Half-term fun in Kensington
Half-term fun in Kensington
Ghoulishly good goings on…
Image: Yayoi Kusama’s giant polka dot pumpkin
If you need some inspiration for a family day out over the October half-term, High Street Kensington is a great place to head to, and it’s gearing up for some Halloween fun.
There will be a mega-sized inflatable looming over the tube station, a Halloween hunt through the streets and a family-inspired Farmer’s Market filled with autumnal food, crafts, pumpkin decorating and face painting (on Sunday 27 October). On the 31st, there will be free street-theatre with entertainers and trick or treating. There’s also Hyde Park’s Hair-raising Halloween Discovery Days (29-31 October). Halloween family fun is also on offer at Victorian family home Sambourne House.
We took a wander around some of the beautiful streets, with many of the gorgeous houses all dressed up for Halloween, with colourful displays of pumpkins and the like. They really are stunning. Try Phillimore Gardens, Upper Phillimore Gardens, Argyll Road, Ilchester Place and Abbotsbury Road.
After our wander, we’d worked up an appetite and had booked in for afternoon tea at the five-star The Milestone Hotel. A uniformed doorman greeted us at the grand entrance and we were whisked in to the luxurious lobby.
Images: Afternoon Tea at the Milestone Hotel
There are many takes on the afternoon tea in London these days. The Milestone’s is pure tradition and perfectly in-keeping with the vibes of a very stately hotel. We sank into the deep sofas and were pampered with a range of sandwiches, patisserie and scones. And a perfectly chilled glass of Champagne. Our favourite savouries included a chicken sandwich with the addition of nuts around the side of the bread and a classic smoked salmon. We were torn over which was the best sweet treat: a peanut butter macaron was among the standouts, along with the signature cheesecake. The scones were baked to order, and delightfully light. Worth noting, too, that the hotel does a range of menus including vegan or gluten-free afternoon teas.
When we could pull ourselves away, we took in some retail therapy along the high street, with a range of stores, including Japan House… there’s currently an exhibition looking at Japan’s fascination with replica food (very cool) and eki-ben boxes (bento for a train journey). There’s also a two-metre tall statue of Godzilla, as part of the store’s event series celebrating the 70th anniversary of the 1954 film Godzilla.
Had it not been lashing with rain, we would have continued our wander into Kensington Gardens (gorgeous in the autumn) to see Yayoi Kusama’s giant yellow and black polka dot ‘Pumpkin’ beside the Round Pond (until 3 November).
Images: Godzilla at Japan House / Surrounded, 1996, © Tim Burton
We’d also been lucky enough to secure tickets to the new World of Tim Burton exhibition at the Design Museum. There are around 600 items on display, which show his creative journey, from initial sketch to the big screen. Highlights include Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman costume from 1992’s Batman Returns and Wednesday Addams’ viral Rave’N dance dress. The exhibition has toured the world over the last decade, and this will be the last time it is staged.
It’s a fascinating insight into Tim Burton’s incredible imagination. I love his work (The Nightmare Before Christmas being one of my favourite films!) so it was amazing to see it all displayed like this. It’s sold out until mid-November, but do book tickets for a later date, as it’s on until 21 April.
