Easter at Charlton House

Craft activities in celebration of Spring. Be inspired by Charlton House and its beautiful grounds. Children of all ages welcome. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Free event. 10am - 11:30am and 12noon - 1:30 pm on Saturday, April 3, 2010. Charlton House, Charlton Rd, London, SE7 8RE.

Eltham Palace Egg Hunt

Follow a fun egg hunt trail at Eltham Palace on April 4&5. Find hidden eggs and receive a chocolate treat from 10am - 4pm. Eltham Palace, Court Yard. Tel: 020 8294 2548/ Adults £8.70, Conc. £7.40, Child £4.40, Family £21.80

Lambing Day Is Here

Join Woodlands Farm staff for Lambing Day on Saturday April 3, 2010. The event takes place between 11am - 4pm to see the new-born lambs, and enjoy the chance to buy quality local produce at reasonable prices, including home-made preserves, cakes and honey. Relax in the café, enjoy the treasure hunt or get involved in craft activities. All proceeds go towards caring for the animals.

Woodlands Farm, Shooters Hill. £1 adults, 50p kids, for more info, click HERE.

Cafe Jazz Comes to the Royal Arsenal In Woolwich

The evening of Friday 9 April will see the start of a new season of jazz and showtime sessions and musical suppers taking place at the Firepower Museum Café in the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich. Music will be provided by Continental Drift, fronted by Sarah Jane (photo attached) and featuring the profound pianistic skills of Roger Lewin. Both of these gifted performers are well-known in the Medway area and South East London and will be joined on double bass by Dave Silk for an evening of musical nostalgia in a uniquely atmospheric riverside setting in the historic Royal Arsenal, Woolwich.

Tickets do not include dining or drinks but bar snacks and evening menu will be available. Show starts at 7.30pm. Entry costs just £5.50 and to book tickets call the ticket hotline on 020 8312 7123 or visit www.firepower.org.uk/events.

FIREPOWER MUSEUM TO MAKE SURE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS GO WITH A BANG

Firepower, The Royal Artillery Museum in Woolwich has announced its programme of family activities for the coming school holidays. Firepower is always a favourite destination for families looking for a fun and interesting day out and these school holidays will be no exception. The famous museum has lined up activities and experiences that will guarantee that a visit to Firepower really does have something for the whole family.

Day-long programmes of free activities will include military drill, crafts, films, meeting wartime characters and playing games. Extra activities (small additional cost of £1.50 per activity) include Firepower’s popular Camo Zone where children can try their skill on the Firing Range, take the Bungee Run challenge or do battle in Tank Command. Perhaps the most exciting of all is the chance to fire a genuine Second World War 25 pounder gun and everyone who fires the gun gets a commemorative certificate.

Firepower, The Royal Artillery Museum is based at the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich - the birthplace of the Royal Artillery that was founded there in 1716. The Museum is acknowledged as the world’s oldest and premier artillery museum. Firepower tells the story of the Gunners – the more than 2.5 million men and women of the Royal Artillery, and the part they have played in history and their role today in the front line with the British Army. Tales of extraordinary heroism and endeavour are presented alongside explanations the technological and scientific advances driven by the development of artillery from Roman times to the present day. Experiences at Firepower include the ground-shaking Field of Fire audio-visual show where visitors are put in the midst of battle as shells and aircraft fly overhead and guns roar all around, giving an insight into the experiences of an artillery gunner.

Firepower will be open daily from 10.30 to 5pm during the school holidays and is located in the historic Royal Arsenal in Woolwich, London, between the A206 and the Thames. Woolwich Arsenal DLR station is just a five minute walk.

Admission costs: Adults £5.00, children £2.50, concessions £4.50. Discounted family tickets are also available.

The Greenwich Gazette Weekend Guide

Saturday 27 March, 2010

Nearly New Sale, click HERE for details.

Hamlet at the picturehouse, click HERE.

Recital at St Alfege Church: Kiyoko Fukuo (piano). 1:10pm. Free. St Alfege Church, Greenwich Church St, SE 10.

Southbank's Chocolate Festival (Saturday & Sunday): 11am -8pm. (Closes 6pm on Sunday). Indulge in mouth watering chocolate treats with dozens of stalls featuring truffles, cakes, pastries, hot chocolates and chocolate making kits. Learn recipes from chefs, get books signed and make chocolates. Royal Festival Hall. For more info click HERE.

Saturday Club Workshop: Fools and Jesters for April Fool's Day. Children 5-12. Free event. Greenwich Heritage Centre, Royal Arsenal.

Hunt the Rat at HMS Belfast, Tooley Street, SE1: Following the rhyming riddle around the ship, where ten mischievious rats disguised as members of the ship's crew are hidden. Each completed entry form will be entered into a prize draw. Children under 16 free.

Viewfinder Gallery in Greenwich (Saturday & Sunday): Become part of an exciting experiment this weekend at the Viewfinder Photography Gallery in Greenwich. As part of its Masked Ball exhibition, the gallery’s set up a pop-up photo booth where visitors are encouraged to have their self-portrait taken for free. There will be masks for those wishing to don a disguise, and the photos will then be printed out for visitors to take home and also projected in the gallery throughout the weekend. For more info, click HERE.

Sunday 28 March, 2010

Chasing Shadows, The National Gallery, The Education Centre foyer, Trafalgar Square: 11am - 1pm, 2pm-4pm. Make your own shadow puppet in this fun and exciting hands on art workshop exploring the features of some of the National Gallery's paintings with artist Noel Paine. No booking required. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Ages 5-11.

Nearly New Sale This Weekend

What: Nearly new/secondhand clothes, toys and other items.

Where: Craft Stall, tearoom, Greenwich Steiner School, Woodlands, 90 Mycenae Road, Blackheath, SE3

When: Saturday 27 March at 2-4pm

Textile Recycling on your Doorstep

Greenwich Council is offering a free textile collection service from April 1, 2010. If you still haven't received the leaflet through your door, you soon will as they are distributing them as we speak. Residents can have bags collected by calling the council's contact centre and making an appointment. All re-usable textiles and shoes will be sent abroad into industrial wipes or for stuffing upholstery.

Materials that residents will be able to recycle include clothing, shoes in pairs, sheets, towels, blankets and curtains. Once your appointment is made for a collection you will be directed to the council's website to download a tag that you can attach to the bags that you place outside.

To arrange a textile collection and for further information email contact-centre@greenwich.gov.uk

Everyone Can Swim!

If you are 17 years of age or over and live in Greenwich borough and have always wanted to swim but never got round to it? Now is your chance to learn.

Free swimming lessons are going on offer after Easter thanks to an initiative launched by Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) in partnership with the Amateur Swimming Association and Greenwich Council. The six-hour lessons will be taught by a qualified teacher in groups of no more than 12 people.

What are you waiting for? Sign up today at your nearest local leisure centre.

Enjoy a Steam Ride This Easter

This Easter, the Science Museum will be offering visitors the chance to enjoy an exciting steam ride on a replica of Stephenson's famous 1829 locomotive train 'Rocket'. Then you can enjoy the Making the Modern World Gallery. Rides cost £5 plus goody bag.

Hamlet at Greenwich Picturehouse This Saturday!

The Metropolitan Opera 2010 season in HD at the Picture House – Hamlet

Simon Keenlyside and Natalie Dessay bring their extraordinary acting and singing skills to two of Shakespeare’s unforgettable characters. When this production opened at Covent Garden, the Independent called Keenlyside’s Hamlet, "a revelation - thrilling throughout."

Conductor: Louis Langrée; Production: Patrice Caurier/Moshe Leiser; Natalie Dessay, Jennifer Larmore, Toby Spence, Simon Keenlyside, James Morris.

When: Saturday March 27, 2010

Time: 5.00pm

Price: £25.00 / £21.50 concessions. £19.50 members and under 15s.

Address: Greenwich Picturehouse, 180 Greenwich High Road, Greenwich, London, SE10 8NN.

Telephone: 0871 704 2059 0871 704 2059

Website info: click HERE

Rory Bremner's Election Battlebus Tour 2010 For One Night Only!

As Britain gets ready to vote in the biggest election in a generation, the country’s top satirical impressionist takes to the road again for his first stand-up tour in five years. In the run-up to polling day, Rory Bremner will give his own unique take on the characters and events dominating the news, with impressions ranging from Gordon Brown to Louis Walsh and back again. WARNING: May not contain Nick Clegg!

Described as a ‘one-man opposition party’ Rory has been at the heart of political comedy for twenty years. Here’s a chance to see him in action live.

Venue: Greenwich Theatre
Price: £15
Time: 7:30pm

Date: April 27, 2010

For more info and to book tickets, click HERE.

St Alfege Recitals This Week!

Recital for this week is on Thursday 25 March, 2010: Trinity College of Music Early Music vocal ensemble. 1:10pm. Free. St Alfege Church, Greenwich Church St, Greenwich, SE10

Greenwich Beer & Jazz Festival May 2010

The last two years of the Greenwich Beer and Jazz festivals have been great successes and we are delighted to announce this years line up which is bigger and better than ever! The James Taylor Quartet make a welcome return on the opening night and are followed by Fun Lovin’ Criminals, Hayseed Dixie, Brand New Heavies, Tony Hadley and his swing band and Incognito supported by Omar.

But Greenwich Beer and Jazz is not just about great music which is guaranteed….the perfect pint-sized summer festival now in its 3rd year at the Old Royal Naval College once again will satisfy all the senses. With over 200 real ales, ciders and summer brews from the best of British breweries at the Real Ale Garden and The Cider Orchard, bottled beers and summer cocktails at Bar Carnival along with a Festival Soul Foods area, this really has every ingredient required for a long summer’s day of chilling.

Music beer flows from lunchtime each day until 10pm making it the perfect way to spend a lazy afternoon. Tickets are now on sale so click here to see the full lineup!

Greenwich Beer & Jazz Festival 27 May - 31 May, 2010

Le Cirque Invisible Returns in August!

We know here at The Greenwich Gazette that this may not be an event happening in Greenwich (although why not?) but still last year a Greenwich Gazetter reader went and said it had been the best night ever and the kids had loved every moment of the show. So if you missed last year's Cirque Invisible at the Southbank Centre, you'll get to see this fantastic show this August as it returns to the Queen Elizabeth Hall.

With an infectious sense of fun and whimsical grace, Jean-Baptiste Thierrée and Victoria Chaplin mesmerise adults and children alike with sublime illusions and fantastical transformations. Fall under the spell.

Thursday 5 – Wednesday 25 August, 2010

Evenings With The Stars

A unique experience including a planetarium show, a chance to look at the  Moon through a magnificent 28"diameter refracting telescope and an opportunity to take in the incredible view from Prime Meridian after dark.

When: Friday 19 March - Sunday 21 March
Time: 5:30pm, 6:10pm, 6:50pm & 7:30pm
Price: £15/£11 conc.
Place: Royal Observartory Greenwich, Greenwich Park, SE10
Tel: 020 8858 4422

Easter In Greenwich: What's On?

Easter at the Theatre: Have a great easter with the best shows in town. Click HERE for more info.

Easter Egg Hunt at Pleasaunce: Click HERE for more info.

Zippo's Super Easter Circus: Each day from April 1st until April 13th. Blackheath, A2 Shooters Hill Road, Go to http://www.zippos.co.uk/

Easter Egg Creatures: Make a chocolate creature and find out all about chocolate in this sweet and sticky workshop for children 5+. Time: 12:30 & 2:30pm. FREE adult entry 2-5 April. Kids go free all year round. Museum of London Docklands, West India Quay, E14. http://www.museumindocklands.org.uk/ or just click HERE.

Sport Relief Sunday 21 March, 2010

There’s no better way to rise to the challenge than by entering the Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile. It’s all set to be bigger and better than ever before, with 16 fantastic Flagship Miles and hundreds of other Mile events taking place across the UK on Sunday 21st March. You can even choose how far you go – 1, 3, or 6 miles – whichever’s a challenge for you.

And the really amazing bit is that all the money you raise by getting sponsored will make the world of difference to people leading really tough lives both here in the UK and across the world’s poorest countries.

So what are you waiting for? for more details on how to join and where your nearest event is just click THE MILE.

Fancy Some Music Today?

Folkmusic/Artmusic

Harmony of Peoples: The Music of Béla Bartók

Peacock Room, Trinity College of Music

Admission £5 (£2 concessions)

Available on the door only

Tue 16 Mar 2010, 7.00pm

Including Contrasts for clarinet, violin and piano (commissioned by the jazz clarinettist Benny Goodman), compositions by Trinity students on the theme of folklore and assorted keyboard works.

Trinity College of Music, King Charles Court, Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, SE10

Beats in the Bar

Blackheath Halls

Admission free

Tue 16 Mar 2010, 7.30pm

Martin Speake and Andrea Vicari

Kick back and soak up the atmosphere of Beats in the Bar as Trinity jazzers do what they do best… perform, improvise and generally have a good time!

Blackheath Halls, 23 Lee Road, SE3 (020 8463 0100)

Winter Tea Dances with the Hugh Ockendon Band

Sat 20 Mar 2010 2.00PM - 4.30PM

Sat 24 Apr 2010 2.00PM - 4.30PM

gDA invites you to enjoy a taste of days gone by with its traditional Tea Dances. The Hugh Ockendon Band will be striking up all the old favourites in the magnificent setting of the Borough Halls whilst dancers take to the floor to revive the waltz, the Cha Cha Cha and the Lambeth Walk amongst others! There will be refreshments in the form of tea and cake and a chance to win somethiing fizzy in the raffle- what better way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

Ticket & Booking Information

£5.00

Concessions: £4.00.

To book, call 020 8293 9741 020 8293 9741

Venue

Borough Hall @ gDA

Telling Tales at Laban Theatre

Friday 19 Sunday 21 March

1100hrs (Friday) 1200hrs, 1630hrs (Sunday)

Laban Theatre

East Midlands Children's Theatre Consortium

£5 / £3 (Children under 12)

A playful introduction to dance, Telling Tales presents two well-loved children’s stories and two new pieces: The Hare and The Tortoise and their famous race; a dressing-up game with the biggest overcoat you’ve ever seen; The Golden Goose involving a cast of thousands and the Sea of Clothes where shirts and skirts join the dance!

Telling Tales is an East Midlands Children’s Theatre Consortium production, created with acclaimed international choreographers Enrique Cabrera (Aracaladanza) and Hélène Blackburn (Cas Public).

 

To book and for more info, click here.

Alchemists: Exhibition in April / May at Viewfinder Photography Gallery

29 April to 16 May 2010

Alchemists: Unusual processes and media

The Viewfinder Photography Gallery presents a group exhibition of photographic images created using alternative techniques, cameras and media. Taking inspiration from painterly approaches, ‘pure’ photography and specialist printing techniques, these photographers challenge the potential ease and speed of producing a digital image, and defy picture-perfect effects in favour of more whimsical and mysterious images.

Catlin Harrison is a Londoner by birth and inclination, who finds that the city provides a fresh helping of eclectic people to watch and wonder about every day. She is fascinated with the human form, especially meta-figures such as ghosts, dolls or archetypes. Her approach is akin to the Victorian collectors’ sensibility - each piece of work is an independent specimen, a set of examples of a particular type. Presence, oddity, beauty and humour are important elements in all of Catlin’s’ work: strange objects in jars, classification, crypts, fashion, botany and medieval European painting are just some of the things that inspire her. The exhibited series came about after buying a collection of dolls at auction, and reflecting on the dubious privilege of once living in one of the most haunted houses in Britain.

Catlin Harrison

Christophe Dillinger practices what he calls “WYSIWIGOTN” photography, which stands for “What You See Is What I Got on the Negative”. His images are free from digital manipulation and are the result of a single shot. They are a fusion of film-based photography and traditional mark making techniques such as painting and drawing. His photography work features pigments, ink or curry powder, as well as till rolls, sugar paper, receipts, printers’ sample rejects and extracts from technical books. Christophe uses paintbrushes, toothbrushes, charcoal, wax pastels and even sticks, superimposing their textures and graphical dynamism onto classical portraits or local landscapes. Randomness is allowed to seep through the image making process so that photography becomes a game, a discovery for the viewer as well as the photographer.

Christophe Dillinger

Jo Mills is fascinated by the worlds of the real and the unreal, and the places in which they meet and overlap, such as the mirror. She explores the ‘mirror world’ where nothing is as it seems, and where nothing can exist without its polar opposite – light and dark, tragedy and beauty, creation and devastation. In fairytales, myths, legends and gothic literature the idea of the 'looking glass world', where nothing is what it seems, is deeply rooted: the beautiful can be deadly, humans can fly, and anything is possible. Her photographic practice stems from this, as she aims to create immersive spaces for the spectator to interact with and explore, or which hint at the unknown space beyond. Jo's photographs are particularly influenced by the surrealist movement, play and the uncanny.

Jo Mills

Marysia Lachowicz presents 'Shifting Tides', an ongoing series of work about the coast. The exhibited images were all taken during coastal walks in East Fife, Scotland. This area includes picturesque villages, craggy outcrops and rock pools, as well as long stretches of sand. Marysia has captured the changing nature of the villages and continues to document the coastline both in colour and in black and white. She feels that the tactile nature of liquid emulsions and early photographic techniques bring out the history and physical nature of this environment by producing an often imperfect but unique image. Some of the processes Marysia utilises involve salt prints, cyanotypes and using liquid emulsion.

Marysia Lachowicz

Nicolas Gonzalez creates abstract images using light within a photograph. The impressionistic portraits are ‘painted’ straight onto the film using coloured lights and extremely long exposures. Nicolas is interested in exploring the texture, intensity and movement of the light in the image, and in creating a painterly effect.

Nicolas Gonzalez

For David Rann, alternative photographic printing processes like Gum Bichromate and Cyanotype are an occasional but welcome diversion from his day to day photographic work. His first series of Gum prints, 'Know the Place', which depicts details of the Hebridean island of Eigg, has inspired further such projects. David finds the uniqueness and unpredictability of these processes is part of their charm.

David Rann

Curator Louise Forrester comments: "This exhibition focuses on the magical side of photography and on the physical process of creating images - don't miss it!"

Free Exhibitons This March

Until March 19, 2010: Sclpture in the Workplace: Ceramic and bronze work by Glenys Barton. Free. Lobby, One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14

Until 20 March, 2010: Girlguiding UK Centenary Exhibition: Woolwich District Exhibition celebrates  Girlguiding through the ages for the 100th Anniversay of the founding of the girlguiding movement. Tues-Sat 9am-5pm. Free. Greenwich Heritage Centre Building, 41 Artillery Square, Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, SE18.

Until 31 March: Ms Understood: Women's Liberation in 1970s Britain. Exhibition marking the 40 years of teh Women's Movement. 9:30am-5:30pm. Free. The Women's Library, London Metropolitan University, Old Castle St. E1

Unitl 6 April: Ancient Egypt: Pottery from the Nile: An exciting exhibition based around Bexley's significant collection of Egyptian pottery. Free. Hall Place & Gardens, Bourne Road, Bexley, Kent.

What to Cook This Sunday

Chicken Braised with Lemon, Fennel & Black Olives

Sweet onion and salty olives balance tart lemon in this practical, make-ahead chicken dish (to serve a larger group, double the recipe and use a 9-by-13-inch baking dish). If Meyer lemons are available, they are an excellent choice; just omit the sugar.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Start to finish: 1 hour 50 minutes

To make ahead: The dish will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. To reheat, cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F until heated through, 25 to 30 minutes.

Serving suggestion: Couscous.

Degree of difficulty: Moderate

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest, divided

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper to taste

11/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 3 pieces each

1 large fennel bulb

1 large onion

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup oil-cured black olives, pitted

1. Whisk 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper in a 71/2-by-11-inch (2-quart) glass or ceramic baking dish. Add chicken and toss to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or for up to 8 hours.

2. Meanwhile, trim stalks from fennel, reserving the lacy greens for garnish. Slice the fennel bulb lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Lay slices flat and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slivers. Peel onion, cut in half lengthwise and slice.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add fennel and onion; cook, stirring often, until softened and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. (You may need to add a little water to prevent scorching.) Add wine, broth and the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice; bring to a simmer, stirring. Cook for 5 minutes, then stir in olives. Spoon this mixture over the chicken. Cover with foil and bake until the chicken is cooked through and the fennel is very tender, 30 to 35 minutes.

4. Finely chop enough of the fennel fronds to make 2 tablespoons. Combine with the remaining 1 teaspoon lemon zest; sprinkle over the chicken before serving.

Makes 4 servings, 1 1/2 cups each.

Per serving: 291 calories; 15 g total fat (2 g sat, 7 g mono); 106 mg cholesterol; 11 g carbohydrate; 27 g protein; 3 g fiber; 412 mg sodium.

Ingredient note: Oil-cured olives are cured with salt rather than a brine, then rubbed with olive oil. They can be identified by their wrinkled skins.

What To Do Today

Easter Fair:
A great day out for all the family with a variety of activities, an international food fair and mini farmers' market. 11am - 3pm. Blackheath High School, Wemyss Road, entrance via Paragon Place, Blackheath, SE3

Coffee & Charity
In aid of Greenwich & Bexley Cottage Hospice enjoy a coffee morning with Bring & Buy. 10am-1pm. Free. 185 Bostal Hill, Abbey Wood, SE2

Princess Ida in a Day
The Centenary Company's fundraising performance is a 'concert from scratch' where singers go through their paces in the afternoon for an evening performance. 7:30pm, £7. St Alfege Church Hall, St Alfege Passage, Greenwich, SE10

Mums Eat Free at Smollenskys!

Smollensky's in Canary Wharf is offering mothers a free meal from the restaurant's set menu when they dine with three other people on Sunday March 14.

The three course menu is priced at £24.95 and includes smoked salmon blinis to start, steak or mushroom risotto for main and desserts of sticky toffee or vanilla panna cotta. Diners can also choose from vine tomato soup, minted lamb burger or chocolate mud pie.

For more info go to http://www.smollenskys.com/

Los Dawsons at Pelton Arms This Sunday, March 14

The Los Dawson have sent in this note to invite you all to the Pelton Arms this Sunday, March 14 from 6pm onwards. They say it better than we can ever do and here's from them:

This should be fun, we are playing the usual flurry of varied music from our repetoire.. this should be a nice vibe (the beer is excellent) tell your friends and friends friends etc.. If you have not been to the Pelton Arms, its a wonderful Pub in Pelton Road off Christchurch Way wich runs north off Trafalgar Rd (Maze Hill end) towards the river Thames. The idea is to have a chilled post prandial music experience as the Sunday lunches are rather super...

Hope to see you there!
Cheers: The Los Dawsons

Mike Dearing

Ben Hillyard

Dave Burrluck

Dana Myzer

http://thelosdawsons.blogspot.com/

To Go to website, click here.

Grand Designs Live, ExCeL London, 1-9 May 2010

For the sixth year running Grand Designs Live,  voted the UK's Consumer Show of the Year, is the event for design and inspiration for your home! The show is set to take place over nine days from 1-9 May 2010 and will combine cutting-edge design products, interactivity and an eco-friendly message.

Grand Designs Live is perfect for anyone who has an interest in interiors, build, kitchens, bathrooms, gardens, shopping, food, village and technology. If you're looking to make the most of your home, the show will provide you with plenty of amazing ideas to unlock its potential and turn your dream home into a reality.

For more information and to book tickets, click here.

Docklands Sinfonia Celebrates First Anniversary‏

DOCKLANDS Sinfonia – London’s exciting new symphony orchestra – is celebrating its first anniversary with its most exciting and challenging concert to date. The orchestra will be at full strength – with more than 90 players - as it performs Gustav Mahler's Symphony No1 'Titan’ on Friday March 19th.

Mahler is enjoying a massive revival as the music world marks this year's 150th anniversary of his birth - and a century since his death next year. The rest of the programme includes Aaron Copland's 'Appalachian Spring' and the World Premiere of British composer Peter Meechan's 'The Karman Line'.

Docklands Sinfonia was formed just 12 months ago and has already achieved stunning success with a BBC1 performance and sell-out concerts with major solo artists. The orchestra, which is made up of professional musicians, music college students and talented amateurs, is aiming to be a major cultural force for the Canary Wharf area. Since its formation in January 2009, the orchestra has appeared on theBBC1 television series ‘Clash’ and has performed with renowned musicians such as international cello virtuoso Leonard Elschenbroich, and baroque soprano Elin Manahan Thomas.

Docklands Sinfonia’s Conductor and founder Spencer Down said: “I am incredibly proud of the orchestra’s achievements in just one year and am looking forward to building on its success. This promises to be the most exciting and challenging Docklands Sinfoniaconcert to date.”

‘TITAN’ CONCERT Friday March 19th, St Anne’s, 5 Newell Street, Limehouse, London E14 7HP

The Karman Line (world premiere) – Peter Meechan Appalachian Spring – Aaron Copland Symphony No1 in D Minor ‘Titan’ – Gustav Mahler

Tickets: £10 (box office), £12 (door) and £8 (concessions)

BOX OFFICE: 07827 568992 (24hr) or info@docklandssinfonia.co.uk

If you think you know Greenwich, think again!

From Saturday 20 March to Sunday 28 March 2010, a host of popular Greenwich attractions, cultural venues and restaurants are throwing open their doors and offering special discounts and promotions to local people. Greenwich council has teamed up with participating venues in Eltham, Greenwich and Woolwich to run events across the borough for nine days.

Highlights

Watch out for offers and events including:

50% off entry to the Art Deco Eltham Palace.

Sample all 11 brews from local brewery Meantime at a free talk and tasting session at Well Hall Pleasaunce on Wednesday 24 March.

Live music and international stalls at the Festival of Food at Passey Place on Sunday 28 March.

2-for-1 tickets at London's Peter Harrison Planetarium.

2-for-1 tickets for Volpone and The Duchess of Malfi at Greenwich Theatre.

2-for-1 entry to The Fan Museum’s latest exhibition.

2-for-1 River Roamer tickets on Thames Clippers.

Lunch and dinner at special rates at many of Greenwich’s restaurants including Café Rouge, Novotel's Elements Restaurant, Devonport House's restaurant.

Comedy at Comedy on the Common with a special offer of two tickets for £10.

2-for-1 entry to the Thames Barrier Information Centre.

There will also be the chance to join discounted guided walks around the borough, exploring local themes and discovering new areas with Greenwich Tour Guides.

How to enjoy the offers?

All you need to take advantage of the special offers at participating venues is a copy of the Be a Local Tourist 2010 leaflet which you can download from the Council's website by clicking here.

For full terms and conditions plus location details, visit: www.greenwich.gov.uk/bealocaltourist

 

THE MUSIC OF THE FANS

04 March 2010 - 04 July 2010

If Music be the food of love, play on....From 4th March to 4th July 2010, The Fan Museum’s latest exhibition delves into the many facets of fans which feature musical instruments, musical themes, opera, ‘musicals’ and other music-related subjects.

Did you know that, in 17th and 18th century Dutch paintings, the bagpipes (on account of their shape) had an erotic connotation? Have you ever stopped to wonder why the lyre is used so extensively in almost every form of decorative art? This, and much more, is revealed in this ‘homage to Apollo’, which celebrates all things musical through the intricate and fine artwork from The Fan Museum’s extensive collections.

Subjects touched upon in this unusual and exciting exhibition relate to the great personalities in music, from Rossini and Wagner to Gilbert & Sullivan, with examples of contemporary ‘specials’, such as a small hand-painted autographed fan painted in a (very) limited edition for members of the Fan Circle International on a group matinée booking for ‘Cats’.

Most of the fans on show belong to the museum’s own collections, including a fan painted by Walter Sickert (after one of his own ‘compositions’) for one of his pupils. This features Little Dot Hetherington pointing to the spotlight in a number which she first sang but which Marie Lloyd made popular: ‘The Boy that I love is up in the Gallery’.

Musical instruments featured on the fans are complemented with loans of the actual objects, kindly lent by private individuals.

Another Fan Museum special, not to be missed.

4th March 2010 until 4th July 2010 - Tue to Sat 11am-5pm, Sun 12noon-5pm

Address: Fan Museum, 12 Crooms Hill, SE10 8ER

Greenwich Trial for the Mini London Marathon

Children and young people aged 11 to 17 have the chance to represent Greenwich on Virgin London Marathon Day, Sunday, April 25. Teams from different age groups will be chosen from the Greenwich Mini-Marathon trials over three miles at Sutcliffe Park Athletics Track this Sunday, March 14 at 1:30pm.

The trial is open to children and young people living or going to school in Greenwich. Call Augustus Peters from Greenwich Sports Legacy on 020-8921 8406 for more details or just turn up on the day at 12:45pm to register.

Are You Under 26? Then Off You Go to the Theatre For Free!

If you’re under 26 and want to try something different, then you can get free tickets to some of the best shows around with the 'A Night Less Ordinary Scheme'. Simply click here and book some free tickets!

Just go to the website, type in your area or postcode to search participating theatres near you. Have a look at what's on offer and grab your tickets quick. Local theatres participating are The Albany Theatre in Deptford and Greenwich Theatre.

Re-enactors Prepare to Salute Vast Wartime Airborne Airborne

The 39-45 Living History Society will be at London’s Firepower, The Royal Artillery Museum on the weekend of 20-21 March to mark the 65th anniversary of Operation Varsity, the Allied invasion of Germany. The team of expert re-enactors will be portraying airborne Royal Artillery Gunners who took part in Operation Varsity, the vast airborne operation of the Second World War that took place on 24 Mar 1944.

Operation Varsity was a joint American and British airborne operation and involved more than 16,000 paratroopers and several thousand aircraft. It was the largest airborne operation in history to be conducted on a single day and in one location. The re-enactors will salute the men who took part in the operation by using and wearing original wartime clothing, equipment and vehicles (including a Jeep and motorcycle) alongside relevant exhibits from Firepower's world-renowned artillery collection. The 39-45 Living History Society pride themselves on the accuracy of their equipment and recreations which have been scrutinised and verified by historians and veterans alike.

Firepower, The Royal Artillery Museum is based at the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich - the birthplace of the Royal Artillery which was founded there in 1716. The Museum is acknowledged as the world’s oldest and premier artillery museum. Firepower tells the story of the Gunners – the more than 2 million men and women of the Royal Artillery, and the part they have played in history and their role today in the front line with the British Army. Tales of extraordinary heroism and endeavour are presented alongside explanations the technological and scientific advances driven by the development of artillery from Roman times to the present day. Experiences at Firepower include the ground-shaking Field of Fire audio-visual show where visitors are put in the midst of battle as shells and aircraft fly overhead and guns roar all around, giving an insight into the experiences of an artillery gunner.

Firepower, The Royal Artillery Museum, Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, London, SE18 6ST.

http://www.firepower.org.uk/

National Frog Day at Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park

If you're still wondering what to do for Mother's Day why not take a different approach and spend the day with the family doing something fun. Think The Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park for a quirky take on the day.

The Ecology Park is holding a  family fun event celebrating the time of year when frogs return to their breeding ponds and the mother frogs lay frogspawn! Activities include pond dipping, bug hunting, quiz and prize trails, froggy arts and crafts, storytelling, barbecue and refreshments, gift stall and raffle to raise funds for a traditional punt (type of flat bottomed boat).

Since this is also Mother's Day, mums and female carers get a free cup of tea and cake!

Free entry and all activities free - no booking required!

Sunday 14 March, 11am to 3pm

The Ecology Park Gatehouse

Thames Path

John Harrison Way

Greenwich Peninsular

London

SE10 0QZ

Tel: +44 (0)20 8293 1904 or  +44 (0)20 8293 1904

Entry to the park is free. Please remember that dogs (apart from guide dogs) and cycling are not permitted. Children under eight must be accompanied by an adult. The Park has full disabled access.

The Park is open every day except Monday and Tuesday.

The Park opens to the public at 10 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m. or dusk, whichever comes first.

Help for Heroes Concert in aid of BLESMA

This is a concert at Charlton House in partnership with Trinity College of Music Student Union Brass Band. All proceeds go to BLESMA (British Limbless Ex-Servicemen's Association). It takes place on Friday March 26, 2010 at 7:30pm. £8 ticket including refreshments £5 - concessions. Booking necessary.

DISABLED ACCESS: Full access

Booking Tel: 0208 856 3951

Booking email: charlton.house@greenwich.gov.uk

Charlton House

London

SE7 8RE

The gDA Cabaret Is Back!

Fri 12 Mar 2010 7.30PM

Fri 23 Apr 2010 7.30PM

Fri 21 May 2010 7.30PM

This month’s line up will include a dance with a BMX bike by Etta Ermini, a deadpan duet by Gary Clarke, gDA’s first ever trapeze performance from Aircraft Circus, an excerpt of work from Springs Dance Company and a Fado and Dance collaboration by Nuno Silva. With live jazz and comedy poet compère Elvis McGonagall alongside a well stocked bar.

The gDA Cabaret is a sociable dance event that takes place in Greenwich Dance Agency's beautiful 1930's Borough Hall. It features the best bits of a traditional Cabaret event (table service, live band, compère) alongside a distinctly modern, diverse line up of dance, performance, spoken word, circus and film.

-Dress up or dress down

-Sit at a table with friends

-Order drinks whilst you watch

-Bring your own food

-Haggle for your tickets

-Come back next month with more friends

Ticket & Booking Information

£15.00

Concessions: £10.00.

HAGGLE OFFER AVAILABLE

Venue

Borough Hall @ gDA

Special Instructions

Book early to avoid disappointment and to secure the best ringside seats.
Each month there are a limited number of haggle tickets available, which means you tell us how many people you would like to bring and how much you would ideally like to pay and then we embark on a haggling match. All HAGGLE enquiries to ellen@greenwichdance.org.uk

For more info and for the chance to be part of the Cabaret, click here.

Easter Hunt at Pleasaunce Greenwich

The Friends of East Greenwich Pleasaunce will hold their annual Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday April 4, from 11am to 1pm. For more details call 020-8858 5193 or email pleasauncefriends@hotmail.com

The Oscars 2010!

SEE WHAT WE THOUGHT OF THE OSCARS IN OUR FASHION BITS. JUST CLICK HERE.

Masked Ball at Viewfinder Photography Gallery This March: 18 March to 5 April

The group exhibition 'Masked Ball' presents portraits of people in a variety of marks – from animal heads to cheese slices.

Laura Hensser takes self-portraits, wearing mundane objects that suggest her memories. Hiding behind a false façade, the artist challenges the conventions of performance based self-portraiture. Rather than presenting external details, the artist's face is concealed and we see only hints of her internal self. In one, cup cakes are stuck to her face like inverted limpets. In another, cheese slices are pushed into every crevice of Hensser's face, merging to form a mask that resembles latex. Whether her face is covered with glistening, red jelly or swaddled by a map, the viewer is offered little clue as to the sitter's identity or persona.

James Reid presents a departure from the norm of masked balls, with humans wearing formal clothing and animal heads – from oversize, colourful chicken heads to comic horse heads. The urge to read emotion in animal faces is invoked here - do the animal masks tell us anything of the sitters? Or do they simply conceal the emotions on their faces? The series was shot on location in big brand boutique stores in Paris - Reid questions whether buying branded clothing offers the chance to escape identification, to take on different personas.

Stuart Southwell presents portraits of three generations, dressed for a variety of roles (from a general to a doctor) and in distorted, disturbing masks. Southwell explores the way in which we are shaped by others around us, adopting or rejecting hobbies, careers, and ideals. Southwell believes that in contemporary Western society we are unable to accept our 'true selves' but instead choose to constantly recraft our physical appearance to suit any given situation. These macabre portraits suggest the extent to which we may have become puppets of the media.

Curator Louise Forrester comments: "Although each photographer is using masks in portraiture, the results in each series is markedly different. Some unsettling, some funny, there is something here for everyone."

Accompanying this exhibition, Nigel Rumsey presents a pop-up photo booth in the gallery on Saturday 27 & Sunday 28 March (12-4pm). Members of the public will be able to take their own self-portrait, either masked or unmasked, in the booth. Photographs taken will be printed out on the spot for the sitters to take home, and included in a slideshow of images projected in the gallery all weekend. This is a unique experiment to interact, and become part of, an exhibition - pop down to the pop-up photo booth and get involved!

'Masked Ball' is part of ‘Be a Local Tourist in Greenwich’ (BLTG) event, which runs from 20 March to 28 March 2010, and also British Tourism Week (15 to 21 March 2010).

Viewfinder Photography Gallery

Linear House
Peyton Place (off Royal Hill)
Greenwich
LondonSE10 8RS

What to Cook on Sunday?

Roasted Ratatouille with Eggs & Cheese

Served with plenty of crusty bread and a green salad, this is a perfect dish for brunch or a light supper. Roasting is an excellent technique for ratatouille because the vegetables retain a distinct texture, yet the flavors meld. Pay close attention while you are cooking the eggs in the oven; they turn from nicely set to hard as a rock in a flash.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Start to finish: 1 hour 40 minutes

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 402 calories; 21 g total fat (6 g sat, 11 g mono); 227 mg cholesterol; 34 g carbohydrate; 22 g protein; 7 g fiber; 775 mg sodium.

To make ahead: Prepare recipe through Step 4, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat before continuing. Degree of difficulty: Moderate

Ingredients:

1 small eggplant (about 12 ounces), trimmed, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 small zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 small red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes with juices

2 tablespoons torn fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

4 large eggs

4 ounces part-skim mozzarella, thinly sliced and cut into 1/4-inch strips

4 slices Italian bread (1/2 inch thick), preferably whole-wheat

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Use a large baking sheet with sides and lightly coat with cooking spray.
2. Combine eggplant, onion, zucchini, bell pepper and garlic in a large bowl; drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil; toss to coat. Spread the vegetables on the prepared baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Roast the vegetables, uncovered, turning often, until lightly browned and tender, about 45 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Cut the tomatoes into chunks. Stir tomatoes (and their juices), basil and parsley into the vegetables. Cover with foil.
4. Bake until the ratatouille is hot and bubbling, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven.

5. With a large spoon, make four evenly spaced indentations in the hot ratatouille. Carefully break an egg into each indentation. Sprinkle cheese over the vegetables and eggs. Bake, uncovered, until the eggs are set and the cheese is melted, 8 to 10 minutes.

6. While the eggs are baking, toast bread and drizzle each slice with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil. Divide bread slices among 4 plates or shallow soup bowls.
7. To serve, lift an egg and ratatouille from the baking dish and place on top of a slice of toasted bread. Spoon remaining vegetables and juices around the edges, distributing evenly. Garnish with more basil, if desired.

Mother's Day Offers & Gift Ideas

Treat your mother to a fantastic night of hospitality and live entertainment at The Royal Albert Hall:

Fine Dining at Swan Lake, Wednesday 9 - Saturday 19 June Tell me more...

Fine Dining at Tony Bennett, Wednesday 30 June & Thursday 1 July Tell me more...

VIP reception at Cliff Richard, Monday 11 - Thursday 17 October Tell me more...

 

 

 

Mother's Day At Cafe Rouge. To check out the completely delicious menu on offer for the day and to make that all essential booking, click here.

Linea Super Mum mug from House of Fraser, £8. To buy, click here.

Say it with flowers from Greenwich's own Manchester's Flower Shop. For orders, click here.

Normal But Not: The Album Art

As part of the Hall's reflect series, Normal but Not is a selection of images by Storm Thorgerson Studios and Hipgnosis, highlighting the many iconic album covers which they have produced over the past five decades. On display will be a collection of old and new cover designs, reproduced as high-quality fine art prints – as big and bold as the music they seek to represent. Works shown include Muse, The Cranberries, Biffy Clyro, Pink Floyd, The Mars Volta, Led Zeppelin, Genesis, Powderfinger, Black Sabbath, Peter Gabriel, Yes and many others.

Born in Potters Bar, Gateway to the East in 1944, Storm Thorgerson attended the Cambridge High School for Boys along with Pink Floyd members Roger Waters and Syd Barrett. He started the Hipgnosis design studio in 1968 with Aubrey Powell where he produced numerous album covers for rock 'n' roll bands. Along with Peter Christopherson they went on to direct adverts and videos as well as making television documentaries before Storm inaugurated StormStudios in the early '90s with Peter Curzon. This is where he still works with a changing affiliation of freelance designers and photographers producing still more album covers, posters, book jackets and T-shirts. He is also the author of several books on album cover art.

This exhibition takes place around the ground floor corridor of the Royal Albert Hall. You can view it when attending performances or by calling in on one of the following free open days:

Saturday 13 March 11am – 3pm

Sunday 14 March 11am – 3pm

Saturday 20 March 10am – 1pm

Enter through Door 1.

For more info, click here.

President Zuma at Sainsbury's Greenwich!

Spotted passing infront of Sainsbury's Greenwich today President Zuma & wife in a really big convoy. Now that's not something you see everyday when you go for milk and the paper! Procession too fast to get a photo so if anyone managed that it would be great to share with us here.

Thomasina Miers Book Signing Event

Meet Thomasina Miers, co-founder of Wahaca & Masterchef winner 2005, who will be signing copies of her new book Mexican Food Made Simple.

To mark the occasion, Wahaca will be giving away delicious guacamole and tortilla chips fresh from their restaurant in The Park Pavilion.

Please arrive early to avoid disappointment, only copies of the book will be signed. Signed copies cannot be guaranteed and may not carry dedications. Reservation will be available. For further details please contact Waterstone's Cabot Place East on 020 7513 0060 020 7513 0060

Canada Place Crossroads, Tuesday 9 March, 1pm