Lifestyle & Leisure

For 37 years, The Backstreet was an iconic part of London’s leather and gay bar scene

The work of this celebrated English playwright has strong roots in the capital

Take our Christmas Quiz to find out how much you know about this annual festival

From the currents of the Thames to the secrets of the Walbrook, which river are you most like?

This innovative 18th-century actor had an influence on all aspects of British theatre

Londoners have skated on the city’s frozen lakes and ponds for centuries

For dancing, drinking, glamour and debauchery, there was nothing quite like the pleasure garden

Discover the exciting new entertainment on offer to Londoners in the 1700s and 1800s

Did you know ice rinks were invented in London? And the earliest version was made from pig fat?

Our Librarian shares a few of his favourite volumes and the stories these have to tell.

Camp out, help others, work for world peace: Hargrave’s youth movement aimed for a better society

Curator Danielle Thom reveals the dark underside of the Georgian and Victorian Pleasure Gardens

London’s thriving restaurant scene has roots in these hedonistic spaces of music and entertainment

One of the most successful sopranos of the 1800s, Patti gained fame, wealth and a castle in Wales

This pioneering touring dance company made the capital their home in the early 1900s

A Russian-born star who took the world by storm in the early 1900s

Grimaldi’s extraordinary physical comedy changed the pantomime forever – but it came at a price

With its bold advertising and top customer service, Selfridges brought American glamour to the capital