Page 33 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - England's South Coast

ENGLAND ’ S SOUTH C O AST THROUGH THE Y EAR  31

Average Monthly Temperatures Temperature Chart
The warm sea around
°C °F Cornwall gives it the
25 77 highest average annual
UK temp erature of 11–
20 68 12° C (52–4° F), although
15 59 the hottest summer days
can be over 30° C (96° F).
10 50 London and the South
East are only marginally
5 41 cooler, while both areas
experience their coldest
0 32
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec spells in February.
Public Holidays
New Year’s Day (1 Jan).
Easter weekend (Mar
or Apr) begins on Good
Friday and ends on
Easter Monday.
May Day (usually first
Mon in May).
Late Spring Bank Holiday
(last Mon in May).
August Bank Holiday
(last Mon in Aug).
Christmas and Boxing
Day (25 and 26 Dec).
Choirboys singing carols at Westminster Abbey, London
February
December Chinese New Year (late Jan or
Winter Rochester’s Dickensian early Feb), Chinatown, London.
Brightly coloured fairy lights Christmas (first weekend), Kent. Colourful parades, performances
and Christmas trees The town where Charles Dickens and fireworks mark the start of
decorate town centres spent his last years hosts cos- the Chinese New Year.
across southern England tumed processions, carol Purbeck Literary Festival
as shoppers rush to singing and readings in (mid-Feb), Wareham, Dorset.
buy their seasonal honour of the author. Workshops, readings, talks and
gifts. Carol services Burning of the Clocks other events celebrate the
are held in churches (21 Dec), Brighton, region’s literary heritage.
and cathedrals Sussex. Beautiful Hurling the Silver Ball (Shrove
across the region, lantern parades and Tue and the second Sat after),
and pantomime, spectacular fireworks St Columb Major, Cornwall. An
a traditional enter- celebrate the ancient game in which two
tainment for children winter solstice. teams attempt to carry a silver
deriving from the ball to goals 3 km (2 miles) apart.
Victorian music January
hall, fills theatres London New
in major towns. Year’s Day Parade
In some coastal (1 Jan), central
towns, hardy A costumed couple London. A grand
swimmers brave the sea at Rochester’s midday parade
for a Christmas Day swim, Dickensian Christmas through central
while many sporting London, beginning
events, notably horse racing and at Piccadilly Circus.
football, take place on Boxing Apple Wassailing (early Jan),
Day. Most offices close between mainly Devon, Somerset and
Christmas and the New Year, Kent. The ancient custom of
but many shops reopen for the singing to apple trees and
January sales on 26 December – drinking their health is meant Traditional lanterns decorating the streets
a paradise for bargain-hunters. to ensure a good harvest. in Chinatown during Chinese New Year

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