Neily

Could I please you trouble you to tell me what, if any, businesses are open on Christmas Day and Boxing Day? I promised my daughter a trip to London when she graduated from high school (3 years ago), but I was unable to take her then. I can take her now and she really wants to see London at Christmastime. I suppose the main issue is a nice Christmas dinner for us to share, and since Boxing Day is also a holiday, something to do on that day, too. Thank you for your time.

Holy Cow

This is not a chat room -- if you wish to ask a question of one particular person then do that off-forum.

jill

Neily, you can find an old Ben Haines post and send him a request by email. He posts with his own address.

xxx

Quite a lot of people here other than Ben Haines are also knowledgeable about London. You might get a better response if you showed you realised that.

Jen

Also, Ben just left on a 3-week vacation.

Sam

Neily, as you can tell, we're all very hurt that you only want information specifically from Ben. Did you know that he lives in Ohio?

Ruth

OK, I think we've chastised Neily enough. I'm not Ben Haines, but here are my thoughts.<BR><BR>You should book Christmas Dinner well ahead. Most restaurants will be shut on Christmas day and Boxing Day, but others will be putting on special lunches and dinners.<BR><BR>Had you considered a lunchtime cruise on the Thames?! see http://www.citycruises.com/xmas.htm#lunch for details.<BR><BR>I found this by searching for "Christmas Day" dinner London on Google - quite a lot of hotels' and restaurants' sites also came up.

Ruth

Travel will be difficult on Christmas Day as the tube and buses won't be running.<BR><BR>But on Boxing Day, I think many shops will be open as the sales start. Buses and tube will run a reduced service.

Ben Haines

Part One<BR><BR>I am sorry many are upset, and agree that the message could have been better headed. A 2001 correspondence from which I quote below shows the great amount that people can contribute. My own reply will takre sevetral parts.<BR><BR>I am sorry: almost no businesses are open on Christmas Day. Some hotels are, and they will either serve meals or know a nearby hotel that serves meals: all will be expensive as staff are on double or triple pay per hour. A boat will cruise to Greenwich and serve expendsive lunch and dinner: please see http://www.thamescruises.co.uk/christmascruises/ The Christmas Morning Walk will start at 11am from the Christmas Tree in Trafalgar Square, and the Charles Dickens walk at 2pm from there. There will be a scatter of duty pharmacies open, some suburban pubs, and some suburban corner shops. No busses, trains, or tube trains will run. <BR><BR>Boxing Day is a little better. The same places will be open as on Christmas Day, plus a few department stores, the railway lines to Brighton and Paris, and most theatres. No music places, museums (except Dickens House and perhaps Somerset House) , or art galleries. Busses will run at long intervals, but I think no tube trains.<BR><BR>Both days are good for long walks, as streets are nearly empty.<BR><BR>So can you bring your stay forward ? Your daughter wants to see London at Christmastime. Any days from 1 to 23 December offer the usual attractions of London, plus extras. The streets are abuzz with shoppers, and a pleasure to see from the top of a bus along Regent Street and Oxford Street. The museums and art galleries offer special tours of discovery, paper chases with questionnaires, and lectures for intelligent children. The site http://www.handelhouse.org/events_family.shtml gives you the idea for a small place and http://www.museum-london.org.uk/ for a large one. In London to 23 December every kind of music is on offer, plus extra lunchtime concerts in old churches, with light classical music, carols for choir and audience, mince pies and mulled wine. On 1 December I plan to post here a list of celebrations in old churches in the City (that is, between Blackfriars and the Tower), with dates and times. I expect that for evening music adults will be thinking of St Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. But there is much good music too in Southwark Cathedral, a great fourteenth century city church across the road from London Bridge station.<BR><BR>Web sites mentioned below are http://www.london-capital.com/ukchri...hristmas.html/, and http://www.londontouristboard.com/sp...tmasstart.htm/. Nearly all items in these sites fall in the period until 23 December.<BR><BR>In the usual theatre the Fringe has better buys than smash hit musicals. Beyond this there is a Christmas special tradition, pantomime, which is knock-about farce that sets out to provoke noisy reaction from the children who make up most of the audience.<BR><BR>Pub lunches are fewer than normal, due to office parties, but plenty are still on offer, such as the Albert on Victoria Street and the Founders Arms at the southern end of Blackfriars Bridge.<BR><BR>I am glad you choose to put the question in public, as people other than you will read this correspondence, and if we are lucky some will comment. To write a private e-mail message is to lose the advice of others. Perhaps dunno doesn't know ?

Ben Haines

Part Two<BR><BR>I can illustrate this. In November 2001 a Fodors correspondence ran thus:<BR><BR>London between Xmas & New Years Day<BR><BR>Author: amy ([email protected]). Date: 11/28/2001, 10:56 am. Message: I am contemplating a trip to London between Christmas and New Years. This will be my first trip to London and I'm very interested in the basic tourist attractions, theater, and shopping. I've read a few comments referring to the number of businesses that close during this time. Any perspective out there would be appreciated!<BR><BR>Author: Matt ([email protected]). Message: -- visit the Leicester Square ticket center to purchase "day of" theater tickets at cheap prices<BR>-- absolutely see: Westminster Abbey, Tower of London, St. Paul's -- all the basic sights...<BR>-- Oxford Street is a main shopping street. Herrod's is a must. Try to catch Camden Market on the weekend.<BR>-- I wouldn't worry about things being any more closed in London than they are in the US -- Things will be closed on Christmas day, but generally open as usual otherwise.<BR><BR>Author: Merilee ([email protected]). Message: The 25th and the 26th will be quiet days in London...there is (or was a few years ago) a boat ride on the Thames River on Christmas Day that offered a midday holiday dinner. Must sees are Harrod's, The Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, and Buckingham Palace...I liked the British Museum but you need alot of time there...try to see a show if time permits...on Sunday's only no matter what the weather conditions there's a huge outdoor shopping market on Petticoat Lane... it's from 9AM to 1PM and you can buy just about anything...I bought back some really nice sweaters and knick/knacks...Woolworth's (Woolies) was another store where I picked up some items to bring back. The Underground makes traveling convenient even if you have to change lines.<BR><BR>Author: Grasshopper ([email protected]). Message: I think the Museum of Natural History is a must see. The interactive exhibits are pretty creative and the building itself is spectacular.<BR><BR>Author: Merilee ([email protected]). Message: Amy, the Christmas Day Lunch Cruise on the Thames River is run by Thames Cruises (Express Events, Ltd.)...you embark and disembark from Westminster Pier...it's from 12:30PM until 3:00PM and the cost is 59.50 British pounds per person...it's a multi course meal and liquor is available at an additional cost...their telephone number is 020 7439 2333 and their fax number is 020 7439 2332...I don't remember the country or city code...they do have a website...the also have other cruises available during the month of December.<BR><BR>Author: Bob Brown ([email protected]). Date: 11/28/2001, 04:35 pm. Message: We arrived on the day after Christmas Day, which is known as Boxing Day, in Britain. Things were mostly closed as I recall. We even had trouble finding an open restaurant except in the hotel.<BR><BR>Author: amy ([email protected]). Date: 11/29/2001, 11:54 am. Message: Merilee:<BR>Thanks for the cruise suggestion. I think that sounds lovely. I just emailed the British Tourism Association to get specifics on what is open and what is closed during that time. I think it sounds like a great time to visit and see all the holiday decor!<BR><BR>Author: meg ([email protected])<BR>Date: 11/29/2001, 02:25 pm. Message: I was at Somerset House off the Strand, in Central London yesterday and they are flooding the beautiful inner courtyard- to be turned into an Ice Skating Rink for the Xmas season- a lovely idea! So, if you want some exercise- try it!

Ben Haines

<BR>Part Three<BR><BR>Author: Marilyn ([email protected]). Date: 11/30/2001, 12:48 am<BR><BR>Message: I just received this beautiful website about Christmas in London. It has lots of listings of concerts and special activities of all kinds.<BR>http://www.london-capital.com/ukchristmas/ukchristmas.html<BR><BR>Author: JOdy ([email protected]). Date: 11/30/2001, 06:38 am. Message: Hamptom Court Palace will be open for lantern-lit tours on certain dates in december and January..a new way to see this lovely royal residence as it was in 16th cen. A nice time out from London<BR><BR>Author: alex ([email protected]). Date: 11/30/2001, 05:26 pm. Message: Try also thisislondon.com. Marilyn - I looked at the site you recommended and it relates to last year (the reference to the Dome was the giveaway)!<BR><BR>Author: Elaine E. ([email protected]). Date: 11/30/2001, 06:39 pm. Message: We have been in London Christmas/New Years. Very, very quiet. On 25 and 26 very little open. Almost all n0n-hotel restaurants closed. All museums closed. London much less decorated than US, but getting more each year. Few homes have outside decorations. We were so disappointed that we went to Paris and had a great time there.<BR>The London Eye is also worth doing. We love Savoy Hotel for the elegant lunch in the main dining room or dinner in Grill. Tea is very popular but lunch or dinner better. Somerset House is newly redone and quite special.<BR>Good Luck.<BR><BR>Author: Marilyn ([email protected]). Date: 11/30/2001, 06:40 pm. Message: Alex-<BR>Thank you for telling me about the london-capital site. I'm so disappointed; it was a beautiful site. I forwarded it to family members and copied and printed a lot of the information. Does this mean that all the information at london-capital.com is outdated?<BR><BR>Marilyn<BR><BR>Author: chris ([email protected]). Date: 12/01/2001, 06:29 am. Message: Another website is http://www.londontouristboard.com/specialfeatures/editorial/christmasstart.htm<BR><BR>I too will be in London between Christmas and New Years. Since many of the museums are now free, I plan on hitting several of the ones I have passed by in the past-Natual History Museum, National Portrait Gallery. The Imperial War Museum is now free and is superb. I went to the new British Galleries at the V&A last week. Definitely going to the New Years Day Parade and plan on going to the special Tudor Christmas at Hampton Court Palace from Dec. 27-Jan. 1.<BR><BR>From my exprience London can be very dull between Christmas and New Years, don't expect too much jovial festivity.<BR><BR>Author: chris ([email protected]). Date: 12/01/2001, 06:34 am. Message: another interesting prospect, with entry free: http://www.geffrye-museum.org.uk<BR><BR>Christmas Past: 400 Years of Seasonal Traditions in English Homes<BR>Tuesday 27 November 2001 - Sunday 6 January 2002<BR>It?s Christmas again - so make the most of it by visiting our annual exhibition and discovering the meanings and origins of some of our more common customs, from kissing under the mistletoe to decorating the tree and throwing cocktail parties. Each of the Geffrye?s twelve period rooms are decorated in authentic festive style, providing a feast for the eyes and the soul. A visit in December is a must!<BR><BR>--------------------------------------------------------------------<BR><BR>Please write if I can help further. Welcome to London<BR><BR>Ben Haines

Neily

I offer my sincere apology for offending, and I thank you all for your help.