London Bucketlist
Moving to London can be quite daunting. You suddenly find yourself in a big city, overwhelmed with all the tourist attractions you can visit and all the different people you can meet.
I moved up to London last November (yes I’ve been a Londoner for a whole year!) and I have been trying to do and see as many things London has to offer – tick as many things off the ‘London Bucket List’ as possible; after all London is home to most of England’s Top 10 attractions. If you live in one of the world’s best cities, you need to make the most of it!
Here is a list of a few things that I’ve done so far, things that I recommend every first time Londoner MUST do!
- Sky Garden
I went for dinner at the Darwin Brasserie at the Sky Garden for my birthday and it is one of the best places I’ve visted. Of course you can’t dine out here every night but it is a lovely treat. The view is absolutely amazing and the atmosphere is something else. You can stroll around the ‘garden’ checking out the London skyline whist finishing the night off eating one of the yummiest dinners. If you don’t want to dine out you can simply visit the bar, but the lack of a reservation does involve some serious queuing.
@SG_SkyGarden / @SG_Darwin
- Duck & Waffle
Another must go to for an amazing view. There’s nothing better than sipping your cappuccino looking over the whole of London.
@DuckandWaffle
- Silent Disco at the Shard
This is one of the first things I did when I moved to London and it was one of the best nights I’ve ever had. You receive a headset and get 4 channels to choose from. Each channel causes the headset to light up in a different colour, so you can spy who else is listening to the same tune as you. I went around Christmas time so we had a whole channel dedicated to ‘Fairy-tale of New York’ and other classics. There’s no better feeling of dancing along to your favourite songs with nothing but an incredible view to look out on to.
https://www.timeout.com/london/shop/event-silent-disco-view-from-the-shard
- Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park
If you haven’t visited Hyde Park at Christmas yet, what have you been doing?! It is something you definitely must be doing around the festive season. Lots of yummy food stalls, rides, pretty lights, ice skating and lots of opportunity to stock up on last minute presents. I love going here every Christmas because it gets you in the mood.
- The Royal Opera House
I’ve always wanted to go to the Ballet and my recent trip did not disappoint. Tickets are obviously very expensive, but we managed to get restricted view tickets for less than £10, and the seats were pretty good (only a little bit of peering over the side). An amazing performance in an amazing building.
@RoyalOperaHouse
- Go Mammoth
I really loved being part of a sports team at school and thought joining something similar in London would kill 2 birds with one stone – keep me fit as well whilst meeting new people. I joined a netball team and loved it. It gave me something to do every Wednesday and it became part of my weekly routine. I hadn’t played netball since school so I was slightly apprehensive about whether I could still remember the rules, but it was so much fun. A great opportunity to have a laugh and meet a new group of people!
@GoMammoth
- The Theatre
Of course you’ve got to go and see some plays when you’re in London. Trips to the theatre are a major London perk and it is the perfect way to unwind. As long as you check out the right websites, you don’t have to fork out a hefty amount either. It is something I really enjoy and appreciate about London.
- London Marathon
This year was the first time I’ve watched the London Marathon. I would love to say that one day I will be fit enough to be able to run it, but for the time being I’ve enjoyed being the spectator. I was quite overwhelmed by how much the city gets behind all the runners and how amazing the atmosphere is – strangers cheering on complete strangers. It’s an event that really does bring the whole city together
- A Premiere
Going to a premiere has been something that I’ve always wanted to go to. You don’t get it in any other city and is the only chance you get to mingle with all the stars. I was lucky enough to stumble across the premiere of ‘Me Before You’ and it was such an amazing experience – all the stars walking past and an amazing buzz around the red carpet.
- Television Filming
Being able to be part of the audience for the filming of a television programme is one of my favourite things about London. You feel pretty special wandering into a television studio with big anticipation about what you’re going to witness. I’ve been lucky enough to see the filming of ITV’s ‘Safeword’ and ‘The Next Great Magician’. Even more excitingly I got to be part of the audience for Ant and Dec’s ‘Saturday Night Takeaway’ – the best night ever. This did involve queuing up outside in the pouring rain for hours and hours, but completely worth it. You get to see behind the scenes and the whole process involved in filming – you suddenly realise how much waiting around goes on. The best thing about this whole experience is that the tickets are completely free!!!
http://www.sroaudiences.com/ or http://www.applausestore.com/home
@ApplauseStoreUK
I am so glad that I have been able to make the most of all the things London has to offer. I know I won’t look back and have any regrets. So my advice to you, do the same!
