London Off The Beaten Path

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I always wanted to tour the Royal Opera House let alone see either an opera or ballet. I recently had an opportunity to participate in tour but I had to book almost six months in advance beforhand because of popularity of the tours.

There are two tours one can choose either the Velvet, Glit and Glamour or the Backstage Tours. I chose the Backstage tour and the tour costs 10.50 gbp (December 2011)

The Royal Opera House is world famous for it's opera, ballet and orchestera. The complex covers approximately 2.5 acres and the tour gives an insight to what happens behind the stage. The site had a first theatre built in 1732 and there were two theatres on the site until the second one, was the largest opera house in the world, burnt down in 1856 (The first one burnt down in 1808). The theatre was rebuilt and opened in 1858 which is today the Royal Opera House. The Royal Opera and Royal Ballet were formed in the 1940s and was closed for two years between 1997 to 1999 for major refurbishments and modernisation.

The tour guide was very knowledgeable about the theatre and shared some facts including the huge lighting department - there are 40 full time lighting staff whom are responsible for 800 permanent features and the Orchestra Pit where it can house up to 100 musicians and the pit is retractable and cater to the varying acoustics appropriate for the shows.

As well as touring backstage, we were able to see some of the Royal Ballet dancers rehearsing; the historic front of house, Paul Hamlyn Hall with its mirrors and the workshop where stage scenery sets are created.

I thoroughly enjoyed the tour and would highly recommend it. It's strongly advised to book a tour in advance as these fill up very quickly. Please note that no photography is allowed on the tours but there are always photographic memorablia available in its shop.

In Australia theres a lot of encouragement to think about the value and help that is received by donating blood - Ive not seen the same publicity here but I do often go past the Blood bank at St Georges Hospital with the ads outside to come in and donate.

This is an activity that not only because I am a nurse and see for myself to be aware of the value and importance of giving blood that I am very passionate about. A huge number of units of blood are required everyday in order to help those that require regular donations to stay alive but of course those many undergoing surgery and those being resuscitated following trauma.

There are of course many hospitals that will have units set up in which to go and donate and make the event as easy as possible, providing snacks and drinks and education for care following this very much appreciated kind act.

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Having seen this advertised in the December editiion of the London Planner every year Ive been here Ive been wanting to get to get to this event for quite a while!

In London on Christmas Day there is no public transport - either you need your own car, a friends car, rent a car, catch a taxi or walk! I finally got here in 2009 when a friend I stayed with for Christmas and has a car wanted to come to this too!...so we made it.

Was actually quite a lot of fun - an impressive turn out of competitors, participants, spectators and media people here.

The event - held every year on Christmas Day at 9am is a race for members of the Serpentine Swimming Club at the Serpentine Lido, Hyde Park - anyone can take part if they pay a fee to become a member. Was named the Peter Pan Cup as it was donated by James Barrie.

Spectators are welcome and there is no charge. There is some parking near the Serpentine Lido - being Christmas Day and a public holiday helps - we managed to park our little car there in a space between the no parking and the first line for the parking spaces!

There isn't much left of Winchester Palace and so it could easily be missed despite being in the centre of London and so close to attractions such as the Tate Modern and Shakepeare's Globe in Bankside.

In fact all that remains of this 12th century palace built by Bishop Henry de Blois (a brother of King Stephen) is the rose window of the great hall. The palace would have been used as the London residence of the Bishops of Winchester in centuries past but fell into disuse in the 17th century and was then divide up into warehouses and tenements, it's historic architecture being hidden. A fire in the 19th century led to the rediscovery of the ruins but it wasn't until the area started to be redeveloped more sympathetically in the 1980s that these remains started to be revealed.

What little remains is now in the care of English Heritage. It won't be enough to make you take any major diversions but if you are in the Bankside area of London you should try to walk down this street and just pause to look for a minute.

It's found at the corner of Clink St and Storey St, SE1 just a short walk from London Bridge Train and Tube stations.

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Just about every visitor to London will visit the Tower of London and / or Tower Bridge, and rightly so, they are fantastic sights. Just a short walk from both of these is St. Katharine's Dock.

There is a wealth of history attached to the place, which is fully explored on the attached website. Basically, for many years it was one of the most important docks for the thriving port of London.

Nowadays it has been remodelled into a very attractive marina with shops, restaurants and bars, including one on a boat.

There are three distinct basins and in the Western one there a few good examples of the old Thames barges which used to ply their trade on the Thames (see picture in my London album).

In summer, the place is full of boats, although there are craft moored there all year round. My picture was taken in mid January.

The Dickens Inn (seen in the background of my photo) is a pleasant , if expensive, place for a drink or a bite to eat.

Before the area was excavated to make way for the docks, there was a thriving community here serving the needs of the Tower, including a hospital and a chapel. When the docks were redeveloped, a small chapel was constructed on the site of the original one. To my great annoyance it is now - a Starbucks coffee shop!

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The Museum is the former home of Frederic Leighton (1830-1896). The Yorkshire artist was famous during the 19th Century and was well acquainted with celebrities including The Royal Family during the time. Leighton was the President of the Royal Academy of Arts and Queen Victoria purchased his first major painting with which he had become 'eminent in art'. He was ennobled as Lord Leighton, the only British artist to have been so, and is buried in St Paul's Cathedral.

I thoroughly enjoyed looking around the house. It was interesting to know that the peacock was a symbol of Aesthetic Movement during the Victorian era. A lot of interior decoration and items in the house's rooms represented the world cultures which were part of the said movement and for the arts to blend in.

The Museum is opened from 10.00am-5.30pm daily apart from Tuesdays and cost 5.00 gbp (August 2011) Photography is forbidden inside the house.

This is the house (complete with a memorial statue to his cat!) where Dr. Samuel Johnson has compiled his dictionary - one of English language's most famous books. In keeping with Dr. Johnson's sometimes strained financial circumstances, there is not too much furniture - but you still get many paintings and artefacts that belonged to him. One of the most interesting rooms is the library (originally Samuel Johnson's bedroom) which also features a facsimile of the dictionary itself.

The audio guide really helps in the museum by putting the objects you see into context, giving you the lowdown on Dr. Johnson, his friends and acquaintances - such as Mrs Thrales, whose beautiful tea set (Samuel Johnson was very fond of the drink) is on display.

Practicalities

To visit, take the tube to Chancery lane and walk towards Fleet St. - about 5 minutes away

A must for any cricket fan, the museum houses cricket's most famous trophy - the Ashes urn, which does not, unlike most sporting trophies, travel to the winner's country - the winning team gets a replica because the urn is so fragile. There is lots of other cricket memorabilia, for example the ball used by Jim Laker when he 19 wickets (out of 20) in a test match in 1953 against Australia - an amazing record. Signed kit, photographs, cricket-related artwork, and a media room screening cricket documentaries are also there.

If you take a guided tour (about an hour and a half), you can also visit the famous Long Room in the Pavillion.

Practicalilites

The MCC museum is located at the 'Home of Cricket' - Lord’s Cricket Ground. Keep in mind it's quite small and will feel overcrowded on major match days - but virtually empty on any other day.