London Events to Look Forward to; World Pride 2012

London will be THE place to be in 2012. The Olympic Games come to town, her Majesty celebrates her Diamond Jubilee but most importantly of all Pride London will be hosting WorldPride 2012!

Led by Pride London with support from Visit London and the Mayor of London, London beat tough competition to be awarded the WorldPride parade in 2012.

Organised by InterPride, WorldPride promotes lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues on an international level through parades, festivals and other cultural activities.

London's WorldPride in 2012 is expected to attract over one million visitors. The two week festivities will most likely take place from 23 June to 8 July 2012, with the main parade held on 7 July, but you should keep an eye on the website to get the final

Buckingham Palace Tour July 23- October 3 2011

Why not visit Buckingham Palace this summer? Explore the magnificent State Rooms, lavishly furnished with some of the greatest treasures from the Royal Collection. A visit includes the special exhibition Royal Fabergé, a dazzling display of over 100 masterpieces from Imperial Easter Eggs and jewel-encrusted boxes to miniature carvings of favourite royal pets.

Buckingham Palace serves as both the office and London residence of Her Majesty The Queen, as well as the administrative headquarters of the Royal Household. It is one of the few working royal palaces remaining in the world today.

Today the State Rooms are used extensively by The Queen and Members of the Royal Family to receive and entertain their guests on State, ceremonial and official occasions. During August and September when The Queen makes her annual visit to Scotland, the Palace's nineteen state rooms are open to visitors.

Tickets are available online.

Opening hours

23 July - 3 October 2011

09:30-18:30 (last admission 16:15) A tour typically takes 2-3 hours.

Book your London Hotel at the same time.The Palm Hotel is a stylish luxury boutique hotel, located just four and a half miles from central London's Oxford Circus and only five minutes from the M1 motorway.

Fathers Day in London 19 June 2011

Its easy to think of a weekend away in London for a Mother day surprise, but Dads enjoy a trip too. The Palm hotel can take the stress out of a trip to London for Dads; there is easy access from all major routes from the north (M1, the North Circular, A41, A406) without having to pay the congestion charge.The Palm Hotel provides free, on site parking and is well serviced by London Transport bus, overground and underground services. A direct bus route takes you to Oxford Street and London's West End is just 20 minutes away.

The hotel is ideally situated for a city break, to attend sporting events or concerts at major London venues, shopping trips or sightseeing in London's West End, Museums, good food and just a break from the normal weekend chores.

Ceremony of Beating Retreat, Horse Guards Parade

On two successive evenings each year in June a magnificent pageant of military music, precision drill and colour takes place on Horse Guards Parade in the heart of London when the Massed Bands of the Household Division carry out the Ceremony of Beating Retreat.

It is an unforgettable evening as 300 musicians, drummers and pipers perform this age-old ceremony. The Retreat has origins in the early days of chivalry when beating or sounding retreat pulled a halt to the days fighting, a return to camp and the mounting of the guard for the night.

The salute is taken by Her Majesty The Queen or another member of The Royal Family.

The participants of Household Division Beating Retreat are drawn from the bands of the two Household Cavalry Regiments and the five Foot Guards Regiments which make up the Household Division.

The Massed Bands of The Royal Marines have also been Beating Retreat on Horse Guards Parade approximately every three years since 1960 to celebrate the birthday of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and Captain General Royal Marines.

The Household Division Beating Retreat will take place on Wednesday 8th June and Thursday 9th June 2011 at 9pm on Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall, London.The ticket office is now open at www.guardsbeatingretreat.com or phone 0844 847 2435

Book your London Hotel for the event at The Palm Hotel

Trooping the Colour

The custom of Trooping the Colour dates back to the time of Charles II in the 17th. Century when the Colours of a regiment were used as a rallying point in battle and were therefore trooped in front of the soldiers every day to make sure that every man could recognise those of his own regiment. In London, the Foot Guards used to do this as part of their daily Guard Mounting on Horse Guards and the ceremonial of the modern Trooping the Colour parade is along similar lines.

This impressive display of pageantry is now held on the occasion of the Queen's Official Birthday. It takes place in June each year to celebrate the official Birthday of the Sovereign and is carried out by her personal troops, the Household Division, on Horse Guards Parade, with the Queen herself attending and taking the salute.

Since 1987, The Queen has attended in a carriage rather than riding, which she did before that on 36 occasions, riding side-saddle and wearing the uniform of the regiment whose Colour was being trooped. The regiments take their turn for this honour in rotation as operational commitments permit.

Over 1400 officers and men are on parade, together with two hundred horses; over four hundred musicians from ten bands and corps of drums march and play as one. Some 113 words of command are given by the Officer in Command of the Parade. The parade route extends from Buckingham Palace along The Mall to Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall and back again.

Precisely as the clock on the Horse Guards Building strikes eleven, the Royal Procession arrives and The Queen takes the Royal Salute. The parade begins with the Inspection, The Queen driving slowly down the ranks of all eight Guards and then past the Household Cavalry. After the event, the Royal Family gathers on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch an RAF flypast

If you missed the Royal Wedding this is a second chance this year to see British Pageantry at its best. Book your North London Hotel for you London Visit now.

FA CUP FINAL Stacy Solomon Sings National Anthem

The build up to the FA Cup Final can now begin for Manchester City following their win against Tottenham on Monday, winning them a Champions League spot. In some ways this is also good news for Stoke City, who will automatically take a Europa League place, win or lose on Saturday.

Latest news for FA Cup final traditions is that Stacey Solomon, who won ITV’s I’m a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here in December 2010, will perform a pre-match set on the Wembley pitch before singing the National Anthem.The former X Factor star will be joined by three-piece vocal group, Tenors Unlimited, who will perform the traditional FA Cup Final hymn, Abide with Me.

If you have already bought your ticket check out the view of the pitch at Wembley from your seat.

Manchester City and Stoke 2011 Cup Final Kicks off at 3pm on Saturday 11th May

Book your Wembley Hotel now

London Olympic Rehearsal Tickets on Sale

London Olympic organizers begin a series of test events this month for next year's Summer Games, inviting international athletes to experience many venues for the first time.

The organizing committee said Friday that its 42-event test program begins May 30 with an invitational road race to test the marathon and walk routes, which include a stretch along The Mall in central London.

A total of 150,000 tickets will be on sale across several events to help appraise ticketing technology, although many will be free to the public.

"This is a dress rehearsal for us, but the public of course will see the rehearsal not the dress. It will look and feel quite different (to the Olympics)," London 2012 chief executive Paul Deighton said.There will testing across 26 venues, with a basketball invitational tournament and BMX supercross World Cup running concurrently in mid-August as the first events in the Olympic Park in east London.

There will be 3,000 tickets on sale for each of the basketball and BMX events.

Book your tickets and your London Hotel for this summers Olympic rehearsal.

Chelsea Flower Show 24-28 May 2011

RHS Chelsea Flower Show, 24-28 May 2011 is the world’s most famous flower show and is a celebration of the highest quality horticulture.Chelsea is famous for cutting edge garden design, and with more than 30 gardens on show, there will be plenty to inspire you.

The Royal Horticultural Society has announced that they have officially sold out of tickets for this year's Chelsea Flower show. If you are lucky enough to have a ticket, book your London Hotel now. The Palm Hotel offers free parking and is well serviced by London Transport bus, overground and underground services.

Spitalfields Market Hosts London Jewelery Week

London’s Old Spitalfields Market will take part in London Jewellery Week (LJW) with a week-long celebration that will include workshops, demonstrations and a catwalk event.

The JewelEast event includes a week-long celebration during LJW, which runs from June 6 to 12, showcasing up and coming jewellery designers and costume and vintage jewellery.
Additionally, the event will be open to the public every Tuesday throughout March, June, October and November.

LJW managing director Della Tinsley said: “These JewelEast events will not only satisfy the interests of jewellery lovers, but also provide an excellent opportunity for people considering embarking on a career in the industry.

Book your London Hotel for London Jewelery Week

Wembley Sports Finals in May 2011

The FA Carlsberg Vase Final
Holders Whitley Bay defend their trophy against Coalville Town. Kick-off at Wembley is 3pm, gates open at 1.30pm

FA Cup Final- Manchester City V Stoke City
The 130th FA Cup Final takes place at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 14th May- Kick off is 3pm, gates open at 1pm.
THE FA CARLSBERG TROPHY FINAL
Football Conference Premier rivals Darlington and Mansfield Town face each other in The FA Trophy Final at Wembley. Kick-off is at 3pm, gates open at 1.30pm

The Champions League Final
UEFA's showpiece Final reaches Wembley Stadium on Saturday 28 May. Kick-off is at 7.45pm, gates open 4.30pm

The npower Football League Championship Play Off Final will be played at Wembley Stadium on Monday 30 May. More details to come.

Located outside congestion charge zone, Best Western Palm Hotel offers free on-site parking facilities and is well serviced by National Express and Transport of London services. Plan your journey to Wembley From The Palm Hotel

Manchester United Fans Need to Book their North London Hotel

Tickets are sold out for the Arsenal Man Utd match at the Emirates this weekend. However Manchester United fans, and travelling Arsenal fans can still book their North London Hotel for the match which could seal United Premiership title for the 19th time.

Easy Access from the M1 and M40, free parking and a choice of London transport options to the Emirates means The Palm Hotel is your only choice. If you book online you get a further 10% discount.


Arsenal v Manchester United
Barclays Premier League, Emirates Stadium
Sunday, May 01, 2011, 14:05

Royal Wedding Last Minute Matters

A final private rehearsal was held for the couple at the venue last night, along with Prince Harry and the Middleton family.

Showers are forecast for the Royal Wedding, but when the sun shines it should feel very pleasant with less of a breeze and temperatures hitting 19 or 20 Celsius, 68 Fahrenheit.

Spectators heading to central London to watch the Royal Wedding on giant screens are being encouraged to dress up for the occasion by wearing hats.

The screens in Hyde Park and Trafalgar Square will show all the highlights from guests arriving at Westminster Abbey to William and Kate emerging on the balcony at Buckingham Palace.

If you are not making your way to London and intend to watch the Royal Wedding on TV you will still need to feed the family, so get to the supermarket early today; it is going to be the busiest day of the year as shoppers stock up ahead of the Royal Wedding.

The Palm Hotel

Royal Wedding update: Official programme, including Order of Service, available online today.

The Official Programme for the wedding of Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton is now available for the public to download for free.

The Official Programme includes the full Order of Service (as used by guests in Westminster Abbey), a personal message of thanks from Prince William and Miss Middleton, and a photo of the Couple taken by photographer Mario Testino at the time of the Couple’s engagement.

The Official Programme features Prince William’s recently updated Coat of Arms on the front cover and Catherine Middleton’s new Coat of Arms on the back cover.

The Order of Service includes full details about the processions, music, hymns, prayers and readings. The Wedding Service follows the Book of Common Prayer (Alternative Services: Series One). There will be one Lesson during the service, which the Couple have asked James Middleton to read.

The Official Programme will also be available for free electronically in two formats: as a page-turning Ceros PDF (using Flash) and an iBook compatible with Apple products, which can be downloaded from the Apple iBookstore.

On the wedding day, 150,000 copies of the programme will be sold by 60 Explorer Scouts and 80 Cadets (supervised by adults) for £2 per copy at locations in Green Park, Hyde Park, St James’s Park and Trafalgar Square. Profits from the sale of the Official Programme will go to benefit The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry.

Palm Hotel

Family Trip to London; Visit The Doctor Who Experience

The Doctor Who Experience Opened at Olympia in February and has proved very popular with Family enjoying a weekend trip to London. The Exhibition promises to be an unmissable adventure featuring an exhilarating and unique walk-through experience and an awe-inspiring exhibition.

Steven Moffat, Executive Producer and show runner for the hit television series comments: "The Doctor Who Experience is a fans dream come true - a fully interactive adventure that will allow viewers of the show to get as close as possible to some of the scariest monsters from the series. It will also be the first time that Doctor Who artefacts from all the show's 47 year history - classic and new - will be on display together, many of them being seen for the first time. And never mind that, this is the day the Doctor teaches you how to fly the TARDIS through time and space, and takes you into battle with all his deadliest enemies in a brand new adventure. So steady your nerves and bring your own sofa - the Doctor needs you!"

It is just a 19 minute overground train journey to Kensington (Olympia) Rail Station from West Hampstead Station, so book your hotel now. The exhibition continues through to November 2011.

London Summer Events; Batman World Tour

For the first time in DC Comics history, see Batman the world's most popular DC Super Hero as you've never seen him before, in an all-new, live-action arena adventure, set to take the world by storm. Premiering in the UK in Summer 2011, Batman Live - World Arena Tour is a multi-million pound stage production of unprecedented scale and a must-see for families and Batman fans everywhere.

Based on an original story being created exclusively for the show, BATMAN LIVE is a theatrical extravaganza of thrilling stunts, acrobatic acts and illusions. Never before has Gotham City, Wayne Manor, the Batcave and Arkham Asylum been brought to life on stage in a more visually exciting way. Join Batman and Robin as they battle their nemesis The Joker and other super-villains such as The Riddler, Catwoman, The Penguin, Two-Face and Harley Quinn, set on destroying Gotham City.

Book you London stay over at the same time at The Palm Hotel.The Show is on at the O2 Arena from 24 August to 4 September and tickets are availble from the website. The Palm Hotel offers free parking and is well serviced by London Transport bus, overground and underground services.

Visiting London? Book The Thames Speed Boat Trip

London RIB voyages offer the original Thames Cruise with a unique difference – see London’s famous landmarks as you whizz along the Thames in our comfortable RIB boats. This is the original speed boat ride on the Thames.

Speed through London at up to 35 knots as the Thames is eaten up by 400hp of engine power as you ‘pull G’ past the MI6 building before zooming under the capital’s famous bridges and marvel at London’s landmarks.

Stag and Hen parties, corporate events etc are all catered for, but also available special school holiday booking rates for families.So,book your London weekend away and you Thames speedboat experience now.

Where to Watch the London Marathon

Along the route there are several official cheering points including at Montgomery Square in Canary Wharf where there will be live radio broadcasts and entertainment from various bands.

Other good spots on the Isle of Dogs include the City Pride pub on Westferry Road on the 15 mile mark where you get a chance to see the runners twice, also at the 18 mile point. The pub always has a fun, carnival-like atmosphere.

The Lord Nelson pub near Mudchute also has live music at the 17 mile mark and is less crowded as it is away from the main tourist hotspots.

Poplar at mile 20, is another less busy area. Head for the DLR station.

One of the most popular spots is Tower Bridge, but it gets chronically busy so be warned to fight your way through the crowds. Also avoid Greenwich town centre this year. The route will not be going round the Cutty Sark and with the foot tunnels out of action it will be a lot of hassle for spectators.

London Marathon; 88 Pubs on Route Judged for their Decor

More than one form of competition will be taking place when the Virgin London Marathon gets underway on Sunday morning. The discerning eyes of the judging committee will be scrutinising the 88 pubs which line the historic route.

Year upon year, the pubs are transformed during the course of Saturday night, ready to appear in full marathon finery for race day. Defending the 2010 title will be The Liberty Bounds, standing proudly within sight of such landmarks as Tower Bridge and the Tower of London, led by manager Jay Blower. He'll be leading his team for a third year on one of their busiest days of the year.

If you have not managed to enter or train for the race, perhaps this might be a more suitable way of following the route?

There's still time to book your North London Hotel for this weekends race.

Caterers & Catering Companies in North London

The Palm Hotel in North London offers an in house catering service providing everything from a romantic dinner for two to a corporate event for hundreds. A complete event can be organised through The Palm Hotel including venue hire, waiting staff, marquees, flowers and suggested menues.

The Chef at The Palm Hotel is always willing to discuss the use of, or source a particular food for your catering needs. Our menus include canapes, fork food, breakfasts, buffets, gourmet lunches, fine dinning and BBQ feasts for corporate events, weddings, private functions and family celebrations.

The Palm Hotel in North London are happy to accomodate or reccomend outside caterers iand catering companies for your special day.

Search our list of outside caterers including Vegetarian, Vegan, Asian, African, Kosher or Halal Caterers & Catering Companies in North London.

Taste of London in Regents Park

Be sure to keep 16-19 June free, when Taste of London will be returning to the glorious Regent's Park to demonstrate once more why it is the world's greatest restaurant festival.

With world class restaurants, chefs and produce, Taste of London is a sumptuous, indulgent foodie day out in the heart of the capital, and the 2011 event promises to be the best yet.

The heart of Taste of London is its restaurants: all key names on the London landscape and all helmed by chefs focused on the finest ingredients, technical fireworks and artful plating expected of kitchens competing in the capital's diverse, demanding and highly influential restaurant scene.

Restaurants at Taste London 2011

Benares • Bentley’s • Club Gascon • Corrigan’s Mayfair • Four-O-Nine • Gaucho Grill • Gauthier Soho • Kai Mayfair • Launceston Place • Le Caprice • Le Gavroche • Maze • ORA • Petrus • Rhodes 24 • Salt Yard • Scott’s • Skylon • Tamarind • The Cinnamon Club •The Ritz • Roux at The Landau • Yauatcha • York & Albany • Refettorio • L’Anima • and many more

Taste of London, in partnership with British Airways, will return for its eighth year to London’s Regent’s Park from 16-19th June 2011. Book your North London Hotel