Londonist

London Beer Quest: The Wenlock Arms

Dave — 2010-03-11T16:00:00+00:00

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Welcome to a new series devoted to exploring what London has to offer the discerning lover of excellent beer - from pubs and retailers that take pride in the quality of their hoppy offerings, to local breweries and beer events. And so, where better to start than a visit to one of London’s best-regarded real ale pubs…

Despite being situated a mere ten minutes’ walk from Old Street or Angel tube stations, the pub that has repeatedly been named as CAMRA’s ‘North London Pub of the Year’ is often described as a ‘hidden gem’, presumably with emphasis on the ‘hidden’ as finding it requires brief exploration of a decidedly bleak ~~wasteland~~ street just off City Road.

So, on a late Saturday afternoon, we stepped into the Wenlock Arms, to see what all the fuss was about. The inside of the pub was not incongruous with its insalubrious surroundings - slightly grubby and clearly ‘local-friendly’ - it was quite clear that this is a basic, traditional establishment. No gentrification here.

And then there’s the prominent line of hand pumps, which is really what this place is all about. We counted nine of them, comprising eight real ales and one cider. There was also some evidence of bog-standard cooking lager on sale around the corner, but this was of no concern to us. With significant anticipation, we set about the ales.

By all accounts, the Wenlock favours a regularly-changing variety of real ales from independent breweries - we sampled all eight that were on offer, and found them all to be very well-kept. The highlights of our visit were probably Crouch Vale Brewer’s Gold (a respected pale ale, peachy, with sufficiently delicate hoppiness to make a great session ale) and Mighty Oak St. Patrick’s Stout (peaty and explosively fantastic), but with evidence of regular rotation we don’t doubt that the line-up will be completely different from one month to the next.

Aside from the great range and quality of beer, we noted some evidence of substantial sandwich-based food, although we didn’t partake, instead preferring humble pork scratching-oriented snacking - essentially bags of salt with just enough pig fat to provide a rudimentary structure - also of a decent quality. The prices were pretty reasonable for central London, and the atmosphere was cheerful and comfortably untidy. As some inoffensive blues music issued from dusty speakers, an eccentric old man wandered around with a metal bucket, urging people to ‘bring out their dead’, for reasons that were not immediately obvious to us. All very pleasant.

This pub represents a simple proposition. If you enjoy real ale, and are not of an overly precious temperament, you really should visit. If you prefer to sup lager, alcopops or fine wines in gleaming polished surroundings, this particular establishment might not be your beverage of choice.

The Wenlock Arms, 26 Wenlock Road, London N1 7TA.

In Pictures: Tropical Extravaganza @ Kew Gardens

ClaireG — 2010-03-11T15:36:13+00:00

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Last weekend we satisfied our need for sunshine and warmth at the same time by visiting the tropical conservatories at Kew Gardens for the close of their Tropical Extravaganza festival. We had anticipated some spectacular arrangements and weren't disappointed, so if you didn't make it to the event we've got some pictures for you here which will hopefully go some way to making you feel like you didn't miss out.

High Speed Rail Plans Announced

RachelH — 2010-03-11T13:30:41+00:00

Image by TurnipFarmer from the Londonist Flickr pool

Lord Adonis announced the government's proposals for a new High Speed rail link between London and the North this morning; a £30bn project that would bring Birmingham, Manchester and Yorkshire within less than 90 minutes of the capital in a Y-shaped network, splitting at Birmingham.

There's an interchange with Crossrail near Heathrow planned, allowing travellers easy access to the airport and nearly halving the current journey time between, say, Leeds and Canary Wharf. The other big implication for London is a wholescale rebuilding of Euston: 10 high speed platforms and 14 'normal' platforms all below ground level will involve expansion west and south - which answers our question of where to find 6 spare acres - all of which would hopefully be achieved without having to open a temporary station (à la St Pancras) or long closures.

We're so bloody excited about this we hate to mention that none of it's set in stone yet. The London to Birmingham route won't get the go ahead (if consultation goes well) until next year, and work won't even start until after Crossrail's finished. Still: meet you at the Bull Ring in 2026, eh?

London On The Cheap: 11-17 March

Lindsey — 2010-03-11T13:00:14+00:00

The Henninghams 'Chip Shop' at the launch of the London Word Festival. Get a word printed on Sunday.

Tonight: Learn about the unknown ghosts of London with gentleman ghost hunter Alan Murdie, of Ghost Club and Fortean Times fame at SELFS, The Old Kings Head from 7.30pm, £2.50.

Fancy a private view? Tank gallery at the Ladywell Tavern presents From Mud to Mortar, four artists attempting to capture individual viewpoints of the London landscape. From mud in East End canals to vast panoramas of the Thames, each of the artists has a unique perspective of the city they occupy. 6.30-9pm with DJ set.

Salsa for a fiver with the Salsa Technicians at The Litten Tree, Old Street. Beginners and Improvers from 6.45pm till 7.45pm. Intermediate/Advanced from 7.50pm till 8.50pm. Social dancing until closing time.

Friday: Meet Facehunter at Foyles, Charing Cross Road and get a copy of his pretty book signed from 5pm

It's the first day of the Telegraph Hill Festival and upstairs at The Telegraph you can take in "wry reflections on the ups and downs of life in and out of coupledoom" with Couples in Crisis, sketch comedy and songs from 7.30pm.

Saturday: Help move soil in Southwark at Tabard Gardens Community Allotment. 10 tonnes of earth needs moving ready for grow bag action. Great exercise! 10.30am-5pm but drop by and help for as long as you like.

Sunday: It's Mother's Day, remember. Why not take her to the London Word Festival Chip Shop and giver her a word? When mum's gone home though you can enjoy a screening of cult film Blue Velvet at the Roxy, 7pm, £3.

Monday: IanVisits points us to a lunchtime tour of Goldsmiths Hall between midday and 2pm. Free but please book.

Lambeth Music Festival opens with a free showcase concert at 8pm in the Clore Ballroom at the Royal Festival Hall.

The Secret Chiefs meet at the Devereux pub, 20 Devereux Court, off Essex Street, London WC2R 3JJ from 7.30pm with a talk on 'Interactive Destiny' from Andrew Soltau at 8.30pm, £2, all welcome.

Tuesday: The Grant Museum hosts a big screen showing of Sanders of the River from 1935 featuring extensive and often spectacular footage of Africa during the Colonial days of the British Empire. The film will be introduced by Chief film buff Dr. Joe Cain (UCL Science and Technology Studies) and, as usual, a complimentary drinks reception and private view of the museum will follow the screening. Free, from 6.30pm at the Christopher Ingold Chemistry Lecture Theatre, 20 Gordon Street.

Wednesday: Lecture List alerts us to a talk on the Neuroscience of Morality under the auspices of the Ethical Society at Conway Hall at 6.30pm. Free of charge and free thought encouraged.

What did we miss? Tweet us @londonist #lotc for cheap and free events happening around London.

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Photo of the Day: Church

NatalieU — 2010-03-11T12:30:37+00:00

Photo by Homemade via the Londonist Flickrpool.

Lions of London #17

Londonist — 2010-03-11T11:30:04+00:00

London has the largest litter of lions in the world. A magnificent pride their history goes back 120,000 years. There are colossal, legendary and living lions. Lions from one of the seven wonders of the world, from the cradle of liberty and there's a lion on the very first coin. Appearing on the greatest historical treasures, living in masterpieces of art lions are roaring on the capital's biggest tourist attractions. London is leonine.

Meet the whole pride: Lions of London past entries.

By Aidan Potts and Dylan William

Fortean London: London Stone

Londonist — 2010-03-11T10:35:23+00:00

Fortean London is the London of strange histories, folklore, unique people, outsider ideas, ghosts, monsters and more. Take us by the left hand and hold on tight.

Opposite Cannon Street station sits the London Stone. Grey, dusty, set behind a metal grill in an abandoned office block, the stone is about the size of the television that well-off families kept in their kitchens in the early nineties.

The earliest mention is in, possibly, 1098, but everyone agrees that the stone is old. The sober theories suggest the London Stone is the marker for the centre of medieval London, a Roman milestone, a place where debts were paid, a stone notice board or the last remaining stone from the first Lord Mayor’s house which was the only stone building in the city at it’s time.

The more drunk / off-their-nut ideas mutter about the London Stone being the last remnant from a stone circle on Ludgate Hill, that Brutus, the Trojan immigrant Britain is named after, brought the stone with him when he arrived as an altar base. Others say that the stone is part of an intricate pattern of ley-lines and all that that 20th century mythology entails.

The strongest idea about the London Stone, as Steve Roud points out in London Lore, is that the stone is seen as an omphalos for London. "So long as the stone of Brutus is safe, so long shall London flourish," says the proverb (coined in 1862). If it is harmed or moved, terrible danger with befall the city. When, in 2006, the shop occupying the stone's current building was being demolished, the shop-owner Chris Cheek felt compelled to stop a builder putting a chisel to the London Stone. "I'm not into hocus pocus, but," he said "there's something special about it."

The stone is there now, at 111 Cannon Street, and it still attracts those who venerate it. Passing in September 2009 we saw petals left behind the grill as a floral offering for the stone. Someone had decorated its grill with tinsel for Christmas 2009. The are tales of the stone being moved to the Museum of London or incorporated into the redeveloped Cannon Street station but we shall see.

The stone has even been given a 'voice' on twitter. We're confident that twitter is another thing the London Stone will outlive.

By Scott Wood

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Claiming Refunds For Delayed Tube Journeys: There's An App For That

M@ — 2010-03-11T09:53:14+00:00

Forget your fancy augmented realities and real-time displays of Tube times. Here's a simple app that every iPhone wielding Londoner needs: a super-quick way to claim back compensation for delayed tube journeys. Just tap in a few details about the time and location of your delay and the software does the rest.

You're entitled to a refund for any journey delayed by more than 15 minutes, but the official web-based form is less mobile and requires you to fill in all the boxes each time you claim. This independent app stores your key information, meaning you only have to fill out the journey details each time you want your money back. Plus, if the tools are in your pocket, you're more likely to remember while the thistles of ire still scratch.

Currently, Tube Refund only supports Oyster and Travelcard journeys on London Underground, but a National Rail functionality is in the works. TechCrunch notes that a similar app, called iRefund, is also available. Both can be purchased from the iTunes store for 59p.

Major Fire In Shoreditch Club

M@ — 2010-03-11T08:50:00+00:00

Over 100 fire fighters have been tackling a blaze on Tabernacle Street in Shoreditch. Dramatic pictures show a four storey office block with roof aflame, leaving a trail of smoke over the City. A bit of a fiddle on Google Street view, based on photos, suggests the property is towards the Worship Street end of the road, while some Twitter reports claim the fire is in Shoreditch Member's Club, the East Room. At this stage, the cause of the fire is unknown and no one is believed to be injured. Update: closer examination of the BBC pic, and Google Street view, suggests the fire is also on the roof of the building containing Prophet bar on Worship Street. More pics.

Presented By:

2010-03-11T08:50:00+00:00

Extra, Extra

SallyB — 2010-03-10T18:15:16+00:00

A woman has become the second cyclist to die on London's roads in as many days.
The Tories reckon polycinics are 'absurd'.
The proposed Catford Stadium redevelopment has fallen through.
Psst: anyone seen a copper roof?
There's been some smashing and grabbing at Mappin and Webb.

Hyde Park Winter, by Sikelia via the Londonist pool.

New Courses @ Bishopsgate Institute

Lindsey — 2010-03-10T18:00:04+00:00

Enrolment opened today for a new season of short courses at Bishopsgate Institute, running April to July. Whilst 'adult education' has a worthy yet yawn inducing ring to it, the Bish' has a programme of courses that not only span your usual languages, holistic exercise and a smattering of performing arts but offer lovely things that genuinely appeal to our adventurous Londony leanings and won't bust our budget.

How about spending one day Photographing East London or getting literary, walking and writing in East London? Or 6 weeks sketching the city? Film geeks can get noir, try their hand at penning a script or buff up their indie credentials. Oenophiles can book for wine tasting or hone their mastery of French or Spanish and Portuguese plonk.

It's a fine time to join the Bishopsgate Singers or Writers, finally kick the novel in the teeth with a creative writing course, get to grips with all that arty farty 'ism' jargon or push your nose into the complex relationship between art and architecture. Banish your fears of public speaking, calm down and meditate or step into some Strictly Come Dancing shoes. Do it, g'wan.

Bishopsgate Institute is almost opposite Liverpool Street Station, bout 2 mins away. Enrol now.

Rare Camellia Blooms in Chiswick

DeanN — 2010-03-10T16:15:01+00:00

Photo / Martin Labar

The Middlemist Red camellia, considered the world's rarest, is in full bloom at Chiswick House and Gardens conservatory. The camellia, one of only two in the world (the other is located in New Zealand), arrived in Britain from its native China in the early 19th century; the surviving specimen is a descendent of that early immigrant, and was discovered in Chiswick in 1823, where it has remained ever since. The extensive camellia collection at Chiswick includes 36 plants; rebuilding work on the conservatory is due to finish in June, but by that point the distinctive pink petals will have vanished until next spring.

Debate: Has Google Got Too Big?

DeanN — 2010-03-10T15:30:16+00:00

Is Google a benign, modern company that abides by its corporate motto of "don't be evil" and enriches the sum of human knowledge by indexing and sharing the world's information ? Or is it an avaricious power-crazed entity that wields a dangerous amount of power and takes a laissez-faire attitude toward user privacy? The answer's probably somewhere in the middle. Next week, on Thursday 18th March, Spiked Online will host a debate on the subject, asking: "Has Google got too big?", at the Royal Society of Arts. Speakers at the event include David Crow of City Am and Andrew Orlowski of The Register. Tickets are free, but must be booked in advance.

Quiz The Politicians At Women's Question Time

RachelH — 2010-03-10T14:00:22+00:00

The BBC has done a First Time Voters' Question Time and now women's charity Eaves is hosting a Women's Question Time. Anyone would think there was a general election coming up. Yasmin Alibhai-Brown chairs the panel, made up of Vera Baird QC MP (Labour), Theresa May MP (Conservative), Lynne Featherstone MP (Liberal Democrat) and Caroline Lucas MEP (Green) - all of whom could be potential Women's Ministers. Tickets are free, but need to be reserved in advance for the event by emailing anna.bowden - at - eaveshousing.co.uk or calling 020 7840 7126. Also submit your questions on the parties' policies relating to women and girls in advance. Women's Question Time, 16th March 7pm at Westminster Central Hall.

Work On Second Heron Tower Begins

DeanN — 2010-03-10T13:30:36+00:00

The "first major residential development in the Square Mile for 30 years" (according to the developer, Heron International) is now under construction on the site of Milton Court, reports Building Design.

In a move sure to cause confusion, the nepotistically-inclined developer has decided to name the 36-storey tower after itself, meaning that the City will get a second Heron tower in addition to the Bishopsgate skyscraper. At 112m tall, the demi-Heron's moody-looking anodised aluminium and steel facade should provide an interesting aesthetic contrast to the Barbican's concrete towers on the other side of Silk Street.

With just 284 apartments, the building, designed by David Walker and RHWL Architects, will do little to address the scarcity of housing within the City's limits, where 350,000 people work yet just 8,000 live. Should you have the cash, apartments go on sale this month, though you won't be able to enjoy "effortless living in the heart of the City", as the flash (and Flashy) website promises, until 2013 at the earliest.

Book Grocer: 10 - 16 March

RachelH — 2010-03-10T13:00:55+00:00

The week ahead in literary London

Wednesday: Novelist and journalist John Lanchester will be giving his take on the credit crunch - his book's called "Whoops! - Why Everyone Owes Everyone and No One Can Pay", which gives you an idea of his angle - at Daunt in Marylebone from 7pm (£8, includes wine).

Apples and Snakes put the finishing touches to International Women's Day with their all female open mic night at the Vibe Bar in Brick Lane (7.30pm, £3 / £2). Appearances by Liz Bentley, Lucy Leagrave and Deanna Rodger are guaranteed.

Thursday: Hanif Kureishi is at Foyles in Charing Cross Road to discuss his new Collected Stories and his career (6.30pm, free but email to reserve your place).

Friday: Toby Litt, Cathi Unsworth, Courttia Newland and Ray Banks offer a night of criminal fiction as part of the excellent London Word Festival (Toynbee Theatre, 7pm, £12 / £10).

The Albany unleashes four new poets for the first time, after what they're describing as a 'poetry boot camp'. We're guessing the poems will be a bit more nuanced than repeatedly screaming 'sir yes sir!' (8pm, £8 / £5).

Londonist favourite Clare Mulley launches the paperback version of her biography of Eglantyne Jebb, "The Woman Who Saved Children", as part of the Wise Words festival at the Women's Library (6.30pm, £6 / £5). Clare will be giving a talk before everyone - ahem - heads to the bar.

Other events at Wise Words today include Tamsin Bradley and Emma Tomalin discussing their new book "Dowry" (2pm, £4 / £3); Kavita Ramdya on her book about Indian-American Hindu marriage (3.30pm, £4 / £3); Dreda Say Mitchell and Claire Seeber talking about crime fiction (5pm, £5 / £4); and Kat Banyard launching her book "The Equality Illusion" with a panel including journalist Hannah Pool (8pm. £5 / £4).

Saturday: Wise Words at the Women's Library continues today, with readings from contributors to Grey Hen Press's new anthology Cracking On (2pm, £4 / £3); Tower Hamlets author Kia Abdullah talks to agent Laura Longrigg about building a career as a writer (3.30pm, £4 / £3); Cathi Unsworth and Elizabeth Wilson discussing thriller writing (5pm, £5 / £4); Maggie Gee and Yasmin Alibhai-Brown talking about their lives and latest autobiographical books (6.30pm, £5 / £4); and a session from comedian Shazia Mirza (8pm, £5 / £4).

Monday: More Poetry hosts Ken Head, Melinda Walker and Dave 'Guitar' Pelling in the intimate atmosphere of Mug House (Tooley Street, 7.30pm, £1).

Tuesday: We're fascinated by the sound of this discussion: English PEN bring book jacket designers and bibliophiles together at the Free Word Centre to discuss the changing face of book covers - from rebranding Wuthering Heights for Twilight fans to the effect of ebooks (6.30pm, £8 / £5).

Irish writers Philip O'Ceallaigh and Ed O'Loughlin make an appearance at Daunt's Chelsea shop to discuss their work at 7pm (£5, includes wine).

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Brunswick Centre Flats Prone To Flooding

DeanN — 2010-03-10T12:35:49+00:00

Residents in some of the flats within the Grade II-listed Brunswick Centre in Bloomsbury say that their homes are damp and flood-prone, despite an extensive makeover that was completed just four years ago.

The £24 million refurbishment by Levitt Bernstein in 2006 involved replacing the garish colour scheme with the cream shade that designer Patrick Hodgkinson originally selected, and transforming the moribund retail units into a hive of chi-chi businesses -- Starbucks, Carluccios, and Waitrose, et al, moved into the re-branded Brunswick, a new destination where monied folk were invited to "eat, sleep, and live Bloomsbury". From a visitor's point of view, was a success: desolate windswept spaces, previously the bleak doman of parkour enthusiasts, were transformed into a friendly and welcoming environment, complete with that staple of deep-pocket indulgence, the weekly farmer's market.

Seems, though, that in improving the ground-floor environs they neglected the 560 flats perched above the newly-scrubbed piazza. Rebecca Hossack, a Conservative councillor for Camden, described the conditions in some of the properties as "shocking", and the council has agreed to pay for a quarter of the repair costs, with the remainder coming from asset management firm Hermes, which lets the building to Camden. But residents are unhappy that, instead of the comprehensive work they feel needed, Hermes has only planned "targetted" repairs to fix the most pressing cases.

Theatre Review: Love Never Dies @ Apollo Theatre

JohnnyFox — 2010-03-10T12:00:00+00:00

We are in Coney Island, and if Lloyd Webber’s claim that the events are set ten years after Phantom of the Opera is accurate, it’s about 1891. The Phantom has become a sideshow illusionist, bringing with him Madame and Meg Giry, and three henchpersons suggestively called Fleck, Squelch and Gangle whose sole purpose is to strut about in Cirque de Soleil costumes. In a barely comprehensible plot, he invites now-famous Christine Daae to sing in his theatre and she arrives aboard the Lusitania with Oscar Hammerstein (who would have been four years old at the time), Nancy Astor (eleven) and Cornelius Vanderbilt (born 1898). Improbable or what?

Christine’s son turns out to be fathered by the Phantom who entertains the ten-year-old in what looks like Michael Jackson’s bedroom, complete with Bubbles the ape maniacally playing a pipe organ. Other elements of scenery are like an Art Nouveau explosion in a resin factory, interspersed with trapeze and rope twirling from a provincial circus.

The whole of the first act is exposition, and in the second the lead-up to Christine’s performance of the theme song also gives you time to reflect it’s not a new tune. Setting aside the internet gossip which invites comparison between ALW’s composition and the theme from 1960’s Shirley MacLaine movie ‘The Apartment’, ‘Love Never Dies’ is itself a re-vamp of ‘Our Kind of Love’ cut from his musical ‘The Beautiful Game’, stripped of its contextual lyrics, jacked up an octave and given grandiose operatic pretensions drowning in lush orchestration.

Whilst Serena Boggess looks stately - the pink crystal-studded frock is simply gawjus - and sings right to the top of her soprano range, it’s a soulless performance made less engaging because it’s so difficult to care about any of these characters.

It’s tantalizing to wonder what might have happened if Christine had been made fully three dimensional, and the piece sung in a normal register with emotion by Hannah Waddingham - as she did on Parkinson some years ago - then this could have been the most electrifying sequel.

Ramin Karimloo’s voice seems to have only one setting: ‘stentorian’, and all his interactions with Christine are overblown and overloud. The recitative sounds directly snatched from ‘Sunset Boulevard’ and is loopingly repetitive, whereas a few lines of spoken dialogue and a couple of jokes would have been more than welcome.

The counterpoint popular numbers like Summer Strallen’s leggy vaudeville routine, a fatuous rock anthem, and a chronically forgettable ‘beach’ ensemble seem jarring, as if they belong in three different musicals.

In response to a request we've removed the climactic spoiler here but can tell you *it* takes six minutes and four different tunes before the orchestra tests the limits of the sounds system with its final chords.

Lloyd Webber probably thinks he’s written Carmen. You be the judge.

This review is based on a full-price preview perfomance on 2 March, and there may be changes and improvements before its official opening on March 9, from when it will run Monday to Saturday at 7.30pm with matinees on Wednesday and Saturday at 2.30pm, probably for ever. Tickets are £25 to £67.50 including booking fee, from the box office on 0844 412 4651 or online from SeeTickets

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Police Search For Body Under Patio

DeanN — 2010-03-10T11:40:00+00:00

In an echo of the Brookside storyline that catapulted Anna Friel to semi-stardom (oh, and that lesbian kiss didn't hurt her chances either), police are currently digging up a Fulham garden after apparently being tipped off that a body is interred beneath the soil. Little is currently known about the investigation, but one unidentified neighbour said that she was under the impression that it was related to a matter that happened some time ago -- "before I moved her 11 years ago", she added, lest anybody mistake her for Mandy Jordache. The Standard reports that the house is owned by a 58-year old man, currently in hospital for cancer treatment.

Legal Action Threatened Over Tube Lines Ruling

DeanN — 2010-03-10T11:15:17+00:00

Photo / Andy Wilkes

TfL are threatening to take legal action against PPP arbiter Chris Bolt, after he ruled that maintenance firm Tube Lines could charge up to £4.4 billion for upgrade work over the coming seven years, a full £400 million more than TfL is willing or able to fork out.

Thumping his tub to a socialist-sounding tune, Boris Johnson lamented that ordinary Londoners were "being asked to write a blank cheque" in order to prop up Tube Lines and stroke the crocodile skin-clad wallets of shareholders at its parent companies, Bechtel and Ferrovial. He may have a point: Tube Lines' original bill hovered around the £5.75bn mark, suggesting that they were happy to just rack a few extra digits onto the figure and hope nobody noticed. The consortium has been feuding with TfL since last year, when it turned out that Jubilee line work would run and run throughout 2010, prompting a series of playground-level spats between the two sides; a mea culpa from departing TL boss Dean Finch did little to smooth matters over.

A letter by TfL's Richard Parry to Bolt earlier this week warned that the missing £400m would have to be found by taxpayers, in the form of higher fares, or else planned upgrade work, this time to the Piccadilly line, be postponed. Parry's pleas have, it would seem, fallen on deaf ears. Perhaps David Cameron will see fit to bring it up during today's PMQ and direct a few barbed questions to the architect of the disastrous Tube PPP plan himself, a certain Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP.

Thames Tunnel Tour and Fancy Fair @ Brunel Museum, Rotherhithe

ZoeJ — 2010-03-09T21:01:42+00:00

For two days only on 12th and 13th March, the Thames Tunnel, which stretches from Rotherhithe to Wapping, will re-open to the public for the first time in 145 years to mark the end of London’s EAST Festival.

Due to unprecedented demand, tickets for the Tunnel tours have now sold out however there are still places left for the Fancy Fair, a recreation of the original 1852 party hosted to celebrate the opening of the tunnel. Audiences are promised strange and wonderful Victorian characters, cosmoranic views, aerialists, jugglers, historic food and drink and music powered by steam. As Robert Hulse, the Director of the Brunel Museum has stated, “This is not just the birthplace of the tube system, it is the site of a Victorian rave!”

The Fancy Fair takes place from 6-10pm at the Brunel Museum, Rotherhithe. Closest tube is Canada Water.

Presented By:

2010-03-09T21:01:42+00:00

Extra, Extra

Lindsey — 2010-03-09T19:00:43+00:00

By siddharthkhajuria via the Londonist Flickrpool

Jermaine is planning a Jackson tribute gig for the summer
A rare camellia is blooming in Chiswick
Chester Square is still the most expensive address in town
Boris (a)rouses public to protest against calling cards in newsagent windows (he probably needs a massage)
Find out if your London landmark merited a 2012 pin badge

Arts Ahead: What's On In London 9-15 March

ZoZo — 2010-03-09T18:00:24+00:00

See Corinne Day's portrait, Kate at A Positive View at Somerset House. 1990 © Corinne Day

Here are a few suggestions to keep you informed of what's what on London's cultural calendar this week.

Be There First: London Shows Opening

Get cultured and charitable this week as A Positive View opens at Somerset House. In aid of the homelessness charity, Crisis, the exhibition is all about 20th- and 21st-century photography. The Indian Portrait: 1560-1860 opens at the National Portrait Gallery from Thursday, showing some 60 portraits from public and private collections. Saturday sees the start of Paul Sandby: Picturing Britain, A Bicentenary Exhibition at the Royal Academy; an exhibition aiming to reinstate this fantastic watercolourist into his proper position in the history of British art.

If you're into dance, this could be a very busy week. Tonight, La Fille Mal Gardeé opens at the Royal Opera House. Blaze brings street dance to the Peacock Theatre from Thursday; and Saturday sees the start of Sutra: Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Antony Gormley and Shaolin Monks collaborating on an award-winning piece of dramatic dance at Sadler's Wells.

If you're more actively into dance, then you can take part in Fleur Darkin's new show, Disgo, at Laban from tomorrow. Then Move It brings all the best things about dance, (plus workshops, seminars, celebs, auditions and more) to London's Olympia for four days from Thursday.

Over in theatreland, Russell Kane takes modern day woes and makes them into a Shakespearean tragedy at the Soho theatre from tonight. We like the sound of The Tragickal Saveings of King Nigel. Another tragedy opens tonight too: Love Never Dies, at the Adelphi Theatre. So Andrew Lloyd Webber can stop moaning about negative reviews of previews this ropey Phantom sequel has got from the blogosphere as the official, opening-night-obeying critics finally have their say in tomorrow morning's papers. Can't wait.

From tomorrow, you can see circus acts at the Barbican in Circa. Also opening tomorrow is the star-studded London Assurance at the National Theatre (with Mark Addy, Simon Russell Beale, Fiona Shaw and Richard Briers). And the interesting-sounding Irish play The Sanctuary Lamp opens at the Arcola Theatre tomorrow too: three people locked in a Catholic Church for the night...

Last Chance to See: London Shows Closing

The Cat In The Hat closes at the Young Vic on Saturday, as does The Dead School at the Tricycle Theatre, An Inspector Calls at Wyndham's Theatre, The Misanthrope at the Comedy Theatre, Off The Endz at the Royal Court, Party at the Arts Theatre, and Promises Promises at the Soho Theatre. Catch 'em while you can...

Finally, Sunday is your last chance to see Michael Landy's headline-grabbing Art Bin at the South London Gallery. Enjoy.

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Happy 10th Birthday London Eye

Lindsey — 2010-03-09T17:30:31+00:00

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It's twice as old as us today and if you're in the vicinity from 7pm tonight, there'll be a birthday light show and the odd glass of bubbly for lucky passengers. Over the past decade it's 'flown' over 36 million visitors above the Southbank, had a change of owner, been ridden by cheerleaders, turned helical and is still in process of a spruce up and greenwash, ready to be added to our Wifi map and made good for another 10-15 years.

Throughout March you can get 10% off the normal ticket price, making a turn on the biggest wheel in town that tad more affordable and you get to experience the 4D cinema while you wait.

In our own special tribute to one of the most recent yet best loved additions to our skyline and waterside we've picked some ace photos from the Londonist Flickrpool and here share some of your stories and memories of the London Eye, in response to our ask in about the Twittersphere:

Firstly, thanks to @tony_white_ for a link to an archive Idler write up of a trip on the fledgling Eye with Ian Sinclair and the author's attempt at an interview whilst supressing vertigo.

And for a glimpse of what could have been, thanks to @lewisq for a link to a blog containing an image of a much taller, 60 capsule wheel that got binned in development.

And some confessions:

@tartrazine First time I went on the London Eye, I clung to the little wooden bench in middle for nearly the whole ride #ashamed

@timabrahams @Londonist My mate was a Pod Host on the Eye, there in early days for safety. He would give v biased talks on city's football to tourists.

@UKTravelatAbout I saw the London Eye floating on the Thames for weeks before I sussed what it was

@sshingler I watched the London Eye being raised over the Thames for the first time - from the Royal Festival Hall's artist's bar. :)

And aw:

@hazeltsoiwiles RT: @WillWiles The London Eye is 10 today. I attended its first birthday party in 2001, and proposed to my wife atop it in 2004

@becksldrt I got engaged up there : )

Leave your memories, stories and birthday wishes for the big wheel in the comments or tweet @londonist.

Preview: Taiwan Cinefest @ Riverside Studios

Lindsey — 2010-03-09T16:08:38+00:00

Sorry, I love you (Weds 18 March, 8pm)

Taiwan Cinefest returns to London next week for a second year, pitching up to Hammersmith's Riverside Studios between 17th-21st March before hitching up to Scotland for a Glasgow residency.

The programme of 8 feature films, ranging from art house island road trip to starlet led love story to dance flick with old people is well worth delving into - the trailers just made us want to go and watch them all.

In addition there's a free new talent showcase and a free filmmakers' workshop at Goldsmith's on 19th March (book your ticket now).

Taiwan Cinefest runs 17th-21st March at Riverside Studios. Box office open now. For more information www.taiwancinefest.com

Review: Random, Theatre Local

helenbabbs — 2010-03-09T15:00:10+00:00

Seroca Davis performs 'random'. Photograph by Johan Persson

We certainly aren’t in SW1 anymore Toto. Normally based in the salubrious surroundings of Sloane Square, the Royal Court has upped sticks and moved to Elephant and Castle, to the glorious shopping centre on that epic roundabout no less.

Up one level, opposite Price Mark and Cafe Nova, unit 215 has been turned into a temporary performance space and is hosting a series of plays, some old, some new, over the next six months. Tickets are a mere £8 (pay what you like on Wednesdays) and the plays are short and sweet.

First on the bill is ‘random’, a powerful 50 minute piece that was first performed at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs in March 2008. It’s relocated to SE1 to kick off the Theatre Local season. It’s a day in the life of four members of one family, but has been written by Debbie Tucker Green to be performed by a single black woman.

After queuing patiently out in the brightly lit mall, we enter a small rectangular space filled with battered sofas and odd chairs. This is intimate unreserved seating, where the performer is unable to escape the close scrutiny of an audience that is sunk deep in soft surroundings. Throughout the performance, the noises of the shopping centre intrude, adding to, rather than distracting from, the play. The shadows of passing evening shoppers loom past the covered shop front windows.

Seroca Davis delivers a blinding performance in ‘random’, which grips from the word go. The script is rhythmic and poetic, delivered with power and wit and humanity. One woman, in gleaming green tracksuit top and comfy bottoms, becomes an entire family, convincing as mum and dad, as well as brother and sister. We move from comedy to tragedy in swift blows, knowing grins are wiped off faces and sad tears spike watching eyes as another young man becomes the victim of a terrible stabbing.

‘random’ is highly recommended viewing, and the Theatre Local season is definitely one to investigate. Other plays in the series include Disconnect, The Empire and Spur of the Moment.

Find out more at www.royalcourttheatre.com

Beijing-Bound? Let The Train Take The Strain

DeanN — 2010-03-09T14:30:54+00:00

Photo / Homemade

Fancy a trip to the Middle Kingdom? Forget about the plane, you late-20th century carbon-chomping criminal, you: the train could soon be the finest way to take the trip. China is planning to build a cross-continental rail network linking London with destinations across Asia, including Beijing, Singapore, and points across the Indian subcontinent. Trains would nip along the route at up to 200mph, delivering passengers from King's Cross to central Beijing in just two days. According to Wang Mengshu, of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, prospecting and surveying work is complete, and China now intends to begin negotiations with the countries the line would pass through -- many of which, he notes, are eager for the economic and trade advantages it would bring.

London Literary Locations: Mrs Dalloway

RachelH — 2010-03-09T14:00:00+00:00

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Inspired by your votes for the best London novel, we thought we'd take a few capital-set tomes down off our bookshelves and visit the places they talk about. First off is Mrs Dalloway, Virginia Woolf's evocative story of one day in post-war London. The first few pages are as good as it gets when describing the city, so we thought we'd follow the route taken when "Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself" - even if Clarissa did her journey in June and we made ours on a freezing March day - plus a few other spots.

(All page numbers refer to the Vintage Classics edition of Mrs Dalloway; images author's own.)

View Mrs Dalloway in a larger map

Late @ London Transport Museum: Garden Party

Lindsey — 2010-03-09T13:30:23+00:00

This Friday, London Transport Museum throws an adults only garden party as its exploration of Suburbia continues. The evening includes guerrilla gardening, free design surgeries with a qualified interior designer from Heal's, a crafty chance to make your own mosaic plant pot (hmm - mother's day gift idea alert) Wii games, music, curatorial tours and giant garden games. 18.45 until 22.00. Tickets £7 Adults, £5 Concessions and £5 per ticket for each group of 4 or more. Acton Depot's also open this weekend, along Suburban themes. Book tickets now.

Cycle Safety Action Plan Launched

RachelH — 2010-03-09T13:00:52+00:00

As SE1 reported a very nasty collision between a lorry and a cyclist near London Bridge, the Mayor was launching a new initiative to improve cycling safety. Encouraging uptake of cycle training is one aspect, but there's also a new campaign to raise awareness of other road users - particularly of HGV drivers - in TV ads from TfL which use the everyday occurrence of a bank robbery to highlight how easy it is to miss bike users. Darren Johnson also points out the absence of 20mph zones from the Plan, but with the cycle hire scheme and superhighways coming into force soon, anything that increases safety is a good thing, right? (Image / suburbanslice)

Photo of the Day: Q is for Queen

NatalieU — 2010-03-09T12:30:23+00:00

Photo by Big Rock Cat via the Londonist Flickrpool.

Facehunter: Yvan Rodic - The Book

Londonist — 2010-03-09T12:00:03+00:00

As far as fashion blogging goes, Yvan Rodic, the Sartorialist of London, better known as Facehunter, is taking over the world. First an internationally acclaimed street fashion blog, Vogue contributions, sitting front-row at fashion weeks, and now in a move that screams “you’ve made it” for any blogger, he’s releasing a book.

Facehunter is a compilation of Rodic’s photography spanning four years and thirty cities. Online, Facehunter.blogspot.com has a tendency to blend in with other similar sites, but seen in print, Rodic’s work is disarming and unique. The arrangement is perfection, each spread hits you with two photographs connected by a whimsical humanistic quality; a corresponding expression, proportion, or texture. A standout shot of a girl in a cotton vest layered under a black rope dress is set opposite a one of a man on crutches wearing a vest, tailored shorts, 1920s style flop hat, a leather boot and a white cast. The clothes are great, both looks are simple yet aesthetically ingenious, but it’s the poses completing the captivating effect—both of them dancing with the same awkward exuberance.

Facehunter is less about fashion, more about style. “You can’t seduce me with an It-bag,” writes Rodic. “Sorry guys—I’m more interested in personality, charisma, madness and creativity.” It’s a coffee table piece representative of the changing structure of fashion, where the new style frontline isn’t the runway but the street corner: trendsetting from the ground up. On style in our capital, Rodic observes: “British street style is without a doubt the most influential in the world. You’ll find people copying Londoners in every country, but you will never see a Londoner following the aesthetic of another city.”

By Lillian He

Facehunter by Yvan Rodic will be released in the UK on 15 March 2010 by Thames & Hudson, £14.95 hardback.

Appraise our own take on London style with STYLEist

The London Dossier: Chapter 4 - River

Londonist — 2010-03-09T11:00:57+00:00

A rough guide to London, circa 1967: a weekly look at Len Deighton’s London Dossier, a guide to modern London published during the height of the allegedly swinging sixties.

By Joep R via the Londonist Flickrpool

Until comparatively recently, most Londoners only became aware of the river that ran through their city once a year, during the Boat Race. The rest of the time they wanted little to do with it. Probably because it was filthy, smelly and polluted with everything from toxic chemicals to drowned dockers.

But Daniel Farson saw it differently. It's fair to surmise that Daniel Farson saw many things differently, as he was a myth-making, egotistical alcoholic. However, he was also one of the first - along with (Dr) David Owen - to see the romance and practicality of Thames riverside living.

He bought a converted Elizabethan house on a bend of the river at Limehouse. From here he watched "tugs leading strings of barges (there are more than 5,000 on the river); dirty freighters with trees tied to their masts on Christmas Day, coasters from France, family boats with lines of laundry and boats scampering along the deck; liners from Poland, naval frigates, the Britannia, a submarine, Hovercraft, motor boats and racing skiffs and home-made yachts; and a man on water-skis in a black rubber suit."

In 1967, Farson wrote, there was no speed limit and no one side of the river to keep to. All driftwood belonged to the Queen (one day she's sure to open her royal driftwood collection to an astounded public), and if a boatman fished up a dead body he received 7s 6d if it was on the south side and just 6s on the north "so naturally he rows it to the south."

From today's perspective, of course, rowing dead bodies across the Thames doesn't seem that natural at all.

Farson loved the river and the ships. The sailors too, by all accounts. But he also loved drinking and celebrities, and found a way to combine the two when he took over a loss-making pub, renamed it the Waterman's Arms and started inviting his showbiz pals: Groucho Marx, Claudette Colbert, Brian Epstein, Francis Bacon, Joan Littlewood, Clint Eastwood, Tony Bennett, Judy Garland to name but many. This was what effectively killed the pub off, as people turned up to ogle the slebs rather than actually drink anything.

Farson died in 1997 shortly after publishing his autobiography, Never a Normal Man. Indeed.

Next week, Spike Hughes gets down with his bad self in a chapter on London's classical music scene.

By Kevin Mills

Read previous instalments.

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Presented By:

2010-03-09T11:00:57+00:00

Whatever Happened To Greek Football After Euro 2004?

Duncan — 2010-03-09T10:00:00+00:00

Generally, Greek football has tended to be ignored on these shores, but we forget perhaps too easily that only six years ago Greece were crowned European champions, something that none of the home nations has ever achieved. If England were to return home with this summer's big prize we could easily imagine the wave of euphoria and hype that would surge across our domestic football, and Greece were no exception. Huge sponsorship and television rights deals rained down causing much upheaval in the ownership of clubs and the running of the game by its competing authorities.

On Wednesday evening, as part of Birkbeck Sports Business Centre's ongoing seminar series, Christos Anagnostopoulos of the University of Salford Business School draws upon his recent book to examine what he sees as a lost opportunity for a total restructuring of Greek football. His talk will begin at 6pm in the Medawar Lankaster Lecture Theatre on Malet Place, (off Torrington Place) and entry is free.

Picture via wyliepoon's Flickr stream.

Extra, Extra

SallyB — 2010-03-08T20:30:20+00:00

Been a violent few days: now a man has been stabbed to death in Walthamstow.
On the rise and rise of Addison Lee...
Westminster CCTV parking cameras are back with a vengeance.
Sir Stirling Moss is still travelling fast - but this time it was falling down a lift shaft. He broke bones, but is thankfully recovering in hospital.
London's wholesale maternity units are rumoured to be losing that personal touch.

Old and New, by cafedereves via the Londonist pool.

Slow Club Diary: End Of Week 7

Sophie Offord — 2010-03-08T20:00:10+00:00

Follow one Londonista trying to put the brakes on with Slow Club

The Wallace Collection - the scene of last week's 'slowness'

The wonderful thing about Slow Club is that it has reconnected me with my senses.

Last week we were asked to listen to something with undivided attention for ten whole minutes: no multi-tasking, surfing the Internet or twiddling with the mobile.

I immediately got excited. I own so many albums that I have never listened to in their entirety. I download songs and put them on random, or build up playlists, or flit impatiently from track to track. So I made a date with Bowerbirds, Karen Dalton and The xx… And it was lovely, on every last track, to take them in as polished pieces. Each album carried its own unique mood.

Slow Club made sure I didn’t forget my eyes too. It asked me to look at art - really look at it - without reading up on context or picking up an audio guide. Just tuning into gut reaction and feeling.

We’re spoilt for art in London. From the rightly famous Tate Britain or Modern, to the smaller art galleries that line Dover Street or Vyner Street. But I popped into the Wallace Collection because I usually look at the ‘modern stuff’ and didn’t want to be weighed down by preconception.

There was one painting in particular that I kept on returning to. It was called ‘Mrs Mary Robinson’ by Joshua Reynolds, and showed a middle-aged woman, in all her pomp and finery. A classic portrait shot, except this woman didn’t look at the painter. She had her head turned firmly to the side, in what I saw as defiance. All around her were shades of dark blue - the sea and the sky. But on the horizon was a patch of peach, as if the sun was finally rising.

I liked to think that Mrs Mary Robinson was turning her back on society: its rulebook, expectations and the frantic pace of it all; that Mrs Mary Robinson was finding her own path. And if she were living in 21st century London, that path would lead straight to something like Slow Club…

Photo courtesy of kitrey's flickrstream

Review: The Catastrophe Trilogy @ Barbican

Hazel — 2010-03-08T19:30:37+00:00

Photo by Francis Loney

Like secretly favouring one child over your others, it's unfair to single out one play in a trilogy as the most enjoyable, uplifting and clearly structured. But we're going to do that about The Festival, the third, most recent part of Lone Twin Theatre's Catastrophe Trilogy, because sometimes it's impossible to deny that one part gets it just right while the others struggle with what they're doing and saying.

As independent pieces, Alice Bell (premièred 2006) and Daniel Hit By A Train (premièred 2008) are easy to appreciate. Alice Bell recalls Caryl Churchill's Far Away we see a violent, war torn world through young, innocent, optimistic Alice and a filter of upbeat, whimsical songs sung by the cast of five plucking jaunty tunes on ukuleles. Initially bewildering and amusing, it becomes clear that Alice Bell is a sing-a-long-a-war-affected-childhood, all the more devastating because her harsh story is told in twinkly comic song rather than softened by the jokes and tiny guitars. The point when you realise you shouldn't be laughing and yet you feel like you must is when Lone Twin Theatre has got you, as they have intended to all along in Alice Bell.

Daniel Hit By A Train is more brazenly whimsical with sudden bursts of vaudeville, slapstick, direct address to audience and more ukuleles. It races through the 53 memorial plaques in Postman's Park, presenting each heroic story rather quickly and sometimes flippantly. The way song, dance and storytelling in Alice Bell has developed into this one is easy to spot. However, Daniel Hit By A Train even without comparing to the rest of the trilogy was a tricky piece to watch; how should we respond to comic presentations of what we know to be tragic stories? Every tale ends in a death - it doesn't feel right to smile at cast member Molly Haslund miming burning to. We tittered uncomfortably at Guy Dartnell's repeated botched attempts to save a drowning boy. Lone Twin Theatre's attempts to utilise the same startling juxtaposition of form and subject as in Alice Bell but without the same rewarding effects. We appreciated the challenge of interpreting the Postman's Park heroes differently rather than just "a bit sad". But without clearer signals as to how else to comprehend them, we were left feeling just "a bit baffled."

And then there is The Festival.

Seeing it at as the final piece of the trilogy puts the formal experiments of the previous two into perspective; The Festival feels like the end of a journey and is fittingly celebratory. A woman meets a man at a festival, they promise to meet a year later at the same festival but that one encounter triggers a subtle but deeply significant change in the woman and by the time they meet again, her wants, needs and dreams have completely changed. The cataclysms are nothing dramatic or deeply profound; it's simply being at a festival, in a big crowd, enjoying unexpected appearances by U2, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Bruce Springsteen that takes her out of herself momentarily and she is able to then reassess her life with greater clarity.

The audience was clearly moved when the cast gamely recreated U2's Where the Streets Have No Name - it's a wonder that lighters weren't held aloft and no one tried to stage dive as the good feeling the company managed to produce was so exactly like being at a gig when the band play the song everyone has been waiting to hear. The songs in The Festival, the performance style, and the warmth of the piece makes it more coherent, cohesive, accessible - whether you are seeing it as part of the trilogy or on its own. It's just lovely, like having all your best karaoke / festival / gig / party moments re-enacted for you and seeing how those moments can change you, may have changed you.

The Catastrophe Trilogy is a rewarding experience seen as one piece, quite challenging but charming too; seen separately there's less chance to see how the company has developed ideas from one piece to the next but more opportunity to appreciate the stories in themselves. However you see them, go see them: catastrophes have never been more uplifting.

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Alternative London Workouts #12: Pole Dancing

Caroline — 2010-03-08T19:00:00+00:00

Courtesy of Polestars

Hey ladies, feel as though your arms could use a bit of toning? Pole dancing lessons will certainly do the trick of making those triceps and biceps scream (in a good way). Beware: this is not for the faint of heart.

What: Pole dancing, as in what you may have always associated with shady gentleman's clubs, or more recently with Marisa Tomei's character in The Wrestler, has taken the exercise world by storm. Although it tends to be a fairly popular option for hen parties, we reckon that if practiced on a regular basis (and perhaps without a bottle of wine), it could prove to be an excellent muscle building workout.

The Rundown: Participants are recommended to wear shorts or hot pants (oh my!) and to bring along both a set of trainers and high heels. A typical class will begin with a warm-up, during which the class will stretch, get those hips moving, and begin to jump about.

Initial encounters with the pole may be a bit awkward but are not overly challenging. The first moves involve sliding down the pole with arms outstretched, knees spread apart, and heels together. Getting back up from the ground should be handled in a composed and (of course) sexy manner, with the bum leading the way for the rest of the body to follow. Other moves include spins around the pole, with feet on and off the ground, and hooks-where one leg does the job of keeping the body attached to the pole.

In part, pole dancing is a performance art, which means that dancers will also learn sexy walks such as the 'Show Pony', a maneuver that shows off a fair bit (or a whole lot) of leg, as well as routines on the ground. Don't be afraid to throw a wink in your classmate's direction.

Is it the right fit for you: If the idea of a sexy workout appeals to you, or if your parents had a hard time pulling you away from the playground when you were you a child, then you'll probably find pole dancing to be a lot of fun. You should expect your arms and abs to hurt for a couple of days afterwards and should also accept the fact that there will be bruises. This is definitely a great option for anyone who loves a challenge.

Where and When: We took a class with Polestars, which we greatly enjoyed. They offer courses throughout London and have a new six week course starting 16 March. They are also hosting tasters on 15 and 31 March for anyone who happens to be curious. Check their website for booking information. Other companies include Polepeople, the Pole Dancing School, and the London Academy of Poledancing.

See other entries from our Alternative London Workouts series.

What's Up With The Wembley Pitch?

DeanN — 2010-03-08T17:45:24+00:00

Photo / R4vi

The pitch at Wembley stadium will this week be relaid for the tenth time in less than three years. The hallowed turf was subjected to a blistering burst of heat from the Alex Fergsuon hairdryer after the Carling Cup final, with the United boss blaming the pitch for Michael Owen's season-ending injury. Further complaints were voiced after the England - Egypt friendly last week. The stadium's mixed-use programme-- it regularly hosts rugby and NFL, amongst other shows -- is usually blamed for the chopped-up pitch, but it seems to be a recurring problem. The surface was heavily criticised after 2007's FA Cup tie between Manchester United and Chelsea, the first match to be played there, and despite the regular relayings (costing £90,000 a pop) little seems to have improved.

Theatre Review: Once Upon A Time At The Adelphi @ Union Theatre

JohnnyFox — 2010-03-08T17:12:17+00:00

Ever since Garbo leaned against the door-jamb of her luxury suite and murmured ‘I want to be alone’, the glamour and intrigue of Grand Hotels has captured public imagination. In Liverpool, the landmark Adelphi Hotel had its profile boosted by carriage trade from the ocean liners arriving from the New World and statesmen, gangsters and Hollywood stars all passed through its revolving doors.

Against this background, writer and director Phil Wilmott plays out an affecting love story between hotel employees, complicated by a timewarp between 1930 and the present day and affording opportunities for contemporary musical theatre songs as well as dynamic big-band numbers and choregraphy that sets the stage alight every time with the second-act opener ‘Thompson From Accounts' being particularly inventive.

Once Upon A Time had a successful debut at the Liverpool Playhouse during the city’s term as European Capital of Culture, and whilst this production makes use of every inch of the tiny Union Theatre’s stage, it would be enriched by a bigger budget for set and orchestra to put over the lavish décor and thirties big band sound.

But that’s not to detract from what is a sensational chamber production - there are no weak links in the ensemble, every one of whom sings (unmiked) and dances up a storm - but the star of the show really is Andrew Wright’s brilliantly executed choreography, eclipsing anything recently on the London fringe.

In the lead, John-Paul Hevey plays Thompson as a loveable scally and although it’s a bit of a stock character he gives it credibility and warmth particularly in the nostalgic ballad about Liverpool which brings the show to its romantic climax, and when there was scarcely a dry eye in the place.

You couldn’t say the same for that ‘other’ Adelphi - the theatre in the Strand, currently showing Andrew Lloyd Webber’s turgid sequel to Phantom where £6 million investment doesn’t tug at your heartstrings half as much.

Once Upon A Time At The Adelphi continues at the Union Theatre 204 Union Street, London SE1 (2 minutes from Southwark underground) until 27 March, with performances Tuesday-Saturday at 7.30pm and Sunday matinees at 3.30pm. Tickets £12.50-£17.50. Box office 0844 477 1000 or visit www.ticketweb.co.uk

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