Natural History Museum, 5 November 2009 – 17 January 2010

Embrace winter at the Natural History Museum’s new, 1050-square-metre rink, eat and drink in the Café Bar or go for a spin on the beautiful fairground carousel. There’s also a smaller 100-square-metre rink for younger skaters.

http://london.londinium.com/65663

Canary Wharf, 14 November 2009 – 21 February 2010

Open air ice rink in the magnificent setting of Canada Square Park, in it’s 5th year in a row.  The park will be decked in festive lighting transforming the estate into a Winter Wonderland, offering the finest facility for outdoor ice skating in the capital.

http://london.londinium.com/39618

Broadgate, 14 November 2009 – 07 March 2010

A great compact rink near to Liverpool Street station, perfect for nearby workers and people living in the East End.

http://london.londinium.com/99314

Somerset House, 17 November 2009 – 24 January 2010

Skate beneath the stars in the heart of London, as Somerset House ice rink celebrates its 10th birthday. A calendar of special events includes Breakfast with Tiffany, DJ nights and Penguin Club.

http://london.londinium.com/65380

Winter Wonderland Hyde Park, 21 November 2009 – 03 January 2010

Central London’s largest ice skating rink in Hyde Park’s WINTER WONDERLAND, the ultimate London winter experience for everyone.

http://london.londinium.com/58560

Tower of London,  21 November 2009 – 10 January 2010

In its 3rd year, the dry moat beneath the Outer Curtain Wall of the Tower hosts a breathtaking ice rink. There are free viewing galleries, with food and drink available at the Moat Cafe.

http://london.londinium.com/46278

Hampton Court, 28 November 2009 – 10 January 2010

In its 7th year, Hampton Court Palace hosts one of London’s most dramatic ice rinks, set against the stunning backdrop of Henry VIII’s historic red brick Tudor Palace.  The Ice Rink Cafe will be serving warm drinks and snacks and a place to sit and watch others skate.

http://london.londinium.com/46276

Wembley Stadium, 11 December 2009 – 03 January 2010

Britain’s longest ever ice rink is set to feature at Wembley Stadium this Christmas as part of a festive and fun-packed event – ICExperience.  The ice rink will circle the stadium’s pitch and measure in at a whopping 350m long. It will be able to accommodate up to 700 skaters per hour.

http://london.londinium.com/99313

Alexandra Palace, 01 January 2009 – 01 January 2014

The Alexandra Palace Ice Rink offers a wide range of activities suitable for all ages including public skating sessions, figure skating classes and ice hockey training.  The Ice Rink is also available for birthday parties, school bookings and private hire.  Open all year round.

http://london.londinium.com/46280

This Years F.A. Cup final race has only four teams left in the competition, Everton, Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal.

Semi Finals

18th April 09      Arsenal F.C.  -  Chelsea F.C.

19th April 09      Manchester United F.C.  -  Everton F.C.

And the F.A. Cup Final

30th May 09      Arsenal F.C. or Chelsea F.C.  -  Manchester United F.C. or Everton F.C.

Here is a brief look at the rich history of the oldest and best domestic Cup competition in the world…

At a meeting held in the offices of The Sportsman in London on 20th July 1871, a proposal by FA Honorary Secretary Charles Alcock “that it is desirable that a Challenge Cup should be established in connection with the Association, for which all clubs belonging to the Association should be invited to compete” met with favour and was finally approved three months later.

The first FA Cup competition in season 1871-72 had fifteen entries. (This season more than 700 took part.) Wanderers, a team formed by ex-public school and university players, won the first final 1-0 against Royal Engineers at Kennington Oval. A crowd of 2,000 attended the match and they each paid one shilling for the privilege. The first Cup Final goal was scored by Morton Betts, playing under the assumed name of ‘A.H. Chequer’. He was an Old Harrovian who had once played for Harrow Chequers. The original trophy, much smaller than the present one, was made by Messrs Martin, Hall & Co. and cost £20. In 1895, after Aston Villa had won the competition, the cup was stolen from the window of a firm of football outfitters in Birmingham where it had been placed on display. It was never recovered. The present trophy, played for since 1992, is the competition’s fourth and an exact replica of the third. Manchester United have won the Cup the most times (11), followed by Arsenal (10) and Tottenham Hotspur (eight). Forty-two different clubs have won it.

In January 1922 the Duke of York, later to become King George VI, cut the first turf to mark the beginning of the building of Wembley Stadium and it was completed in under a year at a cost of £750,000. The 1923 FA Cup Final between Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United (pictured) was the first football match at the new stadium and it drew an estimated crowd of 200,000, vastly exceeding the official capacity. It was only due to the good nature of the spectators and the efforts of the police, notably PC George Scorey on his white horse ‘Billy’, that the match took place at all.

The Cup Final was played at Wembley in every year, excluding the war years, until 2000. The FA Cup has become established as one of the country’s great sporting institutions. It is now over 130 years old and yet, season by season, it generates tremendous interest not only in the country of its birth but all over the world. The history and tradition of the competition, and the pageantry of the Cup Final, is familiar to millions.

The new Wembley hosted its first Final in 2007. Sir Bobby Robson, a Cup winner as Ipswich Town’s manager, once said: “The FA Cup Final is the greatest single match outside the World Cup Final – and it’s ours”.

Classic Cup Finals

2006 – Liverpool 3-3 West Ham (Liverpool won 3-1 on penalties)
1990 – Manchester United 3-3 Crystal Palace
1988 – Wimbledon 1-0 Liverpool
1987 – Coventry City 3-2 Tottenham Hotspur
1984 – Everton 2-0 Watford
1981 – Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 Manchester City
1976 – Southampton 1-0 Manchester United
1975 – West Ham United 2-0 Fulham
1973 – Sunderland 1-0 Leeds United
1953 – Blackpool 4-3 Bolton Wanderers
1927 – Cardiff City 1-0 Arsenal
1923 – Bolton Wanderers 2-0 West Ham United
1872 – Wanderers 1-0 Royal Engineers

http://london.londinium.com/76606

Fri 26 Jun      19:30     AC/DC

Wed 01 Jul     15:00     Take That

Fri 03 Jul        15:00     Take That

Sat 04 Jul       15:00     Take That

Sun 05 Jul      15:00     Take That

Thu 09 Jul      16:00     Oasis

Sat 11 Jul        16:00     Oasis

Sun 12 Jul      16:00     Oasis

Fri 18 Sep      19:30     Coldplay

Sat 19 Sep      19:30     Coldplay

Sun 25 Oct     17:00    New England Patriots vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

http://www.londinium.com/london/72918.html