London sports - Miss Alice

Question of the week: Do you have a favourite sport and/or team that you support in London?

"You don't get a lot of three-day eventing in London, Olympics notwithstanding, but you do get roller derby!

Fast-paced contact sport on wheels - I don't have the nerve to play myself, but it's a fantastic spectator sport, and the London Roller Girls are my regular fix. This year they've moved to larger and swisher accommodations in Earls Court, so there's a bigger crowd and better facilities, but they've kept the warm welcome and the inclusive ethos - really, how many sports are there that issue a general invitation to all their fans for the after party?

As for teams - London Brawling when they're playing teams from outside London, of course, and within the London league? I'm a Steam Rollers fan, which meant that Saturday's bout against the Harbour Grudges was a nailbiter, and a hard-won victory!

Tickets for the final bout of the year - 11th December - will be on sale soon."- Miss Alice

London sports - Kris

Question of the week: Do you have a favourite sport and/or team that you support in London?

"Sports are not really my thing... I'm stretching a little bit, but how about the Oxford v. Cambridge boat race

Nearly every year since 1829 Oxford and Cambridge have raced down the Thames for glory and bragging rights - and it's one of the biggest sporting events in London. Thousands of people gather along the banks of the Thames to wait, watch the boats go past, and have a great time with other fans in a fun, festival-like atmosphere.

It's a shame that the boat race takes place in March, so if you're in London now, you'll have to come back for the fun... But if you're reading this and you'll be around on 26 March, I'd certainly recommend that you join the fun! For more info see http://www.theboatrace.org/" - Kris

* Photo by Bruno Girin, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

London speakers - Miss Alice

Question of the week: Where in London do you go to hear great public speakers?

"The Wellcome Collection - if you have any interest in the intersection between the scientific and the social, their events are invaluable. They run several threads - lunch time events, gallery talks, lectures, demonstrations, Exchanges at the Frontier, in partnership with the BBC - as well as a brace of exhibitions, all for free. Check their calendar to see what's on, or, better still, sign up to their mailing list to maximise your chances of getting tickets - their events sell out swiftly."- Miss Alice

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

London speakers - Prof Kucich / Catherine

Question of the week:

"London offers a marvellous plethora of public speaking venues. Two of my favourite locations are close to the London Centre. The lower level of the National Portrait Gallery features world class speakers on a regular basis; you can also pause during your walk through the many free galleries of the NPG to have a coffee in the magnificent top floor restaurant/café, which features fabulous views over Trafalgar Square looking out toward Parliament.

The British Library, near King's Cross Station, also offers distinguished speakers on a regular basis. You can visit the free galleries of the BL, including the 'Treasures' exhibition which contain original versions of Magna Carta, the Shakespeare First Folio, and the earliest manuscript edition of Chaucer among its many treasures. The espresso in the library café is also top notch."- Prof Kucich

"I check out the British Library website to keep an eye on who they have speaking. Their events are usually free or cheap, but can be packed so book early." - Catherine

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

London speakers - Kris

Question of the week: Where in London do you go to hear great public speakers?

"Gresham College was founded in 1597 as an educational institute, and it has been providing free lectures to the public ever since. The topics vary widely - the College supports eight professors who lecture on their specialities range from commerce and geometry to music and rhetoric, so there's bound to be something that might interest you!

Check out their website for more information and a list of lectures."- Kris

London speakers - Miss Alice

Question of the week: Where in London do you go to hear great public speakers?

"I'm a big fan of the RSA's events - over 150 free lectures, discussions,and screenings each year, open to the public, and featuring top flight academics, politicians, authors and business people with the goal of "encouraging intelligent public debate."

To take this week as a random sample - yesterday saw anthropologist Dr Scott Atran on religious violence, and 'Talking to the Enemy', today has the UK premiere screening of An African Answer, followed by discussion with the director, Wednesday has a keynote from Dr Ian Goldin on Africa in the 21st century, and Thursday has a double helping, with Shadow Chancellor Alan Johnson discussing 'financial fables' and the deficit in the evening, and journalist Dan Hind on 'The Return of the Public' at lunchtime. All free, and just a few minutes walk away from the London Centre.

If you miss something fascinating, or are unable to get tickets, the RSA generally make the audio available on their website - a fantastic resource."- Miss Alice

* Photo by Laura Billings, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

London speakers - Dr Holt

Question of the week: Where in London do you go to hear great public speakers?

"Guest preachers at the Sunday afternoon Evensong at 3 pm in Westminster Abbey are frequently remarkably fine public speakers who link the Scripture appointed for the day to current events and concerns."- Dr Holt

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

London on screen, part II - Kris

Question of the week: We've asked this before, but it's worth asking again - do you have a favourite London film or tv show?

"An Ideal Husband: If you like witty banter and superb sets and costumes, you'll love the 1999 film adaptation of Oscar Wilde's 'An Ideal Husband'. The plot is a bit complex, so watch carefully, but even if you get lost, the performances are great, and it is full of famous Wildian one-liners 'Fashion is what one wears oneself. What is unfashionable is what other people wear.' And London, London society and London landmarks are the backdrop for the entire spectacle. It is lots of fun, and a good introduction to Wilde (if you need one!)."- Kris

(Bonus points if you recognise the sculpture illustrating this post - it's near the London Centre)

* Photo by Steve W, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

London on screen, part II - Miss Alice

Question of the week: We've asked this before, but it's worth asking again - do you have a favourite London film or tv show?

"Children of Men - even though it moves out of London for a good part of the story, the future-London where the film starts is so perfectly done. It's a dystopia, but one imagined and shot with love and respect and concern for this London, and for Britain. It's quite scarily believable."- Miss Alice

* Photo by Incessant Flux, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

London on screen, part II - Dr Holt

Question of the week: We've asked this before, but it's worth asking again - do you have a favourite London film or tv show?

"London architecture the defines both interior and exterior space as the bright, interested young hero (Matthew Macfayden) in Stephan Poliakoff's 'Perfect Strangers' takes a road trip with his parents (Michael Gambon and Jill Baker) from a rather ordinary London suburb to a family reunion at a posh maze of a London hotel. Perhaps a hundred or so cousins have gathered, although only the clusters of immediate families know each other. One cousin (Anton Lesser) is a self-appointed family archivist who has identified their wider connections to one another. He narrates mesmerizing photo-biographies that resolve quite marvelous mysteries. Locations include terrace houses during the Blitz; the Whitehall offices of one mysterious and glamourous cousin (Toby Stevens), and the starkly costly rented flat of another (Claire Skinner); and both a vacant house filled with things left behind and a vacant warehouse emptily potential.

Other London films I can watch again and again include 'Sliding Doors' and 'Truly, Madly, Deeply', and all of these are in the LUP Library"- Dr Holt

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

London on screen, part II - Kris

Question of the week: We've asked this before, but it's worth asking again - do you have a favourite London film or tv show?

"I think that Bend it Like Beckham is a great London film, even though it has no shots of famous landmarks, no car chases through the crowded city streets, and really stays within a sleepy suburb for most of the duration of the film. But it does highlight how people really live in London, the diversity of even a commuter area, and how people mix and form friendships in the most normal and extraordinary ways.

If you haven't seen the film, it stars Parminder Nagra and Kiera Knightly as two young women who meet playing for the local women's football team. Both of them have rebelled against their families to do so, Jess (Nagra) against what her traditional Sikh family believes women should do, and Jules (Knightly) against her mother's idea of what is feminine. The team goes to Germany to play in the league cup final, both Jess and Jules fall for the same guy, and they are both offered the fairy-tale ending of playing college soccer in the US. But the best part of the film is the relationship between Jess and Jules, between the women and their respective families/cultures, and how they each reconcile what they want with what is expected of them.

It's great, it's a lot of fun, and it's in the library!"- Kris

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

London on screen part II - Catherine

Question of the week: We've asked this before, but it's worth asking again - do you have a favourite London film or tv show?

"Love Actually! I need a diagram to keep all the separate stories straight, but it's not Christmas until I've watched this movie. It is not only a who's-who of British actors, but of London landmarks as well - all lit up for the holidays." - Catherine

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

Royal London - Miss Alice

Question of the week:Can you suggest somewhere to visit with a Royal connection?

"For somewhere not a palace, how about the Enlightenment room at the British Museum; a fascinating collection in the room built to house The King's Library, over 60,000 books collected by King George III (1760–1820), and given to the nation by his son.

The nation, in the form of the British Museum, was running out of space, so the beautiful quadrangle building that houses the museum today was commissioned. The King's Library room was the first wing to be built, and in 2004 was re-launched as the home of the Enlightenment Room, an exhibition examining both the past and the Enlightenment's relationship to that history"- Miss Alice

* Photo by Seriykotik1970, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Royal London - Miss Alice

Question of the week: Can you suggest somewhere to visit with a Royal connection?

"I was hoping to come up with something a little less obvious, but I was over at Kensington Palace on Friday, at their Enchanted Palace exhibition, and it was fantastic. A wonderfully creative response to working around the building work that's going on, telling some of the more personal stories of the Royals - specifically the princesses - who have lived their through the centuries. The costumed 'Explainers' were very good, and the blend of modern and historical artefacts was spot on. If their basic premise of enchantment and telling stories about the past appeals to you, then it's worth every penny of the admissions charge (Afternoon tea in the Orangery is similarly worth the investment.)

If you're less convinced by the Enchanted Princess concept, simply take a turn around Kensington Gardens, the palace grounds now turned public park. As well as the Peter Pan and the Diana Memorial, you could visit the Serpentine Gallery (Anish Kapoor's Turning the World Upside Down, in the gardens themselves, is stunning), or feed the (very tame) birds on the Round Pond."- Miss Alice

Royal London - Ric

Question of the week: Can you suggest somewhere to visit with a Royal connection?

"Somewhere with a Royal connection -
take a tour around Smithfield - the location for show trials and executions by Queens Mary and Elizabeth in the C16th

Every Friday at 2 o’clock, a trained City of London guide conducts a tour that encompasses the Church of St Bartholomew the Less, the hospital Square, North Wing – including the Great Hall and Hogarth’s famous biblical paintings – the Church of St Bartholomew the Great and Cloth Fair in Smithfield. The hospital, churches and locality are all interwoven and have shaped each other’s changes and growth. It is well worth taking the time to join one of the Friday tours which take place every Friday at 2pm, starting at the Henry VIIIth Gate in West Smithfield. They cost £5 (£4 concessions)."- Ric

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

Royal London - Kris

Question of the week: Can you suggest somewhere to visit with a Royal connection?

"The Tower of London: I know that it's an obvious choice, but so many people spend all semester in London and never go into the Tower of London. I think that it might be my favourite English castle, and it is certainly one of the oldest castles still in regular use. It was begun by William the Conqueror, probably in the 1070s, and was used by the Royal family as a primary residence until the reign of Elizabeth I. It was also used as a prison, mainly for important or valuable prisoners, and that function extended until the Second World War, when Rudolf Hess (Hitler's Deputy) was held there.

You can still see the Crown Jewels, and the Yeomen Warders who have served as the Royal Bodyguard since the 15th century. But as far as Royal connections go, you can't do much better than the Tower of London."- Kris

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

Non-fiction London books - Miss Alice

"Just a quick PS to the week, with a book that I'm reading at the moment - London lore : the legends and traditions of the world's most vibrant city by Stephen Roud. I can't claim itas a favourite when I've only just started, but Roud's both a local studies librarian, and Honorary Librarian of the Folklore Society, so knows what he's writing about.

So far it's been an interesting read, touching on dozens of locations and documenting and untangling the stories - true and less true - that have grown up around them. The stories people create to patch together half-remembered history and to explain things that don't make sense are fascinating. There's a copy in the LUP Library here."- Miss Alice

* Photo by Aloha Orangeneko, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Non-fiction London books - Hal

Question of the week:Do you have a favourite non-fiction book about London?

"Highgate Cemetery:Victorian Valhalla by Felix Barker, photos by John Gay.

I was given this book at the age of 13 by my Grandfather and I found it massively captivating. It’s regarded by a number of people as one of the best books or collections of iconic images relating to the world-famous cemetery and is packed with atmosphere. It also goes a fair distance in explaining many of the more significant sites & attractions of the site. Well worth a look-in and it doesn’t take long to absorb."- Hal

(NB - Request a copy via ILL if you're interested - our partner library has a copy. Purple ILL sheets are in the library. - Miss Alice)

* Photo by Nick Garrod, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Non-fiction London books - Ric

Question of the week: Do you have a favourite non-fiction book about London?

"David Long, Tunnels, Towers and Temples: London's 100 Strangest Places.

100 places most of us don't know about, or haven't spotted or should know more about but don't. Best of all most of them can be visited, and often without an admission fee. Top secret tunnels, exotic architectural survivors, hidden courtyards and plenty of weird or grisly stuff about the people who built them, lived in them or died there."- Ric

There's a copy in the LUP Library here.

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

Non-fiction London books - Miss Alice

Question of the week: Do you have a favourite non-fiction book about London?

"Dozens of them, but if forced to pick just one, In the City: A Celebration of London Music by Paul Du Noyer.

It's not a flawless book, but it is a great starting point, bringing together a lot of information about an aspect of the city that's hugely important to me, in a very readable style, complete with playlists. There's a copy in the library here "- Miss Alice

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

non-fiction London books - Kris

This week we're celebrating the launch of the new edition of Violent London: 2,000 years of riots, rebels and revolts, by one of our faculty, Clive Bloom, so this week's question is: do you have a favourite non-fiction London book?

"London's Disused Underground Stations, by JE Connor.

When walking around London have you ever noticed the unused tube stations? Some of them look like they could be opened up and used tomorrow, and some of them you can hardly see any more. But you'll recognize them from movies and TV, and possibly glimpse them through the windows as you ride on the tube. The pictures show what the stations now look like, and chronicle the changes in tube design and decoration. The book is fairly dry, but informative if you want to know about the changes that prompted the closing of the stations (industrial, social and otherwise) or if you just want to learn some random facts to impress your parents when they come to visit. It's a fun book." - Kris

(NB - If you want to read this, there's a copy on the way - keep an eye on this search to see when it comes in, and to find other related books.

* Photo by Ben Sutherland, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Houses that are now museums - Ric

Question of the week: There are so many museums in London it's hard to know where to start - can you recommend one that used to be a house?

"The Horniman Museum, 100 London Rd, Forest Hill, London, SE23.

The museum was founded by Victorian tea trader Frederick John Horniman and contained his collection of natural history, cultural artefacts and musical instruments. One of its most famous exhibits is the large collection of stuffed animals. It also has an aquarium noted for its unique layout. The museum sits in 16 acres of parkland in the - appropriately named - Forest Hill area of South London."- Ric

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

Houses that are now museums - Miss Alice

Question of the week: There are so many museums in London it's hard to know where to start - can you recommend one that used to be a house?

"It's a little bit off the beaten track, but if you make your way to the eastern end of the Victoria line, to Walthamstow, and then walk or take the bus the length of Hoe Street, you'll find Water House, William Morris's family home from 1848 to 1856, and now home to the William Morris Gallery.

Perhaps the most famous member of the Victorian Arts and Crafts movement, Morris' influence, both as a designer and as a thinker, persists to this day. The William Morris gallery celebrates his work, and it's a gem of a collection - well worth the trip."- Miss Alice

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

Houses that are now museums - Dr Holt

Question of the week: There are so many museums in London it's hard to know where to start - can you recommend one that used to be a house?

"My favourite house museums are those whose architecture and especially collections reveal something of the people who lived there. My first choice would be the Wallace Collection in Manchester Square, which Kris wrote about yesterday, and my second Sir John Soanes House in Lincoln's Inn Fields.

The façade of Sir John Soane's house suggests yet another Georgian row house. Inside, however, the visitor is nearly overwhelmed with the wondrous imagination and therefore collection gathered and displayed by Sir John Soanes. Especially noteworthy are the special sliding walls to permit display of surely countless paintings. Notice too how the beautifully proportioned rooms upstairs contrast with the cozier warren of smaller rooms packed with their bits of ruined ancient sculptures. I noticed with some delight two left ancient marble feet -- you'll find your own favourites."- Dr Holt

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

Houses that are now museums - Kris

Question of the week: There are so many museums in London it's hard to know where to start - can you recommend one that used to be a house?

"The Wallace Collection is one of the embarrassing number of free museums in London, but, tucked away in Manchester Square, it doesn't seem to get the publicity of its bigger brothers and sisters like the British Museum or the Tate Modern.

The Wallace Collection is just that, the collections of the first four Marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace, the son of the 4th Marquess. It was bequeathed to the British nation by Sir Richard's widow, Lady Wallace, in 1897. And it is all contained, jewel-box like, in Hertford House, their former London residence.

The collection is varied - from a vast collection of arms and armour to Rococo furniture, and a little bit of everything in between. There are a number of famous paintings, among them the Laughing Cavalier by Hals and Fragonard's The Swing, but the house has retained enough of a 'house-like' feeling to give a good impression o fwhat it might have been like to live surrounded by such amazing objects."- Kris

* Photo by Su-Lin, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.