Robert Spellman goes on a Silver Raven Thames cruise in London from Tower Bridge to Westminster Bridge. “The water is actually quite clean, or cleaner than it looks,” says designer…
With the rise of graffiti art and community street parties (or block parties) in the South Bronx of the early 70s, new forms of urban expression were flowering. At these…
When I tell friends that I’ll be taking some sea air the instant I get to The Hague, they react with mild surprise. Such is the association of those two…
Robert Spellman explores Wembley’s Gujarati community on the Immersive India Tour. Part of the privilege and thrill of living in London is the opportunity to experience the completely new, just…
I seldom run into stuffed animals these days. Years ago they would decorate certain British pubs and restaurants, but not so much now. At least not in London. Let’s be…
The buzz of live music in the capital shifts up a few gears in mid-November with the advent of the EFG London Jazz Festival. Now in its 33rd year, the…
Robert Spellman immerses himself in Sri Lanka’s Jetwing hotel experience. Sri Lankan cordiality is world famous, but I had to visit the island to really understand it. Never have I…
A silly part of me was hoping to find the Saint-Tropez France my parents had described, even though I knew it was no more. A louche scene of artists and…
Robert Spellman wades into an exhibition at London Museum Docklands to discover the Secrets Of The Thames unearthed by the river’s mudlarks If mudlarking – the act of scouring riverine…
Robert Spellman previews the EFG London Jazz Festival 2024 held from 15 to 24 November featuring Pat Metheny, Jamie Callum and Dave Holland. The reliably fantastic EFG London Jazz Festival is…
In returning to Womad 2024 there’s an echo of that joy felt in childhood, of revisiting a favourite place where all will be well. You’ll have a blast and feel…
Robert Spellman reviews Nature’s Imprint: A Journey Through Time And Art an exhibition at the Whitebox gallery space of the Bankside Hotel. Neatly curated in the below-ground Whitebox gallery space…
Robert Spellman explores the Dutch capital via the I Amsterdam City Card You know what they say: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Well, that old maxim certainly applies…
We do excel at music festivals here in Blighty and this summer’s offerings more than pass muster. So give the tent a once-over and pick a party or two from…
Robert Spellman discovers amazing diversity on his Michigan road trip. Well, this was a hiccup: arriving at Detroit’s Motown museum and nobody home. The weather had done its bit –…
Robert Spellman travels to Haarlem city in the Netherlands and discovers a city rich in culture and a laid-back attitude. I’m at a point now where “could I live here?”…
Robert Spellman goes bog walking in Estonia and visits Tartu, European Capital of Culture in 2024, and Narva on the Russian border. Never had I heard the word “bog” uttered…
From Peru to Ghana, intermingling the UK’s multicultural beat, this year’s world music festival certainly lived up to its billing. Read Robert Spellman’s WOMAD 2023 review. “What acts are you…
Robert Spellman reviews the new display, Indo + Caribbean: The Creation of a Culture at the Museum of London Docklands as well as its June Street Party. To coincide with…
Robert Spellman reviews Executions, an exhibition looking at public executions held at the Museum of Docklands London. Hanging. Burning. Beheading. Drawing, hanging and quartering. During London’s 700-year history of public…
Robert Spellman reviews Executions, an exhibition looking at public executions held at the Museum of Docklands London. Hanging. Burning. Beheading. Drawing, hanging and quartering. During London’s 700-year history of public…
Down at the V&A at the moment is an unmissable exhibition called ‘Hallyu! The Korean Wave’, which showcases the vibrant world of South Korean popular culture. Also running is London’s…
The UK music festival 2022 season is upon us and the weather is hotting up. Glastonbury aside, there are still plenty of tickets for everything listed below, so whether you…
London Begins at 40 Music Editor Robert Spellman reviews the new Bob Marley exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery. The best experience to be had at the Bob Marley One Love…
