November 2010

Remember, remember the 5th November when fireworks are set off across the city to celebrate Guy Fawkes' night. The pinnacle of the pyrotechnics is the Lord Mayor's Show, a fantastic outdoor parade and free fireworks display. In November the countdown to Christmas begins so look out for festive lights and outdoor ice rinks popping up over the capital.

Rodrigo y Gabriela

Shepherd's Bush Empire, London, W12 8TT
2nd - 7th November 2010

Inventive Mexican guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela take up a five-night mini residency at the Shepherd's Bush Empire following the success of their latest album, 11:11. Initially part of the thrash metal scene in Mexico City, the pair uprooted to Dublin five years ago on hearing it was a good starting point for travelling musicians. It was a choice they would not regret for their original use of two guitars took the UK festival circuit by storm, culminating in the exceptional self-titled album Rodrigo y Gabriela in 2006, which managed to keep even the Arctic Monkeys off the top of the Irish charts. Combining deft plucking, dreamy song-writing and fret-tapping and slap-bass percussion, the pair's sound is both classical and traditional, blending jazz, flamenco, blues and Latin influences without betraying their respect for the heavy metal genre (which explains just why they were able to support Muse at Wembley Stadium in 2007 without raising too many eyebrows). It really is something quite special to behold and you'll be surprised at the range of sounds Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quinetro can conjure from their guitars.

More info: Rodrigo y Gabriela Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

London's Christmas Lights

Various venues across London
2nd November 2010 - Early January 2011

Well before Christmas, the city's main shopping streets start to sparkle with an array of fairy lights and impressive illuminations. This year, for the first time ever, the lights on intersecting Regent and Oxford streets are being switched on at the same time with events taking place at St Paul's Cathedral and Leicester Square to tie in. It's all part of a huge event called A Christmas Carol, held to mark the world premiere of Disney's latest blockbuster animated film. Celebrities including Jim Carrey, Colin Firth and Bob Hoskins will be on hand to switch on the lights with live singing attracting a large crowd for the turning-on ceremony on Tuesday 3rd November. Nearby Bond Street is a rather more upmarket affair with its designer shops putting on a show. But there are also pretty side shows across the city centre on streets like Marylebone, Carnaby Street, Jermyn Street and in Covent Garden, all of which host their own street festivals to mark the switching on of the lights. There will be a full feature nearer the time but for now you can see our London Christmas Lights 2009 article, many of details, except for the dates, will still apply in 2010.

Spirit of Christmas Fair

Olympia, London, W14 8UX
3rd - 7th November 2010

Get all your Christmas shopping done under one roof at Olympia - and get it out of the way more than a month before Santa gets here. Backed by House & Garden magazine, the Spirit of Christmas Fair is an annual fixture in the seasonal London calendar and one that thousands of shoppers have come to rely on as part of their pre-Christmas preparation. You can expect the finest seasonal products here, ranging from festive decorations and home accessories to children's toys and seasonal eats. With over 600 companies presenting their wares, you'll find something for everyone on your Christmas list and plenty you won't find in the shops. The Food Hall is bound to tempt with its Christmas-y gourmet treats to taste and stock up on. Look out for traditional sweets, specialist cheeses, fine cuts of meat and artisan produce.

More info: Spirit of Christmas Fair Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Journey through the Afterlife: The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead

British Museum, WC1B 3DG
4th November 2010 - 6th March 2011

The spells and secrets of the Egyptian Book of the Dead, which provided the dead with the information they needed to make a safe passage to the afterlife, will be revealed through this special exhibition at the British Museum. Journey through the Afterlife: The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead, an exhibition held in the central reading room, draws on the museum's substantial collection of Books of the Dead on papyrus - many of them beautifully illustrated with coloured images showing the landscape of the netherworld and the gods and demons who dwelt there. It includes the beautifully painted papyrus of Hunefer, found in the tomb of the scribe Hunefer in Thebes, as well as a 37-metre Book of the Dead - the longest one known. Significant scenes are beautifully illustrated including the 'weighing of the heart', when the dead person's heart was weighed up against a feather. Alongside the important papyri are coffins, masks, statues, amulets, and items of funerary jewellery chiefly drawn from the British Museum's own impressive collection, supplemented by loans of important items from other museums worldwide.

More info: Journey through the Afterlife Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Bonfire Night

Various venues across London
5th November 2010 (and other dates in November)

November is the month that likes to go with a bang - and an explosive one at that. November 5th marks Guy Fawkes' failed plot to blow up Parliament with the kind of pyrotechnics Mr Fawkes could only dream of. This year there's a host of fireworks displays, processions, festivals and fun fairs planned across the capital on dates during the month. There are always huge displays in Ravenscourt Park, Clapham Common and Victoria Park. It's not strictly for Bonfire Night but the biggest of the capital's fireworks is the finale to the Lord Mayor's Show with a parade and RAF flypast as well as the pyrotechnics. With more than half a tonne of fireworks released in half an hour, sky rocketing over the Thames, it's an awe inspiring sight that can be seen for miles around. There will be a feature with full details nearer the time but to see last year's article click here.

Bonfire Night - Information

Country Living Magazine Christmas Fair

Business Design Centre, London, N1 0QH
10th - 14th November 2010 - TO BE CONFIRMED

In preparation for Christmas, the Country Living Magazine Christmas Fair brings a taste of rural England to the Business Design Centre, with all the cosy traditionalism that goes with it. With over 400 exhibitors there's everything you need for a perfect Christmas. There are handmade toys, limited edition decorations, and, of course, plenty of seasonal food - from smoked salmon and tender ham to the delights of Cornish cheese, mulled wine, sloe gin, fudge, chocolate and traditional Christmas puddings. With all that tartan and tinsel, this is the perfect place to begin getting into the Christmas mood. It also gives you the chance to deal with all those traditional seasonal nightmares long before the last minute.

DATE TO BE CONFIRMED

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

Andrea Bocelli

The O2 Arena, London, SE10 0BB
12th November 2010

Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli returns to The O2 Arena for another autumn concert this November. One of the most successful classical artists of all time, Bocelli has sold over 65 million albums since emerging as a vocal phenomenon in the 90s. Renowned for bringing his own interpretation and approach to each piece he sings, Bocelli is at the same time a traditionalist, modernist and popularist. Lauded by the late, great Luciano Pavarotti, Bocelli continues to capture the hearts of audiences across the world. Here, in the first of two UK concerts, Bocelli will perform music from his last album Incanto, a collection of famous Neapolitan love songs. While Celine Dion's lofty opinion that "if God had a singing voice, he would sound a lot like Andrea Bocelli" is a bit creepy, it does underline the awe that this classical colossus inspires.

More info: Andrea Bocelli Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

London Jazz Festival 2010

Southbank Centre, London, SE1 8XX
12th November 2010 - 21st November 2010

If jazz is dead, someone forgot to tell the thousands of performers and fans who flock to the annual London Jazz Festival. Now in its 18th year, the 10-day festival returns to the capital with a flamboyant programme which reflects the diverse roots of our great city. The many Southbank venues lead the way, but there will be shows (more than 250 of them!) throughout London, including old favourites the Royal Albert Hall and the Barbican Centre, jazz stalwarts Ronnie Scott's and 606 Club, newly established exciting enterprises such as The Forge and Artsdepot, and even some restaurants. The organisers habitually attract some top rare performers and blend them together with both newcomers and mainstays of the British jazz scene - from stars of the American jazz tradition to key players of the European scene and free musical thinkers. Given the obsessive nature of ardent jazz fans together with the small venues, tickets often sell out straight away so be sure to check www.londonjazzfestival.org.uk for a full programme and ticketing information.

More info: London Jazz Festival 2010 Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Lord Mayor's Show

Mansion House, EC4N 8BH
13th November 2010

The Lord Mayor's Show features possibly the most dangerous and amazing of all the public fireworks shows in the capital: river barges are piled high with explosives and set adrift on the Thames with several fearless firework-ers on board. This annual event has been taking over the streets of London for nearly 800 years now with a parade which involves over 6,000 people, military marching bands, Chinese acrobats, a procession of decorated floats and a gilded State Coach that the Lord Mayor travels in. The procession starts at 11am with an RAF flypast and goes on until about 2.30pm, covering the whole area between Bank and Aldwych with the mayor departing from Mansion House for the Royal Courts of Justice where he takes an oath of allegiance to the Queen. It's a fun family day out but the grand finale is what really draws the crowds - the day finishes with one of London's most impressive fireworks displays at 5pm, set off from a barge moored in the Thames between Blackfriars and Waterloo Bridges. The best vantage points to watch from tend to be around Embankment and Gabriel's Wharf.

More info: Lord Mayor's Show Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Discover Dogs

Earls Court Exhibition Centre, London, SW5 9TA
13th & 14th November 2010 - TO BE CONFIRMED

This doggy gathering is one of the premier events for pet owners in the capital. Everything the family's best friend could wish for is on sale at Discover Dogs and the kids will love watching all the performing pooches. See 200 different kinds of dog parade around and trot through their paces at Earls Court. Exchange tips with knowledgeable owners, discover the best ways to keep your pet healthy while kids learn a bit about the responsibility of owning a furry friend. The weekend's highlight is the Scruffts dog show where the country's loveliest crossbreeds go snout-to-snout to see who will be crowned most handsome and the prettiest. Although Discover Dogs is all about dogs it's not suitable for them - the organisers recommend that you leave your pet dog at home.

DATE TO BE CONFIRMED

More info: Discover Dogs Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

London's Christmas Ice Rinks

Various locations across London
20th November 2010 - 9th January 2011

The city gets its skates on in winter with many of the capital's most attractive and monumental landmarks putting up a temporary outdoor ice rink wherever there's enough outside space. Somerset House was among the first to ice over their magnificent courtyard and remains one of the most beautiful places to glide around outdoors in the icy cold. The Natural History Museum, Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace also provide wonderfully scenic settings for a skate and usually come complete with a rink-side cafe - perfect for spectators or for defrosting with seasonal fare like mince pies, mulled wine and hot chocolate. With most ice rinks opening from November to January, it's a great way to get some exercise in the great outdoors during the chilly winter months. As always, there will be a comprehensive feature nearer the time but in the meantime you can see last year's Ice Skating in London article.

AEGON Masters Tennis

Royal Albert Hall, London, SW7 2AP
30th November - 5th December 2010

The highlight of the seniors' tennis circuit is definitely this Masters Tennis event at the Royal Albert Hall, which John McEnroe describes as "our Wimbledon". To play in the tournament players must, at one time, have been the world Number One, a Grand Slam finalist or a player on a winning Davis Cup side - so that means top quality. These guys might have lost a few ounces of speed and stamina over the years but they retain all the guile, poise and determination that made them champions in the first place. Last year, the old serve-and-volley spirit was kept alive as Australian Pat Rafter battled to a 6-7, 6-4, 11-9 win over Swede Stefan Edberg on a stage usually reserved for Brahms, Beethoven and the Beatles. Other players involved in the tournament were the likes of Goran Ivanisevic, Mark Philippoussis, Pat Cash and Greg Rusedski.

More info: AEGON Masters Tennis Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

ATP World Tour Finals

The O2 Arena, London, SE10 0BB
21st November 2010 - 28th November 2010

The ATP World Tour Finals returns to The O2 Arena for eight days of tennis between the world's best eight players. Last year, Russian journeyman Nikolay Davydenko was the surprise winner of the $4.45m kitty, coasting past Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro 6-3, 6-4 in the final. It was a tournament of upsets, with both Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal failing to get through the round-robin phase - the latter without even winning a set - and world number one Roger Federer falling in the semis. Federer is still one title short of equalling Pete Sampras and Ivan Lendl's record of five world titles so expect the Swiss maestro to be giving it his all. Watching tennis at The O2 is remarkably different than at Wimbledon: it's a theatrical affair, with the audience plunged in darkness and all eyes on the bright court below. Only time will tell what Murray's prospects are. Who knows, by the end of the 2010 season, maybe the Scot will have pulled off that elusive maiden Grand Slam win?

More info: ATP World Tour Finals 2010 Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube