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London Highlights for March, 2008
by Burlington Bertie
What's on in London during March, 2008.
Heritage highlights, theatre, opera and ballet, festivals, fairs and Fine Art exhibitions, the Ideal Home Show, rugby football at Twickenham and much more; compiled by Burlington Bertie, OfftoLondon's Man About Town.
PhotoCredit: Historic Royal Palaces. |
Royal Heritage & Pageantry
Hampton Court Palace: Ghost Tours
Date: 8.00 pm Mondays/Fridays. 6.30 pm Sundays until 6 March, 2008.
Venue: Hampton Court Palace, East Molesey, KT8, 9AU. Tel: 0870 751 5175
Tickets: 25 per person (no under 12's). Available in advance only on 0870 753 7777.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Richmond.
Description: Hear spine-chilling stories of residents past and unsolved mysterious goings on in the palace. Experience the unique atmosphere of Hampton Court Palace once the visitors have left for the day, as you creep through Henry VIII's State Apartments, including the infamous Haunted Gallery and explore the deserted palace courtyards at night. This is your chance to visit some of the supposedly most ghost haunted rooms in the palace, which are out of bounds to our day time visitors. For general admission see Hampton Court Palace.
Banqueting House Lunchtime Concerts
Date: 3 March, 1pm. Other concerts are scheduled for 7, 19 May; 9, 23 June. See website for details. 2008.
Venue: Banqueting House, Whitehall, SW1A 2ER, Tel: +44 (0)870 751 5187
Tickets: 17.50 inc. light buffet lunch at 12.15pm preceding performance. Tickets available from the Banqueting House or by telephone 0203 166 6153 or 0870 751 5187
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Westminster; Embankment.
Description: The Music Collection. This world renowned chamber ensemble, specializes in the music of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, performing on historic instruments. Concert includes work by Haydn and Beethoven. Check website for details.
Kensington Palace: Diana, A Princess Remembered
Date: Daily until 31 March, 2008.
Venue: Kensington Palace, Kensington Gardens, W8 4PX. Tel: 0)844 482 7777.
Tickets: 12, (Concessions). Entry into the exhibition is included in your Palace ticket.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: High Street, Kensington.
Description: A stunning audiovisual exhibition drawing on memorable moments in Princess Diana's life from early days as a shy teenage girl who captured hearts around the world, then as a blushing bride, the exhibition follows her growth into a sophisticated princess and dedicated mother, who became internationally respected and admired as much for her beauty as for her tireless work for charities. The collection of Diana's dresses on display show the development of her style from frilly gowns of the 1980s to the sleek, sophisticated dresses of the 1990s.
Festivals and Fairs
Form London
Date: 28 February - 2 March, 2008. 3pm-6pm Thurs, 11am-8pm Fri/Sat, 11am-6pm Sun.
Venue: Olympia National Hall, Hammersmith Road, W14 8UX. Tel: 0871 321 0820.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Kensington Olympia.
Tickets: From 16 .Book online for 3 discount, (recommended), or buy at the door. 6 at door after 5pm. Concessions.
Description: The Spring Antiques and Fine Arts Fair of yore has now been transformed into the Modern & Contemporary Art, Design, Photography and Sculpture Fair under the name Form London.
Daily Mail Ideal Home Show
Date: 14 March - 6 April , 2008. Mon/Tues/Wed:10am-7pm. Thurs 10am-10pm. Fri/Sat/Sun: 10am-8pm.
Venue: Earl's Court, SW7.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Earl's Court.
Tickets: 12 .Book online for 2 discount, (recommended), or buy at the door. (Concessions). VIP Preview 28 Feb: 25.
Description: annual spring Fing Arts exhibition, now in its centenary year, brings together everything associated with an "ideal home" from construction to decor, furnishings and lifestyle. Win yourself a fabulous 5-star vacation for two in Malta.
22nd London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival
Date: 27 March - 10 April, 2007.
Venue: National Film Theatre, SE1, Tate Modern and other venues. Tel: 020 7255 1444.
London Transport: Nearest Tube. Waterloo Station.
Tickets: Buy at door. Check to book online
Description: Now established as Europe's most comprehensive and popular LGBT film festival, this is UK's third largest film festival. Subscribe for regular email updates.
25th London Australian Film Festival
Date: TBA March, 2008. Check website for details.
Venue: Barbican Centre, EC2.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Charing Cross, Leicester Square.
Tickets: . See website for full details.
Description: A unique overview of the film scene Down Under. Full details of the festival online after 1 February.
Theatre, Dance and Music
English National Ballet Gala Evening
Date: 3 March, 2008.
Venue: Dorchester Hotel, Hyde Park. W.1.
Tickets: 230. contact Linda Darrell, English National Ballet, Markova House, 39 Jay Mews, London SW7 2ES or email linda.darrell@ballet.org.uk or call 020 7581 1245.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Hyde Park Corner. The chauffeured Rolls or, at the very least, a taxicab might be more appropriate on this occasion! Or, better still, stay the night at the Dorchester!
Description: English National Ballet annual 2008 star-studded fundraising gala, The Masquerade Ball, takes place at The Dorchester. Enjoy a glamorous evening of opulence and entertainment in the Dorchester's magnificent ballroom, where you will be treated to a champagne reception and three course dinner together with excerpts from English National Ballet's repertoire and toe-tapping musical entertainment from a special guest. The evening will also include a silent and live auction with prizes to get you into a bidding frenzy!
Sadlers Wells: Flamenco Festival
Date: 3 - 16 March, 2008.
Venue: Sadler's Wells, Rosebury Avenue, Islington, EC1R 4NT.
Tickets: 10-38. (Concessions). Online booking, in person at Box Office, or Tel: +44 (0)870 737 7737. Matinees and Evening perfs.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Angel.
Description: The annual Flamenco extravaganza sets London afire! To quote the Financial Times critic: "Aficionados will need no further goading for this event; newcomers will be gripped by the passion and wild moments". Check out the new Sadler's Wells uTube site.
ROH Opera: Eugene Onegin
Date: 18 January - 31 March, 2008.
Venue: Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, WC2. Tel: 020 7304 4000
Tickets: 6-15. Book online.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Covent Garden.
Description: This production of Tchaikovsky's opera by the late Steven Pimlott with designer Antony McDonald was premiered by The Royal Opera in 2006. It returns here with a striking new cast of familiar names to present one of opera's great works. Sung in Russian.
ROH Ballet: Sylvia
Date: 8 March - 7 April, 2008.
Venue: Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, WC2. Tel: 020 7304 4000
Tickets: 6-15. Book online.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Covent Garden.
Description: Frederick Ashton's Sylvia was restored to the splendour of its elegant and opulent three-act form for the 75th anniversary celebrations of The Royal Ballet and it is now firmly back in the Company's repertory. Its story, from Greek myth, tells of Sylvia, whose vows of chastity mean she cannot return the love of the shepherd Aminta. Eros, up to his tricks, intervenes, only to see Sylvia abducted by the hunter Orion. Rescuing her, Eros finally brings the lovers together. Ashton's heavenly choreography was inspired by the divine music of Leo Dlibes to create such great choreographic sequences as the famous Act III pas de deux and the role of the mischievous Eros, one of those delightful, darkly comic characterizations for which Ashton became known and loved. With Margot Fonteyn as his original Sylvia, Ashton made the title role a wonderful showcase for virtuosity, invention and classical beauty. And it is indeed a beautiful ballet to look at the epitome of Ashton style in stage settings of great detail and painterly splendour. Unmissable!
NYC Ballet. An American in Paris- Rodgers/Wheeldon |
New York City Ballet: London Tour
Date: 12 - 22 March, 2008.
Venue: The Coliseum, St. Martin's Lane, WC2N 4ES.
Tickets: .
London transport: Nearest Tube: Piccadilly Circus; Leicester Square.
Description: The 90 strong New York City Ballet corps, one of the world's foremost dance companies, celebrate a much heralded return to London after 25 years with a sparkling repertoire of four programmes that celebrate American names of dance such as founder George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins and Christopher Wheeldon together with music by Stravinsky, Tschaikovsky and Verdi.
The Coliseum Theatre itself is of historic interest. Designed by the noted theatre architect Frank Matcham for the great impresario and theatre owner Oswald Stoll, it was opened in 1904 as "the largest and finest 'People's palace of entertainment' of its age" and has been much patronised by Royalty throughout its history. It is now the home of English National Opera as well as venue for recent Royal Variety Performances. See
Official London Theatre Guide
Date: Ongoing.
Venue: 37 West End and City theatres
Tickets: Online booking for all seats
Description: Your guide to London's theatre programme, theatre seating plans, disability access and online booking.
Sports and Recreation
The RBS Six-Nations Internationals: England vs Ireland
Date: 15 March, 3pm. 2008.
Venue: Twickenham Stadium, Rugby Road, Twickenham TW1 1DZ. Tel: 020 8891 4565; fax: 020 8744 2104. Home matches for the England side take place at Twickenham.
London Transport: Nearest Tube. Richmond. Mainline station Twickenham.
Tickets: Contact the ground directly or buy online through Ticketmaster. Expect to pay a booking charge Early booking recommended.
Description: The famous annual rugby-union, (RFU) tournament between England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France and Italy. This is the highlight of the rugby-union year. The tournament was actually the Five Nations for 90 years, until the Italians joined in 2000. The matches have a reputation for being family events, even though they attract crowds in the high tens of thousands: Twickenham, the home of English rugby since 1910, holds 82,000 spectators. The stadium will be filled to capacity for this match when the Irish will clobber england - or vice versa.
Fine Art & Cultural Exhibitions
Royal Academy: From Russia 1870-1925
Date: 26 January - 18 April, 2008. 10am-6pm.
Venue: Royal Academy, Burlington House, Piccadilly, W1.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Piccadilly, Green Park.
Tickets: 11. (Concessions).Book Online.
Description: French and Russian Master Paintings from Moscow and St. Petersburg. This landmark exhibition presents modern masterpieces drawn from Russia's principal collections: the State Pushkin Museum, the State Tretyakov Museum in Moscow; the State Hermitage Museum and the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg. Over 120 paintings by Russian and French artists working between 1870 and 1925 are displayed together for the first time ever in the United Kingdom in an exhibition which surveys the main directions of modern art from Realism and Impressionism to Non-Objective painting influenced by important patrons such as Diaghilev. Works include paintings by Renoir, Czanne, Van Gogh, Gauguin and Matisse together with those by Bakst, Chagall, Kandinsky, Tatlin and Malevich.
Tate Britain: Modern Painters - The Camden Town Group
Date: 13 February - 4 May, 2008. 10am-5.40pm.
Venue: Tate Britain, Millbank, SW1P 4RG. Tel: 020 7887 8888
Tickets: 9. (Concessions), Online booking or at the door.
London transport: Nearest Tube: Embankment. Also Riverbus between Tate Britain and Tate Modern via Westminster.
Description: They were the Camden Town Group, who introduced Post-Impressionism to Britain, inspired by the work of Van Gogh and Gauguin on the continent. Modern Painters focuses on the key themes in their work: life in the city, people, style, sex, and the infamous Camden Town murder. Fascinated by the changing ways of life in the capital, the Group captured the mood of this transitional period in British history, around the time of World War I; images of London buses, audiences enjoying light entertainment and gritty urban interiors evoke the atmosphere of a city and a country moving into the modern era, whilst nudes painted in dingy North London homes explore the changing sexual mores described in the contemporary writing of HG Wells, DH Lawrence, and Rebecca West. The exhibition concentrates on the core of the Group - Spencer Gore, Harold Gilman, Robert Bevan, Charles Ginner with Walter Sickert as a key player. Works have come from numerous different collections in this first exhibition of the Camden Town Group for over twenty years.
See also the remarkable FREE Tate Britain collection of British Art 1500 - 2006, including the stunning Turner Room, and the current William Blake exhibition.
National Portrait Gallery: Vanity Fair - Photos 1913-2008
Date: 10am-6pm. Thurs/Fri 10am-9pm. 14 February - 26 May, 2008.
Venue: Wolfson Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, St. Martin's Place, WC2 0H3.
Tickets: 10.(Concessions). Book online or at door.
London Transport: Nearest Tube. Charing Cross, Leicester Square.
Description: Some of the greatest portrait photographs of the twentieth century were taken for, or published in, Vanity Fair. This exhibition features 150 classic images from both the magazine's first period (1913-36) and subsequent re-birth in 1983 of significant people in art, film, music, sport, business and politics. Works by legendary photographers such as Edward Steichen and Cecil Beaton are shown alongside those of celebrated modern-day photographers such as Annie Leibovitz and Mario Testino. With subjects as diverse as Claude Monet, Cary Grant and Madonna, this exhibition presents an exceptional range of photographic portraiture from the early years of the twentieth century to the present day.
See also the permanent collection at the NPG, (FREE).
 Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharoahs
Date: Daily, 10am-5pm. Ongoing. Ends 30 August, 2008.
Venue: O2 Exhibition Centre, Millennium Way, SE10.
Tickets: 15, timed entry. (Concessions). Book online - Weekend tickets are the first to sell out. Book a Hotel & Tutticket Break from 63.50.
London Transport: Nearest Tube. North Greenwich. Thames travel: Riverline O2 Express to Queen Elizabeth II Pier.
Description: For more than 3,000 years Tutankhamun's treasures lay unseen beneath the Egyptian sands until unearthed by Howard Carter in 1922/23. When they were shown at the British Museum in 1972 they were the ultimate 'must see' event. Now Tutankhamun returns in a spectacular new exhibition of 130 priceless treasures from the tomb and other Valley of the Kings royal burials, under the auspices of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities and its ebulliant Director, Dr. Zahi Hawass.
 The First Emperor: China's Terracotta Army
Date: 10am-5pm daily. Ongoing. Ends 6 April, 2008.
Venue: British Museum, Great Russell Street, WC1B 3DG. Tel: 020 7323 8299.
Tickets: 12, (Concessions). Buy online, (strongly recommended); Box Office 020 7323 8181, or queue at the door.
London Transport: Nearest Tube. Tottenham Court Road; Russell Square.
Description: A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the famed army of Emperor Qin! This unique exhibition explores one of the greatest archeological finds of the 20th century, providing an insight into China's first Emperor, 221 BCE. See some of the world-famous life-size Terracotta Warriors together with recent discoveries made in the ongoing excavations of the remarkable site at Xi'an, China.
Burlington Bertie's Highlights Memo
Book tickets and Hotel accommodation for:
1. RHS Chelsea Flower Show, May. Some dates will already be sold out. There are no tickets available at gate.
2. RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, 8 - 13 July, 2008; and Charity Gala Preview, 7 July, 2008.
Choose your Hotel OfftoLondon provides expert advice and secure booking facilities for your overnight, 'City Break' or long term London accommodation requirements; from de-luxe 5-star hotels, self service apartments or comfortable backpacker's hostels.
If you have a question, contact us and we will do our best to provide answers.
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Burlington Bertie's Top Tips
A Night 'On the town'
While in London, treat your partner to a superb evening out 'On The Town' with OfftoLondon's theatre and dinner package.
Choose your Hotel
Use OfftoLondon's hassle-free and secure booking facilities to obtain the best internet prices for your overnight, 'City Break' or longer term accommodation requirements; from de-luxe 5-star hotels to comfortable hostels.
Book your tickets online
Book before your visit book all your tickets with Offtolondon.com. This way you will ensure best seats and best prices at the events, exhibitions and shows of your choice without the hassle of price bargaining and queuing on the day.
London Transport Oyster Card
The Central London congestion charge zone for visitors driving in London now covers all main areas of attraction. It makes sense to travel by the safe London Transport bus or Tube. Buy a multi-journey Oyster Card before you arrive, (you can top this up at will), and you will save money, time and hassle.
Something for the Weekend?
Add spice to your London visit with a "Weekender" visit to Paris or Rome. Cheap and speedy travel now brings these city gems within easy reach of all. Day trips via Eurostar to Paris for a morning's shopping, afternoon visit to the Louvre and evening meal on the Seine are now a popular excursion option for Londoners. Or make an overnight stop and hit the January Sales! Offtolondon's associated companies, travel specialists Offtoparis and Offtorome will take care of all your travel and accommodation requirements and show you the sites.
NYC Breaks
The dive in the dollar makes the Big Apple a most attractive option for UK and European visitors. New York has never been better value! Spend time soaking up style on Fifth Avenue at Bergdorf Goodman or Saks Fifth Avenue. Buy your digital cameras and gadgetry for fabulous prices at specialist Adorama on West 18th Street. Take in a Broadway Show, dine superbly and see all the landmark sites. New York! New York! Its a Wonderful Town! Check it all out on our sister site A Traveller's Guide to New York where you will find discount hotels, NYC tours, information on NYC neighborhoods and more.
Discovering London - Full Day London City Tour
8.5 - 9 hours - Drive to Westminster, past Downing Street, home of the Prime Minister, and on to the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. Stop for a visit inside Westminster Abbey, site of many royal coronations. Visit Poets' Corner and the tombs of many well-known scientists and monarchs. Also see the Chapel of Henry VII.
Stop near Buckingham Palace to see the colourful ceremony of the Changing of the Guard before driving through busy streets and past peaceful parks to Piccadilly, home of London's Theatreland. Pass Trafalgar Square with its impressive Nelson's Column and fountains, before reaching a traditional London pub for lunch.
The afternoon starts with a cruise on the River Thames, during which a Thames Waterman will point out the places of interest along the way. Disembark to visit the Tower of London where you will meet the Beefeaters clad in Tudor uniforms, hear the legend of the ravens and some spine chilling tales from the Tower's 900 year history. You will also see the Crown Jewels, magnificently displayed in the new Jewel House.
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