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London breaks blog http://londonbreaksblog.co.uk/

November 17 2011, 4:22am | Comments »

London Breaks Plays: Enlightenment at Hampstead Theatre

http://theatrebreaksmag.co.uk/london-breaks-plays-enlightenment-at-hampstead-theatre/

This article by Andy contains a brief review of Enlightenment at the Hampstead Theatre. We’re always on the look out for new plays and venues for visitors here on London breaks to add to the possibilities for an extra evening out at the theatre, and it doesn’t always have to be in the West End by any means. There are theatre pubs, fringe theatres, off-west-end theatres and regional theatres all within the M25, many within central London itself. The play that was brought to our notice is called “Enlightenment” written by Shelagh Stephenson and directed by Edward Hall, Hampstead Theatre’s new Artistic Director. So Monday night took us to see the venue for the first time, right next to the Swiss Cottage roundabout and tube station. Arriving inside Hampstead Theatre felt more like visiting a leading performing arts centre for one of the major UK cities, like Canterbury or St Andrews, or Exeter. Not knowing anything much about ‘Enlightenment’ beforehand, I was able to deliberately keep an unprepared mind for the unfolding emotional drama as the plot weaved its way through the minefields of improbability. There was a small scientific thread in there somewhere, citing a theory akin to or possibly preceding chaos theory which needs further investigation but the big story was a classic human tragedy investigating the nature of identity and touching themes designed to disturb the audience’s sensibilities particularly poignant to parents. As a father myself, I feel particularly well placed to understand the two main characters anguish at not knowing the fate of their missing son.

The Hampstead Theatre is an impressive modern theatre venue, small enough to be intimate and with perfect acoustics and yet large enough to stage quality serious theatre productions, drawing in audiences from all over the capital, with excellent transport links on the fast Jubilee line and all the central connections just a few stops away, so this would be a sensible logistical addition to any London Breaks package. Enlightenment is a traditionally constructed play in two acts with a beginning, middle and end, realistic characters, a straightforward time line and just about believable events. There are moments where the sanity of everybody is questioned, but that is a reasonable thing for a play to do. The staging is impressively modern and effective with good use of additional sound and video, back projection and slick scene changes with transparent rising and falling furniture. Maybe it was just me but upstairs and downstairs became strangely confused, or was it deliberate? Nothing is quite as it seems with this play which has been running since September, so the acting should be well bedded in by now. There were times when I though the playscript was possibly a class above the performance, but in the second act I dropped that misgiving, particularly with all three female characters who worked well together, and the addition of a sixth character in the second act pulls the whole play together and leaves you on the edge. Cast: Daisy Beaumont Richard Clothier Paul Freeman Julie Graham Polly Kemp Tom Weston-Jones

October 12 2010, 7:12am | Comments »

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Short breaks in London with a Show

http://usefulwiki.com/londontheatre/short-breaks-in-london-with-a-show.html

Short breaks in London with a show are a great choice for mid-week or weekend holidays. Here are my top 3 recommendations for shows this coming Spring. Couples who just want to see a show as part of a trip to London, perhaps as part of a special occasion have lots of choice when it comes to shows and things to do. London is a great place for short breaks and there is a lot for couples to do and see. There are all the art galleries, lots of classy shops and, of course, the sights of London. That’s the thing about the capital it’s still fun even if you’ve seen it all before. When you are choosing the show for your short break I’ve got three top recommendations for you at the moment. Choose Your Show Les Miserables In your position I’d go for Les Miserables as a first choice. Tickets have got a little bit trickier to get hold of due to the SuBo effect but the theatre break agencies still have plenty of availability. If you can be flexible about your dates and can travel mid-week there are some brilliant deals for Les Miz. Traveling mid-week also gives you a good choice of 3* and 4* hotels at very reasonable rates. Les Miserables is one of the longest running shows but it still remains one of the best. People always seem to enjoy it and it still seems as fresh as it ever was. Dress Code: best frock or jeans, this is London – no one cares! Hair However if semi-classical score is not to your taste you could try revisiting the 60s and trying something brand new but re-cycled. Hair is coming to the West End in April and it’s going to be huge. This is the full Broadway revival production, all singing, all dancing, full of colour, life and energy, just like time traveling back to those days. They say if you remember the 60s you weren’t there but Hair is all that you might have missed and more. There is flower power, hippies and The Age of Aquarius, not to mention a bit of nudity and other, rather innocent naughtiness! Dress code: Afghan waistcoats, bell bottoms and patchouli (only kidding!). Though it might not be a bad choice of costume if you want to join in with the onstage party at the end of the show:

Jersey Boys Maybe Jersey Boys is more your scene, sing along as you watch the story of Frankie Valley and the Four Seasons unfold. Walk Like a Man, Sherry Baby, and a host of other tunes you’ll enjoy discovering you still know all the words to are woven into the story of five young lads from New Jersey.
Dress code: Very snazzy Trilby hats available in the foyer of the theatre So there you are three top shows to choose from, all of them ideal to fit in with your short breaks in London with a show. a

February 12 2010, 8:44am | Comments »

I posted to usefulwiki.com

Theatre Breaks Agents Compared

http://usefulwiki.com/londontheatre/theatre-breaks-agents-compared.html

Theatre Breaks Agents Theatre breaks agencies come in many shapes but here at the London Theatre Breaks blog we like to work with three in particular. We get a small commission from each reader who books a theatre break through our links and that helps to fund our blog. The theatre breaks agents offer somewhat differing services and the best one for you depends on what you are looking for when you start searching for a theatre break package. You need to decide what your priorities are first before you look at the various deals on offer because you are not really comparing like with like. (If you need help with this have a look at this post on our sister site Theatre Breaks Magazine.) The agencies specialise and offer various options, they often work with particular hotels or a particular level of ticket. Some agencies have offers on rail fares which you can bundle in with the cost of your tickets, other optional extras like meals can also be added. Often agencies offer discounts on London attractions when they are booked with your theatre break. We only work with reputable agencies where we can be sure that not only will you get a good deal but that your tickets and hotel room will be honoured. Some of the other theatre breaks companies add lots of hidden extras, like booking fees, on to your final bill. We think this is not acceptable so we only recommend the following package deals: Show and Stay Theatre Breaks

Show and Stay is a long-established theatre package company. They are part of the larger Holiday Extras group and we have been working with them for the last 2-3 years. Feedback from customers has been very positive and we continue to recommend them. Show and Stay really specialise in getting you top quality tickets at a good price and combining them with a good choice of 3 or 4* hotels. They also offer a very good deal on rail tickets, with up to 40% discount as standard. Show and Stay often has the hot tickets that no one else has. For example when Jodie first appeared and Oliver! London was the hottest ticket in town, Show and Stay was able to offer Saturday night, best seats, when there was no other way to get them and everyone else said the show was sold out. Now despite what I’ve said about them offering top quality tickets don’t assume that Show and Stay only do expensive theatre breaks. Their breaks are very competitive. For example someone just booked a midweek evening at Oliver! and 1 night in a 3* hotel for 2 people for only £213.96.

Superbreak Theatre Breaks

Superbreak is where you go for bargains. They offer a range of ticket prices so if you don’t mind being in the Upper Circle you can get a very good price indeed. They have more limited availability sometimes, than Show and Stay but if you are looking for particular dates rather than a specific show they can be very good value. The hotels they work with are just as good as Show and Stay and are usually 3 or 4*. Superbreak are a large company and they do all sorts of London breaks and breaks to other cities too. They are less specialised than Show and Stay but they still offer a good service. Their web site can be a bit harder to find your way around, as it is so large, but if you persevere you can definitely get some great deals. TheatreBreaks.com

TheatreBreaks.com is a smaller company established thirty years ago. They’ve been online for over ten years. They have pretty good availability, work with good 3 and 4* hotels but where they really excel is in their personal touch. They are they people to go to if your needs are at all outside the ordinary. Maybe you want to do a large group with an odd number to see Dirty Dancing on a specific weekend. Perhaps you have limited mobility and need to know that your hotel, and your theatre seats, are fully accessible. They are the best people to help you. You just phone them up quoting your reference number from the website and they will go out of their way to make sure your problems are sorted out. a

Related posts:Friday Theatre Breaks with Dinner and Hotel Hotel and theatre deals Hairspray Theatre Breaks

December 30 2009, 5:01am | Comments »

I posted to theatrebreaksinlondon.co.uk

Breaks in London

http://theatrebreaksinlondon.co.uk/48/breaks-in-london/

Breaks in London London seems such an industrious city with working people rushing about all the time and yet on any one single day there are probably tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of visitors taking some kind of breaks in London. In this blog we mainly concentrate on theatre breaks in London because that’s the name of the blog but within that whole idea of city breaks with a hotel and theatre show combined in one package, there are many different ways of putting it all together, so that comes down in the end mainly to individual choice. Hotel breaks in London Hotel breaks in London Hotel breaks in London can of course come with or without theatre tickets, and the attraction of a top musical show isn’t what brings everybody to the West end even. Some might come for sporting, shopping or concert breaks in London. And then there’s the question of whether weekend breaks are better than midweek breaks in London when the show tickets might be for better seats but the hotel room have less availability. The same parent might choose to bring the kids for family breaks in London to meet one purpose but on another occasion just a partner for romantic breaks in London with a fantastic meal at one of the numerous smart restaurants in the city.

December 12 2009, 3:34pm | Comments »

I posted to usefulwiki.com

London Weekend Breaks By Rail

http://usefulwiki.com/londontheatre/london-weekend-breaks-by-rail.html

Are you looking for more information about London weekend breaks by rail? That’s actually a very good starting point because you’ve already made the best decision as far as transport goes for arriving in London. Go by train and you’ll not have to be worrying about things like car parking, how to pay the congestion charge or long motor way traffic jams holding up coach journeys. The fast inter city trains are also the quickest way to get from most UK cities into one of the central London mainline stations. London Breaks by Rail - Express Routes Weekend breaks can be for a West-end theatre show on any Friday, Saturday or Sunday night combined with a hotel stay of one night or more, including the show date. The most popular break tends to be a one-nighter including the big Saturday night out, but getting away early on a Friday makes a lot of sense too. Traveling on a Friday and Saturday gives a clear run through but Sundays can be fine for getting home too, depending on which rail line takes you back. All I’m saying is, check for regular Sunday engineering works if the service that relays between your city and London is one that may be prone to scheduled maintenance on a Sunday. Longer Weekend Breaks If your weekend break means going home on a Saturday of course, the traditional weekend has only just begun but then again I’ve noticed that for some people around here, the weekend definitely starts to ramp up on a Thursday night! London can be a very pleasant play to stay on a Sunday with less of a hurried atmosphere but still plenty of things to see and do so staying on for the whole weekend and then booking to get back on a Monday during the daytime can make for an extremely satisfying London weekend rail break, more like a mini holiday really. You could even make it a three or four night stay with the weekend theatre trip included, especially worthwhile if you have a long distance rail journey from one of the smaller rail networks that lie beyond the core inter city services. London Shows for Weekend Theatre Breaks One of the advantages with buying a theatre breaks package is that you can get good tickets for any of the more popular shows, even on a busy Friday or Saturday night. I tried to get an impulse ticket from the famous half price ticket booth the other day and after a lot of waiting around I came away without making a purchase. That was because the shows on offer didn’t include two that I was most interested in, and because the prices offered are not anything like half price at all. So supposing you’ve always wanted to grab a friend and go and see Hairspray, Dirty Dancing or Sister Act on a Saturday night but couldn’t find any available tickets except from the disreputable touts and so-called discount kiosks, well the answer is to do just a little bit of forward planning and organise a weekend break in London for just a few weeks down the line, then you can get on with life knowing there’s a fantastic treat in store for you to look forward to. London weekend breaks by rail are also perfect for really special occasions such as a big anniversary or celebration. Never mind seeing Les Miserables from the back of the upper circle, with theatre breaks packages it’s often possible to get best available seats with a competitive price guarantee, because the tour agents buy blocks of tickets way in advance and can therefore hold the best seats open for people who are booking the whole London weekend theatre package thing with the hotel stay and return rail tickets included. This is just one suggestion, but supposing you were a big fan of the Phantom of The Opera having seen it many years ago, and fancied repeating the experience in today’s West End. This gives you two possible shows for London Weekend breaks by rail because the new show with the Phantom opens in March 2010 and it’s going to be one of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s biggest shows ever, called “Love Never Dies“. By booking the rail tickets well in advance in combination with London weekend breaks, (that’s the show and hotel stay), you get the full discount on the rail tickets which can mean as much as a 70% saving off the regular return saver. If it appears as if the only shows on in London are the big musicals then that’s certainly not the case. There are always a number of serious plays also on in the West end, usually for shorter runs but not always, and these are also available for London weekend breaks by rail. In 2010 there will be more Shakespeare, Pinter and Becket as well as modern American playwrights, and some comedy plays too. So you’ve decided very sensibly to opt for London weekend breaks by rail, thought about which show you’d both like to see, and maybe opted for a Friday night or Saturday theatre ticket depending which suits you best and considered the best time and day for homewards travel. All that’s left is to balance the convenience of a central London hotel with the economy of staying a little further out, but there is always a good selection of options available when booking London weekend theatre breaks. Now let me see, what else is there to worry about? a

Related posts:Theatre breaks with discount railWeekend Breaks with BasilFriday Theatre Breaks with Dinner and Hotel

December 8 2009, 6:31am | Comments »

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London Breaks to the ENB

http://usefulwiki.com/londontheatre/london-breaks-to-the-enb.html

London Breaks to the ballet on Theatre Breaks Magazine Over on our sister site Theatre Breaks Magazine there’s news of a great offer if you are interested in London Breaks to the English National Ballet. The English National Ballet are doing a wonderful winter season at the London Colliseum. The ballets on offer are The Nutcracker, The Snow Queen and Giselle. Tickets will go fast so people need to book early! If you’re interested pop over the the London Breaks section of the magazine and have a look.

Related Posts:Phantom of the OperaPriscilla theatre breaksHow to make a musical and why Gone with the WindPeter Pan comes to Kensington GardensBilly Elliot Theatre Breaksa London Breaks to the ENB

June 12 2009, 1:08pm | Comments »

I posted to theatrebreaksmag.co.uk

London Breaks to the Ballet

http://theatrebreaksmag.co.uk/london-breaks-ballet/

London Breaks to English National Ballet 5 Star London Breaks at Reduced Prices! Winter seems a long way off as we enjoy the lazy days of an English summer but if you want to get a great deal on a wonderful break to see some of the best ballet around you need to plan ahead. There’s really limited availability on this offer so you need to act fast. Each ballet is only on for a short run and will sell out quickly. Three Wonderful Ballets at The London Colliseum The Nutcracker

First – from mid December to early January: Dec 16th 2009 – 2nd of January 2010 A magical London break to see The English National Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker in the majestic surroundings of the London Colliseum would make a perfect start to the festive season. The Nutcracker, complete with all the classic trimmings is a wonderfully indulgent way to kick off the winter blues and get into the mood for all that lies ahead. The story we all know and love comes to life as Clara meets The King of the Mice, journeys to the Land of Sweets and sees the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. No child and few adults can resist this sugary confection! It’s the perfect introduction to the ballet for children. This production has been staged in London for the last 7 Christmases and this year is your last chance to see it. It definitely won’t be on next year! The show runs from Dec 16th 2009 – 2nd of January 2010. Book a London Break to see The Nutcracker The Snow Queen Next, for just one week – Jan 8th – 16th 2010 - The Snow Queen Snow Queen London Breaks Perfect for slightly older, brave children, (or adults!) is the scary tale of Gerda and Kay and their encounters with the evil, heartless Snow Queen. Little ones might find it just a bit too scary but anyone 8 or over should be fine. The story, dancing and music work wonderfully together in this production and create an amazing atmosphere. The production is choreographed by Michael Corder. Prokofiev’s music and the magical set designs all fit together to create the icy court of the Snow Queen. Just fabulous! You will really need to be clever and act fast to grab tickets for this one! Book a London Break to see the Snow Queen Giselle Only on for 4 nights! Jan 20th to 23rd Last is my own favourite, Giselle. It is the ultimate romantic ballet. Best suited to adults and older children Giselle is a wonderful, tragic love story. Giselle falls in love with the handsome Duke Albrecht, but she discovers that he has deceived her. She dies of a broken heart. Albrecht finds Giselle’s grave in a mist-wreathed forest glade. The grave is haunted by the vengeful ghosts of abandoned brides that force men to dance to their death. Giselle returns from the grave to save her beloved Albrecht from this fate. Book a London Break to see Giselle

London Breaks to see Giselle

June 12 2009, 9:46am | Comments »

I posted to theatrebreaksmag.co.uk

London Breaks for Spring and Summer 2009

http://theatrebreaksmag.co.uk/london-breaks-for-spring-and-summer-2009/

London Breaks this Spring Spring is a super time of year for a London break. The city is just warming up, the parks are full of spring flowers and the weather is mostly pretty good. Obviously you are not guaranteed sunshine but you are a lot less likely to get rained on than you are further north or west in the UK. This means you can really enjoy the sights of London without the city heat or the summer crowds. St James Park in March Days can be warm and sunny but the evenings can be quite chilly. So pack a light coat and maybe a pashmina for coming back from the theatre. You probably won’t need an umbrella. Three top shows to see on your spring London break I’m going to suggest three shows that could be good choices for your London break this spring

Priscilla - A new show but not a new production. It’s been going for several weeks now, so it’s pretty slick. It’s getting good reviews, the music is great (think 70’s disco standards We Will Rock You - still great and still packing them in. But there are persistent rumours of the show closing. Definitely worth seeing or seeing again! Hairspray - if you can act quickly you’ll be able to see Michael Ball before he leaves the production in June. I’m sure Billy Conley will make a great Edna but Michael has made the role his own and has to be worth seeing.

London Breaks this Summer London breaks in the summer can be great too. The city is generally a couple of degrees warmer than the rest of the UK and this is even more the case in summer. The city buildings hold the heat so a hot day can mean it doesn’t cool down all that much in the evening either. This makes strolling round the West End after the show soaking up the atmosphere very pleasant. Do the London thing and buy yourself some bottled water for use during the day. Use it to keep your cool, especially if you go on the tube. I also use Evian spray sometimes if it gets very sticky. Great for cooling off!

Dress in cool fabrics for the theatre as they can be quite hot, even if air-conditioned. Some of the theatres are ‘air-cooled’ rather than air conditioned. This means that the front stalls are coolest seats in Summer. Avoid the highest circle and the back rows as these are the biggest heat-traps. This won’t be an issue if you are buying your theatre break through a theatre breaks agency that guarantees you the best available seats. Anyway it’s the perfect excuse to buy that little black linen dress you’ve been eying up! A cashmere shawl or cardigan is all you’ll need on top. 3 Top Shows to see on your summer London break These 3 shows would be good choices for London breaks this summer: Sister Act - very new, not even open as I write, Sister Act should have settled down by the summer. It’s looking all set to be a hit show. Phantom of the Opera - a long running classic but still looking good. See the original production this summer before the sequel comes out in the Autumn. Jersey Boys - good fun, high energy, a feel-good show. Jersey Boys has quickly become a real favourite. They’ve just released a new batch of tickets for the summer so you should be able to get the dates you want. London Breaks at other times of year London breaks in autumn and winter have their own advantages but I’ll save them for another post later.

April 14 2009, 5:38am | Comments »

I posted to theatrebreaksmag.co.uk

London Breaks Weekend or Midweek

http://theatrebreaksmag.co.uk/londonbreaksmidweek/

Choosing your dates for London breaks When it comes to choosing your dates for booking London breaks, I appreciate some can be more flexible than others. It all depends on what your visit is mainly for. Perhaps to mark a special occasion such as a birthday or anniversary, in which case seeing a show on the big day may be important. Others will be happy to organise around the nearest weekend if a midweek break is out of the question because of weekday commitments. Or seeing a special show may be the whole purpose, booking a london break to get those sought after tickets. If a midweek London break is at all a possibility then it does have a lot going for it. Not only are the best show tickets more likely to be available than on a Saturday night, and the chances of picking up a better value hotel deal increased, but also I think the London life is just a tad more authentic when the city is doing it’s business day thing, with places such as the City of London almost deserted at weekends. Not only that but if you plan to do a little shopping thne places like Oxford Street are much easier to negotiate when the Saturday crowds are absent.

Midweek London Breaks on offer Several times a year there are special offers for Midweek London breaks with top musicals and these include a Monday to Thursday show and for some a Friday is a possibility as well. This reflects the fact that London hotels are in demand not just for business clients during the week but largely for tourists and visitors at weekends who outnumber the corporate residents, thus creating some spare capacity on weekdays. Of course Saturday night show tickets always sell out first as well, so midweek is the way to go if you can get away with it at all. London Breaks by Rail

Travel to London from the UK is often best by intercity fast train network. Even if you are the sort of person who goes everywhere by car, for a London break, this is really not a good place to bring one because of the traffic, the parking problems, the unforgiveness of London drivers and taxis for those who are unfamiliar with where they are going and worries over breaking the congestion charge regulations. Rail travel on the other hand should bring you to central London in a relatively relaxed and stress free frame of mind to enjoy the theatre. There are just a couple of tips I’d point out to help you plan London breaks by rail. * Rush hour - don’t arrive in London before 9.30am or depart for your return journey between 4.00pm and 7.00pm. This shouldn’t be a problem if you are coming a few hundred miles but could be an issue for those in the South East of England who try to spend the whole day in London as well as travelling. * Quiet Carriages - If you should be unfortunate enough to be seated next to a loud mobile phone user or families with DVD players on some routes then seeking out the designated Quiet Carriage will solve it, and they can also be less crowded. * First Class upgrades can be well worth the small premium, ( lookout for “Weekend First” deals) and you might get some sort of meal and and a newspaper thrown in. For best value rail tickets, booking in advance is the key and if you book rail tickets as part of a London break with show, hotel stay and any attractions as well you can save up to 40% on the rail component.

April 12 2009, 2:42am | Comments »

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London Breaks - Chelsea Flower Show

http://usefulwiki.com/londontheatre/london-breaks-chelsea-flower-show.html

London Breaks Book London Breaks to the Chelsea Flower Show The Chelsea Flower Show, that’s not a London theatre break. Sh, don’t tell my partner but not all the London breaks you take have to be about going to the theatre! I’m going to do an occasional series suggesting other fun reasons to take London breaks. rhs-chelsea-flower-show The Chelsea Flower Show Thursday 21 May – Saturday 23 - (open till 8 pm Thursday 21st & Friday 22nd 5:30 Saturday 23rd) The Chelsea Flower Show - what does that make you think of? For me it conjures up images of spring sunshine, beautiful flowers, interesting garden inspiration and a bit of celebrity spotting. A lovely seafood lunch and nice bottle of white wine, or even a glass or two of bubbly (well, we were good and had a light lunch!) followed by a bit more gentle strolling round laughing at the sillier entries and sighing over some of the best gardens you’ll ever see. Then a nice cup of tea and cakes (well, we did have a light lunch!) to keep us going, remember, the show is open till 8 pm if you go on Thursday or Friday. Then there’s plenty of time for one last wander round and it’s all over for another year. What to Expect at the Chelsea Flower Show This Year According to the RHS site in the Show Gardens:

Designer Robert Myers is creating Cancer Research’s seventh Chelsea show garden, to represent the charity’s theme of ‘Impact’. Laurent-Perrier is returning to the show with Italian designer Luciano Giubbilei, who has designed a large city garden, which will be framed by tiered evergreen hedges and a monolithic stone wall. Chetwoods Architects is bringing a garden that takes its inspiration from a hill-top retreat, and will be Chetwoods’ second Chelsea garden. Following the success of his Gold Medal winning urban garden at Chelsea last year, Thomas Hoblyn is returning with a show garden designed for Foreign & Colonial Investment Trust.

In the Great Pavilion:

Bloms Bulbs showing 13,000 cut flower tulips, with varieties ranging from the 17th century to the present day; Winchester Growers creating a bold statement with a magnificent display of dahlias; Tynings Climbers is displaying its National Plant Collection of Passiflora. David Austin Roses - four new cultivars, including Rosa The Wedgwood Rose (’Ausjosiah’) with a grapefruit scent, and Rosa Tam o’ Shanter (’Auscerise’) which boasts cerise pink double blooms. Broadleigh Gardens is launching Iris ‘Broadleigh Fenella’ Hillier Nurseries is launching the latest in the Sweet Delights range, Heuchera ‘Tiramisu’.

A Water Theme at Chelsea Flower Show Water is to be the major theme at the Chelsea Flower Show this year. Amongst the more spectacular exhibits Gateshead Council and fashion designer Wayne Hemmingway are to create a display that highlights the importance of water recycling and the role of water as part of a healthy lifestyle. I love Wayne’s work so this should be really interesting. The Cayman Islands Department of Tourism with Newington Nurseries is creating an underwater display to represent the marine life of the Caymanian waters. The Wessex and Jersey members of the National Association of Floral Arrangement Societies (NAFAS) is creating a floral arrangement that will appear to be floating on water. After the Chelsea Flower Show - what next? You’ve walked what feels like, and actually is, miles. Wouldn’t it be lovely if you could just repair to a comfy hotel room and look forward to a pleasant dinner chatting about everything you’ve seen? Instead you have to battle with the rush hour trains or, worse yet, the London traffic! Well, here’s great idea. Now for just £125 each you can book your ticket to the Chelsea Flower Show, followed by a night in the 4* Holiday Inn London, Kensington Forum. You can even add in your rail fare, with up to 40% savings, and not take the car to London at all. The Chelsea Flower Show is open from Thursday 21 May – Saturday 23 May, but tickets are strictly limited. Only 157,000 people are able to attend each year, so booking with a package can be a good way of making sure of a ticket. Book London Breaks to the Chelsea Flower Show

Related Posts:Dirty Dancing Theatre BreaksOliver! theatre breaks on sale nowWe Will Rock You breaks recordsNew Year Theatre Breaks BargainsPriscilla Queen of the Desert Theatre Breaksa London Breaks - Chelsea Flower Show

March 1 2009, 9:17am | Comments »

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Jump

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Jump Originally uploaded by Andyrob Jump

April 16 2008, 6:34pm | Comments »

I posted to theatreinlondon.blogspot.com

Theatre London Breaks Street Map

http://theatreinlondon.blogspot.com/2008/04/theatre-london-breaks-street-map.html

TheatreLondonBreaksStreetMap.JPG Originally uploaded by Andyrob Photograph of the useful streetmap map for London breaks with all the theatres and street names. Handy for plotting a route from hotel to theatre duringtheatre breaks

April 4 2008, 3:42am | Comments »

I posted to distributedresearch.net

London breaks with theatre show and hotel

http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2008/03/31/london-breaks

London breaks What is it about the grand hotels and theatres that makes London breaks ever popular? Something more than just the convenience I’m sure. Old fashioned style, social aspiration, romance maybe? The anonymous but attentive service combined with an expectation that everything you could possibly need will be there ready and waiting, or easily conjured up via room service. Modern life is relentless and for the most part let’s be honest, it can consist of following a series of rather dull routines so you don’t have to be an art intellectual or wealthy bon vivant to feel attracted by the idea of just one or two nights break in a smart central London hotel as a complete escape from the same old four walls, kitchen, relatives and other humdrum at home. The West End It’s not that I have any illusions as to what the image of London conjures up in many people’s minds. It’s a great big, busy, noisy city where the citizens are often tired and frazzled from over-stimulation, pressure and travel. They’d like a break too! London as a capital is nothing like Paris, Edinburgh or Cardiff and there can be resentment that so much political, financial and cultural leadership seems to be assumed to begin and end in London. That’s unfortunate in some ways, but then the sheer weight of population, history and connection gives London a momentum that cannot be ignored. Regional theatre may be more innovative in its creativity, and perhaps more intimate in the performance but it’s only when a show makes it to the West End that the bigger name stars can be attracted and the investment comes in for the stunning sets and longer runs. It’s the same story for music, fine art, dance etc. So people come on short breaks to London to see the best shows and soak up the West End atmosphere. London Theatreland

You see, London’s theatreland is quite a small area in the central part of the city which is a stamping ground not just for Londoners (many of whom may not go there for months on end) but for all people from every city, village and nation. On any day, weekend or midweek the culture vulture crowds are present in large numbers, ambling about in groups or couples, plenty of singles too. The lights and buzz hold an attraction for young people as much as the distant familiarity does for people who have been visiting London occasionally for one reason or another over decades. And much of theatreland has not been spoilt. That’s because the classic old theatre buildings themselves have been classed as grade two listed, both exterior and interior. So even when there is a poor year for theatre bookings, as happens from time to time, they cannot be pulled down or turned over for a completely different use. London Map This first map is just to give an idea of how London breaks up into distinct geographical areas with the red central area so much smaller than the great connurbation where the majority of Londoners live and work.

And theatreland is only a part of that centre. Arrival by intercity train for London hotel theatre and train breaks will mean a short journey from one of the famous mainline rail terminals into the centre and then you may not need to venture outside again or set foot in a tube or taxi until it’s time to return home, as long as you book a hotel which is inside the zone. Getting to the Theatres Here’s the street map of London Theatreland clearly showing each of the Theatres by name so it’s easy to find your way around. The same goes for the Hotels and restaurants which can be booked for pre-theatre meals, often very reasonably as part of a show, hotel and travel deal.

Top Musicals

Oliver! Phantom of the Opera Dirty Dancing Joseph Billy Elliot Sound Of Music Hairspray Lion King We Will Rock You Grease Jersey Boys Blood Brothers Mamma Mia! Les Miserables

Plays * God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza (ART!) with Ralph Fiennes, Tamsin Greig (Black Books, Green Wing, Love soup and Debbie Aldridge from The Archers) * The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie still going strong decades later - who dunnit? * The Vortex by Noel Coward with Felicity Kendal Pre-Theatre Dining on London Breaks Overall, London simply has a wider selection of fine international restaurants than any other world city. You can pre book as part of a London theatre and hotel breaks package, or just wander round for a short while until you are tempted. So ‘bon appetit’ and enjoy your capital. Stumble It!

Posted by Andy Roberts London breaks with theatre show and hotel

March 31 2008, 4:58pm | Comments »

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