Vagabond
Barbican sabreurs James and Nic have been exploring some of the best wine bars in our area and recently discovered Vagabond in Paternoster Square. The concept is simple but brilliant — over 100 wines on tap, ready for you to sample in a 25ml taster, 125ml small glass, or 175ml large glass. The wines are separated [...]
Balfour Winery
Some of you may have noticed the “Balfour” wine bars in Bow Churchyard and West Smithfield. In the autumn 2025 Barbican Life magazine we visit the winery that supplies them! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rI0zzGE5sDs
Every Journey Shapes Britain
Did your family come to Britain from another country? Whether it was you, your parents, or your grandparents – we want to hear your story. The Migration Museum explores how migration has shaped who we are today – as individuals, as communities, and as a nation. We are opening [...]
Theatre Previews
Gary Donaldson previews the big shows in the Barbican’s theatre this summer. From 30 July in the Barbican Theatre, a musical of a very different nature arrives in the shape of “Death Note: The Musical”, a world premiere of a brand-new production, featuring a revised script and new music [...]
A well-oiled machine?
Most of the time the financial markets generate investment returns that outstrip cash, in terms of both growth and income, over the longer term. Occasions where, over a rolling 10 year period, the stock market has lost money are few and far between. The most recent examples are the [...]
INSIGHT Exhibition Review
Miranda McArthur’s’ quarterly review of the Arts, Gallery and Museum scene. Born in America in 1834, James McNeill Whistler spent some of his teenage years at the Imperial Academy of Arts in St Petersburg, trained at West Point, moved to Paris, and lived and worked for much of his [...]
From Blitz to Bloom
The Secret History of the Barbican’s Landscape by Alessandro Ferrari, Andrewes House, Barbican. The Barbican’s greenery was never intended as an afterthought. It was a fundamental architectural participant from the first sketch. The architects Chamberlin, Powell and Bon were not just building towers. They were three neighbors from Chelsea [...]
CONFESSIONS OF A CONCIERGE
Arthur Copus reflects on 20 years behind the reception desk at Lauderdale Tower* After pounding the mean streets of W1as a postman for eight years I decided to look for a new challenge and after a couple of front-of-house jobs in Victoria and Islington I was successful in applying [...]
Growing Together
The Barbican Horticultural Society Goes Digital The Barbican Horticultural Society may have been around for many years, but there’s nothing outdated about its website, launched in May, writes Holly Spice, its designer. For more than 45 years, the Barbican Horticultural Society has helped residents explore the unique pleasures (and [...]
Who are the Barbican Sabreurs?
Not everyone will have been following our exploits over the last few editions of Barbican Life, so by way of a quick re-cap we’re a group of Barbican residents who met when we were asked to manage the wine stall at the Barbican Association’s 2023 Summer Garden Party. It [...]
Afterthoughts
Kevin Kiernan has come across an old manuscript which reveals the truth behind Sherlock Holmes's miraculous reappearance after his death plunge with Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls. The aftermath is equally surprising. Sidney Paget, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons I was on the Glacier Express, the pride [...]
Uncorking Summer
Summer in the City of London brings with it a familiar and welcome shift in pace. The light lingers longer over the Barbican’s terraces, the gardens feel fuller, and the City itself takes on that rare combination of energy and ease. We surface for the sun! It’s a season [...]
High Society
Gary Donaldson previews the timeless classic. From 19 May to 11 July the Barbican Theatre swings to the glorious melodies of Cole Porter’s timeless music as classic romantic musical comedy “High Society” brings Barbican audiences their annual cocktail of summer joy. You're invited to the most elegant party of [...]
What’s a VPN and Do I Need One?
Ian Posner demystifies the digital maze! Watch enough YouTube videos and you’ll be bombarded by promotions for VPNs. But what exactly is a VPN, what are its constituent parts and do you need one? In this article I break down what a VPN offers, benefits and downsides so you [...]