What’s on in London – July 2018

The first four weekends of July will see the pedestrianisation of one of the Capital’s most celebrated shopping thoroughfares. The shops that line this illustrious street are just not meant to be bypassed with a hurried glance and this is a golden opportunity for the high-end retailers to display their goods in a more relaxed setting.

Over the last five summers, the vibe has been that of an upscale village fete with high-quality street food outlets and laidback live events. A vintage-look bandstand will feature Dixieland jazz bands and a selection of modern folk artistes, while parts of the street will be overlaid with AstroTurf, making them ideal for informal games of croquet and bowls.
http://www.regentstreetonline.com/events/regent-street-summer-streets-2018

If their Chelsea showpiece can be regarded as a spotlight on all that is cutting-edge about horticulture, then the Hampton Court show is the RHS in a more informal, yet no less informative mood. The organisers make excellent use of the more expansive surroundings along the Thames and visitors can look forward to seeing many bold ideas and themes.

Piet Oudolf is one of the biggest names in landscape design and the show will feature a breath taking wild meadow-inspired creation from him. Globe shaped greenhouses and a River of Flowers exhibit are also among the many highlights.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-hampton-court-palace-flower-show

IThe BST series of live shows has become a staple event for the more comfort minded music lovers amongst us and the artistes that headline the events reflect this. There’s little room for thrash and angst at these various July dates: just carefully crafted heritage rock with the odd dash of pop and rap. The only exception is the still spiky silhouette of The Cure, but even they are supported by the smooth Goldfrapp.

From Eric Clapton to Bruno Mars, the acts are all eminently melodic and respectable. Paul Simon brings his massive back catalogue of classic tunes while Michael Buble will inevitably turn Hyde Park into his own personal lounge. If there is any source of controversy, that will most likely come from the direction of Roger Waters. He can’t use the name of Pink Floyd which must rankle as he wrote or co-wrote most of their hits, but he might have something to say about his legendary ex bandmates since he has chosen to name his tour: Us and Them.

This boutique urban festival with a stellar line-up takes place in one of the most scenic spots in London and is one of the few outdoor gigs that can be accessed by boat. There is something for everyone in terms of taste and demographic which also extends to the food stalls and refreshment tents. Connoisseurs of laid back, bluesy soul will enjoy both Emilie Sande and Sir Tom Jones (whose career is enjoying a new lease of life thanks to some fantastic recent releases).

Rock fans will be keen to punch the air along to Noel Gallagher who might also bung a few Oasis hits into his set. However, those who catch Nile Rogers and CHIC will have tickets to the most fun party in town as the funkmeister and his friends romp through their seemingly endless repertoire of dance classics. Good Times indeed!
http://www.greenwichmusictime.co.uk/

Perhaps for the first time in many a year, the success of this year’s Wimbledon will not necessarily be measured by how far Andy Murray gets. Expectations are understandably lower than normal, due to the former champion’s recovery from injury. British hopes focus on Johanna Konta and Kyle Edmund who are part of the rising new wave of stars.

With Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic still some way off their best form, both men’s and women’s tournaments have a fairly open look about them. There are several alternatives to watching the action live on the centre court. Murray Mound (formerly Henman Hill) is the informal name for the open space where fans gather to cheer on their favourites – maybe this year will see it rechristened “Kyle Korner”
http://www.wimbledon.com/index.html

The annual extravaganza of classic music that centres around the Royal Albert Hall provides one of the fmost cultured ways of spending a summer evening in London. This year marks the centenary of the birth of Leonard Bernstein, a modern great who not only advanced the cause of composing and conducting, but also reshaped the way Hollywood musicals were produced and shot. There will be stirring performances of two of his milestone works: West Side Story and On the Town.

There will also be a special focus on female composers with over a dozen new works submitted by first-time entries among which is some surprising and inspiring material from Laura Mvula. Musically, the festival continues to break new ground and Jacob Collier returns with a programme full of invention and wonder. Jazz has now established itself as an equal partner to the classical genre and continues to contribute artistes who ten years ago would not even have been considered.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/proms

Taking its cue from the London Marathon, Ride seeks to attract both star professionals, enthusiastic amateurs and sponsored groups. The result is the world’s largest festival on two wheels with over 100,000 cyclists due to ride around various routes over the weekend of July 28-29th.

Since British riders conquered the world in 2012, London has seen an explosion of cyclists and cycle related events and Ride London is set to get even bigger and better in the years to come. There are two major circuits. A short 46 mile one and a 100 mile race route that was used in the London Olympics. There will also be an 8 mile FreeCycle event that sticks to traffic-free cycle routes which will be ideal for families.
https://www.prudentialridelondon.co.uk/

As the nation saw recently, there’s nothing the Royal Family like better than a good old fashioned flypast. It’s something that the Royal Air Force do particularly well as they can draw on a heady combination of history, technology and the sheer panache and professionalism of their pilots. To commemorate their centenary, the RAF will be mounting a memorable aerial tribute in the skies above the Capital which is guaranteed to thrill the senses.

When the force was formed, powered flight had only been possible for 15 years and the pilots where still flying in open cockpits without parachutes. The next twenty years saw the development of the iconic Spitfire and another twenty saw our planes go supersonic. The curve has levelled off somewhat but there are still many wonderful feats of design and engineering to behold – and don’t forget the famous Red Arrows display team that had Her Majesty clapping with delight last month.

The build up to this year’s World Cup has been fairly low key: no rash statements from the England manager and no daft football songs plaguing the media. Any fears that the Russian hosts might be less than welcome have been quieted and the tournament looks like being a classic. With most kick offs being a couple of hours early due to time differences, the main challenge is to decide whether to watch the action straight after work or at your local pub – either way, you’ll be spoilt for choice.

Paternoster Square is in the imposing shadow of St Paul’s which should set the required patriotic mood. Surrounded by restaurants, coffee bars and bistros, it features a large scree and comfortable seating and is ideal for catching a game straight from the office. Belushi’s is a noted sports bar that has branches in different areas of London. The Hammersmith branch is particularly spacious and atmospheric. Another outdoor viewing venue is Merchant Square in Paddington where the canal side deck chairs are perfect for post match analysis and relaxation.
https://londonist.com/london/where-to-watch-the-2018-world-cup-in-london

Arguably the greatest European sculptor since Michelangelo, Augustus Rodin almost single-handedly invented modern themes and techniques but he was no mere iconoclast. Rodin was, in fact, so inspired by classical Greek art that he often made his figures armless and headless like the damaged two thousand years old works that inspired him

The British Museum is home to the famous Elgin Marbles – a series of ancient sculptures from the Partheon in Athens and the exhibit is a clever juxtaposition of the French master’s work and the tradition that preceded it by two millennia. Many copies of Rodin’s famous works like The Kiss and The Thinker are placed side by side with statues of ancient gods and goddesses which help give context and clarity to this most demanding of art forms.

It has come fashionable in some art circles to elevate the life and struggles of Frida Kahlo above her art. True, she used her striking appearance to challenge the status quo and her fashion sense was integral to her methods. However, she was, first and foremost, a revolutionary who had no time for media games and who needed to communicate with a fair amount of precision and punch.

This was achieved most directly through her paintings which were far from an afterthought. She documented her physical trials and carefully preserved evidence of them (her pill boxes and prosthetic limbs), but she did not entertain some 21st Century fascination about how she came across as a person. Go to this exhibition with the aim of learning from her paintings – everything else is a bonus.
https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/frida-kahlo-making-her-self-up