Red Carnation Hotels

CONCIERGE NEWS

Welcome to our concierge desk, here you can find out the very best of what this great city has to offer. Our dedicated concierge team have a wealth of experience advising guests how to make the most of the capital, whether that’s obtaining the unattainable or helping guests discover those hidden areas of London, we are delighted to help.

Notting Hill Carnival
29th August 2010 and 30th August 2010
From humble beginnings in 1966 the Notting hill Carnival has grown from a local affair for west London's homesick Caribbean community to Europe’s biggest street party. You can look forward to extravagantly costumed dancers, calypso and soca musicians, giant sound systems and steel bands. This carnival takes place over two days and will attract over one million visitors of all ages. It's a huge area, and can get very crowded, so be prepared for an exhausting day out, but for anyone who loves a party, Carnival remains the absolute highlight of the London summer.

Red Bull X-Fighters
Friday 13th August 2010 at 7pm & Saturday
The Red Bull X-Fighters are back this year for its second time at the Battersea Power Station. This high performance show piece will have some of the best Freestyle Motocross on the planet. For those not in the know, FMX is a variation on the sport of motocross in which daredevil motorcycle riders attempt to impress judges with jumps and stunts. Last year saw 20 thousand people all witness American Nate ‘The Destroyer’ Adams take the 2009 Red Bull X-Fighters crown. This year the jumps are bigger and the course more difficult so expect only the best. The qualification round is held on Friday with the main event on Saturday.

Le Cirque Invisible
5th August 2010 until 25th August 2010
Jean-Baptiste Thierrée and Victoria Chaplin's (daughter of Charlie Chaplin) intoxicating mix of magic, make-believe and trompe-l'oeil hits the Queen Elizabeth Hall at the Southbank Centre. Last years performance brought in an audience of over 14 thousand.  The performance will be running for three weeks this summer. The couple have been performing for years but their act has lost none of its ingenious ideas. Rabbits and ducks are the duo's supporting cast. Do not worry, you will not find any rabbit-out-of-a-hat tricks here. All material is original and unique to the performance.
 
The Railway Children
4th July 2010 until 5th September 2010
The Railway Children which is one of E Nesbitts classic tales is currently been staged on the disused Eurostar Platforms at Waterloo Railway Station. I cannot think of a better use for them now that the trains are not departing from Waterloo anymore. The story had been adapted slightly to fit into the railway setting by Mike Kenny. The rest of the former Eurostar station has been put to good use too. While you’re waiting for the play to start, you can browse an exhibition all about E Nesbit's original book, the history of the railways, the Railway Children Charity, and the play's Yorkshire setting.

The Prisoner of Second Avenue
30th June to 11th September 2010
The Old Vic's production at the Vaudeville Theatre of The Prisoner of Second Avenue stars none other than the famous Jeff Goldblum. This play is an adaptation of the 1970s-set comedy by Neil Simon which follows the trials of city living suffered by a married couple in New York. Goldblum stars as Mel, opposite actress Mercedes Ruehl who makes her London stage debut as his wife Edna Edison. They definitely touch on black comedy, finding humour where many would despair. The story revolves around a man made redundant in the midst of an economic crisis, Mel suffers a nervous breakdown. The family gathers to offer support, with Edna bearing most of the burden. Goldblum said of his new role, "I've been in love with Neil Simon's work my whole life. He's not only a comic genius, as everyone knows, but sage in matters of the soul as well."