London’s Royal Parks are the vitally important lungs of the capital, but living in the world’s first National Park City, Londoners are lucky to have access to plenty of smaller green oases. Here are a few to discover:
London is home to some 3,000 parks and about 47% of the city is “green” space. Long walks along quiet trails (think Hampstead Heath, Richmond Park, sections of the Thames path) offer meditative escapes without leaving the M25. We are lucky. But we also appreciate an urban adventure. We are city dwellers after all and, as everyone knows, there’s a winding maze of streets here just full of surprises.
Did you know there are around 180 islands and islets in the Thames? Though small, the 9-acre Eel Pie Island in London’s Twickenham district is still one of the larger islands on the Thames and has a rich musical and artistic history which makes it an interesting place to visit on special ‘Open Day’ weekends each year.
In a big city like London there are plenty of opportunities to meet with fellow enthusiasts of board games, either traditional or modern, or find a place to play chess or bridge. We’ve uncovered a raft of London venues, clubs, shops and cafes where game players, experienced or completely green, can find a welcome and some friendly competition!
London, as a global city, has traditionally provided live audiences for speakers from all manner of disciplines and fields, but technological changes have shifted many such talk-events online. We’ve put together this review of providers who are still presenting at least part of their talks, debates and discussions programmes live and in-person in London.