In London – Page 5 – Stanfords Blog

The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Weekend: A Visitor's Guide

The Diamond Jubilee celebrations taking place on 2-5^th June 2012, mark 60 years of the Queen’s reign. There are many exciting events taking over the extended 4 day weekend to mark the occasion. Below is a list of the official events taking place over the 4 days.

June 2nd: The Queen will attend the Epsom Derby.

June 3rd: The Big Jubilee Lunch & Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant- Celebrate this special occasion by sharing lunch with neighbours and friends in a street party or picnic in the park. Afterwards watch The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant as up to 1,000 boats from around the world gather to form one of the largest flotillas ever assembled on the river. The spectacle will also include a gun salute past London Bridge, music barges, a floating belfry and members of the public aboard passenger boats on the day. Continue reading The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Weekend: A Visitor's Guide

Top 10 Free Things to do In London

London is often regarded as an expensive city however if you know the right places to go you will find that there are plenty of free activities & sites around the city. Most of the museums have free entry and there are many beautiful open spaces to wander around as well as river walks and bike routes. Below are our top 10 free things to do in London…

Trafalgar Square: At the heart of the city, Trafalgar Square is one of London’s most famous attractions. At its centre stands the historic Nelson’s Column guarded by four bronze lions. The square is home to The National Gallery and St. Martin-in-the-Fields which are well worth a visit. Many free events take place in the iconic square throughout the year from street performances and musical events to cultural celebrations and parades. The square is easily accessible from Charing Cross station, Leicester Square and is a few minutes walk from Embankment station. Continue reading Top 10 Free Things to do In London

Shopping in Covent Garden

With stylish bars, an array of restaurants, London’s finest theatres, exciting street entertainers on the piazza and a plethora of shops, Covent Garden in the heart of London’s lively West End is a shopping experience like no other. Today Covent Garden is one of London’s most visited tourist attractions.

Designed in the 1600s, the famous market in the Covent Garden Piazza attracts millions of visitors each year to explore the multitude of cafés, boutiques, antiques and crafts. The surrounding Neal street and Long Acre are home to some of the best shops in London, from fashion brands including Calvin Klein, Jigsaw and Hobbs to shops that cater for adventure enthusiast including Jack Wolfskin, Snow & Rock and of course Stanfords.

Planning a trip to London? Browse all our London maps and guides here >

Visit London

London - Tower Bridge From the delights of its parks and canals and the River Thames to its atmospheric markets and varied shops, museums and galleries, London has so much to offer tourists and locals alike. Try one of our staff recommendations:

1. Covent Garden & Theatre Land- Visit the atmospheric Covent Garden Piazza and surrounding cobble-stoned streets for some of the best shopping in London. Walk to the nearby Trafalgar Square, St Martin-in-the-Fields church, the National Gallery and British Museum. In the evening, dine in the vibrant restaurants of London’s Chinatown before an evening performance at the Royal Opera House or one of the many West End Theatres. Continue reading Visit London

St George – not just England’s patron saint

Did you know…

• St George is not only famous as England’s patron saint, but is also very much honoured by the Eastern Orthodox Church, wherein he is referred to as a Great Martyr, and in Oriental Orthodoxy overall. His major feast day is on 23 April.

• St George is also one of the patron saints of the Mediterranean islands of Malta and Gozo. In a battle between the Maltese and the Moors, St George was alleged to have been seen with St Paul and St Agata, protecting the Maltese. Besides being the patron of Victoria where St George’s Basilica in Malta is dedicated to him, St George is the protector of the island of Gozo.

• Other countries that celebrate St George’s Day include Portugal, Cyprus, Greece, Georgia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Macedonia.

5 of London's Best Bars

Hg2 are publishers of the UK’s best-selling range of upscale city guides – A Hedonist’s guide to… In their view hedonism gets a bad rap – if you can’t pursue pleasure when on a short break or when enjoying a brief respite from your hectic work schedule, when can you? They think that even a bad cup of coffee is an unforgivable waste of your time and money, so join Hg2 for a filtered selection of only the very best each city has to offer…

For old-school glamour
Claridge’s Bar, Brook Street, Mayfair W1

The elegantly art deco bar of arguably London’s top hotel really is the sine qua non of the London bar scene. Refined, sublime and reassuringly pricey, it really is the place for an expertly mixed cocktail, a glass of vintage bubbly and, perhaps, a dollop of beluga to accompany.

For unusual ales
The Jerusalem Tavern, 55 Britton Street, Clerkenwell EC1 Continue reading 5 of London's Best Bars

Walking London

What better way to get a feel for the city and its different areas than to simply wander the streets? Places are closer to each other in London than the tube would have you think. There are many books to guide you around particular sights, or more vigorous treks across the city and its parks. Here are just a few ideas…

Walking London

Secret gardens: Discover London’s secret gardens and squares. There are dozens of squares to be found, often gated, and surrounded by impressive architecture, throughout the city. But there are also more informal community and wildlife gardens to be found sitting incongruously between – or even on top of – inner-city buildings.

Get into character: Trace the footsteps of famous literary figures such as Shakespeare, or Dickens; notorious characters such as The Krays or Jack the Ripper; or even fictional figures such as Sherlock Holmes. Continue reading Walking London

How to Bus it in London

Visitors to London are often reluctant to take the bus, for fear they might not know which bus stop to stand at, which route to take or where to get off; and instead opt for the pricier tube. However, give buses a go – they can often stop nearer your desired destination than the tube, plus you get to see where you’re travelling past through the window – especially if you’re sitting on the top deck! Travel editor Simon Calder even says that his favourite journey in the world is taking the number 11 bus from Liverpool Street to World’s End, Chelsea in London.

Taking the bus in London has been made really straight-forward, with route maps and listings at every bus shelter, so you can easily identify which bus number to catch and where to wait for it. Here’s our easy-peasy guide: Continue reading How to Bus it in London

How to do London for Free

Although London is often thought of as one of the most expensive cities in the world, it is more than possible to visit the city and spend barely a penny. You can see famous paintings, ancient artefacts, fascinating buildings, rare wildlife and even films and plays for free. Most of the city’s major museums and galleries have free entry, and there are plenty of opportunities to visit places for free that normally charge admission – it’s just a matter of knowing how and when… here are our top tips.

Top free things to do in London

Red Deer Stag Richmond Park London

Go up to the Oxo Tower restaurant and step out onto the viewing balcony for a classic view over the city.

See deer roaming wild in Richmond Park – the largest open space in London, covering almost 1,000 hectares (2,500 acres).

Put a foot in each hemisphere at the Greenwich Meridian line, outside The Royal Observatory. The centre of world time is marked here with a metal line in the paving stones.

Get into Westminster Abbey for free when you attend a service – evensong is particularly atmospheric to be present at.

Catch free performances and film screenings at the Scoop theatre – an open-air amphitheatre on the South Bank by Tower Bridge.

Join the Roller Stroll , a communal skate each Sunday in Hyde Park. Continue reading How to do London for Free

Stanfords restores glory to flagship store

Stanfords is looking forward to the highlight of our 150th anniversary year: the 2003 re-launch of our flagship store on Long Acre, Covent Garden, at the end of our £1 million-pound refurbishment programme.

Already the world’s largest specialist map and travel bookshop, our refurbished store will be 50% larger than before, allowing Stanfords to offer an expanded range of both maps and books, which will be merchandised together by region for extra convenience. Large graphic displays will guide you to each area, and other original features include lectern browsers with map index information.

Starting in September 2002, exterior building work has been undertaken in parallel with the interior refurbishment and our store has remained open throughout. Continue reading Stanfords restores glory to flagship store