The English Flower Garden by Paul Cummins

The English Flower Garden is a series of six installations with a total of 15,000 individually hand-thrown ceramic blooms mounted on metal rods and it is part of the London 2012 Festival. It is a celebration of the quintessential British love of flowers.

Paul Cummins' blooms are carefully displayed, an open and accessible way of viewing contemporary ceramic art. Each of the six installations have been created on the basis of its historic relationship with each location. The installations are carefully displayed in an open and accessible way of viewing contemporary ceramic art.

The English Flower Garden  has been commissioned by the Unlimited programme, part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.

About the Artist

Paul Cummins is a Derbyshire-based artist who has been creating fine ceramic flower works for the past five years. He originally studied environmental architecture and is deeply influenced by the natural world. Cummins is severely dyslexic, and his work has been commissioned as part of Unlimited, a series that celebrates disabled and deaf UK artists.

Showtime (London 2012 Festival) August-September

Wherever you are in London, it'll be Showtime this August as town centres come alive with fantastic free outdoor performances for the whole family. From local high streets to Parks and open spaces, there will be entretainment everywhere with the best UK and International artists, performers and shows. 

Don't miss out on this once in a lifetime festival, bringing fantastic free outdoor performances for the family to each and every corner of London. From local high streets to parks and open spaces, Showtime is delivering the best UK and international artists, performers and shows to your doorstep for free. Come on down!

From 21 June to 9 September 2012, artists from all over the world will come together in celebration of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

What is it Showtime? Showtime is part of the London 2012 Festival - the finale to the Cultural Olympiad which was set up in 2008 to feature UK programmes and projects inspired by London 2012. The London 2012 Festival is the biggest festival the UK has ever seen. 

You don't know what to do this weekend? Until Sunday you can enjoy this unique experience  in Victoria Park to see a wide range of acts. Showtime content will include giant walk about dinosaurs, aerial shows, Beijing all female percussion, gorillas, live art hairdressing and many more street theatre shows. 

Some highlights:

Osadia: Whose Hair Dares, Hairdressing / Live Art
OSADIA are a performance art company that specialises in transformation of the public using unusual hairdressing and make-up techniques and plastic art. 

Bureau of Silly Ideas: The Hole Job, Street Theatre / Comedy
Proving blood is thicker than tarmac, road workers deviate from the norm by dancing, flying through the air, launching road cones into the sky and summoning a civil engineering superhero in a high flying super acrobat jaw dropping farce. 

Red Poppy Ladies’ Percussion
Relive the spell-binding synchronization of the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony with a performance by Red Poppy Ladies’ Percussion. Red Poppy are China’s most famous all female percussion group.

Close Act: Saurus, Walkabout / Interactive
The biggest beasts that ever walked the earth return to the twenty first century. With a deafening roar these Sauruses charge through the crowds, looking for food to calm their hunger.

KinetikaBloco
London Sweet: KinetikaBloco is a performance group with an exuberant mix of young musicians, drummers, steel pan and dynamic dancers all in costume creating a unique new British Carnival sound with a decidedly London edge. 

Roo’d
Roo'd is an act by Icarus Performance Troupe: giant kangaroos on amazing bouncing stilts jumping up to a metre off the ground and 2 metres in a bound.

View a full calendar of Showtime events here.

And...Have fun! 

Heatherwick Studio: 'Designing the Extraordinary', V&A Museum

How many of you know this name? Thomas Heatherwick. Does this sound familiar?

Let me put it in another way:

How many of you recognise this picture?

Yes, it is the The Olympic Cauldron designed by "the Leonardo da Vinci of our times" Thomas Heatherwick.

Thomas Heatherwick’s cauldron for London 2012 is a game changer.

Heatherwick’s elegant design celebrates the plurality of the Olympic Games by creating 204 separate flames, one for each competing nation, which then visually unite into one. These individual vessels are made of hand-beaten copper etched with the name of one of the competing countries.

Heatherwick's work is currently the subject of a retrospective at the V&A in London.

This exhibition is the first ever major retrospective on the work of the British designer, one of the most exciting creative practitioners working in the UK today and it will be hosted by the V&A until the 30th of September.

A gallery full of ‘stuff’ − exquisite models, material samples, prototypes and sketches − tells the story of Thomas Heatherwick from his student days at the then Manchester Polytechnic, where he studied 3D Design in the late 1980s, to the international standing he now holds across design disciplines.

Moreover, the team's work to date includes a spinning chair, a rolling bridge, an expandable zip bag, a power station, an 'endless' bench and a brand new bus for London.

The V&A show is not chronological. Exhibition curator Abraham Thomas has opted instead for ‘themes and ideas about questions’ that emerge from Heatherwick’s burgeoning portfolio.

So if you haven’t been there yet, why not come to London and do so?

For pricing and opening time, please refer to the V&A website.

And... Enjoy!

CURIOSITY: Betty, code-named thus by the secretive organisers in honour of the executive producer's dog, the Olympic cauldron has moved away from centre stage after an elegant opening ceremony performance. For this reason the flame has been deliberately put out in order to relocate the massive structure to a new part of the stadium on the night between Sunday 29th and Monday 30th July. The Olympic organizers moved the flame to a holding lantern while the cauldron was put out and relocated. 

S.

Your Stay in London this August - Head to Notting Hill Carnival!

Notting Hill Carnival should be number one on your list of things to do during your stay in London this Summer. Boutique London Lets gives you the essentials on London's biggest street party!

London at its Most Vibrant! (Photo Credit: PA)

WHAT: A street carnival that has stayed true to its Caribbean roots - something so vibrant, lively, diverse and colourful that it has grown and grown annually since its birth in 1964. Expect 50,000 costumed performers, colourful floats, traditional Caribbean food stalls, Calypso music and steel bands as well as 40 sound systems that will keep you dancing all weekend long.


WHEN:  Held every year on the Sunday (26th) and Monday (27th) of the August Bank Holiday weekend, the street festival is the biggest of its kind in Europe. The Carnival Bands take to the streets around 9am on both days, finishing up by 7pm. Sunday is Children's Day, with a shorter parade route and competitions. Monday is the day of the main procession.


WHERE: Notting Hill is in the London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. See the 'HOW' section for information on transport routes to and from the Carnival.


WHY: Notting Hill Carnival began in 1964 as a way to showcase the steel band musicians of Earls Court, and a reminder to local residents of their Caribbean roots. It was a celebration of the abolition of slavery and the slave trade and an expression of newfound freedom.


HOW: The Carnival can be easily reached by public transport, but be sure to plan your journey in advance. Your best bet is travelling to High Street Kensington (Circle Line), Bayswater or Paddington and taking the short walk to Notting Hill as Ladbroke Grove, Notting Hill Gate, Royal Oak and Westbourne Park stations are likely to be closed or running a restricted service on account of the large amount of congestion. There is limited parking available so it may not be the best option to take the car.


Boutique London Lets has a number of apartments for rent in central and exciting locations - all our locations have great transport links, so travelling to and from the Carnival shouldn't be too much trouble. Get your dancing shoes on and make the most of your August Bank Holiday Weekend in London!

The cheeky side of London 2012

We all know the Olympic Games are all about having fun, watching some amazing athletes and supporting your country. But over the past few weeks some Londoners have taken it upon themselves to have a cheeky joke at London 2012's expense. Everyone's entitled to their opinion..

1. Plenty of designers have made alternative Olympics posters, we love the women's boxing one featuring Her Majesty by Janelle Dagres – 2012 is the first time women's boxing has made it into the Games. See more posters at KathyKaven's AnotherDesignBlog.

2. YouTube video (trouble) maker Cassette Boy has stitched together clips of London Mayor Boris Johnson's history TV programmes to make an embarrassing summary of the Games as a big mess full of too much advertising. It's very cleverly done but perhaps a bit too pessimistic we feel. Watch the full video on YouTube here.

3. Speaking of branding, lots of people have taken to making ads or posters that directly contravene Lord Coe's protection of the big sponsors right to be seen around the Olympic Park – sponsors like Coca-Cola, McDonalds and Samsung. Some of them are so silly it'd be a shame to take them down!

Top Tips for London 2012 – how to survive the London Olympics.

Whether you’re a Londoner by birth or by heart, don’t let the Games get you down. Boutique London Lets have put together a list of handy tips to keep you smiling during the Olympics, as well as information regarding the best way to plan your journey. The Olympics needn’t be a burden or a hassle – let Boutique London Lets guide you, stress free through the most exciting event of the year!

Get Ahead of the Games with Barclay's Cycle Hire (Photo Credit: Charlotte Gilhoody)

London is expecting to host 5.3 million visitors during August and September, and our world famous transport system is set to be jam packed full of spectators, tourists and commuters. Transport for London are working hard to provide an efficient service, and have developed getaheadofthegames.com – make use of the interactive map to spot highlight the worst routes at a specific time; in general, public transport will be especially busy at the beginning and end of sporting sessions.

If you have booked to see an event, it is important to remember that there will be little or no parking at Olympic venues – public transport is undoubtedly your best option. Transport for London has a handy journey-planning tool to cut down travel time and make your movements across the city as easy as possible.

Sign up for free travel alerts on the Transport for London website – these will inform you of any delays upon the Tube or Docklands Light Railway service.


Whilst public transport is the recommended option, walk whenever possible. The Mayor of London has recently introduced a bicycle hire system, to ease pressure on the transport system and get people moving! Although demand for the Barclay’s bicycle hire will be high, hire stations may be close to events, and should cut down your overall journey time.


For detailed information on all Olympic athletes, sports and venues, as well as information regarding the stations to avoid, have a look at London 2012, the official London 2012 Olympic website.


Get on social media! Follow @GAOTG for the latest tweets on transport across London and the UK during the Games.

Get on Public Tranport this Summer! (Photo Credit: The Poke).

The London 2012 Olympic Games are the biggest thing to happen to the capital in years. Everyone wants to be a part of it, and it is something to be shared and experienced by all. If you had planned to travel down to London for the city break of a lifetime but haven’t quite sorted your accommodation, check out the luxury and well priced apartments Boutique London Lets has to offer: we provide a luxury service at a low cost in some of the most vibrant locations across the city. 

Have a look at our article on the differences between the Olympics of 1948 and the Olympics of 2012 – you’ll be surprised to hear how far we’ve come since then! 

London 1948 to London 2012 Olympics

London last hosted the Olympics in 1948... how far have we come? 

Cost:

1948 – £732,000

2012 - £9.3bn

Athletes:

1948 – 4,104

2012 – 10,500

Competing Nations:

1948 – 59 nations sent athletes to London, with fourteen making their first official appearance. These included British Guiana, Burma, Ceylon, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Korea, Lebanon, Pakistan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Syria, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. 1948 was the first year in which the Philippines, India and Pakistan competed as independent nations. Germany and Japan, as defeated powers were not permitted to send athletes to participate in the games, but after the signing of an armistice in 1943, Italy was allowed to compete. The Soviet Union decided not to send athletes over, at risk of losing to the United States.

2012 – This year, 216 nations are competing in the Olympic games.

London Olympics 1948 (Photo credit: Getty Images)

Sports:

1948 – 17

2012 - 26

Events:

1948 - 136

2012 - 302

Cost of Standing Ticket (athletics):

1948 – 3s 6d (17.5p)

2012 - £202

Television Viewers:

1948 – 500,000 across 50 miles of London; altogether there were 64 hours of programming.

2012 - 5,000 hours of love coverage will be shown in more than 200 countries to an estimated audience of up to 4 billion.

Olympic Torch Relay:

1948 – The torch relay lasted less than one day, making its way from Dover to Wembley Stadium.

2012 – This year’s relay began on ­­­18^th May, and will culminate after 70 days at the official opening ceremony. It has made 1,019 stops and has been carried by 8,000 runners.

London Olympic Games 1948 (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Venues:

1948 – Due to financial and time constrictions, it was understood that there was no need to build any new venues – tracks were simply adapted. Wembley Stadium was the center point of the games, with the 8,000 capacity Empire pool in Wembley hosting all aqua and boxing events – they simply covered the swimming pool and put a boxing arena on top of it. – how adaptable! There was no such thing as an Olympic Village – competitors were housed in canvas tents in Richmond and travelled to the venues by bus.

2012 – 2012 has seen the building of the Olympic Park and the Olympic Village in Stratford. Despite the higher budget, organizers are still thinking green: waste water that used to clean the swimming pools at the Aquatic Center within the Olympic Park is also used to flush the toilets at the 17,500 seater arena.

Wembley Stadium, London Olympic Games 1948 (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Nutrition/Training:

1948 – Limited training. Olympic athletes had a slightly increased rations – the Royal Naval College in Greenwich gave their athletes eggs for breakfast but that was about it! London was going through tough times in 1948 and as such, there was no special diet – one ate what one had.

2012 – Athletes are provided with state of the art equipment, professional nutritionists and purpose built training facilities. Multiple training sessions a day and a very strict diet.

Planning time:

1948 – 18 months, on a budget of £743,000.

2012 – London won the Olympic bid on 6^th July 2005 and held their first board meeting on 3^rd October 2005.

London Olympics 2012, Olympic Village (Photo Credit: EU Infrastructure)

There is no doubt that London is the place to be this summer! So if you're heading down to London for the Olympic Games, think about Boutique London Lets for a centrally located serviced apartment. Look to Boutique London Lets for your last minute olympic apartment. Also, have a look at our post on Interesting Facts about the Olympic Games in 2012 - a must read!

    

Boutique London Lets Guide to the 2012 Olympic Games

Our latest helpful guide to London is now live on the Boutique London Lets website. We've got everything you need to know about the London 2012 Olympic Games all in one place: from Olympic transport, the Games themselves, London highlights during the games and the Paralympics.

By the time of the London 2012 Olympic Games, we'll have over 100 properties for you to choose from so there's also some info on where you should be staying if you've bagged some of the hottest sporting tickets of the decade.

Let us know any tips we've forgotten.

Boutique London Lets Guide to the 2012 Olympic Games