Christmas Shopping.
Merry Marylebone
10 November, Marylebone Village
If you’re yet to experience that magical Christmas tingle, it’s guaranteed to happen here. As is tradition, Marylebone Village plays host to a festive light switch on this November, heralding the start of Christmas shopping. With extended opening hours and exclusive promotions across a wealth of high-end boutiques, there’s gifts galore to be had. But of course, this is so much more than a timely retail opportunity: think charity tombola, foodie stalls, live music, Santa’s grotto, fairground rides and of course, the obligatory celebrity switch-on moment. We can feel that seasonal shiver already.
Marylebone Village (marylebonevillage.com)
Christmas Craft
Floral masterclass
From 26 November, Blooming Haus Studio
This one’s strictly for morning people, but you know what they say about the early bird… Luxe London florist Blooming Haus is opening its studio doors for a series of seasonal masterclasses that’ll have you creating opulent tablescapes and festive wreaths like a pro. Led by master florist Michal Kowalski and his business partner Michael Dariane, the workshop involves a prompt 7.30am start (you were warned) at the Battersea studio before a short walk to New Covent Garden Flower Market, where you’ll pick up your botanical goodies. Back at the studio there’ll be coffee and pastries to warm you up and ensure you’re feeling sufficiently sparkly before getting stuck in.
91A Rivington Street, EC2A5 Havelock Terrace, Unit 4G, SW8 . The masterclasses will run during November and December with more dates to follow. (07940 352103; bloominghaus.com)
Exhibition
The Carlines
Until 10 April, Burgh House
We’re reminded that artistic talent really can run in the family as Hampstead’s magnificent Burgh House hosts a three-in-one exhibition this autumn, showing the work of four generations of the Carline clan, spanning over a century. Paintings by Sydney, Hilda and Richard Carline will be on show in Those Remarkable Carlines; Hermione Carline is the House’s Artist in Focus in Shifting Memories (look lively, this one ends 6 November); while Hermione’s daughters, Josie and Madeleine Hunter come together in Mantelpiece. The pair have been commissioned to create a bespoke installation for Burgh House, drawing on their backgrounds in set and production design, art direction and textiles. A multi-generational must-see.
New End Square, NW3 (New End Square, NW3 (020 7431 0144; burghhouse.org.uk)
Carline Hermione ‘Scented Sky’ oil on wood
Live Podcast
Drunk Women: Solving Crime
8 December, Leicester Square Theatre
This is an irreverent true crime podcast that says what it does on the tin. Indeed, hosts Hannah George, Catie Wilkins and Taylor Glenn tackle personal crime stories and unpick historical cases – all with a tipple in hand. Since lockdown, it has become a word-of-mouth phenomenon, picking up comedy awards and boasting guest appearances from the likes of Katherine Ryan, Richard Osman and Sara Pascoe. But while Drunk Women may have been a sanity-saving pandemic staple, live it’s even better. Fresh from Edinburgh Fringe, the trio’s first ever live tour kicks off this autumn with dates across the country, and it ends right here in the Capital for one fittingly boozed-up Christmas finale. It’d be a crime to miss it.
6 Leicester Place, WC2H (020 7734 2222; (leicestersquaretheatre.com)
Music
London Jazz Festival
11-20 November, various venues
Celebrating its big 3-0 with a bang, the London Jazz Festival brings an enticing line-up of world class musicians and exceptional new talents to venues across the Capital, kicking off with a glittering opening gala at the Royal Festival Hall. Other highlights include Pete Cunningham’s Ishmael Ensemble at Kings Place (11 November), Camilla George’s album launch at the Jazz Café (16 November), and five-time Grammy Award winning vocalist Dianne Reeves, known and loved for her R&B stylings, her improvisational prowess, and her mastery of the audience – so much so that the festival has added a second Reeves date. Catch the jazz icon at Cadogan Hall on 12 November, or at Queen Elizabeth Hall the following evening.
Various London venues (efglondonjazzfestival.org.uk)
Dianne Reeves Music ©Jerris Madison
Exhibition
Jack Davison: Photographic Etchings
Until 12 November, Cob Gallery
Using methods of chiaroscuro, framing, and exposure as instruments of abstraction, Davison expertly uncovers the surreal and the sensual in everyday life. This is the celebrated photographer’s first commercial show in the UK, with prices starting at £800 – a must for art lovers looking to take home a slice of gritty noir. Davison says: “I love photography for its ability to be playful and free, for the moments of spontaneity that are uncontrolled – and which create something far greater than the sum of its parts.”
205 Royal College Street, NW1 (020 7209 9110; cobgallery.com)
Jack Davison, Untitled (JD-13), 2022, Photopolymer intaglio, Image size 34×26.5cm Paper Size 76x57cm © the artist, courtesy of Cob Gallery
Art
Adventures in Art
12 November, Haymarket Hotel
For one special day, Haymarket Hotel shines a spotlight on founder Kit Kemp’s personally curated collection. Led by Kit Kemp Design Studio’s Willow Kemp and India Dickinson, we’ll also get the lowdown on how to collect and hang our works. Kit’s picks include a striking monochrome painting by John Virtue and a 22-foot-long installation by Sue Lawty in the hotel’s impressive lobby. And that’s just the start, we’ll also get a walking tour, taking in some of Mayfair and St James’s most prestigious art spaces.
£110, including walking tour and afternoon tea or three-course lunch (designmynight.com)
