Hyde Park Winter Wonderland

To get you into the Christmas mood, from 22 November 2008 to 04 January 2009 a section of Hyde Park is transformed into 'Winter Wonderland'. There is plenty of festive fun on offer for all the family, with the main attractions being London’s biggest out door ice rink and a 50 meters high Big Wheel. Whether you’re an experienced skater or a complete beginner, the Winter Wonderland open-air ice rink is London’s essential winter experience, giving a cool 44 days of skating. The ‘Winter Wonderland Wheel’ offers guests a full 360° panoramic view of London from 200 feet above Hyde Park. Up to six people will be able to fit into each of the wheel's heated 40 pods for the approximately 13 minutes ride. You could hire a Private Pod or even book the VIP Pod with its luxurious leather seats, screens, tinted windows and glass floor - champagne is an optional extra!!

Other attractions around the park include a traditional German Market with authentic arts, crafts, presents and foods from a range of genuine traders as well as fair ground rides. After a glass of mulled wine, take the kids to visit Santa and his elves at the Hyde Park bandstand. Also at the bandstand, will be regular carol concerts, entertaining you and adding to the festive scene into the night.

The site is free to enter with tokens for all rides and attractions available for purchase on the day. Advance booking for the ice rink is strongly recommended throughout the season. Tickets for skating are available from £10 (off-peak times) for adults, whilst the Winter Wonderland Wheel costs £7. For full pricing details and to purchase tickets, click here.

Winter Wonderland is open from 10:00-22:00 from 22 November 2008 to 04 January 2009 – including 24, 26 & 31 December & New Year's Day (Closed Christmas Day)

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To coincide with your visit to Hyde Park, Refresh Accommodation is able to offer amazing last minute availability and reduced rates at the Hyde Park Suites properties in Bayswater. Located only a couple of minutes walk from the park, Bayswater Apartments, Queensway Apartments, Hyde Park Studios, London Plaza, 30 & 34 Inverness Terrace, Craven Hill and 9 Talbot Square offer unrivalled value for money in Central London accommodation. Studios are available from just £70 per night, with no minimum booking requirement!

Give us a call on 08456 800 080 or contact us for more information and to make an enquiry.

Natural History Museum Ice Rink

The Natural History Museum is preparing for a cold winter in the best way possible by hosting a 900 square metre ice rink!

The main ice rink is situated in the museum gardens, also for children a 100 metre junior rink that is connected to the main ice rink via a bridge. If you are not the most confident skater then ice marshals are available on site to help on and off the ice. If ice skating is not really your idea of fun then why not just go to the viewing platform overlooking the ice where you can enjoy hot refreshments at the cafe bar soaking up the atmosphere in the warmth.

Skaters are advised to arrive at least 15 minutes before the session to pick up your skates, skates are provided in the ticket cost and wrist protectors are available on request. If you are a bit of a professional and have your own skates then using them is equally encouraged. The ice rink can operate in nearly all weather conditions so it is unlikely that any nasty weather will force the rink to close and if so alternative sessions will be provided. Skaters are however advised to bring suitable outdoor clothing as it can get cold and wet on the ice.

The ice rink is open from the 6th of November to the 18th of January from 10am to 10pm on weekdays and 8.45am to 10pm on weekends, sessions last 1 hour and begin at the following times: 8.45(weekends), 10.00, 11.00, 12.15, 13.30, 14.45, 16.00, 17.15, 18.30, 19.45, 21.00.

To book tickets please visit: http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/Natural-History-Museum-Ice-Rink-tickets/artist/945070?CAMEFROM=CFC_UK_EV0404_WEBLINK

Contact Details:
Natural History Museum
Cromwell Road
London
SW7 5BD
UK
Tel: +44 (0)20 7942 5000

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RefreshAccommodation.com provides serviced apartments in London including within walking distance of the museum in Kensington. Call 08456 8000 80 for more information.

London Jazz Festival

The London Jazz festival has turned into one of the premier musical celebrations in London and this year is no exception, with appearances from some of the most important musicians of the genre including Herbie Hancock, John McLaughlin and Chick Corea, it will be one of London’s biggest musical events. The festival starts on the 14th of November with a Radio 3 live launch show at Ronnie Scot’s previewing the upcoming festival. One of the standout highlights from the first day is a young Jazz musician called Michael Mwenso, who has worked with musical luminaries such as James Brown and Jamie Cullum already in his career. He will be performing twice on the 14th, first at 12pm at the Royal Albert Hall and then again at 6pm at the Barbican. Another standout concert on the first day is a performance from Femi Kuti, the son of the legendary afro beat pioneer Fela Kuti, who is performing on the 14th at the Southbank Centre at 7:30pm, tickets will cost around £20 to £25. On the 15th Herbie Hancock makes the first of two appearances at this year’s festival at the Southbank Centre, with the other performance taking place at the Barbican on the 19th. From his roots in the early 1960’s with Miles Davis and Blue Note records to his bending of genres to create the highly acclaimed ‘The Headhunters’ self titled album in 1973, Herbie Hancock remains one of the most respected Jazz musicians of his era. Tickets for these concerts range from £10 to £40 but move quickly as these tickets will surely be in very high demand. Another highly acclaimed concert during the festival is on the 23rd at 7:30pm which sees both Chick Corea and John McLaughlin take to the stage at the Southbank Centre Royal Festival Hall. It is the first time these two highly respected musicians have performed together since the 1960’s and promises to be one of the most explosive performances of the festival. Both of these musicians like Herbie Hancock were essential elements of Miles Davis’ band in the 1960’s and were instrumental in shaping the sound on the genre defining albums ‘In a Silent Way’ and ‘Bitches Brew’ which brought free Jazz improvisation and electronic rock music together. Other highlights of the festival include the haunting voice of Melody Gardot at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on the 15th, the Latin infused Courtney Pine will be performing at the Barbican on the 20th and one of the finest vocalists of our time, the South African Jazz singer Sibongile Khumalo will be performing on the 21st.

There is also a great chance for young people to get involved during the festival with various learning and participation activities across the capital including a Jazz picnic and a Jazz disco for kids on the 22nd. There are various vocal and sing along workshops which give children the opportunity to interact with Jazz musicians and perform their own original pieces and also a collection of public engagement programmes are planned enabling people to broaden and deepen their understanding of Jazz music. With the vast majority of the 10 day Jazz festival offering free performances and workshops, the London Jazz Festival has established itself as one of the major international Jazz events of the year.

The festival is running from the 14th of November to the 23rd and includes venues such as the Roundhouse, Barbican, Southbank Centre Royal Festival and Queen Elizabeth halls and the Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club. Visit the official site for a full list of concerts, venues and learning and participation courses.

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RefreshAccommodation.com provides serviced apartments in London including Apartments in Kensington Call 08456 8000 80 for more information.

Explore Your Senses

Dans Le Noir offers a completely original and unique dining experience by inviting guests to dine in complete darkness! Without the use of sight, other senses are heightened and so diners are able to re-evaluate the tastes and smells presented by the cuisine on offer. Therefore guests are encouraged to enjoy the true taste of the food!

Diners are welcomed to the bar and lounge areas, which are lit, where they can enjoy a nice cocktail and order their meal, although the chef’s surprise 2 or 3 course meals are recommended! You are then lead into total darkness by one of the waiters, who are all blind. This represents a real switch in trust between the guest and their blind guide, who become your eyes for the duration of the experience. The absence of vision removes all preconceptions that sight creates, both of the food presented in front of you and the acquaintances across the table, allowing you to talk more freely and spontaneously. These conditions all helps to create an exciting social and gastronomic experience.

As this concept is hugely popular, booking is strongly advised at least 5 days before your visit (one or two weeks in advance for Friday and Saturday).

Restaurant details:

30-31 Clerkenwell Green
London
EC1R 0DU
Tel: 0207 253 1100

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RefreshAccommodation.com provides serviced apartments within walking distance of the restaurant in Clerkenwell, and throughout Central London. Contact us via our website, or call 08456 800 080 for more information.

Newsletter Competition - Luxury Weekend Break!

This fantastic competition is being offered to coincide with the Launch of our 1st Refresh Newsletter!!

It's open to Blog readers, past & present guests and to new enquirers! With such a great competition the interest will be fierce but what would you expect when £800 worth of prizes, including a weekend break at a Luxury apartment in London, is on offer!

Now this is the easy part...All we require is an answer to our question:

Where does the British monarch reside in London?!
A) The Houses of Parliament; B) Buckingham Palace; C) Wembley?

The closing date for entries is the 30th December 2008 and the winner will be decided on the 31^st December 2008 and announced in our first Newsletter of 2009!! You can send your answer via our contact us form, or drop us an email at info@refreshaccommodation.com , although please don't forget to include your own contact details!

Well what is the prize…or should we say prizes...?

• One bedroom apartment (Dolphin House) – available for two nights

• Including Continental Breakfast

• Complimentary use of swimming pool, sauna, steam room & gym,

• 24 hour access to Club Lounge & Champagne Bar with free use of wireless internet

• Two course meal with wine at the Dolphin Bar/Grill

• Theatre vouchers (£100.00)

The recently refurbished Dolphin House apartments not only offers guests the tranquil settings from which to enjoy the sights of London, but also offers an array of services and shops onsite to keep anyone entertained…

Best of Luck from us all at Refresh!

For more information and Terms & Conditions of entry - please view our web site HERE!

Monopoly Pub Crawl

As winter approaches and the days are getting colder and shorter, you might be looking for activities and entertainment to fill your weekends that allows you to keep warm and dodge the inevitable showers. Some might settle for a quiet game of Monopoly with the family, whilst others may head off down the local boozer for a couple of pints. For the more adventurous and creative, why not put the two together, rouse some good friends and organize your own version of the Monopoly Pub Crawl, visiting a public house in each of the locations on the London Monopoly board!

Different routes can be taken, depending on whether you want to visit the properties in the same order that they appear on the board, and whether the four stations (Fenchurch Street, Liverpool Street, Kings Cross and finally Marylebone) are to be included, but here is one suggested route with recommended pubs…

Old Kent Road is a logical starting point as it is both the first property on the official UK London Monopoly board and the most distant property from the others. Have a swift half in the Lord Nelson, before catching a bus over the river to The Raven in Fenchurch Street Station. From here you can use the underground, or walk, to the rest of these locations –

• Blind Beggar, Whitechapel
• Hamilton Hall, Liverpool Street Station
• The Angel, Angel Islington
• The Castle, Pentonville Road
• Coopers, Kings Cross Station
• O'Neills, Euston Road
• Victoria and Albert, Marylebone Station
• Grosvenor Arms for Bond Street
• The Kings Arms for Mayfair
• Rose and Crown, Old Park Lane
• Henry's, Piccadilly
• Swallow Street Bar for Vine Street
• O'Neills, Great Marlborough Street
• All Bar One, Regent Street
• The Tottenham, Oxford Street
• The Imperial for Coventry Street
• The Moon Under Water, Leicester Square
• The Chandos for Trafalgar Square
• Sherlock Holmes for Northumberland Ave
• The Clarence, Whitehall
• The Red Lion, Pall Mall
• The Marquess of Anglesey, Bow Street
• The Wellington, Strand
• The Old Bank of England, Fleet Street

For more ideas of pub crawls, visit beerintheevening.com, but remember to always drink responsibly.

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RefreshAccommodation.com provides serviced apartments in all locations throughout Central London on the Monopoly board. Contact us via our website, or call 08456 800 080 for more information.

London Through a Lens - Getty Images

The London through a lens display is completely free and is being shown at the Getty Images Gallery from October the 30th to November the 22nd.

A pictorial time line of the United Kingdoms capital, a selection of rare and some previously unseen images capturing the cultural, social and political history of London over the past century.

With some famous faces caught on camera like The Kray brothers, The Beatles, and some truly historic milestones in British history like the battle of Cable Street in 1936 and the Poll Tax riots in 1990. However as spectacular as these images are, London Though a Lens's beauty is capturing anonymous Londoners in their everyday lives. Riots, funfairs, football matches, buskers and even policemen are taken in such a way that they all tell their own story about life in the capital at that time.

The contrast between protest and celebration, happy and sad, people posing for the camera whilst others are oblivious is absorbing as well as mesmerising. A historical portrait of London that displays how the capital has evolved over the years, a true real life insight into London's history.

With mind blowing content and completely free to the public London Though a Lens is a spectacular historical visualisation of one of the most exciting cities in the world.

Useful Links

http://www.gettyimagesgallery.com/

Address

Getty Images Gallery
46 Eastcastle St
London
W1W 8DX

RefreshAccommodation.com provides a wide range of serviced apartments located in Westminster & the West End. Call 08456 8000 80 for more information.