With only 7 days to go, A Very Merry Christmas at Covent Garden is in full festive swing!
The elves are hard at work in the grotto, Santa is logging all the children’s Christmas wishes, and even the reindeer, Jingle and Bell, have been keeping out of mischief long enough to entertain the crowds on the Piazza!
There are still a host of exciting activities in store at Covent Garden in the run-up to Christmas for both adults and children.
Grown-ups can stock up on festive fare at the Covent Garden Real Food Market.
Children can meet Santa and his elves at the grotto or learn how to make their own unique Christmas costume at workshops on Sunday 20 December between 1pm and 3pm.
There will also be a free children’s theatre performance from the enchanting Peut-ȇtre Theatre Company taking place between 11am and 1pm on Saturday.
Oliver! Oliver! Never before has a boy wanted more…
I’ve had this song stuck in my head since seeing the Theatre Royal production of Oliver! last week. Directed by Rupert Goold and choreographed by Matthew Bourne this musical production of Dickens’ classic novel is an all-singing, all-dancing spectacular.
I considered myself at home as the familiar tunes were performed in front of amazing sets in Covent Garden’s beautiful old Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Whoever said you shouldn’t work with kids or animals should “eat their head”, as the kids were the stars of the show – first appearing as orphans, then as Fagin’s urchins and other London street strays. And Bullseye – Bill Sikes’ dog, played by a real live dog – was a big hit with the audience.
Oom Pah Pah, Oom Pah Pah, that’s not to say the adults didn’t belt out a few good ‘uns (literally, in the case of Sykes, ahem). Omid Djalili as Fagin was fickle, funny and just the right side of fiendish. And Nancy sang up a storm.
Proving you’ve gotta pick a pocket or two – I particularly liked the Act 1 scene where Oliver is sold to work in a Funeral Parlour and the undertaker and his wife were styled to look like Riffraff and Magenta – bit of a timewarp, but it worked.
This is a great production that’s suitable for young and old. I’m sure you’d do anything to see it for yourself and, luckily, all you have to do is buy a wonderful theatre ticket.
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Covent Garden is the place to be today, with a jam-packed schedule of exciting events from talks on Urban Beekeeping, to grow-your-own workshops, at The Covent Garden Real Food Market.
Speakers’ Corner (the series of free, weekly talks and demonstrations for London’s foodie community) will feature two of the UK’s leading experts in Urban Beekeeping and Urban Allotments:
- Thursday at 1pm: Beekeeping advice, honey & beeswax workshops with The Hive Honey Shop
- Thursday at 6pm: Urban Farming talks and demonstrations with Capital Growth
If you can’t make it today, there’ll be more talks and demonstrations on Thursday 20 August at the same times.
Don’t forget, if you’re struggling to entertain the kids this holiday, Covent Garden is running The Kids Are Alright summer promotion until Sunday 23 August. This massive free event includes juggling and puppet workshops, cupcake decorating classes, and even a giant sandpit.
The Kids Are Alright also sees great offers on toys and family dining from some of the area’s leading shops and restaurants, including complimentary kids meals from top Covent Garden restaurants, free Disney goodies and the chance to win a Build-A-Bear Workshop party.
Once on this Island is billed as a “jubilant Caribbean musical” – and that’s exactly what it is.
Set among tropical palm trees, with brightly coloured costumes and Calypso-infused music, the show brings a taste of the Caribbean to Hackney Empire.
Through storytelling and song, Once on this Island tells the tale of a young peasant girl who falls in love with a wealthy planter.
But the path of love doesn’t run smoothly, as the girl’s fate is decided by the island’s gods of love and death.
Once on this Island takes you through a range of emotions, exploring themes of class, love, death and regeneration.
Despite a not-so-happy ending, the show is very family friendly, and people of all ages should leave the theatre feeling jubilant.
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Hungry sheep, snuggly rabbits, thoughtful donkeys and a dopey ferret visited Potters Field Park yesterday.
The animals were from Surrey Docks Farm. The farm runs a mobile farm – a big green van which takes the animals out to make new friends. Children from schools near Tower Bridge were invited to meet the animals. Passing tourists and office workers were equally enthralled.
If you didn’t get to make a new furry friend in Potter’s Field yesterday, the mobile farm will be at Surrey Quays shopping centre on the 24th July. Can’t wait till then? Meet the whole family at Surrey Docks Farm every Tuesday to Sunday.
London has 10 city farms. Which one is your favourite?
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The Robot Zoo at The Horniman Museum is a fun way to discover how animals and insects work.
All the robot animals are huge and they move using hydraulics, make noises and the big chameleon even changes colour.
The exhibition has lots of things you can play with – you can camouflage yourself, race squid and see how long you can hang like a bat. If you like to look silly, you can strap a shell on your back, get down on your hands and knees and have a tortoise race!
The Robot Zoo is brilliant for kids and for those of us who dream about creating a scary army of giant mechanical monsters from the rubbish in the shed.
There’s a small charge for the exhibition, but the rest of the museum is free, so after you’ve learned how bees see, head up to the Nature Base room and meet real bees. There’s also a new aquarium at The Horniman Museum. We saw seahorses, toads, a celebrity (an actor who used to be in The Bill. Not in a tank, just visiting) and tropical fish.
Read more about The Robot Zoo
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Last Sunday, people all over London turned out for The Big Lunch – a huge communal event that was also satisfyingly local.
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