I can’t stand the cold but spending a winter in England is something I had to do, at least once. This is not the first winter for me, but contrary to what people say, it does not get any easier.
My first experience of winter was in Hong Kong in February 2011 when I reported for work at the South China Morning Post. The temperature was 8 degrees Celcius but it felt so much colder than that.
It gets worse. My most recent experience was at my brother’s place in Launceston, Tasmania, in September last year. The temperature fell to minus 2 degrees Celcius on one occasion. Thankfully his house had good heating, and we locked ourselves in.
Hopefully all these experiences will prepare me, mentally at least, for trips to other attractive colder destinations. One place on my bucket list is up north to see the Northern Lights, and I would also like to enjoy the beauty of Hokkaido winter, snow and all.
London 2020 fireworks display:
Brexit:
How the British papers covered Brexit:
Eve of Brexit
Brexit:
I was lucky or my timing was good in that two major events happened during my stay in London from Dec 29, 2019 to Feb 9 this year.
The first was the start of a new decade, 2020, and the other was Brexit at 11pm on Jan 31. A few years ago, I would have gone out to be with the crowd to soak in these two historic occasions.
Sadly, at this stage of my life, I try to avoid crowds and the cold. So I watched both events live on TV and through the internet. It is more comprehensive but somehow it is not the same.
I love fireworks and during my stint in Hong Kong, I would show up religiously to watch the amazing display at Victoria Harbour on New Year’s Eve and China’s National Day on Oct 1. But that was nearly 10 years ago and I was so much younger.
So watching the fireworks display in London and Sydney will remain on my bucket list.
Brexit turned out to be a non-event after all. Nothing will change until the end of the year while negotiations are going on over the various issues. So while the two sides held their gatherings on Jan 31, a big crowd gathering at Parliament Square to celebrate and others holding vigils, for many people they are just glad that it is finally settled.
To mark this historic occasion, first day covers were issued and the Royal Mint also released a 50p Brexit commemorative coins. I went around trying to collect these two souvenirs but found the going tough. Nobody seems interested, at least not the locals.
Finally I went online to place orders for these items but they will only despatch them on the week of Feb 17, nearly a week after I have flown home.
Winter Wonderland Photos:
Winter Wonderland Videos:
I was very gung ho when I arrived in London on Dec 29. I wrapped myself in many layers of warm clothes and headed to Hyde Park in the late evening to visit the popular Winter Wonderland.
The normally quiet park takes on a carnival atmosphere and has drawn in huge crowds over the past 13 years. Take your pick of over 100 spectacular rides and attractions. You can enjoy the ice skating, roller coaster rides, live music and of course, a wide variety of street food and drinks.
How nice to be a kid again. We can't take part in the fun rides, so it’s hot food and drinks for us. Our son David introduced to us mulled wine or warm wine, a traditional drink served during winter. It is usually made with red wine along with various mulling spices and sometimes raisins, and served hot or warm.
The electrifying atmosphere at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium
Arsenal fans celebrate video:
Arsenal vs Man United photos:
I wanted to make up for missing the New Year’s eve fireworks, so I braved the cold on New Year’s Day itself to watch a live football match between Arsenal and my favourite team Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium.
I am a big football fan but I have never watched a live EPL match. You don’t get to see replays and instant analysis and close-up shots in the stadium but nothing beats watching a live game. Imagine being inside a stadium with 60,000 fans screaming away.
Sadly, my team got humiliated 0-2 and I sneaked out 10 minutes before the end of the game to catch the train back.
The dragon dance troupe spreading good fortune to the shops inChinatown, London
CNY in Chinatown photos:
CNY in Chinatown videos:
Another reason for coming to London at this time was to celebrate Chinese New Year with our son David who has been posted here for 3 years. His mother also wanted to cook him a traditional Penang Chinese New Year reunion dinner.
We headed to Chinatown on the second day of the Year of the Rat to soak in the atmosphere of the celebrations.
The whole place was decked in red lanterns strung across the roads and sounds of Chinese drums and cymbals filled the air as a dragon dance troupe weaved its way from one shop to another.
As I looked around, I noticed that most of the visitors were kwai los. The festivities have become a tourist attraction. Oops, we are the tourists too.
There was a floats procession later that night but we did not stick around for that as the temperature was dropping fast.
Books arranged by countries at Daunt Books
Daunt Books photos:
London Review Bookshop photos:
Much as I would like to just stay curled up in bed during this cold weather, there are a lot of indoor activities you can do in London.
I love the bookshops in London. The two big stores I have been visiting very often during this visit are Waterstones in Piccadilly and Foyles in Charing Cross Road. Foyles is now owned by Waterstones but it still maintains its own unique style and features.
Both are housed in 5-storey buildings. You can spend hours in these bookshops, browsing through its vast collection or relaxing at the cafes in the shops.
Although I read eBooks mostly these days, I still get a thrill going through physical books. On many occasions, I download eBooks on my Kindle after getting attracted to the books on display.
I was also recommended to two “boutique” bookshops. One is Daunt Books and the other is London Review Bookshop.
The are a few Daunt Books outlets in London and the one I visited was in Marylebone, near Madame Tussauds in Baker Street. What is unique about this bookshop is that the books are arranged by countries, rather than topics.
This outlet is much smaller than the other two giants, covering only 3 floors, but it has its own unique charm. I fell in love with the place the moment I walked inside.
The London Review Bookshop, set up in 2003, described itself as “a place for people who love books to meet, talk, drink excellent tea and coffee, consume delicious cake, and of course, browse.”
There is only outlet and it is located just a walking distance from the British museum. But one is enough as this bookshop has been receiving rave reviews from book lovers.
The Natural History Museum at its late night opening
Natural History Museum photos:
Natural History Museum videos:
Another place to seek shelter from the cold and have a nice time is the museum. And there are lot of good museums in London.
In South Kensington alone, along Exhibition Road, are three museums worth visiting. I visited the Victoria and Albert Museum on my last visit, so this was a good time as any to visit the other two, namely the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum.
Many of the museums in London open until late at night on the last Friday of every month. We thought this would be a nice experience, so we scheduled a visit to the Natural History Museum.
Imagine walking into a museum late at night with exhibits of dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures all around. You start thinking about those horror movies where the exhibits come alive.
The building itself is magnificent with its tall ceiling and the staircase winding down to a large hall, reminding me of the ballroom of an old castle.
One of the museum’s most valuable collection must surely be the specimens collected by Charles Darwin, famous for his work on the theory of evolution. Altogether, the museum boasts of having 80 million items on life and earth science specimens.
A space craft on display at the Science Museum
Science Museum photos:
Science Museum videos:
The Science Museum, which was set up in 1857, is a very popular tourist attraction and gets about 3.3 mil, lion visitors every year.
The museum is also very popular with schoolchildren. On the day of our visit, we had to compete with them to see the exhibits, ranging from history of transport, space exploration, planes, power generation and medicine.
A place of honour is reserved for James Watt whose work on the steam engine contributed significantly to Britain’s industrial revolution.
There is also a section on the history of watches and clocks. George Daniels gets special coverage as he is considered the greatest watchmaker of the 20th Century.
A star attraction in this museum is the flight simulator. You have to be physically fit to try this out. Definitely not for those with heart problems, bad back and other medical ailments
London is home to so many communities, so you are spoilt for choice when it comes to food. During this trip, I had the opportunity to sample a wide variety of food.
I had always thought that the best roast duck is served at the Four Seasons in Chinatown. Our son David says that the duck at the Gold Mine in Bayswater is so much better. I am no food expert but I think he is right.
David also introduced to us to:
1. Pub food at The Bunch of Grapes. I ordered the traditional fish and chips
2. Indian style English breakfast at Dishoom Kensington
3. Burger at American fast food chain Shake Shack which started as a hot dog cart in Madison Square Park in Manhattan, New York
4. Malaysian food at Gopal's Corner, one of the tenants at Market Hall West End.
London food photos:
The Book of Mormon musical being shown at The Prince of Wales Theatre
Of course, no visit to London would be complete without going for a musical. I have always wanted to see The Book of Mormon and managed to get reasonably priced tickets for an afternoon show. It is a fantastic musical and I enjoyed myself thoroughly.
Next on my list is the musical Hamilton. It is impossible to get tickets for this musical now and even if they are available, they will be very expensive. I guess I will have to try again on my next trip to London.