Coronet Cinema Notting Hill
If you are a movie buff, a hidden London delight for you may very well be the Historic Coronet Cinema in Notting Hill, West London, which first opened its doors to the public in 1898. Besides an opulent and unique interior, this cinema now specialises in showing films, at great value prices, that won’t be found in more commercial cinemas. Interesting fact… A scene from the movie Notting Hill was filmed inside the cinema.

Banksy Bomb Hugger graffiti – Brick Lane E1

Brick Lane London E1
From the West back to the East, we find the still largely hidden delight of the vibrant and culturally-rich Brick Lane, nestling behind the great railway hub of Liverpool Street. This fascinating, long and ancient thoroughfare is now home to London’s Bangladeshi community, and is renowned for its authentic and high quality Indian restaurants. More recently it has become the focus for a pulsating art and fashion scene, including famous graffiti by the artist Banksy. A Sunday visit is recommended when you can amble through the Sunday market before sampling the culinary delights the area has to offer.

Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art, Islington

From the East we travel to the North and the neighbourhood of Islington, where we find the hidden gem of the Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art. Housed in a beautiful Georgian building, this lovely art gallery is the perfect site for a relaxing afternoon taking in Italian art dating mostly from 1890 to the 1950s. There is a permanent exhibition with a focus on Futurism, the Italian art movement based on an admiration for modernity, speed and technology. Other highlights include a series of drawings by Modigliani and a great collection of sculptures. After you have had a good look round the gallery, there is a delightful secluded courtyard café to finish off your visit.

One such group that has contributed enormously to this city is the Italian community. London has been home to a sizeable Italian community for nearly two centuries now. The most ancient Italian quarter can be found in the western part of the neighbourhood known as Clerkenwell, an area close to London’s financial centre, ‘the City’.

Italian roots in Clerkenwell go back to the early 1800’s. In the early days, the Italian ‘colony’ in this area was mainly employed in trades such as organ grinding, knife grinding, mosaic and terrazzo craftsmanship. From these early days, the Italian community spread into catering and ice cream selling. Italian restaurants, cafes and shops are now a firmly established part of current London.

An Italian family in London in the 1890’s

Whilst people of Italian descent are now spread throughout the capital, there is still a strong Italian presence in Clerkenwell. In fact the focal point of the Italian community in London is still Sunday worship at the Italian church of St Peters in the area. Without doubt, the Processione della Madonna del Carmine, held annually on the first Sunday after July 16th, is Little Italy’s most important event. This event has taken place every year since 1896, except during times of war.

St Peter’s Italian Church, Clerkenwell.

One famous Italian resident of this ‘Little Italy’, was Giuseppe Mazzini, the writer, patriot and revolutionary. Whilst exiled in this country, due to his political activities, he founded a language school in 1841, where you could learn Italian from premises in nearby Hatton Garden, London’s famous jewellery centre.

Giuseppe Mazzini

Here’s a couple of great long-established Italian places that we highly recommend you visit.

Bar Italia: a great authentic 24 hour Italian coffee bar in Soho, 10 minutes walk from the school.  www.baritaliasoho.co.uk

Marine Ices: a fantastic ice cream parlour, close to Camden Town and its vibrant street markets. http://www.marineices.co.uk

Of course one thing about London that should be emphasised is that there are really a million different Londons, and there are always new hidden treasures to find. Here is an example of a hidden London that is most definitely off the beaten track……

Dennis Severs House, in Spitalfields, East London. When entering this house you are transported back in time to the early 18^th century and the lives of the Jervis family, a family of Huguenot silk-traders.

The whole experience, carried out in silence by candlelight and the light from fires, is both powerful and evocative. As you pass through the rooms, it is though the family have just left…there’s a half-eaten meal on a table….voices are seemingly coming from elsewhere in the house….you here children scurrying up stairs….on a table, a book lies open in front of an open fire, it’s a Dickens novel. There’s a mysterious and tangible sense of going back in time and being in the presence of Londoners of a bygone age.

Dennis Severs House:

18 Folgate Street
Spitalfields, London E1
020 7247 4013

Public transport: Shoreditch High Street ( London Overground)
Open Mon 12pm-2pm; Sun 2pm-5pm
http://www.dennissevershouse.co.uk/