London Life
London Life is Country Life's section dedicated to life in the capital.
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'There were no fireworks. The art world remained unshaken. Then, this April, a letter arrived... to see it hanging in Tate will be very special': Art dealer John Martin on the piece he'd never part withA chance encounter with a huge, shimmering panel led art dealer John Martin to discover Nigerian sculptor Asiru Olatunde, a man who also owed his artistic career to an accidental find, as Carla Passino learns.
By Carla Passino Published
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The 'professional hoarders' that have dressed everyone from Helen Mirren to Hugh Grant, and Madonna to Meryl StreepCosprop in London has been the go-to wardrobe for period productions of the stage and screen since 1965.
By Deborah Nicholls-Lee Published
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A spectacular green oasis that offers a slice of country life in the very heart of one of the busiest places in LondonAmong the roads, rail and conference centres of Earls Court, there's a charming terrace where you can find homes that offer wonderful surprises — and they don't get much more wonderful than this one.
By Toby Keel Published
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Helene Kröller-Müller: The woman who made van GoghAfter a life-threatening illness spurred Helene Kröller-Müller to make plans for a museum, she bought modern art voraciously, forming an extraordinary collection that shaped the early-20th-century perception of Vincent van Gogh
By Carla Passino Published
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'A world within a world… a community with an identity, a smoothly turning cog in the wheel of royal life': A look behind the stable doors of the Royal MewsHome to carriages, coachmen and craftspeople, Buckingham Palace’s Royal Mews is a village in the heart of London. It celebrates its 200th anniversary this year.
By Matthew Dennison Published
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Some of the city’s finest restaurants are found inside museums. Country Life writers round up the very bestLondon has a rich history of repurposing grand architecture into dining spaces, including inside its museums, galleries and shops. Here are some of our favourites.
By Will Hosie Published
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The studio Monty Python used at the height of their fame is up for sale — and it's now an astonishing home in CamdenAlways look on the bright side of the property market at Milkwood Studios, where the Monty Python team created some of their best-loved films.
By Toby Keel Last updated
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What everyone is talking about this week: The problem(s) with cyclistsWeek in, week out, Will Hosie rounds up the hottest topics on everyone's lips, in London and beyond.
By Will Hosie Published
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Location, community and charm: The enduring desirability of London's mews housesFrom birds, to horses, to beautiful family homes, the mews of London are some of the nation's most sought-after homes. But why?
By James Fisher Published
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Will Hosie: In defence of gatekeeping and why we have to stop confusing TopJaw with proper critiqueModern audiences expect critics to keep up with the times, but it's always been their job to keep some places under wraps.
By Will Hosie Published
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Sir Denys Lasdun: The brains behind the building branded 'a clever way of building a nuclear power station in the middle of London’ by The KingJohn Betjeman admired Sir Denys Lasdun’s work, but The King disliked it, and opinion remains divided to this day. Either way, the man who viewed ‘buildings as landscape’ has left an indelible mark on London.
By Carla Passino Published
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What everyone is talking about this week: Would you swim in the River Thames?Week in, week out, Will Hosie rounds up the hottest topics on everyone's lips, in London and beyond.
By Will Hosie Published
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The 11 best restaurants in London for al fresco diningThere is no shortage of places to dine outside in London, from five-star hotels to canal-side picnic tables.
By Will Hosie Published
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Everything the light touches… The London penthouse for sale that will make you feel like a kingThe Observatory in London’s Fulham boasts 360-degree views of the capital.
By Rosie Paterson Published
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Reading al fresco: The best places in London to get lost in the written word, according to the Country Life teamIn London, north, east, south and west, there's a public place suitable for all performative acts of reading.
By Country Life Published
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Princess, patron and purveyor of the arts: The Princess of Wales unveils her own ‘mini display’ at V&A East StorehouseThe Princess of Wales has curated a wide-ranging display of objects, now on display at the newly opened V&A East Storehouse.
By Rosie Paterson Published
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Raffles London at The OWO hotel review: How eight years and £1.4 billion transformed the birthplace of BondBut was it worth it? Emma Hughes checks in.
By Emma Hughes Published
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‘He’s been here and fired a gun’: How the rivalry between Turner and Constable spiced up Britain’s art sceneTate Britain will delve into the ‘war’ between the two great landscape artists, much touted by the art critics of their time, with a late-autumn exhibition, ‘Turner and Constable: Rivals and Originals’.
By Carla Passino Published
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Model Kate Moss’s former London home in leafy St John’s Wood is up for saleKate Moss’s former London home has only had one owner since she sold it in 2012 and moved to the Cotswolds.
By Rosie Paterson Published
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From the headless king to the mouths of the masses: Britain's ice-cream originsOn National Ice-Cream Day, Jack Watkins traces the sweet treat’s roots and discovers that its popularity owes a lot to London’s ingenious residents and Regent’s Canal.
By Jack Watkins Published
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The architect who created the MI6 building only designed a tiny handful of houses — and one of them is now up for sale in one of London's most bucolic spotsSir Terry Farrell designed the beautiful, light-filled, T-shaped Drum House in Petersham, with gardens laid out by John Sallis Chandler, who has won multiple RHS Chelsea Flower Show gold medals.
By Toby Keel Last updated


