Things To Do: Halloween and Bonfire Night 2016

September 22, 2016September 22, 2016 London Magical Tours

We are very much looking forward to what London has to offer over the next few months.

With Halloween and the Bonfire Night festivities on the way, here is a round up of our favourite upcoming events that should not be missed if you’re visiting London.

Halloween 2016: Monday 31st October

Get your face paint and fancy dress on – Halloween in London is easily one of the best nights out for kids and adults alike. There are loads of great things to do from:

– Picking your own pumpkin and carving it into a scary face down at Strawberry Farm

– Exploring the witches den and creating your own potions in Hyde Park’s Education Centre at the family-friendly open day.

– Getting make up tips so that you can perfect your ‘scary face’ at the London Dungeon.

Young visitors learning about London on a private tour

Bonfire Night 2016: Saturday 5th November

Bonfire night, otherwise known as “Fireworks Night” or “Guy Fawkes Night”, is the anniversary of the 5th November 1605, when Guy Fawkes’ plot to blow up the House of Parliament came to a spectacular end. In London and throughout the UK, we celebrate the occasion by lighting the night with spectacular firework displays!

bonfire

London Magical Tours’ London Night Tours are an experience not to be missed and are a great way of viewing London with children this Halloween and Guy Fawkes night.

As night falls over London, the city’s old Victorian lamps become lit. From the bright lights of the West End, to illuminated icons like Waterloo Bridge and the spectacular Houses of Parliament: discover the best of London with your own professional tour team. Come and join us!

2 Birthdays for a very special Queen – Happy Birthday to Her Majesty!

April 13, 2016June 9, 2021 London Magical Tours

The month of April is not only the first full month of British Springtime, but it also marks a special day for her Majesty. Thats right, this month Queen Elizabeth will be celebrating her 90th birthday!

The Queen celebrates two birthdays each year: her actual birthday on the 21st of April and her official birthday on a Saturday in June. Not many are fortunate to have two birthdays a year!

The tradition of having 2 birthdays dates back to the time of King Edward VII, who’s real date of birth fell in November. Naturally, he preferred to celebrate it during the sunnier months of Summer and decided to hold his birthday parade, known as the Trooping of the Colour, during May or June.

The special day for Her Majesty will be marked by gun salutes all around London at mid-day: in Hyde Park, Windsor Great Park and at the Tower of London. Make sure you are here for the celebrations and book your Private London Tour to make sure you have the best seat in the house!

We wanted to send a huge birthday greeting to Her Majesty for being such a great ambassador for the United Kingdom and for all the great work she has done over all these years. Thank you for being a brilliant Queen!

Young visitors on our tours have also been celebrating: here are a few words and drawings made by children on our family friendly London tours, congratulating the Queen.

Isn’t this beautiful? One of our young visitor’s painting of the Queen celebrating her birthday – Queen Elizabeth I, Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Victoria (from left to right)

God Save the Queen – Great work from Clarie Robertson, age 12 on her visit to London

We have a winner! Children’s Art Competition 2015 Prize Winners

December 22, 2015December 22, 2015 London Magical Tours

As we near the end 2015, we delight in being able to announce the winners of this year’s Children’s Art Competition for both the over 10 and under 10 years old categories.

Children on London Magical Tours’ trips and excursions are given the chance to enter this fun competition which is run annually, drawing or writing all about their favourite London experience.

Smiling faces! Children with their entries for the 2015 Art Competition

The London Magical Tours judges had a very difficult decision to make given the quality of this year’s entrants: it was no easy feat choosing from the hundred of standout entries. In the end though, they managed to narrow it down to a select group of finalists.

So without further ado, here are the winner and runner up entries for the Children’s Art Competition 2015:

Winner 10 Years and Over: Goes to Joan Matthew age 11, Massachusetts. Written during one of our Magical Christmas Tours in December, Joan tells “Father Christmas” all about her action packed day in London, including when she got to see Her Majesty The Queen. What a lovely letter!

Winner Under 10’s: What an amazing effort from Aiden Zinke from Maryland – aged just 6! His beautiful description of seeing the Cullinan Diamond at the Jewel House inside the Tower of London warmed the hearts of all the judges.

Childrens Art Competition Under 10

Congratulations are due for all the prize winners. Stand out entries to have also made the final four included:

Claire Robertson age 12, from Texas. The judges loved reading how Claire recalled seeing the horses at the Royal stables (the Royal Mews) and how much of a highlight this was for her personally, as well as this wonderfully colourful piece of art by Claudia Sitjar age 5, from Barcelona, Spain.

Children Art Competition Colouring Entries

A huge thank you to everyone who entered for such great effort and work. Gifts and prizes are on their way to the lucky winners.

Would you like to enter next year’s competition? Read all about our London Tours for children with London Magical Tours for a fun and educational day out.

Children’s Art Competition – Favourite Entries

November 14, 2015 London Magical Tours

We are delighted to share with you all our favourite entries so far for this year’s Children Art Competition.

Throughout the year we enjoy treating our young visitors to the history of the sights of London, as well as the surrounding cities:

London Magical Tours guides are specialised in ensuring children have a balanced historical and enjoyable experience, very much valuing the importance of participating in a way that is both fun and educational. There is nothing better than seeing our visitor’s faces light up as they see history brought to life before their eyes, the ideal way to create lasting memories!

Below are some of our favourite entries so far for this year’s competition. Winner will be announced next month with prizes sent out to the winners in time for christmas – so stay tuned!

Christmas 2015 in London

August 15, 2015October 14, 2015 London Magical Tours

As Summer starts to draw to a close, preparations are ripe for the return of our seasonal favourite Christmas tours starting from November. Here’s a little behind the scenes sneak peak at what visitors can expect from this year’s offerings …

London’s ORIGINAL and ONLY FULLY THEMED Christmas tours return once again this 2015 holiday season. The key dates for this year’s calendar are 10th of November 2015 through to 6th of January 2016.

Mrs. Wilcox from Somerset, UK on her Magical Christmas Tour of London

London is fully transformed during the christmas period. The nights get frosty and the christmas lights are all lit aglow. From the bright illuminations of Harrods, to the famous Norwegian Spruce tree in Trafalgar Square, there is no better time of year to visit the capital!

Have a festive christmas shopping experience in London with your very own personal shopper

Why not spoil the children, a loved one or take the whole family for an evening to remember on the complete London Christmas experience. Take a London Christmas Lights Tour, visiting the festive related landmarks of London and off the beaten path secrets which are transformed with lights and festive decorations. Remember that unlike other tour offerings, this is not just the usual London landmarks – this is the only FULLY GUIDED Christmas themed Tours of London – with tales and stories behind the history of a London Christmas.

New additions to the 2015 London Christmas Tours include:

The chance to pre-book in advance tickets to one of London’s best Ice Skating Rink for a christmas skating experience
Visit Mr. Claus himself at the North Pole in his very own grotto during your London Christmas Tour
Enjoy a traditional christmas dinner at one of our traditional London pubs, including mulled wine and christmas dinner in the run up to 25th of December
Personal Shopper Experience. London is a huge city, with an over-whelming number of stores and shopping districts. Why not opt to shop with an expert Londoner, with an unrivalled insider knowledge of the city and its shops to go in search for that perfect gift.
Finish your London Magical Christmas Tour with a visit the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park – enjoy the London Christmas markets and fair ground rides.

Enjoy a festive skate at the Natural History Museum's Ice Rink from October 2015

Image © Natural History Museum. Enjoy a festive skate at the Natural History Museum’s Ice Rink as part of the Magical Christmas London Tours.

Here is a little taste of what you can expect on our London Christmas Tours:

For the best traditional London Christmas Experience make sure to book your London Christmas Tour and make Christmas 2015 one to remember!