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they have special Christmas activities and The museums of London are HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT celebrations with extended opening some of the most heralded in the hours, candlelit tours and readings of A Christmas Carol. world, known not just for their Wellington Arch dickensmuseum.com contents but also their impressive Wellington Arch was originally built as an structures. Visitors and entrance to Buckingham Palace before Pollock’s Toy Londoners alike flock to our becoming a victory arch to celebrate Wellington’s defeat of Napolean. A favourites – Modern, the Nestled in Fitzrovia near Goodge Street favourite London landmark seen by all and originally a printing shop, Pollock’s Toy British , the V&A, The those passing by Hyde Park Corner, the Museum is a wonderfully eclectic treasure Natural History Museum and Arch is open to visitors. The Arch offers trove of toys for older children and adults more. There’s always something not only great views of London, but also to explore. Not your typical museum, the has an exhibition space that often hosts new and exciting at each of the collection does not have much fun exhibits. To celebrate the Royal information about the toys, but has an well-known favourites, but should wedding of the Duke and Duchess of impressive collection of Victorian and you fancy something a bit Cambridge during the summer of 2011, early 20th century toys in its six small different this holiday season, there was an exhibition of Royal wedding rooms. A fun place to wander and think cakes complete with a slice of cake. maybe something a bit quieter, a about Christmases past. www.englishheritage.org.uk/visit/places/- pollockstoys.com bit quirky or just something new, wellington-arch here are some suggestions of less Leighton House well-known museums that you FESTIVE MUSEUMS might enjoy. Not far from the FOCUS office, is like no other. Once the Charles Dickens home and studio of Lord Frederic Celebrate London’s Dickensian charm Leighton (a Pre-Raphaelite painter), the and A Christmas Carol by visiting this house has stunningly beautiful, ornate museum housed in the only surviving interiors and a wonderful collection of home of Charles Dickens. This museum is painting and sculpture from Leighton and one that is easy to walk by (you have to his contemporaries. The Arab Hall may be ring the bell to enter), but offers rare just the thing if you’re craving a holiday, editions of Dickens’ work, interesting but unable to leave London. Free public artifacts relating to Dickens and a glimpse tours are available Wednesdays and into how the home would have been Sundays at 15.00. decorated when he lived there. Each year www.rbkc.gov.uk/subsites/museums/leighton housemuseum1.aspx

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Museum of gardens. Family-friendly, be sure to pick life of the Jervis family. Be warned, this is Just a two-minute walk from the hectic up explorer backpacks for children one of London’s quirkier museums Portobello Market, this charming under 5. designed to depict “still life drama”. The museum, founded by consumer www.english- museum is intentionally messy – complete with unmade beds and half- historian Robert Opie, features the heritage.org.uk/visit/places/kenwood eaten food to give rooms an authentic, retro designs of many of your favourite lived in feel. products. The collection contains Florence Nightingale www.dennissevershouse.co.uk packaging, posters and products from Located on the campus of St. Thomas’ the late 1800s to present day. Enjoy a Hospital just across the Thames from trip down memory lane and watch the the Houses of Parliament, the Florence The evolution of the marketing and branding Nightingale Museum collection was first The Wellcome Collection dubs itself “a of your favourite products. There’s also a displayed for the centenary of the free visitor destination for the incurably great shop for any last minute gifts and a Crimean War. The museum now has curious”. This sums up this sometimes café garden that’s a perfect spot for almost 3,000 artefacts tracing all stages strange, but wonderful museum perfectly. lunch. of Nightingale’s life, her legacy, and her Located near Euston and established by www.museumofbrands.com impact on modern nursing. A visit to the Sir Henry Wellcome (inventor of the pill gift shop is a must, especially if you are form of medication), the Collection is Cartoon Museum in need of a gift for a nurse. part of a global foundation committed to www.florence-nightingale.co.uk improving health by allowing great ideas Located in Bloomsbury, near the British to thrive. Walking into the Wellcome Museum, the Cartoon Museum has Collection feels like a celebration of been open since 2006. This is a great Fan Museum learning and progress. The calendar of place to learn about the history of Celebrating its 25th year, ’s events and exhibitions cover a broad cartoons, their impact, and their Fan Museum is the only museum of fans range of topics ranging from medical evolution. There are over 5,000 books in the world. This gem houses an history and dirt, to the contradictory and 4,000 comics and also a cartoon impressive collection of fans from all ideas surrounding mental illness. Despite library (appointments needed) for the over the world dating back to the 11th the serious topics, these exhibitions true comic book enthusiasts. For the century. Exhibitions focus on the history always celebrate the strides being made holidays, there’s a special exhibition on and craftsmanship required to create and have quirky sense of fun about them. Punch Magazine , Britain’s humour fans and themed exhibitions bring the The bookstore is well worth a visit as are magazine best-remembered for its collection to life. The museum the café and restaurant. cartoons. is beautiful and quite famous for its https://wellcomecollection.org www.cartoonmuseum.org reasonably-priced cream tea. www.thefanmuseum.org.uk/ You can visit a stately home without Dennis Severs’ House leaving London. Kenwood House and The Dennis Severs’ House in Spitalfield museum on Hampstead Heath allows is a portrait of the lives of Huguenot silk you to experience and become inspired weavers from 1724 through 1914. After by the presentation and décor of a a brief introduction you silently (only gorgeous home with a fascinating whispering allowed!) make your way history, amazing art work and lovely through ten rooms to experience the www.focus-info.org FOCUS The Magazine 25