One of the most valuable things about living in Bloomsbury is having the British Museum (with free entry) on our doorstep. On Friday night we took advantage of the museum’s extended opening hours, spending time in the galleries sponsored by Lord Duveen of Millbank. On a Friday night, the museum is usually much less crowded than in… [Read more…]
January 11, 2012
Sadly, this lovely space is now permanently closed as a reading room and used entirely for visiting exhibitions. By sheer coincidence, we stopped by in the last few minutes of the last day that it operated as a library (a few years ago, now), and took some shots of the interior. Read more about the… [Read more…]
December 11, 2011
The Camden Concert Band performing before the Nereid Monument in Room 17 of the British Museum on Friday 9th December 2011.
October 1, 2011
Irish-born Sir Hans Sloane (1660 – 1753) was a prolific collector, physician, botanist and administrator. But his most noteworthy claim to fame in the eyes of many, would be his invention of sweet drinking chocolate and its introduction to Europe. A plaque commemorating Sloane can be found at 4 Bloomsbury Place WC1, just moments from the front… [Read more…]
July 21, 2011
Shoppers on Marchmont Street in Bloomsbury may have noticed a blue plaque that appeared a little while ago at No. 87, to commemorate Percy Bysshe Shelley’s and Mary Shelley’s time in a house that once stood on the site. But what is perhaps less well known is that just a few streets beyond the northern and eastern boundaries… [Read more…]
June 8, 2011
The Australian Season is in full swing at the British Museum in Bloomsbury, with many more events still to come. In the Walkabout Trail, a few exhibition items – including a plant from the forecourt garden, and a bark shield – have been singled out for special examination, with brief , downloadable audio guides. The Baskets and Belonging exhibition… [Read more…]
May 9, 2011
On Thursday 5th May, the British Museum’s Stevenson lecture theatre hosted “Meeting of Minds 2011 – an evening with Sir Christopher Frayling & Deyan Sudjic OBE”. The event was organised and chaired by Jan Casey. The topic for discussion: ”How can design not only meet a client’s commercial objectives but also enhance our lives and the culture… [Read more…]
May 6, 2011
For the homesick Australian, or the botanically curious, head to the forecourt of the British Museum for a pick-me-up dose of antipodean greenery and the scent of gum leaves. The Australian Season has kicked off with the opening of “The Australian Landscape”, put together with the help of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. The garden is free, open daily… [Read more…]
April 27, 2011
What is a caryatid? If you’ve ever walked along Euston Rd, just past the northern edge of Bloomsbury, you will have probably seen them adorning the north side of St Parish Pancras Church. They can also be found on the south side. The church itself sits roughly midway between the British Library to the east, and… [Read more…]
March 26, 2011
Egyptian mummies and the Rosetta Stone draw the biggest crowds at Bloomsbury’s British Museum, but the canny visitor will head to the more peaceful environs of Room 70: The Roman Room, to see one of the museum’s most important objects – the Portland Vase. Mystery surrounds this beautiful cameo glass creation. Thought to originate from Rome between… [Read more…]
London Bytes
February 26, 2012
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