We're taking a blogging sabbatical over the Christmas holidays - we'll be back in the New Year!

We wish our departing students safe journeys and warm memories of their time in London, and all our readers a very happy Christmas, and a wonderful New Year.

* Photo by wwarby, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Missing London - Miss Alice

Question of the week: What do you miss when you're away from London?

"Live music, on tap. I've lived plenty of places with decent venues, but it's hard to compete with the sheer range that greater London has to offer, let alone the volume of bands coming through. Whatever your genre, whatever kind of show you enjoy, whatever your price point - there's something for everyone. (There are almost as many ways of finding out about gigs too, but I'm partial to Last.FM's events listings)"
- Miss Alice

* Photo by micn2sugars, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Missing London - Kris

Question of the week: What do you miss when you're away from London?

"Free things to do: London, unlike other cities I've lived in, has lots of free things to do going on all the time.

There are the transitory things, like buskers and street festivals, that are hard to point people towards (except to just recommend to keep your eyes and ears open when you walk around the city), and the permanent things that are always there when you have free time and want something more interesting than watching TV. My favourites of these are the free museums and parks that are scattered across London. Wherever you are in the city, there will be at least one near you, ready to fill the idle hour.

These are not simply churchyards and assortments of odd knickknacks that only get visited because they don't charge. Some of the most wonderful places in the world are included, such as Kensington Garden, and St. James' Park, the British Museum and the Tate Modern; places where amazing things are available to view every day. There are the quirkier finds, like Brompton Cemetery (on of the first urban cemeteries in Britain, and a beautiful place to walk), or Sir John Soane's Museum (the house and collections of Sir John Soane, a famous architect and collector who left his house and contents to the state as a museum because he was disappointed in his two sons!).

There are millions of other free things in London, but these are just a few of my top picks!"
- Kris

* Photo by slimmer_jimmer, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Missing London - Miss Alice

Question of the week:

"The energy, the freedom, the opportunities, and all of that underpinned by the public transport network. Coming back to London, getting on the tube or the bus is when I feel like I'm home.

It's not perfect, but it's so much richer and more widespread and more reliable than many cities can offer, and I honestly think that powers a lot of the freedom of the city - why not head across town for a gig, when you know that you can get home swiftly and safely afterwards, without worrying about parking or who's going to drive, and why not head out for the night, when you know you can get a bus most of the way home, even at 3am?"
- Miss Alice

* Photo by Jovike, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Missing London - Kris

Question of the week: What do you miss when you're away from London?

"One of the things I miss about London, especially when I'm in the US, is being able to walk from my home to see or do nearly anything I want. If I want cookies, I walk to get them. If I want to look at art, I walk to see it. If I want go to a world-class opera, I walk there too. And anything in between. Compared to the places I've lived in the US, London has everything. And I can walk to it all! "
- Kris

* Photo by Pit Van Meeffe, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Missing London - Ric Whaite

Question of the week: What do you miss when you're away from London?

"The noise. The hum that lets me know that there is always something going on, even as I am sleeping through it. Consider the possibilities:

culture24.org.uk
24 hour restaurants
24 hour bars"
- Ric

* Photo (Tower Bridge at 4am) by Joe banner, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

London Christmas

Question of the week: What's one of your favourite thing about Christmas in London?

"Every year on Christmas the Queen releases her Christmas Message to the Commonwealth, highlighting the events of the year and thanking all of the people of the Commonwealth for their continued support. It isn't usually very long, and it generally doesn't make any political or religious or social points that change the British world view, but it is emotionally very important to lots of people around the world.

The first Royal Christmas Message was broadcast in 1932 by the Queen's grandfather, George V, over the then very new medium of radio. It was short, but very successful, and there has been a Christmas Message each year (less two, 1936 and 1938) since then. In 1957 the Broadcast moved from radio to TV, and it was taped in advance, so that it could be played at a convenient time in each Commonwealth Country. (So, theoretically, the Queen could watch herself making the Broadcast from her own living room.)

I know that for us, watching the Queen's Christmas Message is now an integral part of Christmas Day. It lets us take a break from the cooking and eating and think about wider things. James was very upset when he thought that he wouldn't be able to see the Christmas Broadcast when we had our first Christmas in the US, but due to You Tube and BBC America he was not left wanting. (It actually saved Christmas!)

So, if you're flipping through channels on Christmas day, or searching for something to watch on You Tube, see if you can find this year's Christmas Message. Watch it, and you'll be joining people all over the world in a Christmas tradition.

For previous Christmas Messages and more information see the official website."
- Kris

* Photo by bowbrick, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

London Christmas - Miss Alice

Question of the week: What's one of your favourite thing about Christmas in London?

"The decorations - from the big, commercial Oxford Street lights, to the smaller shopping areas decor - flickering silver stars on Jermyn Street, live trees in some of the arcades, the wild and wonderful street decorations that go up around Seven Dials every year, and the Christmas Market over on the south bank.

I haven't actually made it up there yet this year, but the Christmas window displays of the big department shops on Regents Street, and then the length of Oxford Street up to Marble Arch are always pretty impressive - although best viewed late in the evening when the shops are shut and the streets less overcrowded!"
- Miss Alice

* Photo by markhillary, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

London Christmas - Kris

Question of the week: What's one of your favourite thing about Christmas in London?

"As you walk across Trafalgar Square, you may notice a huge tree has recently been set up in the middle and covered with lights. Each year since 1947 a similar tree has been given by the Norwegian people to the people of London for the help the British gave Norway during World War II. Each year, a member of the Norwegian royal family comes to light the tree to show the gratitude that is still felt by Norwegians for Allied help against the Nazis.

The tree is chosen months (or years) in advance from the forests around Oslo, felled ceremoniously in the presence of the Lord Mayor of London, the British Ambassador to Norway and the Mayor of Oslo, and then transported by sea to Britain. It is decorated in Norwegian style (vertical strings of lights), and is kept up until 12th Night when it is taken down and recycled.

I recommend enjoying London's Christmas tree while you're here, as it's so close to the London Centre, and it is such a meaningful gift between the people of two nations."
- Kris

(NB, the program of daily carol singing at the foot of the tree can be found here.)

* Photo by Verseguru, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

London Christmas - Ric Whaite

Question of the week: What's one of your favourite thing about Christmas in London?

"Ice skating outside of some icon of Victorian architecture, whilst there are adjacent European Christmas markets for the non-skaters. I know it's expensive for what it is, but it's hard to imagine Times Square being able to mimic it! For reduced tickets, see the Natural History Museum's student deals."
- Ric

(NB - for a list of other Christmas skating locations try this list from Time Out.)

* Photo by Kitty B Wonderful, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

London Christmas - Miss Alice

Question of the week: What's one of your favourite thing about Christmas in London?

"There are so many things I love about the Christmas season in London, but if I'm going to break a trend and pick just one, then I'll go for, buying a paper bag of roast chestnuts from a street seller, and then finding a corner out of the crowd to take off my gloves and get to work peeling the warm flesh out of the sooty shells. They're not only a tasty traditional winter snack - there's something undeniably Dickensian about it."
- Miss Alice

* Photo by JCM Photos, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

London shops - Kris

Question of the week: With Christmas on the horizon, can you recommend a favourite London shop?

"So, you asked your mother/grandmother/sister/aunt what she wanted for Christmas, and she said 'Something really English!' You asked your father/grandfather/brother/uncle the same question, and got a similar reply... Whatever you get, it needs to be nice, and appropriate to open in front of great-aunt Matilda...

Go to Fortnum & Mason. It's a little bit pricy, but what would you expect from somewhere founded in 1707? It is a one-stop shop for all things for the traditional English Christmas (especially foodwise). The ground floor and basement are full of things that you can imagine the Queen eating for dinner, all presented beautifully. Tins of tea, beautiful chutneys, delicious biscuits - all go down well as gifts. Gentleman's Relish is a big hit with us at Christmas as is the Piccadilly Piccalilli. Go upstairs and look at the non-food items (like rubber ducks dressed as Beefeaters and Royal Guardsmen...), British-made perfume and fashion, and gentleman's accessories (I'm sure that Prince Charles has loads of that sort of stuff!).

Even if you're not made of money - go and have a look. The window displays are stunning, and the whole store is simply beautiful. The clock on the outside of the building chimes the hour, as it has for hundreds of years, with mechanical men striking bells. Wander around, pretend that you're royalty, and if you have time have tea in the afternoon. As all civilized people should. At Fortnum & Mason."
- Kris

* Photo by newpn2000, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

London shops - Miss Alice

With Christmas on the horizon, can you recommend a favourite London shop?

"Once and again, I'm going to fail at picking just one place and go for an area instead - the Seven Dials end of Covent Garden. Within two or three streets you've got almost everything you need for your Christmas shopping - Waterstones, Magma and Stanfords for books (general), books (art and design) and books (travel). You've got Orcs Nest, for the gamer in your life, Fopp, for cds and dvds, London Graphics Centre, for all your creative needs, Neil's Yard for aromatherapy and other natural goodies, the Tea House, for teas and everything related, Tatty Divine, for super-cute jewellery - their new swallows-in-winter necklace has just been added to my personal wishlist - and Miller Harris for truly decadent perfumes.

There are at least a dozen pubs and bars, several good places for lunch or supper, and, finally, Candy Cakes, for that point in the day when, if you're going to get it all done, you just need to stop, get a hot drink, and consume enough sugar and food colouring to keep a toddler hyperactive for a week."
- Miss Alice

* Photo by Random Acts of Photography, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

London shops - Dr Holt

Question of the week: With Christmas on the horizon, can you recommend a favourite London shop?

"Museum shops are fabulous. Unusual things are on offer in each one, you will have noticed this in your travels on the Continent of course. Here in London I particularly recommend the shops at the Victoria and Albert, and at Tate Modern, but then I also like the National Gallery and Portrait Gallery shops. And there are nice things at the Courtauld, too. And at Tate Britain. And at the Wallace Collection. Even at Westminster Abbey and the Queen's Gallery. Indeed, nearly everywhere. And while you are there, you know that if I were along I'd be coaxing you to amble around at least one of exhibits. An amusing pass time might be to imagine at least one item on view that you'd like for Christmas yourself."
- Dr Holt

* Photo by red betty black, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.