Question of the week: Can you suggest a house-turned-museum based in London? "18 Folgate Street in Spitalfields (near Liverpool Street) is a time capsule of Georgian life. Each room of the house has been designed to look as though its occupants have just left so there is a lot of atmosphere!"- Heather
* Photo by Mallix, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.
Question of the week: "How do you like to celebrate Halloween in London?” "I’ve had my eye on the Ham House out in Surrey. I realize it’s a bit far, but it’s nothing a short, weekend trip couldn’t handle. This one hour tour of what is one of England’s oldest and spookiest houses is followed by a reception with drinks and canapés. Since I scare easily, a relaxing, canapé filled follow-up doesn’t sound too intimidating—the unexplained and scary have to be balanced with something refreshing! Booking is essential, and the price is a bit steep, but then again, when will you have the chance to navigate a house that is allegedly haunted by the Duchess of Lauderdale and her spaniel? "- Christina
* Photo by ricoeurian, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.
Question of the week: How do you like to celebrate Halloween in London? "Being in the British Isles, there’s thankfully no end of relevant acts that one can indulge in to commemorate the Festival of the Parentalia. Given that it’s probably a little too much bother to hitch a ride to your nearest Neolithic stone circle, don some animal skins and see the Samhain through like a good old fashioned Celt, I find you can do worse than to invest in some moderately priced makeup & prosthetics and brush up on your ‘zombie with severe wounds’ special effects tutorials. Charles Fox (http://www.charlesfox.co.uk/) of Covent Garden are particularly adept at providing what’s needed, they come in great use for some materials & advice for much the same whilst I studied at Drama School. Once you, and some other willing friends, have reached a point of expertise at appearing to be undead, select a number of pubs in line with each other and see which of them ‘get the joke’ when you walk at death’s pace towards the bar, moaning “graaains... fermented graaaiiins...”. Works a treat, if not a little tricky."- Hal
* Photo by sunface13, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.
Question of the week: How do you like to celebrate Halloween in London? "I love exploring some of London's eerie and mysterious venues at Halloween. This year(until the 25th only) there is the Minotaur, an atmospheric 'resto-gallery' at the Old Vic Tunnels, a collaboration between artists and culinary experts themed on depictions of the mythical bull-headed creature. I also love going one of the food markets around town (Borough market or Lower Marsh) in search of the perfect pumkin for some crafty carving. Fortnum and Mason even have a pumkin carving competition on the 28th October!"- Heather
* Photo by renecunningham, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.
Question of the week: How do you like to celebrate Halloween in London? "I've never been a great fan of Halloween, but the "Halloween Screamings" at the Round Chapel look quite fun this year. They're showing The Exorcist at 7:30 on Friday, 28th October. I may go along."- Jamie
* Photo by Hourman, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.
Question of the week: How do you like to celebrate Halloween in London? "It’s no secret that I love Halloween, but how I celebrate varies a lot, year to year: gigs, fancy dress nights out, seasonal film showings, ghost walks, or bat watching. There are so many historical horror stories embedded in London’s past that ghost walks and graveyard tours have to be high on the list."- Miss Alice
* Photo by V O N, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.
Question of the week: When traveling outside the UK, what do you miss about London the most? "When away from London, I miss the ability of being able to switch from the dense urban sprawl of the West End to the rich & verdant rural landscapes of Hampstead, and its surrounding areas, within a few simple minutes on the tube. Additionally, though England’s capital hasn’t historically been credited for maintaining much of a 24 hour society, that’s certainly changing. Whether you choose to take that as meaning you can still find a bite to eat in the small hours or taking the opportunity to do something breathtaking such as walking through the City of London at 1am or crossing one of many of London’s bridges late at night."- Hal
* Photo by pic fix, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.
Question of the week: When traveling outside the UK, what do you miss about London the most? "I could say the transport system, but I really enjoy getting to know public transport systems in new cities, so I’ll say “how easy it is to eat out”. I’m sure it’s at least as much a function of familiarity as it is the range of restaurants on offer, but I very rarely feel that being vegetarian limits my dining choices in London, but it can make eating out on holiday a bit of a logistics nightmare, especially if I’m somewhere where I don’t speak the local language. "- Miss Alice
* Photo by modenadude, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.
Question of the week: When traveling outside the UK, what do you miss about London the most? "What I miss about London is how a mere walk on the street can spur intrigue because of some historical fact posted on a wall, or a sign, or a plaque. Every garden has a story, practically each building is entrenched in history, and even benches have engraved memorials to someone or something. I guess what is mesmerising about the history is not so much how extensive it is (considering other, older countries), but rather, how the history is engraved into the city itself, in a modern and commemorative way. Since history, literature, and quotes are constantly around you, it’s hard not to learn something new every single day."- Christina
* Photo by Steve Hunnisett, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.
Question of the week: When traveling outside the UK, what do you miss about London the most? "I spend a lot of time on the Southbank and love the way that you always stumble across an unexpected street performance, fair or festival. There is always such a sense of vibrancy, creativity and movement. So, when I travel I miss being able to wonder out of my front door into such a dynamic space. Of course there are many places you can visit that are full of creative activity around the world but the Southbank has something very special. More generally, I miss the cultural diversity of London, which is often made so accesible through food, exhibitions, markets, festivals and events.
I have also found I miss the coffee - once you have tasted Monmouth Coffee in Covent Garden, it is hard to find a match elsewhere!"- Heather
* Photo by swh, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.
Question of the week: Can you suggest a place for an affordable and delicious dinner? "Food for Thought in Covent Garden. Located on Neal Street, this small eatery is a veggie haven and is affordable, too. I am not a vegetarian, but I find myself visiting the place time and time again only to taste one of their delicious, freshly-cooked dishes at a reasonable rate. The food looks and tastes like it's home-made, which agrees superbly with my taste buds! This tiny restaurant is not very roomy, and many times, you might even have to share a table with strangers. This might sound odd, but it boosts a positive, almost familial, experience while you enjoy a plate of great food."- Christina
* Photo by Yukino Miyazawa, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.
Question of the week: Can you suggest a place for an affordable and delicious dinner? "I'm going to cheat (again). I think the best way to get delicious food at an affordable price in London is to go for lunch and not dinner. There are dozens of excellent and other wise prohibitively expensive restaurants that do amazingly good set meals for lunch. The choice is often somewhat restricted and you should still expect to pay upwards of £15, but for the quality of food you get, and the chance to experience some of London's finest eateries, it really is worth it. "- Jamie
* Photo by Wootang01, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.
Question of the week: Can you suggest a place for an affordable and delicious dinner? "Cheap, tasty, and close to the flats – Marie’s Café on Lower Marsh. It doesn’t look much, but where else can you get both a solid fry-up for breakfast, and delicious home-made Thai food of an evening? I’m told they do good lunch food too, but I mostly go there for the Thai – they do a fantastic black rice pudding desert, as well as all the usual savoury dishes. "- Miss Alice
* Photo by Pabo76, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.
Question of the week: Can you suggest a place for an affordable and delicious dinner? "For an exotic, delicious, and not expensive meal, go to Konaki, a lovely Greek restaurant tucked into a small street close to the British Museum: 5 Coptic Street; 15-20 minutes walking time from the London Centre. Just say ‘Yassou!’"- Prof Kucich
* Photo by ZagatBuzz, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.
Question of the week: Can you suggest a place for an affordable and delicious dinner? "There are so many - EV Deli on Isabella Street (just of The Cut) is one of my favourites and is a short walk from Conway Hall. It serves turkish salads and some delicious hot food as well. Set in a railway tunnel, off the beaten track, it has great atmosphere, is open late and is very reasonable!
Vouchercloud.co.uk is a must for anyone looking for a cheap eat as it lists all of the deals in and around your local area!"- Heather
* Photo by John Fraissinet, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.
Question of the week: In celebration of the upcoming London Film Festival, can you recommend a British-based literary adaptation film? "‘The Company of Wolves'. Adapted from Angela Carter’s collection of short stories, ‘The Bloody Chamber’, this 80s classic managed to push the envelope from within a genre of fantastical horror that, up until its release, had arguably been suffering from stagnation & stereotype. Directed by Neil Jordan (Michael Collins, Interview With The Vampire etc.) it’s rife with symbolism, suggestion and some gloriously non-CG effects and manages to weave a series of counter-plots that reflect Carter’s inimitable use of layered storytelling. Incidentally, the cast reads like a Who’s Who of future and formative stars from both the mainstream (Terence Stamp as the Devil) to the underground (seminal avant-goth experimentalist Danielle Dax as a child She-Wolf). Leave your gritty realism at the door and enjoy some heady escapism from the yester-decade."- Hal
(The DVD is now on order for the LUP Library)
* Photo by Cpt
Question of the week: In celebration of the upcoming London Film Festival, can you recommend a British-based literary adaptation film? "Firstly, a thank you to everyone for such a warm welcome. It is great to be part of the London program and I look forward to getting to know you and doing all I can to support you during your time in this amazing city.
'The Railway Children' would seem a fitting recommendation given that it has been re-adapted for the stage and is currently playing at Waterloo Station Theatre, practically on Conway Hall's doorstep.
For those who enjoyed the History of British Football talk on Monday, 'The Damned United'(on order for the LUP Library, and available from Westminster Public Libraries) might appeal. I haven’t seen it yet so let me know what you think if you watch it!"- Heather
* Photo by markhillary, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.
Question of the week: In celebration of the upcoming London Film Festival, can you recommend a British-based literary adaptation film? "At the moment, definitely 'Tinker, tailor, soldier, spy'. It's an adaptation of John Le Carre's clasic 1974 spy novel of the same name. Dark, complicated, and beautifully filmed, it features some of the best British actors around. Don't be fooled into thinking James Bond and Johnny English are as far as our spy films have got!"- Clare
* Photo by whatleydude, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.
Question of the week: In celebration of the upcoming London Film Festival, can you recommend a British-based literary adaptation film? "Any of the old "Merchant & Ivory" films are well worth watching, but I think particularly their adaptations of E.M. Forster's novels. My favourite is Howard's End, which features fantastic performances from Emma Thompson, Anthony Hopkins, and a very young Helena Bonham Carter."- Jamie
* Photo by Treesiepopsicles, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.
Question of the week: In celebration of the upcoming London Film Festival, can you recommend a British-based literary adaptation film? "Children of Men. It’s a haunting, dystopic, intensely human PD James novel, and the adaptation – staring Clive Owen – makes quite a lot of changes to the specifics but remains absolutely true to the spirit of the book. Not your typical period drama – the period is “a few years from now” – but beautifully shot, scripted, and acted, and the Britishness is intrinsic.
(The DVD and the book are both in the LUP Library)"-Miss Alice
* Photo by fliegender, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.
