Great Britain is a country that prizes and celebrates its traditions and customs. One of the best-loved takes place on the 5th November each year and it is one of the highlights of the Autumn season. Guy Fawkes’ Night commemorates the events of 1605 when a group of Catholics attempted to assassinate the Protestant King James I by using gunpowder to blow up the Westminster parliament. Today these events are vigorously celebrated by enormous fireworks displays across the county – not just officially sanctioned fireworks displays, but in London you will see that on every street corner and in every small park, everyone is out setting off crackers and firing off rockets into the night sky. You sometimes have to dodge the odd shooting missile, but it is a night of fun and excitement across the city. However there is a lot more to Autumn in London than just fireworks and it is definitely one of the best times of year to visit this fascinating city. You can easily find accommodation in London by searching hotel websites like Hotel Direct and celebrate more of what this great city has to offer.

Celebrate the colour

One of the most obvious signs that Autumn has arrived is the changing colour of the leaves on the trees. While there are lots of tree-lined streets that look spectacular, the best way to get the full effect of Autumnal colour is to head into one of the many parks and gardens that make London such a surprisingly green city. Richmond Park is one of the biggest parks within London (keep an eye out for the friendly deer), or on the other side of town there is the enormous expanse of Hampstead Heath with its stunning views back across the city.

Celebrate the conker

There are lots of reasons to visit the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, but Autumn is a particularly beautiful time to appreciate all the treasures that the gardens holds. Not least are the enormous conker trees. The hard nuts are basis for one of the oldest games in this part of the world, tying your conker to a piece of string and then hitting it against your opponent. If you break their conker then you win.

Celebrate the produce

Autumn is a great time for fruit, vegetables, and flowers and there is no better place to appreciate this than at one of the many produce markets across the city. Borough Market has always been the stand-out attraction for visitors on weekends, but just across to the east (in Hackney) you will find Broadway Market which has similar stye of food and produce stalls but without the crowds – it’s on every Saturday. For flowers you can’t go past the buzzing market on Columbia Road – every Sunday morning this small street in Bethnal Green bursts into life with a huge array of flower sellers and small boutique shops.

Celebrate the festivals

There always seems to be an endless number of events and festivals held in London at this time of year. One of the best areas to hang out on a weekend is the southbank precinct of the River Thames. Every week there seems to be a different festival happening here and it’s the perfect place to wander along the river and appreciate the cityscape.

Celebrate Autumn. Celebrate London. The perfect destination in any season.

Image by epcp under Creative Commons license. Richmond Park, London.