(upbeat Christmas music)
- Hi, we're Joel and Lia.
- And welcome back to Vlogmas.
Today's video is about dating.
It's basically where to take a date in London.
If you're going on one.
- Yeah, especially at Christmas time.
- So Christmas time (laughing)
is the time to sort of like get cozy, get a bit romantic.
- Everyone gets a bit lonely because everyone's cold.
- Everyone's like I wish I had someone to cuddle up to.
- I know, you wanna eat carbs,
you just wanna do all the naughty things.
- Yeah, I remember when I was working as an elf,
at a grotto, I decided to download Tinder.
- Wow! - Wow!
- What a mistake.
- What a mistake, that was.
- What a mistake, wow.
We're gonna talk through some locations;
Just talk a little bit about dating in London,
and yeah, then enjoy.
Hopefully you'll get inspired by this video,
and hopefully you'll take someone on a date somewhere.
- Yeah, and even if you're not dating in London,
you might just find it interesting in the different places
that people do go on dates in London.
You can just live vicariously through what we're saying.
- Yeah, or just go there with a friend,
Just take-- - Yeah.
- Just go there, but it doesn't have to be a date, does it?
- I just mean the people that can't come to London
or watching from America.
- Oh yeah. - Just enjoy.
Just enjoy, sit back, kick back and enjoy, enjoy the b-roll.
So I think the first obvious one that I would say,
at Christmastime, is ice-skating.
It's a great, I think first date.
It's a great second date, or third date--
- It really is.
- Or a millionth date.
It's just a good all around date.
- I don't know if it'd be good first date just because,
first date you're kind of like
getting to know each other really quickly.
So maybe you'd go for like a drink.
- Yeah.
- But if you were like, this is going,
this seems to be going well;
Second date, something more fun,
something that's not like dinner,
something that's not drink.
- But it just depends cause some people
hate to sit down and chat, they hate the pressure
of sitting opposite someone,
and the pressure of conversation and the pressure of that.
- So true.
So some people will like the distraction
of having an activity to do
so that the pressure isn't too much.
- Yeah, but--
- But I'm with you, I prefer just to sit down, chat,
decide if you like it each other.
- Joel, you like a FaceTime.
- Yeah.
- You don't even meet, you don't even leave your house,
you're like the first date must be a FaceTime initiation--
- Yeah.
- It's a screening, it's a screening.
- It's a prescreening, and not many people get past that.
- Not many, literally warning, warning,
a handful get through. - Yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
- It's tough, It's tough dating--
- It's tough to date me.
- It's really. - It's really tough.
- I'm a psychopath.
- Form an orderly queue.
(both laughs)
- I thought when I would start,
because I've only just recently started dating.
I thought I would be really cool, I'm a psycho.
- Cool as a cat.
- Nuh-uh, that aint so.
But there are really nice places to ice skate.
So Somerset House,
is probably one of the nicest ones I'd say.
- [Lia] It's definitely the nicest outdoor,
like it's so picturesque.
- [Joel] Yeah.
- [Lia] You've got,
ice skating at Ally Pally,
and you know some lovely views.
Ally Pally is Alexandra palace.
- [Joel] Yeah.
- [Lia] Which is up in, like you can get there
from a bus ride away from Wood Green.
- [Joel] Yeah.
- [Lia] So if you're based in North London,
you could check that out.
- Definitely there's one outside the Natural History Museum
so in South Kensington. - [Lia] That one's good.
- [Joel] It's a really nice one
with the Christmas tree in the middle.
- [Lia] That's a really good one.
- [Joel] It's really nice, isn't it?
- [Lia] I think it's a little bit cheaper
than skating at Somerset House.
- Okay.
- Somerset House gets booked up like really quickly
and that's on the South Bank.
- A good thing with the South Kensington one,
you want to go to the museums then it means you
can do museums and then go ice skating.
Like they're all in the same area.
- And that's a full-on date.
Like imagine if you have the whole day to fill.
Like, say you had a whole Saturday, and you were like,
okay we'll do Museum and ice skating.
- Yeah.
- That's like, that take's a lot of time.
- So hopefully, by that stage, you'll have done
the pre-screening FaceTime,
the first date, - The first drinks.
- And then the first drinks and then--
- And then something fun.
- Yeah but not too many drink on the ice.
- And it is important, isn't it?
I think we're dating to mix it up, so like,
first date this, and then you might do dinner.
Then it's important that you do something
that completely different from all of that.
But, you don't really want to go to the cinema,
because you're like how much am I going
to get to know someone by just watching a film with them.
That's kind of like, maybe like, later on.
When you're just like, comfortable in that person's presence
but your just happy to just watch your film with them.
- There are also ice skating, at Winter Wonderland,
which is in Hyde Park, so that's a really good one.
It's really pretty, the way they do that,
another Christmas tree in the middle.
The vibe is just really chilled,
at nighttime I would advise.
- Wait, there's so many kids though.
- Yeah but that's why if you go late at night,
then there might be less. - They've gone home.
Yeah, that's true.
- But yeah, I think those
are the main ice skating in London.
- Yeah, that's the only ones we can think of.
- Yeah
- Oh obviously, you've also got indoor ice skating
in Westfield.
- Yeah, sure.
- A shopping center, so if you wanted to
do a spot of shopping, as well as ice skating,
you can do that.
They've also got a Christmas grotto.
- Yeah.
- I know the Christmas grotto is aimed
at children and families,
but isn't that actually quite fun to take a date,
just go and take them
to go see a Santa-- - To go see Father Christmas.
- Sit on Father Christmas's lap and tell them
what they want for Christmas,
and then have a photo shoot with the elves
and Father Christmas. - That is really funny.
- It's just really just for comedy value,
like do funny stuff on dates, that people will be like,
actually, that was quite fun.
I wouldn't have done that with anyone else.
- No. - So yeah.
- Very good.
Another one that I really like is these igloos,
or these pods that you see popping up
on Southbank. - Seen these.
- I think they do them a place called Copper in Tower Hill,
but the Copper is sort of dotted all over London.
I know they have them there;
these little like igloos or pods that you sit in.
They've got a table, you go with a group of friends
and there's a heater in there, there's music.
You just have a meal inside a pot.
- So that's quite good like,
maybe if you were thinking,
okay it's date three or four now.
I want to do a double date maybe.
- Yeah - Take some other friends.
Pick out this pod and like make it a social evening.
Make it a whole thing.
- I'd say that's got to be like a
fifth, sixth or seventh date. - Fifth or sixth.
- Not before a fifth.
- Because it's too overwhelming,
to meet all the friends and stuff.
Yeah you're right. - Absolutely.
I'm right. - You're right.
So around Christmas time you're gonna get loads
of pop ups in London that are like either,
mulled wine or like mulled cider, hot cider.
Basically, you'll get some like outdoorsy kind of like,
festival vibes.
There's a really cool place above The Queen of Hoxton,
called Woodlandia.
It just looks really festive like, it looks like
somewhere inside a lapland igloo, I don't know.
I just looks really cool.
- It's very East London.
- It's very East London, its very trendy.
- Yeah.
- So it's quite like low-stakes chilled bar.
You know, this is just if you don't want to go to like
a pub. - Yeah.
- It's just something different.
- Linked on from that is the Christmas market.
So, Southbank have a Christmas market.
There's one in Leicester Square as well that's quite small
but it's a really nice one.
- Oh yeah, the one with the red carpet
- Yeah.
- So to honor like the home of film premieres,
the red carpet is all out at the Christmas market
in Leicester Square, which I think is quite cool.
- Yeah, so that's a nice thing to have a little stroll.
- Yeah.
- You can, you know, just get some mulled wine.
You can just be looking at things.
- You know like, I think it's really easy to forget
when you're dating, that actually the person you're dating
just wants hang out with you.
They don't really care what you're doing.
- No.
- No one really, really cares.
They're just kinda like, I just want to see this person,
get to know this person and whatever we happen to be doing,
it's just a vehicle in order to spend time with that person.
So like, it's so easy to stress about,
where are we gonna go, what are we gonna do.
There's no harm in just like, let's just go for a walk.
A walk, like London is beautiful.
Why not go for a lovely walk?
Plan it so that you make sure you get
one of the beautiful bridges in there.
Get Embankment Bridge in, finish on the Southbank.
Up and down like, maybe stop somewhere like, spontaneously.
- Because it's so easy to just get in the pattern
of just going for food or going to the cinema,
and that's kind of it, or going for drinks.
It's always about consuming stuff
and it gets the stage where you just like,
I'm bit bored of just constantly eating.
- Yeah.
- I'm like, so it's nice to mix it up.
Go for a walk or--
- Like the ice skating
and stuff. - Like the ice skating.
That's what Christmas is a great time to date,
because when would you go ice-skating normally.
- Yeah, that's true.
- Other than that like, there's bowling and stuff,
but I find that a bit cringe.
- Oh I love bowling.
- I love bowling, but the thought of going bowling
as a date, I find that, my preconception is
that it's like I'm a teenager dating in America.
I'm like, I'm an American teen, we're going bowling--
- We're going bowling. - For a date.
- That's so funny.
- I mean I love bowling,
but I just wouldn't take--
- A date. - A date I like.
Unless you, if you're in a couple I would,
but I wouldn't take a date there.
- Yeah.
- As in like first, second, third, fourth date.
- I agree.
Otherwise I would've done that, and I haven't.
- [Joel] Imagine doing Laser Quest on a date.
Hey were going--
Hi, second date, cool.
We're going to Laser Quest - Laser Quest?
- We're gonna run around with guns.
- So I've booked us Laser Quest.
- Bang, bang.
Pew, pew, pew, pew. - Bang, bang, bang, bang.
- Oh my gosh, awful.
- That would be so funny.
What's the worst possible date you could think of?
So say Laser Quest is quite good up there, Joel.
I'd say like, bingo.
- I want to go bingo.
I want to go bingo so bad.
- I wanna take you to bingo, Joel.
We're gonna go to a bingo hall.
- Yeah, we're gonna go bingo.
- And we're gonna win bingo.
Your wish is my command.
- I want to do it so bad.
- I will take you to bingo.
We will vlog it.
Behind the scenes on a Joel and Lia day off.
- I've heard it gets vicious with all the old ladies there
that are like--
- It's empty now, bingo halls are empty.
They've lost like,
a lot of business. - Sad.
You've said on this, on our little scripts,
second date vibes cocktail bar on rooftop of Selfridges.
- Did I write that?
- Yeah.
- Rooftop of Selfridges? - Or John Lewis.
- Ahh.
Ohh, no I think I meant there's this really cool chalet,
like apres ski style bar on top of Selfridges.
It looks incredible.
There's a picture of it there.
- [Joel] Okay
- [Lia] It just looks so cozy and fun like,
you can get hot chocolate style cocktails.
So, you can get like boozy hot chocolates
and it just looks so cool.
- I just remembered, I once went on a date
to an ice bar in London.
- (gasps) Ice bar!
- It was so cool.
You get like you only get like 15 or 20 minutes
in the ice bar but you go for drinks beforehand,
and then you get your tickets,
and then you go in and you get given a massive poncho,
and you get like one or, no, two free drinks.
You go in, it's ice everywhere.
Ice seats, ice statues, an ice bar, ice glasses
and you can choose your cocktails.
They make you cocktails, and you're drinking out of ice.
It's so cool. - Do you hold it like--
- You've got gloves on?
- Yeah so, attached to the poncho
there's like two big bits of string
and they've got gloves in there.
- That's cool.
- It's really cool, and it's a really cool little fun date.
Again because you get time to like, chat,
but you're inspired by your surroundings.
So instead of just going to the bar and being like,
what do we talk about.
You've automatically got stuff to talk about
because you're like,
this is cool. - [Unison] Everything's ice.
That is actually quite festive, as well.
- Then you're like cold and you're like, hold me.
- Hold me.
(laughing)
- This is a really good opportunity to touch each.
Hold me in the cold.
- Hold me, except it's really busy in there
and like, yeah.
- Is it like a bit of a queue system like,
get them in get them out, or is it like--
- Yeah, no, it's not it's not super packed
but there is a lot of people in there,
and you can just get chatting to other people, as well.
- Yeah, go there.
Get it for the Instagram guys.
- It is quite expensive, but it's a fun date.
- You know actually,
London's got some really, really cool cinemas.
You can go and get like, more cozy,
say at like the electric cinema in Notting Hill,
which looks a bit like this.
It's just something different,
and you get like food, drink.
I know that probably sounds very normal
to like lots of Americans but like,
just like, there's like, waiters that come into the room.
You've got like really big comfy seats,
and that just makes the cinema experience
a bit more special.
- Yeah.
- If you were gonna do that for a date, maybe.
- Yeah, and I like cinema because, you're right,
it can't be an early date but it's just nice to have
that unspoken vibe between you where you're just like,
watching a film.
- Yeah.
- Then maybe your hands like, go across.
Maybe you start holding hands, or maybe you don't.
- Maybe it's a scary bit and your like--
- Yeah. - Something like that.
- Like that, good acting.
Or me when I get scared in the cinema with you
and I'm like--
(panting and groaning)
- Maybe.
- Literally me and you in the cinema
when we get scared together.
So we get the giggles.
We have to just like, not look at each other.
So funny - Yeah.
- And we find things funny that other people
don't. - Don't find funny.
- Just like, characters that we find hysterical.
- They'll just say like one word,
and that will crack us up.
People will look over and be like,
what was funny about that.
- And we're like - We're just like,
just the way she said fish was so funny.
(laughing)
- It was the best part. - Say it again.
Say it again.
- Ohh, anyway guys, that's our bit about dating
at Christmastime, in London.
- If you enjoy, we normally post videos thrice weekly,
but the moment we're in the middle of Vlogmas
which means a video every day until Christmas Eve.
- So, if you did like the video
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- Yeah exactly, so you wanna be in it.
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- Yeah, hope you enjoyed.
Let us know if you've been on any dates.
What you think is a good date idea,
and what you think of our versions of a good date.
- Yeah, we haven't even said where to go for dinner.
That's another video. - That's another video.
- It's always a bit obvious, isn't it?
- Yeah.
- Alright guys, see you soon.
- See you soon.
Bye! - Bye!
♪ Oh Oh Oh ♪
♪ La Da Da Da ♪
♪ Oh Oh Oh ♪
♪ La Da Da Da ♪
♪ Oh Oh Oh ♪
♪ La Da Da Da ♪
♪ Makin' our Christmas memories ♪
♪ I've been workin' so much lately ♪
♪ I can barely find the time to sleep ♪