My husband and I are heading to London this weekend for my first real visit in almost 20 years and this thread has my excitement level through the roof.
You're lucky! The heat wave should be coming to an end when you arrive.
I've noticed many of London's new buildings use bright colours for their exterior. This development near Westfield in White City isn't the first I've seen these particular shades of red and orange.
The Yokimono Japanese Market is happening this weekend in Dalston. Meaning "good things", it involves over 50 traders offering food, clothing, and other cultural items at The Factory, an independent retail and creativity venue.
Remnants of Roman London are scattered around the City. Some have proper protection, such as this residential building on Vine Street that has a proper museum, exhibits, and even video. Nearby, a section of Roman wall with its medieval addition are on display just behind a hotel entrance.
Meanwhile, the Tower of London is just a short walk away. There is still plenty of history in the business district.
Time for some more aerials. It's another hot day in London as a new heat wave has arrived. But I have no complaints about the weather with blue skies and sun.
This exhibition at the Philip Mould Gallery displays Tudor paintings of Queen Elizabeth I and key figures from her era. Sourced from private collections, these works reflect how art is used as a tool of power to show authority, secure loyalty, and more. Getting them together for public viewing is also a rare feat.
There are 4 portraits of Elizabeth on display. Back in the 15th century, portraits were usually made for marriage negotiations when people couldn't meet in person. Painting for a wider audience was not common.
Robert Devereux moved between Elizabeth's favour to the complete opposite. In this portrait, he is dressed in her colours of black and white, demonstrating he is loyal, fashionable, and a leader.
Robert Dudley was the Earl of Leicester and Elizabeth's only man she seriously considered marrying.
This portrait of Mary, Queen of Scots, was likely painted in France after she was executed. She was a political threat to Elizabeth so it was rare that there is a portrait of her from that time.
This is a portrait of Sir Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester's illegitimate son. Given this label, his prospects in the court were limited and he couldn't inherit his father's titles. He led an expedition to the West Indies in 1594, a time when exploration can enhance his status and score riches.
This concealed portrait of John Stubbs sits beneath an image of the "three Graces". John was punished for opposing Elizabeth's marriage to the Catholic Duke of Anjou and his right hand was amputated.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, people thought the man in the portrait was William Shakespeare. His casual pose and informal dress are unusual and has since become a subgenre but only a small number of these examples have survived.
On a hot day, I needed frequent air-conditioning breaks and a museum is a good place to find it. This exhibition at the Wellcome Collection examines experiences and perceptions of aging, including tools for us to age better. It showcases 150 artworks and objects across time periods from around the world.
Since 1963, the Japanese government has presented each citizen reaching age 100 with a comemmorative silver sake cup on "Respect for the Aged Day". While 153 cups were awarded in the first year, the number has risen to over 29,000 by 2014. Nowadays, cheaper nickel alloy cups are given instead.
Charles Darwin's walking stick had a skull on the top as a reminder of death and how precious life is.
This drawing from 1536 shows old people reaching the mythical fountain of youth. They throw away their crutches and walking sticks into a bonfire then have some fiesty fun in the bath house.
This 1890 pamphlet advertises anti-aging pills using the story of Thomas Parr, who supposedly lived to age 152. He had claimed he was born in 1483. After his death, even the king's doctor examined his body hoping to find his secret, and he was buried in Westminster Abbey among the country's most famous people.
This 2020 work by Maija Tammi examines a birthday for someone who will never age, which will be a bit lonely as the creature would have outlived all its companions.
The Game of Life's history goes back to the 1860s with this item on display coming from the 1980s. Back then, a job, heterosexual marriage, and having a baby scored the winning path to life.
Serene Korda's figures challenge the negative sterotypes of aging women. They were modeled on real women aged 44 to 76 from the West Country, partially dissected to show the anatomy.
The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders is a Japanese social movement that employs people with dementia as floor staff, celebrating human connection over what food eventually reaches you.
This 19th century satirical print shows a woman using cosmetics and wearing a wig. Visible aging still causes stigma especially for women, but trying to hide it may be ridiculed.
In collaboration with the Ilmin Museum of Art, the Korean Cultural Centre near Charing Cross is hosting an exhibition about Korean traditional art with a contemporary twist. It juxtaposes masterpieces from the late Joseon period with modern reinterpretations by younger artists.
The annual Thai festival has returned to Potters Fields Park next to Tower Bridge on the Southwark side in 2026. Organized by the Royal Thai Embassy, there are cultural performances, Thai boxing workshops, shops, and food on offer across 3 days from July 17-19.
Old Kent Road in south London is seeing a lot of construction activity. On offer are very cheap new-build highrise residences with beautiful views of the City and Canary Wharf skylines. However, the downside is a rather desolate area with a lot of empty lots and big box stores. I probably wouldn't wander around the street alone at night.
Another heat wave has arrived in London with temperatures forecasted to hit 34C under blue skies on Wednesday. After a month with no meaningful precipitation, the grass looks brown and dormant. Over at Greenwich, the view from the hill showed this huge contrast and most people were under the shade. Half of England is now in a drought and there is a hosepipe watering ban.
It is soooooo very dry. There is a hose ban in effect now, and my garden is going south quickly. Primrose Hill (park) looks like the Serengetti.
I LOVE the pics from the Transport Museum. I gotta get there. The posters are truly works of art. They remind me of posters for the South Shore Line, from roughy the same era.
Queen Elizabeth II passed away in 2022. The lying-in-state took place in Westminster Hall at the Palace of Westminster. It is estimated 250,000 people joined the queue, with over 800 volunteers stewarding it.
There is an exhibition at the hall with works by 6 artists to document the event. It's free to visit but you need to pre-book a ticket at the Parliament website and go through security. These artists observed both the ceremonial aspects as well as wider activity through a variety of media, such as drawings and film.
Born in Bradford, David Hockney's iPad paintings are on display at the Serpentine. Inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry and Chinese scroll paintings, this huge work hugs the building's 4 walls to show changing seasons at his former studio in Normandy.
Located next to Trafalgar Square, St Martin-in-the-Fields was the parish church of the Royal Family and the Admiralty, with a location close to the Whitehall where the political action took place. First evidence of a church on this site date from 1222, and the current building was constructed in the 18th century.
This was the adopted church of the Pearly Kings and Queens, with an annual harvest festival service here every October.
An estimated 80,000 Hong Kongers were living in London in the 1980s. St. Martin's provided space for their community centre which opened in 1987. In 2011, it was renamed the Bishop Ho Ming Wah Association and Community Centre, with Jackie Chan as a guest of honour.
When the church opened in 1726, there were no seats inside and most people had to stand during services. However, there were seats for the royal entourage and some pews could be rented.
Summer 2026 has seen scorching hot temperatures and heat wave after heat wave. July was a dry and sunny month with no measurable rainfull, the first time in over 150 years of records that this has happened. From the Met Office, the Heathrow weather station reported over 327 hours of sunshine during the month. As of early August, parts of London have experienced 42 consecutive days without measurable rainfall, with a quick shower on the 4th breaking that spell briefly.
More than half of England was declared to be in drought in late July, and Thames Water declared a hosepipe ban starting July 23.
At Hyde Park and many other parks around London, the grass has turned brown.
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