Lord Mayor's Show. Photo Mark's Student Life.

Offtolondon's Free London diary highlights for November, 2008; Royal pageantry and heritage, Christmas Lights, London to Brighton Veteran Car run, music and cultural events in London's Royal Parks, together with a listing of free art exhibitions and museums together with notes on disabled accessibility compiled by Offtolondon's Shophound Alexia.

Photo Mark's Student Life.

The Cenotaph. Photo Mark's Student Life.

Remembrance Sunday Parade
Date: 11am, 9 November, 2008.
Venue: The Cenotaph, Whitehall, SW1A 2ER.
Tickets: FREE to line the street.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Westminster.
Description: Click onto the website for an excellent photo documentary with commentary of this most moving annual event attended by The Sovereign and Consort and the Royal Family. The annual ceremony at which The Queen, Representatives of Parliament, the Armed Forces, Commonwealth and a host of Veteran's Associations lay wreaths at the foot of the Cenotaph, followed by an impressive march past, is broadcast by the BBC on radio and TV. Similar ceremonies take place at war memorials across Britain at this time.

Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace
Venue: Buckingham Palace Forecourt, Westminster, SW1A 1AA
Date: Ongoing. 11.30am. Alternate days September through March. Odd dates in November, even dates in December, etc.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Green Park, Hyde Park Corner, (Piccadilly Line); Victoria Rail Terminal, (Victoria, Circle and District Lines). Car Parks & Congestion Charge payment: Old College Street.
Description: The new guards from one of five Household Guard Regiments, (Coldstream, Grenadier, Scots, Irish or Welsh Guards), arrive at the forecourt of the Palace at 11:30am. from Wellington Barracks. The journey takes about 5 minutes and the ceremonially dressed soldiers are led by the regimental band. The guard mounting ceremony is conducted on the Palace forecourt and takes approximately forty minutes to complete. Subject to wet weather cancellation.
See also the colourful guard mounting ceremony by The Queen's Lifeguards, (Blues & Royals or Life Guards), at Horse Guards Parade, daily at 11am, (Sundays 10am). A 'Long Guard' consisting of 17 soldiers is mounted when The Queen is resident in London, otherwise a 'Short Guard' of 12 men is mounted. A spectacular piece of royal pageantry. Excellent photo opportunities at these and at St. James's Palace. Check Changing the Guard for further details and uniform identification, and special guidebook.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes. Adapted toilets: Yes, in nearby St. James's Park, (Mall entrance).

Ceremony of the Keys
Date: Ongoing. Daily. 9.30.pm.
Venue: Tower of London, Tower Hill, EC3N 4AB
Tickets: Complimentary tickets are obtainable on application in writing. Check Tower website for details.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Tower Hill. Car Park: Lower Thames Street, (disabled bays available).
Description: The Ceremony of the Keys is the traditional locking up of the Tower of London and has taken place on each and every night, without fail, for at least 700 years. The Yeoman Warders, (the famous Beefeaters), in their royal livery, and military guard, lock the outer gates of the Tower of London and deliver the keys to the Governor of the Tower, Major-General Sir Geoffrey Field, who resides in the Tudor Queen's House overlooking the infamous scaffold site within the walls. The importance of securing this fortress for the night is still relevant because although the Monarch no longer resides at this royal palace, the Crown Jewels, including the Coronation Regalia and many other historic valuables, still do and felonious attempts have been made to steal them! Check Historic Royal Palaces/Tower of London for daily opening times, etc., for the Tower, Crown Jewels, etc.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Limited and in places unsuitable. See Tower Accessibility for full description and concessions.

Most Royal Parks were originally royal hunting grounds and Hyde Park and Richmond Park remain popular equestrian venues, while herds of deer still graze, (no longer chased by Royal huntsmen), at Richmond and Greenwich. There are plenty of disability accessible and adapted restrooms including excellent catering facilities, ranging from tea houses to gourmet restaurants, a wide range of sporting facilities and many interesting historic monuments and Heritage sites and palaces in and around each Park.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes. All parks are accessible but not all have parking facilities or public toilets. Check individual parks on the Royal Parks website for details and maps.
Alexia's tip: If you have both time and stamina, make a point of seeing the four Royal Parks in central London by taking the Princess Diana Memorial Walk; a seven mile figure-eight walkway with its hub at Hyde Park Corner. This is the obvious starting and finishing point, with good London Transport connections in all directions. Check out what to see on your walk at the charming little neo-Classical lodge at Hyde Park Corner designed by Decimus Burton and sited next to his Ionic Screen, (1825). Once the porter's lodge, it is now a Royal Parks Information Bureau. The fascinating Memorial walkway is marked by 70 plaques set into the ground and passes a number of places with which Diana was associated in her life - and death. Break your walk into at least two or more parts unless you have legs and stamina for London's 2012 Olympic Marathon. Do the Hyde Park Corner, Green Park and St. James's Park stretch on one day, Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens section on another. Be sure to wear sensible shoes. Unlike the 2012 marathon runners who will pass this way, you can take your time to pause and see all the places and monuments of interest. There are restrooms and refreshment points in St. James's Park, Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.
Download and print out the maps of the parks from the Royal Parks website before your visit. They pinpoint all the noteworthy monuments and buildings, and facilities. A full description of the many monuments and nearby historic buildings can be found in the excellent illustrated Royal Parks book Buildings and Monuments in the Royal Parks, (£6.50), available at the above mentioned Information Bureau.

St. James's Park
Opening Times; Daily. 5am-midnight.
London Transport: Nearest Tubes: St. James's Park, Green Park.
Description: This is London's oldest park and, although open to the public, it is historically within the grounds of Buckingham Palace. Bounded by the Palace on the west, St. James's Palace, Clarence House and the Mall on the north, Admiralty Arch and Horse Guards Parade on the east, Wellington Barracks and Birdcage Walk on the south, it lies at the very heart of London's Royal heritage and pageantry and is filled with historic monuments. The ornamental lake overlooked by the Palace is stocked with fifteen species of exotic waterfowl including Pelicans and Black Swans, and the shady walks are bordered by superbly planted seasonal flowerbeds and flowering shrubs.
As well as pausing to admire Aston Webb's imposing neo-Classical East Facade of Buckingham Palace, (1912-13), at the western end of the park, you will doubtless wish to see the magnificent Queen Victoria Memorial with its marble statue of Victoria and the glittering figures of Victory, Courage and Constancy which fronts the palace. The area is bordered by ornamental gates given by the former Dominions; Australia, South Africa and Canada. Take a leisurely walk along the lake to the Horse Guards Parade, (William Kent, c. 1748, completed by John Vardy 1759), and the Admiralty Arch, (Aston Webb, 1908), which separates the Mall from Trafalgar Square.
Alexia's Diary:
Pelican feeding time: 2.30pm daily, Lakeside. A popular time for both Pelicans and spectators!

Guided Walks
Gunpowder, Treason and Plot. The exact meeting location point will be provided once your booking has been confirmed.)
Date: 5 November, 2008;
Times: 11:30am-12:30pm and 1pm-2pm.
Call early to reserve a place on this walk. Tel: 020-7930-1793.

In Memory. (The meeting point will be provided once your booking has been confirmed.) On the 90th anniversary of the end of the First World War, find out what the conflict meant to St. James's Park.
Date: 11 November, 2008.
Times: 1pm-2pm and 2:30pm-3:30pm.
Reserve a place on this walk by phoning Tel: 020-7930-1793.

Ghosts and Legends. 6pm - 7pm, 31 October, 2008. As night falls join our Halloween walk for spooky games and ghost stories. Booking essential. Call Tel: 020-7930-1793.
Changing the Queen's Lifeguard at Horse Guards Parade. Mornings: Daily 11am, Sundays 10am. Afternoons: Daily 4pm. Horse Guard's Parade, situated at the eastern end of the park, is the official entrance to Buckingham Palace and will be a 2012 Olympic site. The plumed mounted guard change contingent of Household Cavalry processes to and from their guard duty and their Knightsbridge barracks via the Mall, Constitution Hill, Wellington Arch, the Ionic Screen at Hyde Park Corner and South Carriage Drive in Hyde Park; a truly impressive sight.

Green Park
Opening Times: Daily. 5am-midnight.
London Transport: Nearest Tube. Green Park, Hyde Park Corner.
Description: Originally called, 'Upper St. James's Park', this open space to the north of Buckingham Palace was a once popular dueling spot. It is now a peaceful grassland and mature tree'd open space much enjoyed by Londoners in the spring for its picturesque sea of daffodils, and in summer as a picnic and sunbathing spot. Few events take place here, other than the firing of a Royal Salute on the occasion of a State Visit by a foreign Head of State.
The Park is bordered in the north by Hyde Park Corner and Piccadilly, in the east by leafy Queen's Walk overlooked by the imposing Ritz Hotel, Spencer House and Lancaster House, and in the south by Buckingham Palace's walled gardens.
Alexia's tip: Wander down Queen's Walk from the Ritz on Piccadilly to the Canada Memorial and the Canada Gates facing the Palace and pause on your way to admire the superb Palladian facade of Spencer House, onetime ancestral London residence of Princess Diana's family. At Hyde Park Corner see Decimus Burton's 1828 triumphal Wellington Arch, (English Heritage Museum); his imposing Ionic Screen, (1825) and his charming little neo-Classical lodge next to it; the Greek Revival frontage of the Lanesborough Hotel, (William Wilkins, 1827); the neo-Classical frontage of Apsley House, (Benjamin Wyatt, 1828/9), London home of the Duke of Wellington, (English Heritage Museum).
Alexia's Diary:
No events scheduled.

Hyde Park
Opening Times: Daily. 5am-midnight.
London Transport: Nearest tubes. High Street Kensington, Knightsbridge, Hyde Park Corner, Marble Arch, Lancaster Gate. Car Park and Congestion Charge payment: Park Lane
Description: Onetime private Royal hunting ground, opened to the public in 1637 by Charles I. Site of the 1851 Great Exhibition; Speaker's Corner; the annual Prince's Trust open-air concert; 2012 Olympic site; and Rotten Row, the 300 year old bridleway, England's most famous equestrian venue where kings, consorts and courtesans once paraded in style each morning and where smartly accoutred ladies and their squires exercise their mounts today, (check out Hyde Park Stables to hire a mount).
Among many famous landmarks, be sure to see: Decimus Burton's Ionic Screen, (1825), marking the Park's S.E. entrance at Hyde Park Corner; Diana Memorial Fountain, (2004); Sir John Nash's triumphal Marble Arch, (1828), originally designed as the entrance to Buckingham Palace and now marking the Park's N.E. entrance near the site of Tyburn gallows and the famous Speaker's Corner.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes. Accessible Toilets at Hyde Park corner end of Rotten Row.
The Charity Liberty Drives provides free mobility for anyone who finds it difficult to see all 760 acres of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens from May through October. Electric buggies with wheelchair facilities, each seating five people glide around the parks providing half hour rides. Check website for details
Alexia's Diary:
Guided WalkHyde Park At War. (The meeting point location will be provided once your booking has been confirmed). The Royal Parks played a significant role during WWI and WWII. There are many Hyde Park features and monuments to remind us of the sacrifices made by people and animals for the freedom we enjoy today. Find out about the damage caused by bombs and ways in which the park supported the people of London. Date: November 14, 2008. Time: 1pm - 2:30pm. Contact: Nick Lane on 020 7298 2083 to assure your place on the walk.

Photo Mark's Student Life.

London to Brighton Veteran Car Run Hyde Park Serpentine Road: Date: November 2, 2008. Departure: 6:58am. The Royal Automobile Club's annual London to Brighton Veteran Car Run is the world's longest running motoring event, attracting entrants from all over the globe, For the owners of these priceless Veteran cars it represents a rare opportunity to take their extraordinary automobiles on the 60 mile run from Hyde Park to Brighton seafront on the Sussex coast. On Sunday 2 November, Serpentine Road will be closed.

Winter Wonderland Opens November 22, 2008 for the festive season. The site is FREE to enter; but there is a charge for Ice Skating and other events. Check website for times and details. Enjoy traditional food and mulled wine of a typical German Christmas Fair including arts, crafts, presents and foods. This is an ideal place to do some Christmas shopping and enjoy the atmosphere of the Festive season. The bandstand will feature regular carol concerts and, when time allows, Santa himself makes an appearance. On-site box office open from 22 November, 2008.

The Grosvenor House Hotel, with its charming Park Room overlooking Park Lane and Hyde Park is a perfect place to relax and enjoy Anna's Afternoon Tea after a visit to Hyde Park. Note, in passing, the high distinction of this hotel's 1930s towered frontage by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

Kensington Gardens
Opening Times; Daily. 5am-midnight.
London Transport: Nearest Tube. High Street, Kensington. Carparking and Congestion Charge payment: Park Lane
Description: Originally part of Hyde Park, the gardens were laid out with formal avenues of magnificent trees, shrubs and ornamental flower beds as a setting for Kensington Palace, (Sir Christopher Wren 1689-1702); birthplace of Queen Victoria who later commissioned the beautiful, peaceful Italian Gardens at the head of the Serpentine Lake and later still the Albert Memorial, (Sir Gilbert Scott 1863-72), facing the Royal Albert Hall in Kensington Gore. The Memorial is an example of the best of Victorian craftsmanship, designed like a medieval reliquary shrine built on a monumental scale.
Children, (and parents), will love the Peter Pan bronze statue by the Serpentine Lake; the Elfin Oak carved with fairies, goblins and animals; and the fabulous Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Playground with its Captain Hook's pirate galleon. Pause to admire the Palace's stately south frontage and the water lilies and sunken garden created by Edward VII on the Palace's east wing on your way to take tea in the Orangery, (Nicholas Hawksmoor, 1704-05). Note the statue of Queen Victoria outside the Palace, sculpted by her gifted daughter Louise to celebrate her Golden Jubilee, 1857.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes, between Marlborough and Westbourne Gates, (Bayswater Lancaster Gate entrances); at Palace Gate, (Kensington Gore entrance), and West Carriage Drive. See map.

1 November, 2008
Pet Health Checks In The Park
Place: Queen's Gate.
Time: 10am-3pm.
BVNA National Veterinary and Nursing Week. Vet and Veterinary Nurses will be on hand to offer advice and answer any questions you may have about the health of your pet.

Guided Walk: Art and Architecture. 27 November 2008. Time: 2-3:30pm. Discover that Kensington Gardens is not just grass, trees and flowers! It also contains many fascinating buildings and monuments, each with its own unique story to tell. Join us as we look at some of these and hear some of their more intriguing tales. Book early to reserve a place on this popular walk by contacting Nick Lane at Tel: 020-7298-2083.

The Regent's Park
Opening Times: Daily. 5am - dusk.
London Transport: Nearest tube. Baker Street. Car Park: Euro Car Parks, Regent Crest Hotel NCP.
Description: The Regent's Park, 166 hectares (410 acres), is a masterpiece of landscape design and town planning. It includes stunning Rose Gardens, dedicated to the late Queen Mary, with more than 30,000 roses of 400 varieties. The Park is the largest outdoor sports area in London with 'The Hub' a community sports pavilion and sports pitches, nearly 100 acres available for sports fans of all abilities. Henry VIII appropriated what was then known as Mary Bourne Park for use as a hunting ground, which he considered to be an invigorating ride from Whitehall Palace. It remained a royal chase until Stuart Charles I lost his throne in 1646. John Nash, (1752-1835), architect to the crown and to the Prince Regent, developed the Park as part of his patron's grandiose design for central London extending from Piccadilly Circus up Regent's Street and ending in a vast rounded park surrounded by palatial terraces, a lake, a canal, 56 planned villas (of which only 8 were ever built), and a summer palace for the Prince Regent, which was never built because the Prince Regent turned his attention and money to creating Buckingham Palace. It wasn't until 1835, after the Prince Regent ascended the throne as King George IV, that the general public were actually allowed into the sections of the Park and this was only for two days of the week. The Park later became the home of the Zoological Society and the London Zoo. The celebrated Queen Mary's Gardens, (the Rose Gardens, named after King George V's Queen Consort; the now famous annual open air summer theatre season and the Taste of London Foodie Fair, (see Burlington Bertie's June Diary), draw Londoners and visitors alike to this most northern of London's Royal Parks. The park's lake is notable for London's largest heronry and is much loved by film makers for location work. Relax at the Garden Cafe at the Rose Garden.
An award winning Wildlife in the Park community garden has recently been opened under the aegis of WITB, with design, planting and caring support from local schools and community volunteers.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes, near the Rose Garden.
Alexia's Diary:
No free events scheduled.

Greenwich Park
Opening Times: Daily. 6am, pedestrians. 7am for traffic.
London Transport: Riverboat to Greenwich pier; North Greenwich tube then 188 bus to Greenwich Park Gate. Carpark: In park, Blackheath Gate entrance.
Description: Together with Richmond Park, Greenwich is the oldest of the Royal Parks, with a Royal history stretching back to mediaeval times. Situated on top of a hill, the park provides visitors with sweeping views across the River Thames to St Paul's Cathedral and beyond and is home to a small herd of fallow and red deer, reminders of a bygone era when this was a Tudor royal hunting ground.
The park is now part of the Greenwich World Heritage Site and will be the 2012 Olympic venue for equestrian events. It is host to the Prime Meridian Line and the old Royal Observatory, as well as having the National Maritime Museum, built on the site of the old Tudor Palace of Placentia, as a neighbour. King Henry VIII was born and spent much of his early time here before transferring his affections to the 'new' Hampton Court Palace. We can thank the 17th century Stuart monarchs, however, for the park as we see it today. They transformed it from a royal hunting ground, demolishing the decaying old Tudor palace of Placentia and now outdated jousting lists to embark upon a magnificent era of building that gave us the exquisite Classical Queen's House, (Inigo Jones, completed 1635), and Wren's superb Baroque waterfront palace completed for Charles II in 1702 as a Royal Naval Hospital. Together with the Queen's House it is now the National Maritime Museum. Charles II also commissioned Sir Christopher Wren to build the Royal Observatory in the park. All are open FREE to the public. The Queen's House is a popular venue for wedding, civil commitment ceremonies and private functions.
The park is best approached from the river, (regular service from Westminster and Tower quays).
For a full description of the palace, Free entry particulars, etc., see Burlington Bertie's Royal Greenwich
Guided Walk Our Changing Landscape. Date: 14 November, 2008. Time: 10:30am-12 noon. (Departs from outside the Park Offices, Blackheath Gate). Take a step back in time to see Greenwich Parks through the Ages. The activity is led by Stuart Goldsworthy, Assistant Park Manager.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes, at Main Entrance, Pavilion Tea Rooms, Cow and Bean Cafe. The park is outside the congestion charge area and there is designated disability parking, (entrance Blackheath Gate).

Battersea Park
Opening Times; Daily. 8am-Dusk.
London Transport: Rail. Battersea Park. See also Wandsworth Council.
Description: While not a Royal Park, Battersea deserves mention and has historic royal connections. Battersea Park is a 200 acre green riverside gem with beautiful planting, quiet lake with heronry and delightful Thames-side walks. Managed by a forward looking and energetic Wandsworth Borough Council Parks Service, it is much loved by the local residents but relatively unknown to visitors despite its full programme of Sporting Events, Art Fairs, Exhibitions and Cultural Festivals. It is also notable for its beautiful Buddhist Peace Temple overlooking the Thames.
Once marshy land notorious as a venue for dualists, (the Duke of Wellington and Lord Winchilsea famously fought a dual here over 'a matter of honour'), the Park was landscaped with soil, dug out during the construction of Victoria Docks and shipped upriver. Queen Victoria formally opened the park in 1858. It has recently undergone a £11 million restoration programme and is now an oasis of peace; one of London's finest recreation amenities lying on the south bank of the Thames opposite the Royal Hospital Chelsea, home of the Chelsea Pensioners. The charming boating lake is home to a flourishing heronry and many species of waterfowl. Expect to see chick hatchlings paddling frantically behind proud parents on the lake.
Note the Barbara Hepworth sculpture and the Australian War Memorial bordering the lake.
Wandsworth Borough makes the most of their beautifully kept and run Thames-side park to host a wide variety of events there throughout the year. Expect fashion shows, art exhibitions and antiques fairs, horticultural displays and competitions, firework displays and sporting events.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes. Accessible Toilets at Bandstand and Pierpoint. The park is outside the congestion charge area and there are excellent parking facilities with designated disabled bays.
Alexia's Diary:
Daily 10am-4pm. Fountains Display. 15 mins every hour, on the hour.

Burlington Bertie selecting mushrooms.

Camden Market
Dates: Daily and weekends. Busiest day Sunday.
Venue: Camden Town. NW1.
London Transport: Nearest Tube. Camden Town, Chalk Farm. Bus: 24, 27, 29, 31, 134, 135, 168, 214, 253, 274, C2. Car Park; No.
Description: Once a weekend affair, the Camden Market complex in North London has now become a daily fixture. Camden Lock Market, by the Regent's Canal, began as a craft market but now has a much wider spectrum of goods on sale. Add to this the Camden Stables Market, (Alternative Fashion); Camden (Buck Street) Market and Inverness Street Market, which are all now trading in parts throughout the week. The markets at its most lively weekends however, with the Camden Canal Market opening Friday to Sunday and the indoor fashion market at the Electric Ballroom drawing crowds on Sunday. Local pubs and ethnic restaurants offer the visitor good and reasonably priced neighbourhood nosh.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes in some venues at weekends. Expect a severe crush of people. Adapted Toilets: Yes. Check Information Page for details.

Portobello Road Market
Venue: Portobello Road, Westbourne Grove, W11.
Dates: Saturdays, (Street Market). Daily ( some dealers and arcades).
London Transport: Nearest Tubes. Notting Hill Gate, Ladbroke Grove. Car Park and Congestion Charge payment: Queensway.
Description: The Portobello Antiques Dealers Association, (PADA), runs what is described as the largest antiques market in the world. The famous Saturday Market starts from around 5.30am with trading between dealers from the UK and overseas. Most stall holders are open to the public by 8.00am and the market is in full swing for the rest of the day, with collectors and visitors from all over the world. The shops and stalls of Portobello Road and Westbourne Grove offer an extraordinary variety of goods and specialist services, with antiques and collectibles ranging in price from a few pounds to several thousands. Be sure to check out the extensive PADA website before your visit.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes in some venues. Expect severe crush of people on Saturdays. Adapted Toilets: No information.

Covent Garden Piazza. Photo Aroundengland

Covent Garden Market
Venue: Covent Garden, WC2E 9ED.
Dates: Daily.
London Transport: Nearest Tubes. Covent Garden. Car Park and Congestion Charge payment: Poland Street.
Description: Site of London's historic fruit and vegetable market and now London's best showcase for vibrant examples of handmade British design. More than 200 artists and craftspeople have stalls here on a daily changing roster, with Antiques and Collectibles every Monday. The market itself is lined by specialist boutiques and there are a number of historic pubs in the vicinity. Folk musicians, budding opera singers and classical musicians, dancers, clowns, jugglers and street entertainers add considerable colour and a vibrant sense of excitement to both the covered market and the Covent Garden piazza overlooked by the historic Royal Opera House facing the famous Punch and Judy pub. A visit to Covent Garden should be on the agenda of every London visitor, particularly at the Christmas time fair.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes in some venues. Expect severe crush of people. Adapted Toilets: No information.

Berwick Street Market
Venue: Berwick Street and Rupert Street, Westminster, London, W1F 8TW
Dates: 9am-6pm, Mons - Sats, throughout the year except Bank Holidays, 2008
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Piccadilly Circus. Carparking and Congestion Charge payment: Poland Street.
Description: A colourful West End street market in the heart of Soho specializing in fresh fruit and vegetables, fabrics and some clothes and household items. There are also some excellent stalls selling cheeses, flowers, breads and cheap CDs. Lining the street are many good second-hand record shops. This is an entertaining place to visit and mingle with an exotic mix of costermongers, fashion and media types, suits and shady characters
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes, but expect to be jostled by the crowds. Adapted Toilets: No.

Borough Market
Venue: Southwark Street, Southwark, London, SE1 1TJ .
Date: 9am - 4pm, Saturdays throughout year, . 2008.
London Transport: Nearest Tube. London Bridge. Carparking: Union Carpark/53 Southwark Street.
Description: Nestled in-between Borough High Street, Bedale Street, Stoney Street and Winchester Walk lives "London's Larder", more formally known as Borough Market. This is London's oldest food market; first established on the south bank of the Thames when the Romans built the first London Bridge. It has occupied its present site for 250 years. Borough has a long and distinguished history as a wholesale fruit and vegetable market selling to the trade throughout the week except on Saturday, when it becomes London's spectacular retail foodie paradise for gourmets and gourmands. Here, under the Victorian wrought-iron roof, you will find a mouth-watering range of fresh food stalls from all over England and Europe; every variety of cheese, fresh fish and seafood, Spanish and German sausage, French fungi, Mediterranean olive oils, artisan breads, organically grown meat and vegetables, game and much more. Whether you wish to prepare for a gourmet dinner party, (check out this merchant list before you go), or merely soak up the heady atmosphere and exotic aromas, this is a must for a Saturday morning. Pop in to the famous cosy old pub nearby 'The Market Porter' for a refresher after your tour. While in the area consider visiting historic Southwark cathedral overshadowing the market, and the nearby Tabard Inn, from where Chaucer's Canterbury Tales begins. The Dickensian George Inn, London's sole surviving coaching inn, (it was the first or last stop on the old London - Dover Road), is also nearby.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes in the market but expect a severe crush of people. Adapted Toilet: No information.

Partidges Food Market
Venue: Duke of York Square, Chelsea.SW3 4LY
Date: 10am - 4pm, Saturdays throughout year, 2008.
London Transport: Nearest Tube. Sloane Square . Car parking in metered bays in surrounding streets.
Description: Some 40 speciality food producers from UK and Europe attract gourmets to this corner of the delightful Duke of York Square outside Partridges each Saturday. Expect a fine range of delicacies and seasonal goodies on offer both at the market stalls and on the shelves of Partridges which now boast a Royal Warrant as grocers to The Queen. The market is great for artisan breads, fresh English oysters, French cheese, fresh Italian pasta, among other things. In Partidges itself, look for their remarkable range of Mediterranean virgin olive oils and vinegars; a rich selection of caviars smoked salmon and pates; jams, preserves, teas and coffees, (great gifts). Relax over a drink in the Partridges bar or cafe after shopping. The shop is open daily 8am-10pm. Nearby at Orange Square, Pimlico, is the Saturday morning Farmer's Market which is excellent for fresh farm produce, (if you are looking for a plump Aylesbury duck, this is the place for you), and freshly picked seasonal vegetables. Produce varies according to season.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes in the market. Adapted Toilet: No information.

Westminster Abbey Nave. Photo by Burlington Bertie.

Westminster Abbey
Date: Sundays and special Holy Days, 2008.
Venue: Parliament Square, SW1P. Tel: 020 7222 5152.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Westminster. Car Park & Congestion Charge payment: Old College Street.
Description: A charge is made to visit as a tourist but attendance at services is free. Check Westminster Abbey to confirm scheduled times of services and music.
The Abbey is closed to paying sightseers on Sundays and special days in the Abbey's Royal calendar, (the Abbey is a 'Royal Peculiar' under the personal attention of the Sovereign). Sightseers are charged an entrance fee on weekdays to see the inspired Gothic interior, (Thomas Yevele 1320-1400), royal history and tombs dating back to the sainted King Edward The Confessor, (d.1066), Poet's Corner, etc.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes. Situated across the road from the Abbey. Public parking spaces for orange/blue badge holders are located nearby in College Mews.

St. Paul's Cathedral
Date: Sundays and special Holy Days, 2008.
Venue: City, EC4M 8AD. Tel: 020 7236 4128.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: St. Paul's. Car Park: Queen Victoria Street. Limited parking in Cathedral Coach park for Orange/Blue badge holders.
Description: A charge is made to visit as a tourist. Attendance at services is free. The Cathedral is closed to sightseers on Sundays and special dates in the Cathedral calendar. Check St. Paul's Cathedral to confirm scheduled times of services and music.
An entrance fee is charged at other times for sightseers to see the grandeur of Sir Christopher Wren's Renaissance interior, the dome, crypt, etc. Tickets can be bought online through the Cathedral website.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes, by ramp on north side until elevator is installed on south side, (2008). Adapted Toilets: Yes, in crypt cafe.

St. Martin-in-the-Fields
Date: Sundays and special Holy Days. 2008.
Venue: Trafalgar Square WC2N Tel: 020 7766 1100
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Charing Cross Station. Carpark: St. Martin's Lane.
Description: Choral services: 10am - Sung Eucharist. 1.15pm - Service in Mandarin. 2.15pm - Service in Cantonese. Check St. Martin-in-the-Fields to confirm times and services. This historic landmark church overlooking Trafalgar Square has been gloriously restored to its pristine beauty. It is an interesting fusion of High English Baroque and Palladianism. Considered to be the church masterpiece of architect James Gibbs, (1682-1754), it replaced an earlier church built by Henry VIII, (1542), which itself replaced a 13th century Gothic edifice. Noted for its popular lunchtime concerts, (Mons/Weds/Fris). There are many free events in the church's packed cultural programme. Check website for details.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes. Limited public parking spaces for orange/blue badge holders are located nearby in St Martin's Street

Westminster Cathedral
Venue: 42 Francis Street, SW1P. Tel: 020 7798 9055.
Dates: Daily until 7pm, 2008.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Victoria Rail Terminal, (Victoria, Circle and District Lines). Bus: 11, 24, 148, 211, 507. Car Park & Congestion Charge payment: Old College Street. Free car parking in neighboring streets at weekends.
Description: Choral services: Sundays, 10.30am. Mon-Fri, 5.30pm. Solemn Mass, (sung by the Cathedral's world famous choir). Check website for details of other sung services and organ recitals..
This is the Mother Church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster (built between 1895 and 1903) in the Neo-Byzantine style; the architectural masterpiece of John Francis Bentley (1839  1902). It ranks architecturally as one of the noblest of all English churches. The interior which was never completed, provides a serene, quiet and inviting place to worship and meditate. There are some fine mozaics. Note also the world renowned Stations of the Cross by sculptor Eric Gill. Unlike St. Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey, entry to this important and beautiful architectural landmark is FREE at all times.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes. A permanent ramp has now been completed for entry at the front portal. Adapted Toilets: Nearest are at Victoria Rail Terminal, until new ones are completed at the cathedral.

Brompton Oratory
Date: Sundays 11:00am.
Venue: Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, SW3.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Knightsbridge. Carpark: 228 Brompton Road.
Description: Choral services: 11am. Solemn Mass, (Sung Latin Novus Ordo). Check Brompton Oratory for other services.
Fashionably popular Roman Catholic church for the Knightsbridge, Belgravia and Kensington communities. Built 1880-84 by Herbert Gribble who was awarded £200 by the incumbent Oratorian monks of St. Phillip Neri's Order for his winning Renaissance design. Several other architects worked on this structure through the years, contributing to its distinctive character and rather florid interior. Entry is free at all times.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes, via ramped side entrance. Adapted Toilets: Yes, at side entrance. Public parking spaces for orange/blue badge holders are located nearby in Brompton Road.

Permanent collections in London's public art galleries and museums are entry free. Individually mounted temporary exhibitions within specified rooms of the gallery or museum normally carry a ticket charge however. This is bookable online, (recommended) or at the door if tickets are still available. See Burlington Bertie's London Diary for current ticketed exhibition highlights.<

Courtauld Institute of Art Gallery
Venue: Courtauld Gallery, Somerset House, Strand, WC2R ORN. Tel: 020 7848 2526
Dates: Permanent Collections ongoing.
Tickets: FREE on Mondays 10am-2pm, and to under 18s and to registered UK students at all times.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Temple.
Description: One of the most important Art collections in Britain, including world-famous Old Master, Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings; an outstanding prints and drawings collection featuring works by Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Cézanne and Turner. The collection includes around 530 paintings, 7000 drawings and 15,000 prints as well as significant holdings of medieval, Renaissance and modern sculpture, ceramics, metalwork, furniture and textiles. The collection has been formed through a series of major gifts and bequests made by some of the leading collectors of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes.

Tate Britain
Venue: Tate Britain, Millbank, SW1P 4RG. Tel: 020 7887 8888.
Opening Times: Daily. 10am-5.40pm.
London transport: Nearest Tube. Pimlico.
Description: Tate has the world's finest collection of British Art 1500 - 2007, presenting an unrivalled picture of its development from the 16th century to present day. Special attention is given to Blake, (1757-1827); Constable, (1776-1837); and Turner, (1775-1851); the three outstanding British artists from the Romantic age who have dedicated spaces within the gallery, while the unique Turner Collection of some 300 paintings and many thousands of watercolours is housed in the specially built Clore Gallery. The gallery also holds rich collections of Hogarth, Gainsborough, Reynolds, Stubbs, the Pre-Raphaelites, twentieth century artists Stanley Spencer, Henry Moore, Francis Bacon and young British Artists of the 1990s. There are free lecture tours of the gallery's various collections daily. An entrance charge is made for some temporary exhibitions which may be mounted in association with other galleries.
The gallery is a good example of Edwardian 'Grand Manner' architecture by S.R.J.Smith, (1897-1900).
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes.

Tate Modern
Opening Times: Daily. 10am-5.40pm.
Venue: Bankside, SE1. Tel: 020 7887-8008.
London Transport: Nearest Tube. Embankment. Carparking: Union Car Park, 53 Southwark Street
Description: Britain's national gallery of international modern art. A converted power station on the Thames embankment, Tate Modern houses work from the 1900s Fauvists to today's Arte Povera. The collection can be interactively explored online. An entrance charge is made for some temporary exhibitions which may be mounted in association with other galleries or sponsors. Current ticketed exhibition: Cy Twombly - Cycles and Seasons. See Burlington Bertie's July Diary for details.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes.

The National Gallery
Opening Times: Daily 10am-6pm. Weds 10am-9pm.
Venue: National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, WC2N 5DN. Tel: 020 7747 2885.
London transport: Nearest Tube: Charing Cross, Leicester Square. Carparking and Congestion Charge payment: Trafalgar/Spring Gardens
Description: The National Gallery houses one of the greatest permanent collections of European painting in the world, beautifully hung and suitably catalogued and illustrated on the gallery website. These range from 13th century altar-pieces to the work of modern artists such as Tim Gardner. There are free guided tours and lectures daily. See website for details. Admire the Greek Classical revival facade which faces onto Trafalgar Square, (William Wilkins, 1834-38). An entrance charge is made for some temporary exhibitions which may be mounted in the Sainsbury or Getty rooms in association with other galleries, (check Burlington Bertie's monthly London Diary).
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes. Manual wheelchairs are available on loan. Enter at Sainsbury or Getty Wing entrances in Trafalgar Square. Adapted Toilets: Yes. Portable audio guides available and special access tours. Check website for details.

National Portrait Gallery
Opening Times: 10am-6pm. Thurs/Fri 10am-9pm.
Venue: National Portrait Gallery, St. Martin's Place, WC2 0H3. Tel: 020 7312 2463.
London Transport: Nearest Tube. Charing Cross; Leicester Square. Carparking and Congestion Charge payment: Trafalgar/Spring Gardens
Description: The National Portrait Gallery has some 92,000 portraits of great and famous British men and women in its unrivalled permanent collection, some 51,000 of which can be researched online. A selection is on permanent display here together with others which are shown for shorter periods due to their fragility. An entrance charge is made for some temporary exhibitions which may be mounted in association with other galleries.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes. Enter at Orange Street, (ramp), or gift Shop in St. Martin's Place. Manual wheelchairs can be booked in advance by calling 020 7306 0055 ext 116. Adapted Toilets: Yes. Five public parking spaces for orange/blue badge holders are located in St Martin's Street opposite the National Gallery's Sainsbury Wing.

London Walks with Richard Jones
Richard Jones, the noted author and London historian, who hosts the ever popular guided tours theJack the Ripper Walk, and London Ghost Walk, (see Burlington Bertie's monthly Diary for details), has compiled a fascinating selection of 25 meticulously researched leisured walks, with free downloadable, easy to follow routes that take in the vibrant and historic diversity of our great city. Enjoy the Victorian London of Charles Dickens and his characters; the secret city of hidden alleyways and courtyards that Dickens knew; the Bohemian Chelsea of Oscar Wilde, the ghostly royal shades at Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London and Windsor, historic cemeteries. Strongly recommended.

Walk This Way
Four guided walks from 'Walk This Way' which explore Thames-side points of architectural and historical interest. Check the downloadable pdf guide for routes and suitability.
1. Southbank: London Eye - Imperial War Museum.
2. Millenium Bridge: St. Paul's Cathedral - Borough Market.
3. Golden Jubilee Bridges. Soho and Covent Garden - South Bank.
4. Riverside London: Tate Britain - Design Museum.

London's Blue Plaques
Venues: Various throughout London.
Description: Directory of houses bearing commemorative plaques to famous occupants together with a history of the blue plaque scheme and the (sometimes fictional), people who once lived or were born there. Top 5 Plaques: Sherlock Holmes, 221b Baker Street, (see Burlington Bertie's London Diary for description of this museum); Charles Dickens, 48 Doughty Street, (now a Museum, pay to enter); John

Big Ben. Photo Mark's Student Life.

Fitzgerald Kennedy, 14 Princes Gate; Karl Marx, 28 Dean Street; John Logie Baird, 22 Frith Street.
Alexia's tip: Make a note, or, if you have children in tow, have them make a note of each blue plaque you see. See who can spot the most! You and they can learn about the famous occupants on the internet on your return home.

Big Ben
Venue: Westminster, London SW1A 1AA.
Access: UK residents only.
Tickets: FREE but access must be arranged in advance through a Member of Parliament.
London Transport: Nearest Tube. Westminster.
Description: Visitors to the Clock Tower are shown up to the top by a guide, who outlines the history of the tower, the famous bell and how the most accurate public clock in the world works. Tours are open to UK residents who have requested a visit through their local representative Member of Parliament. Children under the age of 11 are not permitted. When demand is high those with a proven interest in clocks or bells are given preference. Check website for details - and your heart for health before you begin the big climb. This is not for the faint of heart or weak of limb...it's a long way up to the top!

British Museum
Venue: Great Russell Street, WC1B. Tel: 020 7323 8299.
Opening Times: 10am-5:30pm. Thurs/Fri 10am-8:30pm. Closed 1 January, Good Friday, 24-26 December.
London Transport: Nearest Tube. Tottenham Court Road. Carpark: Bloomsbury Square, Holborn NCP.
Description: One of the world's greatest collections of Human History and Culture artefacts dating from the dawn of civilization. Ancient Civilizations, Elgin Marbles, Rosetta Stone, Sutton Hoo Burial, etc. Very popular with children.
An entrance charge is made for some temporary ticketed exhibitions which may be mounted in association with other museums. Check Burlington Bertie's Diary for details.
Sir Robert Smirke's main frontage, (1823-47), embodying a giant Ionic colonnade with pedimented portico is London's finest example of early 19th century Greek Classical revival; a fitting entrance for visitors to the Elgin Marbles from the Athens Parthenon.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes.

Freemasonry Library and Museum
Venue:60 Great Queen St. WC2B 5AZ. Tel: 020 7395 9257.
Opening times: Mon-Fri 10am-5pm. Check by phone or online for Christmas Holiday Closings.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Covent Garden. Carparking - Limited disabled parking opposite museum, in Queen St.
Description: Free Mason's Hall has been the center of Freemasonry for 230 years. It is the meeting place of over 1000 Masonic Lodges and is the headquarters of the United Grand Lodge of England, the oldest Grand Lodge in the world. It is a Grade II listed Building, by architects, H. V. Ashley, and F. Winton Newman. The interior of the building is richly decorated.
Wheelchair Accessibility:Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes.

Geffrye Museum
Venue:Kingsland Road, E2 8EA. Tel: 020 7739 9893.
Opening Times:Tues-Sat 10am-5pm, Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays 12- 5pm, 2007.Closed 24-26 December and 1 January.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Liverpool Street, Old Street. Bus: 149, 242, 243, 67, 394. Carpark: NCP Oldstreet.
Description: The Geffrye Museum is one of London's best loved museums. It depicts the quintessential style of English middle-class living rooms, with collections of furniture, textiles, paintings, and decorative arts displayed in a series of period rooms from 1600 to the present day. The museum is set in elegant 18th century almshouses with a contemporary wing surrounded by attractive gardens, which include an award-winning walled herb garden and a series of period gardens.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes.

Hunterian Museum
Venue: 35-43 Lincoln Inn Fields, Holborn WC2A 3PE. Tel: 020 7869 6560.
Date: Mon-Sat. 9:30am  5pm, 2007. Closed Sundays, 25-26 December and 1 January.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Hillhead. Carparks: Bloomsbury Square, Holborn NCP.
Description: Founded by William Hunter, Anatomist, the Hunterian Museum is celebrating 200 years in 2007. Works of art by Chardin, Fergusson, Pissaro, Gavin Hamilton, and The Mackintosh House.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes. No access beyond the first floor.

Imperial War Museum
Venue: Lambeth Road, SE1 6HZ. Tel: 0207 416 5320.
London Transport: Nearest Tube. Lambeth North; Elephant and Castle; Waterloo, (wheelchair accessible); Southwark, (wheelchair accessible). Car Park: Union Car Park/53 Southwark Street.
Description: A museum of art, artifacts and memorabilia of all British and Commonwealth armed conflicts since the start of the Great War in 1914. A number of free temporary exhibitions are mounted on a regular basis, including the current exhibition Breakthrough, the Museum's collection of British art incorporating outstanding artworks from the official art schemes of both world wars and significant non-official and contemporary works, (until December, 2008).
The architecturally interesting museum building was formerly the central portion of Bethlem Royal Hospital for the mentally ill, or 'Bedlam', as it was commonly known. Designed by James Lewis, it was completed in 1815.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes. Accessible Toilets 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.

Museum of London
Venue: London Wall, EC2Y 5HN. Tel: 0870 444 3851.
Opening Times: Mon-Sat 10am-5:50pm. Sun 12pm-5:50pm.
London Transport: Nearest Tube. St. Paul's. Carpark: Victoria Street
Description: London's urban history backed by a remarkable collection of artefacts dating from prehistory to present. Ongoing programme of free temporary exhibitions and projects, archaeological digs and surveys. This is a superb museum, imaginatively laid out to take the visitor through 3000 years of London's history. I strongly recommend a visit in your City of London itinerary. Very popular with children.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: No.

Natural History Museum
Venue: Cromwell Road, SW7 2RL. Tel: 020 7942 5000.
Opening Times: Daily 10am-6pm.
London Transport: Nearest Tube. South Kensington. Car Park: 228 Brompton Road.
Description: A remarkable world collection of flora, fauna, minerals, mammals, dinosaurs, etc., housed in Alfred Waterhouse's superb Romanesque building, (opened 1881), which is worth a visit in its own right. The Dinosaur collection is brilliantly laid out. Not surprisingly this is a top pop venue for children of all ages.