Master Jonjon Tourist Videos

The Pitzhanger comes with big names. It was designed by John Soane for his family, that is before he was to return to his city home in Holborn (now another museum in his name). If you find the dark corridors and the hoarding-level of stuff in “Sir John Soane’s Museum” too claustrophobic, the Pitzhanger is rather the opposite – much of its treasure is long stripped (or sold off, a tragic story) from its supposed location. Imagine here more of an explication of Soane as an architect and a family, home-building man. (No one would wonder but still. When he bought the place he changed the “s” into the sassier “z”.) PITZHANGER MANOR (London) You’re find yourself celebrating a man’s intellect and artistic inputs from all around the globe as you walk through painted marble and wood panels and books and work desks. But as you enter his master bedroom – abruptly and to point of being marginally comical – the curator is to throw in a darker narrative. The house was eventuall...

It has been more than three years since I’ve been to Ealing. And while the Broadway could satisfy a crave for brand-name shopping all year long, attraction-wise the surrounding area is lacking something more representative of its local vibes (and significance). The closest you’ll get and if you’re willing to go south, would be the Gunnersbury Park Museum , which covers a broader area than its name suggests. And including Ealing. But how about something more local? It is this recently restored Pitzhanger that really fills this gap for a need of local heritage. More on the house’s history next time – let’s just focus on the art gallery for now. “Memory Palace: Es Devin” PITZHANGER GALLERY (London) LOCATION. The fastest way to reach the gallery is by train – especially if you’re from anywhere but West London. A ride from Paddington to Ealing Broadway will cost you ten minutes. After that, walk southwest and through the Broadway / High Street. Keep walking for about ten...

LOCATION. Located in the middle of two tube stations and beside a noisy flyover, the nunnery is not an easy catch at all. Nearest station: Bow Road. A nine-minute walk eastbound along A11 will take you to the gallery. If you come with the DLR, the Bow Church Station is even closer. “2019 Bow Open Show” NUNNERY GALLERY (London) THE VENUE. The gallery is run by Bow Arts, a charity aiming to promote artists from the area and providing support for them (including studio space and accommodation). BACKGROUND. Nineteen artists have been selected by curator Carey Young with all works theme linked to “our current political moment”. Clip: “2019 Bow Open Show” NUNNERY GALLERY (London) MY FAV. HK Kim’s Soon, Life will become more Interesting , in which traditional Korean wood colouring is to be tested with contemporary themes. Fitted with hilarious / horrifying puns here and there. (And I love how one of the works is priced at an unbelievable £1,000,000 with procee...

LOCATION. The Bodiam Castle is in the middle of nowhere. The only public transport you’ll get is this bus 349, running between The Moor and Hastings. Get off at the “Castle Inn” station and the entrance is right next door. It will be a two-hour wait if you miss it so read the schedule carefully before any rash decision. BODIAM CASTLE (Sussex) THE TOUR. There are two tours per day, and it’s worth the time. Gather at the bridge just beside the moat. You’ll be brought around the entire ground floor, stopping at where each of the rooms is used to be – imagination required, as the wooden first floor has long been demolished. And the kitchen, and its fireplaces, and the main hall supposedly with a minstrels gallery on its side. Many of the towers are still intact though, so go up for the best view after the tour. An introductory film is being played again and again in one of the dungeons. To watch it before anything else, go left after you enter through the main entran...

LOCATION. Nearest Overground station: Hoxton or Cambridge Health, with the farm right in the middle. If you’re walking from Cambridge Heath, step west along Hackney Road for around seven minutes. The farm will be on your right inside Haggerston Park. If you’re coming from Hoxton, can also consider visiting the  Geffrye Museum of the Home . It’s closed at the moment for renovation; official website shows an expected opening in Spring 2020. LONDON’S FARM SCENE. If you’re interested in animals but got stuck inside M25, there are many city farms / mini zoos that might satisfy your needs. The Vauxhall City Farm is obviously very conveniently located, while Isle of Doggers can also consider the Mudchute Farm . The latter has the added benefit of a splendid view of Canary Wharf buildings behind the pigs and geese. And they both got llamas. I’ll reserve the Hanwell Zoo , which is in the middle of a forest, to those who’s willing to get lost for thirty minutes through woods and...

WHAT IS IT?   An “exhibition about exhibition” you may say, the Open Studio a temporary showcase on how V&A Museum of Childhood is about to change. With 150 years of history, this space on the top floor has been giving us sneak peeks on these proposed moves for a few years. And now there's finally something more concrete, with actual ideas to test with. "Open Studio" V&A MUSEUM of CHILDHOOD (London)  Main room.  Here you're presented with three curation approaches and a brief introduction of the team behind each approach. And to give comments. Glass room.   The next room is more intense. You’ll see these human beings performing a very common ritual, over and over again. "Meetings". Through staring through these glass windows, not only could you imagine what it’s like to be a curator, but you’ll also realize that the windows are pretty thick. You won’t hear a word. "Open Studio" V&A MUSEUM of CHILDHOOD (London)  ...

WHY VISIT? Suggested year of completion: 1150. You can imagine how impressive this number is – in putting the chapel into the Grade I club, and into the same history as those momentous attractions like St. Helen’s Bishopsgate (also twelfth century) or Westminster Abbey (built 1060s). (Jonjon’s warm reminder - Nearly all of Westminster Abbey are newer-builds from thirteenth century onward. You’ll more likely find the earlier, Anglo-Saxon structures in the basements e.g. the Pyx Chamber . Which you can visit with a National Art Pass. Or a ticket.) What do you expect from an M$ Paint rendition? St. MARY the VIRGIN LITTLE ILFORD (London)  LOCATION. Nearest tube station: East Ham. Get the 147 bus from East Ham bus station, northbound. It will be a one-minute walk from Little Ilford School’s bus station. CURATION.   Detailed description of every art work can be found on the radiators. To up another notch, the reception offers these fifteen-page leaflets t...

Watch out for the Open House weekend (September). For every year the station will open only for these two days! Use your imagination to reconstruct ROYAL DOCKS IMPOUNDING STATION (London) LOCATION. Nearest DLR station: Gallions Reach. As you get down from the platform, walk south and turn left into Atlantis Avenue. Turn right into Gallions Road to walk past all these middle-classed new-builds. By the time you’ve reached the docks you’ll have noticed this somewhat out of place bricked house to your left. BACKGROUND. - The station maintains the water level in the dock by exchanging water with the Thames on the other side. - It can pump a macho 7150 litres per second! - Only a couple of hours of pumping is required on any day. (Let’s spare time and effort: All info from the display boards is duplicated with the leaflets you get at the entrance.) Messenger me for free advice on traveling plans. Time is asset: save it for better with 25-min museum tours . Or...

LOCATION. Nearest station: Temple. As you exit the station, walk north into Arundel Street. Go till its very end and turn right into the Strand. In a minute you’d have walked past St. Clement Danes’ Church and the Royal Courts of Justice would be on the other side. ROYAL COURTS of JUSTICE (London)  OPEN HOUSE. While you can come another day for the court cases, the annual Open House weekend (September) offers something more fun – court case re-enactments, much like what we’ve seen in Nottingham’s National Justice Museum . You also get to play one of the characters if you wish, the witnesses, judge, defendant, jury members etc. Clip: ROYAL COURTS of JUSTICE (London)  In the rest of your time there’s no direction whatsoever as to what to do. Unlike the stringent government departments we’ve visited , here the courts have more of a pigeon-let-free policy. Imagine roaming free and through any door unlocked. Do check out the mini exhibitions on the...

The institute is open for visit in the Open House weekend (September). LOCATION. Closest station: Westminster. As you leave the station, walk away from the river and turn right into Parliament Street. Keep walking for four minutes and the building is to your right. ROYAL UNITED SERVICES INSTITUTE for DEFENCE & SECURITY STUDIES (London) CONFUSION. Not to be confused with Banqueting House (a ticketed mansion just next door). The RUSI is instead an 1895 extension to the house. Designed by Aston Webb (1859-1930). Grade II*-listed. Clip: ROYAL UNITED SERVICES INSTITUTE for DEFENCE & SECURITY STUDIES (London) THE ATTRACTIVE’S. ☞The staircase ☞Library (photo) ☞And on the first floor meeting room there’s this wooden Victorian toilet – the kind with a circle on a rectangular board. It flushes. I’ve tested it. Messenger me for free advice on traveling plans. Time is asset: save it for better with 25-min museum tours . Or find yourself in my novel , c...

This is one of the government departments that open during the Open House weekend (September). That means you only have one chance per year. LOCATION. Nearest station: Westminster. As you exit the station, walk away from the river and turn right immediately into Parliament Street. Take your first left into Great George Street and FCO’s entrance is right in the middle. Clip: FOREIGN & COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (London) WHAT’S INSIDE. Imagine a building so spacious that people can chill everywhere. This can happen at the in-house Costa, but basically also anywhere with seats. As you get to the atrium (photo) you’ll find a number of exhibitions on FCO’s efforts in diversity and war involvements. The rest of the building is conveniently squashed into a one-route journey, leading you through meeting rooms and tapestries as if you’re walking through Kensington Palace . You can get a glimpse of 10 Downing Street at the exit hall. The atrium at the FOREIGN & COMMO...

LOCATION. Closest station: Westminster. Exit the station and walk west until you reach the boundaries of St. Jame’s Park. There, turn right into Horse Guards Road and you’ll see the entrance in thirty seconds. People looking at display boards: HM TREASURY (London) OPENING TIMES. The office opens in the Open House weekend. So sadly, you’ve got one chance per year. The courtyard: HM TREASURY (London) CURATING STRUCTURE. The whole experience is roped into one single-way route. As you walk along the first lobby, boards after boards you’ll be enlightened with detailed history of previous office locations and renovation nuances. The journey ends in a grand “amphitheatre” courtyard, where a floor sign prompts you to make noises in the middle for the echo. (Now head to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office right opposite.) Messenger me for free advice on traveling plans: CHAT Time is asset: save it for better with 25-min museum tours . Or find yourself i...

This is Wellcome’s new permanent exhibition, the redesigned gallery “Being Human”. LOCATION. Nearest station: Euston Square. Exit the station, turn right and walk for forty-five seconds. THEMES? EXAMPLES? The genre and medium are extremely diverse. You can expect most of the exhibits are artistic interpretations or on the social consequences of technology. And latest advancements. Here are some of them that interest me: - Home DIY kits for genome experiments - iPhone-compatible gene sequencer - Junk food. Video footage of “Flooding McDonald’s” (Superflex 2019) is pretty gimmicky. - Vaccine scare "Being Human" WELLCOME COLLECTION WHAT’S NEW? The curating choice follows the recent trends for scientific institutes to “get science to dialogue with arts”. (If you have leftover appetites for showcases like these, there’s plenty of options in London alone – try the Science Gallery or Francis Crick Institute . The Faraday Museum also has tiny corrido...

Hidden well within a golf course, this Grade I-listed mansion remains a mystery even for many Londoners. And it rarely opens: read the following instructions carefully. Built 1720s. Designed by Thornhill. Much has been changed though, as the house has been changing hands a great number of times with some tenants specialized in selling off stuff for their debts. After all these reboots it currently is both a golf club and an event venue (which explains why it has so many dining rooms now). One of the dining rooms: MOOR PARK MANSION (London)  LOCATION. First you have to get to one of  the entrances of Moor Park Golf Course. There are many options here with public transport, none of which can save you from hiking your lazy bottoms. Walking from Moor Park tube station is obviously one of them. You can also start from Northwood tube station and take any bus that brings you towards Mount Vernon Hospital. From there, start a 25-minute hike – you’ll be walking n...

LOCATION. Nearest DLR station: Mudchute. As you get off the train, Mudchute Park is right beside you and to your east. You’ll have to walk past the park to the other side for the farm. Clip: MUDCHUTE FARM (London) THE LONDON ANIMAL SCENE. This is one of the few casual places to see animals without having to cross M25. Imagine a place we can walk in to interact with some cutie cuties then head back to work. That kind of attraction. If that’s what you want, the Central London choice you can find would be Vauxhall City Farm if you’re ever close to south bank. If you’re open to a short train ride to West London and couldn’t care less on getting lost in a forest then a golf course before finding that teeny-tiny entrance, you can also try the Hanwell Zoo . MUDCHUTE FARM (London) Mudchute Farm is instead for those in the East and wouldn’t mind a DLR ride. Or if you’d like a short walk, you can also talk a stroll from Canary Wharf. It takes a little less than half an hou...

LOCATION. Closest station: Charing Cross. Exit the station and get onto the Strand, then walk west towards the square with big dogs with hair. At the traffic circle, turn southeast into Northumberland Avenue and walk for another minute. VENUE. This is the official entry point for the promotion of Korean culture to Britain, or as the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism puts it – “to enhance friendship, amity and understanding” between the two countries. “Circulation metaphor” (Korean Cultural Centre UK) FLOWERY NARRATIVE. Circular Metaphor shows us the never-ending relationships between nature and human activities - and their “circular communication”. And to celebrate having a UNESCO creative city in South Korea (there are currently two – Bucheon for literature and Daegu Metropolitan for music). Clip: “Circulation metaphor” (Korean Cultural Centre UK) ANYTHING FUN? The exhibits are as diverse as they can be, and in the centre is this ceramic city ...

LOCATION. As you walk from North Greenwich Station to the O2, the gallery will be to your right within one minute. Look for a curved-glass structure with an elaborate reception. BACKDROP. At some point we should start imagining North Greenwich as a peninsula far too commercialized for many. You’ve got a stadium filled with ever more brand names to be surrounded by even more overpriced new flats. But if you like art, you can either follow The Line art walk for an outdoorsy experience or – if it starts to drizzle – here at the Now Gallery. You’ll realize how customer friendly it is, for an ongoing benefit of these themed showcases is that its exhibitions let you sit . And the rights to sit can be huge in any shopping space. “Kinska: My opera house” (Now Gallery) PROMOTIONAL NARRATIVE. Kinska had a ceramic hip surgery and had to stay in the hospital. Which gave her plenty of time to hand-draw these cartoon sketch books while in hospital beds followed by sculptures mad...

LOCATION. Closest station: Stubentor. Exit the station and walk east for two minutes. The museum is at the corner of Stubenring right across the picnic meadows. Or you can walk from the opposite direction from Wien Mitte Station – especially if you come from the airport. Just walk across the river canal and you’ll be there in three minutes. “MAK – Museum of Applied Art” (Vienna) THE EXHIBITIONS. Last time we were in Leopold Museum  and we have seen Vienna 1900 - a permanent exhibition on paintings, architecture, furnishing and all kinds of “applied” design. And now here you’ll find the remaining half of it. The rest of the perm (photo) entails a furniture collection from the last five hundred years with substantial congeries of East Asian imports. The galleries are dark and greenhouse-hot – it was a steaming summer day after all. Clip: “MAK – Museum of Applied Art” (Vienna) Compare this hardship with all these temporary exhibitions (clip). Occupying more ...