What's On in London during October 2008. Hot picks from London's diary of events, Theatre, Fine Art Exhibitions, expos and fairs compiled by Burlington Bertie, OfftoLondon's Man About Town.

Tower of London: Sparkling Gems and Shining Armour
Date: Autumn specials: 26 September, 17 October, 16 November, 6 December only. 10.30am.
Venue:. The Tower of London.
Tickets:. Included in general admission price. £15.50, booked online. £16.50 at the portcullis
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Tower Hill. Best access is by riverboat service from Westminster
Description: Ten centuries of sometimes infamous Tower history is told in this descriptive tour of the Jewel House and exciting interactive hands on history exhibition on the top floor of the White Tower accompanied by a Tower Warden, (the famed Beefeaters).

Hampton Court Palace: Ghost Tours
Date: From 31 October - 28 December, 7pm Fris & Suns.
Venue: Hampton Court Palace, East Molesey, KT8, 9AU. Tel: + 44 (0)844 482 7799.
Tickets:. £25 inc light refreshments. Concessions.>Online booking. Advance booking essential., (Concessions), or at £13.30 at the door. Tickets valid for entire Palace. Check times online or telephone.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Richmond.
Description: Experience the chill of the palace's resident royal ghosts and the infamous haunted gallery after the daytime visitors have gone and the palace if eerily silent and deserted. 90 minute guided tour.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes by day, but NOT for this particular tour. The ground floor of the Palace is wheelchair accessible by day and there are limited facilities for viewing the upper floors with the use of an elevator. Adapted Toilets: Yes. See Palace Disabled Access for full details.

The Golden Hinde
Venue:Pickfords Wharf/Clink St., London SE1 9DG. Tel: 020 7407 7056.
Date: Daily, 10am-5.30pm, 2008.
Tickets: £6. (Concessions).
London Transport: Nearest Tube: London Bridge. Carparking: Union Car Park, 53 Southwark Street.
Description: This is an exact working replica of Sir Francis Drake's Naval Flagship the Tudor warship Golden Hinde in which Sir Francis Drake circumnavigated the world 1577-1580. This exact reconstruction, a fully working ship, was launched in Devon in 1973. Since then she has circumnavigated the globe and sailed over 140,000 miles - many more than the original. Her present berth is the St Mary Overie Dock on Thames South Bank, just a short walk from the Clink Prison Museum, Shakespeare's Globe and Tate Modern. This is a living history experience of particular interest to maritime history buffs. Explore the 5 decks and the 22 canons.
Venue Hire You can hire the Golden Hinde for entertaining, conferences, wedding and civil partnership receptions, functions or film location. Check website for details and bookings.
Wheelchair Accessibility: No.

The Royal Mews
Access: Daily, 10am - 4pm, (last admission 3.15pm). Closes end of October, 2008. Reopens March 2009.
Venue: Buckingham Palace, Westminster, SW1A 1AA, London. Entrance in Buckingham Palace Road.
Tickets: Adult £7. (Concessions). Royal Mews and Queen's Gallery Joint ticket: £13.50. Book Online or at door. Take advantage of special online discounts.
London Transport: Nearest Tube. Hyde Park Corner (Piccadilly Line), Victoria Rail Terminal, (Victoria, Circle and District Lines).
Description: The Royal Mews maintains and displays the Queen's State vehicles. These include the magnificent Gold State Coach used for Coronations, together with those open and closed carriages used by The Queen and members of the Royal Family for Royal and State occasions, State Visits, weddings, the State Opening of Parliament, Trooping the Colour, etc. A State motor vehicle is also usually on display.

Buckingham Palace State Rooms and Gardens
Closed to public until Summer, 2008. The Palace facade is dramatically floodlit throughout the winter months.
Tickets: 2009 Dates and Advance Booking for the summer opening will be announced December, 2008.

Clarence House
Closed to public until Summer 2009.
Tickets: 2009 Dates and Advance Booking for the summer opening will be announced December, 2008.

Palace of Westminster, (Houses of Parliament).
Access: Closed until 2009 Summer recess of Parliament except for private visits at invitation of a sitting Member of Parliament. Westminster Hall will however be open for ticketed Christmas Carol concerts in December. Book now.
Venue: Westminster, London SW1A 1AA.

Mariinsky, (Kirov) Ballet
Venue: Sadlers Wells, Rosebury Avenue, EC1R 4TN. Tel: 020 7863 8198.
Date: 13 -16 October, 2008. Perfs: 7.30pm.
Tickets: £10 - £49.Book online Early booking strongly recommended. Four performances only. Special online concessions.
London Transport: Nearest Tube. Angel, (Northern Line). A special Theatre Bus facility connects with Waterloo and Victoria Rail termini after each evening performance.
Description:The Mariinsky Opera and Ballet toured the world for many years under the name of the Kirov. This will be their first time at Sadlers Wells. The Ballet Company offer two programmes including the UK premiere of Alexei Ratmansky's Pierrot Lunaire, first presented at New York City Center earlier this year. Pierrot Lunaire was choreographed on Mariinsky prima ballerina Diana Vishneva, who dances this role again in London.
See also the Mariinsky Opera production of The Tale of Tsar Saltan, (two performances only; 17, 18 October), not seen in London since 1933.
Now booking for UK premiere of Sangre Flamenca, 28 Oct - 15 Nov.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes. Check website for special seating arrangements and any discounts. Make your requirements known when booking. Adapted Toilets: Yes.

52nd BFI London Film Festival
Date: 15 - 30 October, 2008.
Venue: BFI Southbank (National Film Theatre), Belvedere Road, South Bank & West End venues
Tickets: From £7.
London Transport: Nearest Tube. Waterloo; Southwark. Car Park: Coin Street NCP.
Description: A rich and varied silver screen programme that, as ever, delivers a fine mixture of celluloid fare that ranges from blockbuster star- studded premiers and galas to interesting small budget indie productions from around the globe.

English National Opera's Aida
Date: 22 October - 22 November, 7.30pm. 2008.
Venue: The Coliseum, St Martin's Lane, WC2N 4ES.
Tickets: £12 - £86.
London Transport: Nearest Tube. Covent Garden. Car Park: Drury Lane NCP.
Description:
Wheelchair Accessibility: Check website for special seating arrangements and any discounts. Make your requirements known when booking. Mobility friendly toilets.

French and Saunders Still Alive
Date: 15 October - 8 November. 8pm. Mats Sat 3pm. 2008.
Venue: Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, Catherine Street, WC2B 5JF.
Tickets: £19 - £75. Book early to ensure best seats.
London Transport: Nearest Tube. Leicester Square. Car Park St. Martin's Lane NCP.
Description: Following their hugely successful UK tour, Britain's most celebrated female comedians Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders bring their sell-out live show to London's West End. This is positively your last chance to see this hilariously funny duo who have entertained us with their modern English humour at its witty best for the past three decades. We shall miss you, dear Ladies!
Wheelchair Accessibility: Check website for special seating arrangements and any discounts. Make your requirements known when booking. Mobility friendly toilets.

Handel House Museum: Handel and the Divas
Venue: 25 Brook Street, W1K 4HB
Dates: Until 16 November 2008
Tickets: £5.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Bond Street. Carpark: Grosvenor Hill NCP, Welbeck street NCP.
Description: London home to the baroque composer George Frideric Handel from 1723 until his death in 1759. It was here that he composed some of the greatest music in history, including Messiah, Zadok the Priest and Music for the Royal Fireworks. The Museum celebrates Handel's life and works, displaying portraits of Handel and his contemporaries in finely restored Georgian interiors and bringing live music back to his house. Recitals take place every Thursday evening and regularly at the weekends. A special exhibition looks at the composer's great operatic stars, including Margherita Durastanti, Francesca Cuzzoni, Faustina Bordoni, Susannah Cibber and Kitty Clive. These female singers played an important role in Handel's choice of subject and the development of his musical style. Here they're remembered through exhibits such as a rare chalk and graphite sketch of Margherita Durastanti by Phillipe Mercier, oil portraits of Kitty Clive and Susannah Cibber and Willem Verelst's portrait of Anna Maria Strada del Po. Live music recitals of the composer's works complement the exhibition.
Wheelchair accessibility: Yes, from Lancashire House entrance. Disabled Toilets: Yes. Disabled parking space in Brooks Mews.

Offtolondon Theatre Breaks and Offers
Date: Ongoing.
Venue: West End and City theatres
Tickets: Online booking for all seats, accommodation, etc.
Description: Your guide to London's theatre programs, concerts and events with online booking facility. Top musicals Billy Elliot, Chicago, Lion King, Mama Mia, Mary Poppins, Spamalot, Sound of Music, Stomp, We Will Rock You, West Side Story, Wicked and more continue to draw capacity audiences nightly. Book your tickets for these and Christmas shows online now.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Most London theatres, some hotels, (such as the newly refurbished Russell Hotel near the British Museum), and many restaurants are now wheelchair accessible with Accessible Toilets in their public areas, and have special accommodation facilities for wheelchair users. It is however essential that you make your requirements known when booking.

Renaissance Faces: Van Eyck to Titian
Date: 15 October, 2008 - 18 January, 2009.
Venue: Sainsbury Wing, National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, WC2N 5DN
Tickets: £10. Timed entry. Book Online Concessions.
London Transport: Nearest Tube. Charing Cross; Leicester Square. Car Park: St. Martin's Lane NCP.
Description: A remarkable exhibition mounted in association with the Prado, Madrid. 70 XV and XVI century paintings, drawings and sculptures from the centers of the European Renaissance highlighting work by the great masters such as Botticelli, Dürer, Cranach, Holbein, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Titian and Van Eyck. This promises to be a visual delight and a unique opportunity to see all these works assembled in one gallery.
Wheelchair accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes.

Masters of Flemish Painting
Access: 17 October 2008 - 26 April 2009. 10am-5.30pm daily, (closed 25/26 December).
Venue: Buckingham Palace, Westminster, SW1A 1AA, London. Entrance in Buckingham Palace Road.
Tickets: Book Online, (timed and dated ticket entry), or at door. Take advantage of special online discounts.
London Transport: Nearest Tubes. Green Park, Hyde Park Corner (Piccadilly Line), Victoria Rail Terminal, (Victoria, Circle and District Lines).
Description Superbly appointed gallery at the Palace dedicated to changing exhibitions of items from the Royal Collection, the wide-ranging collection of art and treasures held in trust by The Queen for the Nation. The new exhibition (from 17 October), is the first ever London exhibition of the finest Flemish paintings in the Royal Collection. Comprising 51 works created during the period 1500-1665 in the Southern, (Spanish-ruled), Netherlands, it includes masterpieces by Hans Memling, Van Dyck and Teniers and a wonderful group of landscapes by Jan Brueghel and Rubens depicting the blessings of harmony and fertility. Pieter Bruegel's Massacre of the Innocents forms a powerful centrepiece to the exhibition which emphasises the artistic legacy of the Stuart kings, Charles I and his son, Charles II, whose refined taste so profoundly influenced the character of the British Royal Collection and popular taste.
Wheelchair accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes.

Byzantium 330 - 1453
Date: 25 October, 2008 - 22 March, 2009. 10am-6pm. Ongoing. Various closure dates, 2007.
Venue: Royal Academy, Burlington House, Piccadilly, W.1.
Tickets: £12, (Concessions). Book Online or pay on the door. Various.
London transport: Nearest Tube: Piccadilly, Green Park.
Description: A thrilling and epic exhibition of over 300 objects including icons, detached wall paintings, micro-mosaics, ivories, enamels plus gold and silver metalwork. Mounted in collaboration between the Royal Academy of Arts and the Benaki Museum in Athens, this exhibition highlights the splendours of the Byzantine Empire over 1000 years of its history that began with the founding of Constantinople in 330 AD by the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great and ended with the capture of the city by the Ottoman forces of Mehmed II in 1453.
Wheelchair accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes.

Francis Bacon
Venue:Tate Britain, Millbank, SW1P 4RG
Dates: Until 4 January, 2009.
Tickets: £12.50, (Concessions).
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Pimlico.
Description: Marking the centenary of Bacon's birth in 2009, this touring exhibition, (Prado, Madrid and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York next year), is the first major retrospective in London of Bacon's work since 1985. Love him of hate him, Bacon will exert an influence on painting for generations to come.
Wheelchair accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes.

National Wedding Show
Date: 26 - 28 September, 2008.
Venue: Earls Court Exhibition Hall, Warwick Road, SW5 9TA. Tel: 020 7385 1200.
Tickets: Buy discounted tickets Online or pay at door.
London transport: Nearest Tubes. Earls Court, West Brompton.
Description: Public Show. 200 experts offer their help in planning the perfect wedding and honeymoon. Champagne bar, catwalk shows, Travel advice, Free makeovers. UK's largest collection of Wedding dresses!

London Fashion Weekend 2008
Date: 24 - 28 September, 2008.
Venue:Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, SW7 5BD.
Tickets: From £10. Book online. Timed entry for morning, afternoon or evening. Wed 5pm-9pm, Thu & Fri 11am - 9pm, Sat 10am - 6pm, Sun 10am-5pm.
London Transport: Nearest Tube. South Kensington.
Description: The grand sell-off at the end of London Fashion Week, when smart shoppers like Shophound Alexia vie for cut price bargain fashions from the Spring Collections offered by some 150 top designers. Enjoy makeovers, style advice and a heady mix of cocktails while you buy.

Metro Ski & Snowboard Show
Date: 22 - 26 October, 2008.
Venue: Olympia Exhibition Center, Hammersmith Road, W14 8UX.
Tickets: From £9. Book Online, (Concessions) or from £16 on the door.
London transport: Nearest Tubes. Earl's Court, West Brompton. Car Parking: Olympia Hilton NCP
Description: If you are addicted to the ski slopes, the Metro Ski & Snowboard Show is your favourite exhibition! Meet the resorts/hoteliers/chalet organizers/ski schools/equipment & clothing specialists/tour operators from all over the snowy world at this fabulous one-stop Show - and win yourself a Winter Sports vacation into the bargain!
Wheelchair accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes.

London MCM Comic-Village Expo
Date: 11am - 6pm. 25 - 26 October, 2008.
Venue: ExCel, London. E16 1XL.
Tickets: £9 at door.
London Transport: Check ExCel Online for road, rail and river access details.
Description: London's answer to San Diego's fabulous annual Comic-Con. Michael Hogan who plays Colonel Tigh in Battlestar Galactica makes his first World signing appearance at this year's Show.
Wheelchair accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes.

The Yoga Show
Date: 31 October - 2 November, 2008.
Venue: Olympia Exhibition Center, Hammersmith Road, W14 8UX.
Tickets:. From £7, (Concessions).
London Transport: Nearest Tubes. Earl's Court, West Brompton. Car Parking: Olympia Hilton NCP
Description: There is everything here to relax you, tie you up in knots, open the inner door to spiritual enlightenment, discover your life force chakras or take to a new lifestyle to help you and your body to survive the rigors of the 21st Century. Hundreds of stalls offer everything from dietary advice and supplements to contemplative vacations. Cut out the greasy hamburger and chips before you go, and be prepared to join in some of the free workshops for a therapeutic work-out before a Thai massage.
Wheelchair accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes.

10th Art London
Date: 2 - 6 October, 2008.
Venue: Royal Hospital, Chelsea, SW3.
Tickets:. £12 for one, £18 for two, inc. illustrated catalogue, (2007 prices). Buy online to avoid queue at entrance.
London Transport: Nearest Tube. Sloane Square.
Description: 80 top galleries exhibit for sale some 1,000 antique and modern works of fine art, sculpture, photography and ceramics from around the world at prices ranging from £300 to £100,000 in the grounds of the famed Royal Hospital, Chelsea. An important art event that kicks off London's autumn season. Full information available on website during September.
Wheelchair accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes.

The Frieze Art Fair
Date: 16 - 19 October, 11am-7pm. 2008.
Venue: Regents Park.
Tickets: From £15. Check website for options.
London Transport: Nearest Tube. Regents Park. Car Park pay & display at Fair.
Description: A far cry from the National Gallery's Renaissance Faces or the Queen's Gallery Masters of Flemish Painting, this leading contemporary art fair stocked by 150 art galleries will interest, amuse, perplex or shock the expected 63,000 visitors. You may find some of the visitors quite as interesting, amusing, perplexing or shocking as the exhibits.
Wheelchair accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes.

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

Science Museum: The Science of Survival
Venue: Exhibition Road, SW7 2DD.
Dates: 10am-5.45pm daily. Until 2 November 2008
Tickets: £6.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: South Kensington, Gloucester Road. Carparks: Union Car Parks/31 Harrington Road.
Description: The exhibition is set to be one of the most exciting and thought provoking family attractions of the year exploring how we shall survive on a changing planet. In this fun, hands-on exhibition, the adults of today and tomorrow can explore how their lives and others could be affected by changing climate and resources, and get a glimpse of how we might live in 2050.
IMAX 3D Cinema: Various programmes including 1. Secrets of the Pharaohs: Mummies 2. Sea Monsters. 3. Space Station. 4. Dinosaurs Live. £7.50, (Concessions).
Wheelchair accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes.

Leighton House Museum and Art Gallery
Venue: 12 Holland Park Road, W14 8LZ.
Date: 11am-5.30 pm daily except Tuesdays, 25/26 December, 1 January. 2008.
Tickets: £3, (Concessions). Pay at door.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Kensington; High Street, Kensington. Carparking: Olympia Hylton NCP.
Description: Victorian opulence in art and architecture shown at its best and most spectacular, (or worst and most decadent if your taste is for modern minimalist). The former studio-house of the great Victorian artist Frederic, Lord Leighton (1830-1896), who designed and decorated it between 1864 and 1879, the house is one of the most extraordinary buildings of the nineteenth century. Filled with golden mosaics, gilded walls, elaborate paintwork, domed ceilings, trickling fountains, cool marble and peacock blue tiles. Leighton House also became home to the owner's extensive collection of Victorian paintings, 81 of which are exhibited here together with a fine collection of ceramics and lustreware. Over 1000 Islamic tiles adorn the Arab Hall, reflecting the influence the East had on Lord Leighton following his travels. It forms the centrepiece and focal point of the house. The Arab Hall, Dining Hall or Studio are available to hire for receptions and functions.
Wheelchair accessibility: No.

Jack the Ripper Walk
Venue: Aldgate, Whitechapel, Spitalfields. EC. Tel: 020 8530 8443
Date: Daily. 7pm-9pm.
Tickets: £6.50. Online Booking
London Transport: Aldgate East, (District, Hammersmith and City Lines).
Description: Guided Exploration of the Whitechapel and Spitalfields alleys and pubs where serial killer Jack the Ripper murdered at least five and possibly many more prostitutes in a reign of terror during 1888.

Burlington Bertie's diary memo
Book now for these popular autumn events:- The Olympia London International Horse Show, 16-22 December, 2008. London's annual Christmas equestrian event. Top show jumping competitions, World Cup Dressage, etc.

John Rutter's Christmas Celebration John Rutter's Christmas and Yuletide Carols with Choral Societies and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by the composer himself in the medieval gothic atmosphere of Westminster Hall, historic scene of royal yuletide celebrations and coronation banquets.