Some of the most fun days out in London that we enjoyed came from ideas in the London fun magazine we carried around in the bottom of a bag! - it weighed a lot less than a laptop! Monty Python's Spamalot Day, great free live music and not so free ethnic food and fashion at Africa Day, and the atmosphere of the Russian Winter Festival all provided fun times, pictures and memories. We collected them all on this other site.
We also got first notice of advance events and exhibitions, and so often benefited from first refusal of popular tickets for other events. The London weather vagaries didn't beat us either, as with a listings magazine on-hand during the day, we could change our plans and jump on the tube for a walk in Hyde Park if the weather brightened or to an indoor attraction like the Tate Modern art gallery if it turned nasty.
Monday, 22 September 2008
Monday, 15 September 2008
Wednesday, 10 September 2008
London Fun Things Now Running At Tate Britain Creed Exhibition
Surprisingly, London fun might be on the agenda after all in a gallery, if you're a teen or a student who hates traipsing round staring at pictures all day.
Expecting jeers of derision and tears of laughter at the thought of visiting a so-called piece of 'contemporary art' from the same stable that produced a crumpled sheet of paper, blu-tak and a toilet, I tentatively mooted the idea of visiting the latest Martin Creed installation at the Tate Britain gallery.
Martin Creed, the former Turner prize winner, has had an Olympian inspiration to set a constant stream of runners to sprint through the marble halls and weave through the lofty columns of the Tate Britain gallery - and call it art.
Far from decrying the whole idea of a Puma-sponsored attention-grabbing spectacle as a piece of exploitative sensationalism designed only to hook them in and make fools of them, my teen and tween sons actually showed a spark of interest! As a result, this spectacle 'Work no 850' makes it onto our Autumn London fun things wishlist, as it runs until November.
They will be interested to watch the runners coping with the challenge of slippery floors and in the difficulty of supplying the human running chain with fresh replacement runners. They will probably be disappointed to find out however, that members of the art-loving public such as themselves - or other London fun seekers - will not be able to take part. The usual health and safety concerns apply, and anyway, the runners are apparently only getting paid ten pounds per hour - not that much more than my sons get paid per hour for their paper round.
It will be interesting to hear the opinion of the young on the idea that art can represent the qualities of nothing - it takes a child to see things with a fresh, uncynical and innocent eye. Whether we are being 'taken for a ride' rather than a run will prove interesting debate - as did the intriguing story of The Emperor's New Clothes - in this case that would be running shoes and sports wear apparently sponsored by Puma.
Grab a copy of the best London fun magazine and see what else is new, edgy and different to do in London, in case they've all 'run' out on the very day you want to buy one!
Expecting jeers of derision and tears of laughter at the thought of visiting a so-called piece of 'contemporary art' from the same stable that produced a crumpled sheet of paper, blu-tak and a toilet, I tentatively mooted the idea of visiting the latest Martin Creed installation at the Tate Britain gallery.
Martin Creed, the former Turner prize winner, has had an Olympian inspiration to set a constant stream of runners to sprint through the marble halls and weave through the lofty columns of the Tate Britain gallery - and call it art.
Far from decrying the whole idea of a Puma-sponsored attention-grabbing spectacle as a piece of exploitative sensationalism designed only to hook them in and make fools of them, my teen and tween sons actually showed a spark of interest! As a result, this spectacle 'Work no 850' makes it onto our Autumn London fun things wishlist, as it runs until November.
They will be interested to watch the runners coping with the challenge of slippery floors and in the difficulty of supplying the human running chain with fresh replacement runners. They will probably be disappointed to find out however, that members of the art-loving public such as themselves - or other London fun seekers - will not be able to take part. The usual health and safety concerns apply, and anyway, the runners are apparently only getting paid ten pounds per hour - not that much more than my sons get paid per hour for their paper round.
It will be interesting to hear the opinion of the young on the idea that art can represent the qualities of nothing - it takes a child to see things with a fresh, uncynical and innocent eye. Whether we are being 'taken for a ride' rather than a run will prove interesting debate - as did the intriguing story of The Emperor's New Clothes - in this case that would be running shoes and sports wear apparently sponsored by Puma.
Grab a copy of the best London fun magazine and see what else is new, edgy and different to do in London, in case they've all 'run' out on the very day you want to buy one!
Monday, 8 September 2008
Sunday, 7 September 2008
London Is Fun For Free Running If A Walk Sounds Boring
Great free running images from poolski at flickr.
Thursday, 4 September 2008
Tuesday, 2 September 2008
London Carnivals are Fun And They're Not All At Notting Hill - Tooting Has One Too - photo Wolfiewolf Flickr
Tooting Common also has more to offer, as well as funfairs, carnivals and local events. The Common is a welcome 'green lung' in the great conurbation of the city of London as a whole, and is a great place for an Autumn walk, letting the dogs or kids run around or for a London fun walk and a picnic. For more great ideas, get your copy of the best London Fun magazine of all.
Thanks to Wolfiewolf (Flickr) to whom I'm crediting this photo of a London Fall walk idea.
Sunday, 31 August 2008
Wednesday, 27 August 2008
London Olympics Are Fun Already!
Top on the London fun list to welcome the conquering athletes home from battle were an aeroplane with a golden nose, a little Union Jack fluttering above and Lord Mayor of London Boris Johnson 'doing the honours.' Less fun, but sporting the most genuine and broadest smile I have ever seen him 'sport', was Gordon Brown who almost 'waxed lyrical' in his praise.
Perhaps his popularity had a little boost too! Dare it be mentioned that these successes were hatched under a Labour government? Tom Daley, the diver, probably could not walk let alone swim at its dawning! Truly, he and many others, including this year's GCSE contingent have known no other schooling.
Maybe, just maybe, it's time for a little self-congratulatory back slapping instead of bemoaning the depressing credit crunch. Still it's difficult to see how much fun can be mustered up in the face of Olympic sponsors pulling back from the deal.
Keep up to date with the planning and progress of the London Olympics 2012 and tips for making the best of your own visit here at the best London fun magazine.
Perhaps his popularity had a little boost too! Dare it be mentioned that these successes were hatched under a Labour government? Tom Daley, the diver, probably could not walk let alone swim at its dawning! Truly, he and many others, including this year's GCSE contingent have known no other schooling.
Maybe, just maybe, it's time for a little self-congratulatory back slapping instead of bemoaning the depressing credit crunch. Still it's difficult to see how much fun can be mustered up in the face of Olympic sponsors pulling back from the deal.
Keep up to date with the planning and progress of the London Olympics 2012 and tips for making the best of your own visit here at the best London fun magazine.
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