October - December
The low season kicks in across the country by the middle of October. As daylight hours become fewer and fewer, attraction hours will be shortened, usually beginning in the month of October. Also at this time, sights in the countryside may close entirely for the winter. Prices for accommodations and travel will retreat and will hit yearly lows in the month of December, except in London, and for the weeks around Christmas and New Year`s. The rainy season will begin across most of the country in October and precipitation chances will be at their highest in November and December. The first frost, on average, reaches the north of England in the third week of November and the south of England in the last week of November. Snow is not unheard of in the month of December.
The North of England will see highs retreat from an average in the mid-50s in October to the mid-40s in December, with lows cooling from the mid-40s in October to the mid-30s in December. Birmingham`s October highs average in the upper 50s, and by December the city sees maximum temperatures in the mid-40s. Lows start out in the mid-40s in October, cooling to the mid-30s by the end of December. London`s highs routinely top 60 degrees in October, but by the end of December, temperatures during the day will only average in the upper 40s. Lows retreat from an average of 50 in October to 40 in December. Similar conditions can be found in Bristol, with Bristol cooler than London by approximately 2-3 degrees on average. South West England in particular will see heavy rains the final three months of the year.
Holidays and Festivals:
Mid-October - BFI London Film Festival, a film festival screening over 300 films over the span of two weeks, organized by the British Film Institute.
Late October - Great South Run, a 10-mile run through the streets of Portsmouth.
October 31 - Halloween. Originally a pagan festival native to England, Halloween nowadays is celebrated similarly to the United States, with children dressing up and requesting a trick or a treat.
November 5 - Guy Fawkes Night, commemorating the failed Gunpowder Plot bungled by Guy Fawkes on this day in the year 1605. The night is celebrated with fireworks, bonfires, and effigy-burning of Guy Fawkes.
Second Saturday in November - Lord Mayor`s Show, London. Traditional pageants are held in the City of London, including elaborate and ornate horse-drawn coach parades, and fireworks shows.
November 11 - Remembrance Sunday, honoring the English servicemen and women who participated in the two World Wars and later conflicts. Two minutes of silence are observed nationwide at 11:00, people wear poppies on lapels, and the Royal Family lays wreaths at The Cenotaph on Whitehall in London to honor the casualties England suffered in World War I.
Third Saturday in November - Glastonbury Carnival, one of the largest illuminated parades in England, a local tradition in Glastonbury which stretches back over 160 years.
Late November to early December - Christmas festivals across Britain. York's St. Nicholas Fayre and Keswick's Victorian Fayre come highly-recommended.
December 24 - Christmas Eve (some closures)
December 25 - Christmas. Public holiday in England.
December 26 - Boxing Day. Many shops open early and offer deep discounts, similar to Black Friday sales in the United States. Public holiday in England.
December 27 or 28 - Observed holiday for Christmas if Christmas falls on a weekend. If Christmas falls on a Saturday, the holiday is publicly observed December 28. If Christmas falls on a Sunday, the holiday is publicly observed December 27. Public holiday in England.
December 31 - New Year`s Eve (some closures)
