Eid Festival 2015

The Eid Festival is the Mayor of London event to mark the end of Ramadan which took place at Trafalgar Square. The event took place on Saturday 25 July 2015 between the times of 12:00 to 18:00.

The event itself was really busy drawing huge crowds left, right and centre. The event had cuisines from around the world covering Malaysia, Morocco, Egypt, Turkey and Indonesia. The main stage sees performances from live acts with music promoting love and peace.

There are activities for children to get stuck in with such as creating Eid cards as well as creating designs from stamps.

#EidLDN

St Dunstan in the East

St Dunstan in the East is what used to be a church but gone through a lot of change running through two significant historical events, being the Great Fire of London and the Blitz. Now, it is a hotspot for city workers’ lunch breaks during the weekdays and offers a soothing and calming atmosphere during the weekends.

St Dunstan in the East was built as an Anglo-Saxon church built at around 1100 as and it was not until 1391, when a new south aisle was added in. It was later repaired in 1631.

In 1666, the Great Fire of London breezed through it, but rather than having it rebuilt, it was patched up in 1671. The west section of the garden held the graves of the victims who died in the Great Fire of London, where it now resides with Wisteria vines and Azalea trees.

Christopher Wren added in a steeple and tower which was constructed from 1695 to 1701. It is said that the builders dared not remove the scaffolding away in fear of it collapsing. Despite their concerns, Wren took faith in his own design and had his daughter lay under the scaffold. All the scaffolding were removed, so I’m guessing Wren’s daughter survived as the church tower still stands there today.

In 1941, the church was destroyed in the Blitz, but the church tower and all the outer wall survived leaving a hollow church with no roof. During the re-organisation of the church following World War II, the City of London Corporation decided that they were not going to rebuild it but turn what was left into a public garden.

Having been there several times, I completely enjoy what the garden has to offer each time, especially during the weekends when it is completely quiet. The garden is secluded by surrounding offices obscuring the splendour of evergreen in the middle of it, making it a very out-of-the-way garden, which many won’t come across. On the weekends, the park is completely quiet giving many of a chance to sit down and enjoy the tranquillity of the greenery and lovely water features of the fountain. The park is home to many stunningly beautiful flowers of Wisteria, Magnolia and climbing roses in flower beds and clambering on to the church walls.

Instagram May and June 2015

Second instalment of pictures from my Instagram covers pictures of May and June (planning to do it monthly - promise!).

A photo posted by The Vinh Hoang (@thevh5) on May 11, 2015 at 12:14pm PDT

The Blue Bridge (subtlety titled) can be found at St James's Park. It was quite a trek getting to the park and I came out of St James's Park Station but I wouldn't put it down as the nearest tube station to the park I found. Anyway, the bridge itself is a great location for great views of the surrounding areas with views of Buckingham Palace on once side and Horse Guard's Parade on the other. Great views of the Tiffany Fountain with these illustrious water streams blooming out of the water as well.

A photo posted by The Vinh Hoang (@thevh5) on May 18, 2015 at 12:54pm PDT

I took this picture in 2013 of the White Cube Gallery in Bermondsey. The design of the White Cube Gallery  plays on symmetry, minimalism and lighting creating an expanse space with more focus on the artworks in their exhibitions. It is a real beauty to behold and is one of the most tranquil galleries I've been to.

A photo posted by The Vinh Hoang (@thevh5) on Jun 28, 2015 at 12:38pm PDT

A snapshot of the concert of Pride London in Trafalgar. Extremely tiring work but very worthwhile to see an event that brings every together to celebrate the inclusivity of a community.

A photo posted by The Vinh Hoang (@thevh5) on Jul 5, 2015 at 12:39pm PDT

The Burlington Gardens Festival is part of the Brown's London Art Weekend and had a myriad of interactive activities and artworks on display.

Whitecross Street Party 2015

The Whitecross Street Party takes place on – you guessed it – White Cross Street in Islington near to the Barbican. It is an annual summer event of performances, food and entertainment. Usually over a two day period but this year has been packed into a whole day. The event was held on Saturday 18 July 2015 between 12:00 to 18:00.

The event’s exhibition “Rise of the Non Conformists” was set up by a group of took inspiration from William Blake where he was laid to rest. The event encourages “peaceful non-conformists to rise once again”. The exhibition is drawn live during the day with their final artworks displayed along Whitecross Street for 2 months. There are also art installations dotted up and down the street.

The event is family-friendly with lots to do with the children as the event caters with various areas where children can play and participate in workshops. Fortune Street Park which stems from Whitecross Street became a children’s activity zone with a bouncy castle, an area for face painting and a play area.

There are performances set up on stages and canopies running along the street with performances from solo artists and groups.

The stages are interspersed with stalls of food and an array of items ranging from clothing to artworks.