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Page 2 of 2 National GalleryMasterpieces seldom seen outside Spain are highlights of this winter’s Velazquez exhibition, while Cezanne in England features works from the gallery’s own collection. See the picture recently voted “Britain’s favourite” – Turner’s Fighting Temeraire. This masterpiece of colour shows the nostalgic and inevitable process of the old giving way to new – a veteran Trafalgar warship being towed by a steam tug to the breaker’s yard.Cross the Thames by the (formerly wobbly) Millennium Bridge to see what’s causing controversy at Tate Modern, pausing to look back at the superb view of St Paul’s, then follow the river down stream to... The Globe and BarbicanFind time for one of the guided tours of this ‘theatre in the round’, open to the heavens as it was in Will’s day. Some of the Bard’s greatest plays were performed at this spot, where it is easy to imagine yourself one of the clamorous groundlings at a first night à la Shakespeare in Love. If you can’t let the festive season go by without a panto, catch Dick Whittington and his Cat at the Barbican, 29 November – 20 January.London DungeonFrom the Globe it’s only a stroll to where Madame Tussaud’s, still going strong in Baker Street, has a serious rival for horrors – Southwark’s London Dungeon. Housed in the old prison of the Clink, this is a spooky place for those with strong nerves and hearts. Here the “darkest chapters of Britain’s past” are brought to life with the aid of special effects, atmospheric sets and live actors.Borough MarketWith the departure of Covent Garden to Vauxhall there is only one fruit and veg market left, Borough Market beneath the tracks of London Bridge station, which has been operating since 1756. Wholesale only during the week, it is open to all from Friday noon and all day Saturday. Stallholders come from all over, and there is a particularly wide range of food, from venison sausages to clover honey and organic mincemeat at Christmas time, as well as a number of continental specialities.
Frost Fairs and skating on the Thames are long gone, not due to global warming but to the faster flowing current caused by embanking the river. In 1876 the Glaciarium opened in Chelsea as the first artificial ice rink. Today, new technology has made open air rinks practicable in our milder winters, so an increasing number of temporary sites open during the Christmas season, several in historic settings. Music, hot chocolate, mulled wine, roast chestnuts and mince pies add to the atmosphere. No skating experience is necessary, but remember to wrap up warmly. Ice-skating at the Tower of London |
