The Beetle’s second favourite museum in London is the National
portrait Gallery. At the moment, this is a terribly fashionable place
to be seen as it currently hosting a Mario Testino exhibition, attracting
the likes of supermodels and Madonna. It costs £6 per ticket, (like
gold dust) which can only be booked through the booking agency, Ticketmaster.
When the Beetle manages to get tickets, she will report back on it! That
aside, the rest of the NPG is absolutely free. The beauty of the NPG is
that it combines art with a wonderful pictorial history of the UK, through
portraits of kings, queens, courtiers and leading figures through British
history. A visit here can easily take up an entire day looking around
– so, if you plan it right, you could spend a couple of half days,
combined with visits to nearby St Martins in the Field, the theatres in
nearby St Martin’s Lane, a visit to Trafalgar Square, a walk along
the Mall or down to Embankment. The closest tubes to the NPG are Leicester
Square and Charing Cross. Weekends are the busiest time since the admission
fee has been scrapped, so try and visit during the week, if you can. Details
are as follows: NPG Website