Famous Statues in London

Many cities have distinctive landmarks and statues that undeniably recognised by everyone. There is a Little Mermaid in Copenhagen, small Manneken Pis in Brussels and the Great Sphinx near Cairo. The Statue of Liberty became a symbol of New York as well as the gigantic Christ the Redeemer is a significant statue of Rio de Janeiro. Of course, London also boasts with its prominent statues. Everywhere throughout London, you will come across sculptures of famous writers, actors or scientists, not to mention the British kings and queens.

We would like to tell you about the most popular and unique statues that decorate this great city. Let’s start our journey from the Palace of Westminster. Opposite the Parliament Building, you will find a statue of one of the most important personalities in the British history – Winston Churchill. He played a vital role in establishing a world peace during and after the WWII. Not that far away from there, on the Trafalgar Square, you will see probably London’s highest statue – Nelson’s Column. Every Englishmen thinks Admiral Nelson to be a hero as he fought to death at the Battle of Trafalgar for the victory of the Royal Navy. You must definitely go to the Leicester Square and take a picture of the iconic movie star – Charlie Chaplin. The actor left marvellous silent films, which we still admire to watch. No wander his monument is placed in the Square surrounded by the famous cinemas. Here is also a statue of a great master of the English and world literature – William Shakespeare.

The poet created a number of plays, sonnets and poems loved by young and old all around the world. We can read a quote from his comedy: ‘There is no darkness but ignorance.’ Talking about the British literature, we should remark Arthur Conan Doyle’s character Sherlock Holmes. The well-known detective, who could solve every difficult case, is standing right nearby his home on Baker Street. The statue of Sherlock Holmes gives us the visual idea of Holmes smoking a pipe and wearing his typical check hat and coat. The most romantic statue in London is the Eros Statue. This winged nude god Anteros supposed to be a symbol of the West End. Londoners often arrange to meet at the Eros and it is always crowded around the monument at day and night. We named just a few of London’s statues but all of them inspire people and bring happiness every time they pass them.

Whenever you decide to come visit the capital and see those significant statues, contact us to book a holiday rental apartment in London. Our team will happily provide you with detailed information about your short term let flat www.shortlet-london.com

London Shopping Time

Being the world’s metropolis and cosmopolitan city, London is a paradise on earth for shopaholics. Here you can find goods for every taste, style and necessity. Oxford Street is the most central street of London with numerous posh boutiques, designers` stores and famous brands, but you can also find high street shops which can be affordable for any pocket.If you are not after a shopping spree, you can do a window shopping, admire the lighting decorations of the street and masterpiece windows of such grand stores as House of Fraser, John Lewis, Debenhams and of course Selfridges. The only disadvantage is that Oxford Street tends to get very crowded any day of the week.

Shopping can be exhausting process even for the experienced public, therefore Short Let London would recommend going to shopping centres to save time and effort, as you can find all type of department stores under one roof. A recently opened and the biggest so far in London is Westfield, Stratford, featuring hundreds brands, stores, cafes, restaurants and entertainment. It might also get very busy, especially on the weekends, so to avoid the crowd visit Westfield Shepherds Bush or Brent Cross Shopping Centre. For some traditional gifts and buys with the name you should visit London’s oldest iconic places such as the Harrods, Harvey Nichols, the Hamleys, and Fortnum and Mason. Shopping in London might become very pricey, but buying spree can be possible if you save money on your budget accommodation, and choose to rent a cheap flat in London. Contact Short Let London  if you need to rent cheap apartment for short stay in London, we offer budget flats to let.

Renovation of rental apartments

One question that the landlords and letting agencies should seriously think about is whether they are willing to invest in the renovation of the properties and rental flats. It is always worth spending a portion of money on the refurbishment of the apartments at some point of time, and then to generate more profit by accommodating more satisfied returning customers, who may even leave positive reviews and spread the word of mouth about your company. Even for the rental agencies that are offering budget accommodation, it is recommended to invest into refurbishment of the short let apartments and flats. The accommodation might be basic and cheap, but should always be tidy, fresh, in working order and good conditions.

Short Let London always strives to maintain the condition of its properties to the best standards, ensuring that the price is kept on the most affordable level. The agency regularly renovates and refurbishes its short let flats and rental apartments in London, supplies new furniture and facilities for comfortable living. We understand that even for the clients who are travelling on the budget side, it is important to get professional and efficient service when renting the flat for short stay. Short Let London always aims to meet the requirements of the clients, as the rental business in London is very competitive and you need to win customers` trust, favour and loyalty. The main goal and priority of the letting agency is to provide good quality apartments and satisfaction of the tenants` needs, responding to customers` requests and solving any issue that arises immediately.

Tonight is Halloween! One of the funniest holidays in the calendar. Many of us were awaiting for this day to have a chance to put on a scary costume and attend parties or visit mysterious attractions. Children love Halloween most of all as in this day they dress up to go from house to house for trick-or-treating and getting loads of sweets and chocolates. It is also enjoyable to decorate our own house by combining the autumn themes with Halloween attributes, such as very popular carved pumpkins, lighting lanterns, creepy insects, spiders on the nets, skeletons and spooky ghosts.

Nowadays Halloween takes its origins form the Christian holiday called All Hallows’ Eve, the night when all faithful believers, saints are being remembered and honored. And all scary costumes, lightning candles and lanterns are supposed to frighten and keep the evil spirits away this evening.

London can offer you many interesting and spooky events and activities for everyone to every taste. There are variety of terrifying tours to experience hasty moments of your life. Go for Jack the Ripper walking tour in order to track the dark sites of the East End, where the serial killer murdered his victims. Another horrifying Victorian period places to visit are the Dungeon and the Tower Bridge tunnels. The ghost bus may take you for thrilling journey around the evening capital. Also the good idea is to go to the cinema and watch some classic horror film. Londoners usually like to go to the parties and nightclubs wearing their best fancy Halloween outfit and face-paint. Whatever you are doing this hallow night, have a pleasant time! Short Let London is wishing you a Happy Spooky Halloween! 

Sweet and Sinister London, it’s Halloween time!

Halloween is approaching London soon. Many of us want to experience frightening and chilling moments during the All Saints’ night. Previous year we wrote about many interesting things you can do in the capital, starting from visiting theatre and finishing with wandering along creepy Victorian places in Dungeon or the Bridge tunnels. London is constantly growing city and quite often new events and attractions are happening here. So why not to continue the topic of what spooky times one can have during the Halloween celebration.

If you want to be involved in horrific adventure, go for the ghost bus tour. The bus conductor will entertain and frighten you on the way from the Trafalgar Square, through Whitehall and the Tower Bridge, up to Fleet Street. Listening to scary stories as well as watching terrifying things around, makes you to shiver, scream and maybe cry from fear in this ghost bus. Wishing you to survive this extraordinary journey.

Probably everyone heard about Jack the Ripper, a cruel serial murderer. This Halloween you can take a late evening tour around Spitalfields to the ghastly sites where the killer’s victims were found. The walk promises to refresh your memory about poor and terrifying old Victorian period in the East End part of London. Also dreadful feelings you may experience in the Hunterian Museum, where the collection of anatomical, pathological and zoological specimens are exhibited. British surgeon and anatomist John Hunter made a big collection of conserved human and animal organs and skeletons two centuries ago. The old basic surgical instruments give you fearsome imagination of how they were used in practise and how painful it was when that terrible blunt scalper cut the flesh. The stuff displayed there is real and not the Halloween decoration. Brrrr. Have you thought of sending your precious child to the Witch Academy? It must be very interesting for a kid to take an exciting ride on the London Eye capsule with witch Priscilla, especially in Halloween day. She will teach spells, tell horrid stories and mysteries of London. Fun is guaranteed. A quality family time you should have at London Zoo. This time they organize a thrilling event – Boo at the Zoo. Frightful but nice creatures (owls, bats, vultures, meerkats, coatis, etc) would like perform for visitors the Animals in Action Spooktacular. Sounds more fun than scary, right? Another thing to do this Halloween is to go for a traditional trick-or-treat. In best place to do it in London is at St John’s Wood and Maida Vale (North West London). Most of the houses are decorated with carved pumpkins, sticky nets, ghost and skeletons in the front garden. Local schoolchildren dress up, take their special bags for sweets and go trick or treating from one house to another. At the end they have plenty of sweets which may last till Christmas. By the way, Short Let London has a big choice of holiday rental flats nearby this area.

Whatever activity you choose to do this Halloween, come back safely to your London accommodation provided by Short Let London. All our apartments are located close to London landmarks and tourists attractions with good transport connection. If you need a place for a short term stay in London, we will be more than happy to accommodate you in one of our budget holiday rent properties.

London restaurants review

British, Mexican, French, Brazilian, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese – I could probably go on to the end of this article about the various cuisines that can be found in London. Here are the Short Let London staff favourites: 

Little Bay is the best value three course meal in London and costs less than a tenner. Modern European cuisine is the order of the day the chicken pastry and the barberry duck being particular highlights. The specials are also reasonably priced compared to most gastropubs. The original restaurant in Kilburn has a very unique feel however their restaurant in Farringdon has a larger selection and does special offers.

Le mercury in Islington is also a reasonably priced French restaurant which is very popular make sure you call and book a table especially at weekends as even though it`s on three floors it gets very busy. Starters are £3.95 and mains £7.95. Try the mussels in white wine sauce and the lamb shanks, this restaurant is perfect for a romantic meal that you will remember. If you want a taste of America and some homemade BBQ food look no further than Bodeans. With 5 branches in central London, short let London apartments and rental flats are within easy distance of them. A traditional American diner interior and one of the few places that show American sports 24/7 the food here is a must for any carnivore. Slow cooked chicken, ribs that literally fall right off the bone, and the legendary burnt ends that melt in your mouth with the smokiest BBQ taste you dream of. Take the full platter for 2 (or one!) at £24.95 its incredible value for the meat you get.  Short Let London recommends, enjoy your dinner!

London night scene

London’s club scene is arguably one of the finest in the world. Super-clubs, warehouses, swanky bars and much more besides it is a smorgasbord of fun nights that are a joy to behold. Here is the lowdown from Short Let London on some of the places you have to go rather than getting bogged down in the tourist trap that is the west end.

Fabric has been a clubbing institution since 1999 and a great introduction to the London scene. Fabric is a converted meat freezer with the best sound and light production in the world. Always at the forefront of new genres of dance music Fabric has three rooms and for first timers it is very easy to get lost. If bass heavy music and electro is more your thing, then check out Fabric Live on a Friday, however Saturdays is the night for the more discerning dance enthusiast with the best in house, techno and everything in-between.

The Ministry of Sound is still going strong after 20 years. Situated in a converted bus depot in the gritty Elephant & Castle it is one of those clubs you have to do – Fridays is long standing night the Gallery with the best of trance and house. Saturdays varies but expect some of the biggest DJs playing exclusive sets in the Ministry of Sound`s main room the Box. The other great thing is that these two world clubs are within easy access of the rental apartments and holiday flats that Short Let London offers. It is worth considering renting a flat in London, where you can easily get to at any time of the day or night as there are buses running 24/7. Get ready to party and do not waste your time during a short stay in London!

Take Me to a Festival

The season of the festivals is still going, and if you have missed the Glastonbury do not be upset as there are still plenty more fields where you can dance your feet off. In fact August is the richest month for festivals, so get your wellies ready now – Short Let London will take you to a festival of your dreams!

As soon as this weekend (August 8^th – 11^th) Wilderness festival is making its debut in the beautiful England countryside of Cotswold, at Cornbury Park (Oxfordshire). Organised by The Box club this festival will be a celebration of the arts and outdoors in the wild British landscapes and they are definitely going for success with Empire Of The Sun leading the line-up. Tickets are £146.50 for 4 days including camping. Already reputable and leading festival Creamfields, which is taking place on the 23^rd – 25^th of August in Daresbury Estate, Warrington is the world`s famous dance music festival, this year`s headlines are boasting with Prodigy, which is their only British performance for the year.  Apart from raving experience you can chill out in a new beer garden on log benches or hay bales sipping some draught beer. The day ticket for Creamfields is also quite affordable and costs £75.00. Short Let London `s favourite is South West Four festival as it is happening in London, Clapham Common, this means you can head straight home after it finishes at 10pm and have a nice rest in our comfortable short let London apartments for rent. This year the festival is celebrating its 10^th anniversary and is selling out very fast, but you can still get the tickets for Sunday bank holiday, price starts from £59.00 per day. It features only the classics tracks and the best electric mix; among the headlines are Armin Van Buuren, Goove Armada, Todd Edwards, Eric Prydz, Knife Party, Erick Morillo and others.

One of England`s best and favourite festivals is Bestival (Robin Hill Country Park, Isle of White) running September 5^th – 8^th. This year it presents a new arena – Temple Island with a full DJ line-up – Wu-Tang Chan, The Roots, Kerri Chandler, Chic ft Nile Ridgers, Fake Blood and more. Also check the treasure hunt or a secret disco The Doghouse and participate in a willow sculptures making with Willowtwister. Late night on Sunday enjoy the spectacular scene of the whole island going up in flames! Weekend tickets with camping go on sale for £190.00. Only 2 weeks to go to Reading and Leeds Festival, taking place August bank holiday 23^rd- 25^th August. Among the headlines are some really big names – System of a Down, Deftones, Green Day, Eminem, Chase and Status, Fall Out Boy, Biffy Clyro, White Lies, Foals and many more. As if this didn’t sound great enough, tickets are on sale now, so do not miss out! If you are willing to travel to Wales and Scotland, then Festival N0.6 (Wales) and Loopallu (Scotland) would be right for you at the striking scenery.

Short Let London wishes you to have the best time at the festival and come back to stay in our holiday apartments and rental flats for short let in London. Contact our team if you need help or more information www.shortlet-london.com.

Around London markets

Central London shopping centres and stores are always full of tourists, who are rushing to spend fortune on overpriced souvenirs and fighting for goods on seasonal sale. For not so traditional view on shopping, here is our idea on how to make it fresh and more interesting activity. Be a different type of shopper next time you are in London and wonder around local markets which you can find in almost every London area. Here is the list from Short Let London of the most popular markets both among locals and tourists which you must visit.

London Borough market is one of the oldest in town, a real gem, offering fresh organic food from different parts of the world and quality products that is so hard to find in the supermarkets. For a unique experience and a feel of the punk scene visit the famous Camden Town market. Even if you are not after informal metal accessories, you can get some special souvenirs here, admire the local art scene, sit in the café or walk along the picturesque Regents canal. Portobello Road market has got an incredible collection of antique decorations, jewellery and retro clothes. Roam around a Spitafields Market and Spitafields Art Market, situated off the Liverpool Street, for unique finds and inexpensive artworks of up-and coming artists, or visit one of the many surrounding award-winning restaurants, bars or independent shops. And to let yourself spend more on London markets, you may save money by renting a cheap holiday flat or a short let apartment. Short Let London can provide you with budget accommodation and apartments for rent in London. 

Best of British recipes

When travelling to a new country, everyone wants to try national cuisine and local recipes as part of their tasty experience. So what is the traditional British food that people are so eager to have when being in England? First thing that will come to your mind would be probably fish and chips, and this is true, it is very popular among the tourists and Brits themselves. There are many other meals that associate with British identity and are so loved by local folks , such as pies and mash with a generous portion of gravy on top, Shepherds` pie, traditional English breakfast which must consist of sausage, bacon, fried eggs and other complementary ingredients like mushrooms, tomatoes or beans, and of course Sunday roasts. Not so many foreigners might be aware of this, but having Sunday roast with your family or in the circle of close friends on Sundays is very old and warm tradition among the locals. Back in the day children would meet at the parents` house and have a meal together, nowadays the tradition has changed a little and people are mainly gathering in the pubs or restaurants. The most popular meat for Sunday roasts is beef, chicken or turkey, it is served with roasted vegetables (potatoes, carrots, red cabbage) Yorkshire pudding. Short Let London can recommend a list of places that are serving the best Sunday roasts in town: Hawksmoor, The Mall Tavern, Bull & The Last, The Water Poet, The Winchester, The Three Crowns, The Stag. Even if you are coming to London for a short stay, you need to try meals in best English traditions. When renting self-contained holiday apartments and short term flats, you have an opportunity to cook English breakfast yourself and serve it in bed to your other halves, or eat out in the restaurants to avoid being bored of standard hotel menus.

Travellers and holidays in London

London experiences high season for travellers and holiday makers all year round who are always in need for short term rentals and holiday apartments. Tourists come for holidays and short stay in London; employees from world companies are visiting the city for business trips or conferences; students are coming for education or for internships to get the invaluable experience. Moreover, London fascinates more international students as it has got to the most prestigious and the oldest academic institutions in the world. Therefore, it is difficult to get a goodbudget accommodation in London these days. Most of the hotels are overbooked, the rest offer extortionate price, which turns it into real problem to find good value for money for short lease in London. Another fact that London is a host city for Olympics in July –August 2012 makes it even more popular place to visit. Supporters and visitors from around the world are looking for London Olympic apartment rentals and cheap flats to rent this summer.

There are different types of short stay accommodation in London to choose from, such as hotels, B&B, hostels orself-serviced apartments. Therefore flats for short rent and budget apartments became a more attractive option for many travellers to London, as people prefer a good value accommodation and this is more affordable than staying in the hotel. There are numerous agencies in London offering flats for rent and short let apartments, most of them operate online these days. Due to the high volume of visitors in the capital these places get booked very quickly or are overpriced. Short Let London is one of the significant letting agents in London, providing the most affordable and competitive price. Since the company was established in 2005, it became important and leading internet agency in London, which offers various self-contained furnished apartments, budget accommodation for short term rent in different areas of London.

Festival Fever

It`s time to get your wellies out! Despite rainy wet weather England is experiencing music festival rush, and music lovers in London have been very enthusiastic and persistent. Wireless festival in Hyde Park last weekend was a success, the crowd was not put off by showers and mud, and with smiles on their faces people are looking forward to a next festival Hard Rock Calling, to be hosted in Hyde Park this coming week.

Usually the tickets for major dance festivals are selling out very quickly, but you still have a chance to visit good open air productions in London or on the outskirts this summer. There is something there for each taste and style of music. South West Four is a highlight for dance music in London, taking place in Clapham Common 25-26^th of August, with Carl Cox, Chase and Status, John Digweed being the headlines. If you are looking for more laid back atmosphere, then the concert in Kenwood House can be your cup of tea, you can even have your outdoor picnic and it is easily reachable from our short rentals and vacation flats in London. But if you are up for camping and going outside London for several days Short Let London could recommend the following events for real festival experience. Global Gathering in Stratford Upon Avon requires strong guts to be up for 48hours and wonder around 11 tents with trance and other dance music. To listen to big rock and pop music names visit V Festival in Staffordshire or Reading Festival. Secret Garden Party and Creamfields are must do for truly adventurous outdoor festival feel; these are the most prolific dance music events. We can name many more, but if you are not into camping and would rather head home after exhausting raving in the town, Short Let London will provide you with budget short term accommodation and apartment lettings in London.

Celebrate St Patrick`s Day with us in London

This weekend the capital is going green and erm...  least to say drunk. But don’t pull back and let yourself go as we are celebrating St Patrick`s Day on Sunday the 17<sup>th</sup> of March, and Irish people do know about having good times! Even though this holiday is celebrated to commemorate St Patrick – a Patron of Ireland, the day has less religious aspects now but more of the festivities among Irish population in Ireland and other parts around the world, who are dressing up and painting their faces green and wearing shamrock (a symbol flower of Ireland but most of you probably know it already). London is widely celebrating St Patrick`s Day with various events and Short Let London is giving you some tips about having fun this weekend.

Participate in St Patrick`s Day Parade at Trafalgar Square and join marching bands, outdoor arts group and dancers, who will be carrying a 36-meter-long inflatable dragon. Some contemporary Irish music and dancing will be performed on the main stage, and the new things this year are a comedy tent and a film tent, screening short films by Irish filmmakers. Taste some Irish treats from a food market or let your kids take part in arts and crafts sessions.

So dress up green and shamrock and head to the pub with your mates to sip some Irish beer, go to a stand-up comedy night – Take the Mike, see the Drunk Show in Marylebone, where comedians first perform completely sober and then again drunk, or try yourself in some Irish ceilidih dancing to honour St Patrick`s Day. Who knows, you may even discover you have some Irish roots as Irish people are always very friendly and welcoming towards those willing to enter into the party spirit. Short Let London holds apartments to rent in Central London: Marylebone, Paddington, Bayswater, Queensway, Swiss Cottage, etc., come and celebrate St Patrick`s Day with us this weekend! We will offer you cheaper price for our London flats for short let so that you can fully enjoy your short stay in London and celebrate out loud! With best wishes, Short let London team www.shortlet-london.com.

Last minute Valentine`s gift ideas

St Valentine`s Day is almost here, and if you have been too busy and didn’t have a chance to think of what to give your other half this Valentine`s, no panic – Short Let London is here to help you, we have prepared a list of last minute gifts ideas, so read on.

The most important gift on Valentine`s Day is the flowers, do not forget to buy some red/pink tulips, roses or other bouquets for your lady, make a special surprise and send flowers to her office (i.e. Debenhams offer discounted delivery)! Love is sweet as chocolate and chocolate is another ultimate gift, a must have on Valentine`s day, as well as cupcakes, macarons, chocolate-covered strawberries and nuts etc. You can even go an extra mile and get a chocolate making workshop, there are some discounted deals available from sites like Groupon or Living Social Deals.

You do not need to be running around overcrowded shops in search for a perfect present, alternative ways of spending Valentine`s day are available for booking online, you can do it without having to leave your home. There is a lot happening in London on this day of Love, Short Let London has summed up some most impressive and unusual ideas: go on Valentine`s Champagne Cruise on river Thames or take Camden to Little Venice boat along the Regents canal; dine at the rooftop restaurant in Kensington “The Roof Gardens”; explore the royal love stories at Kensington Palace Tour and Film Screening or walk the poets` paths in Hampstead “Valentine`s Day Walk and Poetry Reading” and visit venues associated with Romantics and their loves (Short Let London has short lets apartments for rent in Central London close to Kensington, Bayswater, Maida Vale, Hampstead and Swiss Cottage); art lovers can celebrate till late night at London museums and galleries (heartbreak in the Collection at National Gallery, “Love in the natural World” at Grant Museum of Zoology, Mending Broken Hearts Seminar at St Bartholomew`s pathology Museum), or watch a performance – Love Letters Straight from Your Heart at Southbank Centre, comedy show at Leicester Sq Theatre “Sex Guru – The Sexological Comedy Show”,  St Martin-in-the-Fields presents a Valentine`s Day Concert with Love Poems.

A great and romantic way to spend Valentine`s Day is to book a city break in London and getaway for a weekend with your loved ones. Rent a holiday apartment in London for short stay, Short Let London offers cheap but cosy and comfortable London flats for short lets. London apartments are new fully furnished and contain fitted kitchen, so you will be able to cook in the rental apartment – serve a breakfast and coffee in bed for your Valentine and cook a romantic candlelight dinner in the evening, and do not  forget about a love potion drink like champagne or some cocktails. Contact Short Let London and we will help you to arrange your special weekend away together hustle free and make it enjoyable and pleasurable (www.shortlet-london.com). Happy Valentine`s Day from out team!

Chinese New Year in London

Chinese New Year in London (www.shortlet-london.com)

This coming weekend London will be celebrating Chinese New Year. It is a great and important holiday among Chinese community, and while it is growing fast in London, Chinese New Year is also widely celebrated here. The date of Chinese New Year always varies, but falls between late January and mid February, this year they celebrate it on the 10^th of February. Each year according to Chinese calendar is represented by one of 12 animals of Chinese Zodiac, and 2013 is a year of Snake. To mark this festival there will be many events taking place in central London, the main one is a colourful parade on Trafalgar Sq, that will include dancing and music performances, dragons` and lions` dance, acrobats, spectacular fireworks. The festival will float towards Chinatown – the centre of the party, as this is the place where Chinese culture is concentrated. You can try some traditional Chinese food in one of the best restaurants here, but be advised that it is better to book your table in advance as this area will be extremely busy during Chinese New Year celebration in London.

London is an interesting place to be with various events taking place all year round, therefore Short Let London is inviting you to celebrate Chinese New Year with us this weekend. We will offer you budget short term accommodation London, short let studio flats and London rentals for cheap affordable price. Happy New Year from Short Let London www.shortlet-london.com