An Artful Day Out In London

Not Norfolk #1: Days Out In Other Places

Occasionally, we leave Norfolk. I know. Imagine.

Seriously though, while nothing can eclipse our wonderful home county, there are some pretty nice days out to be had not that far from our magical border.

London is an excellent example. Why?

1. It’s easy. Since the A11 was dualled, and on days when there are no roadworks, you can drive there from Norwich in less than 2 hours. You can also take a regular train – book in advance for best prices – also under 2 hours journey time (from Norwich).
2. You can drive straight to Westfield Stratford and park all day for around £12 (at time of writing), and jump straight on the tube (central line). The train also stops at Stratford. Or Liverpool Street.
3. You can enjoy all the wonderful sights that London has to offer and then head back to the safe confines of Norfolk, where you can be smug that you can experience all that a big, important city has to offer without running the daily gauntlet of living there. Nice.

We did this very thing at the start of the school Easter holidays. Kid-free (the lucky things were enjoying sunshine abroad and on a football tour, respectively), we drove down to Stratford, parked up and then headed on the Central Line to Liverpool Street where we popped out to get some brunch at the open-24-hours Polo Bar (found just outside). We’ve been there a few times and it’s always excellent.

After refuelling, we had plans to absorb some culture.

First stop:

The Wallace Collection.

If you’ve never heard of The Wallace Collection, it’s a museum in London occupying Hertford House in Manchester Square, the former townhouse of the Seymour family, Marquesses of Hertford. We’d never been before and what a wonderful surprise!

Entry to the main, permanent collection is free, and expect to be dazzled by the sheer volume of treasures housed within. Masterpieces by the likes of Titian, Velázquez, Rubens and Van Dyck are housed inside, along with one of the finest collections of 18th-century French paintings and decorative arts. Think Liberace’s best dream.

As well as the permanent collection, The Wallace has temporary exhibitions, which you pay admission for. At the moment, it’s ‘Grayson Perry: Delusions of Grandeur’. Featuring over 40 new works by the renowned British artist, we loved this.
Take the audio tour (your own personal headphones and control set thing – included with admission) to get the most out of this bright, modern and thought-provoking show.
Entry is about £15 per person which is an absolute bargain actually, and must be booked in advance as it’s a popular exhibition.
On until 26th October 2025.

We spent a good couple of hours at The Wallace and didn’t see it all – you could easily spend most of the day there. Well worth a visit.

After The Wallace, we headed via the underground to Bermondsey Street to visit

Marilyn at the Arches, London Bridge

Both lifelong Marilyn Monroe fans, this exhibition was right up our street – I’ve been wanting to go for a while. Again, it was our first time visiting Arches, London Bridge, a fairly new and very cool exhibition space.

Again, we’d recommend the audio tour (£4 extra) – it really ensures you get the most out of the experience.

The exhibition itself is brilliant – a hefty volume of personal artefacts that will sate any Marilyn fans, and presented thoughtfully and sympathetically without feeling exploitative. It’s always weird seeing her personal stuff on display, but as it’s displayed here, artfully and framed by a backdrop of her strength of spirit and character as a trailblazing feminist icon for women everywhere, I think she’d approve. The exhibition doesn’t shy away from difficult truths, which may make it unsuitable for younger visitors, but it in no way sensationalises these themes to the extent of Marylin’s character. Good to see.

Over the years, I’ve read and watched volumes on Marilyn and here, I still discovered things I didn’t know about her life.

It’s a beautifully curated celebration of a complex character, and I think it will stay with me for a long time.

If you want to catch this exhibition, be quick – it closes on June 1st 2025. Tickets £22+

Having spent another good couple of hours in the Arches, London Bridge, we ventured out to walk over London Bridge, before taking the tube back to Stratford and home.

The next night? We visited Great Yarmouth to watch Winter Gardens Illuminate. Proof that you don’t have to leave Norfolk to experience original culture. Isn’t it nice that we can though? The best of both worlds surely.

Thanks to Giovanna and the team at Arches, London Bridge for organising our visit. We can’t wait to hear about what’s coming next!