Slice of the City Winter '22/'23

SLICE OF THE CITY NEIGHBOURHOOD NEWS, INSIGHTS & INVITATIONS FROM THE DOYLE COLLECTION

ISSUE 14 WINTER 2022-23

Helen Keller said of the fifth sense, “Smell is a potent wizard that transports you across thousands of miles and all the years you have lived”, and in this issue we celebrate our collab with Jo Loves by speaking with renowned perfumier, Jo Malone CBE, and discovering her secrets. The scents, sights and sounds of Christmas are always evocative, and what better way to spend it than at one of our hotels, catering to your every need. Our celebration of the senses continues with our new cocktail menu for The Coral Room at The Bloomsbury, mapping a tour of Irish flavour and myth, evoked in the wonderful cocktails of Giovanni Spezziga and the artistry of Dublin illustrator, Mr Steve McCarthy.

THE CROKE PARK

Explore our portfolio of Irish family-owned luxury hotels superbly located in the centre of London, Dublin, Bristol, Washington DC and Cork

GET IN TOUCH Website doylecollection.com Instagram @thedoylecollection Facebook TheDoyleCollection

BRISTOL REJUVENATED Originally built in the 1960s as a motel, the distinctive, listed façade of The Bristol Hotel feels a little like the sort of place Don Draper might have booked into in the latter years of Mad Men when he was trying to get hip with the kids. Who doesn’t love that kind of modern retro design, especially the glazed walls, fabulous views and feeling you only get from a place bathed in natural light? But, also, the location is incredible.

The Bristol Hotel is set harbourside, next to the world-renowned Arnolfini Gallery, in the most vibrant destination in the west of England.

We digress. The Bristol Hotel has recently been refurbished to update everything that made it 2

cool yet comfortable, luxurious but laid-back, creating even more stylish, tactile spaces that blend warm woods and rich fabrics with the clean, modern lines of the building’s original design. Our designers have turned their attention to 23 rooms and three of our suites, as well as The River Grille, The River Lounge and The Jessop Lounge. With strong, rich shades of berry, sage and moss, soft pinks and purples, vintage-y, checker-board tiles and carpeting; seating is sumptuous and comfort has never looked so chic.

Watch this space for phase 2, including a brandnew bar launching 2023. doylecollection.com/hotels/the-bristol-hotel

ON THE COVER ‘Dublin’ by Steve McCarthy from The Coral Room’s Great Irish Tour cocktail menu Slice of the City is published on behalf of The Doyle Collection by Rivington Bye Ltd. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited. All details correct at the time of publication but may change.

For all editorial enquiries: enquire@rivingtonbye.com

AULD LANG SYNE For anyone who prefers not to spend the first day of the New Year clearing up dinner party detritus of the night before, or to risk the biggest party night of the year somewhere that doesn’t quite live up to star billing, we are experts in kissing goodbye to the old and welcoming in the New in fine style. At every hotel within The Doyle Collection - from Bristol to Bloomsbury, Kensington to Cork, Dublin to DC (as shown in the pictures below) and, of course, The Marylebone – our chefs, sommeliers and mixologists have put their heads together to conjure up a fabulous evening to welcome in 2023. And if you prefer not to take a cab home in the wee small hours, why not book a New Year dinner and room package? You’ll find them here. doylecollection.com

News & Views BEST FOOT FORWARD Dublin is compact, but every neighbourhood has its own distinctive spirit. Drumcondra (setting for The Croke Park) is rich in culture, a favourite with foodies and just 15 minutes from the city centre. You have boundless options to explore...

TO WALK

TO DRIVE

2 minutes

8 minutes

Bit of a cheat as you’re still in

Discover an oasis of calm and

the hotel but without leaving

over 15,000 plant species at

the building you can sit and

the National Botanic Gardens,

watch a mighty fine cocktail

Glasnevin. It is as stunning in

being shaken or stirred by a

winter as every other season.

member of our talented team

botanicgardens.ie (right)

SPIRIT OF AN AGE Inspired by the spirit of the roaring ‘20s and that decade’s heady mix of prosperity, liberation, determination to seize life with both hands, and jazz, our new cocktail menu at The Sidecar at The Westbury perfectly evokes those extraodinary times. In a celebration of the bar’s Art Deco design and unapologetic glamour, we have invoked Anne Harriet Fish, illustrator and satirist of the day, and married her brilliant drawings with quotes from the era’s most dazzling wits. Sidecar Bar Manager (and award-winning mixologist extraordinaire) Oisín Kelly has paired it with some fabulous new cocktails which bring it all to life. They.

Are. Heavenly. doylecollection. com/hotels/the-westburyhotel/dining/the-sidecar

in The Sideline doylecollection.com/hotels/

10 minutes

the-croke-park-hotel/dining/

Uncover

the

the-sideline

experience

of

immersive 14

Henrietta

Street, which documents the 5 minutes

evolution of this historic street

Takes you to some seriously

from affluent to tenements

authentic Mexican food and

and beyond.

an immediate understanding

14henriettastreet.ie (right)

of what draws the cult-like following of El Grito Taqueria,

12 minutes

Mountjoy Square.

Make a splash at Dublin’s only

facebook.com/elgritodublin

heated

seawater

swimming

pool then take in the view 15 minutes

from the pool’s café, bar and

A Doyle team favourite, the

restaurant

Vietnamese cuisine at Pho Kim

to dinner). We’re talking The

Restaurant on Parnell Street

Baths in Clontarf - booking

bursts with colour and flavour.

online is essential.

phokim.ie

thebaths.ie (right)

(brunch

through

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HEAVEN SCENT As we celebrate the launch of an aromatic new collab with Jo Loves, we took some time to speak with Jo Malone in person on all things aroma…

N

othing is more primal than smell.

We are all one waft away from being spirited into another dimension, another time, another place.

Who hasn’t fleetingly caught the scent of a former love and immediately felt their arms around us? Damp rubber and wet grass and we’re right back on a childhood bike, while the scent of the sea, the smell of home cooking – they are always visceral.

Smell feels that powerful because it is.

From olfactory neurones, smell is transmitted as an impulse to the brain, along the olfactory nerve into the limbic cortex, centre of mood, memory and

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emotion. There primal memories are roused, as if from slumber, to become as immediate as can be. While most of us live at the mercy of this profound connection, for renowned perfumier Jo Malone, it’s a superpower. She doesn’t just get hijacked by the occasional nasal footprint, she thinks, dreams, remembers, creates and communicates in smell.

Jo’s incredible story, from council estate to CBE, is one of hardship, drive, learning, success and, of course, challenges. Jo has come from very little to (thanks to talent and business acumen) global renown. We asked her to share her secrets.

Q. This collaboration is all about travel.

Do you always associate scents with specific places?

A. I could take you round the world. New York is Green Orange and Coriander, Paris is Pink Vetiver, London is Cobalt Patchouli and Cedar. For me, travelling is like swimming in a pool of creativity, fragrance is everywhere, in the home, on the body, I feel regenerated. One of my most incredible fragrance experiences happened in Petra, Jordan, many years ago.

Right in the desert there’s an opening in the rock - it’s pink, yellow, turquoise, green and blue. It was an explosion – I smelled salt, amber gris, oud, marine blue, a kind of

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dusty, hay-like tobacco. I didn’t create a fragrance from that but that is how I pick up ingredients to bring into fragrances later.

Q. You have synaesthesia – but do colours always smell the same?

A. Many people have synaesthesia and associate colours with musical notes or scents. For me, colours don’t always smell the same but all of them always come with a smell. Today I’m wearing red joggers and looking at them I immediately smell eucalyptus, amber, red chilli, cinnamon and white rose petals. That doesn’t make a fragrance, but if I wanted to capture this moment, I could instinctively layer it

with those, respray, see how they rise, fall and balance. I’m self-taught and I create fragrances completely instinctively. It’s like an orchestra – thousands of notes but they need to work perfectly together, and I make them tell a story. I love combining unexpected notes, too. It’s always been in my work, but today I feel so free to create.

I never stop. I even dream in fragrance. I’ve been formulating for Zara recently and it’s such a great challenge to create wonderful perfumes on a budget. I mean it’s easy for me to achieve that with the very best ingredients, but when you have limitations, it gets really interesting and it is such a thrill creating an amazing fragrance that lasts all day, for less.

Every day I do what I call ‘Pilates for my nose’.

Although I was born with this ability I always practice for a couple of hours. together into a formula. When I created Pomelo (my first for Jo Loves), it was a very emotional time. I hadn’t created fragrance for five years and I went to Turks and Caicos, I saw a stingray in crystal water and the smells were just so clean - wild mint, geranium, beach towels, sand dollars, citrus. It’s all there in Pomelo.

Q. Do you create on the move?

A. This year, I’m in Dubai. So, I’m drinking in the incredible sights, sounds and scents, being inspired and learning.

But I always travel light and keep things simple, so I work wherever I am. I have my bottles and notebooks with me. I might have 300 papers lined up in my hotel room.

Every day I do what I call ‘Pilates for my nose’. Although I was born with this ability I always practice for a couple of hours. I’ll smell 10 notes, twirl them together and see what naturally partners. Then I’ll work 6

Q. What are the scents that take you to your happy place?

A. For me happiness is orange blossom. She gives you everything - the bloom, the leaf, the twig, she is like the fragrance matriarch. I love the sense of hope, the new beginnings you get with citrus.

I love the sensual feel from vetiver. Strangely, I have never liked vanilla. Though I do love the black seed vanilla in tonka, regular vanilla feels fake.

THE GOLDEN AGE “The great thing about collabs is you take two brands and create a third life – they’re so entrepreneurial and vitally important. I love working with other brands – big and small - to create something completely new.” Jo Malone This collaboration is a sensory journey inspired by the Golden Age of Travel – a meeting of minds, scent and taste, all set in the luxurious comfort of The Town House at The Kensington.

Being a neighbour (Jo Malone has lived and worked in Kensington since the 1980s) we’ve always been fans of Jo’s work and shops and, of course, we all adore her fragrances. Our inspiration was to focus on destinations that chime with Jo’s signature evocative, crisp, aromatic scents.

We started by seeking out a brand to build our cocktails around. That would add a twist more glamour to our travel theme. And what better partner in evening time than the iconic Parisian aperitif brand, Lillet.

Our mixology team then imagined,

Q. What do you consider the most perfect fragrance ever made?

A. When you’re completely driven like I am the most perfect fragrance is always the next one you’re going to create.

The next one I’m working on is called Ebony Cassis – and when I have finished, I’ll want to find the next most perfect fragrance again. I don’t really rate myself against other perfumiers – I’ve always worked in my own space, and I love to see other people being creative. Outside my world, I have always been in love with Chanel. For me, especially 19 - but the House of Chanel is really the pinnacle of perfume making. I would absolutely love to create a Chanel fragrance...that would be the dream.

measured, shook, stirred and tasted until they’d captured that indefinable spirit of freedom and discovery into four heavenly cocktails, all featuring Lillet and each evoking a glamorous destination.

Provence

is

sparkling

and

fruity,

English Estate is dry with aromatic bitters, Tuscany is zesty and fragrant, and Mediterranean Nights is floral and refreshing. A limited edition for autumn/winter, each cocktail comes paired with a sample fragrance from Jo Loves. Check doylecollection.com and our socials for more information about the cocktail collection and our seasonal dining/room packages.

LON DON CEDAR

GRAPEFRUIT

PA R I S VETIVER

PINK PEPPERCORNS

N E W GREEN ORANGE

Y O R K CORIANDER

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‘TIS THE SEASON TO TAKE IT EASY Whether you’re a large family who divides and conquers with several celebrations, a small one that enjoys the chance to relax, or you prefer Christmas with friends instead, spend it with us

E

ven as an adult there are few things more blissful than waking up on a cold, crisp, Christmas morning and pausing to listen in that silent moment when the world seems to hold its breath before acknowledging, collectively, that today is the day. And, so it begins.

Kids run in with stockings, bounce on beds, chocolate-fuelled at the crack of dawn. A quick shower, on goes the kettle, the radio, and the business of preparation begins.

A bird the size of an oven has to be prepped, stuffed and got going. The vegetarian, vegan, gluten- or lactose-free alternatives made in advance. The hob is crowded, the oven filled, emptied and

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filled, again and again, with military precision. Bread sauce, done. Cranberries, done. Potatoes next. Wash, peel, parboil, put to one side. The carrots and parsnips, wash, peel, marinade, arrange on roasting tin. Red cabbage and apple, slice, spice and get it on. Sprouts prepped, don’t forget the pancetta and chestnuts.

The kids need breakfast. Buttered toast – that’ll do. Juice. A pot of tea. Three hours to go. Tick tock. Set the table – the kids will do napkins and decorations. Fizz in the fridge. Where did we put the cheese?

OK. Dog needs walking – a short one is fine. NO chocolate remember. Alarm pings yet again. Arrggh. Foil off the roast. Red cabbage, done. Time to warm roasting tins on the hob. Roast is ready.

Check temperature. Cover and rest for 45 minutes. Get the veggies in. Run upstairs to change. Light the candles. Put the pud on to steam, set timer. Hair, check. Face, check. Apron back on. Ding Dong! They’re here! Presents under the tree. Open the fizz. Let the festivities commence.

We love a good, home-cooked family Christmas as much as anybody. And 75% of British people surveyed do exactly that on the big day. In a slightly frightening statistic one million people said they’d happily eat Christmas lunch as a weekend breakfast too.

But even those who absolutely adore hosting and entertaining during the festive season will be feeling spent as they squeeze

yet more leftovers into the fridge, load the dishwasher for the fourth time, wash the good glasses and silverware by hand and put the baking trays in to soak. Another pot of coffee? Yes, more the merrier. Cream or milk? Yes, of course I can get the cheese and crackers out again. Wine anybody?

Tea? Coming!

The Westbury Our festive family package includes a one-night stay for a family of four, pre-theatre dinner, tickets to Beauty and the Beast at The Bord Gáis,

As a family-run group, The Doyle Collection has always welcomed every member of the family – even pooches to some of our hotels. We love to entertain generations of the same family at the same table – and we have a reputation for hotels that feel effortlessly, luxuriously like home.

Perfect for family celebrations.

exclusive access to the theatre’s

Right across the world we’re all heading back to normal after the pandemic, and many of us are spending our first proper Christmas with friends and family in several years. Entertaining at scale can be challenging when you’re a little out of practice, and after so much time apart we want to spend time together rather than in the kitchen. Every hotel within The Doyle Collection is offering a range of Christmas packages for those of you that wish to enjoy the magic of the season without any of the stress, whether you seek a venue for festive dining or you’d like to join us for a seasonal mini-break.

you’ll find festive tipples, winter

Gold Circle Lounge for dessert and drinks, and a delicious breakfast. Our Cultural Package takes two to the Long Christmas Dinner at The Abbey Theatre with pre/post theatre dinner, bed and morning after breakfast. Across the hotel warmers, afternoon tea, spiked hot chocolate, the Balfes winter chou chou cart, Christmas menus, and all manner of gift shop goodies.

The Marylebone To experience Christmas in Style, join us for bed and

As part of our seasonal campaign, Coming Home to Magic this Christmas, there are also many pre- and postChristmas offers for special days and short breaks with family and friends all through the festive period, not just on the day itself. Every hotel has slightly different plans – summarised here – and you are warmly invited to join us for all manner of festive treats.

breakfast, champagne and a Selfridges voucher. Our set Christmas menu will be served in 108 Brasserie throughout December, along with a number of private dining set menus, as well as the full feast with all the trimmings on Christmas Day. The Marylebone Village Christmas Lights are especially atmospheric and

Family-friendly packages, Afternoon Teas, seasonal cocktails, shopping events, theatre tickets, choral performances and, of course, good food, wines, cocktails and partnership activities with like-minded local businesses.

While we’ve captured some of the headlines here, go to doylecollection.com for full details as they are finalised and released.

we recommend some magical shopping at dusk while they shine. We will be working with local charities – look out for more details as they are released – and guests can enjoy Christmas candle painting with the wonderful Bable Candles.

Join the festivities …

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The Croke Park If you wish to come to The Croke Park, why not try our Christmas in Style festive package – with bed and breakfast, mulled wine, mince pies and complimentary parking? Recently refurbished, in The Sideline Bar we’ll be serving a festive drinks menu, including wines, spirits and seasonal cocktails. We’re hosting choral performances to make our sumptuous new spaces feel truly festive with a charitable bent, in aid of Dublin Simon Community. And, of course, we’ll be welcoming family groups, large and small, to dine with us before and immediately after Christmas.

The Bloomsbury

The Bristol At The Bristol we’re celebrating

Throughout December

our recent refurbishment

we’re serving festive spritz,

in festive fashion, with our

complimentary winter warmers, a set Christmas menu in our restaurant and terrace, special

festive drinks and a special

Afternoon Tea, our Christmas

cocktail with donations to a

in Style package (bed and breakfast, shopping in Covent

local charity. In room, Christmas cards will be accompanied

Garden and champagne) and

with wine, chocolates and

a competition to win sought-

delicious mince pies. The hotel

after family tickets to Elf the

will, of course, be festooned

musical, at London’s Dominion

with decorations, and we’ll

Theatre. On the day, our chefs,

be offering mini mince pies

sommeliers and mixologists

throughout the season with

are at your service, with a

every tea and coffee served

champagne breakfast followed

in The River Lounge. Festive

by a full Christmas lunch.

All you have to do is choose between private dining or the convivial atmosphere of the restaurant, complete with music and entertainment.

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seasonal Afternoon Tea, a special menu in the River Grille,

feasts will be hosted in The River Grille, with its backdrop of wonderful harbour views.

The River Lee The Kensington

Christmas comes to Cork with mulled wine and mince pies and a special seasonal drinks

Christmas in Style at the

menu conjured by our expert

Kensington includes bed and

team at The River Club Bar. A

breakfast, champagne and

festive Afternoon Tea will be

a Harrods voucher, while

served with champagne in the

Kensington Tales features

Cocktail Bar. Though The River

Christmas carols at the Royal

Lee is closed over Christmas,

Albert Hall. In the Town

a warm welcome at The River

House we will be serving a set

Club Restaurant for a delicious

Christmas menu throughout

Christmas Dinner awaits

December, and hosting groups

on either side. Throughout

large and small on Christmas

December we are delighted

Day. If you prefer private dining,

to announce a programme of

be our guests. The K Bar team

evening piano recitals in

has been busy creating festive

the Cocktail Bar every Friday

spritzes and winter warmers

and Saturday.

for our Christmas drinks and cocktail list, while our Golden Age menu (created with Jo Loves and Lillet) pairs unique cocktails with a complimentary mini fragrance.

The Dupont Circle We’ve some very festive Holiday offers including Christmas Eve Dinner, Christmas Day brunch and Christmas Dinner, our Suite Celebration with bubbles throughout December and An Irish Carol, including seasonal cocktails and theatre tickets.

And we’re delighted to share our tasty winter warmers, featuring such delights as the classic Irish coffee, spiced mulled wine, Tom & Jerry, hot apple cider, special hot chocolate (with Frangelico, Cointreau and tahini), and hot buttered Bourbon. Workshops include wreath-making (in support of veteran memorial non-profit, Wreaths Across America) and ‘paint and sip’ (clue’s in the name!).

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A VERY IRISH ALCHEMY We meet the man behind the artistry and get an insider’s look at the creation of The Coral Room’s latest cocktail concept, The Great Irish Tour

I

n ancient myth and legend, Irish land was peopled with spirits and sprites.

And when you wander the landscape today, you can still see why. The most fertile ground, the greenest of grasses, rich, primordial moorland, swaying, ancient forests, soaring granite, all fringed with white sands and crashing Atlantic seas.

When the land feels this alive, it’s easy to imagine spirits populating it - curious creatures of tree and bloom, field and sea.

General Manager at The Coral Room and Dalloway Terrace at The Bloomsbury, Giovanni Spezziga is a maestro of flavour and a renowned, award-winning mixologist. After joining us he became fascinated with Ireland’s wild abundance; the dandelion, hawthorn, curly dock, wild garlic, nettles, wood sorrel, bilberries, elderberries and fruits of orchard and sea. And the island’s artisan producers with their sea vegetables, oysters, cheeses, butter, chocolate, smokeries, fish and astonishingly good bread.

It was this fascination that inspired Giovanni to create a new cocktail menu that maps an authentic flavour journey, while celebrating the gift of poets and

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Above Starting in Dublin, the tour takes a clockwise circular route through many Irish counties. Right 14 Tribes of Galway from ‘The Great Irish Tour’ cocktail menu.

Subsequent pages Illustrations of Malin Head and Leitrim.

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artists nourished by the same spirit. The menu is a visual feast, brought to evocative life by renowned Dublin-born illustrator, Mr Steve McCarthy. You might recognise his illustrations from such films as the impossibly beautiful (and Oscar-winning) Song of the Sea. Or from the wonderful book (and Bord Gais Children’s book of the year), A Sailor went to Sea Sea Sea. Or his many other literary projects.

Though this cocktail journey began with Giovanni’s idea of foraging for Ireland’s best provender, it wasn’t long before it evolved into a celebration of the flavours of each county in a trip around the island.

From strawberries of Wexford to oyster and stout of Galway, umami of Sligo dulse to creamy buttery pastures of Kerry, Carageen Moss of Malin Head to wild cherries of Leitrem. From Tipperary cider and whiskey from Cork, Wicklow gin and apples of Armagh, Dublin Guinness, Irish coffee from Clare, and Yellaman candy (yep, it’s a thing) from Tyrone, we’ve travelled the Emerald Isle from top to toe.

Once decided, it made sense to create a character to guide us.

It was a true collaboration, drawing many different threads together; two creative endeavours (Giovanni’s cocktails and Steve’s illustrations) and, in true Irish spirit, literature.

We worked with Steve, tennis-style, pinging ideas to and fro. We wanted the poetry to be true to the spirit of the piece, inspring and in support of Steve and Giovanni’s artistry. We spoke originally about creating different characters for every page as there’s all sorts that come into a bar - and every county has its own people, and stories. But Steve’s way of working is instinctive storytelling and this Leopold Bloom-esque character emerged quite naturally.

“He came loosely from Joyce, of course. But not in a literal way, just in the way that his characters are so often an ‘everyman’. That’s what makes the stories Joyce tells epic, like Ulysses, but satirical too, never serious. And this character became a landscape as he embodied giant themes in an everyday way.

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On a side note, Ulysses is an incredible book, but it truly came to life for me when I listened to it. (The Irish actor) Jim Norton did an amazing audio book and although I’d read Ulysses years ago, listening to it transformed the experience.”

To root each illustration in the county of inspiration, Gio and Steve researched food, drink, legends and myths. So, in County Wicklow the lush green of the land evoked

by Edward Lear in a limerick, became manifest in Steve’s fabulous botanical man.

In Donegal you’ll see him in the Northern Lights that flash above Malin Head, inspiration for Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill’s wonderful verse. In Tipperary ‘our man’ emerges from Alice Kinsella’s poem into a bespectacled warrior/hurler hybrid, whereas in Mayo and the words of JM Synge, he becomes a surrealist Mariner, pipe akimbo.

“The idea was not to take any of it too seriously, to be playful both in the drawings and in the cocktails. In Ireland there’s a softness, some whimsy about the place that we wanted to capture the essence of. I think we got it from Joyce’s writing, but also in my head I kept remembering a saying we have, ‘It’s fierce mild’ when it’s aggressively mizzling – soft, misting rain but with real intent”, said Steve.

“You get the same feeling from the drinks they’re uncommon, very experimental but subtle with the same softness, and it feels like a real art capturing every county in such a way.

The essences and flavours are incredible – I’d like to go back and taste the whole menu.”

“For the drawings I worked with pencils and paints, and they just took shape on their own. I didn’t do formal sketches or plans, apart from the original ideas. In a way that’s the difficult bit – finding what I call the gag to hang the drawing on. But that’s how I always work – it’s all about the story and of course there has to be wit and it has to be honest. And there’s a real feeling of life to this.”

Come to The Coral Room at The Bloomsbury for The Great Irish Tour experience some mixological mastery and a flavour journey unlike any other. thecoralroom.co.uk 16

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Events & Happenings Step out of your hotel and into our pick of this month’s most captivating events

The Bloomsbury COOLER THAN COOL The Thames doesn’t freeze as it did in the days of Dickens, but there are plenty of other places in London to get your skates on. Glide with grace around Hyde Park, stumble and slide through the courtyard at Somerset House, or take a chilly tumble aside the towers of Canary Wharf - whatever your skating skill, there’s fun to be had on ice all over the capital.

Outdoor Skating in Somerset House, Hyde Park, Canary Wharf & elsewhere in London Through December & January visitlondon.com THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE LEGEND What exactly was so Great about Alexander? Figure it out at this fascinating British Library exhibition, which explores how storytellers across the ages have retold Alexander’s myth to create the hero they need - and how they are still doing so today.

Alexander the Great: The Making of a Myth The British Library Until 19th February bl.uk DO NOT PASS GO

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Hop, step and jump your way

Top Alexander the Great re-

to Tottenham Court Road for

examined at The British Library.

Monopoly Lifesized, a new

Left Monopoly comes to life in

immersive experience based

the Tottenham Court Road.

on the classic board game. Roll

Top right Lynette Yiadom-

giant dice, move around the

Boakye’s powerful portraiture

15-metre board, puzzle your

at Tate Britain.

way through minigames - and

Right: From sensation to

try not to end up in jail. So

euphoria at The Design Museum

much fun you’ll want to roll

sensations like these to induce

these sensory experiences into

Design Museum

doubles so you can go again.

the “low-grade euphoria” of

the physical world, in a unique

Until April 2023

Monopoly Lifesized

Autonomous Sensory Meridian

acoustic environment.

designmuseum.org

Tottenham Court Road

Response (ASMR) online. Now

WEIRD SENSATION FEELS

Until March 2023

a pioneering exhibition brings

GOOD: The World of ASMR

monopolylifesized.com

LOVERS’ CRUISE The sparkle of light on water has a magic all its own. Artist

OF ROPE AND THREAD

Leo Villareal’s Illuminated

Lose yourself in a forest of

River project, currently in its

looming fabric sculptures:

second year of ten, brings that

organic, flowing forms

magic to the Thames across

suspended dramatically

nine bridge installations. For

throughout the 64 metres of

our money, a dinner cruise

the Blavatnik Building gallery.

with Bateaux London on a

These are the Abakans,

long winter evening is the

the pioneering creations of

perfect way to take in this

Magdalena Abakanowicz, who

extraordinary sight. Also,

reimagined what sculpture

great Valentine’s date!

could be in the 1960s and ‘70s.

Bateaux London Cruises

Magdalena Abakanowicz

Victoria Embankment Pier

Tate Modern

Year-round, with special

Until May 2023

cruises for Valentine’s Day

tate.org.uk

bateauxlondon.com TO BOLDLY GO

The Kensington

The historic Hampton Court Palace hosts the world’s largest flower show once

CONJURING STRANGERS

again this summer. Explore the

There’s something strange

joys of wellness, mindfulness

about seeing the face of

and inclusivity in the show’s

someone you don’t know,

centrepiece garden, discover

in an old photo perhaps, or

the delights of the Food Zone

a dream. Lynette YiadomBoakye captures peculiar intimacy in her portraits, whose subjects are drawn from her imagination. This celebration of almost 20 years’ work was cut short by lockdown in 2020 - don’t miss the chance to encounter her enigmatic figures on its return.

Lynette Yiadom-Boakye: Fly in League with the Night Tate Britain Until 26th February tate.org.uk ASMR IRL Hairbrush on a microphone.

Knife through watermelon.

A gentle whisper in your ear.

Artists and creators have explored the potential of

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and River Cottage Market

overshadows his extraordinary

London Short Film

ART AND SOUL

Garden, and get your dancing

work. This new exhibition,

Festival - 20th Edition

It’s rare to find such exciting

shoes on for Flowers After

the first major showing of

Institute of Contemporary Arts

new artwork as you will at the

Hours as the sun goes down.

Freud in a decade, cuts through

20th to 29th January

RWA’s prestigious Annual Open

Science Fiction: Voyage to

the noise to focus on his

shortfilms.org.uk

Exhibition. Almost every inch

the Edge of Imagination

plays host to a canvas or frame,

Science Museum

with plinths and hangings

Until May 2023

mixed in for good measure -

sciencemuseum.org.uk

and all for sale. Whether you take home a new piece or simply marvel at the incredible variety on show, there’s enough

The Marylebone

to engross for hours.

169 Annual Open Exhibition

TERMS OF ART

Royal West of England

A highlight of our cultural

Academy (RWA)

calendar, the London Art Fair

Until 8th January

brings works and curators from

rwa.org.uk

over 100 leading art galleries together. Witness some of

2039: AN ARTISTIC ODYSSEY

the world’s most exciting

In 2010, leading contemporary

modern and contemporary

artist Bharti Kher started a 30-

art, including immersive

year project she called Virus.

performances and installations,

Each year, she creates a new

and hear unique insights into

installation centred around one

the art world from those who

of her distinctive textured Bindi

make it at a cracking program

drawings, accompanied by

of talks.

text documenting world events

London Art Fair

and her predictions for years

Business Design

to come. The latest edition - at

Centre, Islington

times prescient, at times absurd

18th to 22nd January.

- appears alongside a series of

londonartfair.co.uk

drawings made locally during a 2019 residency. development as a

The Year of the Rabbit begins

painter through over 60

in January 2023, and the

works, from the iconic to the

biggest Chinese New Year

little-known.

celebration outside Asia

Lucian Freud: New

BIBBIDI-BOBBIDI-BOO

returns to London to mark the

Perspectives

You shall go to the Hippodrome

occasion. Experience the tastes,

National Gallery

this festive season! Bring your

AGE OF EN-LIGHT-ENMENT

sights, sensations and sounds

Until 22nd January

boos for Strictly Come Dancing

Breaking up the darkness

of Chinese culture, traditional

nationalgallery.org.uk

judge Craig Revel Horwood’s

of winter with displays of

devilish Wicked Stepmother,

light is a tradition as old as

and modern, culminating in

20

Bharti Kher:

HOP TO IT

Bristol

The Body is a Place Arnolfini Gallery Until 29th January arnolfini.org.uk

some famous pyrotechnics in

THE BIG SHORTS

and your cheers for local panto

humanity. Last year’s Bristol

Trafalgar Square.

As its mischievous logo

legend Andy Ford as Buttons.

Light Festival featured such

Chinese New Year Celebrations

suggests, London Short Film

An evening of fun for all the

highlights as a giant disco ball,

Central London & Chinatown

Festival is a proud showcase of

family - just make sure you’re

city trees brought to life and a

On and around 22nd January

some of the weirdest and most

home before the stroke of

monumental glowing slinky. No

visitlondon.com

wonderful short-form cinema

midnight…

doubt this year’s installations

you’ll see anywhere. Whether

Cinderella

will be similarly de-light-ful!

LUCIAN IN PROGRESS

comedy, horror or drama, the

Bristol Hippodrome

Bristol Light Festival

A larger-than-life figure in

festival’s 20th edition delivers

Until 31st December

Throughout Bristol

20th century art, Lucian

the goods - in perfect packages

atgtickets.com/shows/

3rd to 12th February

Freud’s personality sometimes

of 45 minutes or less!

cinderella/bristol-hippodrome

bristollightfestival.org

extraordinary period of history.

WHISKED AWAY

industry almost died out in the

Roller Skates & Ruins

Between conflict with

early 20th century. But it is

National Gallery of Ireland

Scottish rivals and legal and

back and booming in the 21st,

HOSTS OF CHRISTMAS PAST

Until September 2023

economic difficulties following

with the number of operating

It’s Christmas Eve, 1938. Orson

nationalgallery.ie

independence, the Irish whiskey

distilleries up 600% on a

The Westbury Welles and the Mercury Theatre are about to go live on CBS radio with their production of A Christmas Carol. All is in order, except… where is Scrooge?! This ‘radio-playwithin-a-play’, based on true events and complete with period-accurate radio sound effects, is a real Christmas treat.

Orson Welles’ Christmas Carol Smock Alley Theatre 6th to 17th December smockalley.com PROFOUND PERSPECTIVES 2023 marks the end of the Decade of Centenaries, a programme commemorating the turbulent events of 1912-1923, including the 1916 Rising, the Civil War and the Struggle for Independence.

This exhibition gives a unique window into those times through the letters, memoirs and sketchbooks of six artists of the day. By turns jovial and mournful, and deeply personal throughout, this is

decade ago. Get thee to the

a profound insight into an

excellent Irish Whiskey Museum, discover more history and taste the good spirit. We recommend the Whiskey Brunch Experience for a warming start to any winter morning!

Irish Whiskey Museum Grafton Street Open year-round. irishwhiskeymuseum.ie

Left Craig Revel Horwood tops the bill in Cinderella at the

The Croke Park

Bristol Hippodrome.

Right, top A tasting at the Irish

LETTING THE OLD YEAR OUT

Whiskey Museum in Dublin.

Not a city for doing things by

Right below A candid shot

halves, Dublin rings in the new

taken in Luminarium at Bristol’s

year with music, dancing and

annual Festival of Light.

extravagant costumes galore!

21

Trot out your fanciest of fancy

MAD FOR TRAD

regeneration. Every January

Cathedral as well as Temple

dress, or simply come as you

Since its regeneration in the

TradFest brings established and

Bar’s finest pubs and venues.

are – allcomers welcome to

‘90s, Temple Bar has been the

emerging Irish musical talent

TradFest Temple Bar 2023

this life-affirming, magical

centre of culture in Dublin, and

to audiences, across locations

Venues across Temple Bar

celebration of the year that

traditional music extravaganza

including the National Museum

25th to 29th January

was and the one to come. And

TradFest the lynchpin of that

of Ireland and St Patrick’s

tradfesttemplebar.com

if that’s not enough, for the first time ever, Westlife will be

THE HARDEST WORKIN’

ringing in the New Year in the

BAND IN THE BUSINESS

brand-new Festival Village.

The raucous tale of Jimmy

Dublin New Year’s Festival

Rabbitte’s attempts to bring

2022

together North Dublin’s finest

31st December

soul band has delighted

nyfdublin.com and

generations of readers, movie-

visitdublin.com

goers and theatre audiences.

Now the musical production

THE 1080 DAYS OF

returns for a major UK & Ireland

CHRISTMAS

tour under the direction of

In just 50 unhurried minutes,

Andrew Linnie, who previously

this Abbey Theatre production

starred. We hope things go

carries us through 90 years

smoother for him than they do

of Christmas dinners in the

for Rabbitte in this rousing and

household of the Bayard Family.

riotous home-crowd show.

Generations come and go,

Roddy Doyle’s The

through joy and sadness, giving

Commitments

each audience member the

3Olympia Theatre

opportunity to reflect on what

7th to 18th February

Christmas means to them, and

3olympia.ie

their families.

The Long Christmas Dinner Abbey Theatre 10th to 31st December abbeytheatre.ie

Above The lighting of the National Christmas tree on the lawns outside the White House, Washington DC. Left The award-winning production of Thornton Wilder’s The Long Christmas Dinner at The Abbey Theatre.

Right Local legend Gina Moxley’s production of Danti-Dan at The Everyman.

22

catalogues viewers’ experiences

this classic teenage comedy

schedule every month there’s

of the biodiversity crisis.

follows a motley gang of

a huge variety of perspectives

One Life: Maya Lin

hormonal teens hanging out

on that crucial topic on show

National Portrait Gallery

along a stretch of road outside

from the world’s most exciting

the

Until April 2023

Cork in the summer of 1970.

contemporary artists.

of

the

si.edu

From the pen of local legend

Artists’ Film International 2022

Tree

on

Gina Moxley and crammed full

Crawford Art Gallery

of cringe, cynicism and cracking

Until March 2023

good jokes, Danti-Dan is sure

crawfordartgallery.ie

The Dupont Circle NATIONAL TREASURE Now

in

its

ceremonial National

99th

year,

lighting

Christmas

The White House grounds has been performed by Presidents through a century of tumultuous American history. The ceremony itself features a range of festive musical acts, and the tree can be visited throughout December.

National Christmas Tree The Ellipse Park Throughout December thenationaltree.org ICE, ICE BABY A strong contender for the most picturesque skating in the District, the ice rink in the NGA sculpture garden is surrounded by stark winter trees festooned with twinkling lights. It is a winter destination that draws locals and visitors alike. Take to the ice, enjoy views of remarkable sculptures dating back to 1913, and one of the prettiest skates on the planet.

Sculpture Garden Ice Rink National Gallery of Art 26th November 2022 – 5th March 2023

The River Lee

nga.gov GLOW UP

to have you squirming with

THIS IS YOUR LIFE

Cork gets a glittering makeover

embarrassment and delight in

TRUTH OR DAIRY?

For more than 15 years, the

at Christmas time with a series

equal measure.

Butter, the humble spread

One Life series at the National

of light displays, music and

Danti-Dan

that has played a surprisingly

Portrait Gallery has shone a

special events. Wander in

Everyman Theatre

significant role in the country’s

light on extraordinary lives

wonder through transformed

8th & 9th February

economic history. Learn about

through a combination of

parks, pause at outdoor stages,

everymancork.com

the importance of the Cork Butter

their own work and the art

and see it all again from a

others produced around them.

bird’s-eye-view atop the festive

BEAUTY IN MOTION

dominant Kerrygold brand, and

That spotlight turns to Maya

ferris wheel. It really is the most

Bringing together film, video

what on earth ‘bog butter’ is, all

Lin, the architect, sculptor

wonderful time of the year!

and animation works by

at this unique museum. There’s

and environmentalist known

Glow: A Cork Christmas

artists from around the globe,

even a keg of thousand-year-old

for designing the Vietnam

Celebration

Artists’ Film International is a

butter on display! Don’t put that

Veterans’ Memorial. Lin’s life

Until January 5th

constantly evolving showcase

on your toast…

and practice are captured

corkcity.ie

of the power of the moving

The Butter Museum

image. The theme for 2022

Shandon, Cork

in photos, sketchbooks,

Exchange, the rise of the now-

personal effects and her ‘What

DESPERATE DAN

is climate, and with different

Open year-round

is missing?’ project, which

Sensitive, sharp and shameless,

screenings rotating into the

thebuttermuseum.com

23

24 HOURS

FOR A

FRESH START IN LONDON

When the New Year looms, who doesn’t feel jaded?

The party season - eating, drinking, late nights, all take their toll. So, we’re here for a reboot in the metropolis.

7:30 WORK IT OUT If you’re an early bird by nature, why not feel the burn with Just Ride at Third Space, Marylebone. It’s connected to the hotel. thirdspace.london/marylebone 9:00 BREAK YOUR FAST Savour a healthy smoothie, overnight oats and a superfood egg-white omelette before heading out for some soothing self-care. 108brasserie.com 10:00 GUT FEELING Specialists in gut health and stress reduction, Austrian experts, VivaMayr have opened a day clinic in Harley Street. Book yourself in for a consultation and start your optimal health journey. vivamayr.com 11:30 SWEET REPOSE Take a taxi or tube to Repose on Kensington High Street. We’re huge fans of aerial yoga and this is one of the best places to defy gravity. Finish with a freezing detox (cryotherapy is so 2023), warm up in the infrared sauna or take some PBM red light therapy. Rejuvenation guaranteed. repose-space.co.uk 2:30 FARM TO FORK An amble up the hill takes you to a very special place where food comes from the restaurant farm and healthy is heavenly. Plant-based, with zero chemicals, refined sugars or additives, it must be Farmacy’s Notting Hill restaurant. farmacylondon.com 5:00 HOLISTIC HEAVEN After a digestive meander to Hyde Park, take a taxi or the tube to Fitzrovia for some sweet therapy. Pfeffer Sal is London’s finest for facials, massages and skin treatments of all kinds. Emerge glowing, tension eased away. pfeffersal.com 7:00 THE ROAD DIVIDES Choices, choices. It’s been a long day. How to finish?

A cocktail and a light bite at The Coral Room at The Bloomsbury before heading back to The Marylebone?

Plant-based fine dining from a Michelin-starred chef at Gauthier in Soho? Or, head back to your hotel room and book a Gong private sound bath before bed and the deepest of sleeps? doylecollection.com gauthiersoho.co.uk aboutgong.com

24

GRAND PARADE, CORK CITY C.1948

THEN Originally a channel of The River Lee which defined the line of the city wall, when Cork’s Grand Parade was first conceived in 1690 maps showed nothing but the river channel with a bowling green to one side. Within 75 years, buildings had sprung up on the East Bank, the North part had been reclaimed, with the South remaining a dock before street fully superseded river

by 1801. In 1862 a statue of George II’s yellow horse (commemorating British rule) was destroyed, eventually to be replaced by The National Monument. By 1948, when this photo was taken, the bustling heart of Cork was an established busy market street, destination for those liberated from countrysideonly shopping and work by the rise of the motor car.

& NOW The hustle and bustle of the 1940s remains to this day, as do landmarks such as The National Monument and The English Market. By 2010, subject to fluctuating fortunes in the Irish economy, Grand Parade had begun to look a bit shabby and a full rejuvenation of the area commenced in 2016. Many of the original facades remain, zhuzhed up

with restoration and a lick of paint.

The sail-style street lights give a contemporary contrast to older buildings, and act as a prompt, quayside, to the street’s past as a river. Watch this space though. A €46m renovation programme of Cork’s historic Medieval quarter, including where it meets The Grand Parade, is scheduled for 2023.

GRAND PARADE, CORK CITY, TODAY