BT Art Box Celebrating a British icon The Smile of a Tear, London by Martin Pettitt

When speaking of art and culture many think of this as being secondary to the philosophy and opinions of the local culture. This is not so in England. Art is an integral part of the Brit’s way of life. England has long been known as the place where innovative ideas and creativity flourish. One can see this through their architecture, sports, philosophy and even in their folklore.

London offers many opportunities for the young Brits to become immersed in the artistic way of life. One such project that exists to enhance creativity and artistic ability is the Tate modern. Here one can see fine works from the past and learn about new modes and mediums of the artistic movement today. There are also a number of different art festivals that one can visit as well. Go to see some classic works, hear music and song, as well as dancing and stand up comedy.

If a show is what you desire, London theatre tickets can offer a number of different options. Shows like the Lion King and Cats are long running favourites of the locals and are sure to enthral and please visitors and guests. London theatre tickets can also get the best deals for groups, and in some cases even offer a tour or hotel stays along with the tickets.

Whether one is seeking a showing of Phantom of the Opera, a food festival where the cuisine of the island can be tasted or just a tour of a museum, they are sure to find what they are looking for in London. London theatre tickets can aid in acquiring passes to many of the cultural events and secure tickets for theatre performances. Be sure to book ahead of time to ensure that tickets will be available when you are visiting.

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London Eye, UK by Jim Bahn

The first place is the British Museum. From the prehistoric all the way to modern times, you can get a sense of how far London has come. There are many good things about this. Many find that the basic entry into this museum is free which saves on money.

Another place to travel to and visit would be the Tate Modern. This is where you can see all sorts of Britain’s more contemporary works of art. This you will notice has a very distinct shape to it. This is because this business used to be the power station. There is a restaurant in here. Coming here is free for you all.

There is the National Gallery which is free to get into and tour as well. This is where rafters that come from Western Europe are that holds paintings that date back to the 13th through the 19th century. This is where you can find art work from Van Gogh, Botticelli, Renoir, and many more famous artists. Those of you who have a thing for art will love it here.

However, you might have a thing for history. There is much history in the Natural History Museum. This is free to come and see as well. Here is where the tallest and some of the most rare animal remains are. There is a blue whale in here. There is a very old spider that you can go to see in here. Many learn quite a few things when they come to this museum.

There is the EDF Energy London Eye. This allows you to see London from the sky. You can get tickets online. There are thirty two capsules that weigh ten tonnes. This can hold up to twenty five people. This will show you about fifty five things that London is famous for and it only takes you thirty minutes to do.

Those of you who love science might love the Science Museum. This caters to all your senses. They show you the latest things that have come out in science for the past three hundred years. Some areas in here do ask that you have tickets, but to get in is free to all.

There is the Victoria and Albert Museum. Here is where you can find great things from all around the world. These are artifacts that date back in time. They have a bit of everything. Its free to get in here to see everything that there is. To go with this, you might like to go and see Madame Tussauds. This area lets you take pictures with the life like replicas of these famous people from Lady Gaga to more.

You might even like to go see the area where the castle is. Here you might get a chance to see her. You never know. There are still many more things to do and see when you go to London. It’s filled with many things to learn about and many things to experience. Don’t miss out on these.

Bio: This post was written by Chris an outdoor enthusiast working for Simply Hike an online retailer of outdoor clothing and Hunter Wellies.

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Tate Modern, London, UK by Hans Peter Schaefer

Tate Modern Museum

The Tate Modern is located at the banks of the Thames River. It is Britain’s national museum of contemporary and modern art. The exterior of the structure is unique because the building was previously a power station. Inside the museum, you will find modern artworks and older masterpieces that are on temporary display.

You can see exhibits for free that feature Matisse, Cezanne, Dali, Picasso, Warhol, Hirst and Pollock among others. This coming October, you can view an exhibit that features Aldo Tambellini’s revolutionary artworks that include paintings, video, sound, slide and film projections. Tambellini’s artworks focus on political change in a creative way.

Official website of Tate Modern

Guts For Garters

Guts For Garters, located at Cob Gallery on 205 Royal College Street, offers something unique to its visitors. This innovative artistic concept integrates a shop, art exhibit and even clothes and furniture in its inventory. Typically, management arranges an exhibit based on a theme with each artist, item and designers working to create a cohesive environment. Exhibits usually instigate debate and out-of-the-box concepts that might make new visitors to the museum question their choice of exhibitions.

Themes like “Sex and Death” and artworks created with real human blood make this museum stand out from other artistic venues. Currently, Guts and Garters is planning an installment on August 17 to 19 with Cathie Pilkington called Traces. The exhibit will include commissioned objects like fabrics, furniture, jewelry and food. The exhibit, which will be located at an old Victorian building, will also feature illustrations, sound and digital art.

Official website of Guts For Garters

Royal Academy Of Arts

This museum was founded in 1768 and is one of the oldest museums on London. On permanent exhibit are some of the works of Michelangelo and personal items of Queen Victoria. To get to the venue, you have to walk through the gates of Piccadilly to get to the Annenberg Courtyard where you will find the entryway to the Royal Academy Of Arts.

You will find current exhibits featuring works from the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The show includes artworks from 19th century France that focus mainly on Impressionism. You can also view weird, wacky and wonderful architectural works of art. The Kings Artists is also being featured at the museum till October. The show features anything and everything about King George III and Queen Charlotte.

Official website of Royal Academy Of Arts

Royal Academy of Arts in Burlington House, London, UK by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net)

Visiting the top London Art Galleries will allow you to appreciate what Britain is all about. What better way to absorb the culture and history of this country than to see a comprehensive collection of artworks in London’s best art museums and galleries.

This article was written on behalf of the Connaught hotel who specialise in providing the some of the best afternoon tea in London.

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Of course, not everyone has been fortunate enough to find a ticket to the sports this summer, but whether you are attending an event or are merely sightseeing, the Olympic village and stadium in Stratford is a genuine treat. Beat the locals of London by being one of the first to ride the Greenwich cable car over the Thames, and then enjoy the spectacle of the state-of-the-art arena. Capture some memorable photographs and marvel at the architectural wonder of Anish Kapoor’s celebrated Orbit Tower.

Westminster, London, UK by Tanveer Chandok

You can find some more of Kapoor’s smaller works on display at the Tate Modern gallery on the south bank of the Thames. The incredibly popular gallery displays works by renowned artists including Francis Bacon, Pablo Picasso and Damien Hirst and – like many of London’s most famous museums – is free for the general public to enter, making this cultural treat a cost-effective option too.

Some experiences encapsulate everything about the character of a city and, in the case of London, that experience is the London Eye. A thirty minute trip up into the sky in one of thirty two revolving capsules provides the very best vantage point of the city: towering above even Big Ben.

Of course, no visit to England’s capital city would be complete without a moment to enjoy the majesty of the British Royal family’s Buckingham Palace. One of the most recognisable buildings in all of Great Britain, the palace is a favourite for visitors in its own right. But with the addition of the changing guards, and the fascinating ancient ceremonies and customs, there are few who would pass up an opportunity to experience this for themselves.

London is a cultural capital of the world. Whether your love is art or music, theatre or shopping, there is everything you could wish for in a holiday destination. From the boutiques of Carnaby Street to the glamour of Bond Street; William Shakespeare’s Globe theatre and the Barbican; the numerous stadiums catering for every sport; whatever your passion in life, you will find the best of it in London.

This is an incredible, historical city. As you arrive in the ultra-modern Heathrow Airport you will be amazed that some of Britain’s oldest landmarks – from St Paul’s Cathedral to the Palace of Westminster – are less than an hour away. Any one of these locations would be a must-see place to visit, but in London you might find that there is never enough time to see it all!

Click here, for more information on Heathrow Airport and Heathrow Airport Parking

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Colosseum, Rome, Italy by admin

One of the reasons for this is the simple fact that lying on a sun-kissed beach, while a utopian experience for some, is seen as a rather boring activity for many. After an hour or two of topping up the tan, plenty of trippers start thinking about finding something to do to relieve the boredom, and that’s when problems can appear.

It’s perhaps fair to say that most seaside resorts, especially those in Southern Europe and North Africa, are a little off the beaten track. They may be home to a superb beach with row after row of sunbeds, and perhaps a collection of welcoming bars and restaurants, but they don’t have much else to keep the bored tourist interested.

Making the right choice

Most city break holidays offer a stunning collection of iconic landmarks, historic buildings and famous attractions, and most visitors find they run out of time before they get to see all the things they wanted to. Therefore, the major drawback about such trips is that they are often tiring and a little too hectic to be properly enjoyed.

To use an example, London attracts millions of tourists every year, and many of them manage to cram in visits to the Houses of Parliament, St Paul’s Cathedral, the London Eye and Westminster Abbey. However, they may miss out on seeing Tower Bridge, the Science Museum, Wembley Stadium and the famous art gallery the Tate Modern.

Those travellers who can afford to do so actually enjoy a summer holiday and a city break every year, but of course there are millions who are unable to do this. Therefore, in some households a decision has to be taken at the beginning of the year about whether to head to the sunny beaches or to a historic capital city.

For budget travellers it’s possible to seek out the bargains in order to stretch the holiday cash further. By looking for special deals on the worldwide web, a significant sum of money can be saved, and you never know it could lead to the ability to enjoy both types of vacation in the coming year.

David Showell lives in England and has visited several countries all over the world. He knows he only has to click here for the best car hire deals when on holiday.

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With so many options in terms of what to see and do though, you may wish to put a bit of thought into planning London weekend breaks beforehand, so that you can maximise the time you have available.

One thing you may not wish to be doing as part of your whirlwind tour is to spend precious time queuing for tickets, so if you can buy these in advance, so much the better.

The London Eye by Trine Juel

The London Eye is emerging as one of the top tourist destination in the city. It’s on the south bank of the river and provides a panoramic view of the entire city and beyond. The Eye is close to the Tate Modern Art Gallery and not too far for the reconstruction of the Globe Theatre where Shakespeare’s plays were first performed.

On the other side of the river sits the City of London where you’ll find St Paul’s Cathedral. This magnificent building was designed by Christopher Wren in the years following the great fire of London (1666) and contains the graves of many famous people including Wellington, Nelson and Wren himself. It is a fair old climb to the top of the dome but worth it to experience the Whispering Gallery and of course the views.

East again into the city and you’ll find the Tower of London where you can immerse yourself in more than 900 years of history. The Beefeaters, famous ravens and of course the crown jewels all help to provide a fascinating insight into London’s sometimes gory past.

Tower Bridge London by Steve Wilson

The British Museum and the National Gallery must be on your list of places to visit in London if you are interested in history and art. With literally millions of exhibits and paintings from many of the world’s most famous artists, these two locations are truly awe-inspiring.

No weekend in London would be complete without the opportunity to do some shopping. Depending on your own personal tastes there are the famous markets at Camden Lock and Portobello Road. For more conventional shopping, there’s the world famous Harrods in Knightsbridge and of course the Oxford Street, Bond Street, Regent Street and Piccadilly.

After all that sightseeing you may need some well-earned refreshment and the one thing that London is not short of is a huge variety of restaurants and bars. You’ll find food from all corners of the world.

There is, of course, a huge variety of entertainment on offer and you may wish to include a visit to one of the fantastic west end shows to your itinerary.

With many of the famous tourist attractions all relatively near each other, you can obviously fit in a fair number in your 48 hours in London. You may have to be realistic though and acknowledge that you’re just going to have to come back again!

About the Author
Stella Jones is a freelance travel writer who has set herself the task of seeing every country in the world by the time she is fifty! Her articles cover all things travel and travel related, including Weekend breaks in London

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Changing of the guard/the Four O’Clock Parade

A tourist favourite, the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace takes place every day throughout the summer at 11.30am. The ceremony involves the changing of five regiments of foot guards and takes about 45 minutes. It also features a band playing popular classical music.

If getting up early in the morning is too much of a struggle, consider the Four O’Clock Parade (also known as the Dismounting) that takes place at the Horse Guards building. All of the guards line up in formation and are inspected, before taking the horses back to the stables for the night.

Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace, London / edwin.11

Street performers in Covent Garden and a walk through China Town

Covent Garden is a vibrant area with numerous bars and boutique stores. It’s great to wander around, but if you fancy some entertainment, the square is famed for its street performers and buskers. Covent Garden is centrally located and just a stroll from nearby China Town, which is worth exploring to take in the smells and vibrant atmosphere.

Art galleries

London features some of the world’s greatest art galleries and fortunately many of them are completely free. London’s best known gallery, the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square houses one of the finest collections in the world. The gallery’s permanent collection contains western European paintings from 1250 to 1900. It’s a vast building and takes at least a day to explore.

The Tate Modern, probably the second most famous gallery in London, is housed in a defunct power plant.  The gallery exhibits an expansive collection of modern art, the quirks of which are mirrored in the unusual building.

Museums

Dubbed ‘one of the world’s best museums of human history and culture’, the British Museum hosts some of the world’s most famous objects, such as the Rosetta Stone and the Parthenon sculptures – as well as Egyptian mummies and other fascinating artefacts. The museum is so large that it’s impossible to cover in one day, so it’s worthwhile picking up a map and planning what to see in advance.

South Bank

Home to the Tate Modern and the Southbank Centre, the South Bank has been regenerated into one of the most creative areas in London, hosting numerous festivals and events.  Most weekends the area is also home to very a popular street food market selling international cuisine.

There’s often live music being played outside of the Southbank Centre, as well as many buskers and street performers keeping crowds entertained. If you’re into photography, the underground skate park is a must-visit for some action shots.

There are many great things to do for free in London and the best way to find many of them is to explore the places you don’t know on foot. Summer is the best time to visit, with London serviced apartments available all season. If you don’t fancy any of the above, consider relaxing in one of the many parks London has to offer.

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A dancer at Notting Hill Carnival, London, UK / extrageographic

With millions on track to the UK for the greatest show on earth, what are the non-Olympics alternatives for those fatigued with the Games?

Alan Turing’s Life and Legacy – The Science Museum

Though you mightn’t be familiar with Alan Turing you’re probably using one of his inventions as we speak. So as you know, Turing invented the computer. He is also the codebreaker who managed to shorten the Second World War by years. This exhibition pays homage to Alan Turing, whose short tragic life impacts on us all on a daily basis. Based in the excellent Science Museum in London, Codebreaker: Alan Turing Life and Legacy is a must see exhibition this summer.

Damien Hirst – Tate Modern

Whether you see Damien Hirst as the greatest artist of our generation or consider him part business man/ part showman, this exhibition is a must see on a trip to London. Held at the brilliant and beautiful Tate Modern, the artist’s greatest works are in abundance and a visit allows you to see all the meat, medicine and animals suspended in tanks of preserving chemicals you will ever hope for. It’s certainly worth a visit, whether you’re a lover or even a hater of Hirst.

Notting Hill Carnival

Since its beginnings in 1964, the Notting Hill Carnival has become a weekend of significant spectacle. Take part in the celebrations and watch the flats, dancing and ambitious celebration. It’s a vibrant celebration and one that celebrates multi-cultured of Britain in all its colourful glory. Sunday is the best day for family, but the whole festival is a feast for the senses.

Another London – Tate Britain

A wonderful exhibition that documents London’s period of change that was 1930 – 1980. With over 150 photos from some of the twentieth centuries top photographers, this is a must see exhibition to get an insight into the UK’s main city. From the photographers experience of UK immigration to the relationships the photographers had with the city as tourists and citizens, this is a must see and gives a fantastic sense of perspective on London. All the greats are on show, including Henri Cartier-Bresson, Elliott Erwitt, Marc Riboud, Irving Penn, Bill Brandt, Dora Maar and Robert Frank.

Superhuman – Welcome Institute

What better time to look at man’s efforts into enhancing physical performance than just in time for the Olympics. From early prosthesis found in an Egyptian tomb to aids in sight, hearing and limbs, this exhibition focuses on the history of prosthetics. The exhibition has pieces of the wondrous as well as the weird and includes everything from silver noses attached to spectacles for women who disfigured from syphilis, to a piece on the rise of isotonic drinks.

With so much on in London in summer 2012, we’re pretty sure you might even get side-tracked from the Olympics.

Cormac Reynolds writes for specialist UK visa site Global Visas and lives in London.

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And certainly, the capital’s transport links are far better north of the river – of London’s 270 stations on the underground network, only 27 are south of the Thames. But even with just 10 per cent of the network south of the river, you’ll be able to easily reach the South Bank from a number of stations including London Bridge, Southwark and Waterloo.

View South Bank – a significant arts and entertainment district of London United Kingdom in a larger map

One of the joys of visiting any city is to walk around, sampling the atmosphere. But, despite the Congestion Charge having reduced the number of cars in central London, walking in much of the capital means breathing in plenty of exhaust fumes. No such problems on the South Bank, which is an outstanding pedestrian route along the river bank.

The South Bank stretches two square miles, from Lambeth in the west to Southwark. Along its stretch you’ll find plenty of cultural and entertainment possibilities, not least the Tate Modern art gallery which is free to visit. The Tate Modern was opened in 1999 in a building that was formerly a power station, and can be reached by visitors coming from St Paul’s Cathedral and crossing the pedestrian-only Millennium Bridge.

Further to the east than the gallery is Southwark Cathedral, the Clink prison museum, a replica of the famous ship the Golden Hinde and Shakespeare’s Globe theatre. Walking to the west from the gallery will take you past the London Eye, the National Film Museum, the Royal Festival Hall and the National Theatre.

Of course, there are a great many hotels in London, but if you want to stay on the South Bank then there are two options within the former County Hall building just north of Westminster Bridge – a budget Premier Inn and a five-star Marriott Hotel, Click here for more information.

View South Bank – a significant arts and entertainment district of London United Kingdom in a larger map

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