London's wonderful Christmas lights and trees

London looks brilliant any time of the year but in the build up to Christmas London dresses up in its very best festive lights and trees pop up all over the city.  

I'd love to show you a few of the fabulous sights to enjoy right now in London.   Covent Garden is a good place to start as they have the best tree, in my view, and fabulous lights. This year's theme is mistletoe - ahhh...   You can shop for gifts and enjoy some refreshment as you explore. 

The Queen's grocer (they have a plaque to prove it!) has some really unusual windows this year including the boy and the brussel sprouts and the turkey having a tug of war with a chopper! They are all beautifully crafted in the strangeness. 

Last year Regent Street had an epic fail with their decorations which were far too dark to enjoy so it was a relief this year to see the light, bright and very sparkly angels that cover the full length of this famous shopping street. 

Kew Gardens goes all out with their illuminated trail which sells out so fast I missed out last year so was determined to book early and was entranced by their lights.  The high point was a laser and lights show on the palm house, hard to photograph but here a a few to give you an idea of the magic. 

Ice rinks pop up in all of London's most iconic sights:  the Tower of London, Somerset House and the Natural History Museum:

Talking of ice, one of the more unusual trees was to be found at Kings Cross where a tree is trapped in an enormous block of ice.

The Strand didn't want to be left out and repeated last year's jolly decorations, as did Oxford Street: 

And finally, the best festive afternoon tea, happily consumed at St Ermin's Hotel:

I hope you enjoyed a virtual tour around festive London, where it really is 'looking a lot like Christmas.....'

Bye for now

Sue 
@itsyourlondon
www.itsyourlondon.co.uk

Christmas lights in London - part 2!

As we hurtle towards Christmas, I wanted to bring you some more pictures of the street lights and shop displays that are giving London a really festive look. 

Every year since the Second World War Norway has sent London a huge Christmas tree to thank us for our support in the fight against Nazism. The annual lighting ceremony is a popular event in the build up to Christmas and is always a beautiful sight, especially when seen across the fountain and water. 
 

A moment of reflection

The photo was taken through a bus window so apologies for the blurriness but it shows you the annual fun event which is Santa Con where hundreds, or more probably thousands, of people dress up as Santa and roam around London all day. They usually gather in Trafalgar Square but this year this famous venue was hosting a Nelson Mandela memorial so it looks like they were making Marble Arch their home this year!

Santa Con at Marble Arch

Santas are also to be found in most of the big stores and this unusual version made of Lego was in John Lewis with some less festive companions from Star Wars!
 

Watch out behind you!

There are loads of skating rinks across London, many of them in famous historic sights and this one is a favourite, with the ghostly shape of the Tower of London in the background. 

Skating in history

 Or you could head over the Natural History Museum and try out their rink:

Watch out for the dinosaurs!

 Carnaby Street always gives us an inventive take on Christmas lights and this year's lovely robins are delightful

 Piccadilly Circus has turned the statue of Eros into a giant snowglobe to the amusement of all who pass by.

I was really pleased to see the giant reindeer had returned to Covent Garden as he is so cheery with his blinking red nose! 

A giant Rudolph

 Covent Garden has a festive look all through with the alleyways looking great and serving hot chestnuts to give a wonderful Christmassy smell.

Deck the halls with boughs of holly...

 Just one more to show you as I liked this shop window, bringing together several symbols of London with a festive feel.

Bye for now,
Sue
www.itsyourlondon.co.uk
@itsyourlondon

How much can you squeeze into a day and a half in London?

As you'll know from my bio I offer private tours of London for small groups and they all want to see loads of stuff in London without feeling like they have been rushed from one place to the next. So, I though I would share with you my most recent tour which lasted a day and a half so you can see just how much you can pack in without exhausting yourself!

My guests were staying in Earl's Court so on day one we set off from there by tube to St Paul's Cathedral which is an amazing church although I can never decide which is my favourite, here or Westminster Abbey. On the way we saw the blue trees, one of London's temporary art moments which we kept bumping into during our travels.  My guests were an energetic pair and wanted to climb to the very top so 365 feet later we emerged onto the very small platform of the Golden Gallery and enjoyed the view. We also loved seeing the display of donkeys in the cathedral - a visual art exhibition of 25 life sized differently decorated donkeys called Caravan 2013 highlighting interfaith co-operation. St Paul's is an enduring symbol of London and the blue trees and donkeys show how there is always something new to see even when you think you know a place!

View from the top of St Paul's

Bright blue trees

Painted donkeys

We strolled over the Millennium Bridge to the Tate Modern and explored a couple of the permanent collections, catching some Rothkos and even a Monet before a much needed coffee with a view back over the Millennium Bridge.  The Turbine Hall is closed as the Tate builds a massive extension so it's not as impressive as usual as I love the grand entrance into that massive space but it's definitely still worth a visit. Outside the Tate is another temporary art installation, the Endless Stair, a wooden structure based on Escher's work. It's fun to run up and down the stairs and take photos from all angles!

A walk along the south bank of the Thames gives you a chance to enjoy part of the Thames Path, voted second in a poll of great city walks by Lonely Planet readers, so that's a major endorsement. Our destination was the London Eye for a 35 minute ride of changing views and perspectives. It's such a smooth operation as you get on and off without it missing a beat and my guests certainly thought it was worth the ride.

A stroll over Westminster Bridge gives great photo opportunities of Big Ben and from there we had a good look at the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey and I went through some of the stories associated with both buildings including setting the record straight on what exactly is Big Ben. Everything looks so much more impressive and huge close up so it's always walking right up to these historic sights. 

Houses of Parliament and Big Ben

 We reckoned that was enough for one day, as the lights were coming up to display Big Ben beautifully, so we headed back to Earl's Court for a  meal and a rest! 

Day two saw an early start to catch the 9.30 Thames Clipper boat from Embankment to the Tower of London. Passing the sights we had seen from the bank yesterday, we saw these from a different angle and sailed beyond, passing close up to HMS Belfast with its huge guns.  It's best to arrive at the Tower by boat, just as people have for millennia, especially those entering through Traitors Gate which always gives me a bit of a shiver as once in you'd not be coming out again - alive!  We were lucky enough to watch a Tower Bridge lift from our vantage point on the massive defensive walls by the medieval palace. Some days there are several lifts but some days none at all so I was very pleased to show my guests another of London's iconic sights.  Our lunch stop was the Dickens Inn where they serve a decent fish and chips among the boats in St Katherine's Docks.

The Tower of London from way up high

 

Tower Bridge lifts to let a sailing barge through

We hopped on the tube to Green Park to take through the greenery past many folk enjoying a rest on the deck chairs but we were on our way to our timed entry tickets for Buckingham Palace so no sitting for us. When the Queen goes on her summer holidays to Scotland, she allows her subjects, and other visitors, to have a look round the incredibly grand state rooms and galleries of fine paintings.  Each year there is a special exhibition and this year it is, of course, a celebration of the coronation which took place 60 years ago in 2013. As we'd visited the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London, we could join up some of the dots having seen the coronation crown and film of the event itself. In the palace they have her coronation dresses and robes and the crown wore as she travelled to Westminster Abbey,  a beautiful sparkly piece which you can see on the Queen's head on every UK stamp, though I have to admit I'd not noticed it before I went to this exhibition.....

Beautiful coronation robes

Sparkling crown

 A well deserved coffee was on offer at the cafe in the Buckingham Palace gardens where they dust the cappuccino with a chocolate crown and decorate the cakes with chocolate crowns - nice touch!  The exit is via the excellent shop and the extensive gardens. 

Fancy cakes and coffee at the Buckingham Palace cafe

To complete the London Transport experience for my guests, we grabbed ourselves a trip on a red double decker bus along Piccadilly, past the Ritz and along Pall Mall before hopping off to enjoy a wander through St James's Park and Horse Guards Parade. There is always something happening on the streets of London and we were not disappointed as we bumped into the Round Britain Tour Cycle and saw one group whizz past us at speed while trying to grab their drinks!

Tour of Britain

A short walk up Whitehall took us to Trafalgar Square to see Nelson's Column - I'd told my guests all about him when we saw his grave in the crypt of St Paul's - and to climb on the lions for the essential photo. We enjoyed the temporary art work on the fourth plinth which is a massive blue cockerel, the same blue as the St Paul's trees strangely enough. We had just enough energy to pop into the National Gallery to see the impressionist rooms and marvel at the exquisite work by Van Gogh, Monet, and Degas.

The brilliant blue cockerel

As Covent Garden with its plentiful bars and restaurants was just next door we headed up to the balcony bar at the Brasserie Blanc for a well earned glass of wine (or 2!) and a snack as the sun went down.   

Phew - I must admit it was tiring but we saw so much and didn't have to rush around to fit it all in. My guests were full of energy and enthusiasm and really enjoyed their experience of London and the opportunity to some of the top sights that it has to offer with their own private tour from It's Your London.

What would be your favourite day and a half in London?

Bye for now,
Sue
www.itsyourlondon.co.uk
@itsyourlondon

3 more great London bars!

Did you see my recent blog on '3 of the best rooftop bars in London'? Check it out here if not. It struck me while writing that post that London has so many other great bars you need to know about, so I'll be featuring them now and again in my blog. This week I'm taking you to a couple more rooftop ones with great view and my favourite old pub.

The Vista Bar is perched on top of the Trafalgar Hotel on Trafalgar Square and has a really great view right down into this famous square.  You can check out the new art work on the 4th Plinth or listen into the live streamed opera from the Royal Opera House or just chill out with a cocktail or too. They have pretty strong heaters so even on a chilly evening it's still ok to drink outside.  

What a view of Trafalgar Square

Roof tops through to the London Eye

Roof tops through to Houses of Parliament

Up close to the top of Nelson's column!

I love going to Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, on a small alleyway off Fleet Street, as it feels so old and untouched. The sign outside tells us clearly it was 'rebuilt in 1667' as the previous building was destroyed in the Great Fire of London that devastated London the year before. The site has been the home to a pub since 1538. Charles Dickens was a frequent visitor and drinker  and there are claims that Dr Johnson was too and although he lived very close by, we have no real proof of that. Inside the is a wonderful small, dark room which is very atmospheric, especially when the fire is lit in the grate. Downstairs is more spacious with vast cellars thought to date from the 13th century and there is a dining room I'd love to try out sometime.

And still standing...

Down a little alleyway of Fleet Street

Atmospheric interior

The Sky Lounge at the DoubleTree Hilton near the Tower of London has a huge outdoor terrace.  You are right up close to the new high rise buildings going up in the City of London - the 'walkie talkie' and the 'cheese grater' - we do love giving names to new buildings! If you are interested in regeneration and  new buildings there are enough cranes to keep you very happy! You are also treated to great views across to some of the more familiar London landmarks such as Tower Bridge and the Tower of London.  When night falls, the views are even better as the historic sights leap out of the night sky.

Outdoor terrace nestling in front of the Walkie Talkie

Historic London

River Thames and City Hall

Regeneration and cranes....

Magical night views

 
So many great bars, so little time - still I do my best!  I'll be taking you to more over the next few months so keep an eye on this blog but there's lots going on in London this autumn so the blog will not just be bar based....

Bye for now

Sue
www.itsyourlondon.co.uk
@itsyourlondon

* In case you are wondering -  no financial inducements were offered for this post!