Summer shenanigans at The Goring

It’s raining! It’s a heatwave! Must put a jumper on! Can’t think, too hot! Welcome to summer in London, where the weather finds it amusing to keep us guessing. Fortunately, the capital’s summer schedule remains as busy as ever with Big John, The Goring’s ticket magician (also known as the world’s most connected concierge) moving in mysterious ways to procure tickets (‘sold out’ is not in his vocabulary). Come this way, please…

Well played

As a nation inordinately fond of sport, there are perennial events that are integral to the British summer calendar. Keen on horses? Dress up and have a flutter at Royal Ascot (16th - 20th June). Anyone for tennis? Spot a champion-in-the-making at Queen’s (6th -21st June) or watch Titans clash at the legendary Wimbledon (29th June – 12th July). Strawberries and cream with a glass of champagne are essential for steadying the nerves. 

To see or not to see…

Picture this. You are an Elizabethan living in 16th-century London and Master William Shakespeare has released his latest smash-hit play. You rush to The Globe theatre in Southwark to watch it performed in the open air, overcome by the genius of the man. The good news is – you still can! A reconstruction of the original playhouse will send you back in time and its summer schedule includes A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the original romcom, Much Ado About Nothing. 

And so, to market

London loves a market and you’ll find them all over the city. For those particularly keen on all things delicious, Borough Market (which dates back over a thousand years) in Southwark is a treasure trove of street and speciality foods from all over the world. Flowers put a spring in your step? If it can be grown, you can buy it – and Columbia Road Market in Hackney (Sundays 8am – 3pm), awash with colours and scents, is where you’ll find it. 

Park life

Henry VIII. Good husband? Not so much – but a man with an eye for a park? Exceptionally talented. London has eight royal parks, most of which can be traced back to the man himself, from the extended grounds of royal palaces to land snatched from Catholic monks. These historic green spaces are the lungs of the city and each has its own unique character. Take a dip in Hyde Park’s Serpentine Lido, ride a horse around Richmond Park or settle down for a sumptuous picnic in Regent’s Park prepared for you by The Goring. 

Messing about in boats

Drink in one hand, nibbles in another and a vast expanse of water before you. Experience London by boat with a Thames River Sightseeing Cruise from Westminster to Greenwich, marvelling as you pass some of the city’s most famous sites, from HMS Belfast and The Tower of London to Tower Bridge and Westminster Palace. Equally, if you fancy yourself as a captain-in-the-making, take the helm of a little GoBoat around Regent’s Canal and glamorous Little Venice. Anchors away!

If any of these summer extravaganzas tickle your fancy, be sure to gee up Big John and let us stage your most sensational season yet at The Goring.