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Sightseeing<br />
With Sasha Wood<br />
What’s hot<br />
SIGHTSEEING<br />
NEW YEAR’S DAY PARADE IMAGE © LONDON PARADE; ICE CARVING IMAGE © LONDON ICE SCULPTING FESTIVAL; HOLLY MAN IMAGE © ROBERT THOMPSON<br />
If you are welcoming in 2013 in the capital, don’t miss a chance to see<br />
<strong>London</strong>’s New Year’s Day Parade – a real turn-of-the-year tradition<br />
that’s completely free. The spectacular street procession, with costumed<br />
performers, large-scale puppetry, historic vehicles and marching bands,<br />
kicks off at midday from Green Park. Its two-and-a-half mile route takes<br />
it past Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square and down Whitehall to finish at<br />
Parliament Square. This year the parade’s theme pays tribute to 2012<br />
– which was an unprecedented year of celebrations for <strong>London</strong>.<br />
londonparade.co.uk Ë Green Park/Westminster. Map C5/D6.<br />
Long march of history<br />
Visitors to Whitehall on 27 Jan could be<br />
forgiven for thinking they had stepped<br />
back into the 17th century as the<br />
King’s Army Annual Whitehall Parade<br />
files past. Dressed in traditional period<br />
costume, members of the English Civil<br />
War Society bring history to life by reenacting<br />
the fateful day that King Charles<br />
I was marched to his death. Tracing his<br />
route from St. James’s Palace in the<br />
Mall, the procession makes its way to<br />
Banqueting House (p. 26) where a wreath<br />
is laid to mark the spot where the king<br />
was beheaded in 1649. 11.30-13.30.<br />
Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall<br />
SW1. ecws.org.uk Ë t Charing<br />
Cross, St. James’s Park. Map C6.<br />
Twelfth night of Christmas<br />
For a fun, quirky and quintessentially English experience, head to<br />
Bankside at 12.45 on 6 Jan for the free Twelfth Night Celebrations.<br />
Steeped in ancient pagan customs, it includes Holly Man (pictured)<br />
arriving by river, the Mummers’ Folk Combat Play, the King Bean and<br />
Queen Pea tradition, and a procession to The George Tavern.<br />
Twelfth Night Celebrations, p. 38.<br />
Cold play<br />
Embrace winter and see stunning<br />
works of art carved from frozen<br />
blocks at the <strong>London</strong> Ice<br />
Sculpting Festival in Canary<br />
Wharf from 11-13 Jan. Twelve<br />
international ice-sculpting teams<br />
will compete against the clock, and<br />
visitors can join in masterclasses<br />
to learn how its done. Highlights<br />
include a graffiti ice wall for visitors,<br />
a snow pit, ice chess and an<br />
Alpine-themed food market spread<br />
across Jubilee Park, Montgomery<br />
Square and Wood Wharf.<br />
londonicesculptingfestival.<br />
co.uk Ë Canary Wharf. Off map.<br />
<strong>London</strong> 2012 Issue August/September|LONDON PLANNER|visitlondon.com |<br />
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