It’s cold, it's wet – what can I do in Hillingdon?

With restaurants, sports centres, shops and theatres there are many things to do in Hillingdon when the weather is inclement.  Uxbridge is home to two covered shopping centres: The Mall has a mix of High Street retailers and independent shops, together with a covered market, a weekly craft market and a monthly collectible market; The Chimes has High Street retailers and is also home to the Odeon cinema complex - see the latest listings here>>.  All the other High Streets throughout the borough have a diverse range of independent shops, which are well worth braving the weather to visit for personal service and to find items that little bit different from usual.  Both shopping centres and all the High Streets have tea and coffee shops, and there are many nearby restaurants in which to enjoy a meal after shopping or to visit in the evening.

There are several sports centres and swimming pools in Hillingdon, with a brand new Olympic size pool just outside Uxbridge.  This centre also has a gym and other facilities, plus an outside Lido for summer months.  The other swimming pools in the borough also have fitness centres so that everyone can continue to keep fit even when the weather is not good.  There are also many other sports classes to take part in held in church, village and sports halls, with yoga, dancing, martial arts and general fitness classes for both young and old.

All the High Streets in the borough have a diverse range of restaurants, from family friendly, to restaurants for a romantic dinner, all serving a vast range of cuisine.  There are also many pubs, coffee and tea shops to stop for lunch or to meet friends over a drink.

There are three theatres in Hillingdon hosting a variety of shows, music events, plays, amateur dramatic shows, comedians and other events throughout the year.

In addition, there are many amateur choirs, bands and other groups who meet regularly and rehearse and put on performances during the year.  There are also many adult education courses throughout the borough held in theatres, adult education centres and libraries, where you can learn a new skill or more academic subjects.  To find out what events are on at the moment click here>>.

Throughout the borough, many of the libraries have been refurbished and are open for longer hours.  With many computers to give users internet access, coffee shops and relaxing chairs, users can relax out of the coldin their local library and read a book or surf the internet.

Hillingdon has many diverse things to do and see, whatever the weather and whatever your interests, so when the weather is bad there is no excuse for not venturing out to meet friends over a meal or drink, potter around the local shops, get fit at a local sports centre, enjoy a show, or extend your knowledge at a class or at a local library, and what's even better many of these can be done at no, or little cost!