January in London brings a quieter start after the Christmas celebrations, but there is still plenty to see. This Roberts London film follows a winter walk through Westminster, a coffee stop at Café in the Crypt and a visit to the Chandos pub. Later, the city becomes an outdoor gallery for Lumiere London.
Filmed in January 2018 and first published on 4 February 2018, this is an archive of the original visits. The businesses, events and value-for-money comments reflect that time.
Watch January in London
Westminster at the start of the year
I begin beside the Thames, opposite the London Eye and in the shadow of Big Ben. The clock tower is covered in scaffolding during this visit, making a familiar landmark surprisingly difficult to recognise. It is an immediate reminder that these films also record the city while it changes.
The riverside is a fitting place to start the month. In the film, I look back at December’s celebrations and the New Year’s Eve fireworks centred on the London Eye. January begins where the previous year’s final party took place.
Then the conversation turns to winter weather. My advice on this walk is practical: layers, a waterproof coat and somewhere indoors to pause. A café or pub can become part of the day when the weather changes.
Walking to Trafalgar Square
From Westminster, I head towards Trafalgar Square. The walk connects the riverside with two stops close to the square: St Martin-in-the-Fields and the Chandos. Both offer a reason to leave the busy pavement and spend some time inside.
Coffee at Café in the Crypt
The entrance beside St Martin-in-the-Fields leads down into a very different setting. Beneath the church, brick vaults and stone surfaces surround the tables at Café in the Crypt. The architecture is as much a part of the visit as the coffee.
I take a look at the food counter before settling down with a drink. The footage shows the dishes on display, the seating and the details around the room. It is a useful pause in the walk, with plenty to look at without heading straight back outside.
The narration also explores the church’s history and its work supporting vulnerable people. That connection gives the café visit another purpose. I leave encouraging viewers to stop here, both for the setting and for the work described in the film.
Inside the Chandos pub
Next comes the Chandos on the opposite corner. Downstairs, the bar is busy and full of conversation. I then head upstairs to the lounge, which offers a different atmosphere from the bustle below.
During this 2018 visit, I talk about Samuel Smith’s drinks, the British pub food and the value of the upstairs bar in such a central location. The film also points out the entrances at either end of the pub, which can be easy to miss when you first walk into the downstairs room.
With coffee and a pub stop complete, the daytime walk comes to an end. The next outing takes place after dark, when the streets themselves become the attraction.
Lumiere London after dark
At Piccadilly Circus, I introduce the light festival beside the familiar advertising screens. Streets are closed to traffic, and light installations transform public spaces and buildings. The film follows my favourite sights from the evening.
There are large projections, smaller glowing figures and a red telephone box turned into a fish tank. Some details are easier to appreciate in person than on camera, as I explain while trying to show the fish through the illuminated glass.
The walk continues through the displays, with crowds gathering to look and take photographs. By Oxford Circus, I can stand in the road because traffic has been kept out for the evening. It is a different way to experience streets that usually demand constant attention to passing vehicles.
The last evening of January in London
Finally, I return to Westminster on the last day of the month. The London Eye is lit across the river, and I have come out for a walk to look at the supermoon mentioned in the closing narration.
The film ends close to where it began. Across the month, the same city has offered daytime walks, places to shelter with a drink and an evening transformed by light. For the following month’s outings, see Winter in London: Columbia Road, Chinatown and Crystal Palace.
