Explore Events January 2007
The latest events from bmi destinations including Aberdeen, London, Chicago and Riyadh. Plus, help in planning your dream getaway and how to join in Tintin’s birthday celebrations
Félicitations, Tintin!
JOIN IN THE CELEBRATIONS TO HONOUR TINTIN AND HIS CREATOR, HERGE
THE GREAT BELGIAN reporter Tintin may look youthful, but he turns 78 on 10 January. His creator, Georges Remi, known worldwide by his pen name “Hergé”, is also being celebrated, as this year marks the centenary of his birth.
Hergé is considered the father of modern comics. His drawing style and storytelling abilities influenced the development of many popular cartoon characters. So throughout this year, exhibitions and events will take place across Europe to honour the great designer and his most famous creation.
Brussels will start the celebrations by unveiling a Tintin fresco on 10 January at the main entrance of Gare du Midi. This will be followed by exhibitions at the Musée Des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, and the Pompidou Centre, Paris. And if that isn’t enough, post your letters in style with Belgian Post’s 25 commemorative stamps. Make sure you join in the adventures. www.tintin.com
A TALE OF TWO CITIES
IF YOU’RE IN Moscow from 1-5 January, head to Izmailovo Park for the annual Moscow Winter Festival (www.moscow-city. ru), which offers a taste of a real Russian Christmas. Guests are greeted by Father Frost and the Snow Maiden, plied with blinis, caviar and bagels with honey, and invited to join in festal games round the New Year Tree. Finish the day with a sleigh ride through the forest.
If you’re further west, London’s Russian Winter Festival, 11-13 January (www..eventica.co.uk), will see Trafalgar Square transformed into a winter wonderland. The annual event features music and theatre from the likes of rock group Tokio and folk ensemble Gzhel.
Best of Irish music
DUBLIN COMES ALIVE with music and culture from 25-28 January at the first Temple Bar Trad Festival (www.templebartrad. com). Household names such as Dervish, the leading force in traditional Irish music, will be playing, as well as rare performances from Irish Music Awards Hall of Fame winner Peter Horan. New up-and-coming talent will also be showcased, such as the sublime fiddler Michelle O’Brien. Get ready to do a jig.
Also in the diary…
GET A TASTE of the Orient at the fascinating Venice and the Orient exhibition, L’ Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris (www.imarabe.org), which is on until 17 February. Your feet won’t be able to stop tapping at Scotland’s finest traditional folk and roots music festival, Celtic Connections, Glasgow (www.celticconnections. com), 17 January – 4 February
Pop art
THE MOST SUCCESSFUL duo in British pop history mark 21 years in the business this year. Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe of the Pet Shop Boys found fame with their chart-topping single West End Girls in 1986. They have celebrated with a new album, Fundamental, a book, and an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, London (www.npg.org.uk), until 4 March. It would be a sin not to see it.
Blooming lovely
FROZEN FAMILIES CAN seek respite from the bitter Chicago cold at the Lincoln Park Conservatory’s Winter Flower and Train Show, 1-7 January (www.chicagoparkdistrict.com). Stepping inside, you are transported into a tropical oasis filled with ferns, cacti and palm trees. This year’s spectacular display will delight younger visitors; there’s a field of red, white and pink poinsettias, miniature steam engines and freight trains, and a delicate model village made entirely of natural materials that even features the Chicago Theatre and Water Tower Place.
ALL THAT JAZZ
WHETHER YOU’RE PLANNING A NIGHT OUT IN LONDON OR JETTING OFF TO THE CARIBBEAN SUNSHINE, JANUARY IS A GREAT MONTH FOR JAZZ FANS
EVEN THE PERFORMERS at London’s Ronnie Scott’s swankily-refurbished jazz club can’t help but comment on the multi-million-pound refurbishment. In the midst of her set with the Lawrence Cottle Big Band, singer Claire Martin welcomed guests to the “posh new Ronnie’s”. Not to say that it hasn’t remained as democratic as ever for true jazz aficionados when it comes to getting tickets.
But another layer has now been unveiled to owner Sally Greene’s labour of love project. There may already be a slew of private members’ clubs in the area (including the Groucho, Soho House, Union, Teatro et al), but Ronnie’s Bar (pictured) is the new note on the score.
Designed by Jacques Garcia, who is also responsible for the stylish Hotel Costes’ bar in Paris, the club is meant to be a decadent haunt with an extensive cocktail list that will be open till 3am. It will give the sax a run for its money and maybe create its own take on the Jazz Age. Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, 47 Frith Street, London W1; +44 (0)20 7439 0747; www.ronniescotts.co.uk
CARIBBEAN SWING
The island’s premier musical event, the Barbados Jazz Festival, 8-14 January (www..barbadosjazzfestival.com), draws thousands of party-goers every year. In the past few years, the festival has played host to scores of stars including Lionel Richie and Jill Scott. This year will see talents such as Macy Gray and Anita Baker take to the stage.
WORLD AT YOUR FEET
ITCHY FEET? PLAN THE ULTIMATE TRIP WITH HELP FROM THE LATEST EVENTS AND GUIDES TO TRAVELLING THE WORLD
ARE YOU READY for the journey of a lifetime? Then pack your bags and get ready to leave town. Now’s the perfect time to fulfil your New Year resolutions and escape the winter blues. Whether you’re plotting a gap year, want to climb Everest or simply party with the locals, then look no further. Below, voyager brings you the best tips for starting your voyage of discovery.
SHOW-STOPPER
Not sure whether you want to cycle, raft, hike, swim or fly around the world? The Daily Telegraph Adventure Travel Show (www.adventureshow.co.uk) will help. The only show in the UK that focuses solely on adventure travel, it offers advice to the seasoned traveller and novice explorer alike on planning the ultimate trip. Everything is under one roof at Olympia, London (12-14 January). And to inspire you, there’s even an ice climbing-wall and diving pool.
PARTY PIECE
Joining in local celebrations and events is the best way to immerse yourself in a different culture. To ensure you never miss out, World Party: The Rough Guide to the World’s Best Festivals (Rough Guides, £16.99) brings you the definitive collection of global festivities. Not only will it get you to the right place at the right time, but it also offers advice on how to avoid social faux pas and get your hotel room booked in time. So whether you’re up for the craic on St Patrick’s Day in Dublin or ready to join in the carnival at Ati-Atihan in The Philippines, the music never stops.
BREAK AWAY
Need to take a break from the norm? Over 150,000 students and 50,000 professionals do every year, so join in the fun and take a gap year. The world is your oyster, but if the choice is too daunting then The Gap-Year Guidebook 2007 (Jon Catt Educational Ltd, £11.95, available from www.gap-year. com) is full of handy hints. From deciding where to go, what to do when you get there and how to stay safe, there’s advice for everyone. So live your dream.
