January 2009
Email this page to a friend DISCOVERING SOUTH BANK
South Bank is only a ten minute walk away from central Covent Garden yet many people who spend their time in our area would only think of going across Waterloo Bridge to the station or if they have tickets for a show. It is a pity; the walk across the bridge is very pleasant and once you reach South Bank there are many happy discoveries to be made.
When alighting on South Bank, one can’t help but feel tiny beneath the towering buildings and the mighty Thames serenely running by to the north. The skyline is dominated by the London Eye, slowly circling with its cargo of amateur photographers each snapping the memories which will last a lifetime.
Shops and Restaurants
As a public space it has much to offer, aside from the well-known attractions of the National Theatre, the Royal Festival Hall and the Imax Cinema, there are dozens of shops and restaurants as well as plenty of impromptu entertainments. The riverside promenade often hosts performances of music, dance and theatrics and, as you might expect from a district with such strong links to the dramatic arts, there are also regular performances from invited troupes (although during the winter months these are fewer).
Amongst the shops and restaurants to be found here, those Covent Gardeners who feel dizzy when south of the river will find familiar comforts in scions of popular Covent Garden destinations: Wagamama, Chez Gérard and Ganesha all have outlets here and there are pubs, bars and coffee shops for refreshments to suit your mood.
You have to see this
1. Pelican crossings aren’t normally exciting but this one is. You’ll find it on Stamford Street, a minute behind the Riverside Walk. By the look of all those coloured lines and dots; either there are going to be some crazy roadworks here, or, more likely, a giant was baking a cake and dropped his hundreds and thousands.
2. At low tide, a little beach emerges here so readers can take time out from a busy day, have a paddle (not recommended) and catch some December sunshine. It is a bit smelly but Playa de Londres has everything you’d want at the seaside: golden sand, seashells, people walking dogs and a man with a metal detector looking for treasure.
The Arts
There is much joy to be found on South Bank, patrons of the Arts are spoiled for choice. If a man could lose himself in London, the National Theatre would be a good place to start; amongst the labyrinthine complex, visitors can marvel at production photographs from previous successes and sip coffee while reading about forthcoming productions.
Sport also has an identity on South Bank, under Queen Elizabeth Hall there is a favourite destination for active youngsters, these kids are not here making mischief but turning tricks on their skateboards ; each of which is as impressive as any move you might see on the ballroom floor or an ice rink. As a modern discipline of athletic movement, skateboarding thrives here. But it is not just the young who take their exercise on South Bank, at lunchtime hundreds of office-workers swap their brogues for trainers and jog along the pavements here listening to their own music and weaving amongst the passers-by. However, for the rest of us sluggards and slovens or those exhausted by Christmas, a rest on one of the many benches overlooking the Thames can give great pleasure: a little peace in this hectic city.
