Friendly Rentals Blog - Events

Now that the Gunpowder Plot is well buried into the past and all brutality highly stylised, Guy Fawkes Night is – somewhat ironically – considered a fun day out for all the family. If you’re looking to experience this most British of festivals, here’s a list of public fireworks displays in London for Bonfire Night 2012.

From haunted houses to Bonfire Night, there is something of the night about London. Think Jack the Ripper, the Black Death, Rocky Horror Show and all kinds of suspicious activities taking place in dark alleys (Saturday-night aftermath, anyone?). All of which makes Halloween in London a fantastically kitsch experience. Grab your wackiest costume and a group of friends: these are our guidelines for a happy Halloween in London 2012.

Ultimately, as the Olympic cauldron returned back to the ashes and dust from which it came, we’re pleased to say that the Paralympics Closing Ceremony was received with good reviews. A summer-long love affair with sport has ended, but will remain with us for long to come.

After all these days of competition, excitement and sporting records, the Olympic Games of London 2012 were given a send-off yesterday with a spectacular closing ceremony full of stars. This is the definitive London Olympics 2012 medal count…

Once again, we’re kicking off Monday in Friendly Rentals by giving a quick recap of the London 2012 Olympic medal count.

You can get the London Olympics medal count sent directly to your Facebook feed once a week by “liking” our Facebook page, or you can keep in touch here, where every Monday we’ll post the latest from the London Olympics medal count.

This summer, London will be the capital of sport and many other things. As well as celebrating the Olympic Games and the Diamond Jubilee of the Queen, the home of Big Ben’s will be the seat of World Pride 2012, the most important gay event in the world, which will be filling the streets with colour from the 23rd of June to the 8th of July.

The London 2012 Wimbledon Grand Slam dates have been set from June 25th to July 8th. During this period, top tennis names will battle it out in a competition that is as nerve-wracking as it is very British indeed.

The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in London celebrates 60 years of the queen in the United Kingdom throne. To commemorate this event, a wide range of activities and celebrations have been organized in London throughout 2012, although the main events will take place from 2 to 5 June.

Every 5th of November, the British typically celebrate Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes. It is a huge celebration involving lots of stunning firework displays, typical food and enormous bonfires across the country. Bonfire Night is held in commemoration of the 1605 Gunpowder Plot by 13 young men, one of which was Guy Fawkes.

We have previously spoken about Gay Pride celebrations in cities such as Barcelona, Madrid, Berlin and Sitges. Today, its London's turn which, year after year, holds one of the liveliest and most popular celebrations in Europe.

Amongst the abundance of musical events taking place this summer in London is the Meltdown Festival held in June this year. With ambitious plans the curator himself, the legendary Ray Davies, former lead singer of the Kinks (You really got me now, 1964), declares that “some are to mad to be feasible”. Either way he’s managed what he intended to do in this festival which attempts to reflect British culture and musical diversity over the years.