What's on in London during May, 2009. Highlights from London's ticketed events; Heritage & Pageantry, Performing Arts, Shakespeare's Globe summer season, Fairs and Fine Art Exhibitions. Compiled by Burlington Bertie, OfftoLondon's Man About Town.

Hampton Court Palace
Date: Daily, Summer opening times 10am- 6pm, 2009.
Tickets: £14, ( concessions and online booking discount).
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Richmond.
Description: Must see sights include Henry VIII's Great Hall and Tudor kitchens, the Maze and the celebrated Gardens. In depth description
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes. The ground floor of the Palace is wheelchair accessible and there are limited facilities for viewing the upper floors with the use of an elevator. Adapted Toilets: Yes. See Palace Disabled Access for full details and help.

Buckingham Palace State Rooms
Venue: Buckingham Palace, Westminster, SW1A 1AA.
Date:. Book now for summer opening 1 August-27 September daily 9.45am-6pm, 2009
Tickets: £16.50. (timed entry). Take advantage of special online discounts and advance booking.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Victoria Rail Terminal; Hyde Park Corner; Green Park.
Description: The State Rooms form the heart of The Queen's working palace and have been lavishly decorated by succeeding monarchs and furnished with some of the greatest treasures from the Royal Collection - paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Poussin and Canaletto; sculpture by Canova; exquisite examples of Sèvres porcelain; and some of the finest English and French furniture; a feast of Fine Art, artifacts and historical royal heritage that should not be missed. This year's special summer exhibition mounted in the State Ballroom shows dresses, jewels, photographs and gifts presented to The Queen during 60 years of the Commonwealth, of which She is titular head, and over 170 Royal Tours made by Her Majesty to Commonwealth countries.
Time your visit to see the colourful Changing the Guard ceremony outside. This takes place daily, weather permitting, at 11.30am May through July and on alternate days thereafter. See Shophound Alexia's Free London for details.
Wheelchair accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes.

Kensington Palace
Venue: Kensington Gardens, W8 4PX. Tel: 0870 751 5170.
Date: Daily. Summer opening times 10am-6pm, 2009.
Tickets: From £11, (concessions and online discount). Book Online
London Transport: Nearest Tube: High Street, Kensington.
Description: As well as the fascinating exhibition of Court Ceremonial dress which gives us a good idea of the splendour of the British Court, (compare this with the V&A Museum Exhibition The Magnificence of the Tsars), there is a great deal worth seeing, from the Cupola Room, where Queen Victoria was baptised, to the exquisite trompe d'oeuil ceiling executed by Palladian architect William Kent for George II, (1722). While the original State Rooms have been turned into a museum, this is still a working palace and Royal Residence, housing working members of the Royal Family. Princess Diana lived here after her divorce.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes

Clarence House
Venue: St. James's Palace, SW1A 1BS, (entry from the Mall). Tel: 020 7766 7303.
Date: Closed. Book now for summer opening. 10am-3pm, 5 August-27 September 2009.
Tickets: £8, (concessions), Take advantage of special online discounts and advance booking.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Green Park.
Description: Built by John Nash for the Duke of Clarence who became King William IV from 1830 until 1837 and used it as his palace, it was later the home of The Queen, then Princess Elizabeth and The Duke of Edinburgh following their marriage in 1947, and thereafter the London home of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother from 1953 until 2002. It is now the official London residence of Charles, Prince of Wales and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: No

The Royal Mews
Venue: Buckingham Palace, Westminster, SW1A 1AA, London. Entrance in Buckingham Palace Road.
Date: Daily. Summer opening timesDaily.11am-4pm until 31 October, 2009.
Tickets: £7.50, (concessions), Take advantage of special online discounts and advance booking.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Victoria Station.
Description: The Mews houses the Queen's horses in what are undoubtedly one of the finest working stables in existence. Also on view are the Monarch's State Coach and other official vehicles.

Kew Palace
Venue: Kew Gardens.
Access: Daily. 11am-5pm, Mon. 10am-5pm Tues-Sun, 2009.
Tickets: £5, (concessions). This does not include entry to Kew Gardens.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Kew Gardens.
Description: The country palace of George III, (d.1820) and his Queen Charlotte, Kew Palace has recently been meticulously refurbished under Royal patronage and is a masterpiece of Georgian taste, decor and furnishings.

Palace of Westminster
Venue: Westminster, London SW1A 1AA.
Date: Summer opening 3 August- 3 October, 2009. Guided tours daily, Monday to Saturday inclusive during Parliament's summer recess.
Tickets: Book Online, (strongly recommended), or buy on the day at the Jewel Tower ticket office opposite. Check website for prices, concessions and possible security restrictions.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Westminster.
Description: This is a fascinating guided tour and an unrivalled opportunity to see the Victorian Neo-Gothic magnificence of the Palace of Westminster with its debating Chambers of the 'House of Commons' and 'House of Lords'.
Wheelchair accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes.

The Golden Hinde
Venue:Pickfords Wharf/Clink St., London SE1 9DG. Tel: 020 7407 7056.
Date:Daily 10am - 5.30pm, 2008.
Tickets: £7. (Concessions).
London Transport: Nearest Tube: London Bridge.
Description: This is an exact working replica of Sir Francis Drake's Naval Flagship the Tudor warship Golden Hinde in which Sir Francis Drake circumnavigated the world 1577-1580. This exact reconstruction, a fully working ship, was launched in Devon in 1973. Since then she has circumnavigated the globe and sailed over 140,000 miles - many more than the original. Her present berth is the St Mary Overie Dock on Thames South Bank, just a short walk from the Clink Prison Museum, Shakespeare's Globe and Tate Modern. This is a living history experience of particular interest to maritime history buffs and children from six to sixty! Explore the 5 decks and the 22 canons.
Venue Hire You can hire the Golden Hinde for entertaining, conferences, wedding and civil partnership receptions, functions or film location. Families can also arrange sleepovers on the gun deck. Check website for details and bookings.

Royal Albert Hall Daytime Tours
Venue: Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, SW7 2A
Date: Daily, 10.30am-3.30pm, 2009.
Tickets: From £8. Online booking, (strongly recommended to ensure a place), or at the Box Office. Limited parking offered. See venue website for details.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Knightsbridge, Kensington High Street.
Description: A memorable tour of this historic rotunda hall, opened 1871 by Queen Victoria. Some 330 shows and major musical events take place here each year, (see What's On for details and online booking), and the tour may well include the opportunity to see rehearsals and technical preparations.
Wheelchair accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes.

The Royal Ballet: Giselle
Date: 6 April - 26 May, 2009.
Venue: Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, WC2. Tel: 020 7304 4000
Tickets: From £9. Book online.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Covent Garden.
Description: Giselle is one of the most influential of all Romantic ballets, and one of the greatest and most popular works of the dance canon and of The Royal Ballet 's repertory. The title role presents the transcendental power of a woman's love in the face of betrayal and is considered to be one of the most technically demanding and emotionally challenging roles in classical dance. Early sell-out expected. Wheelchair accessibility : Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes.

Shakespeare's Globe: Summer season
Venue: Globe Theatre, 21 New Globe Walk, SE1 9ED. Tel: 020 7401 9199.
Date: 23 April - 10 October, 2009.
Tickets: £5-£33.Book online Description: The Globe summer season kicks off with Romeo and Juliet, (April and May), followed by As You Like It, Troilus and Cressida, and Love's Labour's Lost. See website for full details.
Description Step into Tudor London at the Globe and join in the hearty audience participation! Dine before or after the performance, at the nearby Oxo Tower Restaurant or the Yakitori.

Offtolondon Theatre Breaks and Offers
Venue: West End and City theatres
Date: Ongoing.
Tickets: Online booking for all seats, accommodation, etc.
Description: Offtolondon Hotel and Theatre ticket packages are available from just £64; a superb bargain! You have the pick of the best seats, all the top theatre shows, and some great added-value extras. Every theatre break package includes hotel accommodation plus theatre tickets, an exclusive directors choice CD, free subscription to Passport to the Arts, worth £20 and a host of discount vouchers for London attractions..

The Kensington Dolls House Festival
Venue: Kensington Town Hall, Hornton Street, W8.
Date: 15-17 May, 2009. Times vary by day.
Tickets: £10, Friday, $8 Saturday, Sunday. (Concessions). £18 for 3-day ticket.Book online, (recommended), or buy at the door. London Transport: Nearest Tube: High Street, Kensington, (Circle & District Line).

Description: Some 175 craftsmen make this the world's top international show for quality dolls' houses, miniatures & models. Visitors can also attend the free lecture programme on dolls' house topics. A series of workshops are also planned. See website for details.

Photo Credit Angus MacWatt

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Venue: The Royal Hospital, Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea, SW3 4SR.
Date: 19 & 20 May, Members only. Public Days 21 - 23 May. 2008.
Tickets: £18.50 - £43, Online booking or telephone essential. No tickets sold at gate.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Sloane Square, (Circle & District Line).
Description: The gardening highlight of the year and traditionally the start of London's social season. It is traditionally visited on Opening Day by The Queen and other green fingered members of the Royal Family, a royal event started by Queen Mary in the 1920s. Prince Charles has been an exhibitor. The show gardens display everything from modern sculptured exhibits to wild rambling and water fantasies, while the pavilions provide award winning blooms and plants of every conceivable variety from all over the world. The first two days are for RHS members only. Daily live coverage on BBC TV.

Real Food Festival
Venue: Earls Court, Greater London, UK.
Date: 8-10 May, 2009. Trade Fri 10am-4pm, Fri Preview 4-8pm, Sat.11am-7pm, Sun.11am-5pm.
Tickets: Trade £18, Fri Preview £8, Sat/Sun £14.90. (Online discounts). Book Online or at door.
London Transport: Nearest Tubes. Earls Court, West Brompton.
Description Described as the biggest Farmer's and Producer's Market you have ever seen, this is a Foodie's paradise! See the UK's top chefs in action, livestock ranging from water buffalo to chickens and over 400 stands of the best food and drink producers from across the UK and abroad.
Wheelchair accessibility : Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes.

Hats
Venue: Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, , South Kensington, SW7 2RL.
Date: Until 31May, 2009. Daily 10am-5:45pm, Fri 10am-10pm.
Tickets: £5, (Concessions). Book Online or at door.
London Transport: Nearest Tubes. South Kensington .
Description Working with radical hat designer, Stephen Jones, the V&A presents an 'anthology of hats'. Drawn from V&A and international collections and ranging in style and period from a 17th-century Puritan's hat to a 1950s Balenciaga couture piece to hats by Jones and his contemporaries including to the latest creations by young milliners such as Noel Stewart, the exhibition investigates the cultural and historic importance of millinery.
Wheelchair accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes.
See also Shophound Alexia's FREE London.

Shah AbbasBritish Museum
Venue: British Museum, Great Russell Street, WC1B. Tel: 020 7323 8299.
Tickets: £12, (Concessions). Book online or at ticket desk in the great Court. Special offer if you also book for the forthcoming exhibition Montezuma, Aztec Ruler, (24 September 2009-24 January 2010), at the same time.
Date: Until 14 June, 2009. 10am-5:30pm. Thurs/Fri 10am-8:30pm..
London Transport: Nearest Tube. Tottenham Court Road.
Description This major exhibition explores 17th Cent. Iran through the reign and legacy of one of its most influential rulers, Shah 'Abbas I (reigned AD 1587-1629). His colossal social, religious and artistic influence on Iran is shown through the gifts he endowed to major shrines in Mashhad, Ardabil and Qum, and his magnificent new capital at Isfahan. The objects, many of which have not been seen outside Iran, will include exquisite Qur'ans, mosque lamps, paintings, carpets, calligraphy, porcelain and silks.
Wheelchair accessibility: Yes. Use side entrance. Adapted Toilets: Yes.
See also Shophound Alexia's FREE London.

Sherlock Holmes Museum
Venue 221b Baker Street, NW1 6XE. Tel: 020 7935 8866.
Tickets Adult £6, Child £4. Daily 9:30a.m. - 6:00p.m. Discount Group admissions for 10 + persons. Advance booking telephone: 020 7738 1269, Online or email: info@sherlock-holmes.co.uk
London Transport Nearest Tube. Baker Street. Nos 13 and 139 buses run between Baker Street and Trafalgar Square. The trams and horse drawn hansom cabs of Holmes's day are regrettably a thing of the past.
Description Permanent Exhibition. Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson lived at 221b Baker Street, (built 1815), between 1881-1904, according to Holmes's biographer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The famous 1st floor study, where the world's most illustrious detective played the violin while pondering and solving those mystifying cases before the use of fingerprints or DNA made detection so much easier, is still faithfully maintained as it was kept in those late Victorian and Edwardian days of gaslight, horse drawn Hansom cabs and London fogs. Nothing has changed. The rooms are exactly as described by Conan Doyle. Sherlock Holmes's possessions are in their usual places: his deerstalker, magnifying glass, calabash pipe, violin, chemistry equipment, notebook, Persian slippers and disguises, soda water gazogene on the sideboard. Dr Watson's hand-written notes made at the time of the famous case of the Hounds of the Baskervilles may be perused and visitors will be interested to admire a waxwork in the likeness of the infamous Moriarty. Strongly recommended to all admirers of Holmes.
Wheelchair Accessibility: No.

Imperial War Museum: For Your Eyes Only
Venue: Imperial War Museum, Lambeth Road, SE1 6HZ. Tel: 0207 416 5320.
Date: Until 1 March 2009.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Lambeth North; Elephant and Castle; Waterloo, (wheelchair accessible); Southwark, (wheelchair accessible). Carparks: Union Carparks/53 Southwark Street.
Tickets: £8.(Concessions). Book online. The rest of the museum is FREE.
Description: Temporary Exhibition. A celebration of the centenary of Ian Fleming's birth with a fascinating exhibition devoted to his James Bond, the 007 gizmos and gadgetry, and Fleming's own remarkable life and wartime experiences. A special book is available to accompany the exhibition.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes, on all floors bar the 3rd and 4th. Accessible cafe on ground floor. The Museum has a number of manual, folding frame wheelchairs that can be borrowed for the duration of your visit. Check for full details.

Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms
Venue: Clive Steps, King Charles Street, SW1A 2AQ.: 0207 416 5320.
Date: Daily, 9.30am-6pm.2009.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Westminster; St.James's Park..
Tickets: £12.95.(Concessions). Book online. The rest of the museum is FREE.
Description: Experience the Cabinet War Rooms, housed beneath London's streets, where Winston Churchill and his War Cabinet led the country throughout the Blitz and through the Second World War. This is also a museum devoted to the life and work of Winston Churchill.  .
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes, Accessible cafe.

Leighton House Museum and Art Gallery
Venue: 12 Holland Park Road, W14 8LZ.
Date: 11am-5.30 pm daily except Tuesdays, 2009.
Tickets: £3, (Concessions). Pay at door.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Kensington; High Street, Kensington. Carparking: Olympia Hylton NCP.
Description: Permanent Exhibition. Victorian opulence in art and architecture shown at its best and most spectacular, (or worst and most decadent if your taste is for modern minimalist). The former studio-house of the great Victorian artist Frederic, Lord Leighton (1830-1896), who designed and decorated it between 1864 and 1879, the house is one of the most extraordinary buildings of the nineteenth century. Filled with golden mosaics, gilded walls, elaborate paintwork, domed ceilings, trickling fountains, cool marble and peacock blue tiles. Leighton House also became home to the owner's extensive collection of Victorian paintings, 81 of which are exhibited here together with a fine collection of ceramics and lustreware. Over 1000 Islamic tiles adorn the Arab Hall, reflecting the influence the East had on Lord Leighton following his travels. It forms the centrepiece and focal point of the house. The Arab Hall, Dining Hall or Studio are available to hire for receptions and functions.
Wheelchair accessibility: No.

British Museum: Babylon, Myth and Reality
Date: Until 15 March, 2009. 10am-5pm daily.
Venue: British Museum, Great Russell Street, WC1B 3DG. Tel: 020 7323 8299.
Tickets: £8 (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:. The myth of Babylon has haunted the European imagination for two millennia. The Tower of Babel and the Hanging Gardens, Belshazzar's Feast and the Fall of Babylon have inspired artists, writers, poets, philosophers and film makers. See here the 'real' Babylon - an imperial capital, a great centre of science, art and commerce. Drawing on the combined holdings of the British Museum London, the musée du Louvre and the Réunion des musées nationaux, Paris, and the Vorderasiatisches Museum Berlin, this special exhibition explores the continuing dialogue between the Babylon of our imagination and the historic evidence for one of the great cities of antiquity at the moment of its climax and eclipse. Choose from a number of videos of this special exhibition.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes.
See also Shophound Alexia's FREE London.

Tate Britain: Van Dyck and Britain
Date: 10am-5.40pm.
Venue: Tate Britain, Millbank, SW1P 4RG. Tel: 020 7887 8888
Tickets: £12.20. (Concessions), Online booking or at the door. Other parts of the Tate have free entry.
London transport: Nearest Tube: Embankment. Also Riverbus between Tate Britain and Tate Modern via Westminster.
Description:. Sir Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641) was the greatest painter in seventeenth-century Britain. Though trained in Flanders, he had a huge impact on British cultural life as the principal painter at King Charles I's ostensibly elegant court, where his impact was similar to that of Hans Holbein at the court of Henry VIII. This visually sumptuous exhibition brings together some of the finest and most magnificent paintings that van Dyck produced during his years in Britain. It also reveals his continuing visual legacy through portraits by artists from the eighteenth to twentieth centuries, including Sir Joshua Reynolds and John Singer Sargent. Featuring loans from The Royal Collection and The National Trust, this exhibition explores the context of van Dyck's key English works, examining his innovative approach to painting the British elite. It also looks at his use of costume and his luscious, sparkling depiction of the rich fabrics of the period, and how his art was itself influenced by more local British painting.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes. See also the Tate's special programme for disabled visitors.
See also Shophound Alexia's FREE London.

London Ghost Walks
Venue: Departs from Bank or Blackfriars Underground station.. EC. Tel: 020 8530 8443
Date: Tues/Fri/Sats. 7pm-9pm. Check website for 2009 date confirmation.
Tickets: £7. Online Booking
London Transport: Aldgate East, (District, Hammersmith and City Lines).
Description: Alleyways and Shadows; Ghosts, Ghouls and Graveyards; the titles of these walks, painstakingly researched by author and historian Richard Jones, perfectly conjure the haunting atmosphere of these deliciously spooky tours that venture beyond the busy main roads and twist their eerie way through forgotten medieval and Victorian London. Let Richard Jones lead you to places where the disembodied voices from London's eerie past may just whisper in your ear, as their icy fingers lightly stroke the back of your neck.

The Shakespeare City Walk
Venue: Starts from Blackfriars Tube Station, Exit 8. (Circle and District Line).
Date: Mondays and Fridays, 11am. Ends 7 December, 2007. Tel: 020 7625 5155 before date for confirmation. Recommences 3 January, 2008.
Tickets: £6.(Concessions). Book online or pay guide at start.
London Transport: Nearest Tube. Blackfriars.
Description: Thespian Declan McHugh leads you on a 90 minute walk through the City of London, uncovering often little-known monuments and locations with connections to Shakespeare's life, his friends, his loves and his work, while declaiming the Bard's poetry and prose in true Woolfitt style.

Jack The Ripper's Sinister London
Venue: Selected departure points by coach.
Date: Fridays, Sundays. from 6.40pm
Tickets: From $50.13 per person. Pay online.
Description:Tread in the footsteps of the infamous Jack The Ripper down the dark, narrow, gas-lit alleyways immortalized in such films as "From Hell". Led by one of the renowned London Blue Badge Guides, you will visit four murder sights. Your "Ripperologist" will run through some of the suspects who sparked a Victorian Whodunit that will leave you as gripped as its victims. Approx. 4 hours.

London Eye. Millenium Wheel
Date: Daily.
Venue: Westminster Bridge Road, (Riverside Building County Hall), SE1 7PB. Tel: 0870 990 8883
Tickets: £15. (Concessions). Book online.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Westminster.
Description: Opened at the beginning of 2000 to celebrate the Millennium, this huge 450-foot British Airways Ferris wheel on the South Bank of the Thames overlooking Westminster gives a fabulous bird's eye view of Royal and Civic London, with spectacular views stretching for 25 miles on a clear day to include views of Windsor Castle. Up to 25 people can fit in each of the wheel's "capsules." The wheel turns surprisingly slowly, taking 30 minutes to go round, so you will have plenty of time to spot landmarks, take photos, propose to your beloved, get married and celebrate the occasion with champagne! Combine your London Eye experience with a Thames River cruise. Online booking discount, (champagne supplied)!

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 to comfortable backpacker's hostels.

Burlington Bertie's Highlights Memo
Book online now for Hampton Court Music Festival, (June), RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show Gala Preview, (6 July), to ensure your tickets.