunching, in its new home in Camden. It looks like it’s going to be something special. Just one part of London's Jewish culture - and highly recommended! - the Brick Lane bagel shop One of the things I hate about a lot of ‘Jewish...

March 4th, 2010 | London | Read More

Odd things at the Foundling Museum

The Foundling Hospital[map] in Bloomsbury was set up to look after London’s many abandoned children. The Hospital is gone, but Coram’s Field is still there – now a children’s playground – and there’s an intriguing museum, too. The Foundling Museum in Bloomsbury It’s...

March 3rd, 2010 | London | Read More

The Goring Hotel

Among London’s top hotels, the Goring is perhaps the least well known – despite its location practically next to Buckingham Palace. Can't stay here? Then the Goring Hotel is the next best thing! It’s one of the few hotels anywhere to remain in the hands of its founding family. And...

February 28th, 2010 | London | Read More

A few of my favourite things: Dancing Shiva

Here’s another of my favourite things, from the Asian galleries at the British Museum. He’s a dancing Shiva – the Lord of the Dance, if you like. Shiva dances in the British Museum I just love the movement in this figure – his hair is flying out, and his whole body is moving,...

February 27th, 2010 | London | Read More

Street food of London – video

I love my street food, wherever I go. But it has been pretty lacklustre in London, sometimes – chips, chips, chips, not a lot else. Dodgy kebabs as your ‘ethnic’ option. I’m glad that’s changed. You can get bratwurst, you can get burritos, you can get sweet and sour chicken...

February 26th, 2010 | London | Read More

The Ancient Egyptian gay scene at the Petrie Museum!

Forgive the lurid headline. Actually, the Petrie Museum [map] is celebrating LGBT History Month in an extremely scholarly way, with a ‘trail’ of artefacts illustrating LGBT history in the ancient world. The Petrie Museum fortunately has a rather more scholarly approach than this! I wish...

February 22nd, 2010 | London | Read More

British food – The Sunday Roast

Here’s another of those great British food traditions: the Roast Beef of Old England, nowadays generally experienced as The Sunday Roast. Alas, the photographer comments 'The beef was kinda tough'... The English were already famed for their beefy tastes back in the 18th century, when Hogarth...

February 22nd, 2010 | London | Read More

Coming up: Quilts

Starting on 20 March, the V&A will be hosting an exhibition on quilts. The earliest date from 1700, but the most recenthave been specially commissioned by the exhibition. It’s intriguing how the quilt has moved from being a vital piece of weaponry in the fight against the winter cold, to the...

February 21st, 2010 | London | Read More

A few of my favourite things – The Wilton Diptych

The ideal way to see an art gallery is with an expert – but an off-duty expert. When they’re on duty, you get told all kinds of interesting stuff- but when they’re off duty, you can ask, ‘Which is your favourite painting?’ And sometimes the answers you get are surprising. I’m...

February 19th, 2010 | London | Read More

Harrods – the secret entrance!

Like most people Ihave always known Harrods by its Knightsbridge frontage – the long windowed facade and the central dome which looks down imperiously on the busy road. But Harrods has a secret entrance, too, with some outrageous and fascinating architecture. I couldn't resist taking a snapshot...

February 18th, 2010 | London | Read More

Cakes galore

Selling cupcakes for a good cause On my way to Rococo chocolates at the weekend I was stopped in Motcomb Street [map]by some friendly people trying to sell me cupcakes. I did explain to them I was about to take a chocolate masterclass, so they understood cake wasn’t exactly what I needed right...

February 16th, 2010 | London | Read More

Fun in the V&A

I had a little extra time in the V&A Medieval and Renaissance galleries this weekend, and one of the things I really enjoyed was the number of fun things you can do – trying on mailed gauntlets, rubbing a brass, or designing your own monsters. Try this on at home - or at least, try on one like...

February 15th, 2010 | London | Read More

Underground Maps Galore!

I love the London Underground maps and their interesting history. It’s quite a little cult, actually – cartographers, designers, information architects, historians, you never know quite who you’re going to meet when you get interested in underground maps. The curvy tube map - a lighter,...

February 15th, 2010 | London | Read More

A Passion for Chocolate

After I posted up my Valentine’s Day patisserie and chocolate ideas, Rococo Chocolates very kindly invited me to try one of the chocolate making classes that I’d featured. I arrived with some trepidation – I made truffles last Christmas for my partner’s family, and I know though...

February 14th, 2010 | London | Read More