My central London venue in Holborn, London, WC1
October Gallery, 24 Old Gloucester St, London WC1N 3AL
October Gallery
October Gallery, 24 Old Gloucester St, London WC1N 3AL
Participants seem to love this tucked away venue and I do too. It's a little oasis in central London - a calm, unhurried space that feels nothing like a corporate training room, which suits the course perfectly.
There's a garden courtyard, a café run by Amy serving great Asian food at lunchtimes, and often a fascinating exhibition of international artists in the gallery itself. It's the kind of place you'd never stumble across unless someone pointed you to it.
The training rooms are on the second floor, which keeps things quiet - builders permitting. It’s a grade 2 listed building and the downside to that is that there are no lifts.
And if you want to work off lunch, there's a public gym in the park next door. I haven't used it yet.
What they say…
October Gallery has been instrumental in bringing to worldwide attention many of the world's leading international artists, including El Anatsui, Rachid Koraïchi, Romuald Hazoumè, Nnenna Okore, Laila Shawa and Kenji Yoshida. It’s a cultural hub in central London for poets, writers, intellectuals and artists, and hosts talks, performances and seminars, see www.octobergallery.co.uk/events”
Nearest Tubes
Holborn, Russell Square and Chancery Lane
Buses
19, 25, 38, 55, 168 and 188
Lunch
There is a great café at the October Gallery. And there are other cafes nearby if you prefer. When the weather is good, people often bring their own food and eat it in the courtyard.
Further details can be found at the October Gallery website.
Bloomsbury
The area is worth exploring if you're staying locally. You're a short walk from the British Museum, Covent Garden, and Lincoln's Inn Fields - one of London's oldest garden squares, good for an evening wander. This is Bloomsbury, home of Virginia Woolf and the Bloomsbury Circle - who famously lived in squares and loved in triangles. Some lovely independent cafes and restaurants nearby, and the British Library if you want somewhere quiet to sit. A surprisingly calm corner of central London given how central it is.