Our Operations Director Jacqui recently took a trip down to London for a few days of experiencing history and art, shopping at the world famous Harrods and lunch at the bustling Borough Market. Read on to find out more about what Jacqui got up to in London.
Day One
We took an early morning flight from Dundee to London City Airport with Loganair which meant we were at our hotel before 10am dropping off our bags ready to explore the city! We stayed at the Apex Temple Court and from here, we walked via Trafalgar Square down Whitehall passing Downing Street before arriving at Westminster Abbey where we enjoyed a self-guided tour. A particular highlight for me was the tomb of Mary Queen of Scots who was first buried in Peterborough Cathedral with great solemnity by Elizabeth’s orders but James I ordered that her remains be brought to Westminster Abbey in 1612. The King had erected a magnificent marble tomb for her in the south aisle of the Lady Chapel on which there is a fine white marble effigy under an elaborate canopy. A crowned Scottish lion stands at her feet.
From here we walked along the River Thames stopping off for a photo at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and then some food at Borough Market before arriving at the Millennium Pier next to the Tower of London where we boarded our afternoon tea cruise provided by City Experiences which was the perfect way to view London’s most iconic riverside attractions.
From here we took the tube back to the hotel for a relaxing evening after our early start.
Day Two
We made the short walk to Temple Tube Station and took the tube to South Kensington where there is an underground entrance to the V&A Museum which is a global destination for art, design and performance. We spent the morning exploring this vast museum with areas of particular interest being the Cast Courts which display copies of some of the world’s most significant works of art reproduced in plaster, electrotype, photography, and digital media. The cast collection is famous for including reproductions of Michelangelo’s David, Trajan’s Column, and Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise, amongst many others, we also enjoyed the Jewelry Collection.
From here we walked a short distance to Harrods department store where we explored the many floors of luxury goods before buying ourselves a few souvenirs including chocolate from award winning William Curley Chocolatier in the food hall (A second cousin of mine!).
The sun finally came out and the rain stopped so we walked through St James’s Park taking in the views of Buckingham Palace before stopping off for coffee and cake at Caffe Concerto Green Park. We took a stroll round to Soho and did some shopping in Carnaby Street before enjoying a delicious meal in at the Golden Phoenix in China Town.
From here it was a short tube ride to the Apollo Victoria Theatre for the musical Wicked. When Dorothy famously triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West, we only ever heard one side of the story. Gregory Maguire‘s acclaimed 1995 novel, ‘Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West’, re-imagines the Land of Oz, creating a parallel universe to the familiar story written by L. Frank Baum and first published as ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ in 1900.
Day Three
We set off on the tube to Tower Hill for our visit to the Tower of London, due to the rain the regular Yeoman Warder guided tours were not taking place however our warder guided us up to St Georges Chapel where he gave us some background to the Tower including details of some famous executions.
Following this we visited the stunning Crown Jewels and spent time exploring the armoury in the white tower. After refuelling with a scone and a cuppa in their new café we exited the tower and headed over to the new Gunpowder Plot immersive VR experience which has been developed in partnership between Historic Royal Palaces and Layered Reality. We spent a fantastic couple of hours in character along with actors as part of The Gunpowder Plot of 1605 where Guy Fawkes and fellow Catholic conspirators attempted to blow up Parliament and assassinate James I of England.
After a quick freshen up and dinner back at the hotel we headed out to The Comedy Store comedy club Leicester Square. We laughed from start to finish as the acts did not disappoint.
Day Four
After checking-out we left our luggage at the hotel and set-off for Covent Garden. Once home to the world-famous fruit and vegetable market, Covent Garden’s Apple Market continues to support market traders, offering a range of unique handmade crafts and goods throughout the week. From Tuesday to Sunday, the Apple Market is filled with handmade jewellery, prints, watercolours and beautiful crafts and every Monday, you’ll find one-off antiques and collectables.
Additionally, the East Colonnade Market is located on the east side of Covent Garden’s Market Building and is filled with handmade soaps, sweet treats, and jewellery stalls. Also nearby is the British Museum and the London Transport Museum.
It was then time to grab some lunch and our luggage before heading to the airport for our flight back to Dundee.
London is a city with world-class museums, a rich artistic heritage and immersive history, making it the perfect visit for culture and architecture enthusiasts as well as foodies and shopaholics alike. For more information on how we can incorporate this wonderful city into your visit, have a look at our customisable packages here: England Tours – Best of Scotland (best-of-scotland.com)
