Study, work or travel in the UK. British
culture and life.
Things to do in the UK in November 2011
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Study, work or travel in the UK. British
culture and life.
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Things to do in the UK in November 2011
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NOVEMBER
2011
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| Tue 1 Nov 2011 | Oxford Street Christmas Lights, London The Oxford Street lights will be switched on by the girl group The Saturdays, who will perform their new single My Heart Takes Over (see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgmoYgpMNX8). There will also be performances from American sister duo The Pierces, and from the cast of the musical Ghost. The event starts at 5pm and is hosted by Heart presenter Toby Anstis. The stage will be set up outside Marks & Spencer's Marble Arch store at 458 Oxford Street, W1C 1AP (map ; nearest Tube: Marble Arch or Bond Street). For further details, see: http://www.oxfordstreet.co.uk * Pictures from this event: Ideas/Album/OxfordStreetLights |
 Oxford Street Christmas lights (2010) |
Fri 4 Nov - Sun 6 Nov 2011 |
Bonfire Night fireworks, across the UK Celebration of the failure of a plan by a group of Catholics to blow up the Houses of Parliament on 5th November 1605. The king at that time (James the First) was unpopular with Catholics because he passed laws which made them pay extra taxes unless they went to Anglican churches. A Catholic man called Guy Fawkes was found in a cellar underneath the Houses of Parliament with barrels of gunpowder. He was executed, and other leaders of the plot were rounded up and killed. The failure of this plan is celebrated each year by lighting a big fire (called a bonfire) usually with a "guy" on top (this is a model of a man, representing Guy Fawkes). In recent years the bonfire is combined with (or is often replaced by) displays of fireworks. Fireworks are dangerous: if you buy your own, make sure that you always follow the Fireworks Safety Code. Never throw fireworks, and do not return to a firework which has been lit but has not exploded. Do not keep fireworks in your room, in case there is a fire. For more safety information, see: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/InYourHome/Escapingandrecoveringfromafire/DG_064665. Some of the places in or near London with fireworks displays are shown below. If you are planning to go to one of these please check the website for full details (occasionally events may be cancelled in bad weather conditions, eg high winds or heavy rain, so check again on the day). Some of the events are free, but many require a small payment of about £4-£7 for adults and less for children (for some events you can avoid queuing by buying tickets online in advance). Usually you are not allowed to take your own sparklers or fireworks to public fireworks events. These are the dates of fireworks displays in the London area in 2011: North London - Enfield Town Park (Enfield, EN1) (Train: Enfield Town) website [Sat 5 Nov 2011] - Barham Park (Brent, HA0) (Tube: Sudbury Town; Train: Sudbury & Harrow Road): website [Sat 5 Nov 2011] - The Walker Ground (Enfield, N14) (Tube: Southgate): website [Sat 5 Nov 2011] - Totteridge Green (Barnet, N20) (Tube: Totteridge & Whetstone): website [Fri 4 Nov 2011] East London - Barking Park (Barking & Dagenham, IG11) (Tube: Barking/Upney): website [Sat 5 Nov 2011] - Waltham Forest Town Hall (E17) (Tube: Walthamstow Central): website [Sat 5 Nov 2011] West London - Ealing Cricket Club (Ealing, W5) (Tube: Ealing Broadway/North Ealing): website [Sat 5 Nov 2011] - Ravenscourt Park (Hammersmith & Fulham, W6) (Tube: Ravenscourt Park): website [Sat 5 Nov 2011] - Westway: Maxilla Gardens (W10) (Tube: Ladbroke Grove/Latimer Road): website [Fri 4 Nov 2011] South-East London - Bermondsey Park (Southwark, SE16) (Tube: ): website [Sat 5 Nov 2011] - Blackheath Common, Shooters Hill (Lewisham, SE3) (Train: Blackheath): website [Sat 5 Nov 2011] - Crystal Palace Park (SE19) (Train: Crystal Palace): website [Sat 5 Nov 2011] South-West London - Barnes Sports Club (Richmond upon Thames, SW13) (Train: Barnes Bridge): website [Sat 5 Nov 2011] - Battersea Park (Wandsworth, SW4) (Tube: Sloane Square, or train: Battersea Park): website [Sat 5 Nov 2011] - Brockwell Park (Lambeth, SE24) (Train: Herne Hill/Tulse Hill): website [Sat 5 Nov 2011] - Morden Park (Merton, SM4) (Tube: Morden, or train: Morden South): website [Sat 5 Nov 2011] - Richmond Athletic Ground (Richmond upon Thames, TW9) (Tube: Richmond): website [Sun 6 Nov 2011] - Wimbledon Park (Merton, SW19) (Tube: Southfields/Wimbledon Park): website [Fri 4 Nov 2011] Kent - Chislehurst Recreation Ground (BR7) (Train: Chislehurst/Elmstead) website [Sat 5 Nov 2011] - Beckenham (Croydon Road Recreation Ground, Beckenham BR3) (Train: Beckenham Junction): website [Sat 5 Nov 2011] - Danson Park (Bexley, DA16) (Train: Bexleyheath/Welling): website [Sat 5 Nov 2011] - Leeds Castle (Maidstone, ME17): website [Sat 5 Nov 2011 and Sun 6 Nov 2011] - Norman Park (Bromley, BR2) (Train: Bromley South): website [Fri 4 Nov 2011] Surrey - Carshalton Park (Sutton, SM5) (Train: Carshalton/Carshalton Beeches): website [Sat 5 Nov 2011] - Hook Road Arena (Epsom, KT18) (Train: Epsom): website [Sat 5 Nov 2011] - Kingsmeadow Athletic and Fitness Centre (Kingston, KT1) (Train: Kingston, Norbiton, Berrylands): website [Fri 4 Nov 2011] [there is also a fireworks display on the Thames after the Lord Mayor's Show - see below] There are other organised events in parks and other open spaces across the UK - see local newspapers or council websites for details. |
 Bonfire |
 Sparkler |
 Fireworks at Leeds Castle |
| Fri 4 Nov - Sun 6 Nov 2011 |
Tours from London If you want to join a tour this weekend (starting in London), these are some options: Fri -Sun: Edinburgh, Loch Ness and Highlands by train ; Paris by Coach ; Edinburgh weekend break Sat -Sun: Horse Riding in Wild Wales ; Oxford, Cotswolds, Bath, Lacock & Stonehenge ; Overnight Hilton Hotel Oxford, Stonehenge & Bath Sat: Oxford ; Isle of Wight ; Leeds Castle Fireworks for Guy Fawkes ; Bath, Stonehenge & Secret Places Sun: Stonehenge, Avebury and Glastonbury ; Cotswolds ; Oxford, Stratford On Avon, Cotswolds * List of tours: Travel/Tours/Dates |
| Sat 5 Nov - Sun 6 Nov 2011 |
Leeds Castle Firework Spectacular, Kent Spectacular fireworks display set to music from the West End, in the grounds of Leeds Castle in Kent. For details, see: http://www.leeds-castle.com * A day trip from London to this event (including lunch) on Saturday 5 November: http://www.andersontours.co.uk * Leeds Castle: Travel/Tours/England/LeedsCastle |
| Sat 5 Nov 2011 | Lewes Bonfire Night, Lewes (East Sussex) The Bonfire Night celebrations at Lewes remember not only the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, but also the burning on the stake of 17 Protestants in the town in 1555, and the restoration of a Protestant king (William of Orange) in 1688. There will be torchlit processions through the town, followed by bonfires and firework displays on the surrounding hills, organised by the various local bonfire societies. For more about this tradition, see: http://www.lewesbonfirecouncil.org.uk * Visitor guide to Lewes: Travel/Tours/England/Lewes |
| Sun 6 Nov 2011 | London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, London/Crawley/Brighton Old cars (built before 1905) travel from London to Brighton. This traditional event celebrates the removal in 1896 of the law which forced drivers to have a man walking in front of the car holding a red flag (at the same time the speed limit was increased from 4 miles per hour to 14 miles per hour). The official website for the event is http://www.lbvcr.com (there is also information on the website of the Veteran Car Club of Great Britain: http://www.vccofgb.co.uk/lontobri). The event starts at 7:00am at the Serpentine Road in Hyde Park (near Hyde Park Corner). About 400 cars take part - the last of these leaves Hyde Park at about 8:30am. Cars start to arrive at the finish at Madeira Drive in Brighton from about 10:00am - cars continue to arrive and often remain on display until about 4:30pm. You can also watch the event at Croydon or in front of the George Hotel in Crawley, or anywhere along the route. Some of the cars will also be on display in London's Regent Street on the day before the run (on Saturday). * Photos from this event: Ideas/Album/VeteranCarRun |
 Veteran car in Hyde Park |
 Veteran car driver |
| Mon 7 Nov 2011 | Westfield London Christmas Lights, London Popstar Justin Bieber will switch on the Christmas lights at 5pm at Westfield London in The Atrium (Ariel Way, London W12 7SL; map ; nearest Tube: Wood Lane or Shepherds Bush). He will perform four of his hit singles, including the new song 'Mistletoe'. See: http://uk.westfield.com/london/offers-events/events/justin-bieber * Christmas lights: Ideas/Album/ChristmasLights |
| Mon 7 Nov 2011 | Westfield Stratford City Christmas Lights, London Popstar Justin Bieber will switch on the Christmas lights at 7:45pm at Westfield Stratford City's ground floor Chestnut Plaza (Great Eastern Rd, E20; map ; nearest Tube: Stratford or Stratford International). After the switch-on ceremony and a fireworks display, the singer will be performing four songs. See: http://uk.westfield.com/stratfordcity/news-and-events/2011/justin-bieber * Christmas lights: Ideas/Album/ChristmasLights |
| Tue 8 Nov 2011 | Regent Street Christmas Lights, London The Regent Street Christmas Light switch-on will be hosted by Heart 106.2 FM presenters Jamie Theakston and Emma Bunton.The switch-on will celebrate the 3D cinema release of family comedy animated film Arthur Christmas, and two of its stars will be attending: Bill Nighy and Ashley Jensen. Musical entertainment will be provided by Kelly Clarkson (American pop singer), Matt Cardle (winner of The X Factor in 2010), the cast of the West End musical Thriller, and the West End Gospel Choir. This event will begin at 5pm. The stage will be located at the junction of New Burlington Street and Regent Street (map). For further details, see: http://www.regentstreetonline.com * Pictures from this event: Ideas/Album/RegentStreetLights |
 Regent Street Christmas lights (2010) |
| Wed 9 Nov - Sun 13 Nov 2011 |
Country Living Fair (Christmas), London British crafts and small businesses display their products. A good place to find unusual Christmas presents. There is an entrance charge. The event is held at the Business Design Centre in London (http://www.businessdesigncentre.co.uk; near Angel underground station; map). For details, or to buy tickets in advance, see: http://www.countrylivingfair.com. |
| Fri 11 Nov 2011 | Armistice Day, UK The fighting in the First World War finished at 11am on 11 November. At 11am there is a two-minute silence when people remember the victims of wars - you may be asked to stop what you are doing and should avoid speaking during this time. |
| Fri 11 Nov - Sun 13 Nov 2011 |
Tours from London If you want to join a tour this weekend (starting in London), these are some options: Fri -Sun: Edinburgh, Loch Ness and Highlands by train ; Amsterdam & Bruges coach tour ; Amsterdam & Brugge Budget Sat -Sun: Oxford, Cotswolds, Bath, Lacock & Stonehenge ; Wales Coast & Mountains ; Overnight Hilton - Northern England Peaks and York Sat: Bath and Stonehenge ; A Day in Wales Sun: Stonehenge, Avebury and Glastonbury ; Windsor and Hampton Court ; Bath, Stonehenge & Secret Places * List of tours: Travel/Tours/Dates |
| Sat 12 Nov 2011 | The Lord Mayor's Show, London Since 1189 (during the rule of King John) there has been a Lord Mayor of London elected each year who represents the City of London, the traditional business centre of London (do not confuse the Lord Mayor with the Mayor of London, the role currently taken by Ken Livingstone). Each year a new mayor is elected and by tradition must travel from the City to Westminster to promise to serve the king or queen (on the second Saturday in November). There is a street parade which starts at the Guildhall (map) at about 10:55am; this is watched by the new Lord Mayor from outside of Mansion House. The parade includes about 200 horses, 60 floats (displays on top of a vehicle), 200 motor vehicles, 20 marching bands and 23 carriages. It takes about one hour to pass. The Lord Mayor follows at the end of this procession in his golden coach (built in 1757). The procession travels past St Paul's Cathedral (map) and ends at the Royal Courts of Justice in Aldwych (map). At 1.00pm the procession returns, starting near Temple tube station (map), and following Victoria Embankment and Queen Victoria Street back to the Guildhall, finishing at about 2:30pm. If you cannot go to the parade yourself, you can watch it on television on BBC1 between 10.45am and noon. Later in the day (starting at about 5pm) there are fireworks which are set off from a boat on the River Thames. Good places to see the fireworks are along Victoria Embankment, on Blackfriars Bridge or on Waterloo Bridge (all of these are near Temple tube station). For more details and the timetable of events during the day, see: http://www.lordmayorsshow.org. * Photos of this event: Ideas/Album/LordMayorsShow |
 The coach which takes the Lord Mayor to Aldwych |
 Fireworks on the Thames |
| Sat 12 Nov - Sun 13 Nov 2011 |
Discover Dogs, London A dog show in London organised by the Kennel Club. The event is at Earl's Court (nearest Tube: Earl's Court; map). For details and to buy tickets, see: http://www.discoverdogs.org.uk * Photos of this event: Ideas/Album/Crufts |
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| Sun 13 Nov 2011 | Remembrance events, UK Wild poppies grew in the fields of France and Belgium where many people died during the First World War. Paper poppies are sold and worn from the start of November to raise money for the Royal British Legion (http://www.poppy.org.uk), a charity which supports the families of people who have been killed or injured in wars. The Queen and representatives of Parliament, the Armed Forces and the Commonwealth lay wreathes (rings) of poppies at the Cenotaph. The Cenotaph is a memorial for those who died in the First and Second World Wars (it is located in London in the middle of the road called Whitehall to the north and called Parliament Street to the south, near Westminster tube station; see map). 10,000 veterans (former soldiers) march past the memorial. There is a 2 minutes silence: a gun is fired on Horse Guards Parade at the start at 11.00am and at the end at 11.02am. The ceremony can be seen on television (on BBC, starting at about 10:30am). If you go to Whitehall to watch, you will get a better view if you arrive before 9:30am. * Photos of this event: Ideas/Album/RemembranceSunday |
 Poppies are sold and worn in early November |
 The Cenotaph, Whitehall, London |
 Remembrance ceremony |
 Poppy wreathes are laid on war memorials |
| Mon 14 Nov 2011 | The Prince of Wales's birthday: gun salute, London Gun salute to mark the birthday of Prince Charles. Cannons will be fired in the following locations: - A 41-gun salute at 12 noon fired by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery in Hyde Park, London (opposite the Dorchester Hotel: map; nearest Tube: Hyde Park Corner or Marble Arch) - A 62-gun salute at 1pm fired by the Honourable Artillery Company at the Tower of London (from the gunpark at the western end of London Wharf: map; nearest Tube: Tower Hill) For background information about the gun salutes, see: http://www.royal.gov.uk/RoyalEventsandCeremonies/GunSalutes/Gunsalutes.aspx or http://www.royalparks.gov.uk/tourists/gun_salutes.cfm. * Royal traditions: Britain/Countries/Royalty. |
| Wed 16 Nov 2011 | University of London Postgraduate Open Evening, London Free event for people who are interested in taking a postgraduate course at one of the members of the University of London. See: http://www.london.ac.uk/postgradopen.html |
| Wed 16 Nov 2011 | Marylebone Christmas Lights, London Christmas lights are switched on at Marylebone High Street (nearest Tube: Regents Park or Great Portland Street). The event is from 3:30pm to 6:30pm. For details, see: http://www.marylebonechristmaslights.com or http://www.marylebonevillage.com |
| Fri 18 Nov - Sun 20 Nov 2011 |
Tours from London If you want to join a tour this weekend (starting in London), these are some options: Fri -Sun: Edinburgh, Loch Ness and Highlands by train ; Paris by Coach ; Outdoor Adventure Weekend in Wales ; Holland and Belgium ; Paris Eurostar Sat -Sun: Oxford, Cotswolds, Bath, Lacock & Stonehenge Sat: Brighton ; Cambridge ; Bath, Stonehenge & Secret Places Sun: Stonehenge, Avebury and Glastonbury ; Brighton ; A Taste of France: Boulogne * List of tours: Travel/Tours/Dates |
| Fri 18 Nov 2011 | BBC Children In Need, across the UK An annual event to raise money for British children's charities. You can get involved in one of many fundraising events in the UK, or you can help by donating money to the charities. There is a special programme on television on BBC1 throughout Friday evening. An injured bear called Pudsey is the symbol for this charity appeal. For details of events and how to make a donation, see: http://www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey. |
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| Thu 24 Nov 2011 | Thanksgiving Day Americans celebrate the harvest season, often eating a family meal including turkey and pumpkin pie. Although this day is not widely celebrated in the UK, some restaurants offer the traditional meal. * Useful links for Americans in the UK: Links/USA |
| Fri 25 Nov - Sun 27 Nov 2011 |
Tours from London If you want to join a tour this weekend (starting in London), these are some options: Fri -Sun: Edinburgh, Loch Ness and Highlands by train ; Germany Rhineland - Christmas Markets ; Paris Eurostar Sat -Sun: Oxford, Cotswolds, Bath, Lacock & Stonehenge Sat: Wales daytrip ; York Sun: Stonehenge, Avebury and Glastonbury ; Windsor and Hampton Court * List of tours: Travel/Tours/Dates |
| Wed 30 Nov 2011 | Public sector strikes, UK Industrial action is planned by several of the UK's largest public sector unions due to concerns over changes in workers' pensions. This is likely to disrupt Government-run services such as schools, health services (note that nurses/doctors will still be working), border controls, courts, job centres, driving tests and council services. |
| Wed 30 Nov 2011 | St Andrew's Day, Scotland Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland. He and his brother - Saint Peter - were fishermen who became Apostles of Jesus Christ. He was crucified (killed on a cross) on November 30th in Greece. The cross of Saint Andrew is on the Scottish flag (the Saltire). Scottish celebrations often include traditional food, music, songs, poetry and dance. For information about St Andrew's Day events in Scotland, see: http://www.scotland.org/standrewsday * Photos of Scotland: Travel/Tours/Scotland |
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