Last month Transport for London’s Summer Roundel Campaign kicked off with fun tube station signs, completely unnoticed by the Barbarians. 16 STATIONS, 16 FUN TUBE STATION SIGNS One single tube station sign per station has been changed for 16 central London stations. Many of these stations have more than one line, so earlier today it took me a little while to spot them. HYDE PARK CORNER – “HERE COMES SUMMER” At Hyde Park Corner I entered the tube station. On the Piccadilly Line platform for trains going to the centre (Destination Cockfoster, Eastbound) you will find a sign that reads “Here Comes Summer.” It is supposed to remind people of nearby Hyde Park and the Serpentine Pond. I then took the Piccadilly Line from that platform and got out at Piccadilly Circus. PICCADILLY CIRCUS – “GOING OUT OUT” At the Northbound Bakerloo Line platform you’ll find a sign […]
London Never Dies at the London Cabaret Club – Great Show!
Last Friday, after my day of flyboarding and being stuck on South Western trains, I changed into my tux. Then Ms B & I checked out London Never Dies at the London Cabaret Club. The Club had offered us free Gold tickets to this Bond-themed show. Silver, Gold, Diamond, and Royal Gold tickets are the lowest category that include a full meal and they normally go for £90 per person. A rather reasonable price in our view for a three-course dinner and a show on the weekend in central London. Ticket prices range from £50 to £165. No Slipknot or Slayer Ellie has always loved everything that involves nights out with music and dance, no matter if opera, ballet, musicals, or cabaret, so she was understandably super-excited to get to see this acclaimed show. I on the other hand don’t mind a bit of music, preferably heavy metal. […]
Buckingham Palace Gardens – London’s biggest private garden will be open for picnics
[Last update 30 Sept 2021.] Since last week and for another two weeks, those, that were lucky enough to grab tickets (sold out now), were able to check out Buckingham Palace Gardens. London’s biggest private garden stretches over 39 acres and keeps 11 full-time gardeners and various contractors busy. From July it will be open to the paying public for picnics and walks (£16.50, discounts available). The only way to access the gardens today was by booking a tour. 90 minutes for a tour around a garden did not sound attractive to me, but I was hoping to be able to take some nice pictures, so did get myself a ticket. An ancient institution You realise quite quickly that you’re dealing with an institution that has been around for hundreds of years and one that isn’t known to be an ‘early adopter’. You have to print out the tickets. Neither […]
A new sight in London: The unofficial ‘Covid Memorial Wall’
When Ellie & I were going for a little stroll along the Thames yesterday afternoon, we spotted the London Covid Memorial Wall for the first time. It stretches over 500 metres just opposite the Houses of Parliament, next to the riverbank and St Thomas’s Hospital. This clinic is where Boris Johnson and a significant percentage of central London Covid patients have received care. The Memorial is still a work in progress, with roughly 120,000 of the planned 150,000 hearts completed since the first heart was painted on the Wall a bit over a week ago on Monday, 29th March. 150,000 hearts 150,000 hearts representing 150,000 dead. That’s the same number of people as live in Oxford or roughly 16 times the population of the City of London’s 9,400 residents. (For our friends from further afield: The City of London is only a tiny part of the UK’s capital, and this […]
Hampton Court Palace Ice Rink – Perhaps London’s Best Ice Rink
We have just returned from our visit to Hampton Court Palace Ice Rink, which opened today and will be open until 17 January (extended from the initial 3 January end date). Except for Christmas Day, the rink will be open every day from 10am to 9pm. The last skate starts at 8pm. From 18 December, the hours will be extended to 9am to 9:45pm. Tickets Pre-booking is required. Sessions last up to 45mins and guests are being asked to arrive at least 15mins early. Adults and teens pay £16, children £11.50. There are discounts for families. Food and drinks are available on location. Light Show We prefer visiting during daytime. However, many guests choose to do their skating after dark, when the castle is covered in a stunning light show. Family-friendly fun We were very pleasantly surprised to find the large (1,040 sqm) skating area almost empty, compared with our […]