Filling my holiday

I am getting more and more excited about that fact that I am on holiday (Costa del Vauxhall, here we come) from 22nd December until 14th January. To that end I have spent this morning in a marathon Time Out session, finding things to do and places to go to keep me out of trouble. In no particular order...

Seeing is believing, on at the Bargehouse at the Oxo Tower. An exhibition which sounds like an about-time reminder of the shocking poverty that some people still live in - I'm relieved to see it as most of the time such living conditions are all but edited out of news and current affairs. On till 31st December, daily 11am-4pm.

The art of Lee Miller, at the V&A museum. If there was ever a multi-talented woman, she's it - model, photographer, journalist. Someone to admire and, in my ongoing quest for female icons, a brilliant counter to the current spice girls fever that's taken over london. Also on at the V&A is an exhibition of the 'golden age' of couture - a chance to bone up on the kind of look I'm going to need for K's birthday party in February. Both shows end on Jan 6th.

Dennis Severs' house in Spitalfields, which is rather like a permanent Punchdrunk production in a house. It's not open much, usually, but between now and 4th Jan, if you book you can go on 27th and 28th between 12 and 4pm, or Jan 2-4 between 6 and 9pm. Sounds magical.

The painting of modern life at the Hayward, until 30th Dec. I find the Hayward an odd gallery - fabulous space but often frustratingly used, and hopeless crowd control. But I do want to see this exhibition before it closes so I'd better get on with it.

War Horse, in rep at the National Theatre until Jan 12th. So many people have now told me that this show is brilliant, against all the odds, that I really must go.

The Potted Potter at the Trafalgar Studios. OK, so I got as far as book 3 and then struggled so Harry Potter has become another gap in my cultural knowledge, along with Star Wars and the Lord of the Rings. This show is just what I need. On till 5th Jan. May need to nick a kid so that I look less odd going...

Culture, innit

On Thursday I pretended to be a lady of leisure, and met my lovely friend K for a late, boozy lunch at the Rex Whistler restaurant at Tate Britain. After a gentle meander around the Millais exhibition, I went down to the cafe and we were ushered into the beautiful room of the restaurant - murals all round, great food, and a very, very good way of wiling away the best part of an afternoon talking about boys (turns out we fancy the same ones, and emotional fuckwits generally. great...). I love hanging around with K. We followed it up with some shopping at the bizarre Army and Navy on Victoria St, whose only saving grace is the cafe at the top, which is good for hiding in. Still, shopping when a bit pissed is never that smart, and I now have a rather expensive jacket that B and J both agreed was 'overpriced and too many buttons'. hey ho. I'll just have to return it and buy something else...

The plan was to continue into the evening but for various reasons that didn't happen. So instead I headed off for more culture - this time a beautiful concert at St John's Smith Square (wicked) - carols and a bunch of Christmas music which was brilliant. All performed by Chantage, apparently the BBC Choir of the Year 2006, but to be honest even typing that makes me feel about 50. As my date put it - 'carol singing - karaoke for the middle classes'. Still, I sung my heart out, melted at the organ playing, and went home happy, and thinking I could get used to doing nothing very much with my time.

Tower of London

One of those places that you just start to take for granted as a grown up living and working in London. But I've just seen that they have started to do twilight tours, which sound super. I know they sometimes do gigs there too - it still grates that I missed the Pet Shop Boys one I had tickets for two years ago. Hey ho. Most excitingly, I read this morning that there is going to be yet another ice rink there: but this one looks amazing - it's set up as the moat. Fabulous. Running from 24th Nov until 13th Jan. Not to be missed. The Tower's also been in the news recently for appointing the first woman beefeater for 522 years. Well done, Moira, I salute you.

Seduced at the Barbican

Another month, another raunchy exhibition at the Barbican. Should make me feel even more inadequate about my current celibacy...

Well - I went with R & P and as we dutifully went round carefully inspecting people shagging in various positions, men wearing hats made of cocks (whole new meaning for dickhead) and victorian porn, i couldn't help wondering how the exhibition got away with sex being so closely associated with penetration alone. hmm. no lesbian sex please, we're british. still, it was fun. best 'exhibits'? - robert mapplethorpe being fisted; and a brilliant video of a woman's face as she gets a blowjob. And, being a total sucker (ha ha) for all things neon - remember the tate 'butterflies' where the 'b' and 'f' flicked on and off so it became 'utter lies'? - I also liked Tracey Emin's 'Is Anal Sex Legal?' // 'Is Legal Sex Anal?'. Genius.

Daily Encounters

I always find that there's something whimsical about photojournalism exhibitions and this one looks cool. Lots of images from newspaper photographers spanning most of the 20th century. On at the NPG until Oct 25th (nb open till 8.50pm on thursdays and fridays)

The good thing about liking photography exhibitions is that there are some real gems of galleries to hang out in around London. Just don't forget your SLR. Like Photofusion on Electric Lane in Brixton (best accompanied by a post-exhibition bowl of spicy noodle soup at Fujiyama), or the Photographers' Gallery on Gt Newport Street, which has the best shop for DVDs and big books - and wrapping paper - ever. And the Southbank usually has some photos somewhere - currently it is hosting the World Press Photo Exhibition till Sept 9th.

Global Cities

Don't have much time left for this exhibition at the Tate Modern - it finishes on 27th August - but I'm really going to try and make it as it looks fantastic. I like the fact they've themed it around things like space, diversity and speed - reflecting how we actually experience living in a city. All very Jane Jacobs.

The Wallace

The Wallace on Manchester Square is London's nearest equivalent to the Frick, which makes it a brilliant place in my books. It's open every day 10-5pm. Haven't yet managed to go to the new Peyton restaurant there, although it sounds great. They also do afternoon teas (a date option, perhaps?) and brunches. Shuts at 4pm on Sundays but otherwise last booking is at 9.30pm each night.

Panic Attack at the Barbican

On till Sept 9th, finally the punk show is on the road. Sounds like a pretty cool exhibition, taking in lots of the punk stuff in relation to gay liberation and feminism as well as music and the rest.

Hmm. Well I had high hopes for this one but went to see it today with Ix and we agreed that were we writing the reviews, it would be: 'ok but not great' for the Times and 'a lot of cocks but not enough tits' for NOTW. I was really excited about an exhibition that included the political dimension of punk - but annoyingly this show does that to the massive exclusion of music, visceral anger and safety pins. It felt a bit wrong walking around the gallery in hushed tones, everyone refusing to laugh at the video of the man beating himself up before smearing his arse with tomato ketchup. Hmm. Anyway we had a fun day and I do love the Barbican. every time I go there I have a little fantasy of my life as a mildly eccentric writer living on the top floor of one of the tower blocks. one day, one day...

Paul Chan at the Serpentine

Potentially a little pretentious, but in a way that I suspect I might rather enjoy. This exhibition is on at the Serpentine till 1st July. Lots of video projections, colour, symbolism. Time Out claims the theme across all of them is the fall of man and the return of religion and irrationality. We'll see. If I make it.

STOP PRESS 19 Princelet St open for one week only

OK, so the Museum of Immigration and Diversity really isn't open that often. So June 17th-24th is a special time when the effort really must be made to go there. The building has been a mosque, synagogue and church in its time. It struggles to keep going but by all accounts is a bit of a magical Tardis-like building. And I love that they market themselves as London's 'museum of conscience'. I'm there.

Don't panic

Cool-sounding exhibition from The Architecture Foundation, including stuff from JG Ballard (whose book High Rise was the main reason my parents decided to sell up their beautiful riverside flat), plus other films and installations exploring themes around fear and fragility - and The Future Of London. Serious stuff. On until July 13th at the AF's Yard Gallery, 49 Old Street (same tube) Tue-Fri 10-6, Sat 12-6.

Crop

Struggling to work out what exactly this show is, but it looks good. Lots of photos of everyday life, on the walworth road. right up my street. On at Central St Martins (Southampton Row) 12-6pm Sat 16th, and 12-8pm Mon 18th-Thurs 21st... must try to go must try to go must try to go

What women want

On at the Women's Library until Aug 24th - return of the exhibition from last year recounting the journey of women as citizens over the years.

How we are: photographing Britain

On at Tate Britain till 2nd September. From their site: The first major exhibition of photography at Tate Britain takes a unique look at the journey of British photography, from the pioneers of the early medium to today.

antony gormley, hayward, until 19th August

Check him out. Blind Light.