Monday 30 November 2015

Museum of London - Roman revelations and seasonal celebrations for December

Christmas past, Christmas presents

December at the museums is a feast of seasonal activity from festive themed tours to creative shopping ideas.

Santa will be greeting little guests in our grottos in the Victorian Walk at the Museum of London and in Sailortown at theMuseum of London Docklands, and our annual free performance of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol returns to both museums on 19, 20, 28 and 29 December.


What's new this month
Tour the Thames: London's Frost Fairs
Take a boat trip along the Thames with curators Alex Werner, Head of History Collections, and Hazel Forsyth, Senior Curator of Medieval & Post-Medieval History, this Saturday to consider London's frost fairs from the river.


Let's Celebrate free family festival
Kick off the celebrations on 5 and 6 Dec at the Museum of London Docklands.Discover and share in the historic and modern ways Londoners mark special occasions with stories, crafts and performances.
                            

Christmas Fayre at the Museum of London Docklands 
Get all your shopping sorted in one evening with 60 stalls of design-led, handmade products by Crafty Fox Market, accompanied by live music, festive barbeque, and warming winter cocktails on 8 December from 4-10pm.
   

Eat drink and be merry
Get up close to artefacts on a themed tour of the archaeological archive on 5 and 19 December exploring dining and drinking in centuries past.
                                  
>  Book now

Following a ground-breaking study, come and meet four Roman Londoners and discover their hidden stories.

The Museum of London worked with international scientists to reveal the secrets in the skeletons of the people who lived in the city nearly 2,000 years ago. Explore where they grew up, what they looked like and who they might have been.
                              

                           

As a pre-Christmas gift for our subscribers, we're sharing Fresh Blood, a short story by Tony Parsons, the bestselling author of The Murder Bag. Max Wolfe visits the Metropolitan Police’s Crime Museum for help with a murder case, but what dangers will he uncover?
Billingsgate Roman House & Baths tours
Don't miss your chance to get into Billingsgate Roman House & Baths. The lasttalk and tour of this amazing, rarely open, Roman site takes place on the 12 December.
         
>  Book now

F1 Racing 12-Month Subscription, Delivery Inc. F1 Racing Magazine: 12-Month Subscription Only £19

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If you're an F1 fan, we've got something to get your heart-racing: for £19 (up to a £39.99 value) get a 12-month subscription to F1 Racing Magazine. Get right under the skin of the world's fastest sport with no-nonsense writing and award-winning photography.
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Sunday 29 November 2015

Hover Ball: Fun Indoor Soft Foam Floating Football with Glide Base - Christmas Present

It’s the indoor football that floats across floors like magic thanks to the super glide base. The soft, foam construction means it will bounce gently off walls, furniture and skirting boards without any damage. And, because it never leaves the floor, your home is safe while the children have hours of fun, whatever the weather. Size: 16cm x 7.5cm. Colour: Green. Use: Ideal on carpets and most indoor flooring. Suitable for ages 6 and above.

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Harvey Nichols - Christmas Windows 2015

  • Department store's seasonal showcase draws on designer Studio 54 trend which gives a nod to iconic 70s nightclub
  • Celebrates the disco era famed by John Travolta in the film Saturday Night Fever
  • Giant 3D faces made from gift boxes form the centrepiece of each window, surrounded by fairy lights
  • Extravagant display can be seen at all Harvey Nichols stores across the UK and in Dublin

  • The store in Knightsbridge has come alive with a kaleidoscope of colour, with twinkling Christmas lights surrounding the window displays

    Each of the 13 windows at the Harvey Nichols store has disco-themed faces hand-crafted from some 15,000 gift boxes

    Each of the 13 windows at the Harvey Nichols store has disco-themed faces hand-crafted from some 15,000 gift boxes
    The displays are a nod to the style and culture seen at the iconic New York nightclub Studio 54, which was at the epicentre of the disco movement in the 1970s

    The displays are a nod to the style and culture seen at the iconic New York nightclub Studio 54, which was at the epicentre of the disco movement in the 1970s
    Some one million flakes of glitter have been used to create the seasonal showcase, which can be seen at all Harvey Nichols stores across the country and in Dublin, Ireland 

    Some one million flakes of glitter have been used to create the seasonal showcase, which can be seen at all Harvey Nichols stores across the country and in Dublin, Ireland 
    The features of each of the disco characters are brought to life by a variety of props, including this one which has mannequins for eyebrows and Christmas foliage for hair

    The features of each of the disco characters are brought to life by a variety of props, including this one which has mannequins for eyebrows and Christmas foliage for hair
    Some 15kg of glue sticks and 30,000 staples were needed to create the magical window displays, which are set to turn thousands, if not millions, of heads this festive season

    Some 15kg of glue sticks and 30,000 staples were needed to create the magical window displays, which are set to turn thousands, if not millions, of heads this festive season
    The mannequins are also celebrating the Studio 54 style, with chunky gold platforms, glitzy tights and thigh-skimming skirts

    The mannequins are also celebrating the Studio 54 style, with chunky gold platforms, glitzy tights and thigh-skimming skirts
    Wide-legged trousers with high-waists teamed with embellished shirts also celebrate the disco era in this festive window

    Wide-legged trousers with high-waists teamed with embellished shirts also celebrate the disco era in this festive window
    The disco glam theme with hand-strung sequins is in stark contrast to last year's  enchanted forest theme at the store, which saw windows filled with whimsical scenes depicting magical fairytales

    The disco glam theme with hand-strung sequins is in stark contrast to last year's enchanted forest theme at the store, which saw windows filled with whimsical scenes depicting magical fairytales
    A total 3,260 square metres of luxury glittering ‘Vegas’ fabric has been used across the window showcases, as well as more than 30,000 multi-coloured sequins to frame each display

    A total 3,260 square metres of luxury glittering ‘Vegas’ fabric has been used across the window showcases, as well as more than 30,000 multi-coloured sequins to frame each display
    The huge characters portray the different personalities of the glamorous disco movement, from a diva with light up hair and sunglasses to a prince of ice with hair frozen into icicles

    The huge characters portray the different personalities of the glamorous disco movement, from a diva with light up hair and sunglasses to a prince of ice with hair frozen into icicles
    Christmas is the only time of year when all of the displays in Harvey Nichols stores across the UK and in Dublin are the same

    Friday 27 November 2015

    BBC Audience - Join Jools and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra for his annual Hootenanny!

    BBC
    Jools' Annual Hootenanny 2015
    Join Jools and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra with a host of guests and performers for a night to remember.

    Date: Wednesday 9 December
    Venue: Maidstone Studios
    Doors open: 6.45pm
    Show starts: 8pm

    Due to the popularity of this show we are operating a random draw for tickets.

    You can register at any time until 8pm on Monday 30 November.

    You can apply for a maximum of two tickets.

    **Please note this is a standing audience**

    To enter the random draw visit bbc.co.uk/showsandtours.

    Good luck!

    BBC Shows and Tours


    12-Bottle Case from The Sunday Times Wine Club Bottoms Up: 12-Bottle White, Red or Mixed Case of Wine £49

     Expertly selected and handpicked wines delivered to your door
    • Enjoy delicious wines for only £4.09 a bottle
    • Choose from a mixed, red or white case
    • Receive 12 bottles of wine
    • Delivery: £1
    If your wine rack's looking empty, stock up for Christmas for less with one of these 12-bottle cases, brought to you by The Sunday Times Wine Club. Each expertly chosen selection of quality, boutique wines costs just £49 (a £110.88 value) that's only £4.09 a bottle. Plus, you'll also receive a wine plan membership which you can cancel at any time.
    Mixed Case
    • Yallum Ridge Tempranillo 2014 x 2
    • Liboreau Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 x 2
    • Niño de las Uvas Monastrell 2014 x 2
    • The Huguenot Chenin Blanc 2015 x 2
    • Angove Chardonnay 2014 x 2
    • Lobo et FalcĂ£o 2014 x 2
    Reds Case
    • Yallum Ridge Tempranillo 2014 x 2
    • The Optimist Shiraz Cabernet 2014 x 2
    • Liboreau Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 x 2
    • Niño de las Uvas Monastrell 2014 x 2
    • Il Brutto Salento Rosso 2014 x 2
    • Don Cayetano Merlot 2014 x 2
    Whites Case
    • The Huguenot Chenin Blanc 2015 x 2
    • Angove Chardonnay 2014 x 2
    • Lobo et FalcĂ£o 2014 x 2
    • Le Citronnier Colombard Sauvignon Blanc 2014 x 2
    • Peach Stone 2014 x 2
    • Escudo do Oro Muscat x 2

    Thursday 26 November 2015

    Strawberry Hill House - Christmas Fun at Strawberry Hill

    Do your little ones believe in the magic of Christmas?

    Santa Claus will be staying at Strawberry Hill House for six festive days and your children can visit him at home in the castle!
    Walk through a magically decorated hallway and join Santa in his cosy living room. Hear Santa and his elves’ best festive stories and get a chance to share your very special Christmas wish with Santa himself. Children will also receive a traditional Christmas gift from underneath Santa’s sparkling tree.
       
    8th, 9th, 10th and
    15th, 16th, 17th December at 11.30, 1.30 and 4pm

    Suitable for 0-5 year-olds, and everyone who is posting a letter to the North Pole
    Book your visit now!

    A Strawberry Christmas You Will Love

    ..
    ..

    Have your spines tingled and your bumps goosed with Old Haunts - an atmospheric adaption of the creepiest Edwardian ghost stories

    Strawberry Hill, home of gothic terror, welcomes back the Don't Go into the Cellar theatre company with Warnings to the Curious. Join M.R. James as he summons malevolent spirits and vengeful demons in these classic eerie tales.
    A Master-class of scary storytelling by a consummate actor. You could have heard a pin drop from the mesmerised listeners as the haunted tales unfolded...
    Pre-concert Dining
    There is also opportunity to enjoy a pre-concert meal in the delightful surroundings of the Cloister Coffee House

    Pop Up Christmas Cards 
    Paper cutting, colouring and collaging are just a few of the things we'll be doing to make these fun and festive cards. Suitable for children under 5.
    Sunday 13 December 2015  at 11:00
    Book now
    Go Crackers!

    Create your own crackers for the dinner table to ensure your Christmas goes with a bang!
    Suitable for children aged 5 and over.

    Saturday 12 December 2015  at 14:00

    Book now
    O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree
    Take part in this lovely workshop to make a beautiful decoration for your family Christmas tree that will sparkle for years to come. Suitable for children under 5.
    Saturday 12 December 2015  at 11:00 Book now

    ShowbizCelebrity News Ab Fab's Patsy and Eddy help Stella McCartney switch on her Christmas lights

    Stella McCartney roped in a couple of old pals to help her switch on her Christmas lights this year.
    The award-winning designer called on Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders aka Patsy and Eddy to help host the annual party at her Bruton Street store on Wednesday.
    Arriving in character as their champagne-swilling Absolutely Fabulous alter-egos, the pair posed for photographs outside the store before pushing the button and illuminating the shop windows.
    The fashion-obsessed characters then headed inside to join McCartney’s private party to celebrate the festive season.
    stellemccartneylights2611p.jpg
    Big moment: Patsy and Eddie switch on the festive lights
    A host of the designer’s well-known friends  including Salma Hayek, Ronnie Wood, Jessica Findlay Brown and Lily Cole turned up to celebrate.
    On Monday night, the comedy duo presented McCartney with a trophy at the annual British Fashion Awards at the Coliseum. 

    Wellcome Collection - What's On in December

    Booking for events opens at 11.00 on Friday 27 November.
    You can book online with our ticketing system by following the links below, or you can call us on 020 7611 2222.
    Please note, Wellcome Collection is closed 24–26 Dec 2015 and 1 Jan 2016.
    ..

    Wellcome Collection, A Free Destination for the incurably curious. What's On
     FREE EXHIBITION
    UNTIL 28 FEBRUARY 2016
    FREE | DROP IN
    Tibet’s Secret Temple explores Tibetan Buddhist yogic and meditational practice and their connections to physical and mental wellbeing.

    This exhibition is inspired by an exquisite series of 17th-century murals from a private meditation chamber for Tibet’s Dalai Lamas in Lhasa’s Lukhang Temple. It features over 120 objects including scroll paintings, statues, manuscripts, archival and contemporary film, together with a wide range of ethnographic and ritual artefacts. Three of the murals from the temple have been recreated, by photographer Thomas Laird, as life-sized digital artworks that form the centrepiece of the exhibition.

    Tibet’s Secret Temple, by bringing the mural images together with a unique set of objects, uncovers previously unseen stories behind the ancient, esoteric and once-secret practices illustrated in the Lukhang murals and shows their relevance to the expanding and wide-ranging contemporary interest in meditative wellbeing.

    Queuing or timed ticketing may be in operation at weekends and other busy times.

    › Tibet's Secret Temple – find out more
    THURSDAY 3 DEC, 19.00–21.00
    FREE | BOOK FROM 27 NOV
    What happens when secret practices and sacred objects are taken out of their intended context? Why were they secret and what happens to the sacred? This event will explore Tantric Buddhism from monastery to museum, with stories of unorthodox methods of teaching and unconventional and revered masters. The discussion will be followed by a demonstration of the body–mind practices of Tibetan Yoga.

    › Secret Yogas, Tantric Masters – find out more
    FRIDAY 4 DEC, 11.00–12.30 & 15.0016.30
    SATURDAY 5 DEC, 11.00–12.30 & 15.00–16.30
    FREE | BOOK FROM 27 NOV
    Join renowned Tibetan yoga practitioner, Akarpa Lobsang Rinpoche for an introduction to the energetic anatomy of the human body and Tibetan body–mind yogic practices, as illustrated in the Lukhang murals in Tibet’s Secret Temple. These events will include demonstrations and some practical participation in mindful breathing practices and gentle stretches, as well as a chance to ask questions.
                  
     FREE INSTALLATION
    UNTIL 3 JANUARY 2016
    FREE | DROP IN
    This installation by Ann Veronica Janssens explores light and colour as she invades the gallery with coloured mist. Colour is caught in a state of suspension, obscuring any detail of surface or depth. Instead, attention is focused on the process of perception itself. Janssens’s work is both disorienting and uplifting as the daily wonder of conscious experience is given renewed emphasis.
       
    The installation is deliberately disorientating with very limited visibility. This advice will help you get the most out of your visit.

    Entrance into the space is limited. You may need to queue or get a timed ticket at weekends and other busy times. At weekends, last entry will typically be an hour before closing – please see our Twitter or website for updates.

    This installation launches States of Mind: Tracing the edges of consciousness, a year-long investigation into the experience of human consciousness.
       
    › Ann Veronica Janssens: yellowbluepink – find out more
    FRIDAY 4 DEC
    FREE | DROP IN
    Avoid the queues and ease into your weekend at our next First Friday. Experience Ann Veronica Janssens's yellowbluepink installation of coloured mist as part of #statesofmind, unwind in the Reading Room, revisit our permanent collections and grab a bite to eat at the restaurant as we stay open until 22.00 every first Friday of the month (except January and August).

    › First Fridays – find out more
     FREE EVENTS
    THURSDAY 10 DEC, 19.00–20.30
    FREE | BOOK FROM 27 NOV
    Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, Professor Irene Tracey at the University of Oxford has discovered a core area in the brain that underpins the ‘it hurts’ experience. But if we can ‘see’ pain, can this help us to develop new painkillers?

    In collaboration with BBC World Service.

    › Can You See Pain? – find out more
    THURSDAY 17 DEC, 18.00–22.00
    FREE | DROP IN
    It’s our last Thursday before Christmas and we’ve planned a fantastic night so you can pick up your last-minute gifts in style and celebration. Join us for late-night shopping with a festive twist, plus author signings, prizes, offers, treats and carols.

    › Get Festive – find out more
     BOOK
    The Book of Human Emotions is a gleeful, thoughtful collection of 156 feelings both rare and familiar. You’ll discover feelings you never knew you had (likebasorexia, the sudden urge to kiss someone), uncover secret histories of boredom and confidence, and gain unexpected insights into why we feel the way we do. This great Christmas gift (for a loved one or even yourself) is available from the Wellcome Shop and online.
      COMING SOON
    SATURDAY 20 FEB 2016, 10.30–17.00
    £18/£15 CONCESSIONS | BOOK FROM 27 NOV
    Mindfulness: panacea or fad? Both? Neither? Meditation can be used as a tool for changing our brain and can provide insight into our extraordinary ability to train the mind. But what happens to mindfulness when it’s removed from the Buddhist worldview and applied as a supplement for modern living? Who practises it now and should we be more sceptical about its benefits? Can science tell us when it can and can’t provide the perfect antidote? This symposium will be a dynamic day-long meditation on mindfulness.
       
    SATURDAY 16 JAN 2016, 11.00–12.30
    FREE | BOOK FROM 27 NOV
    Alejandro Chaoul teaches and researches Tibetan meditation with people who have cancer and their families. Join him for a workshop to experience the distinctive Tibetan body–mind yogic practices that he uses in biomedical settings. Come and explore the importance of breathing techniques and simple Tibetan yoga movements that you can use in everyday life.

    This event requires physical participation. It is aimed at all levels of ability but may not be suitable for those with specific requirements. Please bring water and wear suitable clothing.


    SATURDAY 16 JAN 2016, 15.00–16.00
    FREE| BOOK FROM 27 NOV
    Hear from Alejandro Chaoul about his unique experiences of bringing Tibetan Yogas into biomedical settings. Chaoul is Assistant Professor and Director of Education for Integrative Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. He both teaches and researches Tibetan meditation with people who have cancer and their families using body–mind yogic practices. Join us to find out more about Chaoul’s perspective on the relationship between Tibetan meditation and chronic stress, anxiety and sleep disorders.


     YOUTH PROGRAMME
    Know any artists, designers or entrepreneurs aged 14–19?

    We have 15 places available for our RawMinds: Creative Merchandise project and we’re looking for a group of talented and enthusiastic individuals to take part. The team will be working together to develop, design and prototype merchandise to create a new product or range of products to sell in the Wellcome Shop. Everybody involved will have the opportunity to work with professionals from the worlds of design, retail, communications and production, and potentially to visit professional design studios and production warehouses.

    Applications will open on Monday 7 December.

    › RawMinds: Creative Merchandise – find out more
     ON THE BLOG
    Our Medicine Now gallery features a diverse range of photography: from colour to black-and-white, abstraction and figuration, the photographs highlight trends in contemporary photography. Many of the photographs on display result from collaborations between artists and medical practitioners. Guillaume Vandame guides us inContemplating the Contemporary.
    Collections – and the actions of gathering, organising and displaying them – have the power to produce tangible things. From Renaissance apothecaries to contemporary artists and curators, collections may provide information, inspiration and the raw ingredients to create something new. Anna Faherty explores the Creative Power of Collections.
    Beards, moustaches, whiskers, etc. have long been symbols of ‘manliness'. They are a highly public face of masculinity, able to be grown, styled, controlled and shaved according to fashion or culture. But there is also an important health and hygiene history to the beard. Explore a month of pogonography on the Wellcome Library’s blog.
     BEYOND WELLCOME
    The Courtauld Gallery
    UNTIL 17 JAN 2016
    This exhibition explores a remarkable series of paintings by Peter Lanyon, one of Britain's most important and original Post-War artists. During the 1950s, he produced radical, near-abstract paintings of the tough coastal landscape of his native West Cornwall inspired by his experience of gliding. This series will be the focus of this major retrospective.

    › Soaring Flight – find out more
    October Gallery
    SUNDAY 6 DEC
    10.30–16.30
    For centuries, the innermost teachings of Tibetan Buddhism have remained hidden even from devout practitioners. In these unprecedented teachings, Tibetan lama Akarpa Lobsang Rinpoche will reveal the “secret path to enlightenment” that brings joy, creativity, wisdom and compassion to all human activities and a transformed experience of everyday life.
    Brunei Gallery, SOAS
    UNTIL 12 DEC
    Showcasing work by photographer Deidi Von Schaewen, this exhibition explores the traditional painted houses of the Adevasi villages in Hazaribagh, in the Indian state of Jharkhand, and Khovar (comb-cut marriage art) and Sohrai (painted harvest art) paintings re-produced by the Tribal Women Artists Cooperative (TWAC).



    Sir John Soane's Museum
    UNTIL 26 MARCH 2016
    Commemorating 200 years since the death of Sir John Soane's beloved wife Eliza, this exhibition examines the effect of this personal tragedy on his life and work, as well as his long-held fascination with mortality.