Hyde Park

Hyde Park has many attractions that make it a perfect picnic spot – not only is there oodles of space in which you can stretch out to enjoy some nosh, but you can also go roller-blading, play numerous sports and go boating on the Serpentine. Hyde Park is also the venue for fantastic events at which picnics are welcome – September’s Proms in the Park is just one of the great options. The wonderful Kensington Gardens is just a short stroll away, why not spend a day exploring both?

Ham Polo Club

Serve up some high-octane sporting action with your picnic on Sundays at Ham Polo Club, when spectators can lounge by the side of the pitch and watch London’s only polo team compete, whilst munching on sandwiches and scotch eggs. Entry to matches, which take place until 29 September, is £5 per person, or £20 for a car of up to four people.

Highbury Fields

If you like your picnics sizzling, head to Highbury Fields where you can BBQ in the park. As well as a warm welcome for your disposable barbecues, the park offers a children’s playground, sports facilities and a dog-free picnic area.

St James’s Park

Situated next to Buckingham Palace, St James’s is one of London’s prettiest parks. Not only can you have a picnic whilst admiring the surrounding architecture, the park’s foliage and the stunning expanse of water, but you can also see the park’s famous pelicans when they’re fed every day at 2.30pm.

Lincoln’s Inn Fields

Lincoln’s Inn Fields, which adjoins one of the four Inns of Court at which all barristers are members, is the largest public square in London. It’s a peaceful place for a picnic in between seeing the sights of central London – both Covent Garden and the British Museum are less than 10 minutes away.

Hampstead Heath

At 790 acres, you’re truly spoiled for choice as to where to picnic on Hampstead Heath. You could head to Parliament Hill, from which you can get an unrivalled view over London, sit in the grounds of historic Kenwood House or picnic next to the lido if you feel like an afternoon swim.

Greenwich Park

It’s not often you can picnic in a World Heritage Site, but London’s Greenwich Park allows you to do just that. Situated by the river Thames, the park offers stunning views of both the water and central London. Closer at hand are the magnificent Royal Maritime Museum and the old Royal Observatory, which provide a dramatic backdrop as well as the perfect post-picnic activity.

Victoria Tower Gardens

Picnic next to the Houses of Parliament in this riverside park, which gives you a chance to study the historical palace of Westminster up close. The park itself also contains a range of interesting features, including a replica of Rodin’s The Burghers of Calais and the Buxton Memorial Fountain, commemorating the emancipation of slaves.

The Regent’s Park

The stunning Regent’s Park is a wonderful place to have a picnic, especially if you’re having a relaxed meal before you see a production at the park’s Open Air Theatre.  Picnic-ers can enjoy views over the lake, the glorious expanse of roses in Queen Mary’s Gardens or even the entire city of London from the heights of the park’s Primrose Hill.

Battersea Park

South London’s Battersea Park is full of picturesque picnic spots, as well as a host of attractions. Explore the children’s zoo, float on the boating lake or see an exhibition at the striking Pump House Gallery.

Where’s your favourite place to have a picnic in London?

Here’s a lovely video from British Airways, showing two of their cabin crew, Mark and Lucy, enjoying a perfect day in London. 

From London Heathrow Terminal 5, to the Houses of Parliament, Primrose Hill, Camden Passage, The Langham, Hamleys, Fortnum & Mason, Natural History Museum Ice Rink, and Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, they certainly enjoy a busy day. (I’m just not sure about that picnic, considering today’s temperatures are hovering around the 3°C mark.)

For more London videos, check out our YouTube channel.

Using a bit of his Christmas magic, Santa is appearing at spots all over the capital this month, sometimes even at the same time!

Santa’s Grotto in Duke of York Square
Kids can have their photo taken with Santa and receive a gift at Duke of York Square’s free grotto, where there’s also a special post box to send your Christmas lists to Lapland. On some dates in December, Liz Earle will provide complimentary hand and arm massages in the back of the grotto, so parents can get pampered while the kids chat to Santa. Advanced booking recommended. 
Until 23 Dec

Santa’s Grotto at Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City
Seeing Santa in the flesh is exciting enough, but at Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City he’ll be appearing in 5D. Every child will see their name and picture appear in a personalised film, which sees Elbow the Elf save Santa’s presents. Visiting also lets you download the “Elbow Saves Christmas” mobile phone game, so you can take him away in your pocket. Tickets are £3 per person or £10 for a family.
Until 24 Dec

Santa Baby
Santa will be popping into this pop-up Christmas cocktail bar, tucked away in the arches under the railway lines at 347 Old Street in Shoreditch. Indie Christmas tunes provide the soundtrack and top mixologists have designed treats like mulled champagne and molecular Santa Baby Eggnog, using techniques like high-pressure distillation. Santa Baby has a vintage feel - the venue is modelled on a 1950s American suburban living room. 
Until 23 Dec

Santa and His Reindeer at London Zoo
Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Blitzen and of course Rudolph are all at London Zoo this Christmas. You can visit them in their paddock, as well as meeting Santa and telling him your present list (as long as you’ve been good). Cheeky elf photographers will be on hand to take a picture and each child will receive a gift to take home. Tickets are £7.
Until 24 Dec

Winter Wonderland
Every Winter, Hyde Park becomes more festive than a penguin in a Christmas jumper. Winter Wonderland is back in the park with a Christmas market, ice skating, observation wheel and a kingdom of ice and snow sculptures. Santa Land includes a free visit to Saint Nick, as well as the new “Santa’s Factory” where the elves are making gifts ready for the big day.
Until 6 Jan

Find Christmas grottos all over London with our Christmas grottos guide

Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park

One of London’s most popular festive attractions returns, with even more rides, stalls and entertainment. Take a spin on the giant observation wheel, buy a tasty snack from the Bavarian Village or show off your moves on the UK’s largest ice rink. A new feature for this year’s Winter Wonderland is the Magical Ice Kingdom, a captivating maze of ice sculptures that will spark your imagination. Entry is free, although some attractions require pre-booking. 23 Nov – 6 Jan

Mickey & Oswald’s Epic Tales, Westfield Stratford

The Getty Images Gallery at Westfield Stratford hosts this fun temporary exhibition, which celebrates the launch of the video game Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two. Featuring important artefacts and cartoons, it charts the history of early Disney character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and his more famous successor Mickey Mouse, both of whom feature in the game. After enjoying the exhibits, some of which date back to the 1920s, visitors can try Disney Epic Mickey 2 for themselves. Entry is free. 23-25 Nov

West End VIP Day, Oxford Street and Regent Street

Regent Street and Oxford Street are pedestrianised for the day, allowing visitors to roam freely around this excellent shopping destination. Not only will you be able to stroll beneath the Christmas lights between Selfridges and Hamleys without seeing a single car, but there will be lots of special promotions, festive performances and surprises. 24 Nov

The Scandinavian Christmas Market, Rotherhithe

Find unique Christmas gifts at this festive market, which contains a range of great Scandinavian products. Better still, after you’ve shopped for everything from jewellery to furniture you can unwind with traditional food and a glass of mulled wine. See the website for opening times. 23-25 Nov

London: Your Universe, at University College London

Now in its seventh year, UCL’s popular astronomy festival is a great way for families to explore the wonders of the universe. All of its fascinating events, exhibitions and activities are free: highlights include special telescopes that let you peer at the stars, a lecture on the Large Hadron Collider and the amazing Magic Planet projection. See the website for full programme details. 23-24 Nov

London International Arts Festival
Nearly 2,000 international music acts applied to perform at the first ever London International Arts Festival, but only 14 were selected to play at Grade II listed Redbridge Town Hall in Ilford this weekend. They hail from countries as varied as Cyprus and Serbia and include Dhruv Ensemble, a London-based South Indian youth orchestra and Latin-Balkan beat band La Internacional Sonora Balkanera. Workshops in nearby Vine Church Hall on Saturday mean you could come away schooled in Indian drumming or Mexican traditional music. Concert tickets start from £8 and workshops are £5.
10-12 Aug

London Live
It’s the last few days of the Olympics and there’s a good chance Team GB medallists will drop into the two London Live sites at Hyde Park and Victoria Park. Both are great spots to catch the final events on big screens in a festival atmosphere: Hyde Park is home to the interactive chocolate experience that is Cadbury House, while Victoria Park boasts a 55m-high observation wheel, bungee trampolines and the zip wire that Boris Johnson recently got stuck on. The sites are free but book online for guaranteed entry before 2pm.
Until 12 Aug

Great British Beer Festival
It’s big, it’s British, and it’s full of beer. The Olympia Exhibition Centre becomes one enormous pub for this annual celebration of the good old pint. More than 800 British real ales, ciders, perries, and foreign beers will be available to sample – though we don’t suggest you try them all. You can learn about the brewing industry from producers, or just choose a glass (a third, half or a full pint) and get tasting.
Until 11 Aug

Dance Al Fresco in Regent’s Park
Head to Regent’s Park for a spot of outdoor dancing at Dance Al Fresco. DJ Jacky Logan will lead “The Broadwalk Ballroom” on Saturday, taking visitors through some Latin, salsa, line dancing and more, while Sunday’s session is dedicated to the Argentinean tango. Both days kick off at 1pm with a class for beginners, followed by a demonstration at 4.30pm and dancing until 6pm. Tickets are £10 and proceeds go to the Royal Parks Foundation charity.
11-12 Aug

Where will you be this weekend? Let us know by commenting below.

Regular readers of this blog will know we’re fans of timelapse videos. And chocolate. (Mmm, timelapse chocolate…)

So here’s a real Double Decker of a treat(!) from the Official Treat providers from the London 2012 Games: a timelapse vid of Cadbury House taking shape in Hyde Park.

Cadbury House is free to visit. Inside, you can journey through the Joyville tasting zone to the Chocolatrium and finally to a very Harry-Potter-sounding “Great Games Hall” where you’ll receive your own Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Medal as you step onto the podium to the sound of cheering crowds!

Cadbury House is open until 12 August as part of BT London Live.

Have you been to any of the London 2012 Live Sites? Let us know your highlights (chocolate or otherwise!) in the comments below.

London’s largest ever street music competition, The Big Busk sees young musicians and singers from across the capital performing in iconic venues for your pleasure – and your votes.

Running from 21 July to 25 August, the big buskers are cropping up all over London. Venues include The British Music Experience, BT London Live sites at Hyde Park and Victoria Park, and the Clapham Common Bandstand.

In case you don’t happen to catch all of the performers on your travels, you can see them online and vote for your favourite. The three categories are Youth, Soloists and Duos and Groups. Check out the performances so far at www.molpresents.com/gigs/vote. Prizes include studio time, musical instruments, a scholarship and (appropriately) a Transport for London busking licence.

Have you seen any of the Big Busk performers? Who do you think should win?

Sheep, a huge bell, a miniature Stonehenge, David Beckham and some NHS nurses. This much we know will be in the London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony on Friday evening. A global audience of four billion people are expected to tune into the show which is called Isles of Wonder, inspired by a line in Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Artistic director Danny Boyle has kept most details under wraps, but we can say with certainty that it starts at 9pm, and that you’d be mad not to watch it.

London Live
Friday is the opening night for the Olympic London Live sites at Hyde Park and Victoria Park. In Hyde Park, the ceremony will be shown on screens alongside a celebration concert with acts representing each part of the UK – Snow Patrol from Northern Ireland, Stereophonics for Wales, Duran Duran representing England and Paolo Nutini waving the flag for Scotland. Tickets are £60 and are still available. If you just want to watch the ceremony in a crowd, you can head to the Victoria Park site which is free entry.

Tower of London
If you’re feeling flush, you could pay for an exciting Opening Ceremony dinner at the Tower of London House of Nations for just £139. Hosted by four-time record breaking swimmer and Strictly Come Dancing star, Mark Foster, you’ll enjoy a champagne and Pimm’s reception in the Tower of London’s moat, an exclusive private tour of the Crown Jewels, a delicious three-course meal with all inclusive drinks, footage of the Opening Ceremony and live entertainment.

Greenwich
You can also catch all the Opening Ceremony action at Greenwich Summer Festival’s Gala Weekend. As well as the big screens, there’ll be live entertainment, starting with music on the bandstand at 6pm. Greenwich’s very own Hangar Arts Trust will then perform a cabaret of aerial circus in a high-impact, thrilling show full of beautiful and apparently impossible human feats, before the Opening Ceremony kicks off at 9pm.

General Gordon Square, Woolwich
General Gordon Square in Woolwich is hosting one of two big screens set up by the BBC in London for outdoor summer screenings. It will show the ceremony outside for free in the newly landscaped square, which offers bench seating and food stalls and street performers to get you in the party mood.

Walthamstow Town Square
Another BBC big screen will be beaming the ceremony to Walthamstow Town Square in North London. Seating will be set up so crowds can watch in comfort.

Broadgate
The Broadgate development in the Square Mile is home to some of the world’s biggest companies, and this summer it is also the base for three big screens which will all show the Opening Ceremony. Take your pick from Exchange Square, Broadgate Circle and Finsbury Avenue.

Novikov’s Beach Party at Waterside House
Top Mayfair restaurant Novikov is heading east this Friday to set up an all-day Opening Ceremony beach party – complete with sand and beach loungers – at Waterside House in Royal Victoria Dock. You can watch the show while sipping cocktails and listening to DJ sets. Tickets are £25.

In The Pub
Hundreds of top London pubs will be showing the all action on big screens, so have a look at the watering holes near you. We suggest The Hanbury Arms in Islington, The Lauriston in Hackney, the Water Poet in Spitalfields and the Clapham Grand in Clapham Junction, all of which will be putting on amazing parties.

Where will you be watching? Let us know below.

Cadbury is set to make all your chocolate-infused dreams come true this summer in London.

For the duration of the Olympic Games, the chocolate manufacturer is bringing the magical, mythical world of Joyville to Hyde Park. And guess what – it’s free and there’s chocolate!

Joyville invites visitors to enjoy a tasting zone, chocolate-themed-experiences, and the chance to take part in a virtual race against Rebecca Adlington to win a chocolate medal. There’s also a Great Games Hall where visitors can have a go at “sports with a Cadbury twist”.

Cadbury House is part of the BT London Live site at Hyde Park, a free event offering open air screenings of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, plus on site attractions and entertainment.

Cadbury House is open from 27 July to 12 August.

Details have just emerged of an exciting new attraction that will take place during the London 2012 Olympic Games. Hosted by The Russian Olympic Federation and the organisers of the 2014 Winter Olympics, Russia.Sochi.Park will be the biggest ever Russian event to be held in the UK and a fantastic opportunity to explore the country’s culture.

Held in Kensington Gardens, the two areas of Russia.Sochi.Park will offer visitors a chance to explore the best of both Russian summer and winter. Russia Park, taking place in the north west of the Gardens, will be a summer festival offering a huge variety of Russian cultural experiences. You’ll be able to sample traditional cuisine in the Picnic Zone, watch a diverse range of performances and even come up close to some of the country’s leading athletes during a series of masterclasses. Special events will also take place in the Russia House hospitality centre.

To the south, meanwhile, Russian winter will be celebrated in Sochi park, themed around the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, South Russia. Here you can experience all the sensations of the next Winter Games in the Visitor Experience Pavilion, which uses 4D technology to transport you to the snowy slopes of the Sochi mountains. You can also watch breathtaking performances from Olympic and world figure-skating champions in the Ice Arena.

Early bird tickets, which allow access to both parks, are currently on sale at £10. Tickets to the Sochi: Small Stories of a Big City show in the Ice Arena are also available for £20.

If that sounds a bit icy for your liking, however, check out the launch of Rio Occupation London at the Battersea Arts Centre. Part of the LIFT and London 2012 Festivals, this free party on 8 July marks the start of a month long fiesta of performances, parties, screenings and gigs from 30 of the best Brazilian artists.