London highlights in September, 2008. An Offtolondon guide to London's end of summer events; Buckingham Palace, Mayor's Festival, Henry Wood Promenade Concerts, music and Francis Bacon at the Tate, fine art festivals and exhibitions, Theatre and Dance, Jack the Ripper walks, together with disabled accessibility notes.

Buckingham Palace State Rooms and Gardens
Venue: Buckingham Palace, Westminster, SW1A 1AA, London.
Date: Annual summer opening. 9.45am-6pm, 29 July - 29 September, 2008.
Tickets: Tickets are timed with entry every 15 minutes. Buy a joint 'Palace Day Out' ticket for Palace State Rooms, Queen's Gallery and Royal Mews: 28.50 (recommended if you have a complete day to spare), or separate tickets for Palace only, (Adult £15.50, Concessions). An audio tour is included in the ticket price. Languages available: English, French German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Chinese. Russian. Book online or at ticket office located at the Visitor Entrance in Buckingham Palace Road. Fill in a registration form on your visit for an unlimited admission facility during Summer 2008.
Private View: Purchase an exclusive £65 Private View Champagne Tour with a knowledgeable Palace guide on certain August and September dates. Unlimited admission tickets are also available.
London Transport: Nearest Tubes. Green Park, Hyde Park Corner, (Piccadilly Line); Victoria Rail Terminal, (Victoria, Circle and District Lines). Carparking & Congestion Charge payment: Old College Street.
Description: Annual summer opening of the State Rooms and Gardens of Buckingham Palace to the public while Queen and court reside in Scotland. 19 state rooms are opened to the public. They form the heart of today's working palace of Britain's monarch and have been lavishly decorated in grandiose style by successive monarchs since George IV, and furnished with some of the finest treasures from the Royal Collection collected by, or gifted to, the monarchs over the past four centuries. These include paintings by such artistic luminaries as Rembrandt, Rubens, Poussin, Canaletto; sculptures by Canova and others; exquisite examples of Sèvres porcelain, Chelsea china; a magnificent horological collection and some of the finest English and French furniture in the world.
Each year, The Royal Collection, (chaired by heir to the Throne Charles, Prince of Wales), mounts a special historical exhibition for visitors in the State Ballroom, much used by Queen Victoria in the early carefree years of her reign. The 2008 Ballroom exhibition displays the glittering spectacle of a magnificent State Banquet; since the time of William the Conqueror an integral part of Royal ceremonial, pageantry and state diplomacy marking significant events and formal state visits.
The Palace Garden On exiting the Palace onto the 5 acre lawn where Her Majesty holds her annual Palace Tea Parties each July, visitors can enjoy an extended walk through the 39 acre palace gardens that takes them around the 3 acre lake landscaped in Queen Victoria's reign and offers superb views of Nash's Palace Garden frontage, (1825-30), built for King George IV. The garden and lakeside tree-land planting owes much to green-fingered Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and the present Queen, not to mention the dedication of the palace gardeners.
Dress: The Palace formal dress code is relaxed for the public during the summer access season. However, bags, umbrellas, cameras, video recorders, etc., must be left at entrance for collection later.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes. It is essential you book your ticket by telephoning: +44 (0)20 7766 7324 to ensure elevator facilities. Adapted toilets: Yes. Available in the Palace garden at the end of your visit.
Burlington Bertie's Verdict: This is a living museum of Britain's ongoing Royal history and culture and should not be missed. I strongly recommend you buy a 'Royal Day Out' ticket and set aside a complete day to see the entire Palace complex and buy quality souvenirs in the royal Collection shop. For the Palace alone, give yourself a full half day. Visit the Royal Mews and Queen's Gallery in the morning, pausing for lunch at the nearby Goring Hotel, and visit the Palace in the afternoon. Check out my pages at Royal Palaces and Attractions for a full description of Buckingham Palace, the Royal Mews, the Queen's Gallery, and nearby Clarence House.

Clarence House Summer Opening
Venue: Ground Floor suite, Clarence House, St. James's Palace, SW1A 1BS, (entry from the Mall).
Date:10am-5.30pm Aug - 28 September, 2008. Closed Sats during August. May be closed on certain days at short notice.
Tickets: £7.50. Online, telephone or email. Tickets must be booked in advance and are strictly time/date sensitive.
London Transport: Nearest Tube. Green Park. Carparking and Congestion Charge payment: Spring Gardens or Old College Street.
Description: Clarence House is the official London residence of Charles, Prince of Wales and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Princes Wiliam and Harry. It is a part of the St. James's Palace complex. The ground floor rooms open to the public are used for official receptions, etc., and are decorated with a superb collection of art and artifacts collected by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother during her lifetime. Reflecting Her Majesty's particular refined taste and patronage of the Arts, this is a fascinating time capsule of her life and period.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: No. (nearest facilities: St. James's Park).

Palace of Westminster Summer Opening
Date:28 July - 27 September, 2008. 9.15am-4.30pm.
Venue: Westminster, London SW1A 1AA.
Tickets: £12. Book Online, telephone 0870 9063773, or buy at ticket office, Old Palace Yard.
London Transport: Nearest Tube. Westminster. Carparking and Congestion Charge payment: Old College Street.
Description: Guided tours only. An unrivalled opportunity to see the Victorian Gothic magnificence of the Palace of Westminster and its Chambers of the House of Commons and House of Lords together with the magnificent mediaeval Westminster Hall with its remarkable hammer beam roof, used for centuries first as the royal banqueting hall, later as a Court of Justice, (King Charles I was 'tried' here), and more recently for the lying in state of sovereign or eminent persons. The guided tour is made under strict security and lasts one hour only, which gives little time to admire the architecture of Sir Charles Barry, the ornamentation of Augustus Pugin or the statuary in the detail they deserve. Despite this proviso, the visit is still worthwhile however and this is a good opportunity to make a separate visit to the nearby mediaeval Jewel Tower, Westminster Abbey, (tickets at the door) and London Eye, (or pop up to the top of Big Ben if you are a UK voter and fit for the climb). Note the many statues and monuments in the environs of Parliament. Check website for terms and conditions.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes.

Hampton Court Palace: Tudor Kitchens, Cookery and Recipes
Venue: Hampton Court Palace, East Molesey, KT8, 9AU. Tel: 0870 751 5175.
Date: 11am - 3pm First Saturday and Sunday of each month through September, 2008.
Tickets: Live event admission included as part of your Palace admission ticket. Book online.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Richmond.
Description: Lecture and demonstration. Watch and hear 'Historia' food archaeologists researching Tudor cookery and ingredients, making traditional Tudor recipes which you can later sample in the Palace's Tiltyard Cafe.
See also the Gardens Exhibition during your visit. Situated adjacent to the East Front Gardens, this exhibition will help you to understand the evolution of the historic royal gardens at Hampton Court, from their Tudor beginnings in the early 16th century right up to the present day. The replanted Privy Garden is now restored to its original 1702 glory.
Venue Hire You can hire Henry VIII's magnificent Great Hall and other Palace venues with costumed guides, etc., for entertaining, conferences, wedding and civil partnership receptions, your own sumptuous banquets, functions or film location. Check Venue Hire at Hampton Court Palace for details and bookings.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes. The ground floor of the Palace is wheelchair accessible 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.

Kew Palace: Summer Evening Tours
Venue: Kew Palace, Richmond upon Thames, TW9 3AB.
Dates: 18 May 2008 - 28 September 2008, Evening Tours: 5pm-6.30pm, Twice monthly, Sundays Only.
Normal opening times: Mons. 11am-5pm; Tues-Suns. 10am-5pm.
Tickets: Evening Tours: £25. Call 0844 482 7777. Day visits: £5, (Concessions). Pay at Kew Gardens gate. Entrance to Kew Palace is only available with a ticket to the Gardens, (£13, Concessions).
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Nearest Tube. Kew Gardens. Car parking outside Brentford Gate, (Thames riverside), entrance.
Description: A refuge for the ailing King George III during his 'madness', Kew Palace is especially peaceful after the crowds have deserted the place on a summer's evening. New this year, you can see inside the palace's attics - opened to the public for the first time - where the Royal family's servants lived. Recently discovered early seventeenth century painted decorations and witch marks are a reminder of past inhabitants. Originally a Dutch merchant's house, the small palace - more like a manor house - has recently undergone an extensive restoration. Displays include personal objects, jigsaw puzzles and a doll's house that belonged to George III's children. After the 90-minute Evening Tour, visitors can stay and enjoy wine and nibbles in the royal palace.
Wheelchair accessibility: Yes, to all floors. Adapted Toilets: Yes, at nearby Welcome Centre. Hand operated wheelchairs available on loan. Disabled parking at Brentford Gate and Kew Green.

Kew Gardens: The Year of the Tree Festival
Venue: Kew Gardens (Royal Botanic Gardens), Richmond upon Thames, TW9 3AB
Dates: 24th May 2008 until 28th September 2008.
Tickets: Seats Sat £40, Sun £50 | Standing Sat £20, Sun £30.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Kew Gardens. Carparking: Outside Brentford Gate, (Thames riverside), entrance.
Description: Walk among the tree tops at Kew Gardens this summer when you take the new Rhizotron and Xstrata Treetop Walkway. Designed by Marks Barfield Architects, the team who brought us the London Eye, the scenic 200 metre walkway takes you on an educational journey from tree root to leaf tip. Entering through what looks like a crack in the ground, you travel 18 metres up into the air arriving at a canopy of sweet chestnuts, limes and broad-leaved oaks.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes, for much of Kew Gardens. Tree top walkway is not disability accessible. Disability Concessions: See website. Hand operated wheelchairs are available on loan. Adapted Toilets: Yes, at Welcome centre.

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.
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.

BBC Henry Wood Promenade Concert Season 2008
Venue: Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2AP, and other venues.
Date: Last Night of the Proms, 13 September, 2008
Tickets: Book online, telephone +44 (0)20 7489 8212 or apply in person at BBC Proms Box Office, Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, London SW7. 1400 Standing places are available nightly on a first come first served basis. If you are aiming to attend the 'Last night of the Proms', book seats now or be prepared to dress up and queue on the night with the dedicated for standing only Arena tickets.
London Transport: Nearest Tube. Knightsbridge (Piccadilly Line), High St Kensington (Circle and District Lines) and South Kensington (all three lines) are equidistant to the Hall, (10 minutes walk). Bus nos 9, 10, 49 and 52 pass the Hall. Drivers should give themselves plenty of time to find a parking space.
Description: For nine weeks during this summer, the Royal Albert Hall, London's historic and majestic musical venue, has resounded to the orchestral music played at more than 70 great concerts. The annual season, which began in 1895, covers choral, operatic and symphonic works of music from the 15th century to today's living composers. A widely ranging programme of music ancient and modern, features performances by orchestras, soloists and choirs from all over the world. In addition to the nightly Royal Albert Hall concerts, weekly Monday lunchtime performances of chamber and solo music are performed in nearby Cadogan Hall, (in Pont Street, off Sloane Street). In addition, a new, expanded series of more than 70 musical and literary introductions, interviews, workshops and other Proms-related events, (either free to all or free to Prom ticket holders), have been arranged for this season. Times and venues vary.
Open air Prom concerts are televised live from London's Hyde Park, Belfast, Glasgow, Swansea and Manchester during the Prom season's final week, and of course 'The Last Night of the Proms' has achieved worldwide popularity through the medium of radio and television. BBC Radio 3 broadcasts every nightly promenade concert live both on air and online, and over half are shown live on TV.
Dress: No dress code but Arena Prommers dress in party gear for the famous Last Night of the Proms.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes. Inform box office of your requirements when booking.

Shakespeare's Globe: 2008 Summer Season
Date: Until 5 October, 2008.
Venue: 21 New Globe Walk, SE1 9ED. Tel: 020 7401 9199.
Tickets: £5 - £35.
London Transport: Nearest Tube. Southwark. Carparking: Union Carpark/53 Southwark Street.
Description: This summer's 'Totus Mundus' season features new productions of 'King Lear', 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', 'Timon of Athens' and 'The Merry Wives of Windsor' plus world premieres of three new plays and a return of John Dove's production of 'The Winter's Tale'. Step into Tudor London at the Globe and join in the hearty audience participation! Dine before or after the performance, at the nearby Oxo Tower Restaurant or the Yakitori
Wheelchair Accessibility: Check website for special seating arrangements and any discounts. Make your requirements known when booking. Mobility friendly toilets.
. Venue Hire You can hire the Swan at the Globe with its view overlooking the Thames for entertaining, conferences, wedding and civil partnership receptions and functions or film location. Check website for details and bookings.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Check website for special arrangements.

76th Regent's Park Open Air Theatre Summer Season
Venue: Regent's Park, NW1 Tel: 0870 060 1811
Date: Until 13 September, 2008. Morning, afternoon and evening perfs.
Tickets: £. Book online
London Transport: Nearest Tube. Baker Street. Carparking and Congestion Charge payment: Chilton Street, (no disabled parking bays).
Description: Gigi, (6 August - 13 September). Also, a series of Sunday evenings of Comedy and Music. Check the website for full details.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Check website for special seating arrangements and discounts. Make your requirements known when booking. Adapted Toilets: Yes.

Sadlers Wells: Matthew Bourne's Dorian Gray
Venue: Sadlers Wells, Rosebury Avenue, EC1R 4TN. Tel: 020 7863 8198.
Date: 2 - 14 September, 2008. Perfs: Tues-Sun, 7.30pm. Mats Sat/Sun 2.30pm.
Tickets: £10 - £49.Book online Early booking recommended.
London Transport: Nearest Tube. Angel, (Northern Line). A special Theatre Bus facility connects with Waterloo and Victoria Rail termini after each evening performance. Description: Matthew Bourne's much-anticipated production of Oscar Wilde's gothic fable is a darkly seductive and dance theatre event, reuniting the team that created the double Olivier award-winning hit Play Without Words - designer Lez Brotherston, composer Terry Davies and lighting designer Paule Constable. New Adventures - a Sadler's Wells Resident Company - is the foremost dance theatre company in the UK, having created an enormous new audience for dance with a series of highly popular productions including Nutcracker!, The Car Man, Edward Scissorhands, (book now for 2 Dec-18 Jan 2009), and the now legendary Swan Lake. Check site for September performances by Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo and other dance companies. Now booking for UK premiere of Sangre Flamenca, 28 Oct - 15 Nov.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Check website for special seating arrangements and any discounts. Make your requirements known when booking. Adapted Toilets: Yes.

Royal Opera House, Covent Garden: La Calisto
Venue: Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, WC2. Tel: 020 7304 4000
Date: 23 September-10 October, 2008. Perfs: 7.30pm.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Covent Garden. Carparking and Congestion Charge payment: Leicester Square/Whitcomb Street.
Tickets: Book Online.
Description:. Considered a triumph of early opera, first seen in 1651 and now the first Cavalli opera ever to be performed by The Royal Opera following its rapturous reception in Munich. It has all the Baroque hallmarks of eloquent recitatives, sensuous arias and delightful dance rhythms combined with a witty story of comic sexual confusion between gods and mortals. A firm date for Opera lovers.
Backstage tours are also available during the afternoons preceding performances. Check website for details.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes. Check with Box Office for special seating arrangements and any discounts. Make your requirements known when booking.

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 programme, concert and events with online booking facility. Top musicals Billy Elliot, Cabaret, Chicago, Gone With The Wind, Lion King, Mama Mia, Phantom of the Opera, Spamalot, Sound of Music, Stomp, We Will Rock You, and more continue to draw capacity audiences nightly. Book your tickets 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.

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.

Tate Modern: Cy Twombly: Cycles and Seasons
Venue: Tate Modern, 25 Sumner Street, Southwark, SE1 9TG. Tel: 020 7887 8888.
Dates: Until 14 September, 2008.
Tickets: £10, (Concessions). Main galleries are free.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Southwark, Blackfriars. Check online for travel details. Carparks: Union Carparks/53 Southwark Street.
Description: Coinciding with Cy Twombly's 80th year, this will be the first major retrospective in the UK for twenty years of his work. This is a unique opportunity to examine his paintings, drawings and sculpture across his long and distinguished career.
Wheelchair accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes. Some parking spaces for disabled visitors are available on the west side of the building. Wheelchairs and electric scooters are available on request for use by visitors. Reservations are compulsory for all disabled parking spaces. Check online for details and concessions.

20/21 British Art Fair
Venue: Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore, Westminster,  London,  SW7 2EU
Dates: 10 - 14 September, 2008
Tickets: £8, Students and Snr Citizens £5.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Gloucester Road, South Kensington .
Description: Some 60 top London dealers sell work by some of the 20th century's most important figurative artists and sculptors such as David Hockney, Francis Bacon, Peter Blake and Henry Moore at this top annual event now in its 21st year.
Wheelchair accessibility: Yes. Adapted Toilets: Yes.

Tate Britain: Francis Bacon
Venue:Tate Britain, Millbank, SW1P 4RG
Dates: 11 September 2008 - 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.

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. Click for full details.

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.

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.

Doctor Who Exhibition Venue: Museum Hall, Earls Court Exhibition Centre, Warwick Road, SW5 9TA
Dates: 10am-5pm. Until 18th September 2008
Tickets: Adults £9, Children £7.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: West Brompton, Earls Court. Carpark: Broadwood Terrace NCP.
Description: The time travelling Doctor lands his TARDIS outside Earls Court Exhibition Centre for the largest ever Doctor Who display in the UK. See props, costumes, monsters and creatures from all the latest episodes of the hit BBC TV show. Memorabilia includes set pieces from the present series starring David Tennant as the Timelord and comedian Catherine Tate and with guest appearances from Billie Piper. On display are the famous blue phonebox the TARDIS, trusty sidekick K9 and a clutch of the Doctor's famous enemies, the Daleks being the most satisfyingly terrifying to children of all ages! The Museum Hall entrance is opposite West Brompton Station.
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.

Sherlock Holmes Museum
Venue 221b Baker Street, NW1 6XE. Tel: 020 7935 8866.
Tickets Adult £6, Child £4. Daily 9:30a.m. - 6:00p.m. Discount Group admissions for 10 + persons. Advance booking telephone: 020 7738 1269, Online or email: info@sherlock-holmes.co.uk
London Transport Nearest Tube. Baker Street. Nos 13 and 139 buses run between Baker Street and Trafalgar Square. The trams and hansom cabs of Sherlock holmes's day are however a thing of the past.
Description Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson lived at 221b Baker Street, (built 1815), between 1881-1904, according to Holmes's biographer by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The famous 1st floor study, where the world's most illustrious detective played the violin while pondering and solving those mystifying cases before the use of fingerprints or DNA made detection so much easier, is still faithfully maintained as it was kept in those late Victorian and Edwardian days of gaslights, horse drawn Hansom cabs and London fogs. Nothing has changed. The rooms are exactly as described by Conan Doyle. Sherlock Holmes's possessions are in their usual places: his deerstalker, magnifying glass, calabash pipe, violin, chemistry equipment, notebook, Persian slipper and disguises, soda water gasogen on the sideboad. Dr Watson's hand-written notes made at the time of the famous case of the Hound of the Baskervilles may be perused and visitors will be interested to see a waxwork in the likeness of the infamous Moriarty. Recommended.

Jack The Ripper's Sinister London
Venue: Selected departure points by coach.
Date: Fridays, Sundays. from 6.40pm
Description:Tread in the footsteps of the infamous Jack The Ripper down the dark, narrow, gas-lit alleyways immortalized in such films as "From Hell". Led by one of the renowned London Blue Badge Guides, you will visit four murder sights. Your "Ripperologist" will run through some of the suspects who sparked a Victorian Whodunit that'll leave you as gripped as its victims. Approx. 4 hours.

Blood & Tears Walk
Venue: Start from outside Barbican Tube Station.
Date: Daily except Tues and Suns. 7pm and afternoons. See website for details
Tickets: £7, (Concessions). Pay Guide at start.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Barbican, (Circle line, Metropolitan line and the Hammersmith & City line).

Description: This award-winning Horror London walk by qualified researcher and former professional actor Declan McHugh is now in its eighth year. The walk took years of research and covers sites connected with London's darkest past, including places associated with grave robbers, serial killers (including Jack the Ripper), secret tunnels, witchcraft and conspiracy. Learn about London's hidden history of Horror! Prisons, Prostitutes and Punishment; Highwaymen, Hangings and Hauntings; Disease, Disaster and Death.

Jack the Ripper Walk
Venue: Aldgate, Whitechapel, Spitalfields. EC. Tel: 020 8530 8443
Date: Daily. 7pm-9pm.
Tickets: £6.50. Online Booking
London Transport: Nearest Tube: 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.

The Shakespeare City Walk
Venue: Starts from Blackfriars Tube Station, Exit 8. (Circle and District Line).
Date: Mondays and Fridays, 11am. 2007. Tel: 020 7625 5155 before date for confirmation.
Tickets: £6.(Concessions). Pay guide at start.
London Transport: Nearest Tube: Blackfriars. (Circle & District Line).
Description: Former professional actor Declan McHugh leads you on a 90 minute walk through the City of London, uncovering often little-known monuments and locations with connections to Shakespeare's life, his friends, his loves and his work, while declaiming the Bard's poetry and prose in true thespian style.

Free London Art & Museum Collections

Permanent collections in many galleries and museums are entry free. Individually mounted temporary exhibitions within specified rooms may carry a ticket charge however, (bookable online or at the door). Shophound Alexia's Free London list gives full details including address, opening times, getting there and description.