Betty

We're staying in the Russell tube area and would enjoy going on a pub crawl or guided evening crawl in London. We're two middle aged women, so we'd like one that isn't geared to very young party types. My friend doesn't drink, so any suggestions on what she could order would also be appreciated. Thank you for your help.

ron

Any of the Original London Walks (OLW)guided walks would meet your requirements. They attract middle-aged tourists, not young party types --- why would party types waste £5, the equivalent of two pints of beer, on a guided walking fee? Pubs serve soft drinks and coffee for your friend. OLW does a Bloomsbury Walk that visits The Lamb, The Rugby and The Museum Tavern. Not my favourite, but a pretty good walk.

Betty

I forgot to add that the pubs must also be nonsmoking and that only music approved by my particular Southern Baptist movement may be played over the PA system.<BR><BR>ps. My friend's knees are arthritic so crawling is difficult for her.

the

I'm not sure who was trying to be cute by posting under my name (no wonder no one uses their actual address on this site). Thanks for the advice on the OLW. We're not prudes by any means. My friend used to drink, but she gets such horrible migranes now that she gave it up. That doesn't mean that she's against partaking in the fun of pubs. And my music collection is closer to jazz and zydeco rather than Southern Baptist.<BR><BR>Thanks for any other suggestions. We can't wait to get there later this month!

Mary

I'm also a middle aged woman, and have traveled to London solo lots of times - and stay near Russell Square. Any of the Original London Walks pub walks would be great for you. The closest of course is the Bloomsbury one. I also enjoyed the "Along the Thames Pub Walk". These walks only last about 2 hours, and you visit about 3 pubs, so not a long time in any, and the groups are mostly middle-aged types. However, I will say that you will feel old in the pubs themselves! They are all noisy,smoke-filled and crowded with very young people! After a couple of the pub walks, I preferred the other nighttime walks, of which there are quite a few, and fun. You might want to look at the London Walks website at www.london.walks.com - before you go, just to get an idea. Their guides are terrific.

stacy

The OLW walks are all great, but if you happen to be wandering around on your own, there is a web site that lists some of the interesting historical pubs: <BR>http://www.pubs.com/<BR><BR>(We've been working our way through the list for a couple of years now. ) Two fun ones to see in your area are the Princess Louise and the Cittie of Yorke. Finding something to drink is not a problem - pubs all have pretty standard soft drinks, and many serve coffee or tea (at least during the day).