Share Your View

Question of the week: “In your opinion, where can you find the best view of London?”

"Whitestone Pond in Hampstead is technically London’s highest point and affords a truly spectacular view from the peak of the Northwest, across the centre of the capital. Originally something of a beacon for horse-drawn journeys to reach before the slow decent either side (journeys to and from London were nowhere near as easy as they are now), it currently still serves as a ‘horse bath’ point for the Armed Service’s cavalry. It’s easily found via a short walk from Hampstead tube station and is surrounded by some wonderful attractions such as the Spaniards Inn and Kenwood House."- Hal

* Photo by bortescristian, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Spread The Good Cheer

Question of the week: “Can you recommend a tree lighting, jolly fair, or festive market to boost your Christmas spirit in London?”

"Whilst studying at drama school in my late teens, it was necessary for me to work all available free hours that I could find to supplement my living costs (so what’s new?). Opting for the easy solution, I took up work as a waiter and spent a number of seasons employed at my local Café Rouge in Hampstead. As many will already know, higher degrees of pay can be earned during unsocial hours and I found myself willingly working late on Christmas Eve, and for as much as I expected to have any festive spirit dashed by working those crucial hours I instead found myself flung headfirst into the Christmas atmosphere through engaging with a steady stream of extremely cheery families & well wishers.

Ever since then (and yes, it feels like an age ago) I’ve tried, where possible, to visit Hampstead as late as I can on Christmas Eve to indulge in the general feeling of everyone savouring the last few hours of socialising before digging their heels into some arduous ‘quality time’ with close, and sometimes all too distant family."-Hal

* Photo by Arslan, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

New Annual Celebrations?

Question of the week: Guy Fawkes Day has just passed reminding us all of his failed plot! In your opinion, which historical event deserves an annual day of commemoration in the UK?

"Just as Armistice Day (11th November) and VE Day (8th May) are poignant landmarks in British history, commemorating the end of some of the bloodiest periods that contemporary records will reflect, Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo (18th June) marks the welcome closure to one of the more violent and prolonged stretches of attrition that made much of Europe and its surrounding environs a battleground for over a decade – technically lasting longer than either of the 20th century’s World Wars.

Wherever your sympathies lie, it’s undeniable that the end of the Napoleonic era had a considerable effect on the world, be that in simple terms such as the threat to young men’s lives or to more subjective terms such as the arts & culture in general. With so many casualties amassed on both sides and with such a landmark shift in near-global politics attributed to it, it seems a pity that this date may pale into eventual insignificance.

For those less inclined to commemorate the Napoleonic Wars in particular, you may note it’s also the date that the Americans officially declared “war” on the British (which arguably has yet to be resolved) alongside being the date seminal rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix burnt his Fender Stratocaster onstage at Monterey."- Hal

* Photo by Simon D. Gardner, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Halloween

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.

London Calling

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.

Movie Time

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, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Question of the week: Autumn is fast approaching, and leaves are slowly falling. What is your favourite thing to do on a crisp, London afternoon?

"As a fan of this season and its multifarious colours & climates, I find the best place to observe such a beautiful period of chance is Kenwood House in Northwest London. The nearest tube is Hampstead on the Northern Line and the walk is well worth what lies at the end. It’s free entry to the public and The Spaniards Inn nearby provides a fitting refreshment as one of London’s oldest pubs, in particular the site where Highwayman Dick Turpin evaded his captors by jumping a five bar gate. Or rather, his horse did, since motorbikes were fairly sparse back then."-Hal

* Photo by mubblegum, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.