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Exhibition Alert: Buckingham Palace to Explore the Life of Queen Victoria at Summer Exhibition Opening

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Buckingham Palace only opens for a few weeks in the Summer when the Queen is away in Scotland. To coincide with each summer opening, there's usually a special exhibition on show (though seeing the Palace state rooms themselves is worth the price of admission!). This year, the Royal Collection Trust will be exploring Queen Victoria's life at the Palace. This year's summer … [Read more...] about Exhibition Alert: Buckingham Palace to Explore the Life of Queen Victoria at Summer Exhibition Opening

Top 10 London: Ten Places in London for the Perfect Selfie

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Simultaneously the most hated thing tourists do but also the most popular thing they actually do. Ever since cell phones got cameras, a self-shot (or “selfie”) photo is the norm for most of us.  Whether you want to capture a memory or blow up Instagram while you’re in London, the city certainly has plenty of excellent spots for a selfie.  Of course, there are places not to take … [Read more...] about Top 10 London: Ten Places in London for the Perfect Selfie

Laura’s London: Take a First Look at the Beautiful Restored Painted Hall in Greenwich – Re-opening in March!

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Editor's Note: We have a real treat this week - Laura was given an exclusive tour of the newly restored Painted Hall in Greenwich before its re-opening so we're chuffed to bits that she's written up a huge report about it. Please consider subscribing to the Londontopia Magazine as it allows us to commission great articles like this. As reported here recently, The Painted … [Read more...] about Laura’s London: Take a First Look at the Beautiful Restored Painted Hall in Greenwich – Re-opening in March!

Harry Potter News: Gringotts Bank Coming to the Harry Potter Studio Tour in April

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The Harry Potter Studio Tour is continually changing and updating to make sure they have a steady stream of repeat visitors. Today, they've announced that they'll be opening up Gringotts Bank to visitors. From the press release: For the first time ever at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter, visitors are invited to enter the set of Gringotts … [Read more...] about Harry Potter News: Gringotts Bank Coming to the Harry Potter Studio Tour in April

London Alert: Tower of London Lights 10,000 Torches in its Moat in Remembrance of World War I – See it by Sunday!

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A very moving scene has been created in London at the Tower of London and you only have until the 11th to see it. 10,000 gas lanterns have been lit in the Tower's moat in commemoration of the end of World War I. If you're in London right now, you have until Sunday to see this. Go! I wish I was there to see it in person. From Historic Royal Palaces: As the nation … [Read more...] about London Alert: Tower of London Lights 10,000 Torches in its Moat in Remembrance of World War I – See it by Sunday!

Iconic Battersea Power Station to Get Great Glass Elevator in Its Chimney Offering 360 Degree Views of London from 2021

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No, Willy Wonka isn't building a chocolate factory in London. Battersea Power Station, made famous by the iconic Pink Floyd's album cover and then became more famous as a white elephant changing hands several times, is to get a new tourist attraction. They're going to put a glass elevator in one of the smokestacks and offer travelers a chance to get 360-degree unobstructed … [Read more...] about Iconic Battersea Power Station to Get Great Glass Elevator in Its Chimney Offering 360 Degree Views of London from 2021

New Museum Alert: Body Worlds Coming to London as a Permanent Museum

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  When Ripley's Believe it or Not in Piccadilly Circus closed earlier this year, we all wondered what would replace it since it was such a prominent location. Well, now we have an answer. Body Worlds, the famous exhibition that showcased real preserved bodies in various states, is getting a permanent home in London. Body Worlds is coming to 1 Piccadilly Cirus. … [Read more...] about New Museum Alert: Body Worlds Coming to London as a Permanent Museum

Voice & Vote – Women’s Place in Parliament Exhibition at the Palace of Westminster

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I hope you saw The London Annual 2018 as I had a feature in the magazine about Vote 100 marking the centenary of the Representation of the People Act 1918 which gave most men and some women the vote for the first time. There have been events all year to celebrate this 100 year anniversary but as this is about the right to vote it's fitting that the one you should really want … [Read more...] about Voice & Vote – Women’s Place in Parliament Exhibition at the Palace of Westminster

Travel Alert: Reminder – Big Ben is Still Covered in Scaffolding and Will Ruin Your Tourist Pictures Until 2021

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I was reading the Sunday Times yesterday, as one does, and came across an amusing article that then made me irritated. Apparently, there are lots of people who still don’t know that Big Ben/Elizabeth is covered in scaffolding right now and will remain so until at least 2021. As a result, tourists are leaving negative reviews on TripAdvisor, complaining that their dream trips … [Read more...] about Travel Alert: Reminder – Big Ben is Still Covered in Scaffolding and Will Ruin Your Tourist Pictures Until 2021

Laura’s London: Go Yonda Car Tours of London – A Cool New Self-Driving Tour of London

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Yonda – with the slogan 'go Yonda' – is London's only self-drive sightseeing experience. The cars are small Smart cars (two and four-seaters available) installed with an easy-to-follow virtual guide that helps customers navigate London's streets while seeing the sights. Smart Cars The two-seater Smart cars are convertible (so you can really get closer to London weather!) … [Read more...] about Laura’s London: Go Yonda Car Tours of London – A Cool New Self-Driving Tour of London

Laura’s London: New Digger Deeper and Crossrail Secrets Exhibitions at the London Transport Museum

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The London Transport Museum in Covent Garden has a new permanent gallery exploring the history of tunneling and a new temporary exhibition about Crossrail opening on 23 March 2018. Both are part of the national programme to celebrate the Year of Engineering 2018. Digging Deeper Gallery On the ground floor of the museum, this new gallery looks at the challenges of … [Read more...] about Laura’s London: New Digger Deeper and Crossrail Secrets Exhibitions at the London Transport Museum

The London Fiver – Five Places Important to American History in London

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America has a great presence in London besides its embassy and the number of tourists that flock the streets.   Sure, you can point out that a good number of this country’s founders came from the UK, so London is bound to have historical ties with the States, but it goes much deeper than that.  From this country’s very first settlers to those who helped defend Britain from the … [Read more...] about The London Fiver – Five Places Important to American History in London

Westminster Abbey To Get New Dedicated Museum

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Westminster Abbey, the place where Britain's kings and queens have been crowned for almost a thousand years will be home to London's newest museum later this year. From Travel GBI: Known as the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries, the space will display more than 300 historic and artistic treasures from the abbey’s collection to tell the 1,000-year history of the building. … [Read more...] about Westminster Abbey To Get New Dedicated Museum

London Closure Notice: Ripley’s Believe It or Not in Piccadilly Circus Has Closed Permanently

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This news came a little too late for us to include in the 2018 London Annual, but Ripley's Believe it or Not in Piccadilly Circus has closed permanently. Though a note on their website says they are looking to relocate the collection. I've never been a fan of this attraction, it was showing it's age and made it onto our list of tourist traps to avoid. Their website has … [Read more...] about London Closure Notice: Ripley’s Believe It or Not in Piccadilly Circus Has Closed Permanently

Laura’s London: Exploring London’s Newest Museum – The Secret Mail Rail and The Postal Museum

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Mail Rail is London's newest subterranean heritage attraction. Open from 4 September 2017; the disused postal railway tunnels have been brought back to life as a visitor ride for the first time in their 100 year history. This miniature railway was the world's first driverless, electric railway and was never intended for passengers. While The Postal Museum opened on 28 … [Read more...] about Laura’s London: Exploring London’s Newest Museum – The Secret Mail Rail and The Postal Museum

London’s Newest Museum – The Mail Rail Experience – Opens July 28th

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This one has been in the works for quite a few years and we're glad to see that it finally has an open date. For those that don't know, the Mail Rail was a secret underground railroad in London used to transport mail between London mail depots. It's been defunct for quite a few years. The Postal Museum has been working to turn it into a tourist attraction, and you'll be able … [Read more...] about London’s Newest Museum – The Mail Rail Experience – Opens July 28th

Top 10 Gardens in London for a Respite On Your Next Trip

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Sometimes in the middle of the city, you need to get away and find some peace and quiet.  That can seem difficult in an urban environment, but London is peppered with gardens where respite can be had.  Not all of them are huge sprawling greenspaces, some are like small islands in the concrete jungle.  When you need a moment while visiting London, we hope you will consider one … [Read more...] about Top 10 Gardens in London for a Respite On Your Next Trip

Great London Buildings – The London Eye

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  Since 1999, the London Eye (also known as the Millennium Wheel) has dotted the skyline of London and added its distinctive shape to the buildings that line the Thames River.  To some its a tourist attraction, to others, it's an eyesore.  Regardless of one's opinion on the Eye, it is an iconic part of the city and its history, though recent, is certainly as … [Read more...] about Great London Buildings – The London Eye

Ten Interesting Facts and Figures about ZSL London Zoo

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Everyone loves to go to the zoo and see animals we only read about in books or see in a David Attenborough-narrated documentary.  The London Zoo is one of the standard-bearers for what a zoo should be.  Located on the edge of Regent's Park, it has been managed by the Zoological Society of London since the zoo's establishment in 1828.  But what lies inside the zoo and its … [Read more...] about Ten Interesting Facts and Figures about ZSL London Zoo

London’s Newest Tourist Attraction: The Orbit Slide

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You may remember the Orbit sculpture that was built in the London Olympic Park as part of the London 2012 games. After the Olympics it was meant to be a centerpiece of the new Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and attract tourists to visit. Four years on, it turns out not many people want to trek all the way to a sculpture in East London just to get surrounding views of … [Read more...] about London’s Newest Tourist Attraction: The Orbit Slide

Great London Buildings – A Brief History of The Tower of London

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Castles in general were not only defensive strongholds, but also displays of power (and maybe overcompensating a bit).  This was especially true for the Normans, who felt that the keep was a representation of the lord’s authority.  After William the Conqueror defeated Harold of Wessex at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and was crowned in Westminster Abbey that same year, he set … [Read more...] about Great London Buildings – A Brief History of The Tower of London

Londinium: Where to See Roman London Today

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While settlements existed along the Thames well before the 1st Century, the Romans came to Britain in 43 A.D. and established a settlement they named Londonium.  After a battle razed the settlement in 61 A.D., the Romans decided to rebuild Londonium as a planned town.  Over time, the Romans continued to build in London, but with the withdrawal of the Romans in the 5th Century, … [Read more...] about Londinium: Where to See Roman London Today

Great London Buildings – A Brief History of Buckingham Palace – The Queen’s Official London Home

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Perhaps the greatest residence in the city, Buckingham Palace has been the home of royalty for centuries and has been the official residence of Queen Elizabeth II since she ascended the throne in 1952, though she had lived there since her father, King George VI, became monarch in 1936.  The site where Buckingham House is located was once in the possession of William the … [Read more...] about Great London Buildings – A Brief History of Buckingham Palace – The Queen’s Official London Home

Ten Interesting Facts about the Royal Observatory, Greenwich – The Home of the Prime Meridian

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A pioneering place of British astronomy, the Royal Observatory in Greenwich has been observing the stars for hundreds of years.  It owes its existence to a Who’s Who of 17th Century Britain, as it was commissioned by King Charles II and its location site chosen by Sir Christopher Wren in 1675.  Since the Longitude Act of 1714, the Observatory has also served as the home of the … [Read more...] about Ten Interesting Facts about the Royal Observatory, Greenwich – The Home of the Prime Meridian

Ten Interesting Facts and Figures about Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre

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The Globe is, perhaps, the most famous theatre in the world.  This is due, in no small part, to the successes of playwright William Shakespeare, for years the Globe was the headquarters for the Bard and the Lord Chamberlain’s Men (later the King’s Men).  Together, they formed one of the most formidable drama groups of the Elizabethan period.  Today, Shakespeare’s success means … [Read more...] about Ten Interesting Facts and Figures about Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre

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