London Summer Update

Ballet, Theatre and Music

Theatre, pageantry, Wimbledon tennis and cream teas in the garden, there is much to cover in this London summer update! So here are some highlights and discoveries from my recent visit which began with damp drizzle and ended with a spectacular solstice sizzle.

What a way to begin! On my second night I saw the Royal Ballet’s Natalia Osipova dance in Onegin at Covent Garden Opera House. It was one of the most electrifying ballet performances I have ever seen. The audience was ecstatic with everyone on the edge their seats. An incredible evening which set the tone for my stay.

London theatre offerings are always kaleidoscopic. I saw Imelda Staunton and her (real life) daughter Bessie Carter mesmerize in Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s Profession, a gripping production of Terence Rattigan’s Deep Blue Sea, and Miller’s The Crucible at the Globe Theatre. Each a memorable highlight. On a lighter note I was entranced (again) by The Lion King as were my five year old companions.

On arrival my plane landed too late for the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment‘s final performance before heading to Glyndebourne Opera. But I heard the Elgar program received a standing ovation and there was not a dry eye in the house when the Enigma Variations were played. Next summer the orchestra will celebrate their 40th anniversary.

San Francisco Makes a Cameo

An unexpected delight was hearing that the choir of Cathedral School for Boys, San Francisco would be touring England, based at Oxford and singing at Magdalen College. To my delight their one performance at Salisbury Cathedral coincided with my stay there. They sang at choral evensong on a warm evening, the pure clear voices seemed spiral up into the vaulted and stone arches of the ancient building. The new world bringing perfection and grace. An experience I shall not forget.

Galleries and Exhibits

And there is so much to see! At the King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, I loved The Edwardians: Age of Elegance, an opulent exhibit which, to quote the Financial Times: “paints a more fabulous picture of Edwardian style than TV ever has.” (Think Downton Abbey) There are works by Carl Faberge, John Singer Sargent and William Morris. Jewels and tiaras displayed are breathtaking. Gigantic paintings from Sandringham House, Queen Alexandra’s wedding dress and photographs of Queen Victoria’s entire family are highlights.

More tiaras are on view at the glittering Cartier Exhibition of over 350 pieces at the V&A Museum. During my stay a tiara once owned by American born Lady Astor, similar to one in the Cartier exhibition, smashed estimates and sold for $1.2 million, at Bonhams in Bond Street.

People Watching

As temperatures soared restaurants with outdoor seating were buzzing and people watching entertaining. Some favorites for lunch or dinner are Caraffini, Lower Sloane Street, Colbert, Sloane Square, anywhere on Elizabeth Street in Belgravia and Daphne’s Draycott Avenue. For long lingering repasts check if there is a time limit. To me turning tables is a rather uncivilized trend.

Tennis and Rooftops

With Wimbledon fortnight in full swing there are screens all over London to watch volleys and line calls without setting foot on Center Court. Covent Garden Piazza is an ultimate viewing spot offering deck chairs and Pimms. Duke of York Square adds strawberries to the mix and Ham Yard Hotel‘s courtyard has oyster carts alongside their screens.

Other roof terrace favorites in the sizzle of midsummer are The Berkeley Rooftop Bar, with pool, Hyde Park Garden at Mandarin Oriental, and the Nest at Treehouse, Langham Place. Take your dog – or find one to take on Sunday for Drinks on the Woof where the menu includes dog-friendly options.

London Summer Update Conclusion

It was Samuel Johnson who wrote, “When a man is tired of London he is tired of life.” How true especially this summer with a cornucopia of theatre, music, food, pageantry and lets not forget the wonderful Englishness of it all. My three weeks were super-charged. Same time next year – a return match.