Best of British
Explore London’s fascinating past and present through film, literature and a virtual tour of the Royal family seat.
01. Watch
If you can’t wait until 21 October to see Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queen’s Gambit) take on Swinging ’60s London in the hotly anticipated horror flick Last Night in Soho then cue up Howards End, based on E. M. Forster’s classic 1910 novel. Catch the crisp consonants and plum vowels as they fall – between sips of tea – from the mouths of an all-star cast, including Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson. For a more modern take on the city, there’s 2002’s About a Boy. Hugh Grant plays a mellow version of his caddish self in this rom-com about a slick bachelor, a lonely kid (Nicholas Hoult), his mum (Toni Collette) and a love interest (Rachel Weisz). It also showcases the brightest nightspots in town – a reminder that while London (like many of its inhabitants) might act cool, it’s warm and inviting underneath.
02. Read
Set in the city’s north-west, NW by Zadie Smith traces the lives of four friends who grew up on a council estate and are now struggling to transcend their working-class roots. Gritty and experimental, it paints a vivid picture of a London not often seen. The Mirror and the Light, published last year, is topping critics’ lists and sending Tudor tragics into a frenzy. It’s the final instalment in Hilary Mantel’s much-lauded trilogy about the fictionalised life of Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII’s chief minister, and provides insight into the workings of the Reformation and the monarch’s court.
03. Listen
The Out to Lunch podcast, hosted by food critic Jay Rayner, sees a pod guest dine at a restaurant of Rayner’s choosing (such as Heston Blumenthal’s Michelinstarred Dinner) in every episode. Expect delicious conversation with the likes of author Marian Keyes and actor Rafe Spall.
04. See
So you’ve binge-watched The Crown and you’re dying to know just how much space Diana really had to rollerskate. For an answer to this and to see where the Queen enjoys supper, take a virtual tour of Buckingham Palace (royal.uk).