Celebrate Christmas at the Royal Albert Hall

Your author hasn't even thought about doing any shopping yet, and if you're also in need of a distraction, the Royal Albert Hall's Christmas festival has begun, with daily afternoon carols in the presence of the London Concert Chorus and the London Concert Orchestra.


Though it's a bit pricier than other carol concerts, it is a stunning venue, and they will probably put on a good show, though if you want something really magical, you may wish to await the Carols by Candlelight sessions at the end of next week.

For more, see http://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/christmas/default.aspx#/page/1/

Find Andrew Burton's Chimney

Rising unexpectedly from the grass around Westferry Circus, Andrew Burton's Chimney is part of a series of brickworks inspired by the artist's travels in India and brought to the Canary Wharf area in 2008.


Burton uses miniature clay bricks, and collaborated with artists in India, Korea and the Netherlands in order to produce the pieces, and Chimney is said to echo not only the temples, palaces and brick works he visited, but also western factory chimneys, the minarets of the Taj Mahal and India’s tallest brick minaret at the Qutub Minar near Delhi.

For more, see http://www.wharf.co.uk/art4.html

Sing carols at Christ Church, Southwark

This lunchtime, the Portcullis Singers lead a carol concert at Christ Church, on Blackfriars Road in Southwark.


The replacement for a 17th Century structure destroyed in the Blitz, Christ Church was finished in 1958, making it a fairly modern addition to the area, but with a history which dates back much further, to a demand made in the will of Rev'd John Marshall, who died in 1631.

The service kicks off at 1pm. For more, see http://www.christchurchsouthwark.org.uk/newsandevents.html

_{^Picture © Stephen Craven licensed for reuse under Creative Commons^}

See the lego tree at St Pancras

It's hard to talk about the season without getting as unnecessarily festive as the Christmas songs CD on constant loop in gaudy shopping arcades, but there is something your author quite likes about the 33ft tall Christmas tree made entirely from lego currently standing at St Pancras station.


Of course it's a shameless seasonal publicity stunt, but for those of us who enjoyed playing with lego on Christmas morning, there is something that nicely hits the spot about it, especially if we never actually got to legoland.

For more, see http://londonist.com/2011/11/in-pictures-the-st-pancras-lego-christmas-tree.php

_{^Picture © Bex.Walton used under Creative Commons^}

Visit the More London Christmas Market

Today is the third and final day of the More London Christmas Market, a winter festival of stalls and shopping which includes free ice skating and refreshments, thanks to sponsorship by Tesco, a popular supermarket chain which began life as a market stall in Hackney's Well Street Market.


There are also thirty gifty stalls selling all sorts of usual Sunday-market-fare, like jewellery, books, and crafts, and gifts on sale from budding young entrepreneurs, in association with the Princes Trust, from 10am until 6pm and all within a pleasant walk from the Sunday markets of East London, making a pleasant day out.

For more, see http://www.morelondon.com/events_details.asp?ID=126

_{^Picture © morebyless used under Creative Commons^}

Attend Santacon

In what has the potential to either be absolutely awful or great fun, an annual tradition has begun that Londoners (including a fair few antipodeans) dress up as Father Christmas for a march around London on this weekend every year.


It's kind of like a Christmas flashmob, and the early birds meet in the questionable location of the Wetherspoons in Victoria Station at 10am, then push on to Trafalgar Square at 12:30 , before moving to The Horse Hospital for Christmas-themed films, and finishing the night at Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes.

You can follow their antics by using the twitter hashtag #ldnsanta or find out more at http://www.santacon.co.uk/



_{^Picture © vtwentyone used under Creative Commons^}

See the Dickens Exhibition

Today, the Museum of London has a new exhibition, celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of London's most famous writers, and the man who seems to have visited more pubs than any other Londoner, Charles Dickens.


Telling the story of the great man through artefacts, pictures and manuscripts, it promises to offer an insight on the 19th century city, and Dickens experiences, showing from now until next summer.

It sounds brilliant, and your author may even be persuaded to stump up the £8 gate charge. For more, see http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/London-Wall/Whats-on/Exhibitions-Displays/Dickens-London/Default.htm

_{^Picture © USM MS photos used under Creative Commons^}

See the Clerk's Well

Though it has not been in formal use since the middle of the 19th century, the Well which lent its name to Clerkenwell is still visible through a window on Farringdon Lane.


Open to the public by appointment six days a week, the Well disappeared for many years before being rediscovered as part of building work in 1924. It is not known exactly how old the well is, but it was featured in William Fitzstephen's description of London in 1174.

For more, and to book a visit, see http://www.islington.gov.uk/leisure/heritage/heritage_borough/bor_sites/clerkswell.asp

Learn magick at Wicca Moon

The shops of outer London are sometimes the best, for here you find independent businesses that can afford to exist. That's why your author is always pleased when he stumbles across somewhere eccentric like Wicca Moon in Eltham.


Of course, to most it's all hippy nonsense, but there is something rather endearing about a shop specialising in tarot readings, crystals, faeries and candles, and Wicca Moon is certainly the place to head for that sort of thing six days a week. It even boasts regular workshops and even house blessings.

For more, see http://wiccamoon.org.uk/

Buy books at Daunt Books, Hampstead

It is now less than a month until the Tired of London, Tired of Life book is released, and your author has suddenly developed an even more fervent love of bookshops than usual. One giant of London reading is Daunt Books, whose stunning flagship store has previously helped your author out of more than one Christmas present idea dry spell, but Daunt also have a beautiful shop in the literary wilds of Hampstead.


The Daunt brand is maintained well in this pretty little shop, as it is in the others in the Holland Park, Belsize Park, Chelsea and Cheapside, with a fine range of good quality titles and literary paraphernalia and other bits and pieces, and civilised opening hours which mean you can browse until 6pm seven days a week.

For more, see http://www.dauntbooks.co.uk/shops.asp?TAG=.

Attend the annual Christmas Fair at Drapers' Hall

Now an annual event at the City of London's Drapers' Hall a the Wellbeing of Women Christmas Fair helps to raise money for improving the health of women and children, in the atmospheric setting of a site which has been the home of the Drapers since the 16th century.


Visitors are promised stalls of luxury goods, foods and stocking fillers, and with the vital addition of a champagne bar, it sounds like a good day out.

For more, see http://www.wellbeingofwomen.org.uk/support-us/national-wow-events/city-christmas-fair-2009/

_{^Picture © HerryLawford used under Creative Commons^}

Meet the robots at the Science Museum

This weekend the Science Museum in South Kensington is holding the Robotville Festival, showcasing the best in European robot design.


So if you're annoyed that it's 2011, and you're still not being waited on hand and foot by a robot slave pop in to meet 20 robots and their creators, and give them all a piece of your mind.

The festival is free but timed entry applies. For more, see http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum/events/festivals/robotville.aspx

_{^Picture © heatheronhertravels used under Creative Commons^}

Go Christmas shopping in the City

Some people like shopping, and if you are one of them the day of traffic-free Christmas shopping in the City might be great for you. For others it might be hellish.


Cheapside is being pedestrianised for the day to allow people to wander unhindered from One New Change towards Royal Exchange and Leadenhall Market, and alongside ice skating, street theatre, a Christmas market and Father Christmas, there are also bands and free cycle rickshaws.

For more, see http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/CB5D3058-B496-4463-A222-1801C365D785/0/LH_cheapsidechristmas.pdf

_{^Picture © HerryLawford used under Creative Commons^}

Go shopping on Deptford High Street

Once judged to be London's best shopping street, Deptford High Street is a great place to go shopping, and is home to a fantastic range of independent traders reflecting the area's many cultures.


The street is also home to a great value market on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, from early morning until around 4pm, where there is always interesting produce and bargains to be had.

For more, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deptford_Market.

Go for a walk in Ken Wood

Also known as South Wood, Ken Wood forms the southeastern portion of the Kenwood Estate, the grounds of Kenwood House, and is a pleasant spot for a walk at any time of the year, though with the windy days we've been having recently it is perhaps best approached with caution.


The wood still contains several original features from its association with Kenwood House, including a Duelling Ground, an Ice House, and a plaque commemorating the Great Storm (pictured), which swept through one night in 1987, felling 54 mature trees.

For more, see http://www.hampsteadheath.net/south-wood.html.