A Saunter down Southbank

So it has been a while since I posted on this blog, mainly because I've been flooded with work for uni but also because I have been enjoying my new surroundings at the Southbank. When I was younger, still in secondary school, I used to listen to Johnny Vaughn's Capital Radio Breakfast show in the mornings, and one thing I've never forgotten is a particular feature he did one morning. He invited people to call or email or text in if they had NEVER been to the South, or North (depending on where they lived) side of the River Thames. I just couldn't believe that there were actually people in London who hadn't ever crossed the Thames. London has so much to offer someone, and I'm sure you could content yourself just on the north side of the river. But you would miss out on so much. This post, coupled with my previous post about the Globe Theatre, features some of the most popular tourist attractions in the whole of London, and a definite reason to cross the Thames's murky waters!

My college building is right behind the iMax cinema near Waterloo station, and at first I was a bit apprehensive about the location. I wasn't sure how buzzing it would be. I know there's a lot going on around Royal Festival Hall and Jubilee Gardens, but apart from that I didn't know much about the area, and to be honest I was very thankful that the more familiar Trafalgar Sq, Leicester Sq, Piccadilly and Covent Garden area is just a short walk across the river. I've been frequenting that area since I was about 15! However, it was actually on a walk across the river to Charing X station that I actually began to appreciate the Southbank a little more. At night, on a clear winter's evening, it must be one of the few places in London where the air is clear enough for you to actually be able to see the stars! The footbridge on either side of Charing X bridge gives you a really amazing view both ways down the River Thames; either towards St Pauls and the City, or overlooking Parliament at Westminster. I really love how architects and town planners have thought to illuminate some of the most beautiful buildings along the river, because honestly it's not until you see them in this light that you really appreciate how delicate and varied the buildings along this stretch of the river are. All you need do is simply contrast something classic and elegant like the Savoy with the harshness of the Hayward Gallery and Royal Festival Hall. Indeed, many people dislike the latter buildings and see them as an eyesore, but I think they represent an important part of London's artistic history. Of course in this vicinity there is also the London Eye, and right now at night it's pods are decorated with electric blue lights that give it this haunting ferris wheel aura. I've been on the Eye at night, and it is something I'd really recommend doing. London is splendid of course during the day but at night you really appreciate the blood and life of the city. New York isnt' the only city which never sleeps! I took the picture on my phone a couple of days ago, so apologies for the poor quality, but even in this amateur perception it still looks rather dazzling!

To attempt an entire description of the whole Southbank area would be both foolish, because there's simply so much to talk about, and well out of my current experience! There is so much of the area I have yet to explore. Still, I actually know a little bit about Jubilee Gardens and the Royal Festival Hall, so aside for the brilliant lighting features let's start here. The London Eye is of course buzzing every day with tourists eager to experience it's aerial sights, and rightly so - this is the legacy of the millennium which everyone casually forgot in the furore over the Millennium Dome, simply because this structure has lasted and become part of the accepted landscape. The copycat wheel in Manchester leaves much to be desired! If you venture South from the Eye you come across lots of restaurants and bars which are teaming with punters. Indeed, all the restaurants around Royal Festival Hall are absolutely packed in the evening - if you want dinner there I strongly suggest you book. Jubilee Gardens itself is the patch of grass underneath the London Eye, and frequently there are things going on there. Currently the area is closed off, something new is being developed, probably for the Olympics, but I'm afraid I can't disclose what!

Walking East down the river you go underneath the foot and railway bridge leading to Charing X station, past numerous street entertainers and fairground rides, and come across more busy restaurants and bookshops underneath Royal Festival Hall. The Hall has recently been renovated to modernise it and attract people back to the Southbank, and it has definitely worked, with the area now becoming one of the most visited by tourists in London. There are bookshops (including an outside second hand book sale where you can pick up some real gems) and restaurants and chic bars all to enjoy, but be aware they are always busy in the evening. Continuing on one reaches the Hayward Gallery, and underneath there is a skate park. Here one can see some of the best graffiti artwork in the whole of London - indeed the Festival Hall gave up it's fight with the skateboarders for this land because they realised that actually it brought something urban and anti-haughty to the area - something raw. Past various buskers, next you reach the British Film Institute. This is a place I would really like to explore more - I ventured in for the first time this week, and contented myself in the gift store, although most of the merchandise and books were far too artistically technical for a simple film lover like me. One thing I do want to take advantage of at the BFI is their free cinema, where you can choose from hundreds of television programmes and films and just sit in there and watch them for free! There's also a rather swanky looking bar inside which I would like to test one day in the future. If you turn right at the BFI, and go up the ramp, you come to a big road roundabout, in the middle of which sits the iMax cinema. Indeed, to access the iMax you need to use the underground subways which feel like a little hidden oasis, with rainbow lighting effects and trees and branches obscuring the road above with their tendrils. The iMax is the most famous 3D cinema in the UK, mostly for the fabulous advertising purposes it serves through it's 360 degree shell (currently sporting a panoramic view of the Amazon encouraging you to visit Brazil!). I'm going to the iMax on Sunday to see the Lion King in 3D, so I shall update more on that once have actually visited the place. One thing I will say about it is that it is not cheap! But you will find it hard to score a cheap cinema ticket in London, student or not!

Back on the river, if you walk past the BFI, you reach the National Theatre, which is where Jubilee Gardens and the Royal Festival Hall's land ends. I've never been to the National Theatre - there are so many beautiful theatres in London (including the aforementioned one in the post below!) that this modern building is a bit of an anomaly. But I've heard their productions are truly inspiring, and their youth department is one of the best places for aspiring actors and actresses. A place in this company is much coveted. Once you pass the National Theatre, I come to a blankspot in my mind. I know that if you keep walking you eventually reach the Oxo Tower, where you can find lots of independent artist's shops and perhaps a boutique or two, as well as a market on the riverside. And, should one continue walking, you will come to the Tate Modern, the Millennium Bridge, and the Globe Theatre! But I'm a bit confused as to what happens in between. This definitely warrants further exploration, and I shall attempt to enlighten the reader in a future post as to what other delights the Southbank can offer.

Of course, what I have covered today is just a minute part of the Southbank. The area does not just cover the river boundary, and I'm sure there's much more going on that what I have described, and much more to see and visit. Certainly, if one had chosen to walk in the other direction from the London Eye you would have come to the London Aquarium - I went to the Aquarium when I was little and I desperately want to go back now, since I love all things fishy and marine! Perhaps on a Friday afternoon after class I can persuade someone to join me in that adventure. Nevertheless, if you're a new visitor to London and want to visit the Southbank (and see what excitement and entertainment lies south of the Thames!) then this area is a great, busy, beautiful place to start.