London Things to Do

Winning over a legion of new fans as the host of the London 2012 Olympics sailing events, Weymouth and Portland are among England‘s most attractive seaside resorts, drawing thousands to their shores each year.

Weymouth, with its sandy beaches and rugged coastal cliffs is the perfect antidote to London’s urban sprawl, earning itself a stellar reputation among outdoor adventurers. Rock-climbing, paragliding, hiking and cycling are all popular ways to soak up the scenic surroundings, and the resort has fast made a name for itself as a water sports hot-spot, with kite surfing, water skiing and wind surfing all on offer.

One of the most fantastic things about London is that nearly all the public museums and galleries are free.

1. The National Gallery

Located on Trafalgar Square and with one of the best collections of painting anywhere in the world, the National Gallery is free which means you can return several times to cover the whole collection. A great place for avoiding the rain!

The London Eye is one of the most popular things to do in London, even for people who live in this great city. The Eye dominates the city landscape opposite the towers of Westminster and Big Ben and the views when riding the Eye are spectacular.

Here are a few tips on how to maximize your experience.

If you’re looking to get away from the mass of people coming to London for the Olympics, here are a few options.

Beaches:

1) Southend-on-Sea, Essex

This is a lovely seven-mile stretch of beaches not far from London, with the pick being Shoeburyness East Beach because of its windsurfing area, grassy headland and long sand beach. Southend has the world’s longest leisure pier, The Southend Pier. The train from Liverpool Street Station to Southend takes about an hour.

Harry Potter’s world was a world where magic and reality met, sometimes not too happily. London was a place where some of this magic happened, where secret train platforms and lane-ways opened up to the lucky ones.

Here are some of the sights that we mere mortals are able to see:

1. London Zoo Reptile House

The zoo in Regents Park is where Harry first realized his powers, by talking to a boa constrictor.

All eyes have been glued to the British capital this year, with the epic Queen’s Jubilee celebrations and the upcoming Olympic games thrusting the city firmly into the limelight. Of course, London has long been renowned for its cosmopolitan population, rich history and trailblazing status in art, fashion and music, but this year the city is set to reclaim its ranking as one of Europe’s most popular destinations.

If you’re joining the masses in London this year, you’re sure to be swamped with sightseeing options, but for those looking to get a taste of the real London alongside checking off their to-do list, here’s the insider lowdown on what, where and how to get the most out of the Big Smoke.

Everyone in London has watched Western Europe’s tallest building rise into the skyline: The Shard is here and it’s going to change the way we view this city.

Horse-racing at Royal Ascot is one of the most important social, fashion and sporting events of the year in England.

First run in 1711 under the auspice of Queen Anne, tradition continues with a daily horse-drawn procession from Windsor Castle to the racecourse. The Royal carriage goes first and often carries the Queen herself as she’s keen on horse-racing and has owned many champion horses. 2012 is her Diamond Jubilee Year so she is likely to be seen even more than usual.

Since the bespectacled and pint-sized Harry Potter burst onto cinema screens over 10 years ago, the varied cast of heroes and villains have quickly become part of British legend, working their way into the hearts and minds of children and adults all over the world. The franchise, worth a gob-smacking $7 billion, culminated last year with the 8th film, but thankfully for fans the magical journey is not quite over yet. In fact, with Warner Bros. set to open their long-awaited ‘The Making of Harry Potter’ studio tour this year in London, they’ll be plenty for Hogwarts fans to gorge on.

London is so bursting with history it’s impossible to get a grip on it all. What this means is that new old things come to light all the time (if you know what I mean). One of these is Strawberry Hill House.

In 2002, a charitable trust was established to restore this at risk 18th century Gothic Revival house. Since then, the house has been undergoing a £9 million repair and restoration programme and recently reopened to visitors. The house is not huge but it is eccentric and fascinating.