Half-Term Haunted Happenings

Halloween family fun

Claremont Landscape Garden (Esher) — Covering nearly 50 acres, Claremont is one of the oldest English landscape gardens with an original 18th century layout. Once enjoyed by royalty, including Queen Victoria, the Garden is on the Register of Historic Parks and described as the "the noblest of any in Europe". Unlike formal gardens of the past, these 'pleasure grounds' were designed to be natural, but in essence were made up of a series of planned views and vistas. Features include a turf amphitheatre, serpentine lake, stone grotto and thatched cottage complete with a kids play area and updated cafe. On October 26th Claremont will offer Spooky Walks around their garden for an additional £1 / child from 5 - 7 pm.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/claremont-landscape-garden ✆ +44 1372 467806
Portsmouth Road, Esher, Surrey, KT10 9JG

Edible Cinema (London) — Intrigued by the idea of seeing and tasting a film at the same time? When you get to your cinema seat, there will be a tray of small numbered boxes that are to be opened at specific times during the film. The menu is based on an interpretation of what is happening on the screen. The team behind the creative menu includes experimental chefs, food designers and mixologists. Past films include Grosse Point Blank, Trading Places, and When Harry Met Sally. This year's Halloween screening is Silence of the Lambs on October 31 at Curzon Cinema, Mayfair in London. Tickets are £37.50 and includes bite-sized canapés and mini Conker Spirit and Fentimans cocktails.
www.curzoncinemas.com

The Ivy (Multiple) — The original location of The Ivy, West Street has been popular with celebrities and theatre* patrons for over 100 years. The Ivy Collection now features modern British dishes in upmarket brasseries and cafes in London and Surrey.  The Ivy in Cobham, Wimbledon and Marlow Garden in London will feature a special menu during Halloweek October 24-31 beginning at 4 pm.  Dishes include Tombstone Tartare Steak through the Heart' and 'Chocolate Skull' dessert along with Halloween-inspired cocktails and kid-friendly non-alcoholic juice. Halloween night will include some special Trick-or-Treats for the kids.
www.ivycollection.com

The Lightbox (Woking) — Located in Woking, The Lightbox is an award-winning museum designed by the same architects as the London Eye.  In addition to three permanent collections, The Lightbox hosts 20 temporary exhibitions a year, Past exhibitions include Gertrude Jekyll, Pablo Picasso, Auguste Renoir, William Turner and Andy Warhol. General admission is free and main and upper gallery exhibitions admission is £5 for a day or £7.50 for a year. A variety of Halloween-themed drop-in art and craft workshops will be offered for children ages 4-12 years old October 23-26.
www.thelightbox.org.uk ✆ +44 1483 737800
Chobham Road, Woking, Surrey GU21 4AA

Skywalk Adventure (Esher) — Located at Sandown Sports Club, Skywalk Adventure features two treetop adventure courses, including bridges, swinging logs, tightropes and zip wires landing into nets. The minimum age is 8 years and minimum height is 1.3 metres tall. There is an on-site cafe with hot pots, salads, sandwiches, snacks and wraps along with a fully stocked bar. They will be open extended hours October 25 - 31 as part of their SPOOKtacular Skywalk experience complete with supernatural sightings.  For a less Scary Skywalk adventure, they will be open as usual during the daytime. Admission is £15 for kids and £20 for adults for both courses (over 40% off regular prices). Booking by October 22 for discounted prices.
www.skywalkadventure.co.uk ✆ +44 1372 701107
Sandown Sports, More Lane, Esher, Surrey KT10 8AN

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Two Popular West End Shows Return

Blood Brothers & Curious Incident

Blood Brothers is a musical that tells the story of twin brothers separated by birth — one raised by a wealthy family and another a poor family.  They are reunited when pursuing the same woman only to be tragically separated again.

Blood Brothers premiered in London's West End in 1983 and won the Olivier Award that year for Best New Musical. Following a UK tour in 1984 and a revival in 1988, the show than ran for 24 consecutive years before closing in November 2012. With more than 10,000 performances, it is the fifth longest running musical in West End history.

As part of its 30th anniversary, Blood Brothers is touring the UK with a limited run in Surrey October 29-November 3 at the New Wimbledon Theatre.  
General tickets £17.90 - £52.90 (plus £3.65 transaction fee)
Theatre Card members £15 - £49
www.atgtickets.com ✆ +44 8448 717627
New Wimbledon Theatre, 93 The Broadway, Wimbledon SW19 1QG

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a play based on Mark Haddon's mystery noel by the same name.  It is about Christopher, a 15-year old boy who is mathematically gifted but has behavioral differences.

The play debuted in 2012 and has won 7 Olivier Awards and 5 Tony Awards including Best Play. Following a successful UK and international tour, the National Theatre production returns to London for a three month run November 29-February 23 at the Piccadilly Theatre in London.
Tickets £18 - £92.50
www.nationaltheatre.org.uk ✆ +44 2074 523000
Piccadilly Theatre, 16 Denman Street, London W1D 7DY 

Book now to avoid disappointment!

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Time Out for London Eye

London Eye rides with a twist

Time Out's Eye Openers are back! The summer barre and yoga classes in a London Eye capsule return for the fall — but now they have added drinking, music and storytime.

At 135 meters (443 feet) high, the London Eye is the worlds largest cantilevered observation wheel and on a clear day you can see up to 25 miles from the top. When it was erected in 2000, it was meant to be temporary installation. Now it is hard to envision the London skyline without it. The award-winning structure is the UK's most popular attraction with over 3.75 million visitors annually.

While each capsule can hold up to 25 people, these unique experiences offer a much more intimate size group (our barre class in June was a total of six people).

Fitness
Yoga (September 27, October 2-4) by The Refinery — £25
Barre (September 29, October 6) by The Refinery — £25

Kids
Baby Sensory under 3's (September 27, October 3, 4, 17 and 18) — £12.50
Baby Music under 3's (October 2) — £12.50
Storytime for under 3's (September 27, 29 October 2-4) — £12.50
Paddington Storytime for 4 - 7 year olds (September 27, 29 October 2-4) by London Dreamtime — £12.50 (includes Paddington Bear book to take home)

Drink
East London Liquor Company (September 29) — £25
Old Kent Road Brewery (September 29) — £25

There is also the added benefit of going through a dedicated entrance and skipping most of the queue (regular Fast Track tickets are £33). Book now for a fun, affordable way to ride the London Eye! www.timeout.com
Riverside Building, County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road SE1 7PB

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Open House London

World’s largest architecture festival

There is still time to plan where to visit during Open House London September 22nd and 23rd. This year’s 26th annual event provides free admission to 800 buildings and includes talks, tours and walks, covering 30 boroughs.

Some of the iconic buildings that usually charge, include:

• The Banqueting House
• Benjamin Franklin House
• Dennis Severs House
• Design Museum
• Ham House & Garden
• Leighton House Museum
• Mansion House
• Middle Temple Hall
• Museum of London
• Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
• Sir John Soane’s Museum
• The View from the Shard

For those that are willing to brave the elements, the two-day event also includes special talks and walks, including:

• Cycle Tour of Olympic Park
• Walking Tour of David Bowie’s Beckenham

Best of all it is all free - so grab a family member or friend, download the app and be one of the 250,000 that participate!
www.openhouselondon.org.uk

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Zip Line Across London

Birds eye view of London

Last year's summer pop-up at Archbishop’s Park is back. Here’s your chance to catch Zip Now (formerly Zip World London), the world's longest and fastest city zip line before it closes September 9th.

You will begin by climbing up 115 feet (more than 9 double decker buses!) where you will enjoy unparalleled birds eye view of London’s skyline. Attractions include Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, London Eye and The Shard.

You will then travel 225 metres (738 feet) at speeds 50 kph (31 mph). This year, there are three ziplines located side by side so family and friends can ride together. Also, new this year is the Mega Drop. For £10 more, instead of walking down a flight of stairs, you can take a 15 metre (49 feet) freefall down.

Conveniently located within 10 minute walk from London Waterloo, this is a thrilling start or end to a day in London. Book on-line for discounts, including special prices 2:30 – 5:30 pm weekdays. No experience or previous training required – just a sense of adventure!

www.zip-now.co ✆ +44 3300 583477
Carlisle Lane, Lambeth, London SE1 7LE

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Pilot's Hub & Hanger

Brasserie and coffee house adjacent to historic 1930s hanger

With the temperatures cooling down, it is a perfect time to visit The Pilot's Hub. The brasserie and coffee house is located adjacent to the historic 1930s Redhill Aerodrome. Beginning in 1937, Redhill featured an Elementary Flying Training School that continued until the beginning of World War II. Through the course of the War, it served as a Royal Air Force Station for deployments of fighter squadrons and used by support units.

Today, Redhill offers a range of commercial aviation services, including aircraft maintenance, flight training, along with helicopter and charter services. Seating is first-come first served, with exception to holidays (we made the mistake of making a trip there on Father's Day without a booking*).  Only a runway separates guests seated on the deck from the planes.  Alternatively, bar height seating inside is a perfect for viewing planes taking off and landing. The food is homemade, including made-to-order burgers, sandwiches and cakes, with bread and pastries from Chalk Hills Bakery.

Be sure to take a walk to the loos*. The route passes through the hanger filled with plans, including a historic G-ABWP Spartan Arrow, the last one in existence from 1932. The Pilot's Hub is worth the drive for a leisurely bite!

www.pilotshub.co.uk ✆ +44 2086 529027
Hangar 9, Redhill Aerodrome, Redhill, Surrey RH1 5JY

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Summer Exhibition

World's longest display of contemporary art

There is still time to catch the Royal Academy of Arts (RA) Summer Exhibition which closes this Sunday, August 19th. Founded in 1768, the Summer Exhibition is the world's longest running annual display of contemporary art. The committee for the 250th anniversary display is chaired by Grayson Perry, English contemporary artist known for his ceramics and tapestries. 

Hung by RA artists, each room is as unique as the pieces within them.  The works range from monumental pieces by well-known artists such as Joana Vasconcelos' Royal Valkyrie to small-scale pieces by first-time exhibitors like Nicholas Allan's On.

Even the medium used to create the art invites visitors to take a closer look – from El Enatsui's Change of Fortune made of bottle tops sewn together with wire to Lee Cutter's Prison Culture made of etched bars of prison issue soap.

  

With over 1,300 pieces of art selected from 20,000 entries, some rooms are literally filled floor to ceiling with pieces of art. The casual, collage-like display draws an audience that is as diverse and interesting as the artwork itself.

Gallery III with its bright yellow walls even features a gin bar where traditional drinks like London Cup (similar to Pimm's) and snacks are available for purchase. With this addition, it is no surprise that there is truly something for everyone!

www.royalacademy.org.uk ✆ +44 2073 00800
Burlington House, Piccadilly London W1J 0BD

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