London Zoo trip July 2026

Photofold Trip to London Zoo – 3 July 2026

Eleven club members, accompanied by one partner, enjoyed a day of photography at London Zoo on 3 July. Travelling by train from Billericay, we continued by Underground to Great Portland Street before taking a pleasant one-mile walk through Regent's Park, arriving at the zoo shortly after 11.00 am.

We were particularly fortunate with our timing. The trip had originally been planned for the previous week, when London experienced record temperatures of 37°C. Under those conditions, both the photographers and the animals would almost certainly have found the day rather less enjoyable.

After entering the zoo, we split into smaller groups to explore its 36 acres at our own pace. Throughout the day, members photographed an impressive variety of wildlife, including butterflies, gorillas, monkeys, meerkats, fish, birds, frogs, snakes, sloths, otters and the ever-popular big cats. As is often the case in wildlife photography, success required patience and perseverance. Shy subjects, warm weather, enclosure fencing and crowds all presented their own challenges. Whether we managed to overcome them is something you can judge for yourself from the competition entries.

At 1.30 pm, everyone welcomed the opportunity to cool down over lunch at The Terrace Restaurant. Conversation naturally centred on the morning's discoveries, with plenty of recommendations for exhibits others might have missed. Refreshed, we headed back out to explore more of the zoo before gradually making our separate journeys home during the afternoon.

Not everyone headed directly back, however. Two particularly enthusiastic members made a detour to St Katharine Docks in the hope of photographing a replica Spanish galleon. Sadly, the reality failed to match expectations. The "galleon" turned out to be a relatively small wooden vessel, painted black and moored in deep shade—hardly the dramatic photographic opportunity they had anticipated. Still, every outing has its surprises, and you can't win them all.

Steve Stringer