IMAGINE spending three days in London and not visiting a castle, a tower, an abbey, a cathedral, the London Eye, seeing Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament or even dropping into one of the many great stores for a bit of shopping.
So what’s the alternative. Well one thing you have to do when you are in the British capital is a show and I was transported to the jungle to experience the Lion King which has been playing at the Lyceum Theatre for 25 years and still continues to attract sell-out audiences.
The Lion King was an unforgettable experience[/caption]
This show has entertained almost 20 million theatregoers[/caption]
A visit to the Friends Experience added a wow factor to my London visit[/caption]
While many of us would have seen the cinema version of this wonderful story there is nothing better than sitting in a theatre just absorbing the magic, the joy, the sorrow and the transition of the young boy running away from his fears to embracing his role as the King returning to save his people.
On the stage of the beautiful theatre the Lion King comes alive through the use of spectacular masks, puppets and beautiful costumes as we follow Simba’s epic journey to manhood and kingship.
This show has entertained almost 20 million theatregoers and it was lovely to see families with young children attending on the night along with all ages from teens to pensioners absorbing the wonderful, spectacular show, which is the sixth longest-running West End musical of all time.
At times the puppets, the masks, the actors and the stage settings are amazing along with the uplifting musical numbers of which there are 15 encompassing the pulsating African rhythms, thanks to the South African composer Lebo M. Elton John and Tim Rice have also added three new numbers to the five they wrote for the award-winning score of the animated film.
Last month the production brought the 10,000th performance of Disney’s multi-award-winning show to the Lyceum Theatre.
If you are in London make sure to book for this unforgettable experience with tickets available by visiting www.thelionking.co.uk.
Jonathan Mountford, my wonderful host for the three exciting days, explained that his press and marketing agency MADE avoids sending consumers or travel trade professionals to discount websites fearing they could be ripped off.
He explained: “London is an affordable city with many price options especially for families.
“The city has so much to offer in 2025 including sightseeing, attractions and world-class theatre.
“In fact, not seeing a musical such as Disney’s The Lion King in London is like forgetting to see the Eiffel Tower when visiting Paris!
“New shows opening this year include Disney’s Hercules the Musical at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London.”
Jonathan recommends booking tickets via www.visitlondon.com; www.officiallondontheatre.com; www.thelionking.co.uk; or www.disneytickets.co.uk.
I stayed in The Good Hotel which sits on the Thames, almost literally, and found it very easy to locate having taken the tube from Heathrow Airport. This is a social impact hotel which uses its profits to help local communities, educate children around the world and retrain long-term unemployed locals from Newham, the London Borough in which it is located.
Mind you while the facilities were good and the staff lovely, if you are a person who likes to stay in a big room with all the luxuries that brings then this may not be the hotel for you.
The rooms are very small, something similar to those on a ferry. There are earplugs in the bathroom and there are no televisions. All that said prices are very reasonable for London and there is great access from the airports and on the tube if you want to visit central London and Canary Wharf.
I think after the Lion King my next favourite alternative adventure was The Postal Museum located in the Clerkenwell area, another attraction perfect for everyone including families.
POSTAL SERVICE HISTORY
The postal service is an integral part of British history dating back to Henry VIII’s times. There is so much to see and do here and it’s worth taking the tour with a knowledgeable guide who runs through 500 years of history in an interesting way.
Bringing the mail to its final destination was a dangerous task for this brave enough to venture forth on horses dealing with weather and highwaymen.
The stage coach, one of which can be seen in all its glory, began operating in 1782 taking 16 hours from Bristol to London. Passengers were also carried and enroute they were asked to get out and walk up the hills to give the poor horses a break.
Receiving post also proved an expensive cost for the receiver who had to pay the charge, not the sender.
The 16-year-olds who delivered the mail on motorbikes were known as “The Angels of Death and when the men went to fight WW1 the post office provided great employment for women.
I even saw the Penny Black stamp which is on display. This was the world’s first adhesive stamp used in the public postal system and it featured a picture of Queen Victoria. Nowadays if you have this stamp in good condition then you have hit the jackpot as it can be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.
I just loved the Mail Rail, a miniature underground railway that transported mail across London via a complex system of tunnels, stations. Sit back and enjoy the audio visual displays which transport you back to a transport system that lasted decades from 1927 to 2003, running 22 hours a day to deliver letters and parcels.
There is a restaurant, a gift shop and areas where children can participate in interactive activities like making their own stamps, dressing up in costumes and much more.
You can visit the postal museum official website for more information and ticket bookings on www.postalmuseum.org.
If you have ever wanted to sky dive but the thought of jumping out of a plane scares the life out of you, then fear no more because you can have a sky-diving experience in London. But to get there you have to take to the skies travelling on the UK’s first and only urban cable car which crosses the Thames between the Royal Docks and the Greenwich Peninsula.
Just a five minute walk from the Good Hotel, you board the spacious and comfy cabins and fly 90 metres over the river viewing such iconic landmarks as St Paul’s Cathedral, the Gherkin, the Thames Barrier, Maritime Greenwich and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
After landing I headed to the O2 home to the world’s most popular music, sport and entertainment centre. I know I said I didn’t do any shopping in the major stores on London’s High Streets but there is the option of outlet shopping at the 02 with big brand names and prices for designer goods are at jaw dropping prices.
After a spot of shopping and refreshed by retail therapy I headed to the IFLY Indoor Skydiving Centre which is a relatively new addition to the O2 but one that is proving popular with all ages.
And you don’t do it on your own as I was accompanied by a very patient and experienced instructor who immediately put me at ease as did the preflight briefing and training session.
INDOOR SKYDIVING
The session lasts an hour and it’s invigorating and exciting but it still didn’t make me plan to dive out of a plane anytime soon. I’ll settle for the skydiving experience without the plane and the parachute.
But it was fun and the recording of the flight is something to show off to family and friends, or anyone else I want to impress.
I have always been a fan of Friends and a visit to the Friends Experience added a wow factor to my London visit.
Here visitors immerse themselves in the recreated sets, where you can dance in front of the fountain, peep through the iconic purple door at Rachel and Monica’s apartment, and hang out in Monica’s apartment which is such a vital part of the hit TV show which ran from 1994 to 2004.
You can play foosball at Joey and Chandler’s and take pictures and selfies everywhere – including drinking tea in the wonderful kitchen, peering through binoculars out the window spying on the neighbours in the apartment block across the way, make coffee in the cafe, and sit on the orange couch in Central Perk.
Phoebe’s wonderfully yellow New York Cab is there too and of course it wouldn’t be Friends without Hugs and the famous yellow frame.
London Baby screams out as you walk into the immersive experience of the two iconic episodes of Friends which were shot in London, which includes Ross’s wedding.
The wonderful thing about the experience is it transports visitors back to the Big Apple and you simply have to make the coffee for you and your friends in Central Perk.
For more information, ticket bookings, and updates, visit the official website: www.friendstheexperience.com/london.
THE LIGHTROOM
If you are a lover of fashion and the iconic models who graced the catwalk through the ages along with the most iconic of designers then you just can’t miss a visit to the Lightroom which is a digital art space.
The Moonwalk with Tom Hanks, which runs on selected dates in April, is the newest offering here.
The Prehistoric Planet – Discovering Dinosaurs is now on sale and opens on July 9.
The Lightroom is just a 10-minute walk from Kings Cross Station where it sits at the top of Coal Drop Yard, a wonderful area that is fast growing with a range of restaurants, bars and some great shops.
The Lightroom works hand-in-hand with some of the greatest artistic talents across art, music, film, fashion, science and much more. It is a really unique immersive experience and worth a visit.
I flew from Cork Airport to London Heathrow where I took the Elizabeth Line to Custom House Station, from where a short walk brought me to the Good Hotel.
