Guildhall Art Gallery
The City of London Corporation owns one of the wide-ranging collection of art works, a total of 4,500 including over 1,300 oil paintings of famous as well as some lesser known artists. Continue reading “Guildhall Art Gallery”
Category: Museums & Galleries
London Roman Amphitheatre
The City of London was founded on the River Thames. A few clues of the original city can still be found all over the city today like some remnants of Roman walls in the heart of London. Other traces have survived but to see those, you have to go underground. Continue reading “London Roman Amphitheatre”
Serpentine Pavillion and Summer Houses 2016
Located in Kensington Gardens, Serpentine Gallery was established in 1970 and is housed in a tea pavilion built in 1934. Continue reading “Serpentine Pavillion and Summer Houses 2016”
The Bank of England Museum
In January I came up with a list of museums and galleries I wanted to visit this year, some of them I’ve already visited in the past but others haven’t. Over three weeks ago we visited The Bank of England Museum and after posting a picture on Instagram and Facebook, a lot of my friends were surprised that such a museum exists. I had no idea that not very many people, even local residents, are aware that The Bank of England has a museum. Although not very large, the museum is laid out in such a way that it leads the visitors through the narrow corridors and rooms and takes them on a journey through the history of the bank. I found it so interesting, and yes, fun as well. Continue reading “The Bank of England Museum”
Handel’s House Museum
We visited Handel’s House Museum for the first time a couple of weeks ago prior to watching the Messiah at the Royal Albert Hall. The house looks pretty much like it would have been in Handel’s day with some period furnitures that’s either donated and/or loaned to the museum by the V&A Museum, Royal Collection and other patrons. The very first thing that caught my attention as soon as we walked into the first room called the ‘composing room’ was the creaky wooden floorboards. Continue reading “Handel’s House Museum”
Southampton: The Titanic Trail Tour
When we visited Southampton last month we did the Jane Austen Heritage Tour, and of course, the Titanic Trail Tour. We started the Titanic tour at the SeaCity Museum located at the back of the Southampton Guildhall. The exhibition at the museum tells the Titanic’s story in a highly impressive visual way that offers visitors into the sights and sounds of April 1912. The exhibit starts with the historical background of the city, from the bustling docks of poverty stricken Southampton and concludes with a reconstruction of the court room where the British Inquiry took place. Continue reading “Southampton: The Titanic Trail Tour”
Southampton: The Jane Austen Heritage Trail Tour
Our reason for visiting Southampton three weeks ago was not just for the Titanic Trail Tour but also for the Jane Austen Heritage Trail Tour, and many other historical landmarks the city has to offer. Southampton, situated 75 miles southwest of London, is the largest city in Hampshire County and famous for its association with the ill-fated ship RMS Titanic. Southampton has always been a major port in Britain and is widely known as the cruise capital of Europe. The city is also home to the longest surviving stretch of medieval walls in England, and offers a very fascinating self-guided walking tours with impressive cultural offering from art galleries, museums, parks, to important historical landmarks and fantastic shopping facilities. Continue reading “Southampton: The Jane Austen Heritage Trail Tour”
Benjamin Franklin House
Benjamin Franklin, scientist, inventor, diplomat and US Founding Father, lived in this old Georgian house on Craven Street between 1757 and 1775. He made it his London home for nearly sixteen years, and it is the only remaining Franklin residence. Continue reading “Benjamin Franklin House”
Audrey Hepburn Exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery
As a young girl I had reverence for Audrey Hepburn, and she has become one of my all-time favourite icons. Her image clutching a paper cup of coffee and a croissant staring into a shop window full of jewellery always comes to mind when I think of the word ‘chic.’ I’ve watched Breakfast at Tiffany’s numerous times and really thought, as a young girl, that no one can live up to Audrey’s level of chicness. Continue reading “Audrey Hepburn Exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery”
Churchill War Rooms
There are many secrets buried under London. Many of them are ‘classified’ underground complex built by the British government for security reasons. The Churchill War Rooms, no longer classified, is hidden beneath the Treasury Building and practically next door to No. 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the British Prime Minister. Continue reading “Churchill War Rooms”