December

Let the silly season commence….. The skies are sparkling with Christmas lights, ears are ringing with sleigh bells jinglin’ and best of all it’s time for Christmas parties and overindulging. And with the final countdown of 2018, here is our round up of what to squeeze in to the rest of the year before we ring in the New Year.

Cosy up in an igloo on the South Bank

Jimmy’s Lodge is Back! This time with a bigger, sleeker and chicer upstairs covered dining room, the cosiest winter warmer bar on the river and the return of newly customised private dining glass igloos! Situated on the river along the Queen’s Walk, Jimmy’s Lodge offers the perfect place to soak up the festive atmosphere!

Watch a Christmas Classic.

The UK's #1 Open Air Cinema. Luna Winter heads inside for a festive season in London and Liverpool this December.  The ultimate festive cinema experience, bringing Christmas classics to the big screen in some stunning indoor (heated!) spaces. From Elf, Love Actually (which turns 15 this year) to classics such as It’s a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th street there is something for everyone.

Winter rooftop fun

Back for good with a brand new high up in the sky Pergola rooftop location, in an incredible new venue! Never before has the historic Olympia London had a venue built on its roof, until NOW.... Explore their new botanical bolthole located on the top of Olympia London. Drink, dine and escape the city with us amidst the lush vegetation of their new home! And don’t worry it’ll be heated and fully enclosed for the winter months, with a clear roof so you can see the sky without the plummeting temperatures. 

Dance the night away on a Christmas rooftop.

Come party the night away under the heated covered terrace (so no chance of freezing). On the 15th December Byday Bynight reach their final show in Brixton this year and welcome back their friend Maxxi Soundsystem to headline the main room and sprinkle festive cheer and Deep House goodness on a busy main room. With a plethora of huge releases under his belt over the past decade, Maxxi has developed a solid reputation of ensuring dance floors stay filled with deep grooves and pumping disco.

Explore the Christmas lights at Kew

As twilight falls, the magic begins. Now in its sixth year, Kew’s 2018 winter trail will be bigger than ever before, with over a million twinkling pea-lights and thousands of laser beams. Walk under welcoming arches into a world festooned with seasonal cheer and wander beneath unique tree canopies drenched in Christmas colour.  

Winterville - London’s Alternative festive experience

A completely different festive experience! Expect live DJs, comedy, musical bingo, roaming magicians, kid’s raves, Mexican wrestling and a family Christmas show on a double decker bus.

Elsewhere in our pop-up town you can skate on our outdoor Ice Rink, enjoy sensational food from Street Feast, lose yourself in Backyard Cinema’s Christmas maze, catch club nights in the Roller Disco, play crazy golf on a UV-powered course, ride the Big Wheel, enjoy cocktails and craft beer in themed bars and find unique gifts in Solo Craft Fair.

Looking for something a bit different to do this New Years Eve ?

Channel your inner-party animal and send off 2018 by dancing beneath the largest creature ever to have lived, at the Natural History Museum. Hosted in collaboration with experiential events company It's Unknown. We're not lying when we say this will be an unforgettable night, packed with animal-themed activities. Pick up your complimentary drink before trying your luck at Musical Bingo, sampling edible insects, or having a hoot in the silent disco. There will be the opportunity to make animal masks, roam free in the galleries, submit a song request to the Love Cats, or simply dance the night away with the Massaoke band and DJs.

We hope these give you some fun ideas to round off 2018.

Have a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

x

November

Get festive with some fun and sparkle this month. Bonfire night kicks things off and Christmas lights start to glow, lighting up cities and towns across the UK. Ice rinks and Christmas markets begin to pop-up and encourage even the biggest ‘bah humbug’ to get excited for what is just around the corner. Here is our round up of what to get up to this November.

Bonfire Night

Remember, remember the fifth of November…

There is nothing we love more than a hot toddy, lighting sparklers and watching the sky light up bright with an amazing show. Wrap up in cosy layers and head out to watch your local fireworks display, we’ll be heading out to the Battersea Park Fireworks. But If you want to watch the celebrations, but don't want to deal with the crowds, don't worry. You have options. Head up to the top floor of Heron Tower to watch London light up from the confines of the Duck and Waffle. Visit the Shard's Oblix for a cocktail at their Lounge Bar and an uncluttered view of the festivities. Or, head down to Tattershall Castle, the pub on the Thames for a view that's a bit more down to earth.

Photo by Zuza Gałczyńska

Miss out on Halloween?

Did you miss out on dressing up for Halloween ? Well fear not, how about unleashing your inner pirate, step aboard The Hidden Spirit this winter, and join the undercover crew! Take your share of the world’s finest collection of precious metals & jewels, liquors & liqueurs and enjoy some delicious cocktails on board to make the journey and time at sea all that bit richer. Set on board a real ship docked in London, those willing to join Captain Jack Cassidy’s undercover crew will be taken on an epic journey of mischief as they steal the hidden treasure in this unique immersive cocktail experience.

The Hidden Spirit

Movie hit list for November  

It seems a waste to go to the Cinema when the weather is so gorgeous out. But now the nights are darker there is something indulgent about watching a good movie with a tub of your fave ice cream. Plus with the Oscars not too far away there are some great releases coming up over the next few months. So here is our hit list of what is new this month and what we want to try and catch asap.

5 movies to check out this month

1.     Bohemian Rhapsody

2.     Widows

3.     A Star is Born

4.     The Nutcracker and the Four Realms

5.     First Man

Eat and Drink at Cattivo

Brixton’s latest offering from the team behind Martello Hall and Canova Hall (our second office) has just opened up and we can’t wait to try it. If their interiors are anything like Canova Hall were in for an industrial but cosy treat. From liquor clubs, gin masterclasses and showtime brunches it’s not your usual bar/restaurant there seems to be something extraordinary happening all the time.

cattivo Instagram

Autumn Adventure to Elmley

Looking to do something a bit different and explore a new area why not check out Elmley. Elmley is a 3,200 acre estate based on an island in the Thames, situated away from the bustle of North Kent, just an hour from London. A vast wilderness. The spectacular landscape, soul stirring skies and breath-taking wildlife provide a truly inspirational escape. It is a very special place, and provides an extraordinary setting for a weekend escape or simply to immerse yourself in nature for the day.

Elmley Nature Instagram

Explore the Best Christmas Markets

With the season nearly upon us, bringing with it the aroma of mulled wine and spices, carol singing and cascades of sequins and tinsel. It’s time to get out and explore the streets of Bath, Manchester and Edinburgh, to the banks of the Thames and the grounds of Blenheim Palace. Here are the best Christmas markets in the UK to brave the chill and start your seasonal shopping.

Blenheim Place

Apres Ski

Winterland London returns in style this festive season with a brand new theme to match. Taking inspiration from the slopes of the Alps in the 80s and 90s, Winterland will transport guests back in time to a cosy, festive winter playground. Jimmy’s Lodge will be on hand to serve delicious fondues and schnitzels, best enjoyed in the warmth of a heated winter lodge and washed down with some mulled wine and winter warmer cocktails from our Moose Bar. And for those more playful Alpine explorers, a karaoke booth, curling lanes, beer pong, putting pong, table tennis and more can be found within Fulham’s very own ski resort.

Winterland London

October

What a great start to autumn with beautiful blue skies and long cosy evenings by the fire or perhaps you’re just like me wrapped up like a sausage under your duvet. As mother nature waves her magic wand we look at what London is serving up this month. Here are our top picks.

London Restaurant Week - 1st-31st October

London Restaurant Festival aims to deliver the most memorable and creative events, taking place in the restaurants themselves. These range from chef-hosted lunches to tasting menus and restaurant-hopping tours. Curated by the London Restaurant Festival team, these events will show you the highlights and diversity of London’s thriving restaurant scene.

Momo Restaurant - Heddon Street

London Cocktail Week - 1st-7th October

Get ready to tap that tipple this month with London Cocktail Week returning for another week-long celebration of the capital's best mixology.

If you’re looking for something a little different why not come and discover what it’s like to have Drinks at Home - Perfected by Patrón. In the hustle and bustle of Hoxton, East London, Patrón Tequila will be taking over a secret location and transforming it into a Simply Perfect home and tequila haven where you can learn from some of the most talented bartenders how to mix Patrón cocktails at home.

Frieze London - 4th-7th October

Frieze London features more than 160 of the world’s leading galleries. View and buy art from over 1,000 of today’s leading artists, and experience the fair’s critically acclaimed curated sections and Talks programme.

Frieze London - Regents Park

Halloween in London

Too old for trick or treating these days? Trust us, there’s still a lot of fun to be had on and around Halloween in London.

One for the little kids - Pumpkin Patch at Crockford Bridge Farm

As Autumn approaches, the cheery sight of glowing orange pumpkins means that Halloween and Crockford Bridges Farm’s famous Pumpkin Patch is just around the corner. There is lot’s of fun, friendly Pumpkin activities to be had over the October Half Term.

One for the big kids - Ghost hunts and ghost tours in London

London is steeped in history, and therefore home to countless ghost stories and gruesome, grisly tales: myths and urban legends as well as terrible, true facts. There‘s no denying it, our city has a dark side. Feeling brave? Grab your ghost detector and gear up for these genuinely terrifying ghost tours in London. From tales of the plague, tours around Hampton Court Palace and the Tower of London there will something to scare you witless!