Interesting things to do in London this winter

As winter is fast approaching, we thought we’d give you some interesting ideas of things to do in London once the clocks have changed and you’re feeling all miserable!

Go and see the ‘Best Worst Movie’
Yes, you read it right. Taking place at the Prince Charles Cinema in Leicester Square once a month is a screening of what is regarded as the best worst movie of all time – ‘The Room’. The film is so dire that it has achieved cult status for it’s dreadful dialogue, plot and acting. Why go and see it then you ask? Well the draw to going and seeing this movie is largely the fact that you’re encouraged to throw things at the screen such as plastic cutlery. It’s also perfectly normal to shout and swear throughout the film. The next screening is on November 5th.

Circle Line Pub Crawl
For the brave out there – take a day to complete the 27 pubs included on the loop section of the Circle Line pub crawl. Start whereever you wish as the startline is also the finish line! Take it easy though and remember to have enough water throughout your journey!

Chessington World of Adventures
Chessington’s theme park and other attractions including the zoo are still open until November 1st from 10am to 5pm. You can catch a train from London Waterloo (or Vauxhall, Clapham Junction, Earlsfield or Wimbledon if easier) which will get you to Chessington South station in around 33 minutes. The theme park is signposted (but head right when you come out of the station if unsure) and is about a 10 minute walk away. Enjoy rides such as Rameses Revenge, head to the zoo to see feeding time of the Silverback Gorillas (lots of chest beating) or Siberian Tigers and when it all gets too much for you, enjoy a pint in the family inn!

Dine in the dark at ‘Dans Le Noir’
For a unique dining experience, visit Dans le Noir in Clerkenwell. After having cocktails in the lit main bar, you’ll be taken to the pitch black dining room, where you’ll be guided safely to your table and served by blind guides/waiters. Eating a 3 course meal in the pitch dark will totally change your perception of taste and is a great experience.

Have a sing along at a piano bar
Visit the Players Bar and Restaurant which is attached to the New Players theatre underneath the Arches on Villiers Street. Enjoy singing along to show tunes, golden oldies, pop music, jazz numbers and pretty much anything else you can think of at this fun, noisy bar which is heavily populated with the cast of local West End shows from 11pm onwards.

Eat at a Secret Supper Club
If you haven’t yet heard of a secret supper club, then you’ve been missing out. They’re a great idea for people that have recently moved to London as they’re an excellent opportunity to meet new people. Like a cross between a restaurant and a dinner party, you pay cash in return for a seat at someone’s dinner party in their own home with fellow diners who are also there for the experience.

Open air ice-skating
From late November till early January, various open air ice rinks open in London. The most popular are based at Somerset House, the Tower of London and Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland. It’s often a very good idea to book tickets online a few weeks in advance of going if you want to skate at popular times (eg evenings and weekends) as demand is extremely high.

Burlesque Show
Watch a burlesque show at Cellar Door bar beneath Aldwych. This converted gentlemans toilets, frequented by people such as Oscar Wilde (!) is now a tiny bar offering live acts every night from 9pm till 1am.

Go on a ghost walk
The perfect activity to do on a winter’s evening, complete with bobble hat, scarf and gloves. This two hour walk is led by ghost author Richard Jones – email hauntings at aol.com for more info and to book!

How to volunteer for London 2012

Where will you be in exactly 2 years time?

If you’re planning on living in London in 2012, then it can’t have escaped your notice that the Olympics will be opening on July 27th, 2012.

There are many ways to get involved in 2012 – you can already register to be notified when the tickets come on sale, by signing up at London 2012 .

We have also been promised 4 live sites at Hyde Park, Victoria, Park, Jubilee Gardens and Potters Fields where large screens will be set up for members of the public to attend with a free ticket. You can also watch events such as the Marathon, Hyde Park triathlon and road cycling for free as they’ll be taking place in Central London.

But what should I do if I want to be more than a spectator, but don’t have the time to become a world-class athlete in time for the Olympics?

The answer of course is to become a VOLUNTEER .

Ok, so in order to become a volunteer at London 2012, you need to sign up to one of two schemes:

• Locog’s Games Makers
• City Hall’s London Ambassadors

Locog are recruiting around 70,000 volunteer games makers for their 31 different teams. Examples of their teams are ‘Media, Editorial and Press Operations’, ‘Protocol and International Relations’, ‘Transport’, ‘Torch and Ceremonies’, ‘Sport, Medical and Anti-Doping’, ‘Competition Venues and Olympic Villages’ and ‘Technology’. Some of the teams require as few as 50 games makers (volunteers) whereas other teams require several thousand volunteers.
The upside to becoming a Locog volunteer is that you’ll get free meals, free transport and the opportunity to be involved in the biggest sporting event that London has seen in years. It probably won’t look bad on your C.V either.
The downside involved in being a games maker, is that due to the huge scale operation that Locog are undertaking, they will require their games makers to be extremely flexible. You’ll probably have to set aside around 10 working days to be involved in 2012. You’ll also be unable to change your shifts (not good if they want you to work at the same time as an event that you have tickets for) and won’t be able to request that you work with friends or family if they’ve also signed up.
To get involved with Locog as a games maker, applications are open from September 15th.
All volunteers must be over 18 by New Year’s Day on 2012, but a separate programme for 1,500 volunteers will also be introduced for under-18s.

City Hall have a much smaller programme going on. They’re looking for around 8,000 volunteers to be London Ambassadors.
The Ambassador programme requires people with an enthusiasm for London to be the ‘face of London’ assisting as guides at airports, rail stations and other tourist hubs.
As an ambassador, you can expect to be fully trained, receive a uniform (which you can keep), get free transport within zones 1-6, free meals up to the value of GBP 5.00.
Applications are being accepted as of today at London Ambassadors .
The minimum age for becoming a London Ambassador is 16.