FEATURE STORY




Festivals Festivals


Sport

What’s on offer? The hippy ice-cream purveyors who go
by the names of Ben and Jerry again present their Sundae Festival (25-26 July). Expect big name bands (last year the Charlatans headlined) and a family-friendly set-up. Bars could be virtually unstaffed as our local friendly expats head for the Toast Festival (26-28 June), the largest celebration of New Zealand, Australian and South African culture in the UK. Each day is dedicated to a different nation, showcasing local food, wine, sport and music. For a smaller, boutique event, the annual Elizabeth Street Festival (10 June) celebrates summer in a street party and there’s the enticing prospect
of the Coutts London Jewellery Week treasure hunt.

Where? The Ben and Jerry’s and Toast festivals take place on Clapham Common. Elizabeth Street is in Belgravia. Price(s): Sundae Festival — �8.95 with unlimited ice cream, Toast — day tickets from �15, Elizabeth Street — �3. Contact: www.benjerry.co.uk www.toastfestivals.co.uk


What’s on offer? One of the fi ercest rivalries in sport arrives in central London this summer, albeit on the civilised surroundings of a cricket pitch. The Ashes series between England and Australia is always hotly contested, and the second Test match at Lord’s (16-20 July) promises to be
no exception. Expect lots of ‘friendly’ banter between the Brits and the Aussie fans. Another sporting institution is
the Wimbledon Tennis Championships (22 June to 5 July). Expectations grow even higher for home favourite Andy Murray, but the crowds will be out in force for Federer and Nadal. Queue early for day tickets — it’s as big a part of
the experience as the strawberries and cream. If you can’t make it courtside, the Bluebird Restaurant in Chelsea will be transformed into a Wimbledon themed area complete with astro turf, giant tennis balls and a large screen showing all the games — with a summery menu to match.

Where? Lord’s is near St John’s Wood and Maida Vale Tubes. The All England Lawn Tennis Club is in Wimbledon, close to the station. The Bluebird is on King’s Road in Chelsea. Price(s): Lord’s — from �25, Wimbledon — from �29. Contact: www.lords.org www.wimbledon.org
www.bluebird-restaurant.com
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LONDON; SUMMER SUNDAE F


London’s bars could be virtually unstaffed as our

local friendly expats head for the Toast Festival


Best of
Best of
the Rest the Rest


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PHOTO; VISI


Botanic buzz: There’s a real buzz about the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew with the launch of The Big Buzz, looking at the importance of bees to our ecology.
www.jordansbigbuzz.co.uk


Jazz nights: Duke of York Square will be a hive of activity with its Jazz in the Square nights (17 and 24 June, 1 and 8 July), with musicians playing against the backdrop of the Saatchi Gallery. www.london.net


Carnival time: Summer goes out with
a bang with the world famous Notting Hill Carnival (30-31 August), the largest celebration of its kind in Europe.
www.nottinghillcarnival.org.uk

IMAGES: ISTOCK




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