September’s a lovely month in London - even if summer is officially over, there are still plenty of pleasant (and even warm) days, plus you still have quite a lot of daylight light (sunset being around 7.45 pm). You do feel the nip in the air though, but you also have the pleasure of watching the leaves turn colour, from red and orange to yellow and brown.
But even if it’s grey and raining, London’s a city where there are always endless attractions to enjoy. Whether you want to explore the wonderful Royal parks, stroll along the Regent’s Canal, visit London’s fabulous museums or shop till you drop, in fashionable Marylebone and Soho, at Notting Hill and Camden’s trendy street markets or in upmarket Knightsbridge, it’s up to you.
September’s a popular month for tourism too - after the long summer holidays, many are back at work, and with the kids in school you’ll find it less crowded in the popular tourist spots.
So what are you waiting for? And, in the meantime, here are some of our personal favourites for what to see if you’re visiting our fine city this September…
1. ‘Our Story’ - David Attenborough at the Natural History Museum
Few in the UK would doubt that David Attenborough is one of the nation’s great National Treasures. With a career spanning more than six decades, beginning as a trainee at the BBC in 1952, the writer, broadcaster and naturalist keeps inspiring millions with his award-winning programmes.
Between ‘Life on Earth’, ‘The Blue Planet’ ‘The Private Life of Plants’ and his latest series, ‘Parenthood’, it’s safe to say that everything he produces about the natural world is worth seeing, and that includes this exhibition.
‘Our Story’ at London’s Natural History Museum (a magnificent building in its own right, in the heart of South Kensington) is an immersive exhibition, 50-minutes long, where you can watch the walls and floor burst into action. You’ll learn about how life came to develop on our planet, and how the human story came to be…whilst also getting the chance to look at humpback whales swimming beneath the ocean and gorillas frollicking in their jungle habitat.
The exhibition is not free but entrance to the rest of the Natural History Museum is…and it’s a wonderful place to spend a few hours, especially if you have kids to entertain!
2. Open House - 13-21 September
Open House is back, giving thousands of Londoners (and tourists alike) the chance to peer inside buildings all over the capital that let the curious in, just once a year. Whether you want to know moe about the Foreign Office, the Bank of England, Lloyds of London or the Royal College of Surgeons, here’s your chance.
All of these events are free - and whilst many are very popular (ergo you need to arrive early if you want to miss the queues) there are others that are much more ‘out of the way’ and obscure (also open at other times of the year, but still worth a look if you’re in the area).
And another good thing about this event is that it’s running over several days - and if you really want to be organised, you can rise early and try and see several places in a day. London Transport have ‘day tickets’ which mean you can hop on and off buses and tubes as you like, and really pack a great deal in.
3. Mary Page Marlowe - 23rd September to 1st November
Theatre lovers, book a ticket for this one now. Written by Tracy Letts (a Pulitzer-Prize winning playwright) and starring the extraordinary Susan Sarandon (the wonderful ‘Thelma and Louise, heartbreaking’ ‘Stepmom’ and iconic ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’) Mary Page Marlowe promises to be one of the big hits of the Autumn on the London stage.
Stretching over 90 minutes, this is a drama that explores over 70 years of the life of Mary, in eleven scenes, five Marys and one unique life. What are the choices that shape us, the chapters in our journeys, the events we experience in life that leave their mark?
Even more interesting, for his last season as Artistic Director, Matthew Warchus has redesigned the Old Vic to create an immersive, 360 degrees, experience. Grab a ticket fast, because this play will sell out soon.
4. Chelsea History Festival - 24-28 September
Chelsea is one of London’s most chic and beautiful neighbourhoods and well worth a visit when you’re in the west of the city. And if you head here at the end of the month, you can combine a wander round the streets with a visit to the Chelsea History Festival.
The Royal Hospital Chelsea,the National Army Museum and the Chelsea Physic Garden are just three of the places you can visit over the festival, as well as the temporary exhibition “Lost and Found in Hong Kong: The Unsung Chinese Heroes of D-Day”. Commemorating some of the heroes who played an extraordinary role in this part of World War II, it’s all tied in with the 80th anniversary of VE Day, giving you an insight into this unique period of history.
The full programme includes open-air events, garden visits, and walking tours – many of them free to attend. Plenty of the activities are family-friendly too, which means your children can have fun whilst learning about history. What’s not to like about that?
5. ‘Heiress’: Sargent’s American Portraits - Kenwood House
In our lovely neighbourhood, just up the road from our guest accommodation, lies Kenwood House, which is currently exhibiting ‘Heiress’ - a marvellous exhibition focusing on the ‘Dollar Princesses’ - American women who arrived in England at the turn of the 20th century, effectively ‘married off’ to titled aristocrats who were asset rich but cash poor.
The women had all come from wealthy homes, many with ambitious mothers who understood that the best way for them to climb the social ladder was by ‘acquiring’ titles. This ‘quid pro quo’ sounds bizarre today but at the time, was an excellent way of exchanging money for social status.
Sargent is a talented painter and his work here is far more than a simple collection of ‘Gilded Age’ ladies…the explanations beside the portraits are fascinating’ behind the satin and fur, these women had real and complex lives - Nancy Astor became the first female Member of Parliament; Mary Leiter and Consuelo Vanderbilt threw themselves into philanthropic work.
The exhibition is worth seeing in itself and, of course, afterwards you can take a stroll around the grounds of beautiful Kenwood.
Finally, if you’re coming to London and looking for a place to stay, why not consider La Gaffe Hotel Hampstead? We offer comfortable guest accommodation which is both family-owned and family-run, and returning guests never fail to tell us how much they feel they have a home away from home, from the moment they check in to the moment they say goodbye.
Our rates include a continental breakfast and our (famous) cappuccino and because we’re only three minutes walk from Hampstead tube, you can be in the centre of the city in just 15 minutes, courtesy of London Underground.
For more information about our rooms and to make a reservation directly with us, contact us by phone or email - we’re looking forward to seeing you!