How to enjoy a Sunday at the Museum of London
by Katie Brennan
feat. Ed Nightingale

1. Grab a loved one and a blustery Autumn day. Take a leisurely stroll from Barbican Station to The Museum of London.

2. Act like a total touristy wally

3. Start at the beginning. It’s a well good place to start.

The Museum of London documents the history of this bafflingly brilliant city from prehistoric times right up to the present day. Located on London Wall it nestles on the edge of the earliest part of the city. It’s pretty cool to get to know your city better.

4. Look at fascinating displays of prehistoric remains. Then make inappropriate visual jokes.

SO HORNY

5. Take a wander round the Roman gallery which features a section designed and created by young members of the community, comparing Roman London to today. It ain’t all mosaics and gladiators folks.

The Latin edition of Harry Potter

Polaroids of Roman influences on Modern London

A cheeky homage to the inimitable ‘Life Of Brian’. GOES LIKE GOES LIKE.

6. CONGRATS YOU’VE MADE IT TO THE MEDIEVAL ZONE. Celebrate by getting into the replica Anglo-Saxon Mud Hut and taking enigmatic photos.  This handsome chap is my old chum and fellow blogging buddy Ed Nightingale. Read his cracking review website The Gizzle Review here. It’s good I promise.

7. Learn that times were pretty grim in those Medieval days. Horrible Histories is NOT lying. WAR AND DEATH AND FUNNY HATS.

check out those lovely three lions. Little did they know they were to be immortalised in such a phenomenal musical tribute one day.

BONNETS AND DOUBLETS AND JERKINS OH MY

Hood-rat

you can take the girl off the stage…

8. Catch the beautiful model of the Globe and drink in the history of the PLAGUE and the GREAT FIRE but also REMEMBER YOUR FLASH because those galleries are DARK.

Winner: Biggest Lad 1509

this chick’s hips don’t lie

9. GET INVOLVED in the Expanding City galleries. There’s a creepy prison cell complete with tally marks on the walls, an 18th century PLEASURE GARDEN to take a stroll through, featuring holograms, projects and hats that would make Treacy quake, and more importantly MORE EXCELLENT HATS TO TRY ON.

born to spill out of a corset and wear a mop cap

mmm Highwaymany

10. Indulge in some Victorian Window Shopping on the Victorian street walk. Take in some lovely stationary at the stationers, hail down a food cart for a snack, spend a penny at the streetside urinal and hop atop a penny farthing. (n.b- don’t actually do that. You’ll fall off and probably get thrown out. Those things are HIGH. In fact, penny farthings are the reason I don’t cycle in London. I’m not interested unless I could do it on a penny farthing. I’d look DOPE on one of those badboys.)

Charming Victorian Stationary

just having a Victorian wee

11. Feel and see how London emerged as the throbbing bonkers sprawl we know and love today. There’s too many things in these last few galleries to gape and gasp at. Here’s a few highlights of ours.

Pearly Kings and Queens. A beautiful London tradition. (I REALLY WANT ONE OF THESE JACKETS)

Yeah it does.

Nippy chocs at Lyons Corner House. PLEASE BORIS BRING BACK LYONS CORNER HOUSES

Please do not do rude things to the displays.

IT IS A FASHION MEGAMIND

Lustworthy treads

The wax head of a girl showing signs of syphilius. Because of course.

Charlie Chaplin signing the guest book of a West End Club

12. Gather up in your eyes the sights of some modern city icons.

Bill and Ben

The Olympic Opening Ceremony

Tom Daley’s Trunks

thanks crapper for inventing the loo, it’s really great.

13. Step outside and breathe in the smog and soot, the dreams and desperation of all the souls that call London their home. Realise how awful, wonderful, powerful, pretty and ugly it is and thank each of your lucky stars that each hold a wish that for a while you get to call this place home. Then realise that someone has summed it all up and packaged that feeling up far more succinctly than you ever can already:

I’d thoroughly recommend a visit to the Museum of London. It’s interactive, lovingly put together, quirky and relevant providing good fun for all ages, and it also makes a difference from the big South Kensington three. I will always be so grateful for the generosity of the city for making access to our wonderfully rich and teeming history and culture free. OH REJOICE FOR FREE LEARNING!
 Plus there’s a blooming good gift shop which everyone knows is the real maker of a museum.

THANKS LONDON I LOVE YOU YOU BIG WONDERFUL WEIRDO! Now, in the words of one of the biggest lads of all time: 

The Museum of London
150 London Wall
London
EC2Y 5HN

Tel: 020 7001 9844
Twitter: @MuseumofLondon