Canada Day

Festival Location: London, England

Festival Type(s): National Festivals , Historical Festivals , Parties

Festival Photos of Canada Day: gallery 1

Canada Day in London

by © Kirsty Henderson 2008

Canadians seldom get vocal about much. There are loads of us in London but we never make ourselves known like our fellow Aussie and Kiwi working holidaymakers. A big reason for that could be that we don't have many events in London to support, but when July 1st rolls around, Canadians flock to the Maple Leaf pub in Covent Garden to show their patriotism.

Having been unable to convince my Aussie, Kiwi and South African friends of the wonders of chicken wings, Molson and hockey, I was sure I wouldn't be able to pursuade a crew to join me at London's only Canadian pub on July 1st. But after a bit of effort in selling the wonders of the day, I managed to sucker a few people into coming with me after work.

I'd been in 2003 with a Canadian friend of mine so knew that the place to be was the Maple Leaf pub in Covent Garden - the only Canadian themed pub in London. I also knew that every Canadian in London would likely be there and that there'd be no chance of getting anywhere close to the pub without a monumental effort. That's ok though because the place to be is the street in front of the pub which is closed off to traffic as thousands of Canucks dressing in red and white and wrapped in flags gather with cases of Moosehead and Molsen.

If you can't afford to pay ridiculous prices at the Canada Store for Canadian beer, there's a Tesco around the corner where you can stock up on your favourite tasty beverage for the event. In an effort to avoid lines, it's probably a good idea to stock up on cash and buy your booze before you get to Covent Garden.

There's no music outside in the street but you can expect people to break out randomly with acapella renditions of 'O'Canada'. No music is no problem though because the crowd is very friendly and there are loads of people to get chatting to. Because Canucks rarely come together in London, everyone is curious about where you're from and what you're doing in London, so even if you rock up to the event on your own, you're bound to meet lots of new friends.

So if you're planning to be in the UK around July 1st, make a big effort to get down to the Maple Leaf because it's worth it, eh!

Check out Kirsty's great site at travoholic.com for more of her writing, photography, tips and info on hostels, working abroad and getting around.

by Kirsty Henderson

Festival Photos of Canada Day: gallery 1