As another Lockdown comes to an end, I'm sure I won't be the only one staying out of London during December. I'm a bit of a scrooge so Christmas isn't a big deal for me, so like the past few months I will be coming up with suggestions of what you can do in the comfort of your own home!
HEARD in London - History, Eat, Art, Refresh and Discover
History
I'm still not sick of zoom and online lectures, so it's great to see so many still going strong throughout December. How about hearing about the Folklore Of Underground London by the City of Westminster Library on the evening of the 8th, a virtual tour of the Petrie Museum at 3pm on the 9th, plus two upcoming talks by Lucy Worsley on the 2nd on Queen Victoria, and on the 16th on Christmas Through the Ages. And the good news is that they are all free!
Eat
Being in Lockdown and being out of London makes it hard to keep up to date on whose doing what in terms of re-opening, delivery and meal boxes to be honest. I've made a few orders through Pezu for chilli oils, laksa pastes, sambals and tasty sauces by Nasi Economy Rice, but they have also recently launched a few chilled meals for you to prepare at home. My favourite Malaysian restaurant Sambal Shiok are offering their incredible laksa for £30 for two, the Little Viet Kitchen have a very tempting selection of dishes, plus loads more! I'm very tempted...
Art
Ok I said I would be staying out of London for the next few weeks, and that most of my suggestions would be things you can do at home, but I must mention the re-opening of the Artemesia exhibition in the National Gallery! Tickets are still available online and I might just see you there :) Other exhibitions which are reopening this week include Turner's Modern World at Tate Britain, Filthy Lucre: Whistler's Peacock Room Reimagined at the V&A and Arctic: Culture and Climate at the British Museum.
Refresh
More online wine tastings, more wine delieveries - it is Christmas after all, and while I don't celebrate the 25th with turkey and all the trimmings, I hardly need an excuse to guzzle down a few bottles of wine now do I.
A few recent deliveries include a great selection from Pull The Cork, as ever the fab Modal Wines have been delivering the good stuff and I'm currently waiting for a delivery from Oranj. All three suppliers focus on natural wines from smaller producers so great if you're looking for something a little more unusual!
Discover
I'll finish with two new (perhaps) things for you to discover this month. One of my favourite podcasts which got my through the first Lockdown was the Waldy and Bendy Adventures in Art. They've had me laugh out loud and almost close to tears, and I've loved every single episode. Luckily they got themselves organised for a second season this time around, and it's just as good as the first. If you love art or want to learn more about it from two hilarious men, I do suggest you give it a listen! I probably have Waldy (Waldemar Januszczak) to thank for getting me into art, do look him up on youtube if you haven't seen any programmes by him before, you'll be hooked.
Well another month down, and we can almost see the end of one of the worst years I've lived through.
Let's hope 2021 is a bumper year for all of us,
Take care,
Heard in London