Mudchute, a countryside in the heart of London

Ask to any Londoner child if they have ever seen a bear, a sheep or a pig. Probably they know about these animals and they will tell you about Paddington, Shaun or Peppa but, have they ever seen a real one? 

Living in a city is a great opportunity to have access to musicals, museums, shows, etc. But there is one thing that you are missing: nature.

London has a lot of parks but it is a city with a high level of pollution. And, of course, you can see foxes, dogs, cats, mice and doves in the city but, is it possible to see a llama, an alpaca, a ferret, a donkey or a pony?

Thanks to The Mudchute Park & Farm, it is. This charity, who has been in existence for thirty years, is taking care of 32 acres of land to create and preserve a small countryside in the Isle of Dogs, in the heart of London.

Peppa Pig World

A family of pink pigs has captured the hearts of children from UK and all over the world since the first show was aired the 31st of May, 2004. 

This British preschool animated television series teaches our children through activities that Peppa, her family and her friends practise. Besides, in every five minutes episodes, kids can see and enjoy with rabbits, sheeps, cats, dogs, ponies, zebras, elephants, donkeys, foxes, kangaroos, wolves, goats, and pigs, of course. 

Psychologists point that one of Peppa's strenght is that adults and children are able to watch the show together. Dr Jane Herbert, psychologist at Sheffield University, remarks that “Peppa Pig is popular because kids like anything with child voices. It’s got very bright colours with all the pink so they'll like to look at it. Also, children see Peppa Pig down town, in shops and on the television so it's pervasive in their environment.” 

Ice Skating in Regent's Park

London, in Christmas, is fully decorated. Despite the greys that invade the city the rest of the year, in this season everything is colour, happiness and light. So, if you want to seem like a Londoner, you will have to practise one of their favourite sports: ice skating. 

In December you can find ice skating rinks all over the city. The most incredible rinks, because of the size and views, are situated in Somerset House, Hyde Park, The Tower of London, or The Natural History Museum. However, one of the favourite rinks for the tourists is the Eyeskate, emplaced in front of the London Eye. 

St. James’s Park. 21st January 2013.

The ice rinks, as we know them, are pretty new. In London, in the Victorian era, the tradition was to skate over the frozen lakes and ponds. However, on the 15th of January of 1867 the unthinkable occurred. When hundreds of people were skating in Regent’s Park, the ice began to weaken and cracked. Around 500 Londoners fell down into freezing water, 12 feet deep. The cold temperatures quickly froze the ice again and finally 40 people died. 

This wasn’t the first time that something similar happened. The day before, the ice broke and 21 skaters plunged into the same lake. This time all of them were rescued saved and sound. 

Londoners learned their lesson and, to avoid future tragedies, they reduced to 4 or 5 feet the lakes' depth.