Attractions
Kensington and Chelsea are best known for the many museums and nowadays for Kensington Palace where Princess Diana used to live.
Albert Memorial Kensington Gardens SW7
This memorial was erected in 1872 in memory of Prince Albert, the German husband of Queen Victoria, after his death in 1861. Queen Victoria was Britain's longest reigning monarch, notching up a total of 64 years, between 1837-1901. After a ten year complete restoration, the 53 metre high monument is due to be unveiled in June 1999. Just passed it the other day and most of the scaffolding is off, with only Albert himself still under cover. A free visitors centre has been created while the work is still in progress. FREE
Brompton Cemetery Finborough Road SW10 Underground: West Brompton, Earl's Court
Fascinating to explore. Resting place of the suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst and some other notable people. FREE
Commonwealth Institute W8 Tel: 0171-371 3530 Underground: High Street Kensington
This houses the Commonwealth Experience, the name given to the exhibition showing the features of all the countries that make up the commonwealth. Plenty of exhibits as well as a heliride simulator. Open daily 10am-5pm with admission at £4.45.
Holland Park W8 Underground: High Street Kensington, Holland Park
Located on the other side of High Street Kensington to Kensington Gardens, this park is my favourite. There is a beautiful Japanese garden, the Kyoto Garden, which is very serene and peaceful. Don't tell anyone, but this is probably the only park in central London where there are more local people than foreign visitors. FREE
Kensington Palace & Gardens W8 Underground: High Street Kensington, Bayswater, Queensway
The palace has been a home at one time or another to various royals including Queen Victoria, who was born here in 1819, Princess Margaret, and perhaps most famously, the late Princess Diana. Tours of the state apartments are available between May and October and are open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday. On view is the room where Queen Victoria was baptised, some of the royal art collection and the royal dress collection. Kensington Gardens includes the pretty Sunken Gardens and the Orangery where (slightly pricey) afternoon tea is served. Kensington Gardens provides a nice walk between High Street Kensington and Bayswater, and vice versa. The Broadwalk is also officially designed for rollerblading, so oil your blades and bring them too.
Natural History Museum Cromwell Road SW7 Tel: 0171-938 9123 Underground: South Kensington Website: www.nhm.ac.uk
Opened in 1881 to display the British Museum's natural history collection, this huge museum has had several high-tech refits since. Perhaps best to go in summer to avoid the school groups (which have in the past included me!) highlights are the Creepy-Crawly, Human Biology, Ecology and Earth galleries. Open 10am-5.50pm Monday to Saturday, 11am-5.50pm Sunday. Admission is £6, £3-£3.20 concessions, £16 for a family ticket or FREE after 4.30pm.
Royal Albert Hall Kensington Gore SW7 Tel: 0171-589 3203 Box Office: 0171-589 8212 Underground: Gloucester Road, South Kensington, Knightsbridge
Best known for the annual prom concerts, this is a venue for other one-off specials by all kinds of music arts, be it rock, pop or classical. The only way to see inside, as there are no tours, is to attend a concert!
Science Museum Exhibition Road SW7 Tel: 0171-938 8000 Underground: South Kensington Website: www.nmsi.ac.uk
An endearing memory of the Science Museum for me is the countless school trips to the Launch Pad, a hands-on and fun experience of science, especially for kids. However, as you would expect, this museum is crammed full of science and technology exhibits, past, present and future. Open 10am-6pm daily. Admission £5.95, £3.20 concessions and FREE after 4.30pm.
Victoria & Albert Museum Cromwell Road SW7 Tel: 0171-938 8441 Underground: South Kensington Website: www.vam.ac.uk
The museum contains the world's greatest collection of decorative arts as well as the national sculpture collection. Some of the highlights are the new Photography Gallery, the Japanese Gallery and the Samsung Gallery of Korean Art. The museum is open between 12pm-5.45pm on Mondays and 10am-5.45pm Tuesday to Sunday. Admission is £5, £3 for concessions and FREE for under-18s and after 4.30pm.
Something that may also be worth a visit is the Chelsea & Westminster Hospital in Fulham Road. This futuristic hospital is one of the newest. Just walk in and take a look around the art display in the foyer and have a snack in the cafeteria. (Also one of the most efficient accident and emergency departments - EU citizens and countries with reciprocal arragement get free treatment.)