On today’s walk we trace the Fleet from one of its sources on Hampstead Heath, through centuries and city streets all the way to Blackfriars. London’s Lost Rivers: It’s Been a While! It sure has. “The years start comin’ and they don’t stop comin’,” to quote a key touchstone of millennial culture. And so the […]
A first-time visit to Kenwood House turns into an unexpectedly rich day out, combining historic architecture, a world-class art collection, and Hampstead’s landscape history A Day Out at Kenwood House A recent bank holiday brought the perfect excuse for a day out, and Kenwood House did not disappoint. In fact, it turned into such a […]
Two very different London museums tell us a lot about how the dialogue around human remains in museums is evolving, at least in the UK. Content warning: this post inevitably deals with death and human remains. I have, however, made an effort not to show images/close-up images of human remains. I use the terms ‘human […]
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 review of Forrest Bess: Out of the Blue, on at the Camden Art Centre. A captivating (and free) exhibition of work by an artist who straddled the boundary between art world insider and outsider. An Outing To The Camden Art Centre I don’t remember where I came across this exhibition. It might have been […]
A review of Folk at London’s Hampstead Theatre. A ‘play with songs’ that goes to the heart of Englishness, tradition and preservation. Folk How fortunate that I was able to get a return ticket for Folk! I missed its first run as part of Hampstead Theatre‘s winter season, and initially missed out on tickets for […]
A review of the Freud Museum, the house where Sigmund Freud spent his last days and Anna Freud preserved his memory over several decades. A real insight into their family life, as well as a wonderfully atmospheric shrine to the original psychoanalyst. The Freud Family In London I recently had the opportunity to visit the […]
A description of a visit to Burgh House in Hampstead, which also includes the Hampstead Museum. A nice survival which has become something of a neighbourhood cultural hub. Burgh House And Hampstead Museum Burgh House is a delighfully historic house in the delightfully upmarket London suburb of Hampstead. It dates to 1704, which means it […]
A review of a visit to Keats House in London’s Hampstead. Seeing the place where Keats lived, fell in love and departed for his final voyage to Rome creates a real connection with one of the most famous Romantic poets. John Keats, Romantic Poet It turns out there was a lot I didn’t know about […]
