What To Book, Watch & Listen To This Month
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THE WORKOUT CLASS:
Pilates & Sunset Yoga at Kew Gardens
Kew Gardens has extended its wellness offering with new classes, including Pilates and sunset yoga. In August and September, visitors can book Pilates classes in the historic Nash Conservatory. Guests can find mindfulness through breathing exercises and movement to improve flexibility, strength and posture. There’s also a sunset yoga class which will be held in Kew’s famous Temperate House (12th September), as well as intuitive dance sessions (15th August & 13th September) which includes breathwork, dance, qigong and meditative stillness. Other ongoing classes include sound baths, tai chi, forest bathing and cycling around the grounds. Tickets start from £22.50.
Botanic Gardens, Richmond, TW9 3AE UK
Visit Kew.org
THE EXCLUSIVE TOUR:
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is offering visitors a rare chance to step inside its iconic recording studios this month when it opens the doors to Studio Two for a series of exclusive talks. These will explore the past, present and future of the world’s most famous recording studio, where The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Kate Bush and Amy Winehouse – to name a few – recorded over the decades. Led by Recording The Beatles authors Kevin Ryan and Brian Kehew, the lectures will tell the story of the studios by exploring its rooms, equipment and talented engineers that have played a part in creating pop culture. Tickets cost £140pp.
3 Abbey Road, St John’s Wood, NW8 9AY; 11th-13th August
Visit SeeTickets.com
UNSPLASH/David Ramírez
THE LIVE MUSIC EVENT:
Battersea Park In Concert
Battersea Park In Concert returns for another summer of open-air gigs and performances. Celebrating the best of classical, jazz and West End musicals, there are three days of shows to choose from, kicking off with ‘Night at the Musicals’ performed by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra. Guests will hear songs from Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, Oklahoma, Oliver!, and West Side Story, to name a few. There will also be an evening with R&B and soul singer Gabrielle, as well as a Proms in the Park performance. Tickets start from £43.
Prince of Wales Drive, Battersea Park, SW11 4NJ
THE MEMOIR:
The Farmer's Wife by Helen Rebanks
Helen Rebanks is a farmer, conservationist and cook who lives on a small farm in the Lake District with her husband and children – as well as sheepdogs, two ponies, 20 chickens, 50 cattle and 500 sheep. In her first memoir, Helen shares the days that have shaped her, from steering the family through the Beast from the East and the local authority planning committee, to finding the quiet strength to keep going when supper is yet to be started, another delivery man has assumed he needs to speak to the 'man of the house' and she would rather punch a cushion than plump it. The book encourages readers to think about where our food comes from and who puts it on the table, with recipes, lists and gentle words of wisdom.
Visit Amazon.co.uk
THE ONLINE COURSE:
Jojo Moyes for BBC Maestro
Jojo Moyes (Me Before You, Still Me, The Giver of Stars) has launched a creative writing course with BBC Maestro. The ‘Writing Love Stories’ course will offer unique insight into Jojo's own writing process, describing how to transform ideas on post-it notes into best-selling novels. The online course will explore the complexities of love – from romantic and unrequited to parental and platonic – and the nuanced relationships essential to building a rich reading experience. Over 20 lessons, Jojo will draw on moments from her career to guide viewers through the art of building compelling relationships and exciting plot lines. Sign up for access at the link below.
Visit BBCMaestro.com
Tristram Kenton
THE WEST END SHOW:
Private Lives at London's Ambassadors Theatre
Private Lives, one of Noël Coward’s most loved plays, will transfer to the newly refurbished Ambassadors Theatre with a 12-week run to mark 50 since the playwright’s death. Starring Nigel Havers and Patricia Hodge, the comedy is a witty and scathing study of the rich and reckless in love. Ex-spouses Elyot and Amanda are honeymooning with their new partners in the South of France only to find themselves in adjacent hotel rooms. Their initial horror evaporates as, in no time at all, they’re rekindling their previous passion. But when they daringly elope to Amanda’s Parisian flat, their lust thaws as quickly as it had reignited, and they resume the slanging match which drove them apart in the first place. Tickets start from £25.
West Street, West End, WC2H 9ND; 31st August-25th November
Visit ATGTickets.com
© Conor O’Leary
THE LITERARY EVENT:
Capital Crime Festival
London’s Capital Crime Festival kicks off at the end of this month, with talks, readings and events led by over 100 authors, novelists and speakers. Taking place at Leonardo Hotel in St Paul's, festival highlights include a talk on ‘Moral Dilemmas in Modern Society’ with authors Yomi Adegoke (The List), Jack Jordan, Lia Middleton and Nicola Williams; a launch party for David Fennell’s latest thriller The Silent Man; and a talk from broadcaster and murder mystery writer Richard Osman. Day tickets cost £95 which offers access to all talks and events, and weekend passes cost £185 – both of which include goodie bags.
10 Godliman Street, St Paul’s, EC4V 5AJ
31st August-2nd September
Visit CapitalCrime.org
THE ADAPTATION:
The Hiding Place
Corrie Ten Boom’s biography The Hiding Place was adapted for the stage by A. S. Peterson. After being filmed for cinema audiences in Nashville earlier this year, you can now watch the film on the big screen later this month. It’s World War II, darkness has fallen over Europe and the boots of the Third Reich echo through the streets. But on a quiet city corner in the Netherlands, some choose to resist. Corrie Ten Boom and her family risk everything to hide Jewish refugees by the hundreds, and they ultimately face the consequences when they are discovered. The Hiding Place is their story – one of faith, hope, love and forgiveness in the face of unthinkable evil.
In cinemas from 16th August
Visit Picturehouses.com
THE COOKBOOK:
The Little Book of Marmalade
Good marmalade at the supermarket can be hard to find, which is why writer and home cook Lucy Deedes started making her own years ago – which has since won a string of taste awards. Now, her debut cookbook features over 60 sweet and savoury marmalade-based recipes, including marmalade-glazed salmon, chocolate and marmalade tart and marmalade mojitos. We like the sound of the orange macaroons and the rum-infused marmalade.
Visit Amazon.co.uk
THE WEEKEND TREAT:
Onefinestay x Gusbourne Estate
Luxury holiday rental platform Onefinestay has teamed up with Gusbourne Estate to offer guests exclusive wine tasting experiences. Those staying in any of Onefinestay's London homes – ideal for group trips or special occasions – can book wine tasting experiences with wine experts from the vineyard. You’ll also have the option to book a private vineyard tour via train, private chauffeur or even helicopter transfer. Guests can stroll through the pretty estate and find out how the wines are made before enjoying a lunch with paired wines. Private home tasting sessions in London start from £900.
Visit Onefinestay.com
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