Get more from your visit to the British Museum

Although it is a well known fact that London hosts some of the greatest museums in the world, their sheer size and scale can sometimes make a visit both daunting and rushed. 

Wooden carvings in the Benin exhibit

The British Museum, however, have managed to combat the traditional whistle top tour of their collection with their free talks. Although every visitor should make an effort to see the highlights of the collection, such as the Rosetta Stone, the Hoa Hakananai'a head from Easter Island and the preserved Iron Age body of the Lindow Man, the tours give tourists the chance to discover the story behind some incredible artifacts which might otherwise be overlooked. With daily 30 minute 'Eye Opener' talks at a wide range of galleries, as well as longer 45 minute lunchtime talks for those working locally, you're bound to find a tour which genuinely interests you. Additionally, for those that want to gain a greater insight into the museum's most famous artifacts, the evening 'spotlight talks' focus on the famous treasures in some of the most popular galleries, and include 'Death in ancient Egypt' and 'The Parthenon.'

Brass head of an Oba

I took out lunch breaks to attend the Ancient Egypt tour and 'Animals in Africa' gallery talk, both of which were highly enjoyable and informative. The groups are small enough to be intimate without feeling awkward, and the tour guides are lively, obviously enjoying what they do. Rather than repeating the facts given on the information boards, the guides add a human element to the artifacts, enthusing the history with quirky tidbits and insider knowledge. I learnt that slaves were often killed after their masters so they could serve them in the afterlife (until the Egyptians cottoned on to the fact that they were killing all their best workers, and decided a little drawing of them would suffice instead), that Oba's, the leaders of the Benin people, claim even to this day to not need food or defecate, and that the Congolese would insert nails into sculptures of animals if they wanted to solve their problems or gain wealth, at the risk of being cursed if they themselves were dishonest or broke a vow. 

Eye Opener talks begin every 15 minutes between 11am and 3:45pm, so you can essentially spend your whole day at the museum being guided around, without parting with the £12 it costs for a 90 minute weekend guided tour.

A wooden complex containing images of power .

I also found that having a tour to go on encouraged me to actually go to the museum as my visit had a greater purpose; so many of my friends constantly say how they should go to free museums and galleries more, so knowing that you have to be there by a certain time for something concrete is real encouragement to just get up and go. Museums can also be great places to meet like minded people, so make the most of your tour group and get chatting to the people around you. As Londoners we're fortunate enough to be able to experience the whole world at our fingertips for free- get out there and find out which talks are happening here.

Splashing out? You can enjoy annual membership to the British Museum for £50, or just £35 if you're under 26. Included in this is free entry to all exhibitions, entry to the brand new members room and the opportunity to go to exclusive events, lectures and members parties. Find out more here.

Quality Asian food for less with East Street's lunchtime offers

Working in the Soho/Fitzrovia area, with its humongous choice of lunch options, can be pretty bad for both my waistline and wallet. You can sample every cuisine imaginable within a square mile, yet for a price which is likely to have you retreating away from the till. 

Step in East Street, a restaurant on Rathbone Place which offers fresh pan-Asian cooking and regular great value offers. Despite it's modern, Westernised look, East Street serves an impressive mix of authentic Thai, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Indonesian, Filipino, Korean and Singaporean cuisine, allowing you to broaden your horizons beyond the Chinese dishes you might be most familiar with.

Decked out with bright Asian street signs and featuring a large screen playing anime on loop, East Street is perfect for a fun quick lunch with friends. Mains come in at between £7 and £11, but the Eastern Express Menu (available daily between 12 and 6pm) contains great choices which won't disappoint. For just £8.95 you can help yourself to one of 4 dishes (or 2 more if you pay an extra £1) and get an accompaniment of either Tod Man Khao Pod, Miso Soup, Gyoza or Goi Cuon. I'd recommend the Pad Krapow, a Thai dish of chicken breast quick-fried with red chillies, fresh Asian basil and red pepper, served with steamed jasmine rice as its not just delicious, but pretty healthy too. Twin that with the Japanese Gyoza, griddled dumplings of minced pork, bamboo shoot and spring onion, and you've got yourself a filling, satisfying lunch for under a tenner.

One of the best things about East Street is that they are always putting on special offers in addition to those advertised on their website, so it is well worth signing up to their mailing list via the link here. Their current offer is a whopping 50% off the new Grab & Go menu which includes salads, baguettes and their hot dish of the week. I got an incredibly large and delicious grilled chicken salad for just £2.49 with this voucher, so it's definitely worth downloading for if you ever find yourself in the area stuck for a quick bite to eat. The offer is valid until 10th May so get your voucher here and start saving some cash. For the students among you, the restaurant also offers a 20% discount at any time on any dish, but not the Eastern Express Menu.

Splashing out? Head north up Rathbone until you get to Charlotte Place, a charming little passageway crammed with coffee shops and restaurants. Check out the cafe Lantana and enjoy some top of the range coffee and cake. Their website is here. 

Escape the crowds at Fitzrovia's mini galleries

If you work in Fitzrovia and want to do something interesting with your lunch break, or find yourself waiting for a friend at Oxford Circus and can't face the world's busiest Topshop, then I'd recommend checking out the scatterings of small art galleries which populate Fitzrovia.

Chris Bracey- Love and Hate at Scream Gallery

The area bordered by Euston Road, Tottenham Court Road, Great Portland Street and Oxford Street has been a renowned artistic community since the mid-1920s, yet in recent years a growing number of cutting edge galleries have opened, showcasing a surprisingly extensive range of the visual arts in their small collections.

I am certainly no art buff, but I think that's why I love the galleries so much. They are small (many are just one room), silent and devoid of tourists which means that rather than being pulled towards whichever work most people are crowded around, I can go at my own pace and concentrate on the pieces of the collection which naturally draw my attention. The small size also means that you can visit a number of galleries within a short period of time. In my hour lunch break I explored Scream Gallery, Art First and the Rebecca Hossack Gallery- all  very different and rewarding in their own way.

Liane Lang's 'Fallen' exhibition

My first visit was to Scream, where I was greeted by a giant neon dagger breaking through the gallery’s window. London-based light artist Chris Bracey’s first solo exhibition contains neon lights emblazing messages of religion and pop-culture. Prepare to see a gun-wielding Jesus, an angel holding an ‘on-air’ sign and illuminated lyrics from The Smiths. The exhibition is lively, interesting and has brightened up Eastcastle Street at the start of this grey Spring. Find out more about Scream here.

I then moved a couple of doors down the road to visit Art First. This gallery was split into two exhibitions, the first being Simon Lewty's artistic presentation of the lost shorthand system called 'Tachygraphy' and the second Liane Lang's exploration of defaced monuments of dictators and deposed leaders. I loved the peacefulness of the gallery, particularly as some of Lewty's works were lengthy narratives which required concentration to be fully appreciated. The dreamy nature of his writing was complimented perfectly by the silent, white-walled gallery, and it was easy to be transported away from the busy London streets outside. Lang’s exhibition downstairs provided a similar sanctuary, yet her deformed miniature sculptures of former leaders and photographs of people treating the original structures in an unconventional manner provided humour which was absent from the works upstairs. Both thought-provoking in their different ways, if Art First sounds like your cup of tea their website is here.

Simon Lewty's 'Absorption' exhibition 

I next crossed a few streets to the charming little Rebecca Hossack Gallery on Charlotte Street. The gallery does not have many pieces, but Hossack’s strong reputation for showcasing bold and energetic art means that the work that is up is likely to be of high and interesting quality. The gallery actually feels more like a small shop, and indeed all the art within it can be bought (for a pretty hefty price). Pop in for a quick browse if you find yourself there- it beats wandering around WH Smith. More information here.

Ian Penney- I love you little star

Although I only visited three, there are over twenty five art galleries in Fitzrovia, and their diversity and uniqueness mean that you are bound to find an artist or piece that resonates with you. If you’re keen to avoid the crowds of the Tate and National, or just want to take a reflective half hour out of your day, then a trip to W1 could be right up your street. 

Splashing Out? Although picking up an original piece of art is probably beyond the budget of most readers,  Rebecca Hossock sells beautiful cards (£3) and other little bits which will brighten up your desk. Also currently on sale are  Ian Penney’s gorgeous cut outs which won’t break the bank at £15. See some examples here.

Snaps and Drinks at Frui's Photography Social

Let's face it- photography courses are expensive. If you want to be taught to use your expensive SLR properly then ask a favour from a camera-savvy friend or prepare to part with some cash. However, if you want to get out and have some fun with your camera under the guidance of the pros without breaking the bank, then look no further than the Photography Socials organised by London-based company Frui.

The evening's challenge

The Socials cost just £10 and give you the opportunity to explore your photography skills in a relaxed environment, whilst still having the benefit of tutors on hand to give you tips about how to improve. Starting off in a pub, you're split into groups of 5 and then released into the wild with a set of challenges to complete, before coming back to the pub to regroup and have a few more drinks. 

 My flatmates and I met at The Anchor Pub by London Bridge and were immediately encouraged to grab a drink at the bar. Paired up with a lovely guy called Karl, we were set the challenge of taking photos reflecting the following films: North by Northwest, Star Wars, Being John Malkovich, Cliffhanger and Top Gun. Terrifyingly, bonus points were available for Basic Instinct...

After a drink and a brainstorm we set out to get the shots.  Points are given for originality, inventiveness and creativity, and luckily for my friend Shorty they seemed to favour outrageousness too. For Star Wars we positioned it so that Shorty was holding the Shard as a lightsaber, Top Gun saw him riding his bike in a fluorescent jacket and goggles rather than Tom Cruise's iconic jacket and aviators, North by Northwest saw Emily being held aloft as an airplane crashing into Karl and Being John Malkovich saw us flop her hair over Karl's bald head to reasons unbeknownst to everyone except for Shorty. Despite three of our cameras running out of battery (what rookies) we managed to get all the shots we wanted and could head back to the warmth of The Anchor well within the hour and a half time limit. 

The Lightsaber Shard

Back at the pub we remembered the bonus challenge, so Shorty gamely whipped off his clothes and sat on a chair with legs akimbo, managing to make Sharon Stone's own scene seem the most subtle ever made. Surprisingly, this seemed to be the photo which the Frui team liked the most...

Whilst food and more drinks were ordered we chose the photos we were going to use and played a few bonus games. The Frui guys came around and rated our photos out of 10, scoring us highly on originality but less so on composition. This is the part which those wanting advice should value, as they gave us tips on how we could have used the space more creatively and cropped the photos to improve the focus on subject matter. However, I'd say that the main purpose of the evening is to have fun with your camera (or even camera phone), make some friends and discover a new watering hole. The session is a great way to meet people and practice your creativity, and I'd definitely recommend it as an alternative evening of entertainment in London.

Our (not quite) winning team

You can book yourself into a monthly Frui Social here. If you've never been before you can bring another first timer friend for FREE. That's just a fiver each. The next session is on 24th April in Spitalfields. 

Splashing out? If you're keen on photography and want a real hands on experience then book yourself onto one of Frui's day or half day courses. I went to the Introduction to Digital Photography course in Hampstead Heath (£120) and found it extremely friendly and informative. Other courses include Painting with Light (£59), Life on the Street (£69) and After Dark (£69). Hire a DSLR camera for £16 if you don't own one. More information here.

Happy Hour and Hip Hop at Market House

Although it's only been open for a year, Market House on Coldharbour Lane has already established itself as one of Brixton's coolest bars and a worthy destination for foodies and cocktail lovers alike.

After being challenged by a friend to find us a fun place to eat South of the River, I stumbled upon the Market House website and was impressed by the generous happy hour lasting from 5-9pm every day. On further inspection of their facebook and twitter pages, I saw that they were running a 2 for 1 burger deal if you emailed the team. Although the deal was only on the Spicy Chicken (£8.50) and Market (Hereford Beef) Burger (£8.95), both looked tasty enough so we decided to go for it. For any tastecard holders among you, you and a friend can get 2 for 1 on any meals on the menu between Mondays and Thursday as long as you call ahead.

My Pornstar Martini

We arrived at 7 to find the bar already pretty full and in full swing, despite being a Wednesday. The setting is a restored 19th century building and the management have successfully recreated a speakeasy atmosphere, fitting the bar with chandeliers, vintage wallpaper and stripped down wooden furniture. With the (slightly too loud) music pumping and the friendly bar staff shaking up cocktails, the place had a feel-good lively atmosphere from the moment we walked in. 

We wanted to take advantage of the £5 cocktails during Happy Hour so I (awkwardly) ordered a Pornstar Martini (Vanilla Vodka with lime juice, passionfruit syrup and passionfruit juice) whilst my friend went for the Caipirinha, a rum based Brazilian drink. Both were delicious and definitely recommended. Whilst we waited for our burgers to arrive we shared the Wild Boar Sausage Rolls with apple filling (£5) which were really yummy and just the right size for an appetiser. I also enjoyed an exceptionally large glass of red wine- a bargain at £3 during Happy Hour.

A taste of Wild Boar

Our mains arrived well-presented on a thick wooden board. My Spicy Chicken came with all the usual extras but also included pineapple which gave it an added sweetness and kick. 

Spicy Chicken Burger with Coleslaw

The skin on chips were also nicely salted and tinged with rosemary. If you want a tasty meal accompanied by some fantastic cheap cocktails then I would recommend trying out Market House. The staff were lovely and smiley, seeming to genuinely enjoy working in the vibrant venue, and with the discounts applied the evening was brilliant value.

On Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings the bar hosts themed nights with free entry all night and, even more impressively, free bubbly for groups of 10 or more. There is something to please most, with this weekend including tropical funk and reggae DJs, old skool house, garage and brit pop nights. If that sounds like your kind of thing sign up to their mailing list for the latest news and promotions.

Splashing out? Visit nearby Market Row Wines, an independent shop selling quality wines, to grab a bottle for a special occasion (or simply later that evening). Still very reasonably priced, but definitely beats the usual supermarket plonk. Open until 9pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturdays. Check them out here.

Movie Mondays at the Aubin Cinema

Enjoy a selection of drinks at the Basement Bar

Alternative cinemas are all the rage in London at the moment, but for ultimate experience and comfort I recommend Aubin Cinema. Situated on Redchurch Street in the heart of Shoreditch, the cinema sits below an Aubin & Wills store and boasts its own bar and 'Aubin Eats' treats. 

The cinema is perfect for couples who can cuddle up on one of the 2 seater sofas, complete with Aubin & Wills' very own cushions and blankets. The sofas are not only cosy but also absolutely huge. I have never had so much space in a cinema and after 10 minutes you wonder how you ever survived struggling to get comfortable in your local Vue/Odeon/Cineworld. At Aubin you can curl your feet up into the sofa, use the cushioned foot rest in front of you or even screw the whole sharing thing and lounge on a 2-seater all by yourself.

Sofa complete with cushions and blankets

On Tuesday-Sunday a regular ticket will set you back £13 (£15 for 3D), however on a Monday a 2 seater sofa is £18 and a single seat just £8. The film programme is exactly the same but there is over a third off the price and it still works out a fair bit cheaper than a visit to your usual run-of-the-mill cinema. Additionally, if you fancy watching something a bit different, these reduced prices are also available for 'Aubin Sundays' showings. This month you have one last opportunity to catch Les Misérables and Zero Dark Thirty, and can also explore some World Cinema with Bullhead and Lore. These showings are usually around 3pm, making it the perfect lazy afternoon trip after Sunday lunch. 

With its own personal bar, the novelty of sipping on a beer or glass of wine whilst watching your film and enough space to swing a cat in (if that’s your cup of tea), Aubin Cinema is the perfect big screen experience. If you want to enjoy a movie in ultimate style, then check out Aubin: http://www.aubincinema.com

Splashing out? Take advantage of being in Shoreditch and check out the Boxpark pop-up mall just a stone's throw away. Brands as big as Nike, Puma and Logitech can all be found there, and there are launches, exhibitions and even free gigs going on all the time. Make sure you don't miss out by keeping an eye on their calendar here: http://www.boxpark.co.uk You can also grab a pre/post cinema meal at one of the restaurants residing there, which currently includes my recently reviewed Bukowski. Check out what I thought here.

 

Meats and Treats at Venn Street Market

Tucked away down a quiet pedestrianised road seconds away from Clapham Common, Venn Street Market is a must-do for anyone who finds themselves in Clapham on a Saturday. 

Delicious cakes from the Ms Cupcake stall

Although small, the market has a wide selection of fresh meat, cheese, vegetables and baked goods, along with ready to eat food which makes the perfect lunch.

Vegan soda bread from Yam the Cassava

Nearly all the food served here is organically sourced, offering peace of mind to those freaked out by the recent horse business. Award winning fishmongers Veasey & Sons and butchers from Garlic Wood Farm make it the perfect place to pick up the evening's dinner or your Sunday roast, and the impressive number of stalls offering tasty vegan and dairy-free cakes also provide inspiration for an afternoon tea which everyone can enjoy. The market is also the perfect place to pick up presents for the parents, with stalls such as cnwd and Pate Moi offering delicious terrines and pâté and D Vine Wine selling quality organic wines at affordable prices. The market has also started to branch out to sell artwork, with local arts organisation Studio Voltaire selling goods priced from just £1 upwards.

The remains of a hog roast from Moen & Sons

The market smells fantastic, and I challenge anyone to resist buying a chicken ciabatta from the Rotisserie Company after being lured in by the aroma. The company cook their chicken the French way, turning them on a gas fired rotisserie basted with olive oil, garlic and Herbs de Provence. They really don't hold back on portions, and for £4.50 you can try one of their giant ciabbatas full to the brim with chicken, rocket and a selection of sauces such as basil and garlic and madras mayonnaise. Other lunch options include a hog roast from local family butchers Moen & Sons (£4.50), crepes filled with unconventional combinations such as goats cheese & nutella and bacon & blueberries (£4) at Whirled Pancakes, and my own personal favourite, spicy chorizo in an Italian sourdough cocchia roll with piquillo pepper salsa, wild rocket, sweet chili sauce and garlic mayonnaise (£4).

Spicy chorizo in a sourdough roll

Venn Street Market is the place to pick up delicious grub at satisfying prices. My boyfriend and I bought a giant banana and chocolate loaf for just £4 and a great desert wine to impress a connoisseur friend for a tenner. If you want to sample some incredible food or bring home an impressive cheese or dessert centrepiece then Venn Street definitely won't disappoint.

 The market is open between 10am and 4pm every Saturday. Information about upcoming events and vendors can be found here: http://www.vennstreetmarket.co.uk/

Splashing out? Enjoy a taste of Europe at one of the restaurants on Venn Street. Grab a spot of tapas at Barsito, a latte and croissant at Gastro or even smoke some hookah at Kasbah. Venn Street is definitely the place to escape from a grey London on a Saturday afternoon.