Our Top Picks - Things To Do in the Sun

We all know that the weather in the UK can be temperamental to say the least. We’ve lost count of the amount of times that students comment on the rain and day-to-day greyness that haunts our weather fronts. But the Great British weather has finally arrived, and so far this week it has truly outdone itself with warm sun and blue skies. Now’s the time for you to ditch the umbrella, get your shades on and make the most of the beautiful sunshine.

But what can I do to have fun? I hear you say.

Take a look at some of our top picks for enjoying the weather.

Picnic in the park

It may seem like the obvious choice, but there is nothing better than sitting in the park with some of your favourite picnic food and an ice lolly. You can catch some rays, fill your face and even take the opportunity to pet some of the local dogs or feed the squirrels. If you’re studying English at our London school, you have a range of parks to choose from, including Greenwich Park which is just 10 minutes’ walk away, St James’s Park, Regents Park, Hyde Park and Green Park as well as a number of smaller local parks. If you are studying English at Eastbourne, you have a unique opportunity due to being on the doorstep of the South Downs and Beachy Head where you can take in the landscape of the picturesque British countryside.

Be beside the seaside

There’s something satisfying about being at the seaside on a hot summer’s day. You can prop up your deck chair, listen to the waves lashing against the beach and feel the gentle sea breeze in your hair. Whether you’re a keen swimmer, chief sandcastle architect or are a fan of a traditional pier, you can always find something fun to do at the beach. Eastbourne students are lucky enough to be within walking distance of the seafront and the beautiful cliffs of Beachy Head. For London students, the obvious choice is a trip to Brighton, but there are some man-made beaches in and around the city which don’t involve too much travelling. Near to the end of the Piccadilly and Metropolitan lines, you will find Ruislip Lido, a reservoir and beach area which includes a miniature railway and splash area. It’s not quite the seaside but it’s nice enough to pretend that it is. There are also many seasonal man made beaches around Central London to coincide with the school holidays. This just proves that staying in the city doesn’t mean that you have to give up the beach.

Anyone want a Pimms?

In the UK, the adult population has developed a tradition that when the sun is out, the Pimms must also come out. There’s nothing better than sitting in the beer garden of your favourite pub in the afternoon enjoying an ice cold glass of Pimms and lemonade. Each bartender has his/her own spin on how to make the perfect Pimms combining various ingredients for a fancy cocktail. In both London and Eastbourne, you will find a number of bars and pubs claiming to make the best drink in town, so you may have to try a few before you find your favourite - but that's not necessarily a bad thing!

Head to a theme park

There are many theme parks within easy reach of London and Eastbourne and you can choose the best one for you dependent upon how much of a thrill-seeker you are! Thorpe Park is full of exciting rollercoasters and extreme rides such as ghost trains, scary mazes and those with huge drops and multiple spins. If you don’t quite feel brave enough to head to Thorpe Park, there are still rollercoasters and adventurous rides at Chessington World of Adventures and there is even a zoo and sea life centre. One of the great things about heading to a theme park on a hot summer’s day is the fact that you can get absolutely soaked on the water rides and not have to worry about trying to dry off in the cold.

See your favourite animals at the zoo

You can imagine that you’re on safari with a trip to the zoo. Animal lovers will enjoy seeing everything from lions to giraffes to meerkats. You will see them out enjoying the summer weather as much as you do, and can watch them feed and play. In addition to the zoo at Chessington, students in London and Eastbourne can head to ZSL London Zoo which is the world’s oldest zoo and is located in Central London.

Explore more

Students at our London and Eastbourne schools are able to explore more of the UK with some of the exciting excursion locations that we offer. There is so much to see and do in the UK and we encourage students to see iconic sights such as Stonehenge, the beautiful towns and cities of Bath, Oxford, Cambridge and Windsor as well as coastal towns such as Brighton. These are great locations to visit when the sun is shining with many activities to enjoy such as canal boat rides, walking tours, visits to botanic gardens, sightseeing tours, castle visits and, of course, shopping!

Do you want to study English this summer in the UK or Ireland? We have just what you need, discover our London English School, Eastbourne English School and our Dublin English School now and book your lessons for the summer of a lifetime!