Loving London

I have been to London a fair few times. I’ve been to see the Rolling Stones in Hyde Park. I visited the Millennium Dome when it opened. I’ve been to Wimbledon and seen Andy Murray win. I’ve spent hours on Oxford Street getting lost in Topshop. I’ve seen The Lion King live on stage. I’ve done things that you do when you go to London. But I’ve never spent a long time there as a tourist. There were places I’d never been, things I’d never seen, experiences I’d never had.

These were wrongs that needed righting. Fortunately, being based in London while volunteering put me in a good position to exploit my Oyster Card and become a bit of a tourist, after all, there were 12 international volunteers who also wanted to see London’s highlights. And so below is a list of the best things I did in London last week. (other than volunteering, obviously)

This is a free event and, for someone like me who loves pageantry and tradition and the monarchy and history it was incredible. It might not cost anything, but I understand the procedure to get tickets is a bit complex and you need to book about six weeks in advance to be in with a chance. I was super lucky and had tickets arranged by the church I was volunteering at, but I’d recommend anyone in London to look into it. A bloke in a fancy red coat guides you through the ‘ceremony’ which lasts no more than twenty minutes. It takes place live, complete with beefeaters, the last post and Queen Elizabeth’s Keys live inside the Tower.