The summer is all about nostalgia and finding pleasures in the little things in life – and lawn bowling is one of them. Tucked away in a corner of Hyde Park you’ll find the Royal Parks Lawn Bowls area. There are six rinks on the bowling green, a small hut with refreshments, and they can help you organise a party, if you want to hire the whole rink. Prices start at £25.80 for two people, and the last slot to book is 8pm, perfect for a summer evening. So get a group together and head for the park! It really is a great afternoon/night out. 

A long-time West London resident who now calls Olympia home for his studio too, Jonathan founded his practice on the principle of reuse. Over the past 25 years, Tuckey Design Studio has garnered an international reputation for radically transforming existing buildings and sustainable new-build construction. The studio specialises in historic renovation, sustainable intervention and combining contemporary design with layers of built heritage to explore ways in which old and new can co-exist and elevate one another. Their portfolio spans residential, cultural and commercial projects, with commissions that include the interior architecture for the King’s Cross Gasholders, Michelberger Hotel in Berlin, Trevarefabrikken hotel and cultural venue in Norway, the RIBA Award-winning Horris Hill School Theatre and the pioneering Rammed Earth House in Wiltshire.

Jonathan tells us why he chose Olympia for his studio, and shares some of his favourite West London things. 

Clerkenwell Boy, London’s favourite restaurant insider, known for his anonymity (who is Clerkenwell Boy?) and stylish food-focused Instagram posts, has built up quite the cult following. Always informed on the latest and greatest restaurants, he’s an Olympia ambassador, and perfectly positioned to give his recommendations on where to dine outside in West London this summer.

If you know a school or fundraising project that needs support, please see our application form here.

The brainchild of Lulu Gwynne and Elise Karia, Awaken is a new wellness and retail emporium just a stone’s throw from Olympia. Their organic café serves breakfast, lunch, and snacks including menu items like avocado sourdough toast with signature seed mix and microgreens; popped quinoa salad with oven roasted vegetables; and matcha protein bars. They have classes and workshops like sound bowls and energy healing, as well as a host of different specialists including a hormone therapist, aura reader, and astral advisor. This truly is a community space for 2024, and a very welcome addition to the neighbourhood. 

If you’re looking for a gift, they have a selection of handpicked products, all from independent wellbeing brands; they also have crystals, candles, and various spiritual and self-discovery books. Do pop into their stylish, calming space to see what they’re all about and keep your eyes peeled on our socials for an upcoming exclusive Awaken competition for LO readers.

Do you want to know more about Olympia? Our very own digital assistant, Hello Olympia, which launched earlier this month, has you covered 24/7. Just scan this QR code to ask questions and discover what we have in store for Olympia, from our ongoing events and exhibitions to information on the exciting new additions set to open from 2025 as part of the new development.

Have a question for “Hello Olympia”? Scan the QR code now, and text your query.

One of the joys of London is the amount of green space we have, so with that in mind – these warm months mean it’s time to use them! Here are our picks of ways to get active outdoors. 

Running

Sure, run clubs are all the rage, but there’s also something nice about running alone. A time to clear your head, listen to a podcast, and truly take some time out for you. If you need some help getting started, the Nike Run Club app is free, and has a variety of ‘coach’-led runs that actually really do cheer you on and keep you motivated. You can choose the length and type of run you’re after, and then get started!

Hyde Park Round Up

Now, you’re going to have to be quick to get a court here, but you can book up to seven days in advance for courts, from 7am-8pm (the 8pm slot is the last booking). Tennis is £20.85 per hour, padel is £40, and table tennis is £7 (hours vary). If you’re looking for summer camps for kids or coaching, they have that here, too. You can also book the football pitch – check their schedule and email hyde@parksports.co.uk to book; another one for the kids, Diana’s Memorial Playground is nearby too, and it’s a special one. 

Fitness Special Days and Sessions

The Foundry is a great gym in Kensington; with small group training that gets results and an extremely friendly staff. Throughout the year, they do special days like sports days outside, group hikes, and more. Contact them for membership rates. Be Military Fit is – as you’d expect – military bootcamp-style training, with outdoor options. Get ready to sweat.

As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of legendary Coco the Clown OBE, aka Nicolai Polakovs OBE, we remember this beloved local character who performed with the Bertram Mills Circus for 37 years. Each Christmas, Coco would perform in the Grand Hall in Olympia, which was his favourite venue, only a stone’s throw away from Olympia Railways station, where he lived with his wife for many years, in a caravan located on one of the platforms!

Born in Russia, the war drove Coco to begin clowning and a life on the road, and although through his career he entertained politicians and royalty, it’s his work for children – something close to his heart – that he’s most remembered for.

Here’s to Coco, and to his granddaughter Mina, who is working hard to keep his memory alive!  She did have a question for our readers: does anyone know how Coco and his wife were able to live on the Olympia Railways platform? Put your answers on a postcard, please.

Find out more about Coco’s life and craft in this interview with Joan Bakewell in 1966 for the BBC here.

Julie’s, the West London institution, is back! Located in the original W11 location, the address may be the same, but the restaurant has been re-imagined by Tara MacBain, a long-standing Julie’s regular, and now has a modern French brasserie vibe, with a sun-filled terrace for long summer nights. The menu, by Chef Patron Owen Kenworthy (Brawn and The Pelican), is French cooking with seasonal ingredients, and highlights include prawn carpaccio, a lobster soufflé with leeks and gruyère, and a martini trolley (menus here). 

To celebrate their relaunch, they are offering one LO reader dinner for two, including a welcome cocktail, bottle of sommelier’s choice wine, and three courses with a side each.

To enter, visit the Instagram post, tag who you would take, and repost it to Stories for bonus points.

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Designed by Heatherwick studio and offering the largest office terraces in West London, a communal lounge, conferencing facilities, and leading tech, One Olympia is located at the heart of London’s most ambitious cultural destination.

For office leasing enquiries and to arrange a visit to our marketing suite, please contact us.

Open Air Theatre

Picnics, twinkling lights, and fairy dust: what says summer more than the Open Air Theatre? We love it here, and this summer, a new version of The Secret Garden is on now until 20 July, when Fiddler of the Roof takes over until 21 September. 

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Holland Park Opera

A night at the Holland Park Opera is always a magical affair. Walk through the park to get to the canopied, open-air theatre, with highlights including The Royal Ballet School (until 29 June), Peter and the Wolf (21 July), and Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Yeomen of the Guard (7-10 August), to name a few. They have a theatre bar, picnic hampers by local favourite Il Portico, and you can even book picnic tables (£65 for tables of six, and £45 for tables of four) if you want to bring your own. You are also close to many excellent restaurants, including the recently relaunched Belvedere, should you want to dine pre- or post-theatre. 

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London, there’s so much on in the summer! Here’s our pick of five local things to do.