![[LondonTown.com Header Image (Thames Scene)]](/LTtemplates/template_images/londontown.upper.logoheader.thamesscene-cc.jpg) |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
  |
|
Summer Sports in London 2008
 
Download Article (PDF)
When the sun shines, the great outdoors beckons. Come summertime, city folk are full of energy and want to stretch their legs, get involved in sports and simply soak up the summery weather. London is crammed full of fun activities and sporting pursuits to get the endorphins flowing. Whether you want to look ace on the tennis courts, shout "Foooooour" on the golf course or let the wind fill your sails on the open water, we've put together the essential companion to active fun in the sun here in London town.
  Cycling
 London Bicycle Tour Company Wedged inside motionless buses as they sit chugging away in the midst of London traffic can be hot work in the summer months. We recommend breaking free and exploring the capital on a bike. With the power of the pedal you will be able to dive down tiny hidden streets, zip across Hyde Park in minutes or ride alongside the Thames soaking up the summer sun. The London Bicycle Tour Company hires out mountain bikes and more traditional models either by the hour or by the day. Based in Gabriel's Wharf, once you’ve picked up your bike you can be cruising along the South Bank in minutes. If you are a little nervous about venturing out on the open road alone try a unique guided tour. Venue: London Bicycle Tour Company Address: 1a Gabriel's Wharf, 56 Upper Ground, SE1 9PP Phone: 020 7928 6838 Time: Daily 10am-6pm Price: Bikes - £3 per hour, £18 (Day 1), £9 (Days 2 & 3), £6 (Days 4 & 5) | Tours - £14.95 (Central), £17.95 (East & West) Nearest Station: Blackfriars Tube/Rail London Bicycle Tour Company - Information  Go-Karting
Revolution Karting It’s not exactly Formula 1 but get behind the wheel of a go-kart and you'll certainly feel like you're ready to give Lewis Hamilton a run for his money. Go-karting is one of those sports that turns perfectly rational, relaxed human beings into speed-hungry, stop-at-nothing (apart from when the marshals tell you to!) people who want to WIN! The buzz of racing your buddies as you hurtle round a circuit beset by tricky corners and tight bends is fantastic fun. The summer is a great time to get geared up and hit the track and there's no better place to get the adrenaline pumping than Revolution Karting in the East End. It’s the only outdoor course in London and boasts 650 metres of track and has karts that reach a very nippy 50 mph. They also offer a good choice of different packages. You can jump in a kart and individually race, gather a group of mates and compete in a Mini Grand Prix or challenge your colleagues as part of their organised corporate events. The circuit is floodlit and open till late, making for a speedy alternative to after-work drinking. Incidentally, stay off the summer beers if you want to get on the track at all. Venue: Revolution Karting Address: Arches 422-424, Mile End Park, E3 4AA Phone: 020 7538 5195 Price: Open practice sessions - £20 per driver (16 laps) | Group events - £50-£65 per driver Time: Daily 10am-11pm Nearest Station: Mile End Tube Revolution Karting - Information  Golf
Richmond Park, Dukes Meadows and Soho Gently following your ball around a golf course with the warm sun beating down on the back of your neck is a summer speciality treasured by Londoners. A less romantic view involves getting stuck in the bunker, using a pitching wedge to get out of the rough or throwing your clubs around when your fifth ball finds the water feature handily situated just before the green. But don't let that put you off! To some, London may seem like an urban sprawl but, in fact, it's home to a wealth of green open space wiith a golf course or two nestling among the trees. Here are our favourite places to tee-off in London town. Richmond Park Golf Courses Debatably London’s best 'pay and play' facility, the two well-established courses in the Royal Park have long been popular with the capital’s non-golf club members. Club hire, buggies and a 16-bay driving range are all available, as are lessons with the large team of qualified teachers. Great views of the park compliment the chilled-out pace of play. Boasting 2500 acres of undulating grassland, dotted with coppiced woodland, the park is famous for its red and fallow deer which roam freely – let’s just hope they don’t amble onto the driving range! Venue: Richmond Park Golf Courses Address: Richmond Park, Roehampton Gate, Priory Lane, SW15 5JR Phone: 020 8876 1795 Time: Mon to Fri 6.30am-8.30pm, Sat & Sun 7am-8.30pm Price: Weekdays £20, Weekends £23, Dusk ticket £10 (covers last three hours of play) Nearest Station: Mortlake Rail Richmond Park Golf Courses - Information Dukes Meadows Golf Club, Chiswick This nine-hole par-three course next to Chiswick Bridge is in immaculate condition and has the most extensive practice facilities in the London area including a 50-bay floodlit driving range, large putting green and a six-hole course for instruction. Friendly and relatively unpretentious for a golf club (the usual dress code applies!) and very suited to those nervous golfers lacking the confidence to wrestle a full-sized course, it attracts a whole raft of golfing folk from enthusiastic novices to experts looking to improve their handicaps. You need your own clubs and golf shoes with soft spikes, so don't turn up empty handed. Venue: Dukes Meadows Golf Club Address: Dukes Meadow, Dan Mason Drive, W4 2SH Phone: 020 8994 3314 Time: Summer - Mon to Fri 9am-8.30pm, Sat & Sun 8.30am-8.30pm Price: Weekdays £10.50, Weekends £12.50 Nearest Station: Barnes Bridge Rail Dukes Meadow Golf Club - Information Urban Golf Soho OK, so you may not be able to soak up the rays on this indoor course but it’s a brilliant idea that has been stylishly executed. Dearly loved by frustrated city-dwellers, this indoor golf centre offers 50 of the world’s best courses from the comfort of one of six high-tech simulators. There are lounge areas and a full bar service to complement this hassle-free way to tee-off. From have-a-go beginners to seasoned golfers, this is the ideal place to practise your stance, swing and shot by picking the holes you want to play on championship golf courses from The Belfry to Banff Springs and matching your skill (or lack of) to the challenge set before you. Lessons and rather snazzy clubs are supplied if need be. Venue: Urban Golf Soho Address: 33 Great Pulteney Street, W1F 9NW Phone: 020 7434 4300 Time: Mon to Sat 10am-11pm, Sun 10am-6pm Price: £20-£50 per simulator per hour (up to four people) Nearest Station: Piccadilly Circus Tube Urban Golf Soho - Information  Horse Riding
Hyde Park Stables With the raw smell of polished leather, the rush of flying manes and the exhilarating speed of the gallop, what could be more refreshing on a summer's day than speeding along on horseback? This summer, follow in the footsteps of generations and gallop under the great skies of…well, Hyde Park. Okay, so it’s not the rugged plains of Montana but riding along Rotten Row – the place to be seen side-saddling back in the 1700s - is a magical experience on a sunny morning. Riding out with an instructor from Hyde Park Stables, you have five glorious miles of bridleways to explore with most hacks taking you alongside the Serpentine. Horses here have calm characters, so you won’t suffer the embarrassment of getting thrown off into the lake to the amusement of picnickers and passers-by. Riding boots and hats (be warned, not hugely flattering) are provided free of charge and the stables recommend casual clothes and sensible shoes. Staff are, no doubt, used to city slickers, who haven’t been on a horse in donkeys’ years, heading out for a summer outing. Venue: Hyde Park Stables Address: 63 Bathurst Mews, W2 2SB Phone: 020 7723 2813 Time: Mon to Fri 7.15am-5pm, Sat & Sun 9am-5pm Price: Group (hour) - £49-£55 per person | Private (hour) - £74-£89 per person Nearest Station: Lancaster Gate Tube Hyde Park Stables - Information  Paintballing
The Paintball Centre, Canary Wharf This fab game emerged in 1980 and has taken the world by storm. Popular with adrenalin junkies and alpha males, paintballing is an action-packed, mission-driven pastime that is heaps of fun with a group of friends or a bunch of colleagues and guaranteed to get even the most laid-back person’s competitive juices flowing. The Paintball Centre in Canary Wharf is the UK’s largest indoor venue and the 40,000 square feet of ‘play zone’ incorporates three areas: a super air inflatable field, village scene complete with houses and guard towers and a World War II setting. Players are equipped with protective clothing and special marking guns, with plenty of paintballs to whistle through the air. Teams are set an imaginative variety of top secret missions demanding teamwork, strategy and a good aim! There are three packages on offer; all include semi-automatic guns, face masks, overalls, padded hoods and gloves plus paintballs but the silver and gold packages include body armour and more ammo than the bronze. Booking in advance is essential. Venue: The Paintball Centre Address: Unit 4, Wood Wharf Business Park, Prestons Road, Canary Wharf, E14 9SF Phone: 0845 230 0850 Time: Daily 8am-10pm Price: Bronze Package £35, Silver Package £55, Gold Package £80 Nearest Station: Canary Wharf Tube/DLR The Paintball Centre - Information  Polo
Ascot Park Polo Club and Academy An export from England’s colonial years in India and contemporarily codified as a game for the rich and horsey (but given a touch of celebrity cool by the younger generation of royals), Polo is in fact an all-access sport. Why not embrace a rather exclusive English tradition and try a spot of polo yourself this summer? Down at Ascot, they run a fantastically well-constructed ‘Discover Polo’ lesson. During the two-hour introductory session, Ascot’s experts will lead you in a group lesson with other new polo-playing wannabes. Novices will learn the rules and tactics including the polo swing and how to ride on a polo pony. These lessons include a mini-game or, in official terms, a chukka. After the lesson, for an additional fee, you can take part in a further instructional chukka. Set in the beautiful surroundings of the Surrey countryside with top-of-the-range facilities, highly-trained staff and veteran, well-behaved ponies, this is a challenging yet safe experience for those who fancy a day out of town or girls who have aspirations to marry a prince. Whatever the case, it’s all jolly good fun! Booking is essential. Venue: Ascot Park Polo Club and Academy Address: Windlesham Road, Chobham, Surrey, GU24 8SN Phone: 01276 858545 Time: Sat & Sun 9am-11am | Instructional Chukka starts at 11.30am Price: £95 per person (includes mini chukka), Instructional chukka £35 Nearest Station: Sunningdale Rail Ascot Park and Polo Club and Academy - Information  Rollerblading
London Skate Blading is a fantastic way to get around in summer - it's fast and healthy - and London is great for skaters with scores of excellent paths and parks. You may not win many friends in the walking community but you can cover a lot of ground, get fit and see the sights at the same time. If you're ready to get your skates on, why not join the London Skate which cruises around town every Wednesday evening? Kicking off in Hyde Park, these supervised two-hour skates around town go at an 'intermediate' pace along planned routes, which vary from week to week. A few hundred guys and gals up for the craic on inline blades or, rather coolly, 80s retro roller skates is a sight to behold, especially as they roll out a pretty serious sound system (not in the rain!) to accompany the skate and create a party vibe. There's also the London Friday Night Skate, which is similar but, you guessed it, on Friday nights. If you’re keen to join the throng but can’t stop or turn, Skatefresh (skatefresh.com) offers rollerblading and inline skating classes in Hyde Park and other locations. London Skate - Information Venue: London Skate in Hyde Park Address: Opposite the bandstand, Eastern end of Serpentine Road, Hyde Park, W2 2UH Time: Summer - Wed 7.45pm-10pm Price: Free Nearest Station: Hyde Park Corner Tube  Running
Serpentine Running Club As the weather warms up, lots of Londoners are inspired to find their still new-looking trainers from last year’s burst of energy and take to the streets and parks for a run. It’s cheap, invigorating (apparently) and you do get to enjoy some glorious views of the capital as you wheeze or whizz by. You might lose a few pounds too! To get you on the road to becoming a running goddess (you know one of those people who plug in their iPod and don’t look like they’re even faintly perspiring) why not pop along to one of the Serpentine Running Club sessions? You can run with them a couple of times on Saturday mornings to see if you catch the bug and want to become a fully-fledged member. You can choose from two runs; one is 4.3 miles long and goes round Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, the other is on the longer side at 7.5 miles long and adds Green Park and St James's Park to the route. Both runs go straight past Kensington Palace; it’s a beautiful sight and will no doubt take your mind off your sore legs and the fact that your face is guaranteed to look like a beetroot! Well, maybe not, but you’ll feel great afterwards… Venue: Serpentine Running Club Address: Speakers' Corner, Hyde Park, W2 2UH Time: Sat 9.45am Price: Free | Membership - £30 (Joining Fee), £25 (Adults), £10 (Concs) Nearest Station: Marble Arch Tube Serpentine Running Club - Information  Sailing
Wembley Sailing Club The Welsh Harp reservoir is one of London’s best kept secrets. It is a tastefully preserved conservation area along a mile-long stretch of water. You can hoist your sails up and fly across this watery expanse from Wembley Sailing Club, which has a flee - including Lasers, GP14s and a couple of Fireflies - all in shipshape condition. Dinghy sailing really is the best way to learn the ropes (literally) before moving on to chartering your own yacht! Adults can sign up for the RYA Level 1 course at Harp Sailing School and then take out the club’s dinghies to brave the open water in. There is also a small armada of single sail Optimists. These robust boats are very difficult to capsize, making them ideal for children to learn to sail. The instructors turn children’s sailing into an art form, interspersing Sunday afternoon sails with picnic cruises and games on the water. Anything to do with sailing can be pricey but this club is as affordable as it gets. If you are planning a day on the water, we do recommend you phone beforehand to avoid disappointment. Venue: Wembley Sailing Club Address: Birchen Grove, Wembley, NW9 8SA Phone: 020 8205 3222 | Out of hours 01442 399188 Price: Two-day RYA Course - £110, £180 (non-members) | Membership - £170 (Adults), £130 (OAPs), £60 (Under 18s) Nearest Station: Wembley Park Tube Wembley Sailing Club - Information  Tennis
Regent's Park, Waterlow Park and Battersea Park With all the Wimbledon mania in June and early July, lots of Londoners take to the courts to serve up a winning volley or two. The capital is peppered with tennis courts - it’s just knowing where to find them. We’ve selected some super courts, ideal for brushing up on your backhand and baseline lob this summer. Regent's Park Tennis Centre When the Wimbledon bug catches and you’re itching to get out on the court for your yearly tennis fix, head for Regent's Park in the heart of London. Located on the western side of the park this is a real gem of a place to dust off that old wooden racket and see if your follow-through is as smooth as you remember. While people are encouraged to just show up and play, non-members are still allowed to book a court three days in advance. With 12 hard courts, modern changing facilities and a café for post-match refreshment, this really is a fantastic centre for summer play. Venue: Regent's Park Tennis Centre Address: York Bridge Road, Inner Circle, Regent's Park, NW1 4NU Phone: 020 7486 4216 Time: Summer - Daily 7am-9pm Price: £7.50-£9.50 per hour Nearest Station: Regent's Park Tube Regent's Park Tennis Centre - Information Waterlow Park It’s amazing to think they managed to fit some tennis courts into Waterlow Park. One of our favourites, this beautiful park occupies a dramatic sloping site overlooking the city and was given to Londoners by Sir Sidney Waterlow as a "garden for the gardenless". Retaining a secret garden charm with tree-lined walkways and ponds on different levels, it’s one of London’s finest landscaped parks and is a lovely spot for tennis. The six immaculately kept courts have been attractively built into the hill. Take a picnic, play a set or two, then catch a few rays in the park afterwards. It’s absolutely idyllic. Venue: Waterlow Park Tennis Courts Address: Waterlow Park, Swains Lane, N6 6PL Phone: 07717 300137 Time: Daily 7am-9pm Price: £7 per hour (Adults), £2.60 per hour (Concs) Nearest Station: Archway Tube Waterlow Park - Information Battersea Park Offering some of the most substantial tennis facilities in the capital, tennis enthusiasts can choose from one of Battersea Park's 19 floodlit courts. Courts are available for booking and they run a really comprehensive string of coaching courses throughout the summer months. Battersea Park itself is a lovely summer spot. Serve up a treat on the court and then chill-out on the grass to catch your breath and enjoy the pretty surroundings. A small kiddies' zoo, a deer enclosure and the famous Peace Pagoda are just some of the park’s top attractions. Venue: Battersea Park Tennis Courts Address: Battersea Park, SW11 4NJ Phone: 020 8871 7542 Time: Mon to Fri 7am-10pm, Sat & Sun 7.30am-7.30pm Price: Peak (Mon to Fri after 5pm and weekends & Bank Hols all day) - £8 per hour | Off Peak - £6 per hour Nearest Station: Battersea Park Rail Battersea Park - Information
|
