Repeat trip to London: looking for nontraditional things to do
Jan 30th, 2009, 05:10 AM
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Repeat trip to London: looking for nontraditional things to do
We are soon to go to England for what must be about the eighth time over the years. We will be there for about ten days and, aside from a weekend in York, where we've never been, we will be in London, where our son is a student.
We will definitely return to some favorite places: National Gallery, Portrait Gallery, Tate, British Museum. But we're also looking to find some interesting places that are a bit off the beaten track: small museums, good walks, easy day trips, etc.
We will be there in late Feb./early March so must be prepared for off-season hours and inclement weather.
Also, we'd be eager to have recommendations for theater (not the big blockbuster musicals, though we may see Billy Elliott), and for reasonably priced (not nec. cheap) lunches and dinners. We also will need to be getting breakfast, as our hotels don't offer it: our first hotel is in Kensington, and the second one near Euston. Years ago, on the Forum, I learned about the Crypt Cafe in St. Martin in the Fields. It's now a favorite destination, and that's the kind of recommendation I'm looking for.
Many thanks!
We will definitely return to some favorite places: National Gallery, Portrait Gallery, Tate, British Museum. But we're also looking to find some interesting places that are a bit off the beaten track: small museums, good walks, easy day trips, etc.
We will be there in late Feb./early March so must be prepared for off-season hours and inclement weather.
Also, we'd be eager to have recommendations for theater (not the big blockbuster musicals, though we may see Billy Elliott), and for reasonably priced (not nec. cheap) lunches and dinners. We also will need to be getting breakfast, as our hotels don't offer it: our first hotel is in Kensington, and the second one near Euston. Years ago, on the Forum, I learned about the Crypt Cafe in St. Martin in the Fields. It's now a favorite destination, and that's the kind of recommendation I'm looking for.
Many thanks!
Jan 30th, 2009, 05:28 AM
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Go to Little Venice and walk along the canal
London Wetland Centre in Barnes
http://www.visitlondon.com/attractions/detail/7280
The Geffreye Museum http://www.geffrye-museum.org.uk/
Sir John Soan's Museum
http://www.soane.org/
Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green
http://www.vam.ac.uk/moc/index.html
While you are in Bethnal Green and if you like pie and mash, try the Camel
http://www.fancyapint.com/pubs/pub3106.html
It's a pretty little old pub with its original tiling.
The Old Operating Theatre
http://www.thegarret.org.uk/oot.htm
London Wetland Centre in Barnes
http://www.visitlondon.com/attractions/detail/7280
The Geffreye Museum http://www.geffrye-museum.org.uk/
Sir John Soan's Museum
http://www.soane.org/
Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green
http://www.vam.ac.uk/moc/index.html
While you are in Bethnal Green and if you like pie and mash, try the Camel
http://www.fancyapint.com/pubs/pub3106.html
It's a pretty little old pub with its original tiling.
The Old Operating Theatre
http://www.thegarret.org.uk/oot.htm
Jan 30th, 2009, 05:40 AM
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Here are some threads for you to peruse:
<b>favorite non-obvious things in london</b>
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35137235
Compilation of Fodorites' London trip reports:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35162023
Also, Timeout's list of London's 70 best unsung museums
http://www.timeout.com/london/museum...es/1496/1.html
Other museums and galleries and historic houses I can think of:
Wellcome Museum
Old Operating Theatre
Imperial War Museum
Hunterian Museum
John Soane's Museum
Dr. Johnson's House
Wallace Collection
William Morris Gallery
Saatchi Gallery
Apsley House
Eltham Palace
Geffrye Museum
Kenwood House
Spencer House (open on Sun only)
Dennis Severs House
Sutton House
Fenton House
I also enjoyed walking around Inns of Court.
I have been to *most* of the places listed above. If you have questions for any particular one, let me know.
For walks, you can join London Walks for their tours, or you can DIY with printouts from this
http://www.londontoolkit.com/walks/london_walks.htm
BTW, if you like art and museums, I HIGHLY recommend the BLUE GUIDE to London's Museums and Galleries. It is wonderful.
Oh, I few more places I haven't been but will try to get to next time:
London Transport Museum
Repeat visit to V&A
Museum of Docklands
If you've never been to borough market, you should also pay a visit there.
<b>favorite non-obvious things in london</b>
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35137235
Compilation of Fodorites' London trip reports:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35162023
Also, Timeout's list of London's 70 best unsung museums
http://www.timeout.com/london/museum...es/1496/1.html
Other museums and galleries and historic houses I can think of:
Wellcome Museum
Old Operating Theatre
Imperial War Museum
Hunterian Museum
John Soane's Museum
Dr. Johnson's House
Wallace Collection
William Morris Gallery
Saatchi Gallery
Apsley House
Eltham Palace
Geffrye Museum
Kenwood House
Spencer House (open on Sun only)
Dennis Severs House
Sutton House
Fenton House
I also enjoyed walking around Inns of Court.
I have been to *most* of the places listed above. If you have questions for any particular one, let me know.
For walks, you can join London Walks for their tours, or you can DIY with printouts from this
http://www.londontoolkit.com/walks/london_walks.htm
BTW, if you like art and museums, I HIGHLY recommend the BLUE GUIDE to London's Museums and Galleries. It is wonderful.
Oh, I few more places I haven't been but will try to get to next time:
London Transport Museum
Repeat visit to V&A
Museum of Docklands
If you've never been to borough market, you should also pay a visit there.
Jan 30th, 2009, 05:56 AM
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My Hubby Bikerscott compiled this list for us:
Get classical in a crypt
Listen to classical music by candlelight at St Martin-in-the-Fields (Thursdays to Saturdays, and alternate Tuesdays, 7.30pm). The evening performances are worth the entry fee; lunchtime recitals are free.
St Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square, WC2 (020 7766 1100/www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org). Charing Cross tube/rail.
Get instant karma
Visit the beautiful Kyoto Gardens in Holland Park. The bridge at the foot of a waterfall is one of the city’s most peaceful spots.
Holland Park tube
Moonwalk
This night-time walk in early summer is a great way to see a different side of the city – by moonlight – while raising money for charity.
www.walkthewalk.org
Fly a kite on the Heath
On the top of Parliament Hill, or the large open area towards the swimming pool. But watch your step.
Hampstead tube/Hampstead Heath rail
Row on the Serpentine
Rent one of the 110 boats and pedalos (available from March to October) and have fun messing about on the oldest boating lake in the capital.
Hyde Park Corner tube
Catch the Bard on grass
The open-air theatre in Regent’s Park is perfect for summery Shakespeare romps. They tend to be popular so book well in advance.
Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park, NW1 (www.openairtheatre.org). Baker St tube.
Be a groundling at the Globe
Stay on your feet and catch a historically authentic performance in the reconstructed theatre; the original burned down in 1613. Plays take place from May until September.
Shakespeare’s Globe, 21 New Globe Walk, SE1 (020 7401 9919/www.shakespeares-globe.org) London Bridge tube/rail.
Share a bottle with a lover
Hide away in the furthest recesses of Gordon’s, a crumbling candlelit warren of a drinking den.
Gordon’s Wine Bar, 47 Villier’s St, WC2 (020 7930 1408/www.gordonswinebar.com). Embankment tube.
Watch the Great River Race
This annual race takes place in September on the Thames along a 22-mile course from Ham House in Richmond to Greenwich, and features more than 260 ‘traditional’ boats, from Chinese dragon boats to Viking longboats. Less po-faced than the Oxbridge race – and much more colourful.
www.greatriverrace.co.uk
Chuckle at cartoons
At the Cartoon Museum in Bloomsbury, visitors can’t help but laugh out loud at works by artists from Hogarth and Gillray to Thelwell, Steadman and Matt.
Cartoon Museum, 35 Little Russell St, WC1 (020 7580 8155/www.cartooncentre.com). Tottenham Court Rd tube.
Scratch your head at Sir John Soane’s
An eclectic and fascinating collection of sculptures, paintings, antiquities, jewellery and other bits and pieces collected by the architect.
Sir John Soane’s Museum, 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, WC2 (020 7405 2107/www.soane.org). Holborn tube.
Get a taste for heights at the Tate
For a free adrenalin rush, press your face against the glass on the fifth floor. Now look down.
Tate Modern, Bankside, SE1 (020 7401 5120/www.tate.org.uk). Blackfriars or Southwark tube.
Buy a bagel from a Golders Green deli
A Golders Green institution, Daniel's offers the usual bagel varities, a range of other breads and a breezily unreconstructed attitude towards its customers.
Daniel’s Bagel Bakery, 12-13 Hallswelle Parade, Finchley Rd, NW11 (020 8455 5826) Golders Green tube.
Eye up the walrus
Sneak down to Forest Hill for what might be (whisper it) London’s best museum – the Horniman. Skeletons, pickled animals, model insects and Egyptian mummies, and the star attraction – an enormous (over-) stuffed walrus. Don’t miss the mesmerising jellyfish in the new aquarium or the Apostles clock chiming at 4pm.
Horniman Museum, 100 London Rd, SE23 (020 8699 1872/www.horniman.ac.uk). Forest Hill rail.
Get a full head of steam
London’s only steam railway; Sundays at Kew Bridge Steam Museum (Mar-Nov).
Kew Bridge Steam Museum, Green Dragon Lane, Brentford, Middx (020 8568 4757/www.kbsm.org). Gunnersbury tube/rail or Kew Bridge rail.
Take afternoon tea
Order cake and a pot for two for an old-fashioned afternoon at The Wolseley, a stunning Piccadilly restaurant, inspired by a grand Viennese café.
The Wolseley, 160 Piccadilly, W1J (020 7499 6996/www.thewolseley.com). Green Park tube.
Check out the city from the crest of Parliament Hill
Best visited at sunrise or sunset.
Hampstead tube/Hampstead Heath rail
Read in the shadow of the King George collection
This towering black storage facility in the British Library houses its priciest tomes and overlooks the tranquil entrance hall and the attractive – if pricey – café.
British Library, 96 Euston Rd, NW1 (0870 444 1500/www.bl.uk). King’s Cross tube/rail.
Take a dip on the Heath
For those who like their swimming bracing.
Hampstead Heath Ponds, Hampstead Heath, NW5 (020 7485 4491). Hampstead tube/Hampstead Heath rail.
Discover the glorious Chelsea Physic Garden
A true secret garden in the city; public opening hours are restricted.
Chelsea Physic Garden, 66 Royal Hospital Rd, SW3 (0207376 3910/ www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk). Sloane Square tube.
Eat Vietnamese in Hackney
The long-standing Huong-Viet seems to get better and better with age.
Huong-Viet, An Viet House, 12-14 Englefield Rd, N1 (020 7249 0877/www.huongviet.co.uk) 67, 149, 236, 242, 243 bus.
Witness the drama of a big case at the Old Bailey
The public is welcome to visit; a notice by the front door gives details of forthcoming trials.
Central Criminal Court, Corner of Newgate St & Old Bailey, EC4 (020 7248 3277/www.oldbaileyonline.org). St Paul’s tube.
Indulge in Afternoon Tease
What could be better than a Saturday spent thrilling your senses with scones, clotted cream, cucumber sandwiches, aromatic infusions, pink bubbles and dollops of cabaret? Held fortnightly in the bewitching Volupte Lounge, this regular session has a faithful following.
Volupté, 9 Norwich St, EC4A 1EJ (020 7831 1677/www.volupte-lounge.com). Chancery Lane tube.
Celebrate the Chinese New Year in Chinatown
Lion and dragon teams perform traditional dances and there are, of course, fireworks displays (at lunchtime and 5pm). It all takes place in late January/early February.
Gerrard St, W1. Leicester Square tube
Play chess in a pub
The London equivalent of an alfresco game in New York’s Central Park. The Harrison in King’s Cross has plenty of boards, and punters are welcome to organise their own games and leagues.
The Harrison, 28 Harrison St, WC1 (020 7916 3113). King’s Cross tube/rail.
Get up early for Billingsgate Market
Buy cheap fish, or just enjoy the foul language. Open Tue-Sat 5-8.30am.
Billingsgate Market, Trafalgar Way, E14 (020 7987 1118/ www.cityoflondon.gov.uk). Poplar DLR.
Laugh at old toys in Pollock’s Toy Museum
Take in tin toys, teddy bears and more.
Pollock’s Toy Museum, 1 Scala St (entrance Whitfield St), W1 (020 7636 3452/www.pollockstoymuseum.com). Goodge St tube.
Land on Eel Pie Island
Or just ponder its place in rock history from a pleasant pub across the river.
The White Swan, Riverside, Twickenham, Middx, TW1 3DX (020 8892 2166). Twickenham rail.
Party on the beach
When the tide goes out, revellers come in. ‘Reclaim the Beach’ parties take place at irregular intervals throughout summer in front of the Royal Festival Hall.
www.swarming.org.uk or email [email protected]
Tuck into pie and mash at M Manze’s
Two pies, a mountain of mash and a lake of liquor for £3.45.
M Manze’s, 87 Tower Bridge Rd, SE1 (020 7407 2985) 1, 42, 188 bus.
Drink all day, with a good excuse
For example, what better justification could there be for a jaunt round Fitzrovia than following in the footsteps of the literary greats (George Orwell, Dylan Thomas, George Bernard Shaw, among others) who frequented these pubs? For further pub crawl details visit www.alpc.co.uk/pcrawl3.htm.
Grafton Arms, 72 Grafton Way, W1 (020 7387 7923); King & Queen, 1 Foley St, W1 (020 7636 5619); The Hope, 15 Tottenham St, W1 (020 7637 0896); One Tun, 58-60 Goodge St, W1 (020 7209 4105); Northumberland Arms, 43 Goodge St, W1 (020 7637 3806); Fitzroy Tavern, 16 Charlotte St, W1 (020 7580 3714). All Goodge St/Tottenham Court Rd tube.
Loaf in a green-and-white deckchair in Green Park
Green Park, W1. Green Park tube.
Yelp at scary Victorian medical instruments
Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret, 9a St Thomas St, SE1 (020 7188 2679/www.thegarret.org.uk). London Bridge tube/rail.
Watch the penguins being fed
At London Zoo, daily 2.30-3pm.
London Zoo, Regent’s Park, NW1 (020 7722 3333/www.zsl.org/london-zoo). Camden Town tube or C2, 274 bus.
Get squeamish at the Hunterian Museum
Plenty of morbid exhibits in here. How about the brain of mathematician Charles Babbage? Or Churchill’s dentures?
Hunterian Museum, Royal College of Surgeons, 35-43 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, WC2 (020 7869 6560/ ww.rcseng.ac.uk/museums). Holborn tube.
Buy Japanese food in Brent
Not so much a shopping centre as a wild day out for lovers of eastern food. The Oriental City complex houses a Japanese confectioner, bakery and supermarket, as well as a pan-Asian food court.
Oriental City, 399 Edgware Rd, NW9 (020 8200 0009). Colindale tube.
Tour Dennis Severs’ House by candlelight
A ‘still life drama’, this house on Folgate Street is decked out to recreate snapshots of life in Spitalfields between 1724 and 1914. The atmospheric candlelit tours on Monday evenings cost £12.
Dennis Severs’ House, 18 Folgate St, E1 (020 7247 4013/ www.dennissevershouse.co.uk). Liverpool St tube/rail.
People-watch from Bar Italia
There are few better spots than a table outside this classic café from which to watch Soho’s weird and wonderful walk, stagger, cartwheel or unicycle by.
Bar Italia, 22 Frith St, W1 (020 7437 4520) Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus or Tottenham Court Rd tube.
Get up close to the deer in Richmond Park
Richmond Park, Richmond, Surrey (www.royalparks.gov.uk). Richmond tube/rail.
Watch a puppet show at the Little Angel Theatre
Founded by John Wright in 1961, this is the only permanent theatre of its kind in London.
Little Angel Theatre, 14 Dagmar Passage, off Cross St, N1 (020 7226 1787/www.littleangeltheatre.com). Angel tube.
Find peace in Battersea Park
Japanese Peace Pagoda, Battersea Park, SW11 (020 8871 7532/www.batterseapark.org). Battersea Park rail.
Browse the National Archives
There’s a thousand years of official government records here. See if they’ve got anything on you. Saturday tours are free.
National Archives, Ruskin Avenue, Richmond, Surrey (020 8876 3444/www.nationalarchives.gov.uk). Kew Gardens tube/rail.
Do the big three east London markets
Spitalfields for clothes, music and jewellery, Colombia Road for flowers, and Brick Lane for all kinds of crazy tat.
Brick Lane Market, E1; Columbia Road Market, E2; Spitalfields Market, E1 (www.visitspitalfields.com). Liverpool St tube/rail for all.
Visit the ‘magnificent seven’ cemeteries
If you can’t manage them all, do Highgate – marked by its dramatic tombs of towering angels, shrouded urns and broken columns.
Highgate Cemetery, Swains Lane, N6 (020 8340 1834/www.highgate-cemetery.org). Archway tube.
Feast on fish and chips
At cabman’s favourite the Fryer’s Delight.
Fryer’s Delight, 19 Theobald’s Rd, WC1 (020 7405 4114). Holborn tube
Treat yourself to oysters and champagne
Bibendum, Michelin House, 81 Fulham Rd, SW3 (020 7581 5817/ www.bibendum.co.uk). South Kensington tube.
Walk with dinosaurs
The world’s first theme park is in Crystal Palace Park. However, because it was built in 1854 before anyone knew what dinosaurs looked like, it’s also the world’s least accurate theme park. Well, maybe not the least accurate.
Crystal Palace Park, Thicket Rd, SE20. Penge West rail.
Do the Monopoly pub crawl
That’s 26 pubs, in order. Don’t expect to collect £200 if you pass Go.
www.monopolypubcrawl.org.uk
Catch a gig at Ronnie Scott’s
Ronnie Scott’s, 47 Frith St, W1 (020 7439 0747/www.ronniescotts.co.uk). Tottenham Court Rd tube.
Order a superior kebab on Green Lanes
Forget those post-pub nasties: kebabs from the Turkish cafés and restaurants on this Manor House-Turnpike Lane stretch are a class apart. Read more on London's best kebabs.
Antepliler, 46 Grand Parade, Green Lanes, N4 (020 8802 5588). Manor House tube.
Do the seasons at Somerset House
Go to a courtyard concert in the summer, skate on the ice rink in the winter.
Somerset House, Strand, WC2 (020 7845 4600/ www.somerset-house.org.uk). Waterloo or Charing Cross tube/rail or Temple tube.
Smash up cars
No, we’re not talking about descending on the car park with a set of keys and a baseball bat. On Sundays, Wimbledon Stadium offers the chance to race bangers around its track. If you’re not keen on actually doing the driving, then you can just sit back and relax while the experts smash their vehicles to pieces.
Wimbledon Stadium, Plough Lane, SW17 0BL, 01252 322 920/ www.spedeworth.net). Tooting Broadway tube/Earlsfield rail/44, 270, 272 bus
Discover London’s city farms
London has a whopping 17 city farms overseen by the Federation of City Farms & Community Gardens. Visit Bella the saddleback pig at Hackney or the riotous goats down on the Surrey Docks Farm. More info here
Get a table at the Ivy
If you’re not an A-lister don’t despair! Call the automated service and listen out for the option ‘for today’s lunch availability, dial 3’. As every luvvie knows, lunch is the only way to do the Ivy.
The Ivy, 1 West Street, WC2 (020 7836 4751/www.the-ivy.co.uk). Leicester Square tube.
Be a nosy neighbour at Open House London
An annual event held around mid September that gives architectural lovers free access to over 500 fascinating buildings all over the capital. An essential experience for the born snooper; see www.openhouselondon.org for exact dates and locations.
Visit the Shree Swaminarayan temple
The gleaming pinnacles and pillars of the Shree Swaminarayan Mandir would be an extraordinary sight anywhere – but rising out of Neasden, they are particularly special. This Hindu temple is the biggest in the Western hemisphere. Some 2,820 tonnes of Bulgarian limestone and 2,000 tonnes of marble from Italy were carved in India by hundreds of craftsmen before being shipped to London and assembled over three years. Dress respectfully to enter.
Shree Swaminarayan Mandir, 105-119 Brentfield Rd, NW10 (020 8965 2651/www.mandir.org).
Try on a bearskin at the Guards Museum
Learn about the glorious history of the Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish and Welsh Guards. At 10.50am every day (from April to August), the Guards line up outside the Museum in preparations for Changing the Guard.
Guards Museum, Wellington Barracks, Birdcage Walk, SW1 (020 7414 3271/ www.theguardsmuseum.com).
Learn to mix a martini
Dirty, naked, smoky, muddy – no, not a hike through a Laotian jungle, but the range of martinis you’ll learn how to mix at masterclasses held at Christopher’s.
Christopher’s American Bar & Grill, 18 Wellington St, WC2 (020 7240 4222/ www.christophersgrill.com). Hour-long session £12.
Spend a penny in the loos at Sketch
A pair of sweeping staircases leading up from the circular bar take you to an entire floor devoted to toilets, in the form of 11 pods.
Sketch, 9 Conduit St, W1 (0870 777 4488).
Dance to vintage American tunes
At the spectacular Rivoli Ballroom.
Rivoli Ballroom, 350 Brockley Rd, SE4 (020 8692 5130/www.jiveparty.com).
Browse the Petrie Museum with a torch
Its aged wooden cabinets are filled with shards of ancient Egyptian pottery, grooming accessories, jewellery and primitive tools. The fact some corners of this small museum are so gloomy that staff offer torches only adds to the fun.
Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, University College London, Malet Place, WC1 (7679 2884/www.petrie.ucl.ac.uk).
Shop for vintage phones at Radio Days
The choice of reconditioned retro radios at this vintage favourite is pretty good, but it’s only one facet of a laidback and reasonably priced emporium. Old-fashioned phones are a highlight, with lots of Bakelite beauties dating from the 1930s onwards.
Radio Days, 87 Lower Marsh, SE1 (020 7928 0800/www.radiodaysvintage.co.uk).
Make yourself part of the Critical Mass
By cycling in a large group, Critical Mass (www.criticalmasslondon.org.uk) forces the motorised traffic to give way to the pedalled variety. The regular group ride takes place on the last Friday of every month, starting at 6.30pm from under Waterloo Bridge on the South Bank.
Learn how to be a blacksmith
Classes run by Kevin Boys at Surrey Docks Farm (South Wharf, Rotherhithe Street, SE16; 020 7237 1408) teach you how to get to grips with hammer and tongs. A set of four sessions is £80.
Drink real ales at the Wenlock
Built in 1835 and opened as a pub a year later, the draw here is the variety of speciality ales, with picturesque names like Top Totty, Hebridean Berserker, Pictish Claymore and Dark Star Nut Brown Ale. Darts, an open fire, a piano and a list of football fixtures testify to the traditional, community-based nature of the place.
Wenlock Arms, 26 Wenlock Road, N1 (020 7608 3406/www.wenlock-arms.co.uk).
Cross the zebra crossing at Abbey Road
You know why. The studio itself (www.abbeyroad.co.uk) is at 3 Abbey Road, NW8.
Get lost over a cocktail in Lost Society
The winner of Time Out’s Best Bar award in 2006 is a sensation Deep-turquoise leather banquettes and cubes line bare brick walls decorated with painted peacocks. The cocktails that demand special attention – our Amaretto Sour was a perfectly blended combo of Disaronno shaken with lemon juice, sugar, bitters and egg white, while a classic vodka martini was top-notch.
Lost Society, 697 Wandsworth Road, SW8 (020 7652 6526/www.lostsociety.co.uk).
Visit our last sewer lamp
On Carting Lane, a gloomy side street off the Strand between the Savoy and the ShellMex building, you can find London’s last remaining sewer-powered gas lamp, still giving out its queasy yellow glow around the clock, thanks to a hollow iron column that allows sewer vapours to travel to its flame. Lit by the capital’s slurry since the 1880s, this Patent Sewer Ventilating Lamp represents Victorian ingenuity at its best.
Drink vodka in a Polish bar
Bar Polski (11 Little Turnstile, WC1; 020 7831 9679) is the real deal. From the Polish kitchen (churning out bigos, barszcz and kielbasa until 10pm) to the equally authentic Polish fridge, this sleek and simple bar doesn’t do dilettante. Vodkas by the vatload, most at £2.30 a shot, are categorised into ‘dry and interesting’ or ‘nice and sweet’ to help the uninitiated. Think of them as meze – try a sweet caraway seed Kwinkowy, or an Orzechowka infused with unripe walnuts.
Sing along to ‘The Sound of Music’
Most Friday nights, the Prince Charles Cinema hosts ‘Sing-a-Long-a Sound of Music’, a showing of the film especially designed for those who are unable to resist belting out ‘Lonely Goatherd’ at the top of their lungs – usually in fancy dress.
Prince Charles Cinema, Leicester Place, WC2 (020 7494 3654/www.princecharlescinema.com).
Get a proper shave
Geo F Trumper, established in Curzon Street in 1875, has ‘served the needs of London gentlemen and members of the Royal Court for more than 125 years and is still run by a Trumper. A shave here entails getting your face doused in ‘skin food’, wrapped in hot towels, then a cut-throat to the chin, cold towels, a face massage and moisturiser. There’s also a shaving school.
Geo F Trumper, 9 Curzon St, W1 (020 7499 1850/www.trumpers.com).
Dine out in a converted power station
At Wapping Food, the dramatic conversion of a hydraulic power station into a restaurant (and associated gallery/performance space) makes no effort to hide the building’s industrial interior – with rusting and peeling pumps, chains and hooks still firmly in place.
Wapping Food, Wapping Wall, E1 (020 7680 2080/www.thewappingproject.com).
Get classical in a crypt
Listen to classical music by candlelight at St Martin-in-the-Fields (Thursdays to Saturdays, and alternate Tuesdays, 7.30pm). The evening performances are worth the entry fee; lunchtime recitals are free.
St Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square, WC2 (020 7766 1100/www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org). Charing Cross tube/rail.
Get instant karma
Visit the beautiful Kyoto Gardens in Holland Park. The bridge at the foot of a waterfall is one of the city’s most peaceful spots.
Holland Park tube
Moonwalk
This night-time walk in early summer is a great way to see a different side of the city – by moonlight – while raising money for charity.
www.walkthewalk.org
Fly a kite on the Heath
On the top of Parliament Hill, or the large open area towards the swimming pool. But watch your step.
Hampstead tube/Hampstead Heath rail
Row on the Serpentine
Rent one of the 110 boats and pedalos (available from March to October) and have fun messing about on the oldest boating lake in the capital.
Hyde Park Corner tube
Catch the Bard on grass
The open-air theatre in Regent’s Park is perfect for summery Shakespeare romps. They tend to be popular so book well in advance.
Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park, NW1 (www.openairtheatre.org). Baker St tube.
Be a groundling at the Globe
Stay on your feet and catch a historically authentic performance in the reconstructed theatre; the original burned down in 1613. Plays take place from May until September.
Shakespeare’s Globe, 21 New Globe Walk, SE1 (020 7401 9919/www.shakespeares-globe.org) London Bridge tube/rail.
Share a bottle with a lover
Hide away in the furthest recesses of Gordon’s, a crumbling candlelit warren of a drinking den.
Gordon’s Wine Bar, 47 Villier’s St, WC2 (020 7930 1408/www.gordonswinebar.com). Embankment tube.
Watch the Great River Race
This annual race takes place in September on the Thames along a 22-mile course from Ham House in Richmond to Greenwich, and features more than 260 ‘traditional’ boats, from Chinese dragon boats to Viking longboats. Less po-faced than the Oxbridge race – and much more colourful.
www.greatriverrace.co.uk
Chuckle at cartoons
At the Cartoon Museum in Bloomsbury, visitors can’t help but laugh out loud at works by artists from Hogarth and Gillray to Thelwell, Steadman and Matt.
Cartoon Museum, 35 Little Russell St, WC1 (020 7580 8155/www.cartooncentre.com). Tottenham Court Rd tube.
Scratch your head at Sir John Soane’s
An eclectic and fascinating collection of sculptures, paintings, antiquities, jewellery and other bits and pieces collected by the architect.
Sir John Soane’s Museum, 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, WC2 (020 7405 2107/www.soane.org). Holborn tube.
Get a taste for heights at the Tate
For a free adrenalin rush, press your face against the glass on the fifth floor. Now look down.
Tate Modern, Bankside, SE1 (020 7401 5120/www.tate.org.uk). Blackfriars or Southwark tube.
Buy a bagel from a Golders Green deli
A Golders Green institution, Daniel's offers the usual bagel varities, a range of other breads and a breezily unreconstructed attitude towards its customers.
Daniel’s Bagel Bakery, 12-13 Hallswelle Parade, Finchley Rd, NW11 (020 8455 5826) Golders Green tube.
Eye up the walrus
Sneak down to Forest Hill for what might be (whisper it) London’s best museum – the Horniman. Skeletons, pickled animals, model insects and Egyptian mummies, and the star attraction – an enormous (over-) stuffed walrus. Don’t miss the mesmerising jellyfish in the new aquarium or the Apostles clock chiming at 4pm.
Horniman Museum, 100 London Rd, SE23 (020 8699 1872/www.horniman.ac.uk). Forest Hill rail.
Get a full head of steam
London’s only steam railway; Sundays at Kew Bridge Steam Museum (Mar-Nov).
Kew Bridge Steam Museum, Green Dragon Lane, Brentford, Middx (020 8568 4757/www.kbsm.org). Gunnersbury tube/rail or Kew Bridge rail.
Take afternoon tea
Order cake and a pot for two for an old-fashioned afternoon at The Wolseley, a stunning Piccadilly restaurant, inspired by a grand Viennese café.
The Wolseley, 160 Piccadilly, W1J (020 7499 6996/www.thewolseley.com). Green Park tube.
Check out the city from the crest of Parliament Hill
Best visited at sunrise or sunset.
Hampstead tube/Hampstead Heath rail
Read in the shadow of the King George collection
This towering black storage facility in the British Library houses its priciest tomes and overlooks the tranquil entrance hall and the attractive – if pricey – café.
British Library, 96 Euston Rd, NW1 (0870 444 1500/www.bl.uk). King’s Cross tube/rail.
Take a dip on the Heath
For those who like their swimming bracing.
Hampstead Heath Ponds, Hampstead Heath, NW5 (020 7485 4491). Hampstead tube/Hampstead Heath rail.
Discover the glorious Chelsea Physic Garden
A true secret garden in the city; public opening hours are restricted.
Chelsea Physic Garden, 66 Royal Hospital Rd, SW3 (0207376 3910/ www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk). Sloane Square tube.
Eat Vietnamese in Hackney
The long-standing Huong-Viet seems to get better and better with age.
Huong-Viet, An Viet House, 12-14 Englefield Rd, N1 (020 7249 0877/www.huongviet.co.uk) 67, 149, 236, 242, 243 bus.
Witness the drama of a big case at the Old Bailey
The public is welcome to visit; a notice by the front door gives details of forthcoming trials.
Central Criminal Court, Corner of Newgate St & Old Bailey, EC4 (020 7248 3277/www.oldbaileyonline.org). St Paul’s tube.
Indulge in Afternoon Tease
What could be better than a Saturday spent thrilling your senses with scones, clotted cream, cucumber sandwiches, aromatic infusions, pink bubbles and dollops of cabaret? Held fortnightly in the bewitching Volupte Lounge, this regular session has a faithful following.
Volupté, 9 Norwich St, EC4A 1EJ (020 7831 1677/www.volupte-lounge.com). Chancery Lane tube.
Celebrate the Chinese New Year in Chinatown
Lion and dragon teams perform traditional dances and there are, of course, fireworks displays (at lunchtime and 5pm). It all takes place in late January/early February.
Gerrard St, W1. Leicester Square tube
Play chess in a pub
The London equivalent of an alfresco game in New York’s Central Park. The Harrison in King’s Cross has plenty of boards, and punters are welcome to organise their own games and leagues.
The Harrison, 28 Harrison St, WC1 (020 7916 3113). King’s Cross tube/rail.
Get up early for Billingsgate Market
Buy cheap fish, or just enjoy the foul language. Open Tue-Sat 5-8.30am.
Billingsgate Market, Trafalgar Way, E14 (020 7987 1118/ www.cityoflondon.gov.uk). Poplar DLR.
Laugh at old toys in Pollock’s Toy Museum
Take in tin toys, teddy bears and more.
Pollock’s Toy Museum, 1 Scala St (entrance Whitfield St), W1 (020 7636 3452/www.pollockstoymuseum.com). Goodge St tube.
Land on Eel Pie Island
Or just ponder its place in rock history from a pleasant pub across the river.
The White Swan, Riverside, Twickenham, Middx, TW1 3DX (020 8892 2166). Twickenham rail.
Party on the beach
When the tide goes out, revellers come in. ‘Reclaim the Beach’ parties take place at irregular intervals throughout summer in front of the Royal Festival Hall.
www.swarming.org.uk or email [email protected]
Tuck into pie and mash at M Manze’s
Two pies, a mountain of mash and a lake of liquor for £3.45.
M Manze’s, 87 Tower Bridge Rd, SE1 (020 7407 2985) 1, 42, 188 bus.
Drink all day, with a good excuse
For example, what better justification could there be for a jaunt round Fitzrovia than following in the footsteps of the literary greats (George Orwell, Dylan Thomas, George Bernard Shaw, among others) who frequented these pubs? For further pub crawl details visit www.alpc.co.uk/pcrawl3.htm.
Grafton Arms, 72 Grafton Way, W1 (020 7387 7923); King & Queen, 1 Foley St, W1 (020 7636 5619); The Hope, 15 Tottenham St, W1 (020 7637 0896); One Tun, 58-60 Goodge St, W1 (020 7209 4105); Northumberland Arms, 43 Goodge St, W1 (020 7637 3806); Fitzroy Tavern, 16 Charlotte St, W1 (020 7580 3714). All Goodge St/Tottenham Court Rd tube.
Loaf in a green-and-white deckchair in Green Park
Green Park, W1. Green Park tube.
Yelp at scary Victorian medical instruments
Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret, 9a St Thomas St, SE1 (020 7188 2679/www.thegarret.org.uk). London Bridge tube/rail.
Watch the penguins being fed
At London Zoo, daily 2.30-3pm.
London Zoo, Regent’s Park, NW1 (020 7722 3333/www.zsl.org/london-zoo). Camden Town tube or C2, 274 bus.
Get squeamish at the Hunterian Museum
Plenty of morbid exhibits in here. How about the brain of mathematician Charles Babbage? Or Churchill’s dentures?
Hunterian Museum, Royal College of Surgeons, 35-43 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, WC2 (020 7869 6560/ ww.rcseng.ac.uk/museums). Holborn tube.
Buy Japanese food in Brent
Not so much a shopping centre as a wild day out for lovers of eastern food. The Oriental City complex houses a Japanese confectioner, bakery and supermarket, as well as a pan-Asian food court.
Oriental City, 399 Edgware Rd, NW9 (020 8200 0009). Colindale tube.
Tour Dennis Severs’ House by candlelight
A ‘still life drama’, this house on Folgate Street is decked out to recreate snapshots of life in Spitalfields between 1724 and 1914. The atmospheric candlelit tours on Monday evenings cost £12.
Dennis Severs’ House, 18 Folgate St, E1 (020 7247 4013/ www.dennissevershouse.co.uk). Liverpool St tube/rail.
People-watch from Bar Italia
There are few better spots than a table outside this classic café from which to watch Soho’s weird and wonderful walk, stagger, cartwheel or unicycle by.
Bar Italia, 22 Frith St, W1 (020 7437 4520) Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus or Tottenham Court Rd tube.
Get up close to the deer in Richmond Park
Richmond Park, Richmond, Surrey (www.royalparks.gov.uk). Richmond tube/rail.
Watch a puppet show at the Little Angel Theatre
Founded by John Wright in 1961, this is the only permanent theatre of its kind in London.
Little Angel Theatre, 14 Dagmar Passage, off Cross St, N1 (020 7226 1787/www.littleangeltheatre.com). Angel tube.
Find peace in Battersea Park
Japanese Peace Pagoda, Battersea Park, SW11 (020 8871 7532/www.batterseapark.org). Battersea Park rail.
Browse the National Archives
There’s a thousand years of official government records here. See if they’ve got anything on you. Saturday tours are free.
National Archives, Ruskin Avenue, Richmond, Surrey (020 8876 3444/www.nationalarchives.gov.uk). Kew Gardens tube/rail.
Do the big three east London markets
Spitalfields for clothes, music and jewellery, Colombia Road for flowers, and Brick Lane for all kinds of crazy tat.
Brick Lane Market, E1; Columbia Road Market, E2; Spitalfields Market, E1 (www.visitspitalfields.com). Liverpool St tube/rail for all.
Visit the ‘magnificent seven’ cemeteries
If you can’t manage them all, do Highgate – marked by its dramatic tombs of towering angels, shrouded urns and broken columns.
Highgate Cemetery, Swains Lane, N6 (020 8340 1834/www.highgate-cemetery.org). Archway tube.
Feast on fish and chips
At cabman’s favourite the Fryer’s Delight.
Fryer’s Delight, 19 Theobald’s Rd, WC1 (020 7405 4114). Holborn tube
Treat yourself to oysters and champagne
Bibendum, Michelin House, 81 Fulham Rd, SW3 (020 7581 5817/ www.bibendum.co.uk). South Kensington tube.
Walk with dinosaurs
The world’s first theme park is in Crystal Palace Park. However, because it was built in 1854 before anyone knew what dinosaurs looked like, it’s also the world’s least accurate theme park. Well, maybe not the least accurate.
Crystal Palace Park, Thicket Rd, SE20. Penge West rail.
Do the Monopoly pub crawl
That’s 26 pubs, in order. Don’t expect to collect £200 if you pass Go.
www.monopolypubcrawl.org.uk
Catch a gig at Ronnie Scott’s
Ronnie Scott’s, 47 Frith St, W1 (020 7439 0747/www.ronniescotts.co.uk). Tottenham Court Rd tube.
Order a superior kebab on Green Lanes
Forget those post-pub nasties: kebabs from the Turkish cafés and restaurants on this Manor House-Turnpike Lane stretch are a class apart. Read more on London's best kebabs.
Antepliler, 46 Grand Parade, Green Lanes, N4 (020 8802 5588). Manor House tube.
Do the seasons at Somerset House
Go to a courtyard concert in the summer, skate on the ice rink in the winter.
Somerset House, Strand, WC2 (020 7845 4600/ www.somerset-house.org.uk). Waterloo or Charing Cross tube/rail or Temple tube.
Smash up cars
No, we’re not talking about descending on the car park with a set of keys and a baseball bat. On Sundays, Wimbledon Stadium offers the chance to race bangers around its track. If you’re not keen on actually doing the driving, then you can just sit back and relax while the experts smash their vehicles to pieces.
Wimbledon Stadium, Plough Lane, SW17 0BL, 01252 322 920/ www.spedeworth.net). Tooting Broadway tube/Earlsfield rail/44, 270, 272 bus
Discover London’s city farms
London has a whopping 17 city farms overseen by the Federation of City Farms & Community Gardens. Visit Bella the saddleback pig at Hackney or the riotous goats down on the Surrey Docks Farm. More info here
Get a table at the Ivy
If you’re not an A-lister don’t despair! Call the automated service and listen out for the option ‘for today’s lunch availability, dial 3’. As every luvvie knows, lunch is the only way to do the Ivy.
The Ivy, 1 West Street, WC2 (020 7836 4751/www.the-ivy.co.uk). Leicester Square tube.
Be a nosy neighbour at Open House London
An annual event held around mid September that gives architectural lovers free access to over 500 fascinating buildings all over the capital. An essential experience for the born snooper; see www.openhouselondon.org for exact dates and locations.
Visit the Shree Swaminarayan temple
The gleaming pinnacles and pillars of the Shree Swaminarayan Mandir would be an extraordinary sight anywhere – but rising out of Neasden, they are particularly special. This Hindu temple is the biggest in the Western hemisphere. Some 2,820 tonnes of Bulgarian limestone and 2,000 tonnes of marble from Italy were carved in India by hundreds of craftsmen before being shipped to London and assembled over three years. Dress respectfully to enter.
Shree Swaminarayan Mandir, 105-119 Brentfield Rd, NW10 (020 8965 2651/www.mandir.org).
Try on a bearskin at the Guards Museum
Learn about the glorious history of the Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish and Welsh Guards. At 10.50am every day (from April to August), the Guards line up outside the Museum in preparations for Changing the Guard.
Guards Museum, Wellington Barracks, Birdcage Walk, SW1 (020 7414 3271/ www.theguardsmuseum.com).
Learn to mix a martini
Dirty, naked, smoky, muddy – no, not a hike through a Laotian jungle, but the range of martinis you’ll learn how to mix at masterclasses held at Christopher’s.
Christopher’s American Bar & Grill, 18 Wellington St, WC2 (020 7240 4222/ www.christophersgrill.com). Hour-long session £12.
Spend a penny in the loos at Sketch
A pair of sweeping staircases leading up from the circular bar take you to an entire floor devoted to toilets, in the form of 11 pods.
Sketch, 9 Conduit St, W1 (0870 777 4488).
Dance to vintage American tunes
At the spectacular Rivoli Ballroom.
Rivoli Ballroom, 350 Brockley Rd, SE4 (020 8692 5130/www.jiveparty.com).
Browse the Petrie Museum with a torch
Its aged wooden cabinets are filled with shards of ancient Egyptian pottery, grooming accessories, jewellery and primitive tools. The fact some corners of this small museum are so gloomy that staff offer torches only adds to the fun.
Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, University College London, Malet Place, WC1 (7679 2884/www.petrie.ucl.ac.uk).
Shop for vintage phones at Radio Days
The choice of reconditioned retro radios at this vintage favourite is pretty good, but it’s only one facet of a laidback and reasonably priced emporium. Old-fashioned phones are a highlight, with lots of Bakelite beauties dating from the 1930s onwards.
Radio Days, 87 Lower Marsh, SE1 (020 7928 0800/www.radiodaysvintage.co.uk).
Make yourself part of the Critical Mass
By cycling in a large group, Critical Mass (www.criticalmasslondon.org.uk) forces the motorised traffic to give way to the pedalled variety. The regular group ride takes place on the last Friday of every month, starting at 6.30pm from under Waterloo Bridge on the South Bank.
Learn how to be a blacksmith
Classes run by Kevin Boys at Surrey Docks Farm (South Wharf, Rotherhithe Street, SE16; 020 7237 1408) teach you how to get to grips with hammer and tongs. A set of four sessions is £80.
Drink real ales at the Wenlock
Built in 1835 and opened as a pub a year later, the draw here is the variety of speciality ales, with picturesque names like Top Totty, Hebridean Berserker, Pictish Claymore and Dark Star Nut Brown Ale. Darts, an open fire, a piano and a list of football fixtures testify to the traditional, community-based nature of the place.
Wenlock Arms, 26 Wenlock Road, N1 (020 7608 3406/www.wenlock-arms.co.uk).
Cross the zebra crossing at Abbey Road
You know why. The studio itself (www.abbeyroad.co.uk) is at 3 Abbey Road, NW8.
Get lost over a cocktail in Lost Society
The winner of Time Out’s Best Bar award in 2006 is a sensation Deep-turquoise leather banquettes and cubes line bare brick walls decorated with painted peacocks. The cocktails that demand special attention – our Amaretto Sour was a perfectly blended combo of Disaronno shaken with lemon juice, sugar, bitters and egg white, while a classic vodka martini was top-notch.
Lost Society, 697 Wandsworth Road, SW8 (020 7652 6526/www.lostsociety.co.uk).
Visit our last sewer lamp
On Carting Lane, a gloomy side street off the Strand between the Savoy and the ShellMex building, you can find London’s last remaining sewer-powered gas lamp, still giving out its queasy yellow glow around the clock, thanks to a hollow iron column that allows sewer vapours to travel to its flame. Lit by the capital’s slurry since the 1880s, this Patent Sewer Ventilating Lamp represents Victorian ingenuity at its best.
Drink vodka in a Polish bar
Bar Polski (11 Little Turnstile, WC1; 020 7831 9679) is the real deal. From the Polish kitchen (churning out bigos, barszcz and kielbasa until 10pm) to the equally authentic Polish fridge, this sleek and simple bar doesn’t do dilettante. Vodkas by the vatload, most at £2.30 a shot, are categorised into ‘dry and interesting’ or ‘nice and sweet’ to help the uninitiated. Think of them as meze – try a sweet caraway seed Kwinkowy, or an Orzechowka infused with unripe walnuts.
Sing along to ‘The Sound of Music’
Most Friday nights, the Prince Charles Cinema hosts ‘Sing-a-Long-a Sound of Music’, a showing of the film especially designed for those who are unable to resist belting out ‘Lonely Goatherd’ at the top of their lungs – usually in fancy dress.
Prince Charles Cinema, Leicester Place, WC2 (020 7494 3654/www.princecharlescinema.com).
Get a proper shave
Geo F Trumper, established in Curzon Street in 1875, has ‘served the needs of London gentlemen and members of the Royal Court for more than 125 years and is still run by a Trumper. A shave here entails getting your face doused in ‘skin food’, wrapped in hot towels, then a cut-throat to the chin, cold towels, a face massage and moisturiser. There’s also a shaving school.
Geo F Trumper, 9 Curzon St, W1 (020 7499 1850/www.trumpers.com).
Dine out in a converted power station
At Wapping Food, the dramatic conversion of a hydraulic power station into a restaurant (and associated gallery/performance space) makes no effort to hide the building’s industrial interior – with rusting and peeling pumps, chains and hooks still firmly in place.
Wapping Food, Wapping Wall, E1 (020 7680 2080/www.thewappingproject.com).
Jan 30th, 2009, 06:34 AM
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something I did for the first time on a recent trip to London was to window shop along the Burlington Arcade. It was the first arcaded street in London and was built on spec in the 19th c. It's only a block long and wouldn't take much time, but there are some amazing antique shops and expensive clothing stores. It's a fun diversion if you're in the area of Bond/New Bond St. and the Royal Academy of the Arts. At one end there is the Laduree macaroon shop which is also a favourite!
Deborah
Jan 30th, 2009, 08:17 AM
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Everytime we travel someplace we've been before, we see some old favorites, but try to add some new "never-seen-befores". This is a fantastic list for London (where, although we haven't been THAT many times, we have been more than any other single destination). Thanks to the OP for asking, and thanks to the responders for responding so thoroughly!
Jan 30th, 2009, 01:09 PM
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Maybe only if you are from the U.S. but there is a new small museum in the house in London where Benjamin Franklin lived for 15 years, just behind Charing Cross Station towards the embankment. Not a traditional museum with loads of artifacts, but a docent dressed as the woman who ran the boarding house takes you through rooms and explains and shows video about Franklin in the house, the politician, the scientist, the man about town. Very cool.
For theatre I posted to a thread yesterday, but seek out the National Theatre, the Old Vic and the Young Vic Theatres as well as whatever the Royal Shakespeare Company has on in London.
For theatre I posted to a thread yesterday, but seek out the National Theatre, the Old Vic and the Young Vic Theatres as well as whatever the Royal Shakespeare Company has on in London.
Jan 30th, 2009, 01:29 PM
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penel523-
Here's two more:
<b>quirky and/or off the beaten path london? </b>
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35122028
and
<b>london for returning travelers</b> which, incidentally, was <u>started by you</u> in 09/2006! It has the wonderful Second and Third London Visit list by Ben Haines.
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34868001
Here's two more:
<b>quirky and/or off the beaten path london? </b>
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35122028
and
<b>london for returning travelers</b> which, incidentally, was <u>started by you</u> in 09/2006! It has the wonderful Second and Third London Visit list by Ben Haines.
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34868001
Jan 30th, 2009, 03:18 PM
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Ditto to Abbey Road, and walking along Parliament Hill. Let me add a walk along the Thames in Richmond, where you can sit and drink in the view, and have a meal as well. It's the last stop on the District Line.
Jan 30th, 2009, 03:27 PM
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Wow do I love that list. I have done a lot of those things but I see tons more to do and am itching to go back now.
I just got back from my 16th trip to England and did all London this time except for a day trip to the Cotswolds with http://www.walks.com/. I did a total of 4 walks with them this trip they are brilliant.
I love finding odd ball places and oh
the bus nothing better than getting up top front row and just watch as you travel to where-ever its a bonus in itself, I also got to see Oliver with Rowan Atkinson by calling the sold out box office the morning of the play
I just got back from my 16th trip to England and did all London this time except for a day trip to the Cotswolds with http://www.walks.com/. I did a total of 4 walks with them this trip they are brilliant.
I love finding odd ball places and oh
the bus nothing better than getting up top front row and just watch as you travel to where-ever its a bonus in itself, I also got to see Oliver with Rowan Atkinson by calling the sold out box office the morning of the play
