Late post from June 2025. A lovely vibrant area along the Thames. On this day, kids were keeping…read morecool playing at the water fountains up the stairs by the Southbank building. There is also a really nice roof top restaurant bar on top of the yellow winding stairs. The roof top is filled with grass and plantations, providing shade and a little oasis away from the city. There's also a nice market filled with food vendors. A great area to hang out, enjoy good food and the views of the London eye.

This is for the Royal Festival Hall portion of the Centre, which I recently got to experience for…read moresome Beethoven and Mozart with the Philharmonia Orchestra, Esa-Pekka Salonen, and Lang Lang. Cool space for the concert, in line with the trend that you can see at the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and the Kauffman Performing Arts Center in Kansas City - "in the round" concerts where the audience wraps around the musicians. Only a couple quibbles: not a lot of seating on the outside for before the concert or during intermission, and the need for a better system of getting people out, as there was a bit of a jam (I know this is something that comes up in any large venue, but some places manage it better than others). Definitely worth a visit!

The grand hall is pretty good as a venue (once you work out where it is!!)…read more We had to wander around in the rain for a while as we couldn't find the entrance. The easiest way to find it is go through the little passageway by the library, directly opposite St Pancras station...then wander around the back as the entrance was on Bidborough Street. It is just like a large town hall, so I imagine it would be quite a fun venue for concerts or dancing. We wandered in for a gin festival (which was a bit rubbish...) but I could see the venue was still good. - They have cloak rooms downstairs that were pretty efficient - There are loads of ladies loos (so you shouldn't have to wait for too long!) - It's a brilliant location

The whole of Bloomsbury looks regal and fantastic, without a doubt. This Town Hall simply adds to…read morethe loveliness of the whole area.

If you happen to be strolling through Richmond Park and feel the need to sit and enjoy a quiet…read morecoffee and piece of cake, this is the perfect place complete in its own gardens with breathtaking views over London. Life gets no better than this! The grounds of Pembroke Lodge are a fabulous addition to the park, and there is also a memorial bench for Ian Dury at Poet's Corner. If you fancy a little cultured learning whilst sipping your coffee, the bench is solar powered and you can plug in your headphones to listen to a selection of his music and his Desert Island Discs interview. Both the upstairs and downstairs are is available for hire but you may sill have to share it by the other folk enjoying their coffee! Absolutely stunning venue which must be visited.

Ah this is a special little place. Fancy a cuppa and some cheesecake in a Georgian Mansion? Yes…read moreplease! There's lots of seating inside, but i normally opt for outside because the views are just so darn stunning! If you head up to the highest point within the park you can see St Paul's Cathedral through a telescope (from King Henry VIII's Mound). I was impressed! There is also a thatched house within the grounds, which is home to Princess Alexandra, who is a member of the British Royal Family (the youngest granddaughter of King George V and Queen Mary). Richmond park is such a wonderful place, this just makes it even more great! And it's so colourful at this time of the year...

I came here to listen to Cornish fishermen sing sea shanties (say that five times fast!) I mean, I…read moremoved to another country to have wildly different experiences to home and this was, indeed, wildly different. And free! Situated in the Southbank Centre (which includes Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Hayward Gallery), the Royal Festival Hall is a massive performance space. And should you need it, there's wifi on the second floor.

Great sound quality and comfortable seating. Great on a…read moresunny day when you can finish off the afternoon/evening with a walk along the South Bank

What a perfect place to have a business conference in London! It's so big that they have multiple…read moreconferences going at any time - the day I came, there were three different medium-sized conferences. It makes me wonder, does that mean there are dozens of conferences going on in London on any given day? *mind blown* The top floor has beautiful views of the city, with one side facing The London Eye/Shard/Big Ben and the building being across the street from Westminster Abbey. There were modern, clean toilet facilities all over the place, and the elevators were large and moved quickly. Yep, I'd be happy to go back for another conference.

A tad bit outdated in its presentation the Queen Elizabeth Conference Centre is one of the largest…read moreplaces for events to be held. Very old fashioned they have updated themselves with a few technological changes here and there. But I insist its needs a fresh new look. I attended an International Conference here a few weeks ago. The conference went off very well with professionals from all around participating. Catered throughout the two day event we had our talks and presentations in one of the rooms and tea/coffe and lunch in another. But the access to the floors and the conference rooms is quiet a maze with paths not clearly directed and quiet a bit of looking left to right. Its like crossing the road with the red signal on! Anyhow with the sleepy feel to the place I suggest a good make over for the Queen Elizabeth II Conference centre in London.

This venue has been outstanding. They have supported the best-in-business year after year and I…read morecan't believe it hasn't gone on longer.

A really nice facility that has clearly been around for a very long time. Wikipedia says it was…read morebuilt in 1885. On the inside, the exhibition floor is around the size of an Olympic pool or maybe a football pitch ("soccer field" to Americans). Very light and airy with a high arching roof. It's located right next to Kensington Olympia Underground station, but Olympia is on a spur that does not get served very well. You might be better to exit the Underground at Kensington High Street and take a bus or taxi. Depending on the event, there may or may not be food offerings. Today for the Unified Communications Expo, there is a coffee and pastries bar in the center of the floor, plus two "permanent" sandwich stores where the prices run towards expensive. No organic wifi, unfortunately. For this event, O2 is here and has set up a social media lounge and provided free access.

Sorry not a review of pubs :0)…read more The line of houses still remaining at Holborn Bars, on the south side of the street, opposite Furnival's-inn, are still well worth seeing, as being by far the most perfect specimens of old street architecture, with its wooden beams and projecting upper storeys, remaining in London. An 1896 description says Holborn, derived from Hole Bourne, has been an important thoroughfare for centuries. Criminals travelled along it from the Tower and Newgate on their last journey to Tyburn, and the Inns of Court on either side made it busy. It escaped the Great Fire, but modern improvements have greatly altered its character, least so, however, at the spot known as Holborn Bars, where are some picturesque old houses. At the junction of Grays Inn Rd is Holborn Bar, a stone obelisk with silver griffins on it. This marks the boundary of the City of London. It was originally set up in 1130 and acted as a toll booth as well as a check point to prevent rogues vagabonds and lepers entering the City The granite obelisk is one of those marking the site of the Bars enclosing the City Liberties, and here a toll had to be paid for carts entering the City. Through Holborn Bars entry is effected to Staple Inn, where Dr. Johnson lived and wrote Rasselas. Holborn extends from the Viaduct to Holborn Bars; that part of the street which stretches from the Bars to Drury Lane is known as High Holborn. On the south side of the street stands Staples Inn. It was built in 1586 and is the only surviving Elizabethan domestic building in London. Dr Johnson used to occupy number 2 from 1759-60. Dickens lived where the Prudential now stands from 1834-7. Farther to the east on the south side of the street is Bernards Inn. Pip and Herbert Pocket in Dickens Great Expectations lived here. The next street running south is Fetter Lane. The name may derive from the old French for lawyer, whose reputation was so low that the word came to mean idler. Another source derives it from the armourers who served the Knight Templars who built their round church on what is now High Circus. Both ends of the street were used as occasional execution and punishment sites. Opposite Fleur de Lis Court lived Elizabeth Brownrigg the notorious midwife who was hanged, for murdering her girls. To the north runs Hatton Gardens, which is the centre of the diamond trade in London. Street directories for 1837-39 record that J Gillingswater, Slaughterer of Bears and Importer of Bear Grease, had a barber's shop at 148 Holborn Bars, London. Bears grease was used as a pomade for the hair and was also said to cure baldness, presumably based on bears being very hairy. In the 19C bears were even farmed in 1877 there were, within the state of Maine, 1800 families involved in breeding and raising bears, with each milch bear yielding 10 to 12 pounds of excellent butter.

Not one of my typical reviews, but here it is…read more Let's be specific here, holborn bars is now run by De Vere venues, they have circa 40 function rooms that can be booked for private, corporate, communal, any sort of activities you would want to hold here. The Holborn bars are historically rich with many remnants such as the prudential safes still adding character to the building. I come here fairly often for corporate training events. The function rooms are always well stocked with stationery and anything you could possibly require. Coffee, tea, biscuits and flapjacks are held either outside the function room it in the kitchenettes located on every floor, be warned though - this place is a bit of a maze. There are different food options, you can either get sandwiches delivered to your room, or head downstairs for the hot food. The hot food here is quite substantial with an option of meat, fish or vegetable-centric mains, supplemented by an unlimited salad bar. All well here. The danger is when you get to dessert with a self-help cheese board and a fridge-full of desserts, week-long training a are dire for the health. All in all, it's a great venue with good food options, steeped in history and beautiful architecture. If you ever find yourself here, do wander around. Must caveat though, I have no idea how much it costs to book the venue, I can't imagine it being particularly cheap, demand must be through the roof considering it's location.

Chelsea Old Town Hall still acts as a registry office and you don't have to be Mick Jagger to step…read moredown these famous steps. It's not only full of history but also just the most beautiful setting. The main hall is hired out for events throughout the year with regular vintage sales and art fairs, attracting a well healed Chelsea crowd. My most recent visit was for the annual Parallax Art Fair. A cellist was playing in one corner making this a very civilised experience while the artworks on offer were outshone by the hall's gorgeous ceiling and chandeliers. The bar area off to one side of the main hall made me smile. Time had stood still here and it felt like entering the breakfast room of a faded seaside home for the elderly. I didn't stop for a coffee, moving on to one of the more modern establishments along the Kings Road instead.

Love, love this place. On weekends outside you'll see rich kids being married off by their parents,…read moreyou'll also see Dad's diligently marking their offspring into the library to get them excited about books, you might even find a really cool event happening! I've been here so many times and each time is totally different. I came for Frock me and it was Vintage heaven. I even saw Yasmin Le Bon browsing the goods. How's that for a Heat moment?! They also host craft fairs here and other cool local happenings. It's such a beautiful place to hold events like this. Gold gilt walls and crystal chandeliers, there is even a retro little cafe that serves up wonderful egg mayonnaise baguettes! I wish I knew more of the history of this place as I'm sure there are some awesome old folk tales of dances and war time tales. If you get a chance, come on in and take a look around, you won't regret it.