The Lent Term marks a new year and a new beginning. Personally, I enjoyed Michaelmas Term and my Christmas break, but my bank account was not completely pleased about my spending habits.
My Lent Term resolution is to budget more, even when doing tourist activities around London! Here are some of the events and sights I plan to visit this term:
1. Canary Wharf’s Winter Lights
Every year, Canary Wharf hosts the Winter Lights event where throughout the area, several light installations, sculptures and interactive exhibits are presented and are completely free of cost. They recommend you visit after 5pm for the best experience and the event runs for two weeks between 16 January and 27 January. Tube: Canary Wharf
2. Lumiere London
If Canary Wharf proves to be too much of a journey, Lumiere London is a lights festival which has exhibits across central London which are free of cost. There are exhibits in West End and South Bank, which are not very far from campus, so if you want to explore after lectures, make sure you check it out! The exhibit is from the 18 to 21 of January only.
Tube: Various Locations including Waterloo, King’s Cross Station, Leicester Square, Covent Garden, Oxford Circus and Tottenham Court Road.
3. Unusual Places and Sights
London is a treasure trove of history and culture, and has its fair share of unusual statues and museums. Atlas Obscura has a list of some of the obscure historical structures around the city, including The Old Curiosity Shop on campus! The list doesn’t necessarily require you to specifically visit certain places, but to keep an eye out for uncommon sights. For instance, if you’re walking around Soho, try to find the Seven Noses or if you’re visiting a friend at Lilian Knowles, visit the Ten Bells pub for its ties to Jack the Ripper.
4. Alternative Museums
While the traditional museums such as British Museum, V&A, Natural History Museum and Tate Modern are all free, London has a lot of alternative museums you can visit for free or on a student discount. Some include the Grant Museum of Zoology in Fitzrovia, the Old Operating Theatre Museum at London Bridge, the Cartoon Museum near Tottenham Court Road and the Hunterian Museum which is not far from campus.
5. Shop at Second-Hand stores and Flea Markets in London
During the difficult points of term time, several students (including myself) turn to retail therapy for some comfort. I encountered the joys of charity shopping at Notting Hill, where my flatmate got a cashmere sweater for £16 (instead of the usual £60)! London has an abundance of charity stores, and Notting Hill, Pimlico and Shepherd’s Bush has some of the shops with fancier labels with great deals! There are also flea markets around the city, and look out for the ones near your halls. Butler’s Wharf is close to Flat Iron Square, which has a vintage market on weekends, and the antiques market at Bermondsey Square is held on Fridays which are worth a visit!
6. Explore the greenery
The end of Lent Term marks the beginning of Spring, which is the perfect time to enjoy all the greenery London has to offer. Besides the traditional Hyde Park and Kensington Garden - Greenwich Park, Richmond Park, St James’s Park, Crystal Palace Park and Hampstead Heath are all worth a visit closer to the end of Lent Term.
TimeOut London has great vouchers for cheap tickets to musicals, restaurants and events through the year so take a look at their website every few weeks. Besides these, check out LSE Life’s Life in London events, where visits to several places are free of cost!
Written by LSE Social Media Ambassador Soumya Khedkar.