Around Town

Some people devote Boxing Day to taking rejected presents straight back where they came from, or hit the sales as soon as the shops reopen. But London has plenty of bank holiday options for those in less materialistic mode. Traditionalists will enjoy a visit to the Charles Dickens Museum in Bloomsbury, which will be offering readings and refreshments. London Zoo, the Sherlock Holmes Museum, the London Aquarium and the London Dungeon will all be open for business and are likely to be quieter than usual. If you’re in the mood to watch birds on the wing (instead of your plate), the London Wetland Centre will be open, offering a special Boxing Day carvery for those who can still face food.

New Year’s Day really divides the haves from the have-nots. If you have kids there’s at least a sporting chance that you will not have a hangover and thus will be in the mood for a bit of an outing. Some families make a tradition of starting the year in central London, enjoying the colourful spectacle of the New Year’s Day parade. Others prefer a peaceful stroll in Kew Gardens, where you can also take a turn on the ice. There’s no shortage of indoor entertainment either. A number of London’s museums and attractions will be open, in some cases for the afternoon only. They include the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms, the Design Museum, Hampton Court Palace, HMS Belfast, the Horniman, the Imperial War Museum, the newly reopened London Transport Museum, the National Maritime Museum, the Science Museum, Shakespeare’s Globe, Tower Bridge Exhibition, the V&A, the Wallace Collection and the Wellcome Collection.

All the outdoor ice rinks are open on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, as is The London Eye (from 3pm on Jan 1). ‘The First Emperor’ (though not the rest of the British Museum) will be open on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day; 50 tickets are held back for sale each day.
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