London School of Accountancy and Management - Student life in London, Outdoor events, indoor events

Royal Opera House

The Royal Opera House Covent Garden, WC2, (020) 7304 4000.

www.royalopera.org is home to the Royal Opera and the Royal Ballet. Recently refurbished and extended, it is perhaps the Capital's finest single auditorium. The programme covers a wide spectrum, from accessible classics to more contemporary and challenging performances, and regularly features star performers. This is the place to go if you want to be impressed, or impress someone special!

South Bank Centre

The South Bank Centre Belvedere Road, SE1, (020) 7960 4242.

www.sbc.org.uk encompasses the Royal Festival Hall , the Purcell Room and the Queen Elizabeth Hall .The selection of events across these venues is definitely eclectic, covering classical and contemporary music, dance, literary and more general talks and lectures. One of the few cultural centres that should truly have something for every taste.

The Wigmore Hall

The Wigmore Hall 36 Wigmore Street, W1, (020) 7935 2141.

www.wigmore-hall.org.uk is a well-established auditorium that is pleasantly intimate compared with some of its larger siblings mentioned above. Fantastic acoustics, great value tickets, and a friendly atmosphere ensure its continued popularity.

Shakespeare's Globe

Shakespeare's Globe (New Globe Walk, Bankside, SE1, (020) 7401 9919.

www.shakespeares-globe.org , where the programme covers a variety of material, obviously including plenty of Shakespeare (performed as it would have been originally, with an all-male cast) but also a selection of more modern pieces.

The Donmar Warehouse

The Donmar Warehouse 41 Earlham Street, Covent Garden, WC2, (020) 7369 1732.

www.donmar-warehouse.com is definitely a leading light in London's performing arts community. Launched under the direction of American Beauty director Sam Mendes, it has played host to some spectacular performances over the last ten years. Recent stars have included Helen Mirren, Cherie Lunghi and Ray Winston.

The Royal Mews

The Royal Mews are one of the finest working stables in existence and a living part of Britain's heritage, the Royal Mews is responsible for all road travel arrangements for The Queen and the members of the Royal Family.

The many coaches and carriages on display include the Glass Coach, used by royal brides; the luxurious Australian State Coach, with central heating and electric windows; and the Irish State Coach, used by The Queen to travel to the State Opening of Parliament. The most dazzling of all the coaches is the Gold State Coach, which has been used at every coronation since that of George IV in 1821. It weighs almost four tonnes and requires 8 horses to pull it.

History of Royal Mews

The Mews first started in its present location in 1760, when George III moved his carriage collection and some of his horses there from a site near Charing Cross. It was convenient for them to be near to the house which he had just purchased from the Duke of Buckingham - today's Buckingham Palace. In 1764, George III added the indoor riding school and changed the name of the stables to the Royal Mews Pimlico.

In 1820 George IV succeeded his father as king and set about transforming Buckingham House into a palace worthy of a king and a great nation. He commissioned the famous architect John Nash to remodel the house and rebuild the stables in a grand manner. Nash built splendid stables around the existing riding school. He designed a Doric arch at the entrance to the central Mews quadrangle. He built the main coachhouses on the east side, and, on the west, he created two sets of State Stables with room for 54 horses as well as forage and harness rooms.

A matching Doric arch and a back or 'upper mews' were added at the north end of the quadrangle. A grand house for the Master of the Horse and his assistant was also created. The buildings were completed in 1825. Later kings and queens made their own changes to keep this working environment up-to-date.

In 1837, Queen Victoria became the first monarch to use Buckingham Palace as both an official residence and home. This meant greater responsibilities for the Royal Mews. Her husband Prince Albert installed a new forge and added sheds in which a cow was kept. In 1855 Queen Victoria set up the Buckingham Palace Royal Mews School at her own expense for the children of the servants belonging to the Royal Mews. The school remained for over 20 years. In 1859 new accommodation was built for the 198 members of staff and their families. Modernisations continue today at the Mews. The most recent is a project to expand the electronic network from Buckingham Palace to the Mews, providing e-mail and Internet access to the staff. As a working environment, the Royal Mews will develop further in future, ensuring that the important work of this special department can continue.

To visit Royal mews

Big Bus Company
London is one of the world's greatest cities. Over the course of two thousand years it has generated a story which now enraptures millions of visitors every year. From the Romans to the Vikings, the Normans to the Tudors, all have left their mark. Join the most innovative and entertaining open-top sightseeing tours in any of the above locations with live English commentary or a choice of digitally recorded commentary in 8 languages. All Big Bus tours feature a hop-on hop-off service and tickets are valid for 24 hours.
The tour will show you all the important landmarks and attractions. You’ll also hear about the city’s rich history from an expert guide. Where possible, extras such as river cruises and walking tours are included to provide a complete sightseeing experience. Always remember, if you are taking a sightseeing tour make sure it's a BIG bus!
The Company began as a family operation and was formed in 1991 by Richard, Eleanor and Desmond Maybury. Starting with only two buses its focus upon entertainment, customer service and passionate local knowledge has enabled the company to become one of the largest open-top bus tour operators in the world, with 80 buses in London alone. The burgundy and cream liveried buses have themselves become part of the London Landscape. The Bus Tour has won three awards at the Visit London annual awards ceremonies and was nominated for Best Tourism Experience in 2007. In 2002 the company began an operation in Dubai and now boasts 46 buses in its Dubai fleet. In 2003 the company opened in Philadelphia in partnership with Philadelphia Trolley Works. Wherever possible the Company looks to enhance the visitor sightseeing experience by providing added value. Walking Tours have been a successful inclusion in London, and sightseeing cruises have proven popular additions to the Big Bus experience in both London and Dubai. Still predominantly owned by the Maybury family, in 2007 the company announced an investment partnership with the UAE based Al Fahim Group which has enabled the company to broaden its horizons further. In December 2008 the Big Bus launched the first of its Far East operations in Hong Kong and is currently planning further expansion in Europe, the Middle and Far East, and welcomes all enquiries about possible franchise or joint venture operations.
Please call Big Bus Company on +44 870 240 2978 Monday - Saturday 09:30 - 19:00 GMT for more information.

Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle, the largest and oldest occupied castle in the world, is one of the official residences of Her Majesty The Queen. The Castle's dramatic site encapsulates 900 years of British history. It covers an area of 13 acres and contains, as well as a royal palace, a magnificent chapel and the homes and workplaces of a large number of people.

Opening hours

Mar to Oct: 09:45 to 17:15 (last admission 16:00)
Nov to Feb: 09:45 to 16:15 (last admission 15:00)

Changing of the Guard
On alternate days at 11:00, weather permitting. Changing of the Guard does not take place on Sunday.

Buckingham Palace
	Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch (or sovereign), and the largest "working" royal palace remaining in the world. The expression "Buckingham Palace" or simply "The Palace" has become a common way of referring to the source of press statements coming from parts of the British Royal Family. In addition to being the London home of Queen Elizabeth II, Buckingham Palace is a setting for state occasions, royal entertaining and base for all officially visiting heads of state, and is a major tourist attraction. It has been a rallying point for the British at times of national rejoicing and crisis.
The palace, originally known as Buckingham House, was a large townhouse built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703 and acquired by King George III in 1762 as a private residence. Buckingham Palace finally became the official royal palace of the British monarch on the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837.
The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace
The Royal Collection contains one of the world’s finest groups of Dutch 17th-century paintings. Among the most enduringly popular images in Western Art, these pictures have for centuries been admired for their harmonious compositions, close observation of detail, subtle light effects and meticulous finish. The 51 outstanding examples selected for the exhibition embrace genre scenes, portraits, still lifes, history paintings, landscapes and seascapes. They include works by the great masters of the period, among them Rembrandt’s jewel-like Christ and St. Mary Magdalene at the Tomb and his Portrait in a flat cap of 1642, luminous landscapes by Aelbert Cuyp, and Johannes Vermeer’s enigmatic A lady at the virginals with a gentleman.