This Week in London – Sir Lawrence Olivier honoured with a Blue Plaque; Anne Boleyn at the Tower; and the Elfin Oak restored…

Sir Lawrence Olivier, one of the finest actors of the 20th century, has been honoured with an English Heritage Blue Plaque at his childhood home in Pimlico. The plaque, which was unveiled by Sir Ian McKellen, has ben placed on 22 Lupus Street where Olivier lived from ages six to 11 and where he first began taking steps toward the acting career that would make him famous, creating a makeshift stage and performing songs, dances and dramatic sketches for hours at a time. Olivier, whose father served as curate at nearby St Saviour’s Church, attended All Saints School in St Margaret’s Street during this time and it was there that actress Ellen Terry saw his talent and declared that even at the age of 10, he was already a great actor. Olivier would, of course, go on to be a star of the stage before becoming a Hollywood icon and, later, the first director of the National Theatre of Great Britain. For more, see www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques/.

PICTURE: Juhi Sewchurran/Unsplash

• The Tower of London is preparing for the coronation of Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII, in the 1530s. Pop-up performances are taking place at the Tower until 14th August which put visitors right in the thick of the action. Anne herself will be seen at the Tower from 25th July when visitors will have the chance to ask her a question and take a selfie with her. Admission charges apply. For more, see www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/

The famous Elfin Oak in Kensington Gardens has been given something of a facelift with 97 of the figurines which adorn the tree being restored. The Elfin Oak was first unveiled in 1930. A mature oak, brought from Richmond Park, children’s book illustrator Ivor Innes had carved miniature figurines around the natural features the tree. As well as restoring the figures, the recent project also included work to improve visibility of the tree through the protective fencing. For more, see www.royalparks.org.uk/visit/parks/kensington-gardens.

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