An illustrated walk around the City of London. With a new book of London walks in hand, we retrace the first 24 hours of the 1666 Great Fire, and see what remains of pre-Fire London and the subsequent rebuild. New Book, New Walks I think I’ve been fairly transparent with my readers. I had done […]
Get ready for a bumper week of architectural treasures as we embark on Part II of 2024 Open House. Open House London 2024: Part II You know how I got so overexcited at Open House this year that I had to split my post in two (first part here)? Well buckle up everyone, this second […]
A ceiling by Rubens and the site of masques, healings and a royal execution, Banqueting House reveals its secrets on a guided tour. The Former Palace of Whitehall I have to say, Whitehall is one of those street names I haven’t given much thought to, despite place names in London so often referring back to […]
An urgent, global survey of artists who experiment with feminism and resistance/protest through photography, Acts of Resistance at the South London Gallery constitutes a compelling contemporary exhibition. Acts of Resistance In search of a cultural outing one weekend recently, I decided to stay local and head to the South London Gallery. This venerable institution opened […]
A free exhibition at Two Temple Place, The Glass Heart explores 170 years of glassmaking in the UK. The Glass Heart On a recent walk along the Victoria Embankment I stopped in a whim at Two Temple Place. Or not quite a whim: I decided it would be a lovely thing to show the friend […]
A clever little story about a very Victorian scandal, The Flea shows just what an impact something seemingly insignificant can have. The Flea Well, which flea? The flea. That started it all. The flea that bit the rat, which spooked a horse, which kicked a man, which… so on and so on. OK, not a […]
It’s that time of year again, when we explore London’s rich architectural history at the Open House Festival! Open House 2023 In a now well-embedded Salterton Arts Review tradition, this is the fourth year running that we have covered the Open House Festival. An annual event run by architectural organisation Open City, Open House sees […]
A lyrical journey through London and beyond, Jan Noble takes a tragedy as his starting point to create something beautiful in Body 115. The Story Of Body 115 I first noticed the memorial plaque a few years ago, on a wall at King’s Cross Station. It references a tragedy which occurred on 18 November 1987. […]
Pearl Cleage’s tragi-comedy Blues for an Alabama Sky makes for powerful viewing at the National Theatre. With a strong ensemble cast and all of the precarious glamour and ever-present hardship of the Harlem Renaissance. Blues For An Alabama Sky The Harlem Renaissance is a period which endlessly inspires us even a century later. The jazz, […]
In what is now an annual Salterton Arts Review tradition, we check out London architecture old and new as part of Open House 2022. Open House London 2022 Third year in a row I’ve made it to Open House London! That’s got to be a proper tradition now, right? I certainly look forward to it […]
