Rainbow Wishing Trees

What to expect

BBC Local radio listeners around the UK have submitted their hopes, ideals and dreams for the future and their uplifting messages will be shared on colourful ribbons on ‘wishing trees’ at eight amazing London tourism hotspots for a week in June as part of the Festival of Hope.

Organised by the London Tourism Cooperative to promote visits across London, the trees - each representing a colour of the rainbow. The eight locations across London will be transformed with ribbons sharing people’s messages hung on wishing trees.

The locations are:
Battersea Power Station
Greenwich Peninsula
Horniman Museum
Kensington Palace
Marble Hill House
Strawberry Hill House
WWT London Wetland Centre
Windsor town centre – just 42 minutes from London Paddington

The idea behind this delightful initiative is based on a tradition in Japan called Tanabata. One of the Tanabata customs is to write one's wishes on a piece of paper and hang that piece of paper on a specially erected bamboo tree, in the hope that the wishes become true.

For more details of the wishing trees, please see Facebook.com/TourismCoOp

How to get there

Getting into London is easy. Trains run to London Paddington from across the South West and Wales.

Things to see and do in London

With so much to do in London, why not make a weekend of it. The city is constantly changing, meaning there’s almost always something new to see or do, with pop-up galleries and exhibitions springing up all the time. Make sure you don't miss the historical attractions and UNESCO World Heritage Sites too, like the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Palace of Westminster, and Maritime Greenwich.

If nightlife or shopping are more your thing, London won’t disappoint. London's music scene and heritage is truly spectacular. There are hundreds of live music venues, covering almost every genre imaginable. Equally, in London you can truly shop till you drop. From the high street of Oxford Street to the street markets of Camden, Portobello Road and Brick Lane there’s something for everyone.

Find out more about London and plan your trip.