From the Postal Museum to Battersea Power Station’s panoramic views, group travel organisers experienced London’s diverse attractions during the recent New Meridian AGM.
Group travel organisers and the travel trade came together in London for three days of networking and fam trips. Organised by Made, the itinerary was designed to showcase some of the many attractions in London that are great for groups and offer a huge variety for all interests.
Staying at The Clarendon Hotel in Blackheath, the group visited The Postal Museum where they were shown the highlights, including interactive displays and exhibits. Exploring 500 years of social history, the group learnt about Britain’s industrial heritage and how major events including World War One and Two shaped our postal sector.
A gala dinner at the hotel helped to refuel for day two which began with a walking tour, heading through Greenwich Park and finishing at the Cutty Sark.
London’s oldest Royal Park is home to the Queen’s House, National Maritime Museum and the Royal Obsevatory, which offers spectacular panoramic views of Canary Wharf and the City of London. The group was split into two, with each given an insight into the history of the area by knowledgeable tour guides Brenda and Neil.
A tour of the iconic Cutty Sark took members of the group back in time to discover how the historic tea clipper was built, its 150 years of seafaring history and intriguing stories such as the original ship’s bell which was stolen and then mysteriously reappeared years later.
GTO Gwen Wright of The Arts Society, Cranleigh said one of her highlights was the Uber boat trip from Greenwich to Battersea. She added: “Of special interest was the facility to use your bank card with TfL to pay for the fare using the tap in/tap out system. If you’re using other TfL modes of transport in one day, everything is capped at £15 which sounds like a great plan for a day out.”
The group travelled 109 metres up at Battersea Power Station’s Chimney Lift Experience and enjoyed 360° views of London’s skyline before an afternoon tea bus journey with Golden Tours taking in more landmark sights such as Big Ben, the London Eye and more.
The day finished with a bite to eat at Pizza Express and a performance of Disney’s hit show Hercules at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane.
The final day included the AGM and visits to the London Transport Museum and dinner at Hard Rock Cafe. Sylvia Saxon of the New Meridian Association, an association about group organisers, said: “It was a brilliant few days, I lost count of the number of ‘wow factors’ there were!”
