Unearth Travel Blog

1. PEN: Another Sky - www.nationaltheatre.org.uk
   2nd April, 6pm, Olivier Theatre , £2.50/£3.50, Booking Required
   Working on behalf of persecuted authors from around the world, PEN celebrates the courage and fortitude of those who have spoken out against ‘authority’. Another Sky voices the conscience and opinions of incarcerated international authors through the words of Britain’s foremost writers and actors: William Boyd, Jung Chang, Moris Farhi, Antonia Fraser, Ronald Harwood, Michael Palin, Prunella Scales, Fiona Shaw and Timothy West.
2. Visit The Old Bailey
   Monday-Friday 10am Onwards, Free
   The Old Bailey is probably the most famous criminal court in the world. It is open to the public and you are free to view ongoing trials in the public galleries.
   Some reasons to go include…
   - You have an interest in the British Legal System.
   - You are hoping to become a lawyer, barrister or judge.
   - You don’t get a kick from Reality TV anymore. However, unlike most Reality TV, THIS IS REAL, so cheering, whooping or any other form audience participation is not appreciated.

   Please Note - There are strict rules in place that prevent you taking many items into the building such as: knives, guns, bags, mobile phones and umbrellas to name but a few, please check online for details.

3. Critical Mass - www.criticalmasslondon.org.uk
   The Mass meets at 6:30pm on the last Friday of each month under Waterloo Bridge, by the National Film Theatre.
   “Critical Mass is not an organisation it is an unorganised coincidence.” Its broad aims are to celebrate safe cycling and sustainable transport in our urban areas. It has become a worldwide phenomenon with 432 rides regularly taking place. Currently in London there are an estimated 300 participants each month. To give you an idea, a cyclist dressed as a fish was seen declaring “Britain needs Trident, like a fish needs a bicycle”, so if you feel strongly about cycling, the future of our planet or pretty much anything why not join this unusual protest.
4. Paul Lamb & The King Snakes + Simon Wells - www.the100club.co.uk
   The 100 Club, 100 Oxford Street, Friday 30th March, £12.50 (Advanced Booking) / £15.00 (On the Door)
   Paul Lamb & The King Snakes are acknowledged as one of the best blues bands in Britain. Lamb, harmonica player extraordinaire, leads The King Snakes, a refreshing mixture of (relative) youth and experience through a blistering set of blues.
5. Karen Kilimnik - www.serpentinegallery.org
   20 February – 9 April 2007, Serpentine Gallery, Kensington Gardens
   “American artist Karen Kilimnik’s paintings recall the work of painters from the 16th through to the 19th centuries. Her mise-en-scene approach is inspired by specific rooms in stately homes, horse riding, Tudor architecture and the occult. The Karen Kilimnik exhibition features over 50 of the artist’s paintings and drawings from the past decade, as well as recent installations staged according to her fascination with historical allegories.”
6. Carsten Holler - Test Site (The Slides) - www.tate.org.uk
   Ends April 1st, Tate Modern, Free
   Wheeeeeeeeeeeee!!! Need I say more, if you have not been yet, GO! Get there early, it will be busy and if all the tickets have gone you will be disappointed.
7. 100 Ideas - www.southbankcentre.co.uk
   Tue Apr 3rd Purcell Room, South Bank Centre
   “This week’s strand of the event series on cultural institutions and the way they bring art to the masses asks: ‘Reality TV: The New Reality?’ Contributors including Big Brother creator Endemol’s Tim Hincks and ITV’s Layla Smith discuss the influence of reality TV on popular culture, art and politics, while Jade Goody and George Galloway describe what’s it’s like to have been through the mangle.”
8. Avenue Q - www.avenueqthemusical.co.uk
   Noël Coward Theatre, St Martin’s Lane, £10-47.50
   Pitched as London’s Hottest musical, you have to wonder why outrageously rude puppets have been such a hit. I guess you could put it down to some of their astute financial advice “In a volatile market the only stable investment is P*RN” or maybe their reflection on society “Everyone is a little bit racist” or maybe it is the fact it is just a lit bit odd.
9. Jazzwise To the Power of 10: Stan Tracey Octet - www.pizzaexpresslive.co.uk
   Pizza Express Jazz Club, £20, Ending 31st March
   The Pizza Express Jazz Club plays host to the Jazzwise (Jazz Magazine) 10th Birthday Festival.
   There are performances from Gary Crosby, esteemed bass player and founder of Dune Records, Nucleus Revisited’s tribute to Ian Carr, Claire Martin and Ian Shaw.
10. Deutsche Bërse Photography Prize - www.photonet.org.uk
    Until Apr 9 Photographers’ Gallery, 5 & 8 Great Newport Street
    “this year’s shortlist is characterised by what venue director Brett Rogers calls ‘direct social and/or political engagement’ – reflected in Philippe Chancel’s understated and unsettling images of North Korea, Anders Petersen’s high-contrast entrees into down-at-heel demimondes, and Fiona Tan’s testing of attitudes to cultural difference through melancholic reanimations of found photographic portraits – Walid Raad/The Atlas Group is on another level.”

Karen Kilimnik

Paul Lamb & King Snakes at the 100 Club

Critical Mass

Avenue Q

Carsten Holler (Test-Site), The Slides

1. Monty Alexander Trio - www.ronniescotts.co.uk
   Ronnie Scott’s, Wednesday 21st March 6:00pm, £26
   Kingston-born pianist Monty Alexander was brought up surrounded by and playing the traditional music of the Caribbean as well as being exposed to visiting musicians like Nat King Cole and Louis Armstrong. In the early 60’s he moved to New York, where he built up a reputation for his ability to play a wide range of styles, drawing on the influences of traditional American jazz and the Caribbean. Now one of the great piano showmen, he performs in a trio format creating a melting pot of jazz fusion.
2. Naughty Nature II: the Seven Deadly Sins
   www.ucl.ac.uk/museums
   Grant Museum of Zoology, Gower Street, 22nd March 2007, 7pm, £4 (includes a glass of wine). This event explores the darker side of the natural world through exhibitions, activities and talks. Do animals experience lust, get jealous or feel pride? If other species get angry or gluttonous, why shouldn’t we? There are no taboos in the Animal Kingdom.
3. Wine Tasting at Vinopolis - www.vinopolis.co.uk
   Vinopolis, No.1 Bank End, Starting from £21
   Vinopolis offers four self-guided wine tours (Original, Discovery, Vintage, Champagne), each tour includes a minimum of 5 different wines, a Bombay Sapphire cocktail, a couple more drinks, and a tasting handbook. This offers a great experience for your palate and good way to wind down over the weekend.
4. Sustainable London: Addressing Climate Change in the Capital - www.newlondonarchitecture.org
   New London Architecture, The Building Centre, 26 Store Street, 9 March - 28 April 2007, Mon to Fri 9-6, Sat 10-5, Free
   With little doubt that climate change is happening, this exhibition investigates the necessity for change in order to preserve our standard of living for subsequent generations. Sustainable London looks at how buildings can reduce their environmental impact and how new building regulations could transform the skyline of London.
5. The Triumph of Eros - www.somerset-house.org.uk
   The Hermitage Rooms, Somerset House, Ends 8 April 2007, £5.
   “Deliciously exuberant, joyously teasing”, this exhibition brings together a wide range of paintings, drawings and decorative arts exploring love, seduction and eroticism in 18th century French culture. Highlights include paintings by Boucher and Watteau.
6. Abolition of the Slave Trade Commemoration Weekend - www.nmm.ac.uk
   24-25 March, National Maritime Museum
   The National Maritime Museum commemorates 200 years since the abolition of slavery with an event designed to remember the people who lived in slavery and those who fought against it. The two-day programme is packed with: film, poetry, music, debates and dance workshops. These are used to illustrate how singing and dancing became secret codes and the battle between capitalism and social morality.
7. Chelsea Football Club Tour - www.chelseafc.com
   Stamford Bridge, Fulham Broadway, £14
   Take a tour of Chelsea Football ground and visit the Museum. The tour includes the chance to visit the changing rooms, sit in the dugout, walk up the player’s tunnel, visit the press room and learn about the club’s history.
8. Free Music - www.nationaltheatre.org.uk
   Enjoy free concerts in the ‘Djanogly Concert Pitch’ Monday to Saturday evenings (pre-performance) and at lunch time on Saturdays. Feel free to sit back and listen to a lively mix of music from around the world whilst enjoying a drink from the bar.
9. George Morton-Clark
   March 26, 3-9 Starlab-UK 60 Moyser Road, London SW16 6SQ , Free
   Experience the work of this new and upcoming London artist and his surreal, bold and controversial look at society in Britain today.
10. All the Worlds A Stage Globe - shakespeares-globe.org
    Take a fascinating tour of the Globe Theatre and visit the Shakespeare’s Globe Exhibition.

George Morton-Clark 

Vinopolis

Naughty Nature

The Triumph of Eros

Abolition of Slavery

Globe Theatre

1. Visit Parliament - www.parliament.uk
   Houses of Parliament - Westminster, Free
   As UK residents you are free to visit Parliament, watch laws being made, attend Prime Minister’s Question Time, committees or judicial hearings and even climb the Clock Tower (Big Ben). Better still, it’s free! However, in order to maintain ‘national security’ you are required to arrange the visit in advance via your Local MP.
2. St Patrick’s Day Festival - www.london.gov.uk/stpatricksday
   West End, Free, 18th March
   The London St Patrick’s Day celebration, incorporates the Parade and the Festival. The Parade starts at 12pm at Hype Park Corner and traverses the West End finishing in Whitehall. The Festival takes place in Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square and Covent Garden. This is a family day out and gives you the opportunity to experience all things Irish: food, dance, crafts, culture, music and even a few pints of Guinness.
3. Swatch Alternative Fashion Week
   www.alternativearts.co.uk/events
   Spitalfields Market, Free, 19-23 March
   This year, sixty young and upcoming designers have been showcased. The event brings out original and creative collections from recent textile graduates and independent designers. The fashion market is open from 12-3pm each day with stalls offering exotic clothes and a multitude of accessories. Each day, a Fashion Show will take place at 1.15pm and show the works of twelve designers to a background of contemporary jazz.
4. The Entertainer - www.oldvictheatre.com
   Old Vic (Waterloo), £28-45, 23Feb - 19May
   John Osborne, one of the 20th century’s most celebrated playwrights examines the state of post-war Britain in The Entertainer. Within a family of entertainers, the story focuses on one man’s dreams of stardom and how his desperate attempt to equal the success of his father drove him to deceitful and selfish ends.
5. Bharat - www.bbc.co.uk/tickets
   Drill Hall, Free, Date TBC
   New comedy sitcom for Radio 4 from the writer Suk Pannu (Goodness Gracious Me and The Kumars at No. 42). “Bharat is the self styled Guru of Westgate, wise man of the suburbs. It is here, in his spiritual centre, that Bharat presides over Westgate, as the most important man in the community - as far as he’s concerned anyway. Be part of the community as Bharat undertakes his holy duties - healing the sick, comforting the bereaved, blessing babies, performing weddings and preparing horoscopes - with the minimum of work but the maximum return.”
6. Boat Show (Tatershall Castle)
   www.ckproductions.co.uk/mondayclub
   Tatershall Castle - Embankment Tube, £12/10 , 16 March, Doors 7pm, Comedy 8-10:30pm, Nightclub till 3am
   The Tattershall Castle, a permanently moored boat, has been a premier comedy club for over 7 years. This week “Boat Show” has performances from Paul Sinha, Alex Horne, Simon Amstell (the Never Mind the Buzcocks presenter) and MC Yianni.
7. Face of Fashion - www.npg.org.uk
   National Portrait Gallery, £8 (booking required), 15 Feb-26 May
   Face of Fashion focuses on five fashion photographers and investigates the relationship between fashion and celebrity. The exhibition illustrates the bond and intimacy that often develops between a photographer and their subject.
8. Wimbledon Dog Track - www.lovethedogs.co.uk
   Wimbledon, £6, Tuesdays/Fridays/Saturdays, 7pm
   ‘The Dogs’ is a fantastic place to relax, drink, gamble and socialise with friends. If you are lucky and have the ‘know’ you may even come away in pocket.
9. Man of Mode - www.nationaltheatre.org.uk
   National Theatre, £10-45
   Modern adaptation of George Etherege’s glittering masterwork of Restoration Comedy. London society is obsessed with having it all, focusing on the young, driven by the need to have the latest clothes, the latest gossip and each other’s bodies.
10. Changing the Guard - www.changing-the-guard.com
    Buckingham Palace, Free, 17/19/21 March, 10:30am-12pm
    The responsibility of guarding the Sovereign is held by the Household Guard which dates back to Henry VII (1485-1509). Whilst maintaining the traditions of the past, they are serving solidiers and have performed active service throughout the world. This ceremonial event in which the Household Guard change shift outside Buckingham Palace is known as Changing the Guard.

St Patrick’s Day

 Bharat - Radio 4

Houses of Parliament

The Entertainer

Changing the Guard

1. Generations - www.youngvic.org
   The Young Vic, Waterloo. £7-9.50, Ending March 10.
   This short (30m) play is refreshingly different and touching. When you enter the theatre you are enclosed by a soaring choir singing the soulful rhythm of traditional South African music. Upon sitting down on a plastic stool, you notice the sand between your feet, then the fully working kitchen and the family scene. Food is on the boil, the kettle is on, vegetables are being chopped, and an elderly man is sitting drinking tea and reading his newspaper. In this powerful, touching and hard hitting snapshot of South African life, you see a family talk, laugh and eat and the impact that death has their lives.
2. “Thank God for Brussels” - www.intelligencesquared.com
   The BP Lecture Theatre, British Museum, March 19th, 6:30pm, £20, Advanced Booking.
   IQ2 offers this Financial Times Debate entitled “THANK GOD FOR BRUSSELS” to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Treaty of Rome. The debate is chaired by Lionel Barber, Editor of the Financial Times. Speaking for the motion are Peter Sutherland (Chairman of BP and Goldman Sachs), Chris Huhne (MEP, MP) and Sylvie Goulard. Against the motion will be Michael Spencer (Chief Executive ICAP), John Redwood (MP) and Ruth Lea.
3. London Rib Voyages - www.londonribvoyages.com
   A Rib Voyage offers a unique way to tour the Thames. Forget the traditional river cruise, hop on a rib, zoom around on this fast, fun and exhilarating speedboat whilst learning about London’s landmarks and the river itself.
4. London Restaurant Week
   9th – 17th March. London Restaurant week arrives, lastminute.com in association with MasterCard offer the chance to experience an elite dinning experience at a fraction of the cost. Michelin starred eateries open their doors for you to enjoy a two-course lunch for £15 or a three course dinner for £25. Booking has started and there is limited availability.
5. Chelsea Flower Show - www.rhs.org.uk
   £17.50-44, 22-26 May, Booking Started. For five days in May, the grounds of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea are transformed into fabulous works of horticultural art. Beautifully scented flowers alongside gargantuan but perfectly formed vegetables take centre stage in the world’s most famous flower show.
6. Lions 3D: Roar of the Kalahari - www.bfi.org.uk
   IMAX Cinema, Waterloo, £9.50. The IMAX brings you face-to-face with the Kalahari’s inhabitants. The story tells the tale of the power struggle between two titans, a young nomadic lion is determined to oust the King from his pride. Everything is at stake: a precious water hole, life and family. This insightful film balances suspense and action with breakthrough cinematography. This is sure to thrill and enlighten audiences of all ages.
7. Slave Britain (St Paul’s) - www.stpauls.co.uk
   Entry £9.50. As Britain commemorates 200 yeas since the abolition of the slave trade, this exhibition discloses Britan’s growing trade in human lives. What we thought to have been relegated to the past is revealed to still be a reality for thousands of men, women and children in this country today. Once you have been to the exhibition, climb the cathedral’s spire, get a 360 degree view of London and spy on other peoples’ conversations in the Whispering Gallery.
8. New Religion Damien Hirst - www.wallspace.org.uk
   Free, 7th March-24 April, Wallspace, All Hallows on Wall, 83 London Wall. Britain’s leading contemporary artist, Damien Hirst, presents his controversial works, art inspired by religious art, in this sacred space. This ‘enlightening’ exhibition is certain to generate debate.
9. Afordable Art Fair - www.affordableartfair.co.uk
   15-18th March, Advanced Booking £9 (£7 Concessions) on the door £10 (concessions £8). The Affordable Art Fair returns to Battersea Park, bringing together over 100 galleries from the UK and overseas. It offers the opportunity to browse ‘affordable’ art (everything is less than £3000) in a relaxing way.
10. Free Recitals - Royal Opera House
    Free, Royal Opera House, Crush Room, Monday 1pm. The Royal Opera House puts on free recitals every monday, however as the name implies there is limited space in the ‘Crush Room’, so arrive early. This week, Southbank Sinfonia presents the Krommer Bassoon Quartet and the Brahms Clarinet Trio.

Generations

Slave Britain - St Pauls

Free Recital - Royal Opera House

London Rib Voyage

Lions3D

“Thank God For Brussels” - Debate

1. City Hall Open Weekend - www.london.gov.uk
   Free, March 3-4, 10am-5pm. London City Hall opens its doors giving the public the rare chance to look around London’s Living Room, the Assembly Chamber and the buildings wide spiral staircase.
2. Late Night at Tate Britain - www.tate.org.uk
   March 2nd, 6pm-10pm. In the spirit of saucy 18th century Hogarth this months Late Night ‘explores the worlds of bawdy vulgarity and exquisite politeness’. So let Boogaloo Stu & Miss High Left Kick Singalongs lead you in smutty renditions of comical cockney classics or watch Princess Twinkle Knickers entice you with an eighteenth century pole-dance. Be ready to open your eyes at what is surely to be a debaucherous affair at one of Britain’s most formal art galleries.
3. Kew Gardens Summer Swing - www.rbgkew.org.uk
   Open air concerts in Kew Gardens, July 10-14th, Book Now. Pack a hamper, smell the roses and get up an dance to summer air filled with the sounds of swing.
4. International Dialogues: Architecture and Climate Change
   RIBA, 66 Portland Place, March 6th, 6:30pm, £8. Lecture by Sir David King, Chief Scientific Advisor to the Government and former Master of Downing College Cambridge, listen to him discussing climate change and how to build a sustainable future for the world.
5. East London Festival
   March 1st - 6th. Discover the cultural melting pot of the East End. Wander the streets absorbing the eclectic mix of art, culture fashion history and food.
6. From Major to Minor! - www.politicalcartoon.co.uk
   Political Cartoon Gallery, 32 Store Street, Ending March 17th.
   Take a satirical look at the last five Tory leaders through the eyes of Peter Brookes, Steven Bell, Gerald Scarfe and many other contemporary cartoonists. The exhibition is sure to draw a fine line between bad taste and poor policy.
7. Go to the Cinema - The Departed / The Last King of Scotland
   The Oscars have been and gone, and soon all the films that were hoping for nominations will be leaving the big screen, so this is your last chance to catch two of this years winners.
8. An Evening with George Alagiah - www.vso.org.uk/events
   Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore, March 7th, 6:30pm, £12. The prominent newsreader discusses his new book ‘A Home from Home’ with the proceeds going to the VSO to help their projects in Sri Lanka and Ghana.
9. Scissor Sisters
   Saturday 28th July, an extra date has been added to they London tour, tickets are available from www.gigsandtours.com and www.theO2.co.uk
10. Barbican - Do something different weekend
    March 3rd-4th, The Barbican is celebrating its 25th birthday and opening its doors to sing-a-long’s, circus stunts, animation and architecture. Free workshops and drop in activities giving you the perfect opportunity to try something new and be a kid again.

City Hall

George Alagiah

Kew Summer Swing

Tory Politcal Cartoons

Sir David King