MANY of my park experiences in London are in those lovely green spaces found close by to my house or my good old favourite Hyde Park. However, last summer I explored a little further afield and got to check out Regent’s Park. It’s a gem of a place and if we ever get a summer this year, here are a few recommendations!
Knowing that I wanted to go to The Globe for a bit of outdoor theatre a friend recommended the Open Air Theatre at Regents Park so we decided to check out The Lord of The Flies. It was such a great night out and one of my favourite experiences in London. With a BBQ dinner included in the ticket price, we managed to have a great time eating and drinking in the sun before settling down at dusk to watch the performance so we didn’t miss a moment of summer sun. The show itself was so well done with such a small set and the wilderness certainly added to the atmosphere. This year there is a wide programme of shows to see including A Midsummer’s Night Dream which will give you your Shakespeare fix even if you can’t make the Globe.
The Open Air theatre isn’t the only summery event you can do at Regent’s Park as it is also home to the London Zoo. This icon is actually #4 on my London Top 100 list, so it’s another adventure for another time, but I can recommend getting a ticket to Zoo Lates. Last year I went with a big group of friends and even dressed up in leopard print for the occasion. Going from 6pm – 10pm it doesn’t give you a lot of time to check out the Zoo but its plenty of time to have a quick look at a couple of exhibits before heading back to the main area for some food, Pimms and silent disco!
The park itself is a great place to go for an event but is also perfect for a picnic in the sun in one of the many wide open grassy spaces. Or if you’re in the mood for a walk it’s best to wander through all the different gardens featuring gorgeous flowers and plants and the odd statue or two. You can even stop for a rest on many of the benches or even one of the striped deck chairs for hire. While the gardens are pretty to look at, the best view is from the top of Primrose Hill. It is not too much of a climb (although it did get me puffing) but I can recommend the view at the end! If it’s a clear sunny day (they do happen!) you can see the vast expanse of the park in the foreground with London spread before you in the background.
What are your favourite London parks? Tell us below:
