Author Archives: LondonMetroGirl
Soundtrack takes over Seven Dials for a free festival of music, food and fun
Soundtrack is a new festival for Seven Dials
© Seven Dials
Coming to the West End this month is a brand new festival from the team behind Citadel. Seven Dials will be taken over by Soundtrack, a free one-day music festival. Revellers young and old will find plenty to entertain, including music, comedy, theatre and debates. All seven of the interconnecting streets will be closed to vehicle traffic for the day with a pop-up lawn surrounding the iconic dial. The free event is taking place to coincide with the Mayor of London’s ‘Sounds Like London’ campaign, which aims to celebrate the capital’s rich music heritage and talent.
Throughout the day, the open-air main stage in the centre of Seven Dials will host a variety of music acts, including London singer-songwriter Rukhsana Merrise, The Voice finalists Into The Ark, indie group Pumarosa and vintage-inspired rocker Ten Tonnes. Broadcaster and author Gemma Cairney will be hosting the action from 12pm-6pm. Meanwhile, funky choir Some Voices will be putting on flash mob performances around the area, while there will also be a free silent disco.
You can get into the festival spirit with The Gypsy Shrine on Monmouth Street, who will be offering free, eco-friendly glitter face painting all day. People can try their luck in an attempt to win festival tickets and more at the music-themed tombola, which raises money for charity partner Covent Garden Dragon Hall Trust. When you’re feeling hungry, you can head to the many street food and alfresco dining options, including independent café BOKI, pop-up pizza and prosecco bar from the Escapologist and Portuguese eaterie Canela. Many of the area’s establishments and shops, such as Rosa’s Thai, Rossopomodoero, Duke & Dexter and Club Monaco will be offering 20% off all day. There will also be a pop-up superfood smoothie bar from Neals Yard Remedies and a pop-up cocktail bar from Monmouth Kitchen.
While the festival is free to attend, its recommended you register for your festival map and ticket at Seven Dials’ website. As a ticket holder, you can pick up a free Mint Julep cocktail from the Hawksmoor Seven Dials x Evan Williams pop up bar on Earlham Street.
- Soundtrack takes place on 23 June 2018 from 12pm-6pm. At Seven Dials, Covent Garden, WC2H. Nearest station: Leicester Square or Covent Garden. For more information and to register, visit the Seven Dials website.
For a guide to what else is on in London in June, click here.
London’s first human football zorbing on ice launches for the World Cup
If watching the FIFA World Cup action from Russia leaves you feeling competitive, there’s a fun new activity coming to the capital that could be right up your street. This summer, QUEENS is launching London’s first human football zorbing on ice. This special World Cup edition sees players getting to climb into 12ft tall inflatable footballs and compete against each other on the ice. Players will be challenged to battle each other out to be crowned the winner’s of the QUEENS’ World Cup. People can play in two teams of three players with ‘normal’ football rules applying.
Once you’ve bounced and steered your way around the ice rink, you can head to the on site MEATliquor bar for a refreshing post-match glass of Prosecco or beer. Each player ticket includes gaming sessions and one free beverage. While you’re there, you can also take advantage of some of QUEENS’ other attractions, including bowling alley, curling, arcades or dining at MEATliquor.
- Queens, 17 Queensway, W2 4PQ. Nearest stations: Queensway or Bayswater. Zorbing on Ice is available on 22 June, 6 July and 13 July 2018. Booking slots from 4pm-11.20pm. Tickets: £29.99 per person. For more information, visit the Queens website.
For a guide to what’s on in London in June, click here.
For a guide on where to watch the World Cup on the big screen in London, click here.
Emery Walker House: A stunning time capsule of the arts and crafts movement
The Emery Walker House stands on a Georgian terrace in Hammersmith
I must admit not knowing too much about the arts and crafts movement. I had known of William Morris for some years, but had never heard the name Emery Walker until this year. Recently, I was invited along to the Emery Walker House with a group of fellow bloggers to join one of their guided tours.
The Arts and Crafts movement was a response to the Industrial Revolution, which saw objects becoming mass-produced in factories, losing their originality and connection with the natural world. Figures of the A&C movement wanted to make products with more integrity and higher quality, with the crafter actually enjoyed the process of making it. Textile designer, novelist and poet William Morris (1834–1896) was one of the leaders of the movement and believed in creating beautiful objects and interiors, influenced by the past. Morris established his own company Morris & Co, and store on Oxford Street selling his furniture, wallpaper and other interiors.
The Emery Walker House stands on Hammersmith Terrace, a neat row of narrow Georgian terraces with gardens overlooking the Thames. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, this small neighbourhood in west London became the hub of the arts and crafts movement. Sir Emery Walker (1851-1933) was a London-born engraver, photographer and printer. He was a self-made man, having left school at 13 and establishing his own business by 30. In the late 1870s, he befriended Morris when he moved to Hammersmith Terrace as they bonded over socialism. The pair became firm friends and saw each other nearly every day. Walker initially lived at No.3 Hammersmith Terrace, before moving to No.7 – the house you can visit today – in 1903 and remained there for the rest of his life. Morris lived a short walk away at Kelmscott House and sowed the seed for the growing arts and crafts community of the area. Artist, bookbinder and sometime business partner of Walker (more on that later!), T.J. Cobden-Sanderson (1840-1922) lived at No.7 before Walker did, while Morris’ daughter May (1862-1938) ended up living next door at No.8 with her husband Henry Halliday Sparling. The playwright George Bernard Shaw lodged with the couple for a time and ended up having an affair with May, causing her divorce. Walker and Morris were firm friends with architect Philip Webb, who made Walker a beneficiary of his will, with some of his furniture now in No.7.
A Morris & Co Sussex chair
© Anna Kunst for The Emery Walker Trust
The view of the Thames from the Emery Walker House
One of the most interesting stories about Walker is his business partnership and eventual feud with Cobden-Sanderson. The latter established the Doves Bindery in 1893, eventually becoming the Doves Press in 1900 when he partnered with Walker following the closure of Kelmscott Press in 1898. Cobden-Sanderson’s wife Annie provided funding after Walker admitted he didn’t have enough money to contribute. Their publications, featuring the Doves typeface which was inspired by Italian Renaissance, were a huge success. However, by 1902, their working relationship began to sour with Cobden-Sanderson complaining Walker wasn’t devoting enough time to the business. In 1906, they agreed things weren’t working, but disagreed over the splitting of the assets. Walker was entitled to have the metal letters and castings, but Cobden-Sanderson didn’t want him using them. Between 1913-1917, the elderly Cobden-Sanderson made around 170 trips from Hammersmith Terrace to Hammersmith Bridge in the middle of the night, lobbing the heavy type, punches and matrices into the Thames. Following Cobden-Sanderson’s death in 1922, his widow Annie paid Walker a large sum towards compensating the loss of type. Nearly a century later, designer Robert Green and the Port Authority of London searched the Thames below Hammersmith Bridge and managed to recover 150 types of the Doves Press. Read the rest of this entry
Game on! Where to watch the World Cup and Wimbledon in London this summer
Watch the action from Wimbledon on a floating pontoon in St Katharine’s Docks
It’s that time of year again. The football World Cup takes place from 14 June until 15 July, while Wimbledon is on from 2 – 15 July. They’re not the only sports on this summer, with the Tour de France, British Grand Prix and Royal Ascot also taking place. Around the capital, venues and parks are transforming into spectator villages with big screens broadcasting all the action live. Here’s a guide to some of London’s alfresco sports screenings this summer.
- 14 June – 15 July : World Cup @ Skylight London
Watch the World Cup on the big screen against the backdrop of the London skyline. Skylight features three bars, street food, law games and DJs. Undercover areas too in case of bad weather. Open Thu-Fri 5pm-11pm, Sat-Sun 12pm-11pm. Free entry, but table bookings recommended during the games. Skylight, Tobacco Quay (Pennington Street entrance), Wapping, E1CW 2SF. Nearest station: Shadwell or Wapping. For more information, visit the Skylight London website. Read Metro Girl’s review of Skylight.
- 14 June – 15 July : World Cup @ Merchant Square
Watch the action beamed live from Russia by the waterside on comfortable seating. There will be food and drink available from the on-site bar, street food stalls and nearby restaurants. Free. The Lawn, Paddington Basin, W2 1JS. Nearest station: Paddington. For more information, visit the Merchant Square website.
- 18 June – 22 July : Summer Screens @ Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf will be hosting open-air screenings of many sporting events over the summer, including Aegon Championships at Queen’s Club, Royal Ascot, Tour de France, Wimbledon and the British F1 Grand Prix. Times vary. Free. Cabot Square and Canada Square Park, Canary Wharf, E14. Nearest station: Canary Wharf. For more information, visit the Canary Wharf website.
- 14 June – 14 July : World Cup @ Flat Iron Square
Head to Southwark’s street food hub to watch the matches on a 100in big screen in the garden. Free entry. Flat Iron Square, 68 Union Street, Bankside, SE1 1TD. Nearest station: Borough, London Bridge or Southwark. For more information, visit the Flat Iron Square website.
Watch the World Cup while enjoying skyline views at Skylight
- 19 – 23 June : Royal Ascot @ Bluebird
Watch the horse-racing on the big screen in the courtyard of the Bluebird. The café will also be serving cream teas and champagne. Bluebird, 350 King’s Road, Chelsea, SW3 5UU. Nearest stations: Fulham Broadway, South Kensington or Sloane Square. For more information, visit the Bluebird website.
Read the rest of this entry
If those tiles could talk! The remains of Queen Caroline’s bath in Greenwich Park
The remains of Queen Caroline’s bath in Greenwich Park
When visitors come to Greenwich Park, they usually make a beeline for the Royal Observatory with its historic GMT line and stunning views. However, in the south-west corner of the park, there’s a fascinating piece of London’s royal history hidden behind a hedge. Situated just a metre from the park’s wall is the remains of Queen Caroline’s bathhouse.
Caroline Amelia Elizabeth, Princess of Brunswick (1768-1821), was born in Germany and was betrothed to her cousin, the future King George IV (1762-1830) in an arranged marriage. The pair wed at St James’s Palace in April 1795, with the heir-to-the-throne apparently drunk during the ceremony! Their coupling was a disaster and they separated shortly after the birth of their daughter Princess Charlotte (1796-1817). By the time their child was a year old, Princess Caroline was living in a separate house in Charlton, eventually moving a few miles away to Montagu House in Blackheath around 1797-1799.
Queen Caroline by Samuel Lane, 1820. National Gallery of Scotland via Wikimedia Commons
Montagu House was built in the late 17th century for Ralph Montagu, 1st Duke of Montagu (1638-1709). His son John Montagu, 2nd Duke of Montagu (1690-1749) employed Ignatius Sancho (1729-1780) as a butler at the house for two years. Sancho was born on a slave ship, but gained his freedom and educated himself, partially with the books from the library at Montagu House. He went on to become an early prominent figure in the fight for the abolition of slavery and wrote many letters on the subject. Today, there is a plaque commemorating Sancho on what was the wall of Montagu House. The bathhouse is believed to be an addition added by Princess Caroline in the early 19th century. It was a structure of glass and light lattice, with an adjoining greenhouse. Bathhouses were trendy in Georgian times for improving health and entertaining guests. Surprisingly to us 21st century Brits, the Georgians usually wore their clothes while bathing.
Returning to Princess Caroline, by the time she moved into Montagu House she was being subjected to harsh custody arrangements over her daughter Charlotte. Under English law at the time, the father’s rights were considered more important than the mother’s, and partially out of hatred for his estranged wife, George made things incredibly difficult. Princess Caroline was only allowed to see her daughter in the presence of a nurse and governess, overnight stays were forbidden and she was banned from making any decisions about Charlotte’s care or education.
During her 15 years or so living at Montagu House, Princess Caroline was the target of some wild rumours. A sociable and confident woman, Charlotte hosted famously wild parties at Montagu House and was romantically linked to several men. She was accused of flirting with Naval heroes, Admiral Sir William Sidney Smith (1764-1840) and Captain Thomas Manby (1769-1834) and having a brief relationship with politician and future Prime Minister George Canning (1770 –1827). She wasn’t just a known for her social skills, but also her generosity with poor neighbours. In 1802, Caroline adopted a baby boy William Austin when his desperate mother brought him to the house. Read the rest of this entry
Celebrate the capital’s rich musical heritage at Soho Music Month 2018
Soho’s rich musical heritage is celebrated throughout Soho Music Month this June
© Marc Sethi
It’s June so that means summer is officially here! What better way to greet the best season (in most people’s opinion!) than a month-long celebration of the capital’s rich musical heritage. Taking over W1 this month is Soho Music Month, featuring a host of cultural events in venues across the area.
With 2018 being the centenary of women getting the right to vote, part of the festival will celebrate females in the industry. Independent label Market will be curating an all-female line-up, while female founders of independent labels will be taking over Berwick Street Market (16 June) selling their roster’s best vinyl. Meanwhile, three female DJs Xanthe Fuller, Sophie Callis and Cherrie Flava will be broadcasting live from the market on Soho Radio.
Grab a bean bag or a spot on the ‘grass’ for the Newburgh Sessions
Throughout the festival, the hub and exhibition space Platform LDN will be opening its doors at 3 Carnaby Street. Daily throughout June, it will play host to a variety of free events, including a GRM Daily panel discussion, Reprezent Radio’s live broadcasts, book signings with DJ Jumping Jack Frost and DJ Target, of BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra fame. Check out the Carnaby website for listings and to register for a place on one of the sessions.
Every Thursday evening (5pm-9pm) in June, there will be a series of free outdoor gigs in the Newburgh Quarter. A pop-up stage will appear under ‘The Plug’ light installation on Ganton Street with a lawn and bean bags. Kicking things off on 7 June will be an all-female hip-hop DJ battle with Melody Kane, Emily Rawson, Ellie Prohan, Fearney and Sandra Omari. Following on 14 June will be Alex Tracey and his funk and indie pop-rhythms, presented by Stageside, a platform for unsigned, emerging or breaking artists from Instagram collective @London. On 21 June, will be a showcase of new talent from Platform LDN, NME Emerging and TuneCore. Closing the month on 28 June will be resident female DJs from NYC restaurant Dirty Bones, spinning old school hip-hop, R&B, funk and soul.
Throughout the month, there will be a host of musical events taking place in the streets, boutiques and restaurants of the area. Expect to see jazz sessions at The Duck & Rice, instore performance from Swedish singer-songwriter Natali Felicia at Sandqvist, ‘Bring Your Own Vinyl’ listening parties at Shinola and Campfire Music Sessions at Filson. There will be free guided walking tour on the music heritage of Carnaby and Soho. Meanwhile, Dirty Bones will be launching a limited-edition Doo Wop cocktail in homage to Lauryn Hill, as well as selling limited-edition Mac Daddy sliders, with a portion of the sales going to charity partner Youth Music.
- Soho Music Month takes place from 1 – 30 June 2018. For more information, visit Carnaby website or ThisIsSoho.co.uk.
For a guide to what else is on in London in June, click here.
Guide to what’s on in London in June 2018
Summer is here!
Summer is here! We’ve had some fairly good weather in recent weeks, two glorious bank holidays and a good dose of wedding fever thanks to the royal nuptials. However, with all that excitement behind us, there’s still plenty to look forward to in June. There’s a host of arts and cultural events, the return of foodie extravaganza Taste Of London and Trooping The Colour and boozy festivals to celebrate World Gin Day, are among just some of the events on around town.
For a guide to this summer’s London’s outdoor cinemas, click here.
Find out where to watch the World Cup and Wimbledon on the big screen this summer.
- 1 – 2 June : Mindful Living
Learn about the art of mindfulness and meditation and how it can help you in your life. Featuring keynote speakers Will Young, Professor Paul Gilbert OBE, Dr Kristin Neff, Madeleine Shaw, Angie Ward, John Siddique and many more. Activities include creative and physical workshops, talks, meditation spaces, zen products and more. Open Fri 10am-5.30pm, Sat 10am-5pm. Tickets: £30-£60. Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, Islington, N1 0QH. Nearest station: Angel. For more information, visit the show website.
- 1 – 3 June : Stoke Newington Literary Festival
A festival featuring readings, workshops and performances at venues across the suburb. Speakers include Chelsea Clinton, Aaron Gillies (Technically Ron), Kerstin Rodgers, Lucy Mangan, The Secret Barrister, Tom Huddleston and many more. Tickets range from free to £8. Venues include Abney Hall, Stoke Newington Town Hall, St Paul’s Church Hall, Unitarian Chapel, Ryan’s Bar, Mascara Bar and William Patten School. For more information and tickets, visit the Stoke Newington Literary Festival website.
- 1 – 9 June : Brockley Max
Nine-day community arts festival featuring live music, dance, craft markets, poetry, art installations, film screenings, workshops, talks, interactive games and more. At venues across Brockley, Ladywell, Crofton Park and Honor Oak. For more information, visit the Brockley Max website.
- 1 June – 20 July : Zoo Nights @ London Zoo
London Zoo are hosting late summer evening openings for adults-only on Fridays through June. As well as checking out the animals, you can follow a trail, listen to music, enjoy a drink and feast at the world food market. 6-10pm. Tickets: £18.50. London Zoo, Outer Circle (Regent’s Park), NW1 4RY. Nearest stations: Camden Town or Regent’s Park. For more information and booking, visit the Zoological Society London website.
- 1 – 30 June : London Festival Of Architecture
A month-long celebration of architecture, with this year’s theme being ‘identity’. Featuring talks, installations, tours, exhibitions, open studios, film screenings, debates and conferences. At various venues around town. For more information, visit the London Festival of Architecture website.
- 1 – 30 June : Soho Music Month
A month-long series of events celebrating the cultural heritage of Soho. Featuring DJ sessions, panel discussions, free gigs, special food and drink menus and more. At venues around Soho, including Carnaby and Newburgh Quarter. Nearest stations: Piccadilly Circus or Oxford Circus. For more information, visit Carnaby website or ThisIsSoho.co.uk. Read Metro Girl’s blog post on this year’s event.
- Now until 1 June : Herne Hill Free Film Festival
Month-long free celebration of film, featuring screenings, workshops, competitions, short films, live music around Herne Hill. Movies include Get Out, Paddington 2, Coco, Loving Vincent, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and more. At venues around SE24, including Prince Regent pub, Effraspace, Lido Café, Half Moon pub, The Florence and more. For more information, visit the Free Film Festivals site.
- Now until 2 June : London Burlesque Festival
The world’s finest burlesque performers gather in the capital for an extended five-week festival. Doors open 7pm, shows start at 8.05pm. Tickets: General £24, Priority £35. Shaw Theatre, 110 Euston Road, NW1 2AJ. Nearest station: Euston or Kings Cross St Pancras. For more information, visit the London Burlesque Festival website.
- 3 June : London Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival
Forty dragon boat teams will race at the London Regatta Centre in Docklands. As well the race, the free festival includes martial arts displays, live East West music festival, traditional lion and dragon dancing, a Hong Kong food festival, cultural festival and children’s games. 10am-5pm. Free. London Regatta Centre, Dockside Road, Docklands, E16 2QT. Nearest station: Royal Albert (DLR). For more information, visit the London Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival website. Read Metro Girl’s blog post on this year’s event.
The London Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival takes place in Docklands in June
© London Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival
- Now until 3 June : Sundance London
The Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, comes to London to showcase the best of independent movies, featuring UK and International feature film premieres, 15 shorts and special events. Festival passes for £150 or individual tickets available. Picturehouse Central, corner of Shaftesbury Avenue and Great Windmill Street, Piccadilly, W1D 7DH. Nearest station: Piccadilly Circus. For more information and tickets, visit the Picturehouse website.
- 3 – 6 June : Graduate Fashion Week 2018
Fashion fans and aspiring designers will get the chance to check out the rising talent in the industry. Featuring catwalk shows, showcases and more. Tickets start from £8. Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, Spitalfields, E1 6QR. Nearest station: Shoreditch High Street, Liverpool Street or Aldgate East. For more information, visit the Graduate Fashion Week website. Read the rest of this entry
The Little Blue Door review: Quirky cocktails and delicious grub hanging with the flatmates
Grab a table in the cosy kitchen for the legendary supper clubs at The Little Blue Door
A Shaun Of The Dead blender cocktail
Last week, I went along to the launch of The Little Blue Door. The opening is a sequel of sorts to The Little Yellow Door, which opened as a pop-up in Notting Hill, but ended up remaining for three years. The concept is a flatshare, where guests can hang out with their pals over cocktails and food and make new friends. Setting up camp in Fulham, this double-fronted property has been transformed from a traditional shop, with a hallway, kitchen, living room, study and even a laundry room, which really gives the venue a homely feel.
Walking down Fulham Road, it would easy to walk straight past TLBD, with no signage except its simple blue door. Entering the venue, you’re in a lovely entrance hall, complete with grandfather clock and a cosy window seat. Straight-ahead is the kitchen – the hub of all house parties. I’ve got to admit I suffered some interior design envy at the kitchen-bar hybrid with its colourful tiles, where you can order frozen cocktails, served in a mini blender. I had a fabulously fruity ‘Shaun of the Dead’ cocktail (Bacardi rum blend, raspberry, cherry and lime). The kitchen features several tables, which will play host to their legendary supper clubs, which were constantly sold out for three years at their predecessor The Little Yellow Door.
The hallway features a cosy window seat for intimate chats
When you’re ready to party, the main action is in the living room. It’s an expansive space with a long bar, lots of comfy sofas, armchairs and stools, surrounded by the artwork and eccentric decorations of the housemates, including a taxidermy fox. It took my friends and I a while to realise the ‘vase of flowers’ nearby was actually a hidden cocktail full of straws, so we were invited to have a drink of the flower water, which tasted great! During the evening, we sampled some canapes, including lobster, mezze and the absolutely delicious Cam ‘N’ Bert’ (Baked Camembert served with Truffle Honey, Roast Pear and Sugared Almonds).
The domestic theme follows throughout with the hidden study available for private groups, with gaming consoles and safes for regulars to keep some surprises hidden. Meanwhile, one of the big talking points was the Prosecco vending machine in the back hallway. There’s no need to wait at the bar as you can get your own mini bottle of classic or rose Prosecco in seconds from the machine. Overall, it’s a great venue for catching up with friends. The décor managed to be both homely and stylish and really gave a welcoming feel. The cocktails and food were fabulous, so I’m really looking forward to returning for one of their supper clubs or bottomless brunches.
- The Little Blue Door, 871-873 Fulham Road, Fulham, SW6 5HP. Nearest station: Parsons Green. Open: Wed-Thurs: 6pm-12pm, Fri: 6pm-1.30am, Sat: 11.30am-1.30am, Sun: 11.30am-6pm. Tel or Whatsapp: 07538 229 096. Email: Justknock@thelittlebluedoor.co.uk. For more information, visit The Little Blue Door website.
If you need an urgent Prosecco fix, head to the vending machine
For more of Metro Girl’s bar and restaurant reviews, click here.
Numbered Days review: An intense and emotional romance for the modern-age
Numbered Days is a modern-age romance for the digital age
© Brian Sayle Photgraphy
Churchill Theatre, Bromley
Numbered Days is a new award-winning play from Ryan Leder in his professional playwriting debut. The touring production, which ended its current run at Bromley on 20 April, is an intimate and intense modern romance about two young women struggling with their long-distance love.
Upon entering the theatre, the audience is immediately brought into the action. Oncology student Rebecca (Georgie Cunningham) is anxiously hanging around her bedroom, obviously waiting for someone or something, as we sit down and wait for the lights to dim. The front row is just inches away from Rebecca’s bed, bringing the audience in an awkwardly close intimacy with the main character’s private life.
Rebecca is in a long-distance, transatlantic romance with Irish student Charlotte (Joy Carleton), who has abandoned the Emerald Isle to live Stateside. It soon becomes apparent the pair have never met in person, but have been getting to know each other emotionally and sexually over Skype for some time. Despite their familiarity with each other, there are moments where it’s clear the pair still have a lot to learn about each other. Carefree and confident Charlotte sometimes struggles with Rebecca’s reluctance and insecurity and the looming, never-seen spectre of an over-bearing mother.
Most of the action takes place in Rebecca’s bedroom, with Charlotte projected on a mounted flat-screen television as the couple’s relationship progresses through video calls. There are quiet moments where the action slows and Rebecca is left alone in her thoughts, which really demonstrates the isolation and reality of living so far away from your partner. The scene changes were cleverly accompanied by voiceovers of real-life long-distance lovers talking about their experiences.
Leder’s engaging script really conveyed the intensity and uncertainty of long-distance romance. Cunningham and Carleton put on strong performances and gave honest and realistic portrayals of an inexperienced and awkward burgeoning couple. Despite being a story about a same-sex relationship, their sexuality isn’t the focus of the story and their rollercoaster journey reflects many young relationship experiences. Having had a long-distance relationship myself in the past, I certainly recognised the difficult dynamics of rarely seeing your lover. Cunningham’s emotional speech at the climax of the show really rode home the heart-breaking difficulties of the process. Although I didn’t hold out much hope for Charlotte and Rebecca as a long-term couple, there’s no denying their partnership would be an important and life-changing emotional landmark for the characters whatever the future may hold.
Guide to London’s pop-up and outdoor cinemas this summer 2018
Enjoy great views of the capital with Rooftop Cinema’s sky-high venues
While your latest cinema is sure to show all the latest releases, there’s not really that much atmosphere in the modern screening rooms. Fortunately, parks and open spaces come to life over the summer as roaming film companies set up camp. These pop-up cinemas can offer Londoners the chance to see their favourite movies on the big screen in an alfresco environment. However, if the weather’s not too kind, there are also immersive, undercover experiences such as Backyard Cinema. Here’s a guide to the capital’s alfresco and pop-up cinema offerings this summer.
For a guide on where to watch the World Cup or Wimbledon on the big screen, click here.
- 21 March until summer TBA : Backyard Cinema – Mission To Mars
Watch your favourite sci-fi film in a ‘spaceship’ for an immersive cinematic experience. Tickets: Adults from £17.50, Children (under 12) from £9.50. Date night package for two: £75 (includes snacks, bottle of Prosecco and blankets). Backyard Cinema, Mercato Metropolitano, 42 Newington Causeway, Elephant & Castle, SE1 6DR. Nearest station: Elephant & Castle or Borough. For booking and listings, visit the Backyard Cinema website. Read Metro Girl’s review to find out more.
- 3 May – September : Rooftop Film Club
Pop-up cinema returns to rooftops across the capital, screening new and classic films. Venues include Bussey Building (Peckham), Queen of Hoxton (Shoreditch) and Roof East (Stratford). Tickets start from £14/95/£15.96 (includes seating and wireless headphones). For more information and tickets, visit Rooftop Film Club website.
- 22 May – 6 October : Luna Cinema
Luna Cinema will be popping up at various venues across the capital this summer. Locations include Victoria Embankment Gardens, Brockwell Lido, Osterley Park and House, Danson House (Bexleyheath), Southwark Park, Morden Hall Park, One New Change, Hatfield House, Wimbledon Park, Tooting Common, Crystal Palace Park, Horniman Museum, Greenwich Park, Kenwood House, Wandsworth Park, Opera Holland Park, Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace, Westminster Abbey, Victoria Tower Gardens, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, Fulham Palace, Dulwich Park, Chiswick House & Gardens, Battersea Park and Alexandra Palace. Ticket prices vary depending on venue and package. For tickets, visit the Luna Cinema website.
- 2 June – 28 August : London Bridge City Summer Festival Screenings
Free film screenings most Tuesdays throughout the summer. Get to the steps early to grab a spot. Movies include The Greatest Showman, La La Land, Grease, Guardians Of The Galaxy, Beauty And The Beast, Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle, The BFG and Into The Woods. 7pm. Free. The Scoop, Queen’s Walk, Borough, SE1 2DB. Nearest station: London Bridge. For listings, visit the London Bridge City website. Read the rest of this entry
