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Posts Tagged "london eye"

Movember in London

Movember party

It’s that time of year again, when normally clean-shaven men start comparing new growths of hair on their upper lips.

Movember invites Mo Bros (with support from Mo Sistas) to grow moustaches during November in aid of The Prostate Cancer Charity.

The initiative began in Australia in 2003 and has grown steadily ever since. Movember 2009 is set to be the biggest, hairiest yet, with loads of events happening in London.

You can enjoy:

  • Fast track boarding for all Mo Bros on the Merlin Entertainments London Eye, plus a special in-flight moustache grooming event
  • Free moustache trimming at Mo’s Moustache Emporium at Dermalogica in Kensington
  • A charity lunch at OXO Tower Brasserie, featuring ingredients known to reduce men’s chances of developing prostate cancer, and mojitos in the bar
  • A fundraising 10k run in Greenwich Park, with moustachioed runners in 70s fancy dress. (Women can take part too – simply draw or stick on a moustache.)
  • A hunt for the sexiest moustache, with a chance to win a VIP visit to Avenue Q, including an appearance on stage at curtain call

So what are you waiting for? Throw away your razor now and start growing that ‘tache!

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Nike Women Outdoor Training Session

Getting active on the South Bank

“This is where you do your Beyonce flick” said our chirpy dance instructor.

There I was, amongst dozens of women that had braved a drizzly British summer evening to shake our booty on the South Bank, under the gaze of thousands of tourists in the London Eye.

The Nike women training club is not a traditional boot camp. There were no scary military instructors, no drill whistles and no push ups. Instead, we found ourselves entertained by a live DJ as the dancers in a blaze of colour and energy wove through the crowd busting their moves.

It wasn’t long before we were joining in, learning to groove, bump, grind and bounce as the DJ spun her tunes. I’ve never been that great with choreography – unless you count knowing every move in The Timewarp – and I felt a little self conscious at first. But all notions of British reserve disappeared with the Beyonce flick. There is no room for wallflowers in this class. And this was too much fun to be a workout. The rain was forgotten, and before I knew it, hey, I’d done the moves right. All in all, the Nike women class is a great way to challenge yourself, make new friends and learn new skills. The only downside was, like all good parties, it ended too soon.

The next Nike Women Outdoor Training Session is on 9 September. Visit www.nikewomen.com for more information.

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Photo of the Week: London Rooftops

Rooftops of Olde London Towne by Resery

This week’s photo is a rooftop view of Central London by Resery from our Visit London Flickr pool. Add your photos of London to the group and we could be featuring you next!

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London Eye Opens New 4D Cinema Experience

The London Eye

This morning, the London Eye unveiled a fantastic new 4D cinema experience, as part of a £17.5m upgrade package by Merlin Entertainments.

Now, if you’re waiting in the queue for a trip on London’s iconic observation wheel, you’ll be treated to a state-of-the-art, 4D cinema show.

Pop on your 3D glasses and prepare for an amazing, multi-sensory film; the first of its kind to be made about London.

You’ll soar above the city alongside a rather leggy seagull, with real wind in your hair, swooping over landmarks like the Gherkin, London Bridge and, of course, the Eye itself. You’ll feel the ground shake as Big Ben chimes. Accompanied by music from Goldfrapp and Coldplay, the film then takes you on a journey inside the pods and along the South Bank. As children blow bubbles at you, real bubbles appear. When the weather turns snowy, shaved ice falls from the ceiling.

Visitors reach out to touch the special effectsAnd when crowds gather to celebrate New Year at the base of the Eye, and fireworks explode across the impressive 7.1 surround sound system, that’s gunpowder you can smell. That’s right: smell-o-vision!

It’s a great film; much less gimmicky than it sounds when we describe the sensory stuff here, with some really beautiful shots of London.

Indeed, the Pinewood studio-shot production uses really sophisticated visual effects: sweeping aerials, time-lapse, live action and supercool special effects.

The UK’s No.1 paid-for tourist attraction needs little more to enhance it. And yet today’s show demonstrated that the exciting team behind this groundbreaking film and the cinema that goes with it (the complete package cost a cool £5m)  have hit the brief set by David Sharpe: “to make an excellent experience better.”

“I believe this will take our visitor experience at the London Eye to another dimension, and will not only delight first time visitors but also encourage many people to come back and “fly” with us again.”

We recommend that you do!

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Photo of the Week: An Unusual View From The London Eye

londoneye2

This is the first photo we’ve seen of the ‘camera that takes your photo’ on the London Eye!

Photo by very_true_thing from the Visit London flickr pool. Have you got some great London photos you’d like to share with us? Then join our flickr pool now…

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Photo of the Week: Sunshine and the London Eye

London Eye

The London Eye looking pretty in the summer sunshine. Photo by Mr Wind-Up Bird from the Visit London flickr pool. Have you got some great London photos you’d like to share with us? Then join our flickr pool now…

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