Leisure
Twickenham
Twickenham is the main centre of the borough of Richmond-upon-Thames. It is famous as the home of Rugby Football Union, and Twickenham Stadium is only a short way from the school. Twickenham has plenty of shops, bars and restaurants in the town centre, within easy reach of the school.
Twickenham has a museum in the town centre and an art gallery sited in a picturesque woodland garden by the Thames. The gallery and adjacent baroque Octagon Room by James Gibbs, c1720, have a fine permanent collection of topographical views and a lively programme of temporary exhibitions, including contemporary crafts.
The famous Eel Pie Island sits in the River Thames next to Twickenham. A short way down river is Marble Hill Park, an elegant 18th century villa. Marble Hill was built for the mistress of King George II. It's worth taking time to explore some of the surrounding 66 acres of beautiful parkland, or walk along the Thames Path, across the bridge from picturesque Richmond village.
Twickhenham, like all of London, has excellent public transport links to the centre of the city.
London
It would be impossible to describe all London's attractions here: the city has some of the most famous sights in the whole world, but also an almost endless variety of less-well-known locations. Old streets, historic churches and grand state buildings contrast with cutting-edge (and controversial) modern architecture. Prestigious old museums compete with funky modern attractions such as the London Eye and the Tate Modern gallery. Centuries of tradition, from the uniformed guards outside Buckingham Palace to the 'mother of all Parliaments' beneath the chimes of Big Ben, are to be found in one of the most multicultural cities in the world.
Despite its size, it's easy to get round London thanks to its integrated transport network, with the famous red buses and the world's oldest Underground railway (known as the Tube) the most popular ways to get around - but river taxis are a great way to get around too, and mainline rail services run around the centre of London as well as out to the suburbs.
You can find lots of information about London at www.visitlondon.com, including audio podcasts, guides and travel maps. As a taste of London, Visit London lists the following as the Top 10 most popular attractions in London:
British Museum
The imposing British Museum exhibits the works of man from prehistoric to modern times with collections drawn from all around the world. Famous objects include the Rosetta Stone, sculptures from the Parthenon and the Portland Vase.
Tate Modern
The impressive Tate Modern is Britain's national museum of modern art. Housed in the former Bankside Power Station on the banks of the River Thames, the gallery displays major works by Matisse and Picasso as well as contemporary work, exhibitions and installations.
National Gallery
The National Gallery houses one of the greatest collections of European painting in the world. With paintings ranging from 1250 to 1900, the collection includes work by Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Gainsborough, Turner, Cezanne and Van Gogh.
Natural History Museum
As well as the permanent dinosaur exhibition, the Natural History Museum boasts a collection of the biggest, tallest and rarest animals in the world. Don't miss the life-sized model of the Blue Whale, the 40 million year old spider, the earthquake simulator and an elephant bird egg. Plus the new Darwin Centre opened in September 2009.
The London Eye
The London Eye is a major feature of London's skyline. It is the world's highest observation wheel and offers passengers spectacular views of over 55 of London's most famous landmarks - all in just 30 minutes.
Science Museum
See, touch and experience the major scientific advances of the last 300 years at the largest museum of its kind in the world. The Science Museum has over 40 galleries and 2000 hands-on exhibits, step into the future in the Wellcome Wing, visit the IMAX cinema and virtual reality simulator.
The Victoria & Albert Museum
The V&A celebrates all things art and design, and is home to 3,000 years worth of amazing artefacts from many of the world's richest cultures. See their amazing collection of ceramics, furniture, fashion, glass, jewellery, photographs, sculpture, textiles and paintings.
Madame Tussauds
At Madame Tussauds, you'll come face-to-face with some of the world’s most famous faces. From Shakespeare to Britney you'll meet influential figures from showbiz, sport, politics and even Royalty. Sing along with Kylie; strike a penalty with Rooney or receive a once-in-a-lifetime audience with Her Majesty the Queen.
The Tower of London
Take a guided tour with one of the Yeoman Warders around one of the most famous fortified buildings in the world. Discover its 900 year history as a royal palace and fortress, prison and place of execution, mint, arsenal, menagerie and jewel house.
National Maritime Museum
One of the greatest maritime museums of the world containing models, displays, paintings and trophies from every continent of the world.
