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Click on the headings to find out more:
Lambeth, the feet start tapping and the words, "Any Time you're Lambeth Way, Any Evening, any day, You'll find us all, Doin' the
Lambeth Walk", come to mind. Made famous in the 1937 musical "Me and my girl" this area, around the south end of London Bridge was an area of
disreputable Bankside entertainment, "the pleasure quarter", well into the seventeenth century. It has reverted into a less than salubrious area,
however, does house a number of interesting and worthwhile sights.
A rewarding tour for the non-museum visitor is Young's Ram Brewery where beer has been brewed for over 400 years.
Tours include a pint of their finest at the end which will cover half the cost of admission.
Back to the Thames, the origins of the South Bank Centre are to be found in the 1951 Festival of Britain,
which was a post war exhibition to aid in building moral and pride in the country. The Festival Hall, still a focal point of the
South Bank hosts many wonderful concerts and was built at this time. The mid to late 1960's saw the growth of this area with the
addition of the Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Hayward Gallery, (a leading modern art gallery). The Royal National Theatre and the
National Film Theatre are also to be found here. Theatre enthusiasts should visit the Old Vic, one of the oldest theatres in
London and it's new cousin the Young Vic theatre. Book enthusiasts should venture down to this area, especially at the weekend,
as there are some wonderful second-hand book stalls where old and out of print books can be found.
Nearby, the IMAX theatre features 2D and 3D films.
The most recent landmark in this area is the Millennium Wheel or British Airways London Eye, which is the
world's highest observation wheel as well as being the most popular tourist attraction - bar none - in the UK. Fabulous views of London can be seen, (on a clear day), from thirty-two capsules, which
rotate up to a height of 450 feet. Nearby is the County Hall, a monumental building completed in 1933, which now houses the
London Aquarium and the Dali Universe. The latter is dedicated to the great 20th century Spanish surrealist artist
and features over five hundred works of art showcasing sculpture, graphics, furniture and jewellery. This is where the famous
Mae West Lips Sofa can be seen.
The Imperial War Museum, voted National Museum of the Year and London Family Attraction of the Year by Good Britain Guide
2003, is an exceptional place to visit. Formally the infamous lunatic asylum, Bethlehem Royal Hospital, (known as Bedlam, the origin
of the word bedlam - aka craziness!). The permanent exhibits include aircrafts, armoured fighting vehicles, communications equipment, weapons,
uniforms and much more. In addition there is a unique collection of personal letters, diaries, manuscripts, unpublished memoirs, foreign
documents and war crimes trials records. It also houses an enormous collection of over six million images, the Photograph Archive is a
rich source of material on the two world wars. You need to make an appointment for the reading rooms.
Other museums in this area include the Florence Nightingale Museum and the Museum of Garden History.
Nearby Vauxhall is "Spook Central"(Home of M15 - British Intelligence) and is also now the scene of frenzied luxury apartment building, with a huge complex of stunning new apartments going up by the river. Vauxhall is also a great area for London fringe clubs and pubs.
Continuing down the river, Southwark started life as a red light district in Roman times and continued as an area of "entertainment" until the
Puritans cleaned up the quarter. Today, it has been revitalised with some wonderful new attractions.
The Globe theatre, where Shakespeare's plays were originally performed was built in 1598. Unfortunately, while firing a cannon
in the play Henry VIII the thatched roof caught fire and the Globe burnt down in 1613, (now that wasn't too clever was it). In 1994, nearly
400 years after the original building was commenced, work on the new Globe theatre's thatched roof was begun. It was the first thatched
roof in London since the Great Fire of London in 1666 - this time extra fire precautions were taken. In 1997 the new Globe Theatre opened -
do try to see a performance, as they are truly unique.
The Tate Modern is Britain's most recent National museum of modern art. Originally the old Bankside power station,
it displays works from 1900 to the present day, including major works by Dalí, Picasso, Matisse, Rothko and Warhol as well as contemporary
work by artists such as Dorothy Cross, Gilbert & George and Susan Hiller.
Ever wonder where the expression "in the clink" came from? Take a wander down dark and narrow Clink Street to
the Clink Prison Museum, and explore the exhibits detailing the prisons history from 1151 to 1780. While in the area, take some time out to
visit Vinopolis, full of interesting displays, but it's the wine tasting that draws the visitors.
A short distance from the major borough of VERY trendy and expensive Wandsworth, and equidistant from a rapidly gentrified Clapham, right on the river is Battersea (including the very popular Battersea heliport) and the derelict Battersea Power Station. A huge monololithic 4 chimney structure, it is now being totally renovated to incorporate a huge luxury apartment complex, a massive shopping centre and luxury 6 star hotel.
Battersea is such an iconic landmark to Londoners that in World War 2 it is reputed that the reason it was never bombed was that German pilots used it as a navigation point to fly up the Thames and bomb London...whatever - it is an enduring monument of London's grit and sheer will to survive in WW2 and deserves to be forever enshrined.
Nearby, the now very trendy gentrified Clapham Junction/Lavender Hill area also has oodles of good restaurants, pubs and music. Not so good is the North Clapham area, but the Clapham Common area is a major upmarket residential area opposite the huge leafy Clapham Common.
Also near Wandsworth is Brixton. A gritty, tough suburb, it is located in the borough of Lambeth, at the epicentre of the highest crime area in London .
With a very high concentration of Afro-Caribbean immigrants, it is a hot spot for drugs, with more than a frisson of danger about it. However, like the rest of London the soaring price of houses is pushing the increasing gentrification of the area. It is recognised as "London Central" for the Reggae music scene & has SUPERB clubs and restaurants, and if you like Reggae both raw and cutting edge, it is THE place to be.
Brixton is also reknown for its street food markets, if you fancy interesting "munchies" like Pigs heads or Caribbean/Portuguese specialty foods.
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