‘Egg’ cellent Easter Events in London to be enjoyed by all the family    

London During Easter

With holidays looming London is an attractive destination for families or couples. Easter in the capital is an ideal time to visit as there is so much to do.  

Using a Berrys Superfast early morning service, you can be up in London around 11am with plenty of time for a full day out. Returning on one of the evening services you will then be home by the end of the day.

One option when you are in London might be to take you or your family off to an Easter matinee. There are several great shows on at the moment and with some planning you should easily be back at Hammersmith in time for an early evening departure.

One of my favourite shows of all time is the Lion King which has matinee starting at 2.30pm finishing at 5.00pm which should give you enough time to get back from the Lyceum Theatre to Hammersmith which is around 25 minutes from Covent Garden Tube Station. Another theatre which is quite nearby is Richmond. They have a wide range of matinees on offer and the travelling time from Richmond Tube Station to Hammersmith is around 20 minutes. For those staying longer in London there is a selection of excellent shows to choose from. Using their websites you should still be able to pick up some great Easter deals. 

If you are looking for a special ‘egg’tra treat, then why not try London Zoo. For the price of the entrance ticket, you can take part in a monster event entitled the Zoonormous Egg Hunt!

If you are looking for something different on Good Friday, then why not go along to the church of St Bartholomew the Great in Smithfield.

Here at 11.30am you will be able to witness the ancient presentation of the widow’s sixpence Many years ago sixpence was given to widows of the parish. Today it has been replaced by hot cross buns which are given out in the churchyard. A token coin is often given to a widow at the event and then handed back later on. Last year around 200 people attended this event so if you want to go along make sure you get there early.

There will be plenty of services over the Easter period at venues such as St Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. There will be a Dawn Eucharist at St Paul’s on Easter Sunday and a final celebration at 6pm. For those wanting to celebrate Easter at Westminster Abbey there are number of services being held over the weekend which can be found at https://www.westminster-abbey.org/worship-music/services-times

Close to Hammersmith Bus Station in Chiswick you will be able to take part in an Easter Adventure Quest involving hidden eggs and questions which have been placed around the gardens of Chiswick House. Successful competitors who manage to answer the questions will be rewarded with some chocolate goodies.  

Further afield at Hampton Court they are organizing a Lindt Gold Bunny Hunt which runs from March 23rd until 14th April. Included in the admission fee the task is to match the names of well-known people with the red ribbons which will be found on the bunny statues. Successful participants will be rewarded with a prize.  

Another venue near to Berrys drop off point at Hammersmith is the Chelsea Physic Garden which has a self-guided trail running from March 29th to the 1st of April. The task here is to search for Easter eggs all over the four-acre site combined with a spot of pond dipping and some chocolate treats at the end.

If you are staying over in London for any time, then a trip to the Old Naval College at Greenwich is a great way to spend the day. Here you can take part in a Time Travel Easter Trail from 29th March until 14th April. Learn more about other Easter celebrations of the past by visiting the Easter Bunny’s Time Machine and complete one of their fabulous Easter activity books with a chance of another chocolate prize at the end.

A short bus ride from our London drops off point is the amazing Museum of Brands where you can find out more about brands of the past. Their Easter Explore Family Hunt runs from 24th March until 14th April and requires you to search out Quorn the wartime egg replacement and a One Direction Easter Egg. Also, there is the chance to make some of your own individual Easter bunting. All activities are included in the admission price.    

The websites Bablands, Timeout and Visit London all have lists of other interesting Easter egg hunts you might like to try out.

Also remember if you are going to be in London over the Easter weekend most stores and supermarkets, by law, will have to close on Easter Sunday so make sure you have some supplies.

One delight which we all really enjoy at Easter is a hot cross bun. Although these are now sold all the time, the tradition is to eat them over Easter.

In days gone by those following the Catholic faith were at times forbidden from eating hot cross buns during Lent when they had to eat non-dairy bread.

The history of the hot cross buns as we know it today is said to go back to the 12th century. However, there are those who believe that they originated in a town not from London called St Albans when in the 14th century monk Brother Thomas Radcliffe developed a recipe called the Alban bun which included a cross on the top to remind people of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.   

Some of the best hot cross buns in London are said to be produced by Popham’s, E5 Bakehouse, St Johns Bakery and Bread Ahead.

Quirky Fact: Hot cross buns were banned in the 16th century when ties were broken with the Catholic Church however in 1592 Queen Elizabeth 1st granted permission for bakers to produce them for funerals, Christmas and Easter.