London Eye

As 2015 drew to an end, my girlfriend and I decided to travel to a different city to usher in the New Year. After careful deliberation (and the use of coercive tactics on my part) we finally picked London for one main reason – the New Year eve fireworks. It turned out my girlfriend was bit of a pyromaniac and I on the other hand, had never had the opportunity to photograph fireworks, so it was definitely a win-win situation. Instead of presents under the Christmas tree, Santa gave us plane tickets and a four night’s stay at the W12 hotel in Shepherd’s Bush, London. It was supposed to be a very modest trip, with minimal spending but as always, we overshot our budget. I guess we really did bring in the New Year with a ‘bang’, not just from the fireworks but on our total expenditure.

London Fireworks 2016

We  secured tickets for the fireworks show a couple of weeks in advance and it cost 10 quid per ticket. Just like many others, I couldn’t understand why the city of London was charging people to view an event that had always been free up until 2014. Besides trying to raise funds for UNICEF (a co-sponsor of the event), the fee was also a means of crowd control. People turned up in thousands and the immediate areas surrounding the London eye as well as the South Bank, Westminster Bridge, and Waterloo Bridge were fully packed. We arrived shortly before 20:00 and the party was already well underway, with the propped-up speakers blasting away. We managed to get a front row spot right by the make-shift barrier and I was able to setup my tripod on the other side of the fence. From our vantage point (South bank, directly across from the London eye), we had full view of the staging area of the fireworks as well as the Big Ben tower. It was a full four-hour wait, but under that time, we cuddled and sipped wine out of a plastic bottle, as no glass bottles were allowed into the viewing area. At the top of every hour, all heads were turned towards Big Ben as it rang out the equivalent number of hours.

London Fireworks 2016

Finally the moment came and the huge crowd began the unanimous countdown and when it reached 1, the fireworks erupted simultaneously with the chiming of the bells. Accompanied by a colourful lightshow from the London eye, the rockets were synchronized to explode with each sound of the bell. When the bells finally went silent, there was a full eruption and the skies were lit-up. The rockets were fired from boats that were strategically positioned at the foot of the London eye on the Thames River as well as from the docks and the cars on the London eye. It was an electrifying and colourful 12minute display which culminated in a loud and deafening barrage of controlled explosives flying across sky.

London Fireworks 2016

New Year Day Celebrations after Fireworks

London has a long standing tradition for celebrating New Year day, and we were fortunate enough to be around to witness it. It was a little chilly, but this did not act as a deterrent for the colourful marching bands and cheerleaders all the way from the USA to parade the streets of London. Numerous high school marching bands across the US were represented. They were also accompanied by other local groups, the most prominent of which was the Queen’s horses. Other interesting parades included famous marvel characters, motorbikes, vintage cars, magicians, and foreign cultural exhibitions. Again the streets were crowded and there was a lot of funfair.

Berverly Hills High school

Legen High School

To sum it up in one sentence, London is a melting pot of different cultures, nationalities, history, cuisines, ideas, languages ideologies and lifestyles. The constant hustle and bustle of the city gives it a vibrance that can only be matched by the likes of New York and Paris. From the numerous food markets serving a wide variety of cuisines, to mediaeval relics, and one of Europe’s last surviving Kingdoms there is never a shortage of attractions to ‘wow’ visitors. At first it can be overwhelming, especially when you always have to look the ‘wrong’ way before crossing the streets. The constant swarm of tourist all over downtown does not make it any easier. Busy Londoner can sometimes be rather short and impatient with the tourist that seem to fill up every nook and cranny. The underground metro (tube) network is quite efficient and the complimentary transport website makes getting around quite easy. On the food scene, there are numerous outdoor food markets to satisfy even the most unique food preferences. My personal favourite is the Camden market which offers not only food but different varieties of merchandise from around the world. As the birthplace of Shakespeare, London has a lot to offer in the arena of performing arts and drama. There are several theatres around Trafalgar Square with live shows and performances. There are lots of stand-up comedy clubs, some of which are free. We went to the Angel Comedy club at Camden, where we were entertained (for free) by different stand-up acts. The venue also has a laid-back pub where you can kick back and enjoy a local brew. London is also one of Europe’s soccer capitals, so if you are a fan of football, you couldn’t possibly be in a better place.

Greenwich food market

Camden Food market

Hidden gems of London

The city also has quite a few hidden gems which are not well-known by most tourists who visit. Here are a few tips for those who want to go there sometime soon. Be sure to check out the Hindu temple – baps shri swaminarayan mandir – 105-119 Brentfield Rd, London NW10 8LD. If you would like to visit Greenwich, I would strongly recommend taking the London cable car (Emirates Air Line). I must warn that this is not a journey for those who are not comfortable with heights. This trip will give you a bird’s eye-view of the O2 Arena. When in Greenwich, most people only think of one thing – Greenwich meridian line. Yes, it is a must-see attraction, but crossing the Thames on foot can be just as exhilarating. You can walk underneath the Thames through the Greenwich underground foot tunnel. Another one of my favourite attractions while visiting was the colourful Kelly Street (Kelly St, London NW1 8PG) at Camden. This is a very short, yet unique street where all the houses are very colourful. If you are a fan of street graffiti, you should definitely visit the Leake street graffiti tunnel, which is a few minutes’ walk from Waterloo underground station.

London Cable Car

Graffiti Tunnel Waterloo

If you are like us, you are probably visiting for just a few days and might need a place to store your luggage on the last day before leaving, in order to go explore the city. Most people depart from Victoria Railway station to different destinations. At this location you can save your luggage for up to a day for about 12 quid. If you are on a budget and want to cut cost, you can simply take a 7 minutes walk to the Victoria coach station where they would charge you just 4 quid per day. We were very satisfied with our stay at W12 hotel, and I’d definitely recommend it for anybody who is looking for a reasonably priced hotel in London. One of it’s biggest selling points is it’s strategic location – right next to Shepherd Bush underground station. The rooms are fresh and the staff are very welcoming and helpful.

I hope you enjoyed this first blog post. Stay tuned for more travel stories. Your feedback would be highly appreciated. 🙂