May in London

We are curious, eager to explore! We love sharing things which inspire us. That’s the way we appreciate good stuff.

Happenings of the Month –May 2017

For London visitors in summer we have the following suggestions.

WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY: Ranging from dramatic landscapes to intimate portraits, see a selection of images depicting nature through the eyes of passionate photographers at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition. Natural History Museum, £13/£8, book ahead, until 10 September

ROBOT ZOO: A zoo? Inhabited by robot creatures? That’ll be the exceptional Robot Zoo. It’s educational too; discover what gives animals the ability to change colour, leap high and see at night. Horniman Museum & Gardens, £7/£4, book ahead, until 29 October

Designer, artist and architect. Josef Frank was a talented man and his full breadth of outputs is explored in this colourful exhibition. Textiles hang from the ceilings, paintings adorn the walls and there are showroom interiors, all bursting with colour and patterns. This small museum always does a great job with its limited exhibition space, and this is yet another successful show.

THE LONDONERS: Whether it’s wrestling, waitressing or politics, London has become a hub for job seekers. Explore 400 years of London living with The Londoners: Portraits of a Working City, an exhibition covering the period 1447-1980. London Metropolitan Archives, free, just turn up, until 4 July

BRAZILIAN POP-UP: Brazil’s favourite snack food is Pão de Queijo, which translates as cheese bread. Brazilian chef Dona Rita is bringing these addictive cheese balls to hungry commuters at Old Street Station in a small pop-up store. Old Street station, just turn up, until 21 May

FREE FILM FESTIVAL: Herne Hill Free Film Festival has a great line up, including La La Land, Easy Rider, Moana and The Big Lebowski. Various locations, free, book ahead, until 29 May

LEICESTER SQUARE: Think you know Leicester Square and Trafalgar Square? Go a little deeper with this talk about the tourist hotspots and find out more about the area’s past residents including Sir Joshua Reynolds, Baron Albert Grant and Sir Mortimer Wheeler. Guildhall Library, free, book ahead, 2pm-3pm

Stars, stripes and savings: get 2-for-1 American Dream tickets

The US has had a pretty eventful few decades, from JFK and Vietnam, to civil rights and Obama. See these turbulent years through the eyes of artists at the British Museum’s acclaimed American Dream exhibition.

Starting with 60s pop art, this is an epic showcase of works by artists such as Warhol and Rauschenberg, looking at how they interpreted America’s history through bold and innovative printmaking. Now’s the time to see the exhibition — http://americandreamexhibition.org

PRIVATE MADE PUBLIC: A new display opens at Dulwich Picture Gallery, celebrating the 200th anniversary of London’s oldest art gallery. Central focus is what is believed to be the oldest picture of the gallery’s interior, a watercolour dating back to 1830. @Dulwich Picture until 4 June.

Two powerful female artists who are generations apart combine in this exhibition all about identity. Claude Cahun shaves her head to pose as a male dandy, while Gillian Wearing dances in a Peckham shopping centre to music that’s all in her head as passers by pretend not to notice. The show is a subtle exploration of two artists on similar themes, while providing a fascinating insight into both their art practices. Gillian Wearing & Claude Cahun: Behind the mask, another mask is on at National Portrait Gallery,

RESTAURANT The only real Italian food is regional — or so says Tasting Sicily. These guys want everyone to rethink Italian food, and to learn about all the delicious Sicilian dishes and ingredients that are available.

In addition to a well-stocked authentic deli and shop, Tasting Sicily has just launched a new restaurant, Enzo’s Kitchen. This is about much more than Margherita pizza — think octopus carpaccio, arancini and ragu, and the classic dessert of ricotta stuffed cannoli. Dodge the chains and make a move towards the real deal — take a look at Enzo’s Kitchen menu here.

Pergola on the Roof deems it warm enough the open the doors for the summer months, sitting neatly atop the Television Centre in White City and themed on New York’s The Hamptons. Expect great food and drink, with a decent view to boot. Pergola on the Roof, book ahead, 3 May-1 October