Lights out London: Top 5 things to do in a blackout
If you live in London, you'll almost certainly have heard about the pledge made by many people and institutions to switch off all non-essential electrical appliances tonight to draw attention to how much energy we waste. Iconic Landmarks, from St. Paul's Cathedral to the day-glow advertising hoardings in Piccadilly Circus will be taking part in Lights Out London, which will happen between 9 and 10pm tonight.
To mark the occasion, we at Hippyshopper have come up with some ideas for how to spend the hour of darkness while having as much fun as possible. Follow the jump for our top tips!
1. Host a candlelit picnic: This is actually what I intend to do, and am praying for the rain to hold off just a few hours longer than it's forecast to so I can enjoy my sandwiches in Regents Park, along with a lot of my friends who would otherwise probably have forgotten to switch off their lights. It's looking like we might be doing this in a pub at this rate, but I'm sure we can have a word with the bar staff about observing the hour!
2. Organise a game of murder in the dark: ...Or play blind man's buff. Most games we loved as kids relied on the temporary loss of one of our senses. Just make sure you've padded the walls first, to prevent any injuries (although I'm assured hospital A&E departments will be keeping their equipment running!)
3. Attend one of the many Lights Out parties being advertised on the official site. There are pubs taking part, open-invite parties, and even a 'monopoly in the dark' session happening around London tonight. Meeting a bunch of complete strangers in almost total darkness? Gotta be someone's idea of a dream come true...
4. Go on a bat walk: Bats love the dark, so there's no better time to go on an organised tour of some of the capital's favourite bat-haunts. You can find details on where and when to meet at the London Bat Group's site.
5. You and a 'young friend' could always just stay in and enjoy the darkness in the way that couples have done since time immemorial (and for some reason, this option seems to be the favourite around here!)
