Unearth Travel Blog

London Ratha Yatra – Festival of Chariots
12:00-17:30, 29 July, Hyde Park - Trafalgar Square, Free

The 5000 year old Festival of Chariots (Ratha Yatra) originates from the ancient city of Jagannath Puri in Eastern India. Three 40-foot high brightly coloured wooden chariots will be pulled by hand from Hyde Park to Trafalgar Square (departing at noon). They carry the deities of Jagannatha, Subhadra, and Balarama. The huge chariots will be accompanied by a procession of singers, musicians and dancers. The festival ends with a stage show, festival and the delicious vegetarian Prasadam feast.

Roller Disco
Canvas (King’s Cross) or Renaissance Rooms (Vauxhall), £12.50

Roller Disco - Groovy! Canvas and the Renaissance rooms revive the 70’s roller disco craze in a funky boogie fest. Strap on your skates, cruise the rink and check out the action at this retro night out.

Heath Robinson’s Helpful Solutions
Cartoon Museum, 5 July – 7 October

William Heath Robinson’s (1872-1944) drawings of eccentric machines lead to his name ‘Heath Robinson’ being entered into the Oxford English dictionary to signify any ‘unnecessarily complex and implausible contraption’. This exhibition, the largest for 15 years, includes over 100 original drawings of his ‘quirky absurd and ingenious solutions to assist his earnest cast of characters’. These include using two cannons to crack a nut, a novel system for testing mattresses and two, three dimensional ‘Heath Robinson’ machines. “No matter how perilous or tricky the problem Heath Robinson could be sure to offer a helpful solution”.

Homer Simpson vs. Optimus Prime
Cinemas Nationwide, 27 July

On 27th of July, The Transformers go head to head with The Simpsons on the big screen.

Dreamworks in conjunction with Paramount Pictures tell the tale of the epic cartoon ‘The Transformers’ and for those of you that don’t remember the plot…A long time ago on the planet of Cybertron, a war was waged between the noble Autobots and the devious Decepticons for control over the Allspark, a mystical talisman. The Autobots smuggled the Allspark to Earth however they were tracked down by the Deception commander Megatron but his reckless desire for power led to him to be frozen in the Artic Ocean until he was discovered…

“This year, a line will be drawn, and then coloured in yellow” a film 18 years in the making. When Homer mistakenly pollutes the river with toxic waste from the power plant, he loses his job and forces the evacuation of Springfield, possibly forever. Who will save the day President Arnold “I am here to bleed and not to read” Schwarzenegger, Itchy and Scratchy, Mr Burns or even Homer and his sidekick Spider Pig. The Simpsons Movie is the most highly anticipated movie of the summer, can America’s most loved family live up to expectation.

Friday Late Village Fete
V&A, 27 July, 18:30-22:00, £3

“V&A and Scarlet Projects present Village Fete, the contemporary take on the traditional English fete. Over 30 of the most inventive and dynamic creative individuals working in the UK today come together to create an extraordinary array of stalls offering games to play and products to win.” The V&A does bizarre best! Try out the homemade Jam, have a go on the coconut shy, Splat a Rat or enter the World Moustache Championships and much more… all in a museum.

Zaha Hadid Architecture + Design
Design Museum, 29 June – 25 September, £7

The Design Museum hosts the first exhibition of Zaha Hadid’s work in the UK. It focusus on her recently productive and successful period. Zaha Hadid won the Pritzker Prize in 2004 and hasn’t stopped since; she is busy working on projects that range from masterplans in Singapore and Istanbul, to an opera house in China, a museum in Rome and a skyscraper in Dubai. Her work is at the forefront of modern architectural design and demonstrates her ability to ‘translate the essence of her virtuoso spatial invention in solid form’.

The Hothouse
National Theatre, July 11 – October 22, £22-39

The Hothouse, written by Harold Pinter, is set in a dubious institution, wherein the residents (patients) are referred to by number rather than by name. The supposed murder of one patient and the rape and resulting pregnancy of another lead to two characters setting out to find find the culprit(s), only to discover a disturbing secret.

Events at the British Library

The British Library puts on numerous events coving just about anything, from academic discussion of religion “Holy lands, unholy wars” (30 July) to the story of an African Slave “Africa’s Greatest Resource: a documentary” (28 July) and even the chance to learn “Hebrew Calligraphy” (31 July).

Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park

The English Partnerships bought part of the Greenwich Peninsula in 1997 and set in place a massive regeneration project transforming 121 hectares of neglected industrial land into the Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park and back to life. A fantastic variety of wildlife thrives in the park, and during the summer the two lakes and meadows come to life with birds, dragonflies and butterflies.

Westminster Abbey

Located in the heart of London, the 700 year old Westminster Abbey, has played a central role for kings, queens, statesmen and soldiers in the pageant of British History. Along with just visiting the Abbey, you can attend one of the numerous events; from organ recitals and summer brass band concerts to academic lectures.

This summer, the O2 has been transformed into a ‘tropical paradise’ with the help of 1,000 tonnes of sand and numerous palm trees. At night, under the light of an illuminated moon you can get a drink at the bar and decide whether you want to play volleyball (Monday), watch films like Jaws and Point Break (Wednesday) have your own full moon party (Thursday and Friday) or enjoy live music (Saturday). Fantastic free fun.

If you feel that travel these days is just a bit too safe, and lacks the adventure it used to, what about joining The Mongol rally? All you have to do is buy a clapped out banger with less than a 1000cc engine and drive around a third of the globe from London to Mongolia, easy! It is too late to join in this year, but if you head to Hyde Park on Saturday you can see them depart in their ‘automobiles’ or you can meet the teams at the departure party at the Truman Brewery on Friday night.

“Stan Won’t Dance collaborate with designer Michael Pavelka and an international collection of over 100 dancers, circus artists, singers and free runners - both professional and student - to celebrate the re-launch of Southbank Centre. Together they create a fantasy world of the future where people run up walls, skim across rooftops and defy the laws of physics and physicality in an unforgettable large-scale outdoor spectacular.”

The V&A is hosting a unique opportunity to learn about Tibetan culture. The Tibetan Foundation tells the epic story of King Gesar of Ling through the performing arts. It reflects a passionate struggle of justice over evil and light over darkness told through the life of a hero with magical strengths. The epic was passed down generation after generation for a 1000 years and it was listed in the UNESCO Commemoration List in 2003 alongside the Iliad and the Ramayana. The Serta Gesar Troupe blends traditional and modern Tibetan folk songs, dance, chants and games into an enlightening Tibetan drama.

Want to try something new and different? Why not join the circus! Or at least take a class in anything from tight-wire walking and the flying trapeze to becoming a clown. There are over 50 classes per week, catering for all skill levels from the absolute beginner to the advanced.

Live music in London is buzzing, every night there are hundreds of bands trying to sign record deals and a regular stream of global superstars flooding to London’s stadiums. To see new groups on the pub circuit why not head to “The Bull and Gate” in Kentish Town, “The Monarch” in Chalk farm or the “Half Moon” in Putney, you will get the chance to hear anything from the awful to the awesome. Tickets for larger bands are hard to get hold of, so stay up to date by signing up to seetickets.com and Ticketmaster. Coming to London over the next few months are Ocean Colour Scene, The Police and Crowded House.

“The Tower of London celebrates National Archaeology Week by opening the stretch of foreshore by Traitors Gate to the public. Join Thames21 and explore this piece of history. Experts will be on hand to help uncover the history behind artefacts unearthed.”

The Spice Festival is Hackney’s art showcase featuring Music, Art, Comedy, Drama, Fashion, Roller Skating, Film, Clubbing, Literature, Food, Comedy, Dance, Cabaret, Puppetry, Poetry & Dance.

India Now is a huge cultural celebration of the Indian Subcontinent. India’s diverse and dazzling cultures will be on display at our landmarks, streets and parks. Somerset House, Trafalgar Square, The Scoop, London Zoo, Regents Street and the V&A are all hosting events throughout the summer, so check out the listings to find out what is going on.

Tower Bridge has spanned the River Thames since 1894 and the Monument has stood as a London memorial since the Great Fire of London. This will be your last chance to visit them together until 2009 as the Monument closes at the end of this month.