ENTERTAINMENT
CULTURAL ICONS : GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS : MUSEUMS : THEATRE : OPERA : SYMPHONY : FILM : CINEMA : TELEVISION : GUIDED WALKS : SPECTATOR SPORTS

It is almost impossible to summarize everything that goes on in a city as culturally, artistically, and socially diverse as London. Nevertheless, there are some excellent guides which attempt to do so. The Londoner's "bible" is a weekly publication known as Time Out. This appears each Wednesday (the LUP Library takes a copy) and contains the most comprehensive listing, together with reviews, of events going on across the city. On Thursdays, London's daily evening newspaper, The Evening Standard, produces an excellent guide to what's on during the forthcoming weekend. In their Saturday editions, many of the quality newspapers, such as The Times, Guardian, Daily Telegraph and Independent, produce supplements providing useful listings of events in London for the forthcoming week.

There are also electronic listings:

Time Out London is the online version of the famous listings magazine. Use the main web page for information on other cities in Europe.

This is London is a general information website provided by the Evening Standard with links to theatre, music and clubs in and around London.

CULTURAL ICONS

Buckingham Palace has been the official London residence of Britain's sovereigns since 1837. This town house opens its doors to visitors on a seasonal basis. A tour of the palace includes the Throne Room and a rotating exhibition of selected pieces from the Queen's private art collection, reputed to be the most valuable private collection in the world.

The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, as immortalized by A.A. Milne, is properly called "The Guard Mounting". The highly ceremonial Changing of the Guard occurs daily at 11.30am (alternative days in autumn and winter). Show up half an hour early to get a good spot.

Harrods is possibly the world's most famous department store. Originally founded by Charles Henry Harrod in 1849, it was refurbished by its current owner, Mohamed Al Fayed, in the 1990s. Shop for just about anything, grab a snack (or order a picnic) in the food halls, or simply wander around and admire.

The London Eye was built to celebrate the Millennium. The giant wheel makes its rotation in about half an hour, giving visitors a bird's eye view of London.

Houses of Parliament/Big Ben

Big Ben is really the bell in the clock tower, but people use the name for the tower too. At present, overseas visitors may participate in tours only during July-September. Even then, different parts of the complex are open to the public at different times on different dates, and for some you will need to get tickets ahead of time, so be sure to check out the on-line schedule ahead of time.

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre

A reproduction of Shakespeare's open-air theatre where you may see your fellow students perform at the end of the semester. Performances are put on throughout the year, so dress accordingly, especially if you opt for standing in the yard.

The Tower of London

Everybody who's anybody has been imprisoned here at least once! Let the Beefeaters be your guides as you explore the grounds and view the crown jewels. Give yourself a long afternoon to see everything.

St Paul's Cathedral

Christopher Wren's architectural masterpiece, including the famous Whispering Gallery -- To avoid the tourists, attend Evensong. Check the website for tour times, but be aware that tours may be cancelled at the last minute for special services.

Westminster Abbey

One of the most famous Anglican churches in Britain, in direct service to the monarch, this medieval building serves as the nation's mausoleum for many of its monarchs and most notable historical figures (such as William Shakespeare, Isaac Newton, and Charles Darwin). See, in particular, Poets' Corner, The Old Monastery, St. Margaret's Church, and the Abbey Museum.

Westminster Cathedral

The seat of the Roman Catholic archbishop of Westminster -- Drawing upon the eastern Roman Empire's Byzantine style, the architecture offers a pleasant relief from the more familiar Gothic style of most English cathedrals. Check the website for times of religious services.

GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS

The Bramah Museum, only two minutes from London Bridge Station, is the world's first museum devoted entirely to the history of tea and coffee. It tells the commercial and social 400-year-old history of two of the world's most important commodities since their arrival in Europe.

The British Museum is one of the world's greatest museums, housing Egyptian mummies, the Rosetta Stone, Greek antiquities such the Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon, the Anglo-Saxon burial treasures of Sutton Hoo, and the Benin sculptures from Africa.

In 1940, as the bombs rained down on London, Winston Churchill, his Cabinet, his War Cabinet, his intelligence organization, and his staff met below ground in a fortified basement in Whitehall known as The Cabinet War Rooms. They offered a shelter from air raids and a place to work, sleep, and live. Now, under the management of the Imperial War Museum, it is open to the public.

Thrown into the Clink? Here's where the saying comes from. It's a little creepy and a lot better value for the money than the London Dungeon experience.

The Charles Dickens Museum is the world's most important collection of material relating to the great Victorian novelist and social commentator. The building is also relevant: Dickens and his family lived here for a time, and he wrote Oliver Twist and The Pickwick Papers here.

The Fan Museum is the only museum in the world devoted entirely to every aspect of fans and fan making. It is home to a collection of more than 3,000 predominantly antique fans from around the world dating from the eleventh century to the present day.

The Florence Nightingale Museum is the international centre for preserving Florence Nightingale's heritage and interpreting the relevance of her life and work for the benefit of the present and future generations. Located in Lambeth, South London.

The Freud Museum in Hampstead was the home of Sigmund Freud and his family when they escaped Nazi annexation of Austria in 1938. The centerpiece of the museum is Freud's library and study, preserved just as it was during his lifetime.

The Geffrye Museum is a small museum set in Grade I listed 18th century former almshouses. The museum recreates domestic English interiors of every era. For students attending in the Fall semester, their Christmas exhibition is an essential trip.

Sir Francis Drake famously circumnavigated the globe over 400 years ago aboard the Golden Hinde. A meticulously reconstructed fully operational warship is berthed on the River Thames in the heart of London, between London Bridge and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. The floating museum offers a unique opportunity to look at life on board a 16th-century ship, which was once home to 60 people.

The Greenwich Museums - the National Maritime Museum, the Queen's House and the Royal Observatory - are located in world heritage site - Maritime Greenwich - set on the banks of the River Thames just four miles downstream from Tower Bridge. It is particularly noted for its magnificent architecture, beautiful parkland and a lively town centre, and it is well worth the day trip. You can catch a ferry from Westminster and arrive by river, which gives the best views of the riverside buildings, as well as the opportunity to see the heart of London from a different angle.

The Handel House Museum was home to the baroque composer George Frideric Handel from 1723 until his death in 1759. As well as the exhibitions, they offer live music and workshops, which give you the opportunity to sing a rousing chorus from Handel's Messiah in the house where it was composed in only 21 days in 1741

The Imperial War Museum contains many interactive exhibits relating to British military history, focusing especially on the two world wars and other recent British battles. They also manage the Cabinet War Rooms and HMS Belfast.

Keats' House Museum is a museum dedicated to the collection, preservation, documentation, exhibition, and interpretation of the life and works of the poet John Keats. Keats lived in this house from 1818 to 1820, and wrote some of his best-loved and most moving poetry here, including Ode to a Nightingale.

Discover the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection, the Diana, Princess of Wales Dress Collection, and spectacular State Apartments at 'London's most fashionable attraction', Kensington Palace.

At the London Canal Museum you can see inside a narrow-boat, learn about the history of London's canals, about the cargoes they transported, the people who lived and worked on the waterways, and the horses that pulled their barges.

By conserving and explaining the city's transport heritage, London's Transport Museum offers people an understanding of the capital's past development and engages them in the debate about its future.

Madame Tussauds Wax Work Museum is more than just wax! Get up close and personal with the celebrities, ride the rides, and see the shows. This is a real tourist hot-spot, so book in advance.

The Museum of Childhood offers the chance to explore the idea and artifacts of childhood through the ages.

The Museum of Garden History is housed in the historic church of St Mary-at-Lambeth, and as well as its many exhibits, has a lovely knot garden, in 17th-century style.

The Museum of London is the largest city museum in the world, telling the fascinating story of London from prehistoric times to the present day.

During a visit to the Musical Museum you will experience the fascinating world of automatic musical instruments, designed to provide music at the flick of a switch or at the turn of handle in the days before electronics and microphones. It is located close to the world-famous Kew Gardens, and the two together make an excellent day out of the city.

From the moment you pass through the authentic Twickenham turnstile at the Museum of Rugby, you'll be immersed in a world of rugby union history.

The National Gallery is one of the world finest collections of Western European art, including many famous
works by Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Caravaggio, and Monet. Access to the main collection is free.

The National Portrait Gallery focuses on the subject as much as the artist, with a collection covering figures from the Middle Ages to present day, represented in every form of art you can imagine.

The National Maritime Museum charts the history of Britain at sea. The Museum includes maritime art, cartography, manuscripts, official public records, ship models and plans, scientific and navigational instruments, information on time-keeping, and astronomy.

The Natural History Museum is the UK's national museum of natural history, and a centre of scientific excellence in taxonomy and biodiversity.

The Old Operating Theatre Museum displays the history of herbal medicine, surgery, nursing at Old St Thomas's Hospital (the original home of Florence Nightingale's Nursing School and Guy's Hospital and the Evelina Children's Hospital). It provides a dramatic insight into life before the modern era. If you can arrange a group of 10, the talks offered by their staff add hugely to what you will take away from a visit.

The Petrie Museum has one of the most inspiring collections of Egyptian and Sudanese archaeology in the world.

The Tate holds the national collection of British art from 1500 and of international modern art, and has two galleries in London. Tate Britain, on the north bank of the Thames, presents British art from 1500 onwards; Tate Modern, housed in the iconic Bankside Power Station building on the south bank of the Thames, displays the best in British and international modern art. Even if you think modern art is 'not your thing', the Turbine Gallery itself is worth a visit. Both galleries run programs of events and talks alongside their exhibitions, and a dedicated boat service links the two.

The Tower of London has been the seat of British government and the living quarters of monarchs, the site of renowned political intrigue, and the repository of the Crown Jewels. It has housed lions, bears, and (to this day) flightless ravens, not to mention notorious traitors and framed members of court, lords and ministers, clergymen and knights.

The Science Museum's collections form an enduring record of scientific, technological, and medical change since the eighteenth century. Though rich in British material, the collections result from worldwide acquisition. Vigorous collecting keeps them up-to-date, and their presentation is amongst the best in the world, with many interactive galleries and a battery of special events.

Founded by the pioneering American actor/director Sam Wanamaker, Shakespeare's Globe is a unique international resource dedicated to the exploration of Shakespeare's work, and the playhouse for which he wrote, through the connected means of education and performance.

Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson lived at 221b Baker Street between 1881-1904, according to the stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The real house was last used as a lodging house in 1936 and the famous first-floor study overlooking Baker Street is now home to the Sherlock Holmes Museum.

Sir John Soane's Museum comprises his collections and personal effects, acquired between the 1780s and his death in 1837, which are fantastically eclectic.

The Victoria and Albert [V&A] is one of the greatest museums of applied and decorative arts in the world. Explore the breathtaking permanent collections from the four corners of the globe including fashion and textiles, sculpture, ceramics and glass, metalwork, silver and jewelery, furniture, photography and paintings.

The Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum offers a glimpse of how the gentle game of Lawn Tennis, once all the rage on the lawns of Victorian England and with origins going back to medieval Royal Tennis, has become a multi-million dollar professional sport, played all over the world.

THEATRE

London Theatre Guide is a comprehensive website featuring West End shows, fringe theatre, opera, dance, and information on all the performance theatres in Greater London.

Information about Half Price Ticket Booth in Leicester Square --This is the Official Society of London Theatre Booth, and the only legitimate source of reduced tickets outside the theatres themselves.

OPERA

English National Opera, the parent organization for several national and touring companies, also owns the London Coliseum, a major London opera venue. Check out the pre-performance talks that take place before the opera.

Talking Cities gives information and links to all the opera performance venues in London.

SYMPHONY

The world renowned London Symphony Orchestra is the resident orchestra at the Barbican, one of London's leading venues for performance art and exhibitions.

The London Symphony Chorus is the famous choir of the London Symphony Orchestra.

The BBC Orchestras are some of the best orchestras in the UK, with an international reputation based upon its performances around the world, on film, and at the Proms, the world's largest annual festival of classical music. This site also contains information on the Welsh and Scottish National Orchestras and Chorus.

FILM

The British Film Institute's Top 100 British Films includes many are black and white films, but there is also a nice selection of modern films.

The BAFTAs [ British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards] are the British "Oscars", while the BIFAs [British Independent Film Awards] focus on less mainstream films.

CINEMAS

Odeon are one of the largest chains of cinemas in the UK. The one closest to the flats is at Marble Arch. The ones nearest the London Centre are the Odeon-Leicester Square and the Odeon-West End (both in Leicester Square).

Leicester Square is the home of cinema in the West End and hosts the vast majority of UK Film Premiers, so there's the occasional chance to catch some of your favorite movie stars working the red carpet just around the corner from the London Centre. As well as the Odean cinemas, there is the Vue Cinema and The Empire.

The Prince Charles Cinema, just round the corner, provides a home for film festivals and arthouse, foreign, and second run films at much more reasonable prices, as well as audience participation showings of the Rocky Horror Picture Show and Gone With The Wind.

Screen Cinemas are an independent chain of small cinemas that tend to show critically acclaimed new releases. The Screen on Baker Street is convenient for the flats and is affordable.

Run by the British Film Institute, the National Film Theatre, near Waterloo Station, runs classic films and occasionally houses film festivals too. They also run the London IMAX, Britain's biggest cinema screen.

TELEVISION

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is the UK's leading public broadcasting service, paid for by license subscription. It provides a wide range of media services including numerous television channels (terrestrial and digital free-for-view), many international, national, and local radio stations, and online new media sources. It is widely regarded as one of the most authoritative sources of news in the world.

Independent Television (ITV), the main commercial rival network to the BBC, similarly runs numerous terrestrial and digital free-for-view television channels. It is also a major source of news media.

Channel Four is a private company broadcasting commercial television, with a reputation for alternative, artistic, and "cutting edge" programming.

 

Five TV is the last of the major terrestrial channels broadcasting commercial television in the UK.

The British Film Institute's Top 100 Television Programs of the 20th Century. Which programs were deemed to be the most important, influential and innovative? Which were most fondly remembered?

CNN International is the European version of CNN.

Eurosport.com gives details of the European sports network TV channels.

GUIDED WALKS

London Walks is a well-known company offering walks such as the "Jack the Ripper" walk and several walks near the flats and the London Centre.

Professor Sheridan [Anthropology, Fall 2004] has a useful and informative page recommending various museums and day trips, based on the weekly field-trip visits she organized during her time in London.
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SPECTATOR SPORTS

Football (Soccer)

The English Premiership is one of the top football leagues in the world. The Premiership contains twenty of England's top football clubs and boasts some of the rowdiest and most loyal fans in the world.

There are six London teams in the Premiership with Arsenal and Chelsea usually near the top of the rankings. Other teams such as Tottenham Hotspur, Charlton Athletic, Crystal Palace, and Fulham, while not the best in the league, may offer the best opportunity to get tickets. You can get tickets online from many of the teams' websites or by calling the box office. For some of the less well-known teams it may be possible to go very early on the day of the match and claim some last-minute tickets. Most tickets range from £25 to £50.

Rugby Union

The Guinness Premiership is a league of twelve top English rugby teams. The English are constantly competing for the top rankings internationally and are considered some of the best rugby players in the world.

There are four main London teams in the Premiership: London Irish, London Saracens, London Wasps, and NEC Harlequins. Each website offers team and player statistics as well as ticket purchasing information and directions to the stadium.

Rugby League

Less well known is the Tetley's Super League, the league for rugby league. Rugby league is a different style of rugby from rugby union. There is one main London rugby league team, the London Broncos.