French creative entrepreneur Michèle Lamy will showcase her Hunrod Gold collection at Carpenters Workshop Jewellery in Ladbroke Hall. Collaborating with jewellery designer Loree Rodkin, the featured pieces use yellow and 18kt white- gold, as well as ethically sourced diamonds. Inspired by the spirit animals of the Chinese zodiac, the contemporary designs mix old with new. Until 26 April carpentersworkshopgallery.com
At the Lehmann Maupin gallery, this showcase marks multidisciplinary Vietnamese-American artist Tammy Nguyen's first solo UK exhibition. It's the second in a three-part exhibition series, right. Until 20 April lehmannmaupin.com
In partnership with Tottenham Hotspur, find your inner Lewis Hamilton or Max Verstappen with the highly popular fully electric karting experience with bespoke karts. Built by leading track engineers, don your racing suits and gain speed in this exciting track, right. Book now f1drivelondon.com
Narrated by the incomparable Tom Hanks, go on a voyage of discovery through space. Hear the stories from the Apollo mission across the years, as the world prepares for the next mission 2026, left Until 9 June lightroom.uk
Become part of the art, whether you're a silhouette in the rain, or bathed in the Seoul moonlight, without the hefty airfare. Ignite your wanderlust through 12 zones and augmented reality, walk the streets of the South Korean capital and find where tradition meets technology. Ends 14 April delightexhibit.com/london
Player King s
In this new adaptation of Shakespeare’s Henry IV parts I and II, Sir Ian McKellen takes on the role of Falstaff. Adapted by award-winning writer and director Robert Icke, the production brings together the Bard's great history plays, in the Noel Coward Theatre.
Opens 1 April playerkingstheplay.co.uk
Harry Clarke
Starring Emmy- and Tony-award winner, Billy Crudup (Apple TV+’s The Morning Show), the UK premiere of David Cale’s critically acclaimed one-man show arrives at the Ambassadors Theatre. A man who's governed by his secret, the play will show how far Harry Clarke (or Phillip Brugglestein) will go to keep it.
On now theambassadortheatre.co.uk
Sibelius: Symphony No.5
The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment will be conducted by Maxim Emelyanychev, who will perform Finnish composer Jean Sibelius’ Symphony No.5. Sibelius was known as one of the Last Romantics 3 April southbankcentre.co.uk
Nye
Based on the life and legacy of Aneurin Nye Bevan who battled to create the NHS, Michael Sheen takes on the titular role. A co-production with the Wales Millennium Centre, journey through Nye’s life from Welsh childhood to parliament.
Book now nationaltheatre.org.uk
Daroco
Daroco is nestled in Soho’s Manette Street. The Franco-Italian destination bridges the gap between the two cultures, with French design and Italian food. House classics include ravioli alla stracciatella, vitello tonnato and arancini. daroco.com
The Orange
Reopened in Belgravia after renovation, The Orange, named after William of Orange is part of the Cubitt House family. Italianinspired small plates, such as deep fried burrata, truffle, hazelnuts & chantrelles below, complement mains of spiced seafood stew or Bistecca a la Fiorentina. cubitthouse.co.uk
OMA
Inspired by the Greek isles, Oma is due to open this spring in Borough Market. Founded by David Carter, OMA will showcase delectable coastal Grecian flavours – think classic salata, wild sea bass crudo and brown crab borek. oma.london
Alley Cats
Alley Cats brings New York City-style artisan pizza to Marylebone. The pizzeria uses southern Italian ingredients and keeps it simple with just seven pizzas. Among the highlights are toppings of aged mozzarella, fennel sausage and pecorino flakes. alleycatspizza.co.uk L
The singer behind timeless hits What the World Needs Now, Heartbreaker and That’s What Friends Are For will be at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane for one night only. Journey with her through her fascinating career and life story in becoming one of music’s most recognisable names.
14 May
Theatre Royal Drury Lane lwtheatres.co.uk
Full of inspiration and ideas whatever your plans. Promising an immersive experience, the show will be led by TV broadcaster and design expert, Kevin McCloud. Eco-friendly living and sustainability will be the big themes for the year
4-12 May
Excel London granddesignslive.com
CABARET
Cara Delevingne is playing Sally Bowles until 1st June. The multi award-winning CABARET also sees Luke Treadaway as The Emcee. At the Kit Kat Club, guests will be treated to a unique experience. Book now theplayhouse theatre.co.uk
The actress and celebrated cake maker talks to Rob McGibbon about living on Cheyne Walk and why she’ll always be a Londoner, no matter where she lives
I’m a Londoner, born and bred. Like my brother and sister, I was born at the Central Middlesex Hospital in Park Royal because our father, Richard, worked there. He was a consultant endocrinologist and is well known for having been the first person to identify and name Munchausen’s syndrome.
My first home was a secondfloor flat in a block called Seaford Court at 222 Great Portland Street. I was lucky to have a very happy childhood. I remember how London was always completely empty on Sundays, so the three of us would cycle around the centre of town without even having to think or
worry about the traffic. Imagine trying to do that now!
When I was about 10, we moved to a beautiful Georgian terraced house at 57 Wimpole Street. It was five storeys high and my parents paid £7,000 for it. Even back then people were saying, ‘How did you get this incredible house for that money?’ It was a bit of a wreck, but I had my own bedroom for the first time and got to choose the wallpaper. I went for bright blue with flowers. The house had no central heating, so it was freezing, and I distinctly remember doing my homework in my bedroom while sitting as close as I dared to the gas fire.
Our mum, Margaret, was an oboist who played in orchestras. She also taught at Westminster School and was a professor of music at the Royal Academy of Music. She would teach pupils at home and my father also had a consulting room, so we had to creep in from school quietly because there were always either young musicians or patients there. Our house was certainly never boring.
London’s a wonderful city and I’ll defend it to anyone. There’s a lot wrong with it and I resent some of the dreadful high-rise buildings, but it’s truly magnificent and I love the mix of the old and the new throughout. London is always changing, which makes it forever fascinating.
If I was London mayor for the day, I would make all public transport free. That’s the only hope for stopping the traffic and improving the air quality, but I’m sure it’s impossible. The figures just wouldn’t add up.
Work has been busy. I’ve just finished a tour of Somerset Maugham’s The Circle. Now I’m taking a bit of a break to enjoy my grandchildren - we have seven - and then I’ll be back performing at the Orange Tree theatre in Richmond later in the year.
I lived in Bristol in my early twenties when I worked at the Old Vic. Then I came back to London and got the first home of my own – a tiny rented flat in Paddington Street. My first big purchase was a cream carpet, which was totally impractical, but I loved it. I lived in Little Venice and Primrose Hill after that.
I had always been a north-ofthe-park girl. I finally moved south to Chelsea soon after I met my husband Gerald (cartoonist Gerald Scarfe) in 1971 and really embraced it. We lived in a house in Cheyne Walk until the lease ran out in 2020. It was such a special house for the children to grow up in, but it was very expensive to run. In the old days, of course, they would have had loads of staff.
Home is now in West Sussex, where we bought a little place for weekends 40 years ago. We’re in a very friendly village with a wonderful community shop. We both have to travel to London frequently for work, but we love the change of pace and the beauty of West Sussex. It really works well for us, but I’ll always be a Londoner at heart, no matter where I live. L
Jane Asher is judging the World Chelsea Bun Awards at Partridges Chelsea on 18 May. Visit worldchelsea bunawards.com (see p46)
Established in 1952, Hambledon vineyard crafts the finest English sparkling wines, thanks to a unique combination of long heritage, expertise and exceptional chalk terroir. Its awardwinning wines are made from its own estate, in the historic village of Hambledon. Visit the website to book a tour and tasting, or the newly opened Cellar Door Dining experience! Classic Cuvée, £36; Première Cuvée, £57 hambledonvineyard.co.uk
Born and crafted from founder Hugo's daring vision in 2019, Long Shot Hard Seltzer is a refreshing alternative to artificial drinks. Made with real fruit juice, bubbly mineral water, and top-notch spirit, Long Shot contains 115 calories per can. It’s the perfect, no-nonsense choice: vegan-friendly, gluten-free, and preservative-free. Six-pack, £21; 12-pack, £36; 24-pack, £65; 36-pack, £85 longshotdrinks.co.uk
A luxury Easter wreath or bouquet from The Real Flower Company is the perfect way to celebrate the holiday, as well as the arrival of spring. The florists on the English flower farm make each arrangement to order, using scented sustainable roses, seasonal flowers and herbs. Easter bouquet, £86; Easter door wreath, £148 realflowers.co.uk
Polly Gasston works only in 22ct gold. Each piece is handmade and unique, a beautiful heirloom. Commissions are welcome, and working closely with the client ensures perfection every time; precious treasures that will be a joy to own and a pleasure to wear, for years to come. The above lapel pin is a Roman design set with an olive tourmaline. Approx 1" across. Lapel pin, £1,300, pollygasston.com
CELEBRATE THIS FAMILY WEEKEND BY TRYING TWO CROWD-PLEASING RECIPES – A TWIST ON A CLASSIC ENGLISH TART AND A LONDON FAVOURITE, THE CHELSEA BUN
The spiced, fruity Chelsea bun first appeared in the early 1700s at the Bun House near the Ranelagh Pleasure Gardens – now part of the Royal Hospital Chelsea grounds. The bakery had a colonnaded front to protect queuing customers from the elements and was visited by the royal family – King George II, Queen Caroline and Queen Charlotte, consort of George III – as well as the Gulliver’s Travels author Jonathan Swift. Thanks to its royal patronage, it became known as the Royal Bun House and survived until the 1830s, when the building was demolished and Belgravia was developed. The Chelsea bun, however, survived and is still enjoyed today.
Partridges, the purveyor of fine foods on 2-5 Duke of York Square, just off the King’s Road, launched the World Chelsea Bun Awards in 2019, to revive the baking of Chelsea buns. Entries come from amateurs as well as restaurants and pub kitchens, in the area and from all over the world. Last year’s Instagram category winner was Phoebe from the small town of Sabangan, in the Mountain Province in the northern Philippines, whose brioche Chelsea buns with lemon zest and goji berries wowed the judges , see top right
This year’s awards will be judged in May by Lady Sophie Windsor and Jane Asher. Categories include under-18s, adults, professional bakers and Instagram , and all entrants are requested to make a donation to The Children’s Surgery Foundation. For entry details and deadlines, visit worldchelseabunawards.com
INGREDIENTS (MAKES 24):
Try this delightful recipe from the chef at Partridges, partridges.co.uk
375g strong white flour
200ml lukewarm milk, with 1 tbs p of vanilla extract
20g fresh yeast, or 10g of dry yeast
45g caster sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
5g salt
45g unsalted butter, plus extra for brushing
150g currants
1.5 tsp each ginger, cinnamon & mixed spice
1.5 tbsp D emerara sugar
Zest of 1.5 lemons & 1 orange
1 egg yolk for egg wash
SAUCE
95g unsalted butter
1.5tbsp D emerara sugar
5tbsp golden syrup
Zest of 1.5 lemons
• Butter an 8x12-inch baking tin. Combine the 3 spices and stir together. Put the flour, salt, lemon zest, and a quarter of the spices into a mixing bowl. Add the yeast and caster sugar to the milk , and stir until the yeast is dissolved. Pour into the bowl with the flour mixture and add the egg, then mix to a wet dough. Cover with a cloth and leave in a draught-free spot to rise for about one hour until it has doubled in size.
• After an hour, mix until you have a smooth
dough. Rest the dough for five minutes. Repeat this knead-and-rest technique twice, then work the butter into the dough. Rest the dough again – it will be very “active” and elastic – then leave in the bowl for a further hour. Again, it will double in size.
• To make the buns, place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and divide into 3 pieces. Roll each piece into a rectangle measuring 12x7 inches. Brush all but one inch of the longer end of the dough with melted butter and scatter the Demerara sugar over the surface. Mix together the currants, the remaining 3 spices, lemon and orange zests. Scatter this over the surface of the dough rectangles. Wet the unbuttered edge with water (to seal the buns) and then roll up the dough from the other long end to make 3 Swiss-roll shapes.
• Cut each roll into 8 pieces and place cut sides up on the baking tray, leaving 1cm of space between each bun. Leave to prove one more time until doubled in size.
• Preheat oven to 180 °C . Egg-wash the buns with the egg yolk , then bake until golden and puffed for about 13-16 minutes.
• While they ’re baking , slowly melt the sauce ingredients in a pan, stirring frequently. Make incisions on the edges of the buns with a knife, then pour the sauce over, ensuring that it soaks in well
• Leave to cool.
GIVE
You want to maximise your child’s free time, but a city-centre location can be a challenge. Laura Sutherland learns how out-of-town schools do it differently
In February 2024, culture secretary Lucy Frazer said, “After-school activities mustn’t be the preserve of pushy parents and tiger mums,” in reference to her work with the National Theatre and Royal Opera House to create extracurricular enrichment programmes for state-educated pupils.
The reality though, is that parents of all means across the capital are struggling to manage their children’s post-school pursuits timetable. Youngsters are spending more time in the back of the car in rush-hour traffic than scoring goals, practising the oboe, or playing with friends.
Picture the scene: 150 acres of leafy Berkshire grounds. Children are paddleboarding on the estate’s two lakes. Wandering through the woodlands, you’ll find a gaggle of youngsters letting off steam with a game of laser tag and a peloton of mountain bikers weaving through the trees, while a quiet group in the distance practise wilderness photography. This is par for the course (did someone mention golf facilities?) at Elstree School (elstreeschool. org.uk) near Newbury.
Day students are welcome to join in Elstree’s Big Weekends, featuring zorbing, orienteering and socials with other schools
The Berkshire prep’s programme of extracurricular activities change with
the seasons, with next term’s promise of evening swimming, den building and summertime favourite, the Slippy Slide, already creating a buzz of anticipation. Tennis, trampolining, yoga, dance, judo, table tennis, fencing and ballet enthusiasms are all catered for.
For the more sedate, there’s the DT space, debating club, Scalextric, and comic-book groups – and new favourite, balloon-making club. “It’s so rewarding to see how children throw themselves into interests and adventures, even after hard work in the classroom,” says head of co-curricular, Archie Parks.
All in one place, both day pupils and boarders (from year four upwards) go straight from lessons to prep, and then seamlessly to chosen pastimes, with all academic and after-school fun covered by 6pm, when senior day pupils are picked up and weekly and flexi-boarders go for dinner, before having access to further activities. Day students are welcome to join in Elstree’s Big Weekends, featuring zorbing, orienteering and socials with other schools – occasions which build independence, resilience and teamwork, all vital skills for the move to senior.
Similarly, all-through school Hurst in rural West Sussex (hppc.co.uk) – where board ing starts from year nine – provides its pupils with a broad array of activities. Its sporting programme caters for all
abilities, ranging from rugby, hockey, and athletics to ninjutsu, triathlon, and equestrian. Meanwhile, the outdoor education department offers skiing, sailing, archery, farm conservation and CCF. The performing arts scene is equally thriving. And during dedicated activity time, staff with co-curricular interests run niche sessions, from tabletop gaming to library club.
This action-packed lifestyle is aided by the school’s two-week timetable; a cycle that ensures that the co-curricular programme is given equal value to the academic curriculum. Saturday sports fixtures and regular off-site – sometimes overseas – trips create a culture of inclusion and independence among the pupils. “At Hurst, we abide by a philosophy of ‘no-one on the bench’. Our busy calendar enables all pupils to develop essential teamwork and leadership skills,” explains head of college, Dominic Mott.
Less than an hour from London in the lush Berkshire countryside, tight-knit boys’ prep Ludgrove (ludgrove. net) has a fortnightly boarding structure which, while designed to gently initiate its youngsters into being away from home, is akin to Hurst in its quest for work-fun balance. And according to headmaster’s wife, Sophie Barber, “The boys give so much of themselves at school, they really do need that fortnightly break.” She
continues: “there’s so much free time after lessons, and then the weekend brings Sunday Fundays – external activity providers come in, so boys can sign up for sessions with climbing walls, crazy golf, inflatable bungee runs – there’s even a man who brings in creepy crawlies and reptiles.”
The beauty of this system is that while school life is structured, boys are empowered to choose how to fill their free time
The beauty of this system is that, while school life is structured (boarding-house evenings and weekend chapel are the backbone of the week) boys are empowered to choose how to fill their free time –whether that’s going for swims, sports tournaments, golf (another on-campus course), rehearsing for plays or “getting really muddy” – which enhances friendships, resilience, independence and sense of responsibility. Barber notes that it’s common for parents to exclaim at how organised their children become during their boarding adventure. Many parents also comment on Ludgrove’s ‘family feel’– and that when boys are home for the weekend, it’s true quality time spent together.
Deep friendships, learned responsibility, round-theclock fun and real family time? These country schools are on to something. L
Located on one of Wandsworth Common's finest roads, this rare mid-19th century four-bedroom villa is full of refined Victorian elegance, retaining many of its original features and with a south-facing garden. There's potential to extend, subject to planning permission.
Guide price £2.2m Agent: carterjonas.co.uk
CRIEFF ROAD
An immaculately refurbished five-bedroom, semi-detached period house with high ceilings, excellent proportions and private garden. Offers in excess of £2m Agent: johndwood.co.uk
BUCKHOLD ROAD
This three-bedroom penthouse offers 1,500sq ft of space with a balcony and private parking, and is close to the tennis courts and facilities of St George's Park. £1.2m Agent: chestertons.co.uk
Wandsworth is a fantastic London borough to live in. Made up of a cluster of former villages, many of which have retained their character and villagey feel to this day: Battersea, Balham, Between the Commons, Clapham, Earlsfield, Putney, Southfields, Tooting, Upper Tooting and Wandsworth Common, all have a unique feel and are popular with families and young professionals. We have riverside walks, wide green spaces on Clapham, Tooting and Wandsworth Commons, and we have good transport links to the City and West End. Schools are first rate and a real draw to the area. The housing stock is varied, predominantly Victorian, with Edwardian and interwar housing. We have a few architectural gems and some great modern and newbuild properties too. There's something for everyone in Wandsworth. carterjonas.co.uk