What's new in London, and what else?
Oct 5th, 2010, 07:17 PM
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What's new in London, and what else?
It's been 2 years since I last visited London; and I haven't been keeping up with what's new in the city. I have been to pretty much all the main tourist attractions, as well as many of the lesser-known & off-the-beaten-track houses/galleries/museums.
This upcoming trip is quite short: I only have 3.5 days, and it'll be the 2nd week of November. Must-sees for me are:
1) The new galleries at V&A, plus the Ballets Russes exhibition
2) The Treasures from Budapest exhibition at Royal Academy
Other places I'm considering to visit are:
3) Museum of London (is the renovation completely done?)
4) Museum of Docklands
What do you think about these:
5) Design Museum
6) London Transport Museum
And finally, what else is new in London that has escaped my radar? Thanks in advance.
This upcoming trip is quite short: I only have 3.5 days, and it'll be the 2nd week of November. Must-sees for me are:
1) The new galleries at V&A, plus the Ballets Russes exhibition
2) The Treasures from Budapest exhibition at Royal Academy
Other places I'm considering to visit are:
3) Museum of London (is the renovation completely done?)
4) Museum of Docklands
What do you think about these:
5) Design Museum
6) London Transport Museum
And finally, what else is new in London that has escaped my radar? Thanks in advance.
Oct 5th, 2010, 08:48 PM
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Also, YK, is there a website that you have used where you find all of the current special exhibits at London museums, or do you just look up the museums individually? I'm always amazed at some of the shows/exhibits you find to attend while in London.
Oct 5th, 2010, 10:11 PM
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The new V&A galleries are absolutely splendid. In a lesser city (ie anywhere else on earth) they'd be regarded as a major new museum in their own right. Especially interesting because they highlight something almost totally hidden in the conventional view of art history: English art and craftsmanship before the Reformation.
The Museum of London refurb is now complete. The one major innovation you've probably missed is the new Saatchi Gallery at the Duke of York's Barracks in Chelsea. A really major new (and free, and scarcely touched by the stultifying hand of government directives) gallery of modern art in a previously inaccessible setting.
The best source for temporary exhibitions, apart of course from the hard copy of Time Out, is now www.newexhibitions.com.
I'd give the Design Museum a miss. It's not cheap, its collection's tiny and its self-centred obsession with a few cliches of the British design industry (just how often can you hear them burbling on about bloody Routemasters without wanting to nuke every single one of them?) is extraordinarily provincial.
Maybe it's just me, but the London Transport Museum is terrific for taking 10 yo nephews to. But otherwise...
Otherwise, we've more or less come to the end of the lottery-driven orgy of really big new museums that exploded in the early years of this century. There's the Museum of Brands in Notting Hill (infinitely more fun than the up itself Design Museum). There's the Jewish Museum in Camden Town, Discover Greenwich in - yup, and the newly re-opened and restored Leighton House in Holland Park.
More than 2 years old, but you might have missed: the new Wellcome Collection, the refurbished Reading Room at the British Museum, or the BM's amazing Enlightenment gallery, which recreates the worldview of the 18th century educated classes. The Coram Foundation (mostly a display of the artworks donated to subsidise the Foundation's establishment) or Handel House (a musem of Handel, in the house where lived, as you might imagine. But it's currently got a show on about Jimi Hendrix, who also lived there). Or the restored Kew Palace.
THE major "new" museum in the region is Oxford's Ashmolean. Though it's Britain's oldest, the 2009 extension has created what really is a totally new institution, with far, far more of the 4 million items in its archive on display - infinitely more attractively than before. A very pleasant half day (book your train ticket sufficiently in advance, and the travel cost is peanuts)
The Museum of London refurb is now complete. The one major innovation you've probably missed is the new Saatchi Gallery at the Duke of York's Barracks in Chelsea. A really major new (and free, and scarcely touched by the stultifying hand of government directives) gallery of modern art in a previously inaccessible setting.
The best source for temporary exhibitions, apart of course from the hard copy of Time Out, is now www.newexhibitions.com.
I'd give the Design Museum a miss. It's not cheap, its collection's tiny and its self-centred obsession with a few cliches of the British design industry (just how often can you hear them burbling on about bloody Routemasters without wanting to nuke every single one of them?) is extraordinarily provincial.
Maybe it's just me, but the London Transport Museum is terrific for taking 10 yo nephews to. But otherwise...
Otherwise, we've more or less come to the end of the lottery-driven orgy of really big new museums that exploded in the early years of this century. There's the Museum of Brands in Notting Hill (infinitely more fun than the up itself Design Museum). There's the Jewish Museum in Camden Town, Discover Greenwich in - yup, and the newly re-opened and restored Leighton House in Holland Park.
More than 2 years old, but you might have missed: the new Wellcome Collection, the refurbished Reading Room at the British Museum, or the BM's amazing Enlightenment gallery, which recreates the worldview of the 18th century educated classes. The Coram Foundation (mostly a display of the artworks donated to subsidise the Foundation's establishment) or Handel House (a musem of Handel, in the house where lived, as you might imagine. But it's currently got a show on about Jimi Hendrix, who also lived there). Or the restored Kew Palace.
THE major "new" museum in the region is Oxford's Ashmolean. Though it's Britain's oldest, the 2009 extension has created what really is a totally new institution, with far, far more of the 4 million items in its archive on display - infinitely more attractively than before. A very pleasant half day (book your train ticket sufficiently in advance, and the travel cost is peanuts)
Oct 6th, 2010, 06:11 AM
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We'll be there at the same time yk! Did you get a good flight deal?
I have the V&A, the Gauguin exhibition and the Saatchi on my list for the same time frame (about 4 days in London).
I'm still working on which musical to take my daughter to.
I agree with others that you can skip the Design museum and the Transport museum is fun with kids; I felt a strong wave of nostalgia wash over me when I got on one of the old buses a few years ago.
I don't know if you saw this site that Patrick posted but it mentions some interesting events.
http://www.ianvisits.co.uk/
I have the V&A, the Gauguin exhibition and the Saatchi on my list for the same time frame (about 4 days in London).
I'm still working on which musical to take my daughter to.
I agree with others that you can skip the Design museum and the Transport museum is fun with kids; I felt a strong wave of nostalgia wash over me when I got on one of the old buses a few years ago.
I don't know if you saw this site that Patrick posted but it mentions some interesting events.
http://www.ianvisits.co.uk/
Oct 6th, 2010, 06:27 AM
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Thanks for all you feedback so far. Sounds like I can give Design Museum & London Transport Museum a pass.
jenblase - I usually just check individual museum's website to look for the current exhibition. There are also a few other websites that I check, which list exhibitions, such as whatsonwhen, or euromuse.net. However, they aren't very complete so I still rely mostly on museum's own website. The Art & Love exhibit at Queen's Gallery seems to be on thru early December, but it doesn't interest me much; nor the Gaughin exhibition at Tate Modern. (Since many exhibitions charge admission, with my limited time, I need to be a bit more selective.)
flanner, thanks for your detailed response. I did visit the Saatchi Gallery in its new home back in 2008 and saw a contemporary Chinese Art show there. Their current show isn't too appealing to me. I also visited Leighton House *just* before it closed for renovation in 2008, so I may wait a few more years before going back there. Museum of Brands sounds intriguing... I'll put that on my list.
I think I may need to visit V&A on 2 separate days just to take it all in. I'm happy to hear the Museum of London is all done with renovations. I have never been and am looking forward to it.
gh21, unfortunately with only 3 evenings in London, I already have performances lined up for all 3 nights.
jenblase - I usually just check individual museum's website to look for the current exhibition. There are also a few other websites that I check, which list exhibitions, such as whatsonwhen, or euromuse.net. However, they aren't very complete so I still rely mostly on museum's own website. The Art & Love exhibit at Queen's Gallery seems to be on thru early December, but it doesn't interest me much; nor the Gaughin exhibition at Tate Modern. (Since many exhibitions charge admission, with my limited time, I need to be a bit more selective.)
flanner, thanks for your detailed response. I did visit the Saatchi Gallery in its new home back in 2008 and saw a contemporary Chinese Art show there. Their current show isn't too appealing to me. I also visited Leighton House *just* before it closed for renovation in 2008, so I may wait a few more years before going back there. Museum of Brands sounds intriguing... I'll put that on my list.
I think I may need to visit V&A on 2 separate days just to take it all in. I'm happy to hear the Museum of London is all done with renovations. I have never been and am looking forward to it.
gh21, unfortunately with only 3 evenings in London, I already have performances lined up for all 3 nights.
Oct 6th, 2010, 06:33 AM
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sassy_cat, I just saw your post. I did see the blog website posted by Patrick London; but it seems the blogger hasn't posted much for November yet, at least not for the dates I'm in London.
Plane tickets are ridiculously expensive on AA for that week in Nov (>$1000 from Boston); I'm not sure why. Tickets are 1/2 the price for the week before and after. However, I can't change my dates because I'm staying at a hotel for free with a friend who'll be in London for business. So I end up claiming an award ticket. AA only charges 40k miles r/t to Europe during off-peak season; I find that very reasonable.
Have fun in London with your daughter!
Plane tickets are ridiculously expensive on AA for that week in Nov (>$1000 from Boston); I'm not sure why. Tickets are 1/2 the price for the week before and after. However, I can't change my dates because I'm staying at a hotel for free with a friend who'll be in London for business. So I end up claiming an award ticket. AA only charges 40k miles r/t to Europe during off-peak season; I find that very reasonable.
Have fun in London with your daughter!
Oct 6th, 2010, 10:41 AM
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yk, thanks.. hope you have fun too!
Award tickets are the way to go when fares are that high!
I think or rather hope that the blog site will be updated as the weeks go by judging by the number of events listed in October.
Award tickets are the way to go when fares are that high!
I think or rather hope that the blog site will be updated as the weeks go by judging by the number of events listed in October.
Oct 6th, 2010, 01:42 PM
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I think one of the best websites for current London information is www.timeout.com/london. It includes museum, theater, restaurants and good search engine for dates or types.
Also can be good to browse the UK papers on line such as www.guardian.co.uk which have good arts listings.
Also can be good to browse the UK papers on line such as www.guardian.co.uk which have good arts listings.
Oct 7th, 2010, 09:07 AM
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In case anyone is interested, I just found out that there are several Anish Kapoor's sculptures placed in Kensington Gardens temporarily (through March 2011), organized by the Serpentine Gallery & the Royal Parks. There's more info with park map/sculpture location here:
http://www.serpentinegallery.org/201...the_world.html
This will work out well for me, as I'm staying near Gloucester Rd tube station, and I plan to go jogging in Kensington Gardens in the mornings.
http://www.serpentinegallery.org/201...the_world.html
This will work out well for me, as I'm staying near Gloucester Rd tube station, and I plan to go jogging in Kensington Gardens in the mornings.
Oct 12th, 2010, 01:01 PM
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If you like musical theater and are looking for something other than the big West End spectacles, the London premiere of Paul Scott Goodman's "Bright Lights, Big City" will be playing while you're there (at Hoxton Hall). The show is based on the '80s novel of the same name and has some really terrific music. http://www.blbclondon.com
