With mother’s day just around the corner you get the last minute dread of what are you actually going to do this year – are you just going to pop to the garage to pick up some flowers and a card again? Why not try something different, take your mum out and make a day of it!
If you have a mother that appreciates some history and art, Lee Miller’s: ‘A Woman’s War’ is the exhibition to see.
Held at the Imperial War Museum in London, there are more than 150 images taken by Lee Miller before, during and immediately after WWII. It gives you the chance to look at the impact the Second World War had on women’s lives. Lee Miller is considered one of the most important war photographers of the 20th century. It shows how women’s roles and lives evolved in Britain and Europe as she travelled between the two countries. What is really exciting about this exhibition is Picasso’s portrait of Lee Miller, and the never seen before personal correspondence with Vouge founder Condé Nast, as well as many other mysterious objects! Don’t expect it to be a boring wander – Timeout comments about Lee Miller’s ability to tell a story in a fun and great way, “Miller was quite the character and a wilful woman who is the perfect visual storyteller of the period.”
“This show is as much a biography of Miller as it is the women she commemorates and condemns. It addresses her surrealist creativity, her pursuit for equality, her contempt of Germans, her inner turmoil and the enduring impact of the war.”
Well worth the trip, £10 entry fee to the exhibition and it is open until the 24th April.
If your mum’s a real foodie and you want an inexpensive day out,the best place to go is Borough Market. Possibly the best foodie destination in London, this place offers many opportunities for food, be it for lunch or just a snack while you wander around (this of course includes the healthy and the not so healthy choices)! There is a little trouble with seating options around the market as places are limited and it is massively busy at weekends! If you are not looking to eat on the go then why not buy the ingredients at the market and head off home to cook up a storm!
If you are looking for a little bit of a shopping experience then Brick Lane market is the place to go – it is one of the oldest markets in London and there is a lot going on. You can choose between buying food, vintage clothes, and even general bric-a-brac, there is a bit of everything for everyone! One stop you have to make is at the Beigel Shop. This is where you can find the colourful Rainbow bagel, New York’s celebrated super item (in my opinion). For just 50p you can have your very own rainbow bagel, these are still savoury bagels so you can stick to your normal smoked salmon, but come on you have to have the traditional multi-coloured ‘Funfetti cream cheese’. This is the answer to all your prayers – a sweetened cream cheese stuffed with hundreds and thousands.
If you are looking for a more chilled out day then your answer is Kew Gardens. You can stroll through the beautiful
grounds where millions of crocuses, snowdrops, daffodils, rhododendrons and azaleas are in their height of bloom at this time of year. My favourite thing to see at Kew is most definitely the waterlily house, this small, beautiful glasshouse is another listed building and the hottest and most humid environment at Kew. This greenhouse is used to display a wide range of tropical ornamental aquatic plants and climbers and a spectacular display of gourds in the autumn months. In the summer a giant Victoria Cruziana waterlily blooms. The huge leaves of this plant have little ribs underneath the waterlily which traps air and so provide buoyancy (so the lily floats). The flowers that only last for 48 hours are large and fragrant. While they are flowering the lilys start out white then darken to pink and purple before sinking beneath the surface of the water. I love this short cycle of life, it is like a little love story (ish!), even though it is not around for mother’s day but a lovely little fact! You can have a peek inside the greenhouse in this video from Kew; https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=UUNa8wJk6VYIRK78JuDSRnTQ&v=2vvxFxaa7r4
If you buy online the tickets for Kew are cheaper at £14 for an adult ticket but on the gate the entry price is £16.50.
There are so many things to do for mother’s day so why not have a search around London for some fun mum things to do – think outside the box!
