'15 FOR 15' - TOTAL MK 'REVISITS' LOS ANGELES IN SUPPORT OF MK GALLERY FUNDRAISER
To celebrate its 15th birthday, Milton Keynes Gallery has launched a new fundraising drive - 15 for 15.
Supporters are invited to make a one-off donation, or a regular gift of £15 – proceeds will go towards the exciting MK Gallery expansion.
To support the drive, gallery staff are picking their top favourite 15s of something cultural or creative, daily through to December 2 - #Giving Tuesday.
Subjects so far have ranged from the Top 15 past MK Gallery exhibitions, to the 15 favourite blogs.
So Total MK got to thinking and decided to share our 15 for 15 – A dozen (and three more) places and attractions that have left their mark when we've spent time in the City of Angels.
Here, in no particular order, are our top picks...
Museum of Death - http://www.museumofdeath.net/
Artwork by serial killers, bloodied clothing worn on the electric chair, a room dedicated to notorious Charles Manson, the real guillotined severed head of killer Henri Landru and so very much more – from autopsy videos and real death footage, the Museum of Death is not for the faint-hearted. But if you can handle the reality of mortality, this is a must-see.
Every bit as interesting as it is stomach churning...
The Rainbow Bar and Grill - http://www.rainbowbarandgrill.com/
Rock n Roll antics on the Sunset Strip are the stuff of legend. And The Rainbow – a famous hangout for many a swaggering rock n roller – is still a bar worth bothering with.
Listen hard enough and these walls might just tell you heaps of hair-raising stories of guests past – from Marilyn Monroe and Elvis through to Guns n Roses and Motley Crue.
It still rocks – Ron Jeremy was among the clientele on our last visit, and a certain rock A-lister popped in for a slice of pizza...and it serves the quickest G&T and Jack and Coke you'll ever get.
The Hollywood Bowl - http://www.hollywoodbowl.com/
From The Beatles to The Doors, Simon and Garfunkel to Black Sabbath, the beautiful amphitheatre set against the Hollywood Hills is an icon capable of accommodating more than 17000.
Our own Queen of Jazz, Dame Cleo Laine is proudly listed by the venue as one of the stars to have performed there. We spent a glorious summer morning soaking in rehearsals by the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Blissful.
Venice Beach - http://venicebeach.com/
Stroll along the famous boardwalk, stopping to browse some of the many shops offering tourists buys, or to stock up on beach essentials.
Venice Beach is truly bustling at the weekends, with visitors, vendors, locals and eccentrics, but if that becomes a little overbearing, escape is easy – with a stroll across the hot sand to dip your toes in the sea.
Take time to sit and soak in the atmosphere of this sun-drenched haven before you leave, and remember – a visit isn't complete until you have watched members of the Muscle Beach at work!
Amoeba Records - http://www.amoeba.com/
Whatever you want, Amoeba – a beast of a music retailer on Sunset Boulevard – probably has it in stock, and reasonably priced too.
We spend hours letting our eyes loose over the vinyl collections, and always leave with bags full of hard-to-get releases. Call yourself a music fan? Amoeba will be your home from home.
Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park
She was one of Hollywood's most famous exports, and so it is hardly surprising that Marilyn Monroe impersonators still 'work' the tourist areas, and her face peers from every tourist shop around.
But it does make a visit to her grave seem a little sad. Only a single bunch of wilting flowers and a name plaque covered in pink lipstick marks Marilyn's final resting place in this deceptively small and beautiful spot in the Westwood Village area.
Other stars including Dean Martin, Farrah Fawcett, Peter Falk, Peggy Lee, Jack Lemmon, Natalie Wood, Roy Orbison, Frank Zappa and Beach Boy Carl Wilson have been laid to rest here. An incredibly assembly of entertainers who made their mark the world over.
Beverly Hills
See how the other half live with a cruise around the homes of the rich and famous. There's nowt wrong with a little nosey!
Plenty of the properties are pretty famous themselves – remember the house from the film Halloween? Or the 80s television series Hart to Hart? The antics of The Osbournes was filmed here too.
You'll recognise plenty.
The Hollywood sign - http://www.hollywoodsign.org/
A snap with the famous sign in the distance is a must-do holiday memento.
The original L.A icon has a fascinating history too - and has seen tragedy at close hand with the suicide of aspiring actress Peg Entwhistle. In the late 1970s, an auction of the original sign letters was held to raise money for the rebuilding of the famous landmark that you see today.
Universal Studios - http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/
Your chance to go behind the scenes of the movies – We bumped into Godzilla, beat a hasty retreat from Jaws, and decided not to book in at the Bates Motel....what will you do, and who will you see?
A film buff will be in awe.
Hollywood Walk of Fame - http://www.walkoffame.com/
If you really want stars in your eyes, there is no better place to get 'em than by strolling along the world-famous pavement which stretches for miles.
Just don't attempt to find the one belonging to Michael Landon....
High Voltage Tattoo - http://www.highvoltagetattoo.com/
If you are going to get inked, Kat Von D and her crew are the best in town...we went, we saw, and next time around, we'll be getting the needle too.
Veggie Grill - http://veggiegrill.com/
Anything goes in Los Angeles, and healthy food is never too far away – for travelling vegetarians, L.A is one of the rare places you can enjoy a full fill.
We even spent one night at a vegan indian restauant. Woo-hoo!
But for a tasty, easy bit,e a trip to a Veggie Grill branch gets the job done... and their cauli-mash potatoes are something else...
La Brea Tar Pits - http://www.tarpits.org/la-brea-tar-pits
It's the ice age fossil excavation site that just keeps on giving and giving.
From Columbian mammoths to saber-toothed cats and ground sloth and horses, the exhibits are staggering in volume and type.
For thousands of years animals would get trapped in the thick deposits., which would then encourage other predators ...who would also become trapped and die in the unforgiving pits.
Experts are still digging today, and still finding new fossils weekly.
Hollywood Museum - http://thehollywoodmuseum.com/
Glitz, glamous, stars and pizzazz. Hollywood has it all and more by the bucketload, but with so much to do, do you really need to pop into a museum to do it?
Absolutely, you do if you want the real story. Set in the historic Max Factor building, the Hollywood Museum boasts the most extensive collection of Hollywood memorabilia in the world.
Across several floors, more than 10,000 items of memorabilia are housed...you get to visit the room where Marilyn Monroe became a blonde, and can even step inside Hannibal Lecter's jail cell.
A remarkably journey through tinseltown.
Chateau Marmont - http://www.chateaumarmont.com
Irrespective of whether you want to be seen or want to stay incognito, the famous Chateau Marmont with its imposing hotel and beautiful bungalows is the place to go.
So long as you have the cash to splash....
Marmont is every bit as much of a star as those who check-in.
To donate to 15 for 15, or for more information about future exhibitions and those expansion plans visit www.mkgallery.org
The Hollywood Bowl - http://www.hollywoodbowl.com/
From The Beatles to The Doors, Simon and Garfunkel to Black Sabbath, the beautiful amphitheatre set against the Hollywood Hills is an icon capable of accommodating more than 17000.
Our own Queen of Jazz, Dame Cleo Laine is proudly listed by the venue as one of the stars to have performed there. We spent a glorious summer morning soaking in rehearsals by the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Blissful.
Venice Beach - http://venicebeach.com/
Stroll along the famous boardwalk, stopping to browse some of the many shops offering tourists buys, or to stock up on beach essentials.
Venice Beach is truly bustling at the weekends, with visitors, vendors, locals and eccentrics, but if that becomes a little overbearing, escape is easy – with a stroll across the hot sand to dip your toes in the sea.
Take time to sit and soak in the atmosphere of this sun-drenched haven before you leave, and remember – a visit isn't complete until you have watched members of the Muscle Beach at work!
Amoeba Records - http://www.amoeba.com/
Whatever you want, Amoeba – a beast of a music retailer on Sunset Boulevard – probably has it in stock, and reasonably priced too.
We spend hours letting our eyes loose over the vinyl collections, and always leave with bags full of hard-to-get releases. Call yourself a music fan? Amoeba will be your home from home.
Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park
She was one of Hollywood's most famous exports, and so it is hardly surprising that Marilyn Monroe impersonators still 'work' the tourist areas, and her face peers from every tourist shop around.
But it does make a visit to her grave seem a little sad. Only a single bunch of wilting flowers and a name plaque covered in pink lipstick marks Marilyn's final resting place in this deceptively small and beautiful spot in the Westwood Village area.
Other stars including Dean Martin, Farrah Fawcett, Peter Falk, Peggy Lee, Jack Lemmon, Natalie Wood, Roy Orbison, Frank Zappa and Beach Boy Carl Wilson have been laid to rest here. An incredibly assembly of entertainers who made their mark the world over.
Beverly Hills
See how the other half live with a cruise around the homes of the rich and famous. There's nowt wrong with a little nosey!
Plenty of the properties are pretty famous themselves – remember the house from the film Halloween? Or the 80s television series Hart to Hart? The antics of The Osbournes was filmed here too.
You'll recognise plenty.
The Hollywood sign - http://www.hollywoodsign.org/
A snap with the famous sign in the distance is a must-do holiday memento.
The original L.A icon has a fascinating history too - and has seen tragedy at close hand with the suicide of aspiring actress Peg Entwhistle. In the late 1970s, an auction of the original sign letters was held to raise money for the rebuilding of the famous landmark that you see today.
Universal Studios - http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/
Your chance to go behind the scenes of the movies – We bumped into Godzilla, beat a hasty retreat from Jaws, and decided not to book in at the Bates Motel....what will you do, and who will you see?
A film buff will be in awe.
Hollywood Walk of Fame - http://www.walkoffame.com/
If you really want stars in your eyes, there is no better place to get 'em than by strolling along the world-famous pavement which stretches for miles.
Just don't attempt to find the one belonging to Michael Landon....
High Voltage Tattoo - http://www.highvoltagetattoo.com/
If you are going to get inked, Kat Von D and her crew are the best in town...we went, we saw, and next time around, we'll be getting the needle too.
Veggie Grill - http://veggiegrill.com/
Anything goes in Los Angeles, and healthy food is never too far away – for travelling vegetarians, L.A is one of the rare places you can enjoy a full fill.
We even spent one night at a vegan indian restauant. Woo-hoo!
But for a tasty, easy bit,e a trip to a Veggie Grill branch gets the job done... and their cauli-mash potatoes are something else...
La Brea Tar Pits - http://www.tarpits.org/la-brea-tar-pits
It's the ice age fossil excavation site that just keeps on giving and giving.
From Columbian mammoths to saber-toothed cats and ground sloth and horses, the exhibits are staggering in volume and type.
For thousands of years animals would get trapped in the thick deposits., which would then encourage other predators ...who would also become trapped and die in the unforgiving pits.
Experts are still digging today, and still finding new fossils weekly.
Hollywood Museum - http://thehollywoodmuseum.com/
Glitz, glamous, stars and pizzazz. Hollywood has it all and more by the bucketload, but with so much to do, do you really need to pop into a museum to do it?
Absolutely, you do if you want the real story. Set in the historic Max Factor building, the Hollywood Museum boasts the most extensive collection of Hollywood memorabilia in the world.
Across several floors, more than 10,000 items of memorabilia are housed...you get to visit the room where Marilyn Monroe became a blonde, and can even step inside Hannibal Lecter's jail cell.
A remarkably journey through tinseltown.
Chateau Marmont - http://www.chateaumarmont.com
Irrespective of whether you want to be seen or want to stay incognito, the famous Chateau Marmont with its imposing hotel and beautiful bungalows is the place to go.
So long as you have the cash to splash....
Marmont is every bit as much of a star as those who check-in.
To donate to 15 for 15, or for more information about future exhibitions and those expansion plans visit www.mkgallery.org
