Covent Gardens / Lion King

Today we went to Covent Gardens and had lunch and then a walk through the markets. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as "Covent Garden". The district is divided by the main thoroughfare of Long Acre, north of which is given over to independent shops centred on Neal's Yard and Seven Dials, while the south contains the central square with its street performers and most of the elegant buildings, theatres and entertainment facilities, including the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, and the London Transport Museum.

Covent Garden Market

St Paul's Church, also commonly known as the Actors' Church, is a church designed by Inigo Jones as part of a commission by Francis Russell, 4th Earl of Bedford, in 1631 to create "houses and buildings fit for the habitacons of Gentlemen and men of ability" in Covent Garden, London. As well as being the parish church of Covent Garden, the church gained its nickname by a long association with the theatre community. Punch's Puppet Show was first performed in England in 1662 near this site.

St Paul's Church 1633

The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House. Originally called the Theatre Royal, it served primarily as a playhouse for the first hundred years of its history. In 1734, the first ballet was presented. A year later, Handel's first season of operas began. The current building is the third theatre on the site following disastrous fires in 1808 and 1857. The façade, foyer, and auditorium date from 1858, but almost every other element of the present complex dates from an extensive reconstruction in the 1990s. The Royal Opera House seats 2,256 people and consists of four tiers of boxes and balconies and the amphitheatre gallery. The main auditorium is a Grade 1 listed building as noted by Theatres Trust.

We saw the Lion King in the Lyceum Theatre we were very lucky and got tickets in the 12th row back given we only purchased them 2 days ago. The Lyceum Theatre is a 2,000-seat West End theatre located in the City of Westminster, on Wellington Street, just off the Strand. There has been a theatre with this name in the locality since 1765, and the present site opened on 14 July 1834 to a design by Samuel Beazley. The building was unique in that it had a balcony overhanging the circle. It was built by the partnership of Peto & Grissell. The present building retains Beazley's façade and grand portico, but the theatre behind is substantially to the 1904 design of Bertie Crewe, restored to theatrical use in 1996 by Holohan Architects, after a long period of use as a Mecca Ballroom.

The carved wood was so beautiful however very difficult to photograph in the dim lighting

Next door to our hotel on the docklands is an exhibition centre which is now hosting an exhibition for the military and we have had some interesting additions to the area in planes and ships etc

A lovely day to finish our time in London and England as we fly to Crete tomorrow.