Art & culture – All our local tips

Image by Charl Asuit

This iconic venue in south west London is conveniently located near the Balham rail and underground stations. There is something happening each night of the week whether it’s a comedy show, a dance class, a concert or club night. You can also chill with a pint or two by the fireplace or soak in the lively atmosphere as you sit by the bar.

I discovered the Bedford when I began to learn to dance lindy lop with Swingland. Since then I have been going for different reasons. First, dancing Argentine tango on Thursday and every other Sunday with Tango Fandango. Then there’s the Banana Cabaret comedy club on Friday or Saturday, depending on who’s on the bill. The Shakespearean globe structure provides a stage not only to well-known comedians such as Milton Jones but also for the up-and-coming, too. And last but not the very least, the best tasting (quite possibly) bowl of chips in London. But at times I’m just after the usual pint and a bit of sports on telly (yes, women like watching sports, too!) with friends then the Bedford can be just that as well.

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The Bedford | Art & culture, Bars, Music, Restaurants (Pub) | Wine £ 3.00
77 Bedford Hill | South-West | +442086828940
Mon – Thu 11:00 – 23:00, Fri – Sat 11:00 – 02:00, Sun 12:00 – 22:30

Image by Pritaya Sriolong

Everybody loves anything free, right? London gives residents and visitors alike many opportunities to enjoy this wonderful city at no cost – museums, galleries and other events. The Scoop is a venue beside the City Hall that offers a variety of free stuff, too. Apart from providing everyone with a space to just sit down and relax, you can enjoy a bit of entertainment and culture, too.

Events ranges from film screenings, exhibits, concerts and community activities are often staged at The Scoop, especially in the summer. The best part of these events is the fact that they are open to the public and most likely free. You will need to check their website or sign up to their mailing list to get regular updates.

If there is nothing then perhaps you might catch a sighting of London’s ‘infamous’ mayor, Boris Johnson, at the City Hall.

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The Scoop | Art & culture, Cinemas, Relaxing, Festivals & events | Free
2A More London Riverside,SE1 2DB | South-East
Film screenings Wed – Fri from 19:30

Image by Peter Hoffer

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the expeditions by Captain Scott and Ernest Shackleton exploring the coldest places on Earth. To help commemorate the occasion, the Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace is showcasing a collection of photographs from these polar exhibitions.

The photographs are the closest many of us will get to trekking through the Antarctic and meeting with local penguins. Some photos reflected the camaraderie of these hardy men while others represent the sheer loneliness of standing at the bottom of the world. Despite the warm and cosy confines of the gallery, I did feel a distinct chill while admiring these photos – how did these adventurers stay warm, stay sane, and ultimately stay alive?

The Queen’s Gallery is also worth seeing for the surroundings itself. Again, many of us will never be invited to have tea at Buckingham Palace, but for less than a tenner, you can enter part of the palace and share the artistic treasures that the Queen enjoys.

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The Queen’s Gallery | Art & culture | Admission (1 year admission) £ 7.50
The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, SW1A 1AA | Central | +442077667301
10:00 – 17:30 daily

Image by heatheronhertravels

The Geffrye Museum specialises in the history of the home. The collection of furniture, textiles, paintings and objects are displayed in a series of rooms which date chronologically from 1600 to the present day. This means that it is full of the everyday, common objects rather than of the precious exquisite examples of the landed gentry. Clearly some of the displays are now worth a small fortune to a collector, but what the Geffrye do is ‘find the relatively ordinary things of the past, owned and used by ordinary people, and to show these in their appropriate domestic context’.

The eleven Period Rooms depict the style of English middle-class living room and if, like me, you are into interior design, this makes for a fascinating museum visit. Especially when I get to the 20th Century rooms and see the furniture and designs of the 50s and 60s (which I love) and compare them to ‘loft living’ of the 90s which in comparison looks horribly dated. 

The museum is set in a beautiful set of 18th-century almshouse buildings, has attractive gardens, including a walled herb garden, and there is a newly built extension out back which houses a tasty cafe. Entrance to the museum if free, but there is a charge for the special exhibitions which run throughout the year.

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The Geffrye Museum | Art & culture | Special exhibitions € 5
Kingsland Rd,E2 8EA | East | +442077399893
Tue – Sat 10:00 – 17:00, Sun 12:00 – 17:00

Image by bobaliciouslondon

The first Thursday of the month (every month) is an art explosion in East London. Over 100 galleries and museums from Shoreditch to Bethnal Green, from the City to Whitechapel, from Hackney to Hackney Wick open their doors late and for free and give us a chance to see some amazing art, culture and live events. 

Although First Thursdays is spread across a huge area of the city there are definite epicentres to the art is each area. Redchurch Street in Shoreditch, for example, or Vyner Street in Hackney. And these centres draw the crowds, which in turn means the pubs and restaurants surrounding them are packed and lively. Not that you need to be spending money on First Thursdays as each and every gallery will normally take the opportunity of the larger crowds and greater exposure to open a new exhibition or have a Private View. And with both comes wine, beers and nibbles. In the hope, of course, of selling something on display. 

The best way to see what is on is to visit the First Thursdays website. The scale and the extent of the project is there for all to see. There is also a list of what events are on and when and they are further broken down by location and media. A sculpture fan in Shoreditch? No problem. First Thursdays will list the galleries, artist run spaces and studios on the interactive map for you. 

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First Thursdays | Art & culture | Free
Vyner Street,E2 | East
Thu till 21:00