Going to London in February and have three very specific questions:

1) I would like to see an evening concert at St. Martin in the Fields on either Friday, Feb. 23 or Sat. Feb. 24. I don't want to book online because I'm not sure what I'm doing those days (meeting friends, etc.) Is it usually OK to buy tickets a day or two ahead of time, or is this taking a chance?

2) Does anyone know of any good used bookstores specializing in academic books (education, lingustics) - Charing Cross Rd area, or elsewhere?

3) Anyone have a favourite Korean restaurant? I love Korean, and would like to try a great place in London. I've read reviews on London-Eating and Time Out websites, but nothing stands out above the rest. Any personal recommendations?

Thanks so much in advance!!

These are tourist-oriented concerts that do not attract the interest of London classical music lovers. Tickets will be available right up to the time of the concerts.

I hope you get help with the other two questions.

At St. Martin-in-the-Fields you should have no trouble getting tickets for a concert.

London's awash with good second hand bookshops, many of which have a bias towards academic titles. However, I don't notice much on education or linguistics in my usual haunts, and - odd though it might sound - you might not find anywhere meeting your needs in London these days. But I defy anyone to go into Judd St Books (which, it probably won't surprise you to read, isn't in Judd St, but Marchmont St) without buying something.

The boom in second hand book sales on the internet and soaring retail property values have rather undermined Charing Cross Rd's second hand book industry, and there may be richer pickings scattered round Bloomsbury these days. The commentaries at www.tiny.cc/KzxLC might save you unnecessary shoe leather.

London's best Korean restaurants are all now in New Malden, where Asadal and You Me get most raves. In the centre, of the places in the traditional micro Korean cluster round St Giles High St, Woo Jung gets the best reviews.

Thank you! Flanner, these are some great suggestions to look into.

Fore Korean, Kim Chee in Golders Green or if you are in central London Asadal (Holborn)
227 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7DA Map
Telephone: 0871 0755841
Cuisine: Korean

www.londontown.com iss a great tourist info website for events.

also, there is "lunchbox theater" going on near fleet street ,and not sure of other places, offering a short version of operas and plays for those who do not have the 3-4 hours to spend at those events, or who just want a taste.

Macbeth was on when we were there but we couldn´t get over there on time.

Waterstones in Bloomsbury (near UCL) also sell second hand text books etc. They're alongside the new ones.

Also the universities have book fairs - enquire with the relevant institution (ie UCH, UCL, Birkbeck, LSE etc)

I'd go with the Waterstones in Gower St, since it's the "home" bookshop for the Institute of Education, SOAS and UCL, which should cover a fair bit of the subjects you're particularly interested in.