Museums.

The British Library.

National Repository of 14 million books, 58 million patents and much more.

Magnificent Maps - Free

Chopin: The Romntic Refugee

http://www.bl.uk/

British Museum.

Treasures from Medieval York: England’s other capital - Free

Impressions of Africa: money, medals and stamps - Free

Angelico to Leonardo: Italian renaissance drawings - £12.00

http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk

The Courtauld Gallery.

http://www.courtauld.ac.uk/gallery/exhibitions/future.shtml

Geffrye Museum.

‘A garden within doors’: Plants and Flowers.

Admission: Free. Almshouses £2.00, timed entry.

http://www.geffrye-museum.org.uk

Kensington Palace.

A Royal abode since 1689.

Admission: £12.30.

http://www.hrp.org.uk

London Transport Museum.

A history of London's public transport, with static displays.

Admission: £8.00.

http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk

Museum of Brands.

Robert Opie collection now moved to London.

Admission: £5.80.

Very topical http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/5292860.stm

http://www.museumofbrands.com/

Museum of Garden History.

A history of the English garden.

Christopher Lloyd: A Life at Great Dixter

Admission: £6.00

http://www.museumgardenhistory.org/

Museum of London.

The World's largest Urban History Museum, detailing the history of London from pre-history to the present day.

Admission: free.

http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/English/

National Gallery.

Extensive national collection of Art.

Painting History: Delaroche and Lady JaneGrey £8.80

Christian Kobke: Danish Master of Light: Free

http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk

National Portrait Gallery.

Iring Penn Portraits: £10.00

The India Portrait 1560 - 1860: Free

Glastonbury: Photographs by Venetia Dearden: Free

Conealed and Revealed: The Changing Faces of Elizabeth I: Free

Lady Jane Grey: Free

Boer War Portraits: by Inglis Sheldon-Williams: Free

http://www.npg.org.uk

Natural History Museum.

Admission: free.

Butterfly Explorers - Butterfly house with live butterflies from four continents, including hatchery. £ £6.00

Wild Planet: Free

http://www.nhm.ac.uk

The Queen’s Gallery.

Victoria and Albert: Art and Love - £8.75 (timed entry).

Including the Royal Mews: £15.00

And also the State Rooms: £30.50

http://www.royalcollection.org.uk

Science Museum.

1001 inventions - 1000 years of Science from the muslim world.

Cosmos and culture: How astronomy has shaped our world.

Dan Dare and the Birth of Hi-tech Britain. Technology in modern day Britain

Plasticity - 100 years of making plastic.

Admission free.

http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk

Sir John Soane’s Museum-Mini-British Museum.

Exhibition: TBA

Admission free.

http://www.soane.org/

Tate Britain Gallery.

Chris Ofili - £10.00

Art and the Sublime - Free

Douglas Gordon - Free

Henry Moore - £12.50

Admission Free.

http://www.tate.org.uk/

Tate Modern.

Van Doesburg and the International Avant-Garde: Constructing a New World - £10.00

Martin Karlsson: London – An Imagery - Free entry

http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/

Victoria and Albert Museum

Horace Walpole and Strawberry Hill - £6.00

David Watkins: Artistin Jewellery, A retrospective View - Free

'We are all mad here’: Alice in popular culture - Free

A Fairyland of flowers: Beatrix Potter and Cicely Mary Barker - Free

Gargoyles and Shadows: Gothic architecture and C19 photography - Free

Capturing the imagination: British Fairytale Illustrations - Free

http://www.vam.ac.uk

That gives a choice of 20 venues, or if you prefer a walking day out in London, how about:

London Historic Church Walk.

Trafalgar Square to St. Paul's, taking in:

St. Martin-in-the-Fields.

James Gibbs church, built in 1721-26 on a site in use since 1222.

It is famous for it's care for the homeless.

http://www2.stmartin-in-the-fields.or

St. Mary-le-Strand.

A 'Queen Anne Church' designed by James Gibb, around 1711.

Spiritual home of the WRENS since 1982.

http://www.stmarylestrand.org/

St. Clement Danes.

Designed by Sir Christopher Wren after the Great Fire of London, with the spire added by James Gibb, there has been a Church on this site since the C9, built by the Danes in the title. Badly damaged in 1941, it was rebuilt by the Royal Air Force in 1951 to become their central Church.

http://www.st-clement-danes.co.uk/

St. Dunstan-in-the-West

The site was first used around 1000AD, with the current Church being built in 1831, designed by John Shaw. It is the Spiritual home of the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers.
http://www.stdunstaninthewest.org/homepage.htm

St Bride's (St. Bridget of Kildare.)

One of the 51 City Churches to be rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren. It is known as the 'Wedding Cake' Church, and is believed to be the inspiration for the modern tiered wedding cake. Again badly damaged in 1941, it was faithfully restored.

http://www.stbrides.com

St. Paul's Cathedral.

What is there to say about Sir Christopher Wren's Masterpiece?

I leave it to the website!

http://www.stpauls.co.uk

The Victoria Embankment walk (designed by Joseph Bazalgette in 1870) from Westminster Bridge to Blackfriars featuring:

The Battle of Britain Memorial

http://www.bbm.org.uk/thesite.htm

Charles Gordon Memorial

Tattershall Castle.

1934 paddle Steamer which was the first civil vessel to carry radar.

http://www.thetattershallcastle.co.uk/history/

Cleopatra’s Needle.

An obelisk, not for Cleopatra, but Pharoah Thotmes III, 1460 BC. It is carved from pink Aswan granite around 1,45BC and is 60’/20m tall. Purchased, by public subscription , for £15,000, it arrived in England from Alexandria in 1878. The title derives from the name of the vessel that carried it. Further history can be obtained here:

http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/England-History/CleopatrasNeedle.htm

But look closely at the Sphynx on the right hand side to see the shrapnel damage from a bomb dropped during the second wold war.

Somerset House.

Once home of the Dukes of Somerset (hence the name). See above.

S.S. St. Katherine.

Embankment gardens.

A well-apportioned garden close to Temple Underground Station. There is a great deal of history as well a many statues, including Robert Burns and Arthur Sullivan amongst others.

H.M.S Wellington.

Launched in 1933, is a Grimsby-class sloop which was on convoy escort duty and assisted at Dunkirk. She is now H.Q.S. Wellington after being made available in1947, by the Admiralty, to be the Headquarters of the Hoorable Company of Master Mariners.

H.M.S. President.

An Anchusa class Corvette built in 1918, originally named H.M.S Saxifrage and renamed in June 1922. Built to look like a merchant ship, as part of a small group of convoy protection vessels, to attract U-boats to destroy them, she is now listed on the National Register of Historic Vessels.

River tour, Westminster to Greenwich.

Single: £10.00, Return: £13.00.

Greenwich Observatory and Clock Museum.

Admission: free

Royal observatory: £10.00.

Dawn of the Space Age: £7.50.

http://www.nmm.ac.uk/visit/

London Wetland Centre.

Admission: £10.55 (although I do have concession tickets for all with 10% off)

Or just a gentle stroll, chat and relax.

Royal Parks.

St James' Park, including the lake, Horse Guards' Parade and the Mall, with Buck House after it's wash and brush up for 'the wedding'.

Regent's Park, including the lake, Rose, wildlife, avenue and Sophie's lodge gardens. There are a number of eateries in the park.

The old faithful, Hyde Park, with the Serpentine for those who want a boating experience, or a swim, Diana's memorial fountain. the 7 July memorial, as well as a number of monuments in and around Hyde Park, notably "Vroom! Vroom!' by Lorenzo Quinn outside the Dorchester, and "Jelly Baby family" by Mauro Perucchetti, if still on display.

Other activities available on request.

I hope there is something of interest amongst the list. Feel free to ask for more information.

MMF.