Billy Elliot

Billy Elliot playing at the Victoria Palace is a superb telling of this heart warming story. 

For those who haven't seen it, Billy Elliot is the tale of a young talented boy who lives in a small coal mining village who wants to become a ballet dancer.  His mother had died a few years earlier and his brother and father are salt of the earth mining men. The story is set during the miners strike of 1984.  The battle between the Thatcher government and the mining union was one of the most bitter battles this country has seen.

The show weaves the two stories very powerfully, Billy secretly takes ballet lessons while he should be taking boxing lessons.  The hardship  and poverty the strike has inflicted on the lives of the men and their families is captured with great energy and vibrancy from a well cast troupe of men. There is outstanding support also from Billy's worn down father and the brassy yet charming  ballet teacher who recognises Billy's talent and takes on a surrogate mother role  Then there is Billy's grandma who adds a great peppering of humour throughout the production .
More social comment has been added in a moving and funny routine in which Billy and his  cross-dressing best friend Michael perform.

The star of course is Billy who does not falter in three hours of high energy and sensational dancing.

If you haven't seen the show it is a must, if you have, then go again.  You will laugh and cry and leave with a warm and fuzzy feeling inside.

Buy tickets from Shows in London Theatre Club.

Outside the Galleries

Art in Shoreditch is not limited to the galleries (see yesterday's post).  There is an constantly changing gallery of street art to see.

A Guide to Shoreditch

 

Shoreditch, a diverse and historical part of London is popular with a range of people, from artists and musicians to city professionals. When looking at what Shoreditch has to offer, it comes as no surprise that this area of London is so popular. With a range of galleries, shops, bars and restaurants Shoreditch is a hub for culture and entertainment. 
  

In terms of property in the area, Shoreditch presents a fantastic mix of old and new. Providing the area with a bit of history, Petticoat Lane and Columbia Road offer more traditional period property. In contrast to this, there are many new developments that are providing Shoreditch with modern contemporary apartments to cater for the growing interest in the area. Such developments include London Square in Leonard Street and The Penthouses on Batemans Row. Shoreditch has something for all styles and tastes. With improved connections to the suburbs due to the newly opened east London Line, the area is set to continue to grow in popularity. 

 The area of Shoreditch has a fascinating history that dates back hundreds of years. During the industrial revolution of the 1800s, Shoreditch took part in changing the landscape of London and became the centre for the textile and furniture industries. Shoreditch also experienced the darker parts of London’s history and did not escape the devastation of WW2 with much of the area being destroyed during the Blitz.

During the 1980s, the image of Shoreditch was rebranded with many artists, musicians moving to the area to take advantage of the cheap studio space.

 In terms of eating and drinking in Shoreditch, you certainly won’t go hungry. With a vast array of restaurants, cafes and bars, you are spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing somewhere to eat. The Hawksmoor, 157 Commercial Street is certainly a high contender. This award winning restaurant and bar is the place to go to for steak this side of the Atlantic.


   For the best Vietnamese food in the area, pay a visit to 134 Kingsland Road where you will find Song Que. Always packed out, it’s not hard to understand why with their excellent menu and fantastic value for money.

Shopping in Shoreditch is certainly a different experience to the mainstream shopping areas in London. With markets and plenty of independent stores, Shoreditch offers something quirky and different from the high street. When shopping in Shoreditch pay a visit to Broadway market, with over 100 stalls the market has something for everyone and with its competitive prices it is hard to beat.
 

 On Sundays make sure to call into Columbia Road (if you are up in time) and then the Old Truman Brewery.

  Famous for art and culture, visit one of Shoreditch’s galleries for art, furniture and gifts.  

For information on property in Shoreditch, visit Stirling Ackroyd.

Rusty Door

Decay has its own kind of beauty. What do you think?

Boys at Play

They never grow up do they?

Mosque

The Mosque at Clapton

End of the Week

Friday after work.  Let the weekend begin.

A Fashionable Square

Once the entrance to the Land Registry Office in Lincoln's Inn Fields, the buildings were built in the mid 17th century, a very fashionable quarter in London.  Exemptions from statutory payments were granted to the owners in regard to the construction of the buildings.  In return they were to allow public walk ways through the fields.
Sound familiar?

Since 2011 the building has become part of the London School of Economics, one of the most prestigious schools in the world.

Take a tipple at the Shakespeare's Head

Pub's name's are always accompanied with a picture or icon to help you find your way there.  This was particularly useful a couple of centuries ago when many of the patron's could not read.  The Shakespeare's Head was built in 1735.
The surrounding fields were the site of the Foubert Military Academy, a school that trained in the military arts, and was renown for their horsemanship skills.  Major Foubert was a fencing master in Paris before fleeing the persecution of the Huguenots arriving in London in 1679.  The Academy survived until 1820 when the area was redeveloped.


This included the now famous Carnaby street, which was originally a street market, until the designers, mods, and hippies arrived in the 1960's.

If the walls of the Shakespeare's Head could talk, what tales it could tell.  It is reputed the missing hands of the bust leaning out of the window were lost as a result of a bomb that dropped nearby during WWII.

Another Brolly Day

Yep it's another brolly day today.  I guess the lovely summer clothes in the store will go on sale soon.

Home of Feminist

Mary Wollstonecraft an eighteenth century writer and philosopher lived here in Newington Green for several years.  Mary an advocate of women's rights argued that women were not inferior to men, but lacked the same education.  Her life and relationships were controversial for the period.  It wasn't until the twentieth century that she got the recognition she deserved.

Spring

Spring currently means an ability to spring from warm clothes to cooler clothes, brolly or sunglasses, all in one day.

Get on your bike

Rent a bike or take one of London's so called "Boris Bikes" and take a ride on a cycle super highway.  A great way to see London on a lovely sunny day. 

Slow for Safely

Just a local sign?  I thought so until I saw a few more in other streets.  A campaign perhaps? They certainly do catch your attention.  All slightly different but with a similar message.

Backdoor

It appears to be an ordinary house, so why all the barbed wire around it?  The other side of the fence is the grounds of Buckingham Palace.  I guess the ordinary house is actually a guards house or something similar.  The grounds are usually off limits to the public, however when the Queen is away during summer (August and September) and the palace is open to the public, visitors also have access to part of the garden and can buy an ice-cream made especially for the occasion.