London’s Lively Market Scene: Where to Eat, Shop and Stroll

Shopping in London? These markets are full of flavor, fun, and style.

Published: May 13, 2026
Flower Market Stall

Picture this: you’re weaving through winding lanes, sipping on a flat white, watching street performers, and picking up snacks from every corner. That’s the beauty of London’s market scene—there’s treasure around every turn, and every market comes with its own flavour, history and crowd. Whether you’re after street food that leaves you speechless, vintage vinyl, or just want to spend a lively afternoon people-watching, London’s markets totally deliver. Let’s unpack our favourites, from dazzling Borough Market to flower-filled Columbia Road and unexpected gems tucked across the city. 

Our favorite London markets include: 

  • Borough Market 
  • Camden Market 
  • Portobello Road Market 
  • Spitalfields Market 
  • Brick Lane Market 
  • Columbia Road Flower Market 
  • Maltby Street Market 
  • Covent Garden Market 
  • Greenwich Market 
  • Southbank Centre Food Market 

Borough Market 

Step beneath the railway arches at Borough Market and your senses will go into overdrive. Londoners and visitors flock here for good reason: legendary food stalls, artisan bakes, and the aroma of sizzling global street food at every turn. The energy is infectious—traders swap stories over cheese wheels, bakers dust pastries, and you’ll likely spot at least one chef taste-testing the day’s best. 

It’s the spot for top-notch eats. Try sausage rolls from The Ginger Pig, gooey raclette, or the famous Ethiopian stews at Ethiopian Flavours. Bread Ahead’s doughnuts? Absolutely worth seeking out. Meander, sample everything from olive oils to handmade fudge, and grab a flat white for your wander. If you love food, Borough Market is pure delight from first bite to last crumb. 

Camden Market 

Camden Market is a riot of colour and creativity, spilling across labyrinthine lanes and next to the canal. Come here for the buzz: indie jewellery, band tees, vintage frocks and more food stalls than you can count. The energy is alive with live music, street art and punters from every corner of the globe. Hungry? Grab a halloumi wrap, Dutch pancakes fresh from the griddle, or Korean BBQ wings—it’s a spot to sample the world in an afternoon. 

It’s not just about shopping; it’s an entire vibe. Scope out Cyberdog for sci-fi rave gear, or leaf through second-hand vinyl in shady corners. Pause canalside with bubble tea and people-watch (always top-tier here). Camden is a London must-see, giving you stories and souvenirs you won’t find anywhere else in the city. 

Portobello Road Market 

Every weekend, Notting Hill’s picture-perfect streets are transformed by Portobello Road Market—Europe’s largest antiques market and a true magpie’s delight. The stalls stretch for over a mile, roaring with traders selling antique cameras, quirky collectibles, and vintage fashion that will make your Insta followers swoon. 

But it’s not all antiques—there’s fresh-baked focaccia and steaming paella for peckish shoppers, plus street musicians adding a soundtrack. Look out for vibrant fruit stalls, indie boutiques, and those famous pastel Notting Hill townhouses. Pop in for the legendary falafel wraps or pick up a bunch of flowers. Portobello has heaps of charm, reasons to linger, and those “only-in-London” moments. 

Spitalfields Market

Spitalfields Market at Christmas Time

Old Spitalfields Market feels timeless, with its striking Victorian roof and cool East End crowd. This covered space offers everything: street food from every cuisine (bao buns, local pies, vegan shawarma), stalls of handmade jewellery, vintage posters, and original art. There’s something about browsing in the historic setting that just adds to the experience. 

Catch the market at lunchtime for prime grazing—do not skip the stuffed sourdough sandwiches, Afghan dumplings, or gelato from Gelateria 3Bis. Shopping for gifts? Look for hand-poured candles, prints from local artists, and chic homeware. It’s easy to linger: there’s always something new to discover or a comfy corner to settle in with a treat. 

Brick Lane Market 

On Sundays, Brick Lane morphs into a street party with food smells wafting in every direction and art splashed across every surface. You can feast on jerk chicken, Taiwanese gua bao, Polish pierogi, or doughnuts the size of your face. Foodies will have a field day, but the bric-a-brac stalls are equally captivating—think retro sunglasses, stacks of novels, and vintage satchels. 

Brick Lane buzzes with music, bargain-hunters, buskers and, always, a sense of the unexpected. It’s the place to score pre-loved treasures and try something you’ve never tasted. If you’re up for a fun, slightly chaotic afternoon, Brick Lane is an essential stop. 

Columbia Road Flower Market 

Sunday mornings on Columbia Road are pure joy—the street blooms with every variety of flower and plant imaginable, from peonies to potted citrus trees. The air smells sweet, the banter is cheerful, and you’ll come away snapping too many photos of picture-perfect buckets of blooms. 

It’s not all green thumbs, though; sign painters, potters and indie shops line the road. Pop into Lily Vanilli’s bakery for a cardamom bun and strong coffee or pick up botanical prints to brighten up your travel journal. Even if you’re not after a plant, Columbia Road’s local spirit and Instagram-worthy sights make it a Sunday highlight. 

Maltby Street Market 

Under the Bermondsey railway arches, Maltby Street Market is a smaller, tastier secret. Bite-sized but packed with flavour, the focus here is on quality eats and craft drinks. Think salt beef bagels, fresh-baked tarts, Yucatan tacos and rainbow pastries. If you’re thirsty, try house-brewed Gipsy Hill gin cocktails or locally roasted coffee. 

Stalls spill onto Ropewalk, and communal tables make it super social. The crowd is friendly and there’s always something new to try—perfect for a relaxed weekend wander. Bring an appetite, linger with a brownie, and soak up the local scene. 

Covent Garden Market

Man Taking a Photo of Apple Market Covent Garden

Set in grand piazzas and covered halls, Covent Garden Market blends luxury with lively atmosphere. Live performers set the mood with music, magic, and comedy that can make your day unexpectedly memorable. The Apple Market is a magnet for handcrafted jewellery, antiques, and collectibles—not to mention perfect people-watching. 

Indulge in a gourmet sausage roll or check out Final Say’s renowned fudge counter. Grab a seat on the steps for a treat and watch the world go by. With boutique shops and great eats all around, Covent Garden makes it easy to stay and explore. 

Greenwich Market 

A market has buzzed in this riverfront neighbourhood for centuries, and Greenwich Market remains a highlight for locals and tourists alike. You’ll find everything from hand-stitched bags to retro toys, while the food stalls do global comfort food like Thai curry, Venetian style arancini, or South American empanadas to-go. 

Settle beneath the colourful canopy and watch artists at work or enjoy the sound of a busker drifting across historic cobbles. Don’t skip the Portuguese custard tarts—utterly addictive. After shopping, stroll through Greenwich Park for city views or explore the nearby Cutty Sark. 

Southbank Centre Food Market 

On weekends, the Southbank Centre Food Market brings a delicious buzz to this riverside stretch, with a whole globe’s worth of flavours represented: Ethiopian stews, spicy Korean pancakes, homemade burgers and sweet treats galore. Grab your favourites, then picnic by the Thames with a view of the London Eye. 

It’s friendly, fun, and a great way to refuel between sightseeing stops. With plenty of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options, everyone can find something to love. Plus, it’s positioned perfectly for a wander along the South Bank or a quick culture fix at the galleries nearby. 

 

London’s markets bring out the city’s best: fantastic food, friendly faces, and more local colour than you could ever pack into a suitcase. Come for the snacks, stay for the stories, and you’ll leave with a little bit of London in your bag and lots of tasty memories. Happy browsing! 

Enjoyed this? Check out the Best Food Markets in London or Free Things to Do Near the London Eye 

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London's Soho lit up neon blue at night
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Top things to do in Soho London

Some may still remember Soho’s seedy past, but tucked in between Mayfair and Covent Garden this part of west London has once again found its stride as a fashionable and upmarket place to be. Whilst it may not have the historic attractions of other neighborhoods, no one can say there aren’t things to do in Soho London! It’s an area that’s actually something of a rare find – a part of London where locals and visitors rub shoulder to shoulder without distinction. Packed full of bars and nightspots, it also has shopping on Regent’s Street and the theaters of the West End to help maintain its stance as the capital’s entertainment hub. But amongst the rainbow flags and shopfronts of everyone-is-welcome Soho, you’ll also discover an array of galleries and restaurants. What are the best things to do? Keep reading to find out all you’ll ever need to know with this guide to London’s Soho. Must-visit shops The western bounds of Soho are delineated by Regent’s Street and its northern bounds by Oxford Street – two of London’s most famous and most important shopping thoroughfares. Running for almost two kilometers, Oxford Street is dominated by flagship stores for the country’s big names and department stores including Selfridges’ five floors of delights. Regent’s Street has a slightly more genteel air thanks to its mix of high-end fashion boutiques and Hamleys – the world’s oldest and biggest dedicated toy shop, with a range that spans 50,000 items. For contrast, drift into Carnaby Street, which was the center of fashion during the swinging sixties and continues to go its own way with its selection of independently-owned stores. Between the two, on Great Marlborough Street, is the mock Tudor edifice of Liberty London. A department store with a difference, Liberty highlights bold handcrafted designs from smaller workshops and artists. Known for its floral prints, it has previously championed everyone from arts and crafts designer William Morris to the creator of the punk look Vivienne Westwood. Soho theaters and shows Following Regent’s Street round to its natural end at the Statue of Eros on Piccadilly Circus will bring you to Shaftesbury Avenue. Otherwise known as the West End, it’s where many of London’s major theatres are located, including the London Palladium, Gielgud and Lyric. Seen as the pinnacle of performances alongside New York’s Broadway, its theaters are a favorite with movie stars. Dame Helen Mirren, Sir Ian McKellen and Benedict ‘Sherlock’ Cumberbatch have all played to packed out audiences in recent years. Shows range from productions of Chekov and reinventions of Shakespeare to the musicals of Andrew Lloyd Webber, the composer behind The Phantom of the Opera and Cats. If sitting down in one place for two hours leaves you cold, you don’t need to look further than the Crystal Maze Live Experience, recreating the television game show with its four zones and four different challenge types teams must take on. Soho’s top nightspots It’s nightspots like G-A-Y and Ronnie Scott’s that take much of the attention, but Soho London nightlife also includes traditional British pubs and semi-secret cocktail bars, ensuring there really is something for everyone – including teetotalers thanks to some choice late night coffee bars. G-A-Y is just one of a clutch of LGBTQ+ venues dotted around Old Compton Street, creating a hub for queer individuals and their allies, alongside the original branch of Patisserie Valerie – a demonstration of just how diverse Soho can be. When it comes to live music, one of the best places to head is Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, which has played host to some of the legends of jazz and blues including Ella Fitzgerald, Jimi Hendrix and Jamie Cullum. Spice of Life and Ain’t Nothing But Blues have similar vibes. Galleries in Soho Although just a stone’s throw from the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square and Royal Academy of Arts on Piccadilly, you don’t even have to leave the area for artistic things to do in Soho London. The first private art space created for nothing but life through a lens, The Photographers’ Gallery has a pedigree which dates back to 1971. During that time it has brought new international artists to British audiences whilst also supporting homegrown photography talent, bringing the very best imagery of the moment to the streets of Soho. The main space of Frith Street Gallery on Golden Square has developed such a reputation for its exhibitions of painting, sculpture and installation art that the artists it represents are entering the permanent collections of museums globally. But if it’s moving images that capture your attention, the Curzon Soho Cinema provides an escapist’s delight, with some of the largest screens in London to watch the latest Oscar contenders. Places to eat in Soho Dine at each of our favorite places to eat in Soho and you’re either going to need a longer vacation or a larger stomach. Or possibly both. Trustworthy places to spend your hard-won cash include the flavors of Bombay of Dishoom’s Carnaby outlet and modern British cuisine of Bill’s Soho. Yotam Ottolenghi’s NOPI is one of a host of restaurants where it’s easy to impress and be impressed, with a menu comprising Middle Eastern and Asian-inspired dishes. Korean, Italian and pan-European meals all vie for attention just a few steps away. However, it’s Quo Vardis that takes the crown for staying power in a part of the capital where restaurants can seem as if they come and go with the seasons. First opening its doors in 1926, before that it was the home of Karl Marx, who now resides in Highgate Cemetery. The best things to do in Soho London Filled with entertaining ways to spend a morning, afternoon or evening, there are lots of worthwhile things to do in Soho London. Helpfully located not all that far from other attractions including the Household Cavalry Museum and Westminster Pier – for Thames sightseeing cruises – there’s really very little reason not to pay the area a visit as part of your travels with Go City!
Ian Packham
preschooler looking through a telescope in london
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London With Littles: Amazing Adventures For Pre-Schoolers

So you’re visiting London with a pre-schooler—lucky you! There’s no better way to experience one of the world’s most exciting cities than through the eyes of a three-year-old. This is the city where double-decker buses are magic, lions guard the palaces, and even puddles seem extra splash-worthy. Whether you have a train-obsessed toddler, a budding animal lover, or a little explorer who wants to run free, London delivers days out that are packed with wonder, play, and happy exhaustion. We’ve rounded up the city’s best attractions and immersive experiences for your under-fives, featuring hands-on museums, interactive adventures, and parks where tiny imaginations can run wild. And don’t worry—we’re sharing all the best snack stops too, because a well-fed toddler is a happy toddler.  Our favorite pre-schooler adventures in London include:  The Paddington Bear Experience  London Zoo  London Transport Museum  Kew Gardens  The Postal Museum  LEGOLAND® Windsor  Chessington World of Adventures  Hamleys Toy Shop  Mudlarking on the South Bank  Diana Memorial Playground  The Paddington Bear Experience: Storybook Magic Comes Alive  Step off the Tube at South Bank and into the paws of everyone’s favorite marmalade-loving bear! The Paddington Bear Experience is London’s latest treat for families with young children. And let’s be honest: even the grown-ups melt a little in the presence of Paddington.  Why do pre-schoolers love it? From the moment you’re welcomed at “Paddington Station,” little adventurers are drawn into a full-scale, interactive journey through the worlds of Michael Bond’s beloved books. Children can chase hopscotch along the station platform, load up suitcases (like Paddington on his very first day in London), and join hands-on craft activities: from hat-decorating to postcard writing.  Tram rides, whimsical installations, and meet-and-greet corners keep little ones engaged at every turn. There are hidden jam jars, rainbow umbrellas hanging from the ceiling, and even a super-cute Paddington Café for a “Small Bear’s Tea” (think dinky sandwiches and strawberry milk). Friendly staff in blue coats guide families with a gentle, playful touch.  And the real clincher? Toddlers love meeting Paddington himself, giving furry hugs and posing for the all-important photo—a heart-melting experience for everyone. Whether your child is a superfan or just meeting Paddington for the first time, this is the kind of storybook magic they’ll remember forever.  London Transport Museum: All Aboard For Hands-On Fun  If you’ve ever seen your pre-schooler’s face light up at the sound of a bus engine or the sight of a train platform, the London Transport Museum is an absolute must. Right in the heart of Covent Garden, this museum balances transport history with playful, interactive learning that’s perfectly pitched at the under-five crowd.  Bright, colorful galleries overflow with double-decker buses, vintage tube carriages, taxis and trams—many you can actually climb aboard! Kids can ‘drive’ the pretend buses, ring bells, push buttons or steer the tube through pretend tunnels. There’s a specially-designed “All Aboard” play zone, featuring mini vehicles, construction sets, trains to ride, and soft play with bus-shaped building blocks for creativity and safe play.  One of the coolest touches? The little conductor uniforms—grab one and let them role-play checking tickets and shouting “All aboard!” Adult nostalgia kick in as you spot posters from London’s golden transport years, but for your toddler, it’s a playground of wheels and tunnels.  Feeling peckish after all that excitement? The Canteen café inside does great sandwiches, generously sized cupcakes, and “little locos” lunchboxes. Stroller-friendly lifts and baby changing facilities complete the winning family package. It’s noisy, colorful, and magical—just how a pre-schooler day out should be.  Kew Gardens: Nature, Imagination, and Space to Roam  Big cities can feel overwhelming for little legs—unless you duck into the sprawling, flower-filled world that is Kew Gardens. This is the place to stretch, breathe, and watch your child’s curiosity blossom. With acres of green lawn to run on and wide, buggy-friendly paths, Kew is paradise for free-range kids.  Why do we keep coming back? The Children’s Garden is a purpose-built wonderland: think splashy streams, rope bridges, slides, tunnels, hideouts, and trampolines—every corner is perfectly suited to pre-schooler energy levels. The Water Play area is especially popular on warm days!  If your child slows down for nature, explore the Treetop Walkway—where you’re up among the leaves, spotting birds and scanning branches for squirrels. There are giant glasshouses filled with tropical plants (the humidity always feels like an adventure), blooming flower beds for chasing butterflies, and peacocks patrolling the lawns.  Don’t miss the Hive—a super-sized climb-in structure humming with light and sound, making you feel like you’re inside a beehive. Hungry? Kew’s family café serves kid-friendly lunches and homemade cakes, plus good coffee for grown-ups. In every season, you’ll find splashy leaves, puddles, petals, and plenty of picture-perfect picnic spots. Just remember to pack spare clothes for mud-loving explorers!  The Postal Museum: Underground Trains and Immersive Play  Hidden in the heart of Clerkenwell, the Postal Museum is one of our favorite secret finds for families with young kids. Where else can you experience original post trains whistling through hidden London tunnels, play in a giant soft zone, and spot penny-farthings in the same afternoon?  The highlight for many? The Mail Rail—a miniature train ride through the city’s former underground postal railway, complete with lights, sounds, and short, fun narration. Pre-schoolers squeal with delight as the train whizzes around tight bends—it feels just the right amount of thrilling for under-fives.  Above ground, the playroom (Sorted! The Postal Play Space) is a toddler paradise with slides, chutes, interactive role-play counters, and heaps of soft parcels to sort and deliver. There are postie jackets and hats—great for imaginative delivery games—or jump in a mini post van to ‘drive’ around the space. The entire museum is stroller-friendly with welcoming staff ready to help or answer questions.  As for snacks: the café is small but well-curated, with plenty of sweet treats and strong coffee. Not just a rainy day solution—this is a year-round winner for little ones craving hands-on play.  Chessington World of Adventures: Wild Rides and Real Animals  You don’t have to choose between theme parks or wildlife—Chessington gives you both in one, easily navigable spot on London’s southwestern edge. This is a total crowd-pleaser for families with small children, combining rides, animal encounters, and themed playgrounds.  Adventurous pre-schoolers will love the “Room on the Broom” story walk and the “Gruffalo River Ride Adventure”—both bring their favorite stories alive with gentle movement, bright colors, and water splashes (don’t worry, parents, you won’t need ponchos!). The Adventure Tree and AMAZU play area dish up climbing, swinging, and sliding from morning till naptime.  Animals are never far away: stroll through Trail of the Kings to see gorillas and lions, or swing by the Children’s Zoo for petting sessions with goats and guinea pigs. Shows and sea lion feedings provide regular excitement—and even toddlers can try the carousel or flying balloons.  Themed food stalls keep every appetite happy: the Fish & Chips stand is a family classic, while Pizza Pasta serves up Italian favorites fast. Wide paths, calm rest stops and helpful staff mean the day stays stress-free, so your only challenge will be getting your tired toddler off the Gruffalo ride at home time.  Hamleys Toy Shop: Every Child’s Fantasy Store  Toys aren’t just for rainy days—they also make for an extraordinary London experience. Regent Street’s Hamleys isn’t just any toy shop; it’s a multi-floor wonder emporium filled to the rafters with toys, games, and live demos.  From the moment you’re greeted by bubble-blowing staff on the pavement, Hamleys makes kids feel like VIP guests. Every floor offers something special: life-size teddy bears for hugs, car tracks for races, magic tricks to learn, and dress-up corners overflowing with capes and costumes.  The real Hamleys magic? Playful staff swirling helicopters above your head, demonstrating slime kits, or offering mini Play-Doh pots for testing. There are LEGO builds, Barbies, teddy bear workshops, and puppet theatres—all waiting to delight curious pre-schoolers.  Parents rest easy: there are lifts for buggies, and the “Hamleys Café” on the top floor serves kid-sized hot chocolates and giant sprinkle cupcakes. Even if you leave with just a cuddly Paddington Bear as a souvenir, expect smiles that last all day.  Mudlarking on the South Bank: A Free, Fossil-Finding Outdoor Adventure  Not every magical experience in London needs to cost a penny. Mudlarking—the art of exploring the Thames’ foreshore at low tide—delivers some of the city’s best free fun for mini-adventurers.  Find the stretch by Gabriel’s Wharf (look for the gentle shingle slope), pop on your wellies, and let your pre-schooler discover real Victorian pottery shards, fossilized river shells, or maybe a rusty old key. The ever-changing riverbank is a goldmine for tiny finders, who’ll feel like pirates on the hunt for treasure.  Bonus points: the nearby Southbank Centre has family-friendly cafés and free toilets, and you’re right by attractions like the London Eye and Royal Festival Hall if you need to warm up inside. Remember, always check the tide times before you go—and supervise toddlers closely, as the Thames can be unpredictable. Mudlarking delivers the kind of hands-on exploring city kids dream of.  Diana Memorial Playground: Pirate Ships and Magical Play in Kensington Gardens  When Londoners want to let their kids run wild, they head to the Diana Memorial Playground at the edge of Kensington Gardens. Inspired by Peter Pan, this vast, gated playground is everything pre-schoolers could wish for—climbable pirate ship, wooden houses, sandpits, water play, and secret trails.  Little ones scramble up the big ship, steer the wheel, and zip down slides, while parents relax on shaded benches nearby. Tunnels, tipis, sensory gardens, and musical instruments offer adventures for every mood—active, creative, or just quietly curious.  Security at the gate means only adults with children are admitted, and facilities include clean toilets, baby-changing, and an onsite café (the homemade sausage rolls are a winner, and the coffee keeps grown-ups perky). On a sunny day, the Diana Playground is a dream—pack a picnic and settle in for hours of safe, happy play surrounded by leafy trees and laughter.    London becomes a wonderland when you’re seeing it with a small, sticky hand in yours. With so many playful museums, storybook adventures, sprawling play parks and animal encounters, travelling the city with toddlers or pre-schoolers turns even the everyday into something magical. Good food, great facilities, and those all-important pit stops mean everyone in the family stays happy from breakfast until bedtime. So grab the snacks, zip up your raincoats, and get set for a London adventure tailor-made for little explorers—and their grown-ups.    Enjoyed this? Check out the most relaxing things to do in London, and wander the city’s best walks.  Step up your sightseeing with Go City®   We make it easy to explore the best a city has to offer. We’re talking top attractions, hidden gems and local tours, all for one low price. Plus, you'll enjoy guaranteed savings, compared to buying individual attraction tickets.   See more, do more, and experience more with Go City® – just choose a pass to get started! 
March is a good time to head to London's parks
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Why London in May is a secret worth sharing

Whisper it quietly – London in May feels a lot like the more popular summer months to come. Daylight hours stretch from 5:30AM until 8:30PM, temperatures nudge towards 20°C, and rain showers seem to lessen by the day. It means May in London is all about getting outside. Visit the likes of Borough Market and you’ll soon have more than enough goodies for a picnic in a Royal Park. Then cruise along the Thames for picturesque scenes of London’s historic skyline or meet the residents of London Zoo in their outdoor paddocks. These are just some of the great al fresco attractions that await visitors to the British capital in May. Wild beasts (and where to see them) Choose to stay in southwest London and you may be a little early for Wimbledon fortnight but you will have the chance to soak up the sun in Richmond Park thanks to the improving weather in London in May. The largest of London’s parks at 1000 hectares and a Site of Special Scientific Interest to boot, this former royal hunting ground still provides a habitat for several hundred fallow deer whilst King Henry’s Mound offers vistas reaching St Paul’s Cathedral. But it’s fashionable Chelsea that's the center of attention in May, when the Chelsea Flower Show takes over the grounds of the borough’s Royal Hospital – a home for military veterans. An annual event par excellence since 1912, attracting senior royals and a smorgasbord of A-list celebrities, this is much more than a garden show, occupying hours of television and pages of newspaper coverage. Further north, Regent’s Park is home to animals as diverse as penguins and tigers, being the site of ZSL London Zoo. A filming location in the first Harry Potter movie and a major conservation project, the zoo looks after around 20,000 animals, from leaf-cutter ants to less numerous pygmy hippos. All the world’s a stage The zoo isn’t the only reason to visit Regent’s Park, whose Open Air Theater kicks off its season of performances as the calendar hits May. Amphitheater style in form, weather conditions mean no performance is the same twice for the 1240 audience members who’ve come to enjoy the show. The South Bank’s Globe Theater also sees its actors hit the reproduction Elizabethan stage come May, though if you don’t make it to a performance of Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet, it’s still possible to head behind the scenes with a Globe Theater Tour. Don’t forget that London is home to the West End, perhaps second only to New York’s Broadway for the quality of its shows. Its 38 theaters are packed out on a nightly basis with the latest in musicals, comedies and plays, whilst Hollywood blockbusters can be enjoyed in the comfort of the Curzon Soho Cinema. Explore London’s top shopping destinations Dating back to at least 1276, Borough Market would have been known to Shakespeare and his troupe of actors, albeit in a slightly different form than the market takes today. Back then, and until the early 2000s, it served as a wholesale and retail vegetable market. It was then transformed to become a hub for curries rather than carrots and top-notch pies rather than pineapples as the street food craze took hold. Combining everything from food stalls to antiques and bric-a-brac, Portobello Road offers something different each day of the week (excluding Sundays when traders are given the day off but the stores lining the street are still open). The main day for antiques is Saturday, when a bit of friendly haggling may well get you that souvenir of your trip for a bargain price. The other big name in shopping has to be Oxford Street. This broad central London thoroughfare will be able to scratch any shopping itch, since there’s around 300 stores including most of the big names and a fair few flagship stores too. Discovery the importance of sea power to British history Say ‘flagship’ to a sailor and they’ll probably point you in the direction of HMS Belfast, the Royal Navy’s command vessel for the D Day landings in World War Two. Now a museum ship moored between London and Tower Bridge, visitors are able to explore nine decks to discover what life was like on the high seas in peace and war time. Belfast is just one of a series of things to do in London in May visible on Thames City Cruises alongside the Houses of Parliament, London Eye and Tate Modern. Four piers dotted along the river allow you to hop-on and hop-off as you choose, with the full journey occupying the historic stretch of the river from Westminster Pier to Greenwich, a part of London bursting with attractions. Among them are the Royal Observatory and Greenwich Meridian, from where the world takes its timings. The orange ball on the top of the observatory continues to drop at precisely 1PM each day, connected to an atomic clock – the most accurate timepieces in existence. But the naval links don’t stop there. As well as the scientific treasures awaiting in the National Maritime Museum, including objects used by Captain Cook in his ‘discovery’ of Australia, visitors to Greenwich can also step aboard the fastest tea clipper that ever set sail – the Cutty Sark. Compare the life of sailors onboard to that of HMS Belfast built just 70 years later, or soak in the atmosphere with a traditional afternoon tea in sublime surroundings. Unleash the secret of London in May! Thanks to relatively stable weather conditions you won’t have to worry too much about what to wear in London in May. Instead, you can concentrate on enjoying all that London has to offer. Travel with Go City, and you’ll also have the peace of mind of knowing you’re getting substantial savings on admission compared to turning up at ticket gates on the day!
Ian Packham

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