March 2008

The far more stylish take on March spring-cleaning is not clearing out clutter but adding beautiful touches to your home and the Ideal Home Show and the Country Living Spring Fair are just buzzing with ideas. This is also a great time of year to get out-and-about in London with the Head of the River Race and the Wetlands Easter Weekend providing brilliant opportunities to blow those winter cobwebs away.

Westlife

The O2 Arena, London, SE10 0AX | Wembley Arena London, HA9 0WS
1st & 2nd March 2008 | 28th March 2008

The record-breaking pop quartet from Sligo, Ireland play a number of surely sell-out London gigs at the O2 and Wembley Arena. Louis Walsh and Ronan Keating have a lot to answer for - since the music mogul and X-Factor judge teamed up with the former Boyzone lead singer to create their blandly competent cover versions, up has been the only way. Thirteen UK Number One singles later and undiminished by the departure of founder member Brian McFadden, Westlife are the last of the 1990s boy bands who have stuck to the formula and can still pull a crowd.

More info: Westlife Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Country Living Spring Fair

Business Design Centre, London, N1 0QH
12th March 2008 - 16th March 2008

Organised by the team behind Country Living magazine, this twice-yearly show is firmly pitched at Londoners who dream of having a country cottage with roses around the door. The closest you'll come is leaving here with a rose-covered cushions or possibly some rose bushes to put in your window box. There are plenty of ideas for interiors, gardens and bespoke gifts as well as one hundred and one ways to chintz-ify your house. Independent designers and craftspeople sell their wares in a celebration of all that is traditionally English. There are also sections on outdoor living, crafts lessons, and an impressive area showcasing regional and organic food, this is the place to go if you want to turn your sleek urban flat into a comfy, country home. Or if you're just searching for a nice birthday present for your grandmother.

More info: Country Living Spring Fair Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

New York City Ballet

The Coliseum, WC2N 4ES
12th March 2008 - 22nd March 2008

This illustrious ballet company hasn't graced the stages of London for over 25 years but the 90 (ish) dancers are making up for lost time by performing four programmes practically bursting at the seams with almost-revered choreography. The New York City Ballet has an unrivalled repertoire and the company has picked some real gems to showcase its world-class talent at the Coliseum, not least from the creative pool of choreographer and co-founder George Balanchine. The opening night will take the audience right back to the beginning in 1934 with Balanchine's first ballet created in America 'Serenade', born literally out of a ballet lesson with unexpected moments in rehearsal like a dancer arriving late incorporated into the choreography. After this, great names of dance and music abound - Jerome Robbins, Christopher Wheeldon and Stravinsky, Tschaikovsky, Verdi - and a night at the ballet explodes onto the scene with all the vibrancy and dynamism of a company well-rehearsed in the art of wowing audiences.

More info: New York City Ballet Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

The Affordable Art Fair

The Marquee, London, SW11 5TN
13th March 2008 - 16th March 2008

The Affordable Art Fair is a well-loved institution in Battersea Park, an event that strips away the pretension of the art world and gives buyers a chance to pick up some really great art at fair prices, ranging from £30 to £3,000. Previous years have seen some works sold for hundreds of pounds by artists who nowadays would not get out of bed for that kind of change. It's a fun, family event which is accessible to connoisseurs and the merely curious. There's a creche, printmaking workshops and a specialist collection of Fine Art photography.

There's a free shuttle bus from Sloane Square every 15 minutes.

Photo: Headstand by Sarah Harvey (detail)

More info: The Affordable Art Fair Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Ideal Home Show

Earl's Court Exhibition Centre, London, SW5 9TA
14th March 2008 - 6th April 2008

Make yourself at home at the Earl's Court Exhibition Centre, celebrating its 100th year this year. The Ideal Home Show is the world's largest of its kind and never fails to surprise and inspire. Filling up both Earl's Court I and II, this gargantuan exhibition includes everything essential to know about refitting your home in 2008 - and a whole lot more besides. The eco issue is a hot topic - so get ready to learn how to go green in style, with all the best tips on recycling and making use of household waste. Among the eye-catching designs there are three stunning house designs - a Dream Home, Guest House and Eco House as well as an entire street looking back over the past 100 years of the show. With over 800 exhibitors there are ideas galore and products to suit all styles and tastes. There are whole sections dedicated to kitchens and gardens, and even a gadget zone to streamline your living spaces. March is traditionally the time for a spring clean - so why not spruce up your home while you're at it?

Visit the show after 5pm and tickets (available on the door only) are just £6. Thursday are late nights when the show is open till 10pm.

More info: Ideal Home Show Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

China Design Now

Victoria and Albert (V & A) Museum, London, SW7 2RL
15th March 2008 - 13th July 2008

We can expect to see plenty of Chinese related exhibitions throughout the year as part of the China Now Festival - go to www.chinanow.org.uk for full details. But this exhibition at the prestigious V & A promises one of the most thorough explorations of new design coming out of China. Starting with the 2008 Olympic stadium and going right through to the latest fashions and graphics, all aspects of design are included and the three cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen are given particular focus. China is certainly a force whose growing influence cannot be ignored; the V & A's Director, Mark Jones, is all too aware, citing China's unrivaled consumption of mobile phones and vast appetite for luxury consumer goods. For him, this exhibition is "a snapshot of the development of design in today's China". Through it, he hopes, we'll come to a better understanding of what is happening in China today.

More info: China Design Now Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Head of the River Race

Chiswick Bridge, London, W4 2SH
15th March 2008

The Head of the River Race is one of the classic races on the rowing calendar, a warm up for the Oxford vs. Cambridge Boat Race that follows the exact same course backwards, from Mortlake to Putney along the Thames. There are 420 crews in all, rowing down the 4.25 mile course, testing their willpower and teamwork in this uniquely macho sport. It is also a particularly nice stretch of the river, so even if you are not that excited by rowing, this is a really nice spot to enjoy a walk or a pint, and watch the boats glide past - though tides have dictated that this year's race is horribly early in the morning.

More info: Head of the River Race Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

St Patrick's Day Parade

Park Lane, W1K 1BE
16th March 2008

London's Irish community have always celebrated St Patrick's Day in the traditional manner, with church services, music, dancing and plenty of Guinness and whisky. In recent years, the capital has also hosted a major weekend celebration - an event that has now grown so big that it rivals the parades in New York and Chicago. London's parade has floats from every Irish county, with hundreds of stalls along the route. There's also a stage in Trafalgar Square with live performances, and a big ceilidh in Leicester Square where everyone can join in with the arms-by-the-sides Riverdance fun. An Irish food market in Covent Garden sells the country's famous beef, salmon and soda bread, accompanied by live acoustic music, and there are dozens of other events throughout the capital. Of course, the best places to celebrate are the pubs and Catholic churches throughout London, with their mix of religion, music and good cheer. Keep an eye on where the real London Irish go after the parade and you could be in for a memorable evening.

More info: St Patrick's Day Parade Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Wetlands Easter Weekend

London Wetland Centre, London, SW13 9WT
22nd March 2008 - 23rd March 2008

Spring is the time when Mother Nature wakes up, dusts off the hangover of winter and new life starts to grow. To get a close-up view of nature's re-birth in action take your youngsters along to the Easter Weekend at the Wetland Centre in Barnes. A rare chance for Londoners to feel like they're in the countryside, you'll get to witness the miracle of birth and see cute, fluffy ducklings break out of their shells. In addition to the free daily guided tours (at 11:00 and 14:00), you'll meet Mr Heron. The striking marshmen's harnser (as herons are known in Norfolk) like to sit on their 3ft nests which they return to year-in, year-out. Sir Rabbit will also be hopping in and he might even have a supply of special Easter presents.

More info: Wetlands Easter Weekend Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Stuttgart Ballet - Romeo and Juliet

The Coliseum, WC2N 4ES
25th March 2008 - 30th March 2008

Romeo and Juliet's entourages have grown considerably since Shakespeare's day with all 70 dancers of the Stuttgart Ballet taking to the stage in John Cranko's acclaimed ballet adaptation of this most famous of love stories. We can therefore expect some breathtaking spectacles from this brilliant ensemble. Premiered in 1962, the production is a finely-tuned wok of exuberant classical choreography and technical precision, both of which can be seen in the company's impressive Stuttgart lifts. Surely being able to fly through the air comes in handy for a balcony-climbing Romeo. The story of Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers lends itself perfectly to the ballet (falling in love, a masked ball, impending tragedy) with Sergei Prokofiev's soaring score conjuring up the heartbeat of Romeo and Juliet's plight and releasing the dancers into the medieval courts of Verona.

More info: Stuttgart Ballet - Romeo and Juliet Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race 2008

29th March 2008

England's most famous universities square-off in this rowing race which inaugurates the summer season in London. This will be the 154th annual Boat Race and Cambridge currently lead by 79-73 (there was a controversial dead heat in 1877), after a fairly comfortable win in 2007. While the result means little to most Londoners, it's a spectacular display of strength and teamwork, and around a quarter of a million fans line the banks of the river to roar their encouragement. There's a great view - and some great pubs - on the north side of the Thames before Hammersmith Bridge. South Londoners might like to watch from or near Putney Bridge, where the big screen on the opposite bank allows spectators to monitor the race as it heads its way around the bend.

More info: Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race 2008 Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube