Top 5 Autumnal Days Out in London on a Budget
British Summer Time is coming to an end so it's time to pack away your linen dresses and bring out the woolly beret, touch screen gloves and chunky scarf and start making plans for the cosiest most romantic season of the year. Its time for firepits, pumpkin spiced lattes, red wine and cosy pubs... Here are my top 5 things to do in London, with friends, partners, family or just yourself…
1. Halloween at Sky Garden
Friday 28th October - 20:00 - 1:30 am
Tickets from £55
A quick walk from London Liverpool Street, you will find the best Halloween party in the city. Whether you will be tricking or treating, dressing up or dressing down you will find yourself getting freaky, getting spooky in the beautiful utopian sky gardens. Expect a roof-raising DJ, Live band, freakishly good Halloween cocktails and of course the best views of London.
https://skygarden.london/halloween/
2. Firework Night at Your Local Park
Saturday 5th November
Watch the London sky light up with spectacular fireworks, bonfires and mulled wine. Whether it's Battersea Park, Dulwich Park or Alexandra Palace, wrap yourself up, get your friends together and head to your nearest park for a night to tick off all the senses, and you can do it on a budget too. Hot Dog from a local vendor, Mulled wine from the nearest pub and a whole sky lit up before you. 
3. Hampstead Heath Walking & Eating
Every Weekend
Nothing Londoners love more than getting the train out to Hampstead Heath, picking up your freshly roasted hot latte from the cafe opposite the station and walking your way up to the top of Parliament Hill to then watch all over all of London. A nice quiet moment sitting on the bench, watching your fellow walkers look at across London, pointing at the Shard, taking photos of St Pauls Cathedral dwarfed by the glass high-rises of the city but still looking the most powerful. Everyone's dogs befriending one another, running around children's feet. It is a free, priceless moment of happiness and contentment whilst standing on the highest point of London. Once the legs are cold and tired from walking, head over to one of many Hampstead pubs for a warming fire, a hearty meal and a glass of red. My favourite go-to pub is The Holly Bush or The Flask.
4. Exhibition & Gallery Crawl
Every Weekend
Get on your bike, bus, tube or walking shoes and do a crawl of your favourite galleries. Start along the Southbank and hit up Tate Modern, Hayward Gallery, and Southbank Centre. Once you have seen enough art, photography and literature, and you feel a growling in your belly, go and treat yourself to the gorgeous variety of street food vendors, from pork belly sandwiches to stone-baked pizzas to Chinese dumplings. If you still have more in you, cross the river with a lovely walk past St Pauls and see what's going on at The Barbican, there is always a handful of blessings for the eyes. From Iranian artist, Soheila Sokhanvari, Rebel Rebel exhibition which you will find in The Curve space, to Cinema screenings of the latest releases, Emily by Frances O'Connor, Decision to Leave by Park Chan-Wook, all the way to classic and contemporary music and of course The Observatory. Finish the day with a classic cocktail in their delightful Martini Bar.
Image courtesy of The Barbican website, artwork by Soheila Sokhanvari
Every Weekend
Whether it's in your garden at home, or at one of the many rooftop bars and pub gardens in London, it's that time of year for sizzling fire-pits, toasted marshmallows and hot buttery rum toddies. Picturing the sound of laughter, the playing of banjos, the crackling of the fire, and the bubbling of mulled wine, the perfect sound of Autumn. If you do not have a garden, here is a selection of vibrant, amazing pubs and bars across London you can head to instead;
The Queen of Hoxton
Brixton Jamm
Hope & Anchor, Brixton
Fire & Fromage, Southbank
Boundary, Shoreditch
Half Moon, Herne Hill
Happy Autumn Season to you all. Next blog post will be on the best pubs to drink, eat and relax in over the colder months ahead...
Much Love,
Emily xx