London attractions: what to see and do in winter - Daily Telegraph
My hotel pick: The Megaro, an affordable option down the road in King's Cross
Like your Christmas traditional? Winter Wonderland (www.hydeparkwinterwonderland.com) is now an annual fixture, running until January 3 in the south east corner of Hyde Park. You can stroll through without a ticket and enjoy the atmosphere - twinkly Christmas Market, big wheel, ice rink and Zippo’s Circus - or buy tickets for individual attractions. For instance, off-peak/peak circus tickets cost £8.50/9.50 adults, £5/6 children, £20/24 family.
My hotel pick: The Ritz, one of London's best luxury hotels, and close to Hyde Park
Politicos should nip along to the V&A (www.vam.ac.uk) for the free Private Eye: The First 50 Years exhibition, until January 8, to see some of the satirical behemoth’s legendary speech-bubble covers, original cartoons and witty ephemera.
My hotel pick: The Rockwell is ideal for the museum district
You can now book a Saturday tour of the Houses of Parliament (0870 906 3773, www.parliament.uk) during the Winter (tours run daily during the Summer Recess, August to September). Tours take 75 minutes, cover Lords and Commons and cost £15 adults and £6 children.
My hotel pick: 41 Hotel, in nearby Victoria
The East London Design Show (www.eastlondondesignshow.co.uk) opens at Shoreditch Town Hall December 1-4, showcasing over 100 independent designers of everything from homeware to jewellery. It stays open until 9pm on Friday. Admission: £5 adults, £3 children.
My hotel pick: The Hoxton, a hip hotel with knock-down prices in trendy Shoreditch
The British Military Tournament (www.britishmilitarytournament.com) explodes into action at Earls Court from December 2-4 and in the process raises money for three major military charities. The Queen will be there on the first day, probably wondering why they changed the name from “Royal”. It’s still a thrilling display of speed, strength and speed from humans and horses - and all for a good cause. Tickets from £29.75 adults and £22.75 for 16s and under.
Next year is Charles Dickens’ bicentenary and few writers can match him in their contribution to the capital. Dickens in London at the Museum of London (www.museumoflondon.org.uk) runs from December 9 to June 10 (Adults £8, child/concession £6), launching with “Dickens and London@Late”, 6.30pm-9.30pm on the 9th (adults £10, concessions £8), with festive food, pay bar and music from the Gay Men’s London Chorus. Sounds a hoot: bet he would have loved it.
My hotel pick: The Zetter is a trendy bolthole in Clerkenwell, ten minute's walk from the museum
Take to the streets in central London - no, not like that - the Regent Street/Oxford Street axis has Traffic-free Shopping Days on December 10, 11 and 26. You’ll be surprised at how different the atmosphere is, like the passagiato, but colder.
My hotel pick: The Langham, London's oldest purpose-built grand hotel, found on Regent Street
Titty, Roger and co arrive at the Vaudeville Theatre as Bristol Old Vic’s production of Swallows & Amazons takes to the London stage from December 15-January 14. Tickets from £13 are available from the National Theatre (www.nationaltheatre.org.uk).
Read Sophie Campbell's complete London city guide
Read our expert London itineraries for old hands and first-timers to the city
No more tears for Weir: Athlete determined to shine in London - Daily Mail
By Alex Kay
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David Weir sat watching the 2000 Sydney Paralympics on TV with his girlfriend and bawled his eyes out.
Just four years earlier in Atlanta he had made his Games debut as a 17-year-old but now he had thrown it all away and could not stop sobbing.
'I came seventh in the 100m in Atlanta,’ the wheelchair racer tells me when we meet at his training base in Richmond Park in south-west London.
A fine body of work: David Weir and his many tattoos
THREE TO WATCH IN MANCHESTER
Oscar Pistorius (Sprinter) The Blade Runner should compete in the 400m at both the Olympics and Paralympics but will run 200m on Tuesday (2.40pm).
Dan Greaves (Discus) Britain’s three-time Paralympic medallist holds the F44 world record with 59.85m and throws at 1.55pm on Tuesday.
Edina Muller (Wheelchair basketball) Star of the Germany side who won Paralympic silver in Beijing four years ago and will face the hosts on Wednesday.
Channel 4 will cover the BT Paralympic World Cup live online from Wednesday to Friday (12.45-5.45pm) and on TV on Saturday (12-2pm). Highlights will be shown on TV each day after midnight.
‘I got the confirmation on my birthday, which was great. It was an adventure but when I got back I quit – I’d had enough of the sport. I was at that age when I wanted to do what my mates were doing. I didn’t want to wait till I was 38 to do normal teenager things. So I quit. I upset people with my decision but I didn’t love it anymore.
'Then I was with my partner at the time watching the Sydney Games on TV and I was in a flood of tears, feeling I’d let everyone down and that I should have been there. That was it. I started training again on my own, met up with my old coach Jenny and then they let me back in the squad. I didn’t look back.’
To say Weir didn’t look back is an understatement. Four world records, five London Marathons and six Olympic medals later (two gold, two silver, two bronze) and the 32-year-old is heading into London 2012 as one of the favourites for gold in the 800m, 1500m, 5km and the marathon.
'I had to show people in Athens that I was worth my place and I won a bronze and a silver. I did sprints because of funding but I wanted to race middle distance and after Athens I changed what I was doing. I changed my chair, tyres and had a wicked winter before breaking the 200m and 400m world records later that season on the same day. Then I did the 1500m in under three minutes, which no-one had managed for years.
'In 2007 I broke the 1500m and 5km world records in America on the same night — I held four world records. They’ve gone now because my chair wasn’t quite right. I still won the New York and London marathons, so something was going well. I don’t think I will get my records back in London because big races like that are always very small — it’s just all about winning. I want one gold medal from my four events — that’s all I’m going to say. I’ll be happy with that.
Gold star: Weir won twice in Beijing
'The two golds, one silver and one bronze I won in Beijing are in a display in the kitchen. My partner made me buy a display cabinet because she said I should be proud of them.’
He should be proud but, sitting in his car to get out the bitter cold after he has spent an hour filming a short video for BMW, you can see that Weir might need some encouragement to blow his own trumpet. He is very softly spoken, a little shy even, resistant to promote his achievements. That reluctance possibly comes from his desire since he was a child to blend into the crowd, despite the spine injury which means he cannot use his legs.
'I was born disabled,’ he says. ‘I was breached, there was an emergency Caesarian and there didn’t seem to be anything wrong – I just had clubbed feet. My spine was fine they thought and I went home in plaster. But she got a bit suspicious that I wasn’t moving my toes.
Time for training: Weir puts the work in ahead of a busy summer
'She could tell I could feel them but the hospital then said I had something wrong with my spine. To this day they don’t know what happened or when or how. It’s a miracle I have feeling. I can feel hot or cold. I can’t move my toes at all but can move my legs a little bit using my stomach muscles.
'My mum always treated me the same, gave me a clip round the ear when I was naughty and all that. I was brought up to be normal. We didn’t have any adaptions in the house – I didn’t want any. I didn’t have my room on the ground floor either. The council put a downstairs in for me and I didn’t use it. I used to walk on callipers which meant I got the odd comment but nothing more. My friends treated me no different. I still played football – always in goal, obviously – climbed trees, jumped off them, got on the back of motorbikes. I wasn’t any different.
Need for speed: Weir will compete at the Paralympic World Cup in Manchester
'I used to go in and out of a wheelchair at school and then at 11 or 12 it began to feel uncomfortable walking around, I was becoming too heavy and the way I was walking meant I was twisting my body. It felt like a waste of time so I went in the chair. It was easier and quicker to get around.
'I got into racing through school. It was a disabled school and they put me in the mini marathon aged eight. I had to lie about my age because the minimum age was 11. So I was 11 for a few years. I had to do a trial around the streets of London and I squeezed in with about a minute to go. As a junior I was unbeaten in Britain for three years. I was beating 16-year-olds by the time I was 13. I have such will to win.’
There were of course negative periods, times when he felt down and others when he simply felt annoyed.
Medal hope: Weir is one of Great Britain's most experienced athletes
'I did have dark days when I couldn’t understand why it had happened to me but I don’t really think about it anymore. Society is better now – people are more used to disabled people. What used to happen which annoyed me was when I would go to a shop with a girlfriend or something and people would ask them a question like I was incapable of answering. Or give them the change. Now every building is adapted and you can get on buses and trains. There is even a disabled presenter on CBBC too.’
The car we are sitting in is testament to the way things have changed too. Weir drives it using a a stick on the steering wheel to accelerate and brake, his day chair and racing chair folding up easily into the boot.
'Back in the day, disabled people drove around in blue three-wheelers which had motorbike controls so when this came out about 30 years ago, it was pretty good,’ he said. ‘There was a factory that made the blue cars near where I grew up in Wallington in Surrey I used to see them when I was really young.’
On set: Wier filming a BMW film Man and Machine
He laughs as he remembers them and is animated discussing his tattoos too. There are so many that he struggles to remember them all.
'I’ve got one in Japanese across my chest. It says 'winner'. I got it when I was having my rest period. I’ve got a Maori tattoo on my arm because I like the people and their way of life. There’s an England flag on my other arm because I’m very patriotic. And hopefully I’ll get a full sleeve of St George at battle done in time for London 2012. I’ve got my girlfriend on my back because she got mine on her foot and I think she’s brilliant and I’ve got my kids’ names on my arms — Ronnie and Mason.’
No doubt there will be one more if he strikes gold in summer.
David Weir features in BMW Presents, a series of short films that celebrate the BMW London 2012 Performance Team and explore Ultimate Performance. To view the films, visit: www.youtube.com/bmwuk
London Art Fairs: A Beginner’s Guide - Londonist
It seems like London plays host to an art fair every other weekend. How do you decide which one’s are worth going to?
One major differentiator is who’s at these fairs. Some are gallery fairs where all the stands belong to established galleries representing their artists. The advantage here is that the galleries have already screened the artists and selected who they want to represent. This means that the art quality should be high, but also that the gallery will take a hefty commission on purchases. Brace yourself for higher prices.
The other type – we’ll call these artist fairs — are where the artists represent themselves. The organisers of the fair do some screening, but the quality of the work on display is usually a mixed bag. The advantages are you get to talk to and negotiate with the artist directly. This is your chance to discover up-and-coming artists before they make it big.
The third type we’ll refer to as genre fairs. These are aimed at a niche, specialised market and might be the best place to go if you know the exact type of art you’re after.
Gallery Fairs
London Art Fair
Venue: Business Design Centre
When: Every January
Price Range: No limit
Verdict: One for the high rollers, you’ll see artworks going into six figures that are likely to include works by notable artists such as Damien Hirst and Picasso. The level of quality here is very high and is great for browsers but only for serious buyers.
Affordable Art Fair
Venue: Battersea Park and Hampstead Heath
When: Bi-annually in Battersea (March and October), annually in Hampstead (November)
Price Range: £50 to £4,000
Verdict: The title is a little misleading as the prices tend to be more towards the upper limit so may not fall within your definition of affordable; but there is usually much high-quality work on display. Most artists represented are already well established so you may have to settle for their smaller works as their larger pieces often tend to exceed the upper limit of the fair.
Frieze Art Fair
Venue: Regent’s Park
When: Every October
Price Range: Undefined
Verdict: Similar in scope and price to the London Art Fair. This is full of well-established galleries from around the world and this is reflected in the quality of the art and the prices.
Masterpiece
Venue: Royal Hospital, Chelsea
When: Every June
Price Range: Undefined
Verdict: It’s probably unfair to classify this as an art fair as it’s all about masterpieces — from art to food and on to classic cars. This is another one for those with bulky wallets or for those wanting to see what high society is all about.
20/21 British and International Art Fairs
Venue: Royal College of Art, South Kensington
When: Every February (International) and September (British)
Price Range: Undefined
Verdict: A duo of gallery fairs that has one show for British galleries and a separate fair that opens the doors to other art dealers from around the world. The fairs are smaller and less populist so offer a much more relaxing environment for buying and browsing in comparison to the bustle of some of the aforementioned.
Pinta
Venue: Earl’s Court Exhibition Centre
When: Every June
Price Range: Undefined
Verdict: A fair that specialises in bringing across work from the emerging Latin American contemporary art scene. A rare opportunity to see art that doesn’t get a huge showing in the UK.
Artist Fairs
The Other Art Fair
Venue: Ambika P3
When: Every May
Price Range: £50 to c£5,000
Verdict: This is one for spotting the ‘next big thing’. Artists here are unrepresented and are usually very early on in their careers. Hence, there are plenty of bargains to be had. On the flipside, the quality of the work can be variable but don’t let that put you off because there are hidden gems to be found.
Parallax Art Fair
Venue: Chelsea Town Hall
When: Quarterly in February, May, July and October
Price Range: c£50 to c£2,000
Verdict: The very definition of low key. This is an international art fair where up-and-coming artists showcase their work at surprisingly reasonable prices, especially for Chelsea. There are lots of talented artists on display that you might not find elsewhere.
Wimbledon Art Studios — Open Studios
Venue: Wimbledon Art Studios
When: Bi-annually, Summer (May) and Winter (November)
Price Range: c£50 to c£10,000
Verdict: A truly unique event where artists let you wander around their paint-stained studios. There are usually a few hidden talents waiting to be discovered and it’s an opportunity to enter artists’ creative worlds. It also stands apart for being the only free art fair on this list.
Genre fairs
Kinetica Art Fair
Venue: Ambika P3
When: Every February
Price Range: c£50 to c£75,000
Verdict: A great mix of science and art with quirky inventors displaying their wares. Our top recommendation for browsers as you’re unlikely to find these creations in any mainstream gallery.
Animal Art Fair
Venue: South Bank
When: Every May
Price Range: £150 – £30,000
Verdict: Animal lovers won’t want to miss out on this one. If you’re a fan of animal art then this is the place to look for that painting or sculpture you’ve been searching for.
Pick Me Up
Venue: Somerset House
When: Every March/April
Price Range: c£15 to c£1,000
Verdict: This fair is all about contemporary graphic art and bargains abound with signed prints available from as little as £15.
London Original Print Fair
Venue: Royal Academy
When: Every April
Price Range: £100 to £100,000
Verdict: This is the more refined and pricier cousin to Pick Me Up. The higher price range is justified by the more notable names and galleries represented but we prefer the edgier Pick Me Up.
Collect
Venue: Saatchi gallery
When: Every May
Price Range: Undefined
Verdict: The most notable crafts fair in London (though we don’t know of any others). If you’re looking for something that’s both functional and aesthetically pleasing then this is for you.
Did we miss any? Let us know below and we’ll add them to the list.
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